What's In Theaters: It's The Big Little Things
GUESS THE QUOTE
"they say every atom in our bodies was once
part of a star. Maybe I'm not leaving...
...maybe I'm going home."
Change is sometimes stark and sometimes not as much.
This weekend's major movies' lead characters are a female action hero and an everyday kid who happens to be gay.
They're from major movie studios putting big budget marketing campaigns behind them.
While the social/cultural aspects will be discussed, they'll largely be judged on whether they're actually good movies or not.
And it feels normal.
Is it all of the change needed?
Nah.
But it's at least some of it.
Getting cutoff? Go here and click "the most recent edition."
TOMB RAIDER
AKA
"what you secretly call yourself when you're high and hungry AF and searchin' through your cabinets for that munchy stuff"
PG-13 / 2 hrs 2 mins
Action / Warner Bros
WHAT'S THE DEAL
At this point it just feels a bit too didactic and redundant to gripe about the unoriginality of Hollywood, so we'll try and limit our metaphorical weighted exhales as we type (keyword: try).
Now, to the movie... so this version of the thing we already know takes from other new retellings and "grits" it up a bit - and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) takes over as Lara.
Instead of the Angelina Jolie movies, Lara is still learning about her internal badassness and the disappearance of her father spurs it along - i.e. this is an origin story.
It also looks to try and humanize the character vs treating her like an unkillable superhero.
However, this is still a movie based on a video game mind you, so you'll get all the CG, uncanny coincidences and bonkers feats of human strength, just with, ya know, a bit more sweat and dirt.
Notable that the games (and older movies) had a perceived split aspect of empowerment and objectification; and this new film is coming out in a time of intense discussions around female identity, feminism and objectification.
So how that plays out for it could be an interesting aspect - oooor it's just another action movie. /shrug
REVIEWS
The Good: Alicia Vikander's acting and the new "grounded" tone, another badass that happens to be female.
The Bad: a rote and tired story.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 50%
(73 reviews @ publish)
ARE WE GONNA GO?
TBD
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LOVE, SIMON
AKA
"how we sign all our emails just to confuse people"
PG-13 / 1 hr 49 mins
Drama, Rom-Com / FOX
WHAT'S THE DEAL
Hollywood met the modern day, modern day met Hollywood.
Together they combined to make a good ol glossy (as in the main character's parents are Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel glossy...) coming of age story that happens to feature a kid who's gay.
He's got the normal HS drama, but also that yet to come out to his friends/family drama - which makes finding that l.o.v.e. a bit more difficult.
But wait, someone else is trying to come out by posting an anonymous note online...
TBH it's kind of a big deal that it's not that big of a deal (but it still is kind of a big deal - get it)?
Basically this is a movie that is made to give you the feels, in a good way - almost like a Lifetime or Hallmark Channel movie with way better actors and production.
I.e. it ain't going to be pushing many boundaries beyond the (big one) it's already addressing.
REVIEWS
Like that it does well the things you know it's going to do, and spotlights a character from a group grossly underserved/miserved in mainstream content.
Some people found it a bit samey and not challenging enough.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
(39 Reviews @ publish)
ARE WE GONNA GO?
Prolly not - not because it looks bad, just because we feel like we know what will happen.
But then again, it does feel like a story worth supporting.
LAST WEEKEND'S TOP MOVIES
(Weekend / Domestic Total - $ = Millions)
1) Black Panther ($40.8 ) / $562)
A super, hero, movie
97% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
2) A Wrinkle in Time ($33.1) NEW
Oprah, Reese, Mindy help teen save world
42% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
3) Strangers: Prey At Night ($10.4) NEW
Strangers come to kill a family
37% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
4) Red Sparrow ($8.5 / $31 )
Jennifer Lawrence plays Russian spy
48% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
5) Game Night ($7.9 / $45)
Cards Against Humanity this ain't
82a% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
6) Peter Rabbit ($6.8 / $93)
He steals carrots and... raps? Yes, he raps
60% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
7) Death Wish ($6.6 / $24)
Bruce Willis is a vigilante
17% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
8) Annihilation ($5.6 / $21)
Natalie Portman/female crew, trippy Sci-Fi
87% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
9) The Hurricane Heist ($3) NEW
Schlocky B movie (think Sharknado)
42% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
10) Jumanji: Welcome to... ($2.7 / $397)
"Reimagining," players go into video game
76% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
PACIFIC RIM UPRISING
John Boyega (Finn in Star Wars) plays the son of Idris Elba's character from first film as the monsters return, with some help from some bad people humans.
SHERLOCK GNOMES
Sequel to Gnomeo and Juliet, Johhny Depp voices Sherlock. How much you wanna bet they thought of words that rhyme with "gnome" to come up with the premise for this?
UNSANE
Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's 11) directs Claire Foy (The Crown) in story of woman who thinks she has a stalker, ooor is insane. All shot on an iPhone.
MIDNIGHT SUN
Girl can't be in sun. Girl meets The Terminator's son who replaces the heat she's been missing in her life.
THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW
April 27, 2018
Kid living abnormal life with grandma in a "future house" meets kid who had heart transplant who likes to play punk music. Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec) play's punk's dad.
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ADRIFT
June 1, 2018
Shailene Woodley (Insurgence) goes on a sailing trip with a new lover and they get caught in a storm. Like a really really big storm.
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SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
July 6, 2018
MUST WATCH - Lakeith Stanfield (TV show Atlanta and Get Out) plays a telemarketer - he's black, uses his "white voice" to become successful, but all is not well.
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EIGHTH GRADE
July 13, 2018
Exactly as it sounds. A girl is in her last year of middle school and deals with that and the modern world. Early reviews are very good. Noteworthy: from A24
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LIFE ITSELF
September 1, 2018
Movie from creator of TV show This is Us. Deals with a multigenerational love story - apparently connected by one moment.
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FANTASTIC BEASTS:
CRIMES OF GRINDLEWALD
Nov 16, 2018
Second movie in the Harry Potter prequels. Jude Law joins as Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as Grindlewald.
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THE GRINCH
Nov 9, 2018
Benedict Cumberbatch voices the surly green guy in an animated version by Illumination, who created Despicable Me (aka the minions movies).