DRAGONLORD'S 2016 MOVIE GUIDE

[Loiosh]

Scared to ask... Did you see Rush?

I did and I liked him in it but it wasn't a challenging role.

Daniel Brühl was great.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Weekend Box Office:

THE JUNGLE BOOK Crushes Newcomers KEANU and MOTHER'S DAY

There's no slowing The Jungle Book. In its third weekend, the movie continued to exceed expectations, grossing $42.4 million in North America to crush new offerings star-studded ensemble comedy Mother's Day and R-rated action-comedy Keanu.

Heading into the frame, most thought Jungle Book would earn around $35 million, but numbers kept being revised upwards Saturday and Sunday. Jungle Book, which fell a scant 30 percent domestically, has now earned $684.8 million globally. Overseas, it took in $57.1 million from 53 markets for a foreign cume of $432.7 million, including $130 million in China. Domestically, its tally is at $252.1 million.

Disney achieved world domination this weekend, between Jungle Book and Captain America: Civil War, which launched early overseas. Civil War grossed a huge $200.2 million, one of the biggest openings of all time and not that far behind Avengers: Age of Ultron.

But outside of Mowgli, it was a ho-hum weekend in North America as three new nationwide offerings all opened below $10 million.

Warner Bros.' Keanu — marking the first time that Key & Peele stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have appeared together on the big screen — fared the best, grossing an estimated $9.45 million.

Directed by Garry Marshall, Mother's Day — starring Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Jason Sudeikis and Kate Hudson — wilted in its debut with $8.3 million. That compares to $56.3 million for Marshall's holiday ensemble film, Valentine's Day (2010), which likewise starred Julia Roberts, and the $13 million launch for his New Year's Eve (2011).

Box Office: 'The Jungle Book' Crushes 'Mother's Day,' 'Keanu' to Win Third Weekend with $42.4 Million

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

In Theaters and VOD (May 6)



CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Release: May 6, 2016

Genre: Superhero Action Adventure

Director: Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Paul Bettany, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, Don Cheadle, Emily VanCamp, William Hurt, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland, and Martin Freeman

Synopsis: After another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps, one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark's surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.


________________________________





BEING CHARLIE

Release: May 6, 2016

Genre: Drama

Director: Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men)

Cast: Nick Robinson, Common, Cary Elwes, Devon Bostick, Morgan Saylor, Susan Misner and Ricardo Chavira

Synopsis: Charlie is a troublesome 18-year-old who breaks out of a youth drug treatment clinic, but when he returns home to Los Angeles, he's given an intervention by his parents and forced to go to an adult rehab. There, he meets a beautiful but troubled girl, Eva, and is forced to battle with drugs, elusive love and divided parents.


________________________________





A BIGGER SPLASH

Release: May 4, 2016

Genre: Mystery Crime Thriller

Director: Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love, Melissa P.)

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts and Lily McMenamy

Synopsis: In A Bigger Splash, the lives of a high profile couple, a famous rock star and a filmmaker, (Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts) vacationing and recovering on the idyllic sun-drenched and remote Italian island of Pantelleria are disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend and his daughter (Ralph Fiennes and Dakota Johnson) - creating a whirlwind of jealousy, passion and, ultimately, danger for everyone involved.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Approval Rating (258 out of 286 critics like it)

Consensus: Captain America: Civil War begins the next wave of Marvel movies with an action-packed superhero blockbuster boasting a decidedly non-cartoonish plot and the courage to explore thought-provoking themes.

Entertainment Weekly - Despite its stars-and-stripes title, Marvel’s latest billion-dollar-blockbuster-to-be, Captain America: Civil War, is essentially a third Avengers movie – it’s also the best one yet. Plotwise, there’s a lot of ground to cover in Civil War (even at two-and-a-half hours). But the Russos juggle all of the murky motivations and shifting alliances with impressive deftness. A-

James Berardinelli - Civil War is better than either the bloated Avengers 2 or the lugubrious Batman v. Superman but it’s not as gripping as Winter Soldier. As far as big superhero mash-ups are concerned, this one whets the appetite without providing a satisfying main course. 3/4

Richard Roeper - Kudos to co-directors Anthony and Joe Russo and the team of writers for juggling more than a dozen comic-book characters and nearly that many plot lines, and only occasionally getting us (and by us I mean ME) lost in the Geek Weeds. Forget the calendar and the spring cold. “Captain America: Civil War” is a classic example of what the big-ticket summer movie experience is all about. 3.5/4

Rolling Stone - Kudos to the Russo brothers, Joe and Anthony, for directing the hostilities for maximum impact and without neglecting character. Their thundering epic is also smart, snappy, politically savvy and blessedly fast on its feet, a neat trick pulled off by the screenwriters. Captain America: Civil War brings the fun, the fierce and the fireworks. Summer, we have liftoff. 3.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Weekend Box Office:

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Opens to Mighty $179.1M in US, Hits $678.4M Globally

Marvel Studios and Disney's Captain America: Civil War launched to a mighty $179.1 million in North America, kicking off the summer box office in high style and scoring the fifth-best opening of all time, as well as the top launch of 2016 to date.

Overseas, where it began opening last weekend, Civil War took in another $220 million for a foreign total of $494 million and worldwide haul of $673 million after just 12 days in release. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Civil War is all but assured of becoming the first release of 2016 to jump the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

The critically acclaimed superhero film continues Disney domination, between Lucasfilms'Star Wars: The Force Awakens (the movie opened in late December but stayed a huge player in the first part of the new year), The Jungle Book and Zootopia.

In terms of opening-weekend rankings, Civil War shot past Iron Man 3 ($174 millino) to rank No. 5 behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($248 million), Jurassic World ($208.8 million), The Avengers ($207.4 million) and Age of Ultron ($191.3 million), not accounting for inflation Put another way, Disney claims four the five top openings (Jurassic World was released by Universal).

Civil War is more Avengers-like in feel than the previous two standalone Captain America films, and it showed: Captain America: The Winter soldier debuted to $95 million, while Captain America: The First Avenger opened to $65.1 million.

Costing $250 million to make, Civil War is the 13th title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and cost $250 million. In addition to being embraced by critics — it currently shows 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a strong number for a popcorn movie — it also won over audiences, who gave it an A CinemaScore. And moviegoers under the age of 25 gave it an A+.

Box Office: 'Captain America: Civil War' Opens to Mighty $179.1M in U.S., Hits $673M Globally

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

In Theaters Nationwide (May 13)



MONEY MONSTER

Release: May 13, 2016

Genre: Drama Thriller

Director: Jodie Foster (The Beaver)

Cast: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West, and Caitriona Balfe

Synopsis: Lee Gates is a TV personality whose insider tips have made him the money guru of Wall Street. When Kyle loses all of his family's money on a bad tip, he holds Lee and his entire show hostage on air threatening to kill Lee if he does not get the stock up 24 and a half points before the bell. Ratings soar as the entire country tunes in to this media frenzy to find out just how much a man's life is worth. Meanwhile, the hostage situation sheds light on a possible scandal involving the company in question. With elements of Dog Day Afternoon and Network, Money Monster is a very timely piece in these economic times.


________________________________





THE DARKNESS

Release: May 13, 2016

Genre: Supernatural Horror

Director: Greg McLean (Wolf Creek)

Cast: Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, Lucy Fry, Matt Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Ming-Na Wen, Tara Lynn Barr, Krista Marie Yu, Matt Walsh and Paul Reiser

Synopsis: From the director of the cult classic, Wolf Creek, Greg McLean, comes the supernatural thriller The Darkness. As a family returns home from vacation at the Grand Canyon, they innocently bring home a supernatural force that preys off their own fears and vulnerabilities, threatening to destroy them from within, while consuming their lives with terrifying consequences.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

In Limited Theaters and VOD (May 13)



HIGH-RISE

Release: May 13, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction Drama Thriller

Director: Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers)

Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, Elisabeth Moss, James Purefoy, Sienna Guillory, Keeley Hawes, Dan Renton Skinner, and Stacy Martin

Synopsis: High-Rise is an adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s novel of the same name. The film centers on a new residential tower built on the eve of Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power, at the site of what will soon become the world’s financial hub. Designed as a luxurious solution to the problems of the city, it is a world apart.

The closed-off community includes an onsite supermarket, school and doctors’ offices. But there’s trouble brewing at the center of the seemingly perfect complex. The film documents the outbreak of class warfare and the abandonment of all social order following a series of power outages at the building.


________________________________





LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT

Release: May 13, 2016

Genre: Biblical Drama Adventure

Director: Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs)

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Tye Sheridan, Ciarán Hinds, Susan Gray, and Ayelet Zurer

Synopsis: Last Days in the Desert follows Jesus in an imagined chapter from his 40 days of fasting and praying in the desert. On his way out of the wilderness, he struggles with the Devil over the fate of an ordinary family in crisis, setting for himself a dramatic test with distinctly human conflicts.


________________________________





THE LOBSTER

Release: May 13, 2016

Genre: Comedy Romance Drama

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, Alps, Kinetta)

Cast: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden, Olivia Colman, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, Angeliki Papoulia, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Michael Smiley and Ben Whishaw

Synopsis: A love story set in a dystopian near future where single people are arrested and transferred to a creepy hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal and released into the woods.


________________________________





LOVE & FRIENDSHIP

Release: May 13, 2016

Genre: Period Drama Romance

Director: Whit Stilman (Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco)

Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell, Justin Edwards, Tom Bennett and Stephen Fry

Synopsis: Set in the 1790s, Love and Friendship centers on beautiful widow Lady Susan Vernon, who has come to the estate of her in-laws to wait out colorful rumors about her dalliances circulating through polite society. Whilst there, she decides to secure a husband for herself and her rather reluctant debutante daughter, Frederica.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for MONEY MONSTER

Rotten Tomatoes: 55% approval rating (72 out of 130 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Money Monster's strong cast and solidly written story ride a timely wave of socioeconomic anger that's powerful enough to overcome an occasionally muddled approach to its worthy themes.

Entertainment Weekly - The resolution of the script’s central mystery feels rushed, and its message—Wall Street bad, common man good—isn’t exactly nuanced. Still, as a solid B-movie elevated by A-list talent and pushed along by a brisk running time—it’s only 98 minutes—Money has its own rewards. B

Rolling Stone - Foster moves her film from a pulse-quickening nail-biter to an incisive look at a beleaguered America undergoing a crisis of faith. What the script lacks in emotional subtext you'll find in their richly detailed performances. 3/4

Richard Roeper - Even when “Money Monster” bends credulity to the tip of the tip of the breaking point, it’s an entertaining ride, reminiscent of tick-tick-tick thrillers such as “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Ransom” and “Inside Man” — albeit in a lighter mode. 3.5/4

James Berardinelli - Unfortunately, despite a surfeit of talent in front of and behind the camera, the movie is unable to overcome a shaky narrative whose increasing preposterousness ensures it's difficult to take seriously. 2.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews of THE DARKNESS

Rotten Tomatoes: 0% approval rating (0 out of 15 critics like it)

New York Daily News - Offers very few new scares, mainly because it's so haunted by the ghosts of far better horror movies. 2/5

Blu-ray.com - McLean orders up CGI phantoms and horrified looks, but little demands attention, going through the motions to keep up with the competition. D

IGN Movies - It is entirely about being vaguely creepy and so busy pushing its "evil forces at work" plot that it can't get bogged down in specifics or worry about pesky things like logic. 4.2/10

Movie Nation - The scariest things about this one are the previews to "Don't Breathe" and "Lights Out" attached to it. 1.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for THE LOBSTER

Rotten Tomatoes: 92% approval rating (102 out of 111 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: As strange as it is thrillingly ambitious, The Lobster is definitely an acquired taste -- but for viewers with the fortitude to crack through Yorgos Lanthimos' offbeat sensibilities, it should prove a savory cinematic treat.

Entertainment Weekly - The existential rabbit-hole plot of The Lobster couldn't be more bonkers. The premise shouldn't work at all, but it does...and beautifully. A

New York Daily News - In its own, surreal way, it says something about modern society. Who hasn't felt pressured by parents to pair off? Or by single friends to stay unattached? 3/5

Toronto Star - Bone-dry dystopian satire, with Lanthimos piling absurdity upon absurdity, results in a film that is by turns entertaining and baffling, but also fully in command of its crazy world. 2.5/4

Rolling Stone - Lanthimos's terrifically twisted satire takes us places most films fear to tread. The symbolism is humanized by a top-flight cast and an ending that manages to be brutal and rapturously romantic at the same time. 3.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Weekend Box Office

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Stays No. 1 with $72.6M; Earns $941M Worldwide

For the second weekend in a row, Captain America: Civil War has finished at the top of the domestic box office. In its opening weekend, Captain America: Civil War pulled in $179.1 million at the domestic box office, which was the fifth best opening weekend in history.

In its second weekend at the domestic box office, Captain America: Civil War pulled in a strong $72.56 million to once again take first place. Of course, there wasn't much in the way of new releases, as many studios seem to have accepted the fact that Marvel owns early May at the box office.

Captain America: Civil War has now made a grand total of $295.89 million at the domestic box office, which puts the film in fifth place for the year. At the international box office, Captain America: Civil War pulled in another $84.2 million this weekend, bringing the film's worldwide total to $940.9 million. Captain America: Civil War is now the second highest grossing movie of the year worldwide, trailing only Zootopia.

Captain America: Civil War Wins Second Weekend At Box Office, Passes $900 Million Worldwide

 

[Anung Un Rama]

was kind of bent Lobster wasn't playing here yesterday. I was forced to see that stupid movie Captain America Civil War. AGAIN.


LOL @ that The Darkness review: New York Daily News - Offers very few new scares, mainly because it's so haunted by the ghosts of far better horror movies.

@Dragonlordxxxxx : any chance we can have our polls work like they did at the old place? Its annoying to have to click on one % at a time to see who voted how instead of clicking on one button to see how everybody voted. na'mean?

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for HIGH-RISE

Rotten Tomatoes: 64% approval rating (76 out of 119 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: High-Rise may not quite live up to its classic source material, but it still offers an energetic, well-acted, and thought-provoking take on its timely socioeconomic themes.

Entertainment Weekly - There are certain movies that you really want to like based on their ambition, or their weirdness, or their ambitious weirdness, and ultimately you just can't. Ben Wheatley's High-Rise is one of those movies. C+

Richard Roeper - High-Rise keeps hammering home the same points, and not even the wealth of strong performances from Hiddleston, Miller and Irons are enough to salvage the day. 2.5/4

San Francisco Chronicle - “High-Rise” is as impressive as a film can be without quite being satisfying. It seems without purpose, aside from the metaphor. Still, this is the best disappointing movie you will see all year. 2/4

Chicago Tribune - Some of the narrative descriptions from his novel have been reassigned to this or that character's dialogue in "High-Rise," to mixed results. But you go with it; it's potent and alluring in its visions of Brutalist excess. 3/4

Rolling Stone - Wheatley and screenwriter Amy Jump (his wife) have energized J.G. Ballard's parable of class warfare with a daring approach that will touch a nerve or have you bolting for the exits. 3/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

@Dragonlordxxxxx : any chance we can have our polls work like they did at the old place? Its annoying to have to click on one % at a time to see who voted how instead of clicking on one button to see how everybody voted. na'mean?

I know, right. The old poll system was way better. I'll try to inquire if it's possible to return to the old polls, but don't get your hopes up.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

May 17, 2016

Dragonlord’s Review of X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (No Spoilers)

Bottom Line: X-Men: Apocalypse is not terrible but the film is afflicted with character overload and overall flatness while the big final showdown turned out to be disappointingly dull.

An ancient and powerful mutant, En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac) awakens after centuries in deep sleep and decides to reshape the world by destroying the old one. It’s up to Professor X and the X-Men to stop Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen from bringing in the end of the world.

X-Men: Apocalypse is the culmination of the pseudo-trilogy that started with X-Men: First Class and it is almost but not quite as ambitious as X-Men: Days of Future Past. Unfortunately, Apocalypse is also the weakest among the three films.

The setting is 1983 and we are re-introduced to familiar X-Men characters like Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Angel, Psylocke and many more for the first time since the timeline reboot. There’s not enough quality screen time for many of them and some of the characters ended up being shortchanged. Some characters do get some considerable minutes but doesn’t do anything substantial with it and are just tag alongs.

Would have loved to see Cyclops and the other students interacting with each other more. Too bad they cut the scene where they go out to the mall. In the actual movie, there's a scene where the gang goes out to watch a Return of the Jedi and Nightcrawler is out in the public with blue skin, tail and all. Clearly there seems to be drastic shift in societal acceptance due to the events of Days of Future Past. It's an interesting dynamic that I would have liked the movie to explore more.

After watching Return of the Jedi, one of the kids gives a meta comment on how the "third movie is always the worst." It's meant to be a jab at X:Men: The Last Stand but LOL at the irony.

Doesn’t detract from the quality of the movie but the fact that Apocalypse takes place 20 years after First Class but the original cast members still look as young as ever was laughable.

If you hated how they depicted Apocalypse in the trailers, I doubt watching the actual movie will change your opinion. But for someone who accepted that this version of the character is not going to be an exact replica from the comic books, I thought Apocalypse was a sinister and charismatic figure for the most part. I also appreciated Apocalypse’s outlandish appearance compared to the bland look they gave Sebastian Shaw in First Class.

Halfway through the movie, I grew tired of Apocalypse’s one-dimensional schtick and cringed every time he would overact and shout his spiel. Apocalypse's abilities include power amplification, teleportation, regeneration, sand/rock manipulation and, apparently, fashion designing (you'll get it when you see it).

Another controversial figure is Mystique since a lot of people here don’t like the idea of Raven taking charge of the team as well as giving the spotlight to actress Jennifer Lawrence. But I do like Mystique’s arc in the trilogy. Out of all the characters, she has shown to have the most growth, going from rebellious teen, to a neophyte villain, and lastly, a reluctant figurehead and leader.

Michael Fassbender was solid as Magneto as usual and his beginning ordeal was heartbreaking. James McAvoy did a great job as Professor X once again. Tye Sheridan was decent as Cyclops. Sophie Turner is miscast as Jean Grey. Disappointed with their characterization of Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), felt like I was watching Balki from Perfect Strangers.

Three out of the Four Horsemen are treated more like groupies than his acolytes/soldiers. The 3 Horsemen (Archangel, Psylocke and Storm) don't do much and only get to fight at the finale battle. Ben Hardy as Angel was interesting early on but he became boring once he became Archangel. The most embarrassing thing is the Falcon easily outshined Archangel in the wing department action in Civil War. Olivia Munn looked great as Psylocke but was rather forgettable overall. Alexandra Shipp looked and sounded like Storm (way better than Halle Berry’s horrible version) but the character had an epic facepalm moment (see spoilers below).

Quicksilver (Evan Peters) once again steals the show with one of the most fun action sequence in the movie. Plus he rocked in the final battle.

Frustratingly, the film did not explain what Mystique did to Wolverine at the end of Days of Future Past nor reveal what her motivations were.

With a few exceptions like Quicksilver in action, the final battle was mostly dull. Found the fight choreography and stuntwork to be sorely lacking. X-Men: Apocalypse has a huge disadvantage coming after just weeks of the terrific Captain America: Civil War where the benchmark for group super battle is set so high audiences cannot help but compare this film to it. There’s a Roland Emmerich-style epic global destruction vibe going on but the impact is muted since we don’t really see the public’s reaction of panic and despair. The opening sequence in ancient Egypt was well-done and exciting though.

Overall, X-Men: Apocalypse is not terrible but just found the movie to be a bit flat and suffering from character overload while the big final showdown turned out to be bewilderingly dull. Stick around for the post-credits scene (see spoilers below to see what it all means). For the betterment of the X-Men franchise, no Magneto in the next movie please and focus more on the other X-Men characters.

Preliminary Rating: 6/10

Spoiler: Warning - Spoiler thoughts inside

After Professor X is kidnapped, the scene that followed where the team is captured by Stryker and brought to his secret base felt tacked on. The main purpose for the change of scenery of course is for Wolverine to make an appearance. Inspired by the Weapon X origin, a mindless Wolverine goes berserk and kills all the guards and scientists in his way. It’s very brutal and bad-ass. But they should have depicted the guards and scientists more negatively in order to fully relish the massacre.

Storm agrees to become Apocalypse’s Horsemen and has no problems with his plans of destroying the entire world and killing majority of the population. But when Storm sees her idol, Mystique, fighting Apocalypse, she suddenly realizes she’s on the wrong side. Uh, wasn’t the mass genocide master plan not enough of a strong hint.

For some reason, the most emotional scene that got to me was when Charles unlocked Moira’s past memories.

The ending is very convenient. Storm is absolved in her part of nearly ending the world. Magneto is hailed as a hero despite proof that it was his handiwork that destroyed the world infrastructures and most likely killed millions of people. But everything is swept under the rug and quickly forgotten.

Quicksilver is a cool character and he officially joins the team at the end. But I foresee a lot of problems for the future sequel with him being around because his powers are too uber. Either they create some sort of legitimate and logical reason why he just doesn't save the day or they'll just make up some illogical plot holes to neutralize him.

The post-credits scene shows men from the Essex Corp. take Wolverine’s blood sample from the Weapon X site. It’s a sign that Mister Sinister a.k.a. Nathaniel Essex is coming to the Fox X-Men Universe. Richard E. Grant was cast as a madman scientist in Wolverine 3, it’s possible that Grant is playing Mister Sinister. X-23 was also rumored to be in Wolverine 3, so it fits how the Essex Corp. will use Logan’s blood to create a female clone.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

In Theaters Nationwide (May 20)



ANGRY BIRDS

Release: May 20, 2016

Genre: Computer-Animated Comedy Adventure

Director: Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Peter Dinklage, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Tony Hale, Ike Barinholtz, and Hannibal Buress

Synopsis: In the 3D animated comedy, The Angry Birds Movie, we'll finally find out why the birds are so angry. The movie takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds - or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red (Jason Sudeikis, We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses), a bird with a temper problem, speedy Chuck (Josh Gad in his first animated role since Frozen), and the volatile Bomb (Danny McBride, This is the End, Eastbound and Down) have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it's up to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.


________________________________





THE NICE GUYS

Release: May 20, 2016

Genre: Crime Noir Comedy Thriller

Director: Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

Cast: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Kim Basinger, Matt Bomer, Keith David, Margaret Qualley, Beau Knapp, Yaya Dacosta, and Ty Simpkins

Synopsis: The Nice Guys takes place in 1970's Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl (Margaret Qualley) and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.


________________________________





NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING

Release: May 20, 2016

Genre: Comedy

Director: Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall)

Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Chloe Grace Moretz, Selena Gomez, Dave Franco, Carla Gallo, Ike Barinholtz, Kiersey Clemons, Beanie Feldstein, and Lisa Kudrow

Synopsis:
Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are ready to make the final move into adulthood. But just as they thought they have reclaimed the neighborhood, they learn that their new neighbors are even more out of control than the last. To evict them, they will need help from their ex neighbor (Zac Efron).

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for THE NICE GUYS

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% approval rating (120 out of 133 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Nice Guys hearkens back to the buddy comedies of a bygone era while adding something extra courtesy of a knowing script and the irresistible chemistry of its leads.

Entertainment Weekly - Basically, it's Inherent Vice without the highbrow aspirations, or The Big Lebowski with two Dudes. But the one-liners and shoot-outs feel a bit threadbare, handed down from older, better Shane Black movies. B

New York Daily News - t's overlong by about 15 minutes and goes in too many directions at once. But thanks to a groovy period vibe and the A-list stars, you're along for the ride. 4/5

Richard Roeper - Crowe and Gosling save the day. They both look like hell for most of the film, with neither actor demonstrating a wisp of vanity as they throw themselves into this cheerfully nasty mess. 3/4

Rolling Stone - Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are clearly enjoying the hell out of each other in this crime caper set in 1977 Los Angeles. So how can you resist? 3/4

James Berardinelli - The film overflows with quips, irony, and physical gags while at the same time relating a noir-tinged story of seedy corruption set in the neon-saturated underbelly of the 1977 Los Angeles porn industry. 3/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for NEIGHBORS 2: SORORITY RISING

Rotten Tomatoes: 62% approval rating (81 out of 130 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising may not be strictly necessary, but it still wrings a surprising amount of humor from a recycled premise with a distaff twist.

Entertainment Weekly - You'll probably laugh hard more than once; Sorority Rising is still rich in bikinis and bong rips and boner jokes. It just doesn't have much heart. C+

Richard Roeper - Problem is, none of that stuff is particularly funny. It’s mostly juvenile, desperate and disgusting. I couldn't wait for this movie to end. 1.5/4

Rolling Stone - Rogen and Byrne are crazy fun company. And a team of screenwriters, including Rogen, poke fun at their own cash-in premise and then get in wicked digs at 2.0 stoners and sexists. 2.5/4

James Berardinelli - This isn’t about providing quality entertainment; it’s about fooling audiences into spending money by offering a familiar title with recognizable actors. 1.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for ANGRY BIRDS

Rotten Tomatoes: 42% approval rating (50 out of 119 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Angry Birds Movie is substantially more entertaining than any film adapted from an app has any right to be -- which may or may not be much of an endorsement.

Entertainment Weekly - The 3-D animated film delivers a mildly diverting mix of winky meta-jokes and moral lessons, cannily aimed at both the next generation of tiny consumers and their more sophisticated parents. B

New York Daily News - First, we get half an hour of backstory and character development. Then all these pigs invade and steal the birds' eggs. After that it's just screaming and folks throwing things. Oh wait. That was me. 1/5

Rolling Stone - Repackaged way past the time when the game was a peak obsession, this animated joyride is still an irresistible invitation to shake your sillies out. 3/4

James Berardinelli - There's not enough here for a full length feature film - something that becomes obvious the longer the movie is on the screen. 2.5/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Weekend Box Office:

ANGRY BIRDS Hatches $39M Debut; NEIGHBORS 2 Nabs $21.8M

Angry Birds has officially flown the coop from popular mobile game to full-fledged movie stardom. Sony and Rovio's animated film took to the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office with a strong debut of $39 million, while this crowded weekend's other new releases — comedy sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and detective caper The Nice Guys — struggled to take flight.

Angry Birds, directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly, beat expectations to take the top slot over Disney and Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, which is now in its third week in theaters. Civil War earned another $33.1 million (54 percent drop from its third weekend) to bring its domestic total to a huge $347.4 million. Worldwide, the superhero film passed the $1 billion milestone on Friday to become Disney’s tenth billion-dollar club member and the 19th highest-grossing movie of all-time globally.

Worldwide, Angry Birds (which features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride and Maya Rudolph) earned an estimated $94 million this weekend, bringing its total to $150 million. It flew to No. 1 in 48 markets around the world. It had a strong debut in China with $29.2 million, which is higher than both Zootopia and Big Hero 6.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Universal's follow-up to its 2014 comedy hit, took in an estimated $21.8 million for its domestic debut. That's a 56 percent drop from the first film's tally of $49 million when it hit theaters in 2014. Going into the crowded weekend, tracking had the pic (which earned a B CinemaScore) landing higher, in the low $30 million-range.

The Nice Guys, which stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, also had a soft opening (although slightly ahead of initial tracking) to earn an estimated $11.3 million from 2,865 theaters, enough for a No. 4 finish. Warner Bros. acquired the film as a pick-up, shielding the studio slightly, but it's still a disappointing start for a movie with name stars and favorable reviews.

Box Office: 'Angry Birds' Hatches $39 Million Debut; 'Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising' Nabs $21.8 Million