Most Anticipated of Q2 2017

With the months of May & June being the peak summer period, there really is quite a lot of movies being released in this second quarter of 2017...



My Most Anticipated Movies of Q2 2017:

             I have previously made an honourable mention to King Arthur: Legend of the Sword in my Q1 article, but it was then delayed to May. And I wanted to say that because of that, I wouldn't mention it again this time, but I feel like I just kind of did, anyway.
             Now, for the real honourable mentions of Q2. First up is Baywatch, which looks like another one of those hilarious, unrestrained comedy/action. The other movie I want to mention is The Mummy. The trailer didn't sell me so I'm not too keen on this film yet, but I'm definitely curious to see it.

8. Despicable Me 3 (June 30)

          I'm not too excited about this film because the series itself has been going downhill. Despicable Me 2 is not as good as the first one, and Minions (though fun) isn't really that good. But I personally really love the first Despicable Me, and that film has a lot of heart - just like most Disney & Pixar films. If this next film can recapture the magic & emotion of the first, then I will be surely be on board. But I'm a bit reserved, for now.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlq39IC07qA

7. Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23)

             I do not despise the Transformers movies as much as most people do. I find them quite enjoyable, even the most recent one (Age of Extinction). However, I do accept & understand that these are not great movies at all, and I know not to expect the next one to be great, either. I can hope for it, and I will definitely be excited to watch it, but my expectations will be a bit held back. Hopefully we can at least have some fun & good robot action in The Last Knight.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AntcyqJ6brc

6. Alien: Covenant (May 19)

              As some of you might know, I am not a big fan of the horror genre. But I am a big fan of science-fiction, so the mix of the two is a rather conflicting proposition for me. Get this, I am really very excited & curious about this film, but the fact that I dislike horror puts me slightly off. I have a few months to ponder on the decision, but for now, I am actually slightly leaning towards wanting to catch this film.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ6RX8YBpI4


5. The Fate of the Furious (April 14)

            There are several films in this franchise which are really good (Fast Five, Furious 6), but the most recent film (Furious 7), for me, was quite bad. It was way too messy and all over the place and I didn't like it at all. For me, this franchise currently feels like a franchise that has overstayed its welcome, and is now only trying to become bigger and bigger, but has lost its charm. And the trailer for this new film only adds to my worries...it looks like they are trying too hard to pull off a different story and still try to have a bigger spectacle. I'm not sold. Nevertheless, it still looks action packed and fun (hopefully), so yes I'm still interested to watch it.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XBmsl7wbIQ


4. Cars 3 (June 16)

                I know a lot of people aren't big fans of the Cars films, and it is considered to be one of the weakest of Pixar properties...but I personally liked them. It is a unique concept - to see a world inhabited by cars who act like humans. A bit like Zootopia, but with cars instead. Even Cars 2 (which people consider to be one of the worst Pixar films) I think was pretty special as they even managed to incorporate the spy/espionage element into the universe. In any case, I can understand all the dislikes & complaints, but as I personally like them, I am very much interested to see what the next chapter in the series will be like...

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYHv3GJtjto

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 26)

              Like several of the films above, the Pirates franchise hasn't had too much love from reviewers. But it remains a very fun action flick and has a very iconic, lovable character in Captain Jack Sparrow - which I would argue is Johnny Depp's best character. Not his best performance necessarily, but his best character. A few other of his characters (Tonto, for example) are pale imitations, but for me, this is his original and his best role. Captain Jack Sparrow is reason enough to watch the Pirates movies, so yes, I am quite looking forward to this next adventure in the high seas.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqftOTvYYd8

2. Wonder Woman (June 2)

             Of the two DC movies that's coming out this year, this is the one I'm looking forward to more. The Justice League footage that came out last year only showed me that its trying too hard to be fun/funny. The trailers for Wonder Woman, meanwhile, have all been brilliant. The combination of action & humour is great. I like the tone that it carries, and the focus on the characters. And the fact that it is set in World War One era only adds to the excitement for me. The DCEU movies haven't really made its mark yet, and I do hope this one will.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HUlW21v1fQ&t=2s

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5)

             Now if there's one movie that really knows what its doing and embraces it to the fullest, it is this. We all know of the surprise success of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and this one looks to enhance & improve on it in every single way - the action, the story, the characters, and most importantly, the humour. I have loved every single second of footage (teasers/trailers) I've seen of this film, and it is very simply brilliant. The humour is excellent and even from what few I've seen, I am loving this film already. James Gunn really seems like he knows what he's doing and really embraces the fun & silliness of these characters. This may yet be his masterpiece...

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr7tDrwQ3t8

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2

           I recently watched the first John Wick movie again, and I realize now I may have misjudged it back then. It is not as bad as I remembered it to be. But I still think it is not particularly good as the story is too simplistic, too narrow & has minimal character development. This sequel fixes that.

            All the best things about the first film can still be found here. And one of the very first thing that has to come to mind are the super cool Gun Fu action sequences. It is one of the reasons why the first John Wick movie is quite a surprise hit, and why (for me) it is still an acceptable film. And so while this is no longer a surprise aspect in the sequel, it still doesn't make it any less entertaining. And Keanu Reeves is still as cool as can be, and I can't imagine anyone else pulling off the character.

               Meanwhile, in this second film, they really build upon the lore and the world. They really explored the Continental Hotel and a lot of about other assassins and how they work, etc. The world really is expanded in this film, and we get to see all the connections that John Wick has and his background in the assassin business. My favourite scene/sequence in the film was in fact an intercutting sequence where John Wick is preparing for his mission. That was pretty cool.

              The story in this film is still rather simplistic, but at least everything is still very fun to watch. John Wick is just so cool, that it is always very fun to see what he does and the way he fights. The accompanying music is also very exciting. And the ending is really quite good for me, and I really do hope to see more of these movies.

              The first John Wick movie has the stunning action sequences, but I still maintain my opinion that it has a very weak plot. This film improves upon that and makes it a very cool action movie with decent story & characters and an expanded world.

VERDICT: 76 / 100

             Highly recommended for anyone & everyone who wants to see a kick-ass action flick....

Looking Forward: MARCH 2017

March is super packed!

Logan (Mar 3-USA, Mar 1-UK, Mar 2-Singapore)

             Easily the movie I'm looking forward to most in the first half of 2017. While Hugh Jackman's last outing as Wolverine is undoubtedly a selling point, it is not the main reason why I am super looking forward to this. It is in fact because this doesn't look like a typical superhero flick. You just need to watch the trailers (and I do implore you to do so) to see that this is more like a small character piece than a comic book blockbuster. It really feels like a Western film which apparently has Wolverine in it. And the fact that a small Western flick can tell a story of Marvel's (arguably) most famous superhero makes it super interesting. All the things I've seen & heard about this movie has only make me like it more and more, and really, you should watch both of the trailers for this film. They are really good!!

Trailers:
(Must Watch!!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbug3zTm3Ws (Trailer #1)
(Must Watch!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DekuSxJgpbY (Trailer #2)

Kong: Skull Island (Mar 10-USA, Mar 10-UK, Mar 9-Singapore)

                 Initially I had a few concerns or qualms (including about the look of Kong, though I'm quite over it now), and now I am very much interested to see this film. I am not too excited about this film as I thought I would've, and the trailers perhaps just didn't do quite enough to sell me. I feel like the story might be predictable (at least, on the surface) and this film didn't seem like its offering anything different, so there's no high selling point for me. But it seems like a decent action blockbuster, and it does have an amazing cast, so I am still quite interested for this film. I just hope this film isn't focusing too much to setup the upcoming Godzilla vs Kong movie, and instead focuses to be a good piece of story on its own.

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAbI4w95cTE (Comic-Con Trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfknzBAdPyA (Trailer #2)

Beauty and the Beast (Mar 17-USA, Mar 17-UK, Mar 16-Singapore)

                  Firstly, I just want to say that I am not a big supporter of the idea of turning all the Disney classic animations into live-action. Some things are better left in the animation world, especially when they're as good as these are. That being said, I completely adored the Disney live-action films Cinderella & Maleficent (both are in my Top 10 films of their respective years), and I thought that The Jungle Book was really good as well. So of course, I won't be betting against Beauty and the Beast. All I needed to say is that I'm not the biggest fan of the notion of live-action adaptation of animations. But this is really a film I'm looking forward to see and I do hope it is as good as their previous live-action adaptations.

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyC_dNvGcd4 (Teaser)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSGUAlTDyO8 (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-AyhL9AR9Q (Trailer #2)

Power Rangers (Mar 24-USA, Mar 23-UK, Mar 23-Singapore)

                   I want to firstly put the word out that I am not a Power Rangers fan at all - I think they are rather cheesy. No disrespect at all for you fans of the franchise - you all have your reasons for it, as I do have with my Star Wars. And as we should be, I'm completely okay with people not liking Star Wars. So anyway, I just want to put it out there that I am not a Power Rangers fan at all, so that you can understand my background about this property.
                   Now, after seeing the trailer for this film...well, unfortunately, my feelings didn't change one bit. I still think they look & sound cheesy, and the teenagers that are to be the Rangers doesn't interest me at all. Even Bryan Cranston (and I can't believe I'm saying this) doesn't increase my level of intrigue. The only thing I like is the look of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa. The trailers of the film didn't manage to sell me. Again, no disrespect to the fans out there - and who knows, my opinions might change if the movie really is good - but for now, I am not too keen on this movie.

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5Kgm2I-jFU (Teaser)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncGH9kSRjKs (Trailer #1)

Ghost in the Shell (Mar 31-USA, Mar 31-UK, Mar 30-Singapore)

                 This is a film that almost slipped my radar. I didn't even know that this movie is based on a Japanese Manga. After seeing the trailer and what people say about this film, I probably will be curious to check it out, although I'm not exactly excited to see it or anything. And if you are asking me about the casting of Scarlett Johansson, my answer is as always. The race/nationality of the actor is never a bother to me as long as he/she is a perfect fit for the role/character, and can do the character justice.

Trailers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4VmJcZR0Yg (Trailer #1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDctELIm3I (Trailer #2)

Other Movies:

                 One of the other films which I would have been quite looking forward to (had I not had a personal dislike of the horror genre) is The Belko Experiment (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2Ow2CX6OQ), out on March 17th. It is a horror-thriller with a very intriguing plot where the people inside are forced to kill. And these kind of movies are always very interesting in how the story pans out. The fact that James Gunn wrote the film made it so much more promising.

                  Releasing on March 24th, Life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RTAMM0sDlc) is also another film that looks very intriguing. However, it has a similar feel to the Alien movies, so I'm not quite sure what else this film can offer. But it has potential to be quite a good film, so we'll see how it is.

                Meanwhile, if you are looking just some pure comedy, Wilson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKHFZumOS94) is out on March 3rd, while CHiPs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IfqqUTW-i4), a buddy cop comedy, is out on March 24th.

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

               One of the better DC films in recent memory...though it is technically more of a Lego Movie than a DC movie. The film reminds me a bit of Deadpool in how it broke the fourth wall and references things in our real world. But even without doing so, the whole movie is really fun to watch and for an animation movie, it has some kick ass action sequences. The story is pretty solid, and overall it really is a very well done film.

               One of the best things about this film is really how it doesn't hold back. It breaks the fourth wall and makes fun of a lot of things (from movies in general to Batman in pop culture). It references a lot of things both within the DC Universe and outside of it. And yet it didn't overdo it. Sometimes these things can get out of control, but this film wasn't like that. There was just enough of Easter Eggs, and keeps the focus on the story most of the time.

                Which brings us to the story itself - which is pretty solid. Things get a bit messy and cluttered occasionally, but otherwise the plot is really good. It is not a dull & conventional plot, and that adds another layer to these characters that we follow. The motivation of the main characters is less of power & global domination, but is more of an emotional gap in the characters' lives. And that is really interesting.

                 And like I mentioned, this film really has amazing action sequences. I really enjoyed them, and they are coupled with a pretty cool score/music. The opening sequence (10 minutes or so) is one of the most memorable opening sequence I've seen in recent memory.

                To be perfectly honest, I struggle to find some negatives in this film. It probably isn't a supremely memorable film that would rank among the best of all time, but it remains a super fun watch and a very good animation movie overall.

VERDICT: 85 / 100

             An easy recommended...

RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER

            I knew I had to come in to this movie with low expectations...but I didn't know it had to be that low. When I went to watch Underworld: Blood Wars or XXX: Return of Xander Cage, I had the same low expectations...but with those two films I can still find some enjoyable moments. This movie is plainly quite bad. The plot was dull, the dialogue were cheesy, and even the action sequences were all out of focus.

             With a second-rate action movie, sometimes the thing you can hope for is for some plain fun action sequences. This movie doesn't even give you that. In all of the action sequences, the screen jumps from shot to shot very quickly, and makes it feel like everything is out of focus and hard to follow. Had they taken a bit more time with each shot, it might have been better. But the fact is that this movie had action sequences which are so jumpy.

                Then of course we come to the plot & dialogue - which were just dull. I did expect this low quality plot & dialogue so I am not necessarily surprised, but the fact remains that it is just not that good. To their credit, though, the ending of the movie isn't particularly bad. But the same can't be said for what precedes it.

             I was never a big fan of this series, and I knew I had to have low expectations every time I watch a Resident Evil film. But perhaps I had the slight hope that given that this is the last one, they would put all their cards out. But, it was not the case, and the series ends with a solid final act (preceded by an underwhelming hour).

VERDICT: 30 / 100

              To be honest, I'm not even quite sure if the fans will even enjoy this. It is not completely unwatchable...but lets be plain, it is quite bad.