Another summer weekend jam-packed with many action film. Here’s our rundown for them.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Directed by: Luc Besson
With: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, and Ethan Hawke
What is it about? A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
Heads Up: Billed as France’s most expensive production (about $225m), this could end up being the biggest dud of the summer financially, but the reviews are generally favorable praising the film visual thrills and kinetic energy. 20 years ago Luc Besson gave us The Fifth Element, another space opera that captured the imagination of my generation, and it seems that Valerian will bring back a little part of that magic.
Baby Driver
Directed by: Edgar Wright
With: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx
What is it about? After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
Heads Up: Edgar Wright is one of the most beloved directors of this generation (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The World’s End) but his films never exactly set the box-office on fire and remains mostly cult-favorite. But with Baby Driver he is enjoying his biggest commercial success to date. Filmphoria’s Lloyd Bayer liked it but didn’t love it. In his 3-star review he wrote :”the film opens on an octane high but simmers down to a whimper towards the end undermines what could have been a scorcher of a film this summer“.
Baywatch
Directed by: Seth Gordon
With: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, and Priyanka Chopra
What is it about? Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon butts heads with a brash new recruit, as they uncover a criminal plot that threatens the future of the bay.
Heads Up: The remake of the iconic 90s TV series is considered a dud both commercially and critically that even Dwayne- The Rock- Johnson couldn’t salvage. That said, it has Priyanka Chopra in her first major Hollywood film playing the bad guy, so maybe it will find some audience in the region.
Munna Michael
Directed by: Sabir Khan
With: Tiger Shroff, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Chitrangda Singh
What is it about? A young man, tries to follow the footsteps of his idol, The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
Heads Up: No one can deny that Tiger Shroff has the look and physicality to become a major star, and his previous films has proven his viability as a box-office draw. He has an appeal for young audiences with his fluffy masala films which mix dance, songs, and action. So if you are of the target audience, then by all means. Btw, this also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a comic-menacing role.
