After last week’s bit of variety on the theatrical front, this weekend sees one big wide release, and it’s only fair that it belongs to one of our greatest living filmmakers. Steven Spielberg is throwing his hat back into the summer movie ring with Disclosure Day, but just in case Spielberg and that question of whether or not we’re alone in the universe is your jam, other small releases are geared to make you laugh, while others will remind filmmakers exactly how to capture action and fight choreography on the big screen.
What’s Opening in Theaters?
Steven Spielberg returns to his wheelhouse with Disclosure Day, a science fiction film featuring a story crafted by Spielberg and a screenplay from one of his frequent collaborators, David Koepp. In the film, a cybersecurity expert uncovers a decades-long government conspiracy involving alien contact. As he goes on the run with the classified data, he comes across a TV meteorologist who has suddenly developed psychic abilities and can speak in an alien language. The movie stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo.
Disclosure Day is Spielberg working in territory he’s familiar with, as he has always been intrigued by the notion of us not being alone in the universe. From Close Encounters of the Third Kind to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, this is storytelling that Spielberg has essentially perfected, and Disclosure Day will determine for many if he still has it in him to make audiences engage in his imagination and wonder regarding this topic. Judging from the reviews, Spielberg has nailed it again as Disclosure Day sits with an 82 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 217 reviews counted. Having seen the film, Spielberg reminds moviegoers why he’s still one of our greatest storytellers, so this is certainly one to check out this weekend. Early response from preview night indicates a bit of a mixed response, but one should manage expectations when it comes to this one. It’s more about the feeling it gives you rather than non-stop thrill, although the third act is Spielberg at his finest.
If Scary Movie didn’t tickle your funny bone last week, RuPaul and company are coming at you with Stop! That! Train!, an action comedy disaster film directed by Adam Shankman. Working from a screenplay by Christina Friel and Connor Wright, Stop! That! Train! follows two stewardesses who work to stop an impending disaster on a train in the middle of a storm. The film features a stacked ensemble, including drag performers Ginger Minj and Jujubee.
Stop! That! Train! has a pretty funny trailer that proves that the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, and this is a movie littered with appearances from familiar celebrity faces such as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joel McHale, Rachel Bloom, Jerry O’Connell, Lisa Rinna, Raven-Symone, and many more. The movie comes from the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which remains a popular reality competition staple, so this should definitely appeal to that show’s fanbase. Also, reviews are solid at 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. This might be a smaller release from Bleecker Street, but it should do decent business this weekend before going on its way to being a comedic cult classic.
Lastly, we have the Hong Kong action film The Furious, which has generated significant buzz because of its inventive martial arts choreography. Directed by Kenji Tanigaki, The Furious follows a tradesman named Wang Wei (Xie Miao) whose daughter is kidnapped, which leads him on a journey battling a criminal empire to rescue her. The film also stars Joe Taslim, who portrays a journalist and Wei’s ally on his quest to save his daughter.
The Furious had its premiere at the 50th Toronto Film Festival, and it garnered instant universal acclaim, sporting a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes until someone recently didn’t like all that joy and brought it down to a still great 99 percent. There have been many comparisons to the film The Raid, and it is said to be a real crowd-pleaser for those interested in action Hong Kong cinema. Also encouraging is the 96 percent audience score, which shows the fanbase is really enjoying this one.
What To Watch At Home
If you want to skip theaters and check out some stuff at home, there are two movies hitting digital that cater to different audiences but both provide solid entertainment. One allows you to submit to the music and moves of the King of Pop, while the other returns you to Outworld for another round of Mortal Kombat.
First up, even though it’s still rocking in theaters worldwide and still remains in the top ten domestic box office after seven weeks, the biopic Michael hits digital to “Rock With You” from the comfort of your home. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and from a screenplay by John Logan, the film chronicles the life of Michael Jackson (played by his real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson) from his time with the Jackson 5 (where he’s portrayed with energetic charm by Juliano Valdi as a child) to the Bad World Tour in the late 1980s. The movie, which also stars Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, and Miles Teller, didn’t wow critics (38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences have continued to eat this up with a 97 percent audience score on the site. Michael has grossed $357.7 million domesicallly and over $900 million worldwide and with Japan opening this weekend, even a digital release likely won’t stop this movie from topping $1 billion at the global box office.
Lastly, if you missed its recent May release in theaters, Mortal Kombat II hits digital in hopes that more people check it out, so we can secure that third film. Directed by Simon McQuoid and from a screenplay by Jeremy Slater, Mortal Kombat II picks up with the tournament fully in motion as a martial arts actor named Johnny Cage (Karl Urban) is recruited by Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNammee) to join their team of Earthrealm fighters to battle the Outworld warriors and stop the tyrannical Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) from achieving control over over both realms. The film also stars Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Max Huang, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tati Gabrielle, and Adeline Rudolph.
Mortal Kombat II was fan service in the best way possible as it improved upon the shortcomings of its predecessor and went all-in with the things fans love about the IP. Reviews actually weren’t bad for a video game movie (64 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), and the fanbase liked it even more with an 87 percent audience score. The movie has grossed, to date, $79.2 million domestically and $128.1 million worldwide, which isn’t blockbuster status given its $80 million budget, but it’s the highest-grossing MK movie (not adjusted for inflation), and it has the goodwill of being a solid sequel. Definitely a film that deserves a second life at home.
Check back next week when we keep you in the know about What To Watch!
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