A new month means plenty of exciting new releases coming out, some good and some not so good.
Check out my guide for what to pick and what to pass on in February:
What to see:
Described by Wikipedia as a “space opera film,” “Jupiter Ascending” follows Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), a regular girl who is swept up in a battle for control of the universe.
This film looks very promising: it was created by The Wachowskis, (directors of “The Matrix” films and “Cloud Atlas”), the cinematography is beautiful and the plot and settings are interesting and unique. It is possible that the narrative is too sweeping and that the overall quality could suffer as a result, but I trust The Wachowskis to deliver an entertaining and beautiful film.
Another fantasy film, “The Seventh Son” stars Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Ben Barnes and Kit Harington (the dreamy and angsty Jon Snow from “Game of Thrones“).
Bridges plays a warrior who seeks out a young man born with incredible powers in order to stop an evil witch and the evil surrounding her in their world.
Plus, who can resist the incredibly talented Moore as a villainous witch?
An action packed, fast-paced film, “Seventh Son” is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
“Kingsman: The Secret Service“
Perhaps the most exciting release of the month for me is “Kingsman.”
I love a good espionage film, and the fact that Colin Firth, Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson are all part of the cast makes this film look even better.
The movie centers around an inexperienced young man who joins forces with a secret spy agency. Mayhem and action ensue.
If you aren’t at least interested in this movie after checking out the trailer, I’m not sure we can be friends.
What not to see:
I feel like this goes without saying, but this movie should be avoided.
The film is an adaptation of the novel by E.L. James about the sexual relationship between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.
There’s nothing wrong with exploring sexuality through film or print—or in real life—but the relationship between Steele and Grey is not a healthy example (it can actually qualify as abuse, at points).
If you must see this film, I would suggest waiting until it’s free, but I guarantee there are better films to watch.
“Focus“
I love Will Smith as much as the next person, but this tale about a con man and his femme fatale, (played by “Wolf of Wall Street” star Margot Robbie) does not look as good as one might hope.
You can tell they’re trying to capitalize on Will Smith’s established popularity, the trailer feels really forced and the sexual objectification of Robbie is a frustrating step backwards for Hollywood.
This could turn out to be an interesting film, but I know I’m waiting for it to hit Redbox.
Toss-up:
I know, I know. Of all these films, this seems like an obvious pick for the what-not-to-see category, but hear me out: this could be pretty hilarious.
The guys are back this time with even more hot tub time-travelling antics.
I really enjoyed the first film. While it had a great deal of stupid humor, it also had a lot of heart mixed in there too. I still enjoy watching it and I’m optimistic that it could be just as good, if not better, with “Parks and Recreation” star Adam Scott as a sort-of replacement for John Cusack.
Probably not worth a ticket at the theater, but I’ll still be excited to go see it.
Collegian A&E Writer Aubrey Shanahan can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @aubs926.
