2015 is the year of awaited big blockbusters. Let’s start in the month of spring’s beginning, March:
CHAPPIE
The Good: Neill Blomkamp directed District 9, one of the great recent sci-fi films. Hugh Jackman is a pretty good actor.
The Bad: Blomkamp also directed the getting worse by the day Elysium.
Prediction:
Chappie could be great or awful. Expect heavy doses of sci-fi monologue, but the special effects will be very good, and this movie’s main character is a robot, which could also lead to something great.
THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
The Good: Everyone is mostly back, including all the Brits and their humor, plus the energetic Dev Patel looks to have a bigger role.
The Bad: Pretty sure there will be no change in formula compared to the first film.
Prediction:
British sniping is always enjoyable, but this one will be a little lazier and less charming that the first Marigold Hotel.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
The Good: Dave Franco and Nick Frost are funny.
The Bad: Crappy director and writer, lazy premise, Tom Wilkinson is only funny when British, Vince Vaughn hasn’t made a good movie in years.
Prediction:
Expect irrelevant humor and very quick one and done gags with a forced message about teamwork.
CINDERELLA
The Good: Cate Blanchett will make a deliciously evil stepmother. Colors will pop. Kenneth Branagh is a good director.
The Bad: Who was clamoring for a remake of a near perfect classic? Untested movie leads are in FAMOUS roles.
Prediction:
Cinderella will look very pretty, but expect the SAME story. Pointlessness consumes this film.
RUN ALL NIGHT
The Good: Neeson and his underrated Non-Stop director reunite. There will be lots of fun fight sequences and solid tension probably.
The Bad: Joel Kinnaman cannot act, Genesis Rodriguez can barely act, and we’ve seen this same Neeson film for years now.
Prediction:
Just because Neeson makes similar films doesn’t make the films any less entertaining, and Ed Harris makes a cool villain.
INSURGENT
The Good: Shaliene Woodley is a great young actress.
The Bad: This franchise is the Hunger Games as thought out by a teenager; it’s too simplistic, plus lots of miscasting abounds here (Miles Teller is the worst example) or phoned in performances (read: Kate Winslet).
Prediction:
Red flags abound for this franchise apart from Woodley, who deserves all the credit for holding this film together as best she can.
GET HARD
The Good: Pairing Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell together seems like a good comedic match.
The Bad: Awful premise, more than five writers, untested director, Ferrell’s star is fading
Prediction:
I really hope for this to be good, but it feels lazy at best. Ferrell’s star will continue to fade and Hart will suffer a setback on his road to stardom.
HOME
The Good: Original premise, DreamWorks produced the How to Train Your Dragon films.
The Bad: DreamWorks also has a habit of leaning too hard on kid humor and simplistic themes.
Prediction:
Should be cute but quickly forgotten.
FURIOUS 7
The Good: Say goodbye to Paul Walker, Jason Statham and Kurt Russell signed on, the dialogue and cast know the material well.
The Bad: The director is known for horror films.
Prediction:
Fast cars, established actors, plus hopefully some over-the-top action. Should be chill and fun.
PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2
The Good: Kevin James will give it his all, Vegas is fun.
The Bad: A movie that didn’t need a sequel got one.
Prediction:
Like constant fat jokes and punching old women? This is your film, and stay away from me.
THE AGE OF ADALINE
The Good: Blake Lively is pretty.
The Bad: Nicholas Sparksian premise, bleh writer/director. Washed up actors/actresses.
Prediction:
Great date film guys.