With so much grabbing for your attention and dollars these days, it’s easy to miss when the latest releases are heading to a cinema near you. So come back every week as we here at So, Is It Any Good? preview the new movies hitting screens, and give you the lowdown on what to watch this weekend.
This weekend it’s all about the DC match-up Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, but that’s not the only game in town. Family fun comes in the form of Kung Fu Panda 3, big Greek fun returns in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, and for the specialty minded, Helen Mirren is the Eye In The Sky and Tilda Swinton makes A Bigger Splash.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Rating: M
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg
Synopsis: Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’ most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.
OUR VERDICT
Trailer:
Why you should be interested: This is the match-up DC fans has been waiting for, and after numerous casting, plotting and trailer arguments, now we finally get to see the results. Will it be better than Man Of Steel? Will the Batfleck fly high? What’s going on with Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor? All these questions and more will be answered this weekend folks.
Who should see it: Batmaniacs and Superfans
Kung Fu Panda 3
Starring: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman
Synopsis: Continuing his “legendary adventures of awesomeness”, Po must face two hugely epic, but different threats: one supernatural and the other a little closer to his home.
Trailer:
Why you should be interested: Kung Fu Panda and it’s sequel were both fun and beautifully animated, so I expect nothing less from this threequel. The law of diminishing returns says that this one won’t be quite as good, but with the addition of a whole panda village, you know at least it’ll be freakin’ adorable!
Who should see it: Those in for a bit of Panda-monium
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
Rating: PG
Starring: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine
Synopsis: After spending most of their time focusing on their troubling teenage daughter, Toula and Ian are facing marital problems while also having to deal with yet another Greek wedding – this time, even bigger and fatter.
Trailer:
Why you should be interested: I’m not sure that this really warranted a sequel, but when the original is the biggest romantic comedy of ALL TIME, then I guess the money talks. Nia Vardalos wrote the follow up to her Oscar nominated original (I know, right?), and has brought the whole family back for another big Greek good time. It’ll probably be mostly a retread of the original, with enough new stuff to stop you getting bored.
Who should see it: People in the mood for another slice of wedding cake
Eye In The Sky
Rating: M
Starring: Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi
Synopsis: When UK intelligence officer Colonel Katherine Powel discovers the terrorists she is tracking are planning a deadly suicide attack, her mission escalates from “capture” to “kill”. American drone pilot Steve Watts is poised to engage when, suddenly, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone.
Trailer:
Why you should be interested: Eye In The Sky tries to explore the ethical conundrum of drone usage in modern warfare, which is as timely a story as they come. Even though it will mostly be a lot of people looking at video screens arguing tensely, it looks to bring up valid points about the state of terrorism and how far we should go to protect ourselves; should one innocent life be sacrificed to save hundreds more?
Who should see it: Tough decision makers
A Bigger Splash
Rating: MA15+
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson, Matthias Schoenaerts
Synopsis: When a glamorous couple decide to vacation on a remote Italian island, their rest is disrupted by the sudden visit of an old friend & his luscious daughter. Suddenly, what was supposed to be a perfect romantic getaway turns into a whirlwind of jealousy, passion & danger, sparking some flames.
Trailer:
Why you should be interested: Otherwise known as Voldemort Lets Loose With The 50 Shades Of Grey chick, this intimate 4-hander seems to boil with rock n roll, secrets, sexual tension and then potentially takes a sharp left into murder. The cast is pretty spot-on (maybe Johnson can make up for her detour into S&M) and Fiennes and especially Swinton are always interesting to watch. Could be a winner.
Who should see it: Dramatic hedonists
Last week the animals took over and London fell, but who came out on top?
AUSTRALIAN BOX OFFICE – MARCH 17-20
Source: Urban Cinefile
Surprising no one, the animals of Zootopia ruled the roost this weekend, doubling the second place London Has Fallen ($4.2 to $2.1 million). Their stint on top will surely be short-lived however, as the one-two punch of Batman v. Superman and Kung Fu Panda 3 will take a big chunk of the audience away.
Elsewhere, Deadpool is still bringing in the dollars, making another $1 million to bring it’s total to an astounding $41 million. In a year that didn’t feature Star Wars, it’d be a shoo-in for the top grosser at the end of the year, but there you go.
Of the other newcomers, Australian cinema fans came out the most as The Daughter managed a $287K on 55 screens. Debuting outside the Top 10, Miracles From Heaven failed to fire up a big religious audience, managing $152K from 37 screens.
So, who’s getting your hard earned dollars this weekend? Hit us up in the comments and let us know what you’ve watched, and if it’s any good!