It looks like February could go out
with a bang. That could mean greatness for any or all of the three
big releases, or they could all be big time fiascos. Either way, it
looks like there are some fireworks at the movies this weekend. Let's
see what's in store for us.
Eddie the Eagle
Director: Dexter
Fletcher
Writers: Sean
Macaulay, Simon Kelton
Starring: Taron
Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Tom Costello Jr.
For an
inspirational sports story with a winter release, there seems to be a
lot more intellectual positivity going on with this story about an English nerd
who becomes an Olympic ski jumper at the 1988 Games. It helps to have
two magnetic and charming personalities bouncing off each other,
which is precisely the thing Eddie the Eagle has going for it.
Taron Egerton made himself a star in last year's Kingsman: The
Secret Service and Hugh Jackman is Hugh Jackman, affable guy
extraordinaire. Egerton inhabits a completely different character
than he did in Kingsman, replacing cocky lower-class wit with
the earnestness that comes from believing in yourself.
Gods of Egypt
Director: Alex
Proyas
Writers: Matt
Sazama, Burk Sharpless
Starring: Brenton
Thwaites, John Samaha, Courtney Eaton, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard
Butler
This is the
likeliest fiasco referenced in the introduction. There is an
artificiality to everything in the trailer, which may explain in part
the whitewashing in the cast of a movie about Egyptians. “Nothing
is authentic, so screw it!” is the operating ethos for lack of
diversity, it seems. But hey, the studio apologized for not being
more inclusive in making this movie, so kudos on doing the bare minimum, I guess. As for the movie as it is, well,
Alex Proyas made The Crow and Dark City, two good to
excellent mid-'90s movies, so he has a thing for visual flair and
mythic characters. Those are good signs. Whether that translates to making this update on
Clash of the Titans good remains to be seen, but
putting Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – with all
his limbs intact – on the (American) big screen seems like the
entertainment industry's biggest no-brainer.
Triple 9
Director: John
Hillcoat
Writer: Matt Cook
Starring: Chiwetel
Ejiofor, Casey Affleck, Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul,
Kate Winslet
This has the
ingredients of an Oscar contender for next year. It has a director,
John Hillcoat, who makes grim, uncompromising films (The
Proposition, Lawless) and pairs him with a cast of some of
the finest performers from the last two decades. Plus it's about a
cat-and-mouse game of deception and corruption within a police
department and bank robbery crew. It looks like it'll be hard on your
faith in humanity like Hillcoat's movies tend to be, but sometimes
that can be thrilling.
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