Movie studios have been force-feeding us the same slew of scenarios for over a century. Is it because the masses have spoken and we demand genres we know, or just because Hollywood isn’t very creative? Probably a little of both, but there is definitely a reason we keep crawling back … because drama on the big screen has us wrapped around its finger.
This year, the cinemascape is poised and ready to bring us new batches of re-boots with some butt-kicking power, laughs and thought-provoking escapades. Get ready for a new take on all your favorite genres.
The Sweeping Epic: “After Earth “
Opening June 7, and 1,000 years after the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable, Will Smith and his Blockbuster-in-training son Jaden crash land on the fateful planet. Smith is ever the perfect movie star — poised, wise, courageous, unfaltering — and although Jaden isn’t as adorable as he was in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” he seems to be growing into his awkward teen years gracefully. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the CGI effects are reminiscent of a muted “Avatar,” and the hope for a Shyamalan twist circa “The Sixth Sense” is high, but if his last few flops are any indication, this dog has already had his day.
The Adorable Femme Powerhouse: “Identity Thief“
There are a lot of identity theft types out there, but Melissa McCarthy is probably the most delightfully adorable of them all. Opening on Feb. 8, this comedy puts a fun spin on a girl-driven comedy. Jason Bateman stars as the vanilla businessman whose identity gets stolen by the seemingly innocuous McCarthy, so he decides to hunt her down and make it right. Although many of the hijinks are slapstick-predictable, the subject matter of the film is fun and fresh. Bateman’s ability to play the subtly dry blueish-white collar type fits the character perfectly, while McCarthy seems to shine in any role offered to her.
The Zombie Shout Out: “Warm Bodies “
One hundred years from now, some college professor will be teaching a class and refer to the late twenty-teens as “the era of the zombie.” We are obsessed, and rightly so; zombies are awesome. “Warm Bodies” opens Feb. 1 and stars Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer as the zombie-turned-halfling and the woman whose beauty melts away his virus. Written and directed by Jonathan Levine, this fun winter flick offers audiences a great blend of campy and gruesome with a twist of whimsy.
The Dark and Brooding Beauty: “Man of Steel “
After Christopher Nolan‘s epic “Batman” trilogy taught us how to feel about superheroes again, Zach Snyder‘s “Man of Steel” has decided to give it a go. With a June 14 release and Nolan as a producer, audiences have high hopes about the next true-to-life-but-noir superhero tale. Trailers and teasers give us little detail, but a lot of beautiful, sweeping shots of the internally plagued hero and his sweet object of affection. Henry Caville is, beyond a doubt, handsome enough to rock the part, and Amy Adams has proved her chops over and over again. This film has all the ingredients to be the ultimate dark dramatic thriller, but only time will tell if Clark Kent is “big” enough to fill Bruce Wayne’s blockbuster-shaped cape.
