My "vacation" has come to an end and it's back to posting some trailers! I thought that I would feature those that were missed in the weeks I was away, most of them still in theaters today. There are some emotional ones in this batch that may or may not have had me tearing up. That or I got some dust in my eyes, which is more likely because I haven't dusted in ages, so...
Let's get to it!
Lion (1/6/2017):
This movie is listed as being out for almost three months, so I'm guessing that a good chunk of that was limited showings before finally expanding. It looks really good and one of those emotional ones I mentioned above. However, if following along you know how I feel about movies based on true stories and how they are generally embellished upon. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad movie, this one has been receiving much critical acclaim!
Dav Patel (Chappie, Slumdog Millionaire), Nicole Kidman (The Hours, The Others), and Rooney Mara (Carol, Pan) star in this character driven, yet visually stunning, tear-jerker. Though, I imagine a lot of focus will be on newcomer Sunny Pawar, playing the young version of the lead character, Saroo. I'm guessing he steals the show and hopefully it leads to future projects. Not that the acting from the rest of the cast is garbage, it looks great as well! This may be pulled from theaters soon, so I may have to catch it on Redbox or Netflix.
Sleepless (1/13/2017):
I'm trying to get excited for Sleepless, and Jamie Foxx (Horrible Bosses 2, Shade) as a corrupt cop/anti-hero, but I just can't seem to. It looks action packed and I like the co-stars — Gabrielle Union (Almost Christmas, The Box), Scott McNairy (Non-Stop, Monsters), David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Mass) and Michelle Monaghan (Source Code, Gone Baby Gone). I originally thought the trailer showed too much, but after another viewing it seems standard.
Considering he has a literal partner-in-crime who isn't seen through most of the trailer, I assume something happens or involved in some plot-twist, which thankfully isn't revealed regardless. Foxx seems to be fairly solo in this and, while I like his acting, it has a very Taken/John Wick feel (neither of which are original themselves, mind you). Who knows, maybe I will be pleasantly surprised, but it's already dropping from theaters fast and it wasn't anywhere on the Top 10 of last weekend's box office. And that's with Lion taking in only 3.8M$ in its eleventh week. Redbox/Netflix for me.
Also, I wasn't aware this was a remake based off of a foreign film, which I find myself more interested in checking out.
A Dog's Purpose (1/27/2017):
I'm shocked this was released in theaters! I thought this may end up a direct to DVD/BluRay or shelved altogether after the rumors/controversy of animal abuse during filming. I never looked into it fully, so hopefully it was, indeed, only rumor. This is another emotional trailer for me, while it may be a drama it looks fairly light and even funny, so I guess I just like animals a lot...
Either way, this trailer shows way too much of the movie, in my opinion. We certainly didn't have to see the reconnection between Dennis Quaid's (Mad Families, Dreamscape) character and a reincarnated best friend, that should have been an emotional reveal for first-time viewers. Come on! Ah well, it looks like a cute, heart-warming, emotional rollercoaster (especially if the damn mutt keeps dying over and over and over!) that I'd imagine would make for a great family movie night. I may investigate more into the animal abuse, though, before shelling out any kid of money to see it.
A Dog's Purpose also stars Josh Gad (The Angry Birds Movie, Frozen), Peggy Lipton (The Postman, Mod Squad), Britt Robertson (who I think may be cursed in terms of the big screen — Tomorrowland, Under the Dome), and John Ortiz (Silver Linings Playbook, American Gangster).
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (1/27/2017):
Well, I'm not sure what to say about this supposed final installment in the Resident Evil franchise. For starters, I doubt it's really the "final" anything, as it is bound to be revived like the undead at one point or another. That may be a straight up sequel; prequel; or reboot; but it's coming, mark my words! I really like Milla Jovovich (Zoolander 2, Survivor) and I can't quite recall, but am pretty sure I enjoyed the original movie. Maybe it was more straight up horror-like? I was very resistant to the sequels, because they looked to be very over-the-top, almost cartoony. Eventually I saw the second, and while it wasn't completely terrible, I feel my concerns were confirmed. At this point I imagine things are full-blown b-a-n-a-n-a-s up in that zombie-infested wasteland!
Sooooooo, yeah. It looks like there is a ton of action, buckets full of zombie-gut-spraying-like action, but it looks to be fairly ridiculous. A mindless popcorn feature, which is nice and works for many. Not so much for myself. Maybe had I followed along the whole time I'd be more excited, because I love the Fast & Furious movies (though, that last one was pushing it for me on ridiculousness), which are chock full of mindless, adrenaline-fueled nonsense! Maybe I will do a marathon once this one falls off the big screen.
The movie also stars Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, The Iron Lady) and Ali Larter (Legends, Heroes), both of whom I enjoy a lot! And that trailer working in Guns N' Roses like that?! They almost got me... almost...
The Space Between Us (2/3/2017):
I find this to be a fairly intriguing story, but I feel like the trailer pretty much reveals a vast majority of what takes place throughout the entire movie. That's a shame, because it sheds a lot of the appeal to seeing it in theaters! I also really like the acting of most of those associated with the project, especially Gary Oldman (Criminal, Man Down).
Here, again, we have Britt Robertson (though, this time in a leading role) alongside Asa Butterfield (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Hugo) in a budding romance transcending space and time. Well, space anyhow. I think the chemistry between Britt and Asa is solid, and a lot of the antics of discovering life on Earth are cute, but I feel like we've seen most of the dramatic (and comedic) moments of the film. It recently opened to just under 4M$ this past weekend and I can't see it gaining any kind of traction, so it seems fairly DOA.
I'd still like to check it out once it falls out of theaters, which is bound to be relatively fast. Hopefully Britt can find a really successful project soon, because I feel like she is striking out a lot lately.
Did any of the featured movies interest you? Do you think the plot of Lion is strongly embellished or true to facts? Have you or anyone you know been adopted and eventually set out to find your birth parents? Does Sleepless look too generic or do you think it looks really good? Have you seen the original French film it's a remake of, Sleepless Night? Have you heard the animal abuse rumors surrounding A Dog's Purpose? Do you believe in reincarnation? Are you a fan of the Resident Evil movie franchise? Do you think this will be the final movie based on the hit video game series? Do you think the trailer for The Space Between Us reveals too much? Do you think we will eventually colonize Mars?