March 2016 brings some of the most anticipated movies of recent years, including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the sequel to Man of Steel and the effective kick start of the DC Extended Universe. Besides that, there is another sequel that the fans have been waiting for, one that may have arrived a bit later than it was supposed to, 10 Cloverfield Lane.
Of course, the marketing campaign doesn't call it an actual sequel; rather, it’s being described as a blood relative. But the action does take place in the same world, and one of the trailers did show a rather interesting image, with what might have been Clover (it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot).
So, what other movies will be released this month and which of them are worth the while and the admission ticket price? Check out this list to find out!
To be noted, all of the movies you will find in here are to be released nationwide in the US.
London Has Fallen (4)
Back in 2013, Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman starred in Olympus Has Fallen (the second movie of that year in which the White House was overrun by terrorists). With a budget of $70 million, it has managed to make just $161 million worldwide. So we can say that it is a big surprise to see that it did manage to secure a sequel.
The sequel is called London Has Fallen (we guess they didn't have a code name for an entire city) and sees the same actors returning to their roles. This time, Mike Banning (Butler) has to save all of the world’s leaders from being assassinated while they attend the British prime-minister’s funeral.
We can expect plenty of destruction in this one (destruction of iconic landmarks, of course), as well as some by the numbers action set pieces. Will it be worth our while? We guess not - it isn't as if too many people have seen the first one.
But if you like Gerard Butler and you want to see Morgan Freeman once again playing the role of the acting president, this is the movie for you. We guess we'll skip this one and wait for the DVD release.
Zootopia (4)
The first of the big animations of 2016, Zootopia is described as a buddy adventure set in a world populated by anthropomorphic animal species. J.K. Simmons, Idris Elba, Shakira, Jason Bateman, Tommy Chong, and Alan Tudyk are just a few of the actors lending their voices to this movie.
Zootopia is also the first Disney animation of the year, the second being Moana, which will be released on the 23rd of November).
Zootopia has already been released in several countries, and has set new records for Disney animated films on opening weekend. Also, it is 100 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so the critics love it already. As far as we are concerned, Zootopia is the first March weekend’s box office winner.
Will you see it?
The Other Side of the Door (4)
The third film to be released nationwide on the 4th of March, The Other Side of the Door, is a British-Indian produced horror flick. The story seems to be a pretty basic one: a mother wants to say a final goodbye to her young son, who died in a tragic accident, but inadvertently upsets the balance between life and death.
As said, pretty basic.
The movie was already released in several markets in Asia, and was also screened at the Glasgow Fright Fest in the UK. The critics' response wasn't too positive - currently, it is 40 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Will we see it?
After The Witch left such a lasting impression on us, we guess we can skip this one. You can watch the trailer below!
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (4)
The last flick to open in the first weekend of March is a comedy starring Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, and Martin Freeman. The movie sees Kim Baker (Fey) working as a news correspondent in Afghanistan and Pakistan and developing a strange relationship with Iain MacKelpie (Freeman).
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot was already screened for the critics and, while they didn't go crazy for it, they weren't too harsh in their criticism. Star Tina Fey seems to be universally praised, even if her performance might be the only thing that makes the movie worthwhile. Other than that, it’s funny, but not too funny; and dramatic, but not too dramatic.
Some have said that it’s an average and not at all memorable movie. We guess it is worth seeing, especially since it seems to be the best comedy to be released this month. To be noted, the movie is based on the memoir of the real Kim Baker about her time in the aforementioned countries (The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan).
10 Cloverfield Lane (11)
The most surprising thing about 10 Cloverfield Lane is that it remained a hidden project for so long. Given the success of Cloverfield, it seems impossible that its sequel (or blood relative, as it is called) could remain under the radar.
But it did, and its first trailer reveals…well, nothing. Even so, it presented the movie as a top-notch thriller about life in a bunker in a post-apocalyptic world (we guess). And it was very interesting to see how the illusion of an idyllic life can be created with just a song, a couple of board games, and some carefully cut scenes, and how it can then fall to pieces, like a poorly assembled puzzle.
The movie is produced by J.J. Abrams, and even he said that it isn't a Cloverfield sequel - even so, who wouldn't watch a blood relative of that movie, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher, Jr.?
10 Cloverfield Lane is a must-see!
The Brothers Grimsby (11)
Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong star in The Brothers Grimsby, a spy-spoof about a super spy and his dim-witted brother. It's a Sacha Baron Cohen flick, so you can expect the wildest and most embarrassing moments from it - though we do hope that the actor will at some point return to the characters that made him famous.
The movie has already been released in Europe, and the critics weren't too fond of it (as expected), because of the paper-thin plot and the script. Even if the Cohen-Strong duo is hilarious each and every time the actors appear onscreen together, the movie can't work based on their performances alone.
But you can probably see that in the trailer - check it out. This is all we'll see from The Brothers Grimsby until the DVD arrives.
The Young Messiah (11)
The Young Messiah is a movie about kid Jesus discovering who he is. It stars Sean Bean, and we guess we can skip this one.
Miracles from Heaven (16)
Yet another Christian flick, Miracles from Heaven is based on the Christy Beam’s memoir of the same title. It follows the story of a mother who experiences her daughter’s miraculous recovery from a digestive disorder.
This is just for the fans, so"¦
The Divergent Series: Allegiant (18)
The Divergent Series has already reached its third film, called Allegiant. And this is a bit of surprise, since this young adult novel-based franchise isn't exactly a big box office hit. The first movie made just $288 million worldwide on a budget of $85 million, while Insurgent made just $297 million worldwide on a budget of $110 million (of course, the marketing campaign wasn't included in either set of numbers).
Just like with other young adult franchises, Allegiant is just the first part of the grand finale (a marketing strategy which worked perfectly for the Twilight Saga and Hunger Games). So we can expect this installment to end with a cliffhanger, thus urging the fans to come back for more in 2017, when Ascendant will be released.
Check out the trailer below - we'll wait until the movie is released on the small screen (we'll watch it then, if there's nothing better).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G0C-vMHcQY
The Little Prince (18)
Based on the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel of the same name, The Little Prince is the first animated feature film to be based on the story. It combines stop motion and computer animation, for quite an interesting result (as you can see in the trailer).
There are quite a few stars lending their voices for The Little Prince, including Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Benicio del Toro, and Ricky Gervais, so this one is a must for us.
The Little Prince fared very well with the critics at its release at Cannes on May 22, 2015. They called it a movie for all the ages. And it’s good to hear that, in a world where Disney and Pixar seem to be the only studios with the perfect formula.
As said, this one is a must - even if you haven't read Exupéry's masterpiece just yet.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (25)
What more can be said about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? It is one of the most anticipated flicks of recent years and it brings together, for the first time on the big screen, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
We’ve been counting the days since last year's Comic Con. And now there are only 24 left!
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (25)
The other big release of March's last weekend, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, is more than ten years too late. The first one was released back in 2002 and it fared very well with the critics. Not only that, it was a smash hit, earning $368 million worldwide on a budget of just $5 million. We have no clue why a sequel wasn't released sooner.
The plot sees Toula and Ian facing marital problems, having to deal with their rebellious teenage daughter, and having to prepare for an even bigger and fatter Greek wedding (hence the name, we guess). Can the sequel have the same success as the first one?
We guess not - not only it is too late to the party, but it also faces 2016’s first comic book behemoth. Check out the trailer - we already know what movie we'll see on the 25th!
The Disappointments Room (25)
If you want to check out a movie directed by D.J. Caruso, penned by Wentworth Miller, and starring Kate Beckinsale, then The Disappointments Room is the movie you want to see. Marketed as a horror flick that hasn't received its rating just yet (though we can bet it will be a PG-13), this flick will see Kate Beckinsale and her young son releasing unimaginable horrors on the world from the attic of their house.
For the moment, there is no trailer released. But, quite frankly, we're not interested even in the smallest of all clips. If only Kate Beckinsale wore her Underworld outfit in this one"¦
Special Mentions
Knight of Cups (March 4)
The Lobster (March 8)
Midnight Special (March 18)
