Happy Friday, and welcome to Def Pen’s Weekend Movie Preview, where we lay out your movie-going options for the coming weekend. The expectation as of late is that the latest installment of “Star Trek” will dominate at the box office. That’s probably a good assumption, but I encourage you to go against the flow, and check out some other exciting movies releasing this weekend:
“Star Trek: Beyond”
Synopsis: “After stopping off at Starbase Earhart, a remote outpost on the fringes of Federation space, the USS Enterprise, halfway into their five-year mission, is destroyed by a powerful, unstoppable wave of unknown aliens. With the crew stranded on an unknown planet and with no apparent means of rescue, they find themselves in conflict with a new ruthless enemy who has a well-earned hatred of the Federation and what it stands for” (IMDb).
Truth be told, I’m not a “Star Trek” fan – it has just never measured up to all the other wicked sci-fi franchises out there. However, even if you’re not a certified Trekkie, the movie may still be worth your time, for a couple of different reasons. You may have heard that a few months ago, Anton Yelchin tragically passed away. “Star Trek: Beyond” is one of the last films that Yelchin appeared in, so going to see the movie is a good way to support his friends, family, and fans. Apart from this somber reason, the film has been wildly praised by critics. Rotten Tomatoes has awarded an 87% “Certified Fresh” rating, while the movie’s metascore is 70/100. Considering that the direction team was switched up for the third movie, the positive response from critics is a truly impressive feat. Todd VanDerWerff of Vox writes, “this is not a perfect movie, but it’s a near-perfect Star Trek movie”.
“Ice Age: Collision Course” – Beauty and the sloth.
Synopsis: “Scrat’s epic pursuit of the elusive acorn catapults him into the universe where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the Ice Age World. To save themselves, Sid, Manny, Diego, and the rest of the herd must leave their home and embark on a quest full of comedy and adventure, traveling to exotic new lands and encountering a host of colorful new characters” (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation).
So this newest “Ice Age” film is the fifth in the series. We all know that the Ice Age lasted awhile in history, but come on. It didn’t last this long. Word on the street is that we should just pretend that this movie isn’t happening – because how can it possibly be worth watching with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 12%? According to CinemaBlend‘s Mike Reyes, it’s not: “this movie only really serves one purpose: to prove that the franchise needs a swift and sudden ending”.
“Lights Out” – You were right to be afraid of the dark.
Synopsis: “When Rebecca left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn’t real when the lights went out…and now her little brother, Martin, is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie, has reemerged. But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger…once the lights go out” (Warner Bros.).
Horror and thriller fans, this movie is for you. Lately, horror films have been flopping with critics and audiences; but amidst this, “Lights Out” is here to scare the hell out of you and save the day. The movie has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 80%, and a metascore of 57/100. On top of this, I can’t get through a single one of the trailers without my eyes squeezed shut. Bill Graham of The Film Stage praises “Lights Out” for “some immensely chilling sequences and a lot of the eye-rolling moments of the horror genre cleverly sidestepped”.
“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” – It’s a huge great bloody movie, sweetie!
Limited Release
Synopsis: “Appropriate for their big screen debut, Edina and Patsy are still oozing glitz and glamour, living the high life they are accustomed to; shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London’s trendiest hotspots. Blamed for a major incident at an uber fashionable launch party, they become entangled in a media storm and are relentlessly pursued by the paparazzi. Fleeing penniless to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, they hatch a plan to make their escape permanent and live the high life forever more!” (Fox Searchlight).
Many of us Americans have probably never seen “Ab Fab” – the British 90’s show that is the basis for this movie, so I expect that the hype for “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” is far greater across the pond. It’s been receiving fair ratings, with a 66% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. Even if it doesn’t look completely “Fabulous”, the movie may be worth watching anyways, if only for the sake of curiosity. The consensus among critics seems to be that the film is “fun”: “The plot is a goof, the costumes, the jokes, the whole thing is a goof, really” (The Movie Minute).
“Don’t Think Twice” – The spotlight’s not for everyone.
Limited Release.
Synopsis: “For eleven years, an improv group called The Commune has reigned as the big fish in the small pond of their New York improv theater. Commune members Miles, Samantha, Jack, Allison, Bill and Lindsay invent comedy without a script and without a net. They’re ingenious, they’re fast, and they build on each others’ ideas like best friends – which they also are. Night after night they kill onstage and wait for their big break. Day after day they work menial jobs to support themselves. Then they get news that their theater is shutting down, and scouts from a hit TV show come to a performance looking for talent. Only two cast members get the nod, upsetting the dynamic of the group and leaving its future in doubt. Relationships begin to crack as six best friends face the truth that not all of them will make it, and for some, it may be time to give up on the dream and move on” (Official Site).
This movie flew completely under everyone’s radar, and I’m not sure how. Not only does it have comedy superstar Keegan-Michael Key and the lesser-known but equally hilarious Kate Micucci, but as of July 22 it has a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to Alan Scherstuhl of The Village Voice, “Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Don’t Think Twice’ stands as the best, most revealing film about comedy people and one of the best about artistic collaboration”. Since it’s a limited release, the movie may be hard to find – but finding it may also be well worth it!
“Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”
Synopsis: “In ‘Hillary’s America’, New York Times #1 best-selling author and celebrated filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza reveals the sordid truth about Hillary and the secret history of the Democratic Party. This eye-opening film sheds light on the Democrats’ transition from pro-slavery to pro-enslavement; how Hillary Clinton’s political mentor was, literally, a cold-blooded gangster; and how the Clintons and other Democrats see foreign policy not in terms of national interest, but in terms of personal profit. ‘Hillary’s America will’ uncover how their plan is to simply steal America (Official Site).
I was sitting in the theater, awaiting the start of the movie “Warcraft”, when I first saw the trailer for this movie. At first, I started laughing at its absurdity – I thought it must have been a joke, surely. But it wasn’t. After the trailer was over, people in the theater were upset, and one person even yelled, “Manager, you should be ashamed!” So, I’m predicting that this movie won’t be doing too well at the box office. Funnily enough, audience members are loving it – 78%, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Conversely, critics abhor it, and it has a 5% approval rating. The Salt Lake Tribune‘s Sean Means sums it up pretty well: “If your conservative uncle’s forwarded emails were a movie, they would be “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party,” a dull grab-bag of stale talking points and wildly revisionist history”.
There you have it – all of the new releases for this weekend! If you’d like to know more of your movie options, check out last weekend’s Movie Preview!
Have a great weekend, thanks for reading, and be sure to let us know which movies you’ll be seeing this weekend!
*This article covers major movie releases in the United States, and may not cover limited releases, international releases, or releases on VOD.
