March 25 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice:
Directed by Zack Snyder (300), BvS is set two years after the events of the critically divisive Man of Steel (2013). This superhero movie is pretty much what it’s title implies; two of the most iconic super heroes in pop culture come to blows over the destruction of Metropolis in the wake of a large scale alien invasion.
When master manipulator Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) takes advantage of their distraction, creating a much larger threat, the two must set aside their differences and thwart his plans. This movie will be doing a lot of heavy lifting: establishing a new, older, more brutal Batman (Ben Affleck), introducing the very first Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to ever be portrayed on the big screen, and setting up the Justice League all while balancing a plot that promises to be emotionally and psychologically thrilling. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, and Diane Lane return.
APRIL 15 The Jungle Book:
From Maleficent to Cinderella, and soon Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, for what seems like a couple of years now, Disney has been slowly abandoning 2D animation. Instead, they have opted to adapt those classic movies into live action films.
It’s like, hey, remember those iconic animations from your childhood? Well, here they are with real people in them. What a twist; how innovative. Luckily, nothing too stomach churning awful has come out of these big budget live action remakes.
Maleficent and Cinderella both had their charms, both visually stunning and from the talent involved, I can’t wait to see how Beauty and the Beast has been adapted.
However, before then, The Jungle Book, the story of an orphan boy raised in the wild, will get it’s shine in theatres, 3D treatment and all. The grocery list of actors lending their voices to the animals are fine pickings. Christopher Walken, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson (Her), and Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation) all play key roles. April 15
APRIL 22 The Huntsman: Winter’s War:
A follow up sort of pseudo-prequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), this spin-off film hopes to salvage the more visually impressive elements of its predecessor.
Considering its director, Rupert Sanders, and lead actress were implicated in a cheating scandal heard around the world, I am hard pressed to find reasons why this franchise was resuscitated.
However, the studio thought it would be best to distance themselves from Stewart and Rupert, bringing in a new director and focusing the film on actors Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Chris Hemsworth (Thor) as they reprise their roles.
Eric the Huntsman, who previously aided Snow White in her crusade against the Evil Queen, is now not only faced with Ravenna, but also her icy sister, Freya. Along with his forbidden lover and renegade partner Sara (Jessica Chastain), he must stop the evil sisters from conquering and destroying the land with their temper tantrums and weird CGI powers.
APRIL 29 Keanu:
Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s first major feature length film to hit the big screen, Keanu follows the comedy duo as two friends who hatch a plan to pose as drug dealers in order to rescue Keanu Reeves when he is kidnapped by a street gang.
I’m kidding, Keanu is just the name of their cat, although that doesn’t make the premise any weirder. The only thing that would make this movie better was if Keanu Reeves actually makes a cameo.
MAY 6 Captain America: Civil War:
In the last Captain America, it was uncovered that Steve Roger’s childhood friend and fellow WWI soldier, Bucky Barnes, had not in fact died after falling from a moving train, but had actually been saved by Nazis and turned into bionic killing machine.
The government is none to happy with the Avengers as collateral damage, and body counts have been raking up in the wake of their battles. Everywhere they go, things seem to get blown up, people are dropping like flies. Iron man (Robert Downey Jr) , who had in previous films revealed his own identity and has nothing to lose, believes the heroes need to be held accountable and make their identities public.
However, Captain America (Chris Evans) isn’t too keen on the government sticking its nose in his business considering his best friend is an assassin and a fugitive of the law. Cue the cat fight. An Avengers bookend with Captain America: Winter Soldier tonal sensibilities, Civil War will see former teammates face-off against another. This film will also set up another Spider-man reboot.
MAY 20 Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising:
I loved the first Neighbors, it was the right amount of chaotic, inappropriate and weird humor. What I enjoyed even more so was how Rose Byrne (X-Men), Zac Efron and Madtv alum Ike Barinholtz outshined funny man Seth Rogen.
While its predecessor pitted man child Mac and his wife Kelly up against their frat house from hell neighbors, the sequel finds the small family battling a rowdy house of sorority girls. With the help of former enemy turned friend Teddy, they scheme to retake the neighborhood–again. May 20
MAY 27 X-Men: Apocalypse:
While the Avenger’s movie universe has been teasing their big bad Thanos since 2012 with cameos and in end credits scenes, Twentieth Century Fox beat them to the punch, pulling out a rather formidable and slightly strange looking foe–and I’m not talking about the awful 80’s hair-dos.
Seemingly invincible and immortal, Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), one of the very first mutants, came into existence at the dawn of civilization and was worshipped as a god.
Fed by the power of other mutants, he is now on the hunt for a posse, his Four Horsemen. The Xavier School for Gifted Children and it’s troubled founder, Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), are now faced with a being that has the power to wipe out all of mankind and instate a new world order.
You know, tyrants and their crazy world domination schemes. Same old, same old. Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as Raven/ Mystique , present to help Professor X lead a young group of X-Men against Apocalypse. It appears Lawrence plays a blonde version of Katniss Everdeen, sans bow and arrow. She dawns the blue Mystique make-up so rarely. Hopefully she’s just having a crisis of conscience.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2: A heart-warming sequel to the 2002 romantic comedy of the same name. Sports a big cast with big hair. March 25
Hardcore Henry: First Person-Shooter video game meets shaky cam sci-fi action film. It’s original I’ll give it that. April 8
The Adderall Diaries: Based on the tumultuous memoirs of troubled writer Stephen Elliott, stars James Franco, Amber Heard, and Christian Slater. April 15
Barbershop: The Next Cut: Cedric the Entertainer, Ice Cube comedy starring rapper/ singer Nicki Minaj in quite possibly more than just a gratuitous cameo. April 15
The Nice Guys: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe Crime Dramedy set in 1970s Los Angeles May 20
Alice Through the Looking Glass: Sequel to Disney’s 2012 live action Lewis Carroll adapted fantasy. Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway return May 27
Zhana Johnson
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