Unlike last weekend when Spider-Man: Homecoming was the one dominating release, this weekend is witnessing the release of a diverse group of films, and a whole lot of Jason Momoa, so keep reading:
War for the Planet of the Apes
Directed by: Matt Reeves
With: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, and Toby Kebbell
What is it about? After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.
Heads Up: The remake of the Planet of the Apes trilogy is the perfect example of summer blockbuster done right. The previous two films Rise of The Planet of The Apes, and Dawn of The Planet of The Apes had enjoyed increasingly a critical and popular fandom, and it seems that War of The Planet of The Apes is keeping the upward trend. The positive reception is almost unanimous, including from our critic Lloyd Bayer who was rapturous in his praise. In his 4½ stars review he wrote: “If this is the series swansong, it is also one of the most heartbreaking and fully accomplished blockbusters of the year. All hail Caesar!“
The Bad Batch
Directed by: Ana Lily Amirpour
With: Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves, and Jim Carrey
What is it about? A love story set in a community of cannibals in a future dystopia. In a desert wasteland in Texas, a muscled cannibal breaks one important rule: don’t play with your food.
Heads Up: Despite an amazing cast and a kickass trailer, the critical reception to this film was mixed at best. That and the fact that this film was available day-and-date for rent on VOD with its theatrical release made me conclude that there is no rush to catch up with it on big screen really.
Once Upon a Time in Venice
Directed by: Mark Cullen
With: Bruce Willis, John Goodman, and Jason Momoa
What is it about? A Los Angeles detective seeks out the ruthless gang that stole his dog.
Heads Up: A B-movie with a stellar cast? I gotta admit that despite the cheesy premise and the bad reviews, I was hoping might turn out to be a case of so-bad-it’s-good, but alas our own Lloyd Bayer was not too keen on it. In his 2 stars review he wrote: “as an action-comedy, Once Upon a Time in Venice is a misfire that should have gone straight to streaming video, or the type of film you watch in a hotel room before a flight“.
Jagga Jasoos
Directed by: Anurag Basu
With: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Sayani Gupta, and Adah Sharma
What is it about? Join Jagga, a gifted teenage detective, who along with a female companion, is on a quest to find his missing father.
Heads Up: This Disney produced adventure comedy is reuniting two of Bollywood’s hottest stars Kapoor and Kaif 7 years after their last collaboration. Despite the reported troubled production, and 2 years delay in releasing the film, the dialogue-free trailer promised a charming and visually dazzling film, so I would love to see this film in cinema.
The First Monday in May
Directed by: Andrew Rossi
With: Anna Wintour, Andrew Bolton, and John Galliano
What is it about? Follows the creation of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most attended fashion exhibition in history, “China: Through The Looking Glass,” an exploration of Chinese-inspired Western fashions by Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton.
Heads Up: A part of DIFF365 program, this documentary will be shown in VOX cinemas MoE for 2 weeks. If you have an interest in documentary of fashion, then this will be up your alley.
