Eid al-Fitr is upon us, and you know what that means. That’s right – the cinemas are gonna be abuzz, as the crowds flock the multiplexes for one of the favorite Eid passtimes: watching popcorn films. This is when the distributors release crowd-pleasing tentpole movies, and this year is no exception. So let’s check them out.
Independence Day: Resurgence
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
With: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman
What is it about? Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind’s new space defenses be enough?
Heads Up: 20 years ago Independence Day was the biggest film of 1996. This film is not gonna be nearly as big as its predecessor. For a start, Will Smith, the star of the original did not come back, and also the reviews and box-office results of this film are more on the disappointing side. Still, if you are a fan of the original and/or Roland Emmerich‘s films (The Patriot, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow), then I think you will enjoy this too.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:Out of the Shadows
Directed by: Dave Green
With: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, and Tyler Perry
What is it about? After facing Shredder, who has joined forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and henchmen Bebop and Rocksteady to take over the world, the Turtles must confront an even greater nemesis: the notorious Krang.
Heads Up: Another sequel, this time to the critically savaged, yet financially successful 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Michael Bay produced this one too. And it seems that the audience have had enough of this franchise as this one is considered a financial failure on top of its critical panning. I would not recommend seeing this film.
The Purge: Election Year
Directed by: James DeMonaco
With: Elizabeth Mitchell, Frank Grillo, and Mykelti Williamson
What is it about? Two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police sergeant Barnes has become head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge.
Heads Up: This is the 3rd installment of the Purge franchise, a rare franchise where each sequel improved on its predecessor. Election Year is timely as it’s actually an election year in the US, and I am sure the film will have its commentary and parallel on that as well. I’d say go for it, even if you did not watch the first two films.
Sultan
Directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar
With: Salman Khan, Marko Zaror, and Anushka Sharma
What is it about? A biographical drama based on the life of fictional Haryana based wrestler & mixed martial arts specialist Sultan Ali Khan.
Heads Up: For Bollywood fans, what’s an Eid without a Salman Khan release, eh? Well, he’s back and this time with another YRF release: which means good production values to say the least. Salman Khan is really not my cup of tea, but he is immensely popular and his fans adore him. He makes crowd-pleasing films tailor-made for his fans. Fan or not, you’ve probably already made up your mind to watch this film or to stay away. I don’t think I’m going to convince you either way.
