Another packed weekend with so many releases, and the common theme for most of them is action. Keep reading if you want to know more.
Red Sparrow
Directed by: Francis Lawrence
With: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, and Mary-Louise Parker
What is it about? Ballerina Dominika Egorova is recruited to ‘Sparrow School,’ a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon. Her first mission, targeting a C.I.A. agent, threatens to unravel the security of both nations.
Heads Up: Francis Lawrence is reteaming with his Hunger Games heroine Jennifer Lawrence (no relation) in this spy-thriller. The film did not do well at the US box-office and the reviews are not very kind either. Watch it if you are a fan of Miss Lawrence, but be aware: it will be heavily censored.
Pacific Rim Uprising
Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight
With: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny
What is it about? Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
Heads Up: As good as it was, 2013’s Pacific Rim was a disappointment at US box-office, but did well enough internationally to justify a sequel. It seems this one offers a continuation to the robot-monster action that we enjoyed in the first film, the reviews are lukewarm, so watch it if you liked the first or enjoy this kind of all-CGI action.
The Forgiven
Directed by: Roland Joffé
With: Forest Whitaker, Eric Bana, and Jeff Gum
What is it about? After the end of Apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu meets with a brutal murderer seeking redemption.
Heads Up: Reviews for this film are middling with praise for the main performances especially for Forest Whitaker. It’s not necessary to see this film in cinema though.
Journey’s End
Directed by: Saul Dibb
With: Paul Bettany, Sam Claflin, Asa Butterfield, and Toby Jones
What is it about? Set in a dugout in Aisne in 1918, it is the story of a group of British officers, led by the mentally disintegrating young officer Stanhope, as they await their fate.
Heads Up: This WWI tale based on a famous play is enjoying very strong reviews which summarized it as bleak, sobering, and powerhouse emotional journey. So maybe you should give it a shot, especially if you like War dramas.
Sherlock Gnomes
Directed: John Stevenson
With: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, and Johnny Depp
What is it about? Garden gnomes, Gnomeo & Juliet, recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments.
Heads Up: This is a sequel to 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet which was a mid-level commercial hit. The cast is impressive, and it features original music by Sir Elton John. It has the level of lowbrow humor that might be appealing for little children. So if you have one of those, then maybe they will have a really good time with it.
Hichki
Directed by: Siddharth Malhotra
With: Rani Mukerji, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Asif Basra
What is it about? The story of a woman who turns her biggest weakness into her biggest strength.
Heads Up: Rani Mukerji was one of the most prolific Bollywood starlets in the early 2000s, but in this decade she slowed down quite a bit, so seeing her back on the screen is quite a delight, even in a film that doesn’t look all that special like this one.
