By Chris Kavan - 07/13/17 at 07:38 AM CT
With Spider-Man swinging and web-slinging his way to the top of the box office in a big way, it's going to take an army to stop him. Good thing Caesar and some pissed-off apes are going to war. But if an army of CGI primates aren't your thing, Kumail Nanjiani is here to ease your heart with buzzy romantic comedy and if that still doesn't do the trick for you, well, there's a horror film that yet again supports that age-old adage "be careful what you wish for". It will be interesting to see how Marvel's newest hero stands up against the increased competition, but I have a feeling he's going to stay strong.
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES I was ready to be over this series - granted, it was nowhere near as bad as Transformer or Pirates of the Caribbean, but I just wasn't feeling it after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But, if early critical reception is any indication, War for the Planet of the Apes is not just the best out of the new trilogy, but may very well be one of the best of the so-called summer blockbusters. In this case, Woody Harrelson plays a pro-human known as The Colonel, who will stop at nothing to wipe out the ape scourge. Caesar (once again voiced and mo-capped by Andy Serkis) suffers an unimaginable loss that pits his own humanity against the fate of his kind as he turns to darker thoughts leading to a final conflict that will determine the fates of both races once and for all. Steve Zahn, Judy Greer, Toby Kebbell, Karin Konoval, Gabriel Chavarria, Michael Adamthwaite, Amiah Miller and Terry Notary help round out the cast (both in ape and non-ape form). The film looks to take inspiration from several different sources, while still paying homage to the original films as well. All in all, it looks like a blockbuster that will deliver and we'll see if audiences agree.
Kumail Nanjiani has delivered some great roles - from his character in Silicone Valley to a hilarious cameo in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates but The Big Sick is going to finally give him the recognition he so truly deserves. Based on an actual incident from Nanjiani's own life (and written in collaboration with his wife Emily V. Gordon), the film follows him as he begins a relationship with Emily (Zoe Kazan), despite coming from vastly different families. But when Emily suddenly gets sick and falls into a coma, her parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) come together despite the differences. Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff and Adeel Akhtar play the part of Kumail's family. By all accounts the film is great - funny, heartwarming, dramatic and, even for someone like me who is usually rabidly against romantic comedies, this looks pretty damn good. This should shore up the date movie crowd for the next month at least and it I think it is going to do well. It has certainly livened up the limited box office, we'll see if it can continue to find success with the masses.
Let's just throw out a horror film this weekend for good measure. In this case Joey King plays Clare Shannon, a typical teen trying to navigate the travails of high school who finds a things made much easier when she comes across a box that will grant seven wishes. But wait, it can't be that easy, right? Of course not! This is a horror film so, of course, the wishes come with deadly consequences resulting in the gruesome deaths of those around her. Ryan Phillippe plays the father (man, I feel old again) while Ki Hong Lee, Mitchell Slaggert, Shannon Purser, Sydney Park, Josephine Langford and Alexander Nunez play her fellow students (some friends, some not), many of whom I assume will die in suitably horrifying ways. Wish Upon looks to break no new ground in the horror department, setting the stage for several tropes common to the genre. With its cast and PG-13 rating, it's obviously trying to attract a younger crowd but I don't know if that's going to make a difference as I can't see this making many waves.
That's your new movies for the weekend. We'll find out on Sunday if Spider-Man can continue his dominance or if War for the Planet of the Apes will dethrone him after opening weekend.
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