This spring, movie theaters are buzzing with a lot of monkey-related action.
King Kong joins forces with Godzilla. The long-lasting “Apes” series continues with “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.” Additionally, Dev Patel wears a gorilla mask to enter a violent fight club in Mumbai.
Not interested in movies about primates? No problem.
Would you like to see talented Zendaya from Oakland as a tennis coach dealing with two athletes in the thought-provoking “Challengers?”
If that's a bit too much for you, there's the sure-to-be-popular “The Fall Guy,” featuring the unstoppable and incredibly attractive Ryan Gosling as a stuntman searching for a missing actor.
If you're wondering what's coming to theaters before the summer popcorn season arrives in mid-May, there is quite a variety: dramas, comedies, tragedies, thrillers, and even some demonic happenings in Rome with “The First Omen,” coming out on April 5.
We have reviewed the spring movie calendar (from now through May 10) and selected 10 movies (a couple we have already seen) that we believe will be worth a visit to movie theaters for top-quality entertainment and perhaps some overpriced popcorn, not necessarily in that order.
Here’s our collection (in no particular order). Please note that release dates may change.
“The Fall Guy”: Hollywood continues to adapt beloved — or even terrible — TV shows into mostly forgettable movies. While some have been good (“21 Jump Street,” the “Star Trek” films, and “The Fugitive”), there have also been quite a few failures (“Starsky & Hutch,” “The Flintstones,” “S.W.A.T.”) and some real disappointments (“Wild Wild West,” “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Dukes of Hazzard”). So how does “The Fall Guy” fare? The good news is that it seems like it will be a success. The athletic filmmaker David Leitch’s reimagining of the cheesy 1980s series starring Lee Majors as a stuntman/bounty hunter received praise at its South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) premiere earlier this month. A major reason for this is its star, Ryan Gosling, following up his Oscar-nominated role as Ken in “Barbie,” who shines as stuntman Colt Seavers. In this romance-filled blockbuster, Colt is searching for an action star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who disappeared while filming a movie directed by Colt’s ex-girlfriend (Emily Blunt). Anyone who watched the Oscars on March 10 knows that Gosling and Blunt have genuine chemistry together. Just take our money now. Opening: May 3.
“Challengers”: The games that professional athletes play extend beyond the field (or court, in this case) and into their personal lives. In this steamy drama directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Call Me By Your Name”), Tashi, a former star player turned coach (Zendaya from Oakland) aims to improve the performance of her top-ranking client (Mike Faist from “West Side Story”), who also happens to be her husband. Trouble and temptation arrive in the form of her husband’s former best friend, who is also Tashi’s ex-lover (Josh O’Connor from “Emma”). He is also the on-court competition, leading to complicated emotions, ambitions, and probably ethical issues. “Challengers” appears to be Zendaya’s attempt at another successful role, and the versatile performer continues to challenge herself and impress both critics and audiences. This marks her largest leading role in a theatrical release, and we believe she is more than capable of taking on the challenge. Opening: April 26.
"Civil War": With a intense presidential election moving from the background to the alarming forefront, Alex Garland's hypothetical film suggests a disturbingly realistic situation where our country becomes so deeply divided and outraged that a civil war erupts. As a filmmaker, Garland enjoys immersing and unsettling the audience, then leaving them unsettled (everyone squirmed during the last 10 minutes of his film "Ex Machina"). In this movie, Garland brings together a top-tier cast including Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, and Nick Offerman for a suspenseful story that follows journalists risking everything to cover a volatile story about angry, heavily armed Americans confronting a totalitarian government. It's like the ultimate American Horror Story. Opening: April 12.
"Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire": Fresh off a first-ever Oscar win, the hardworking Godzilla returns to team up with the large, grumpy ape King Kong for Legendary Pictures' latest MonsterVerse showdown. But can director Adam Wingard's focus on the historical legacy of these Titans and the Skull Island monster rival what we saw in the Oscar-winning 2023 film "Godzilla Minus One," which won for best special effects? We have doubts, but that won't stop us from watching this film starring Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Dan Stevens. Opening: March 29.
"Wicked Little Letters": A serial letter writer spews humorous profanities and hurls false accusations at residents of a charming 1920s English village. The anonymous activity causes a commotion and leads to blame falling on Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley), an Irish immigrant and lively single mother who indeed curses like a sailor. In stage director Thea Sharrock's dark comedy based on true events, spirited Rose clashes with her nosy, uptight neighbor Edith (Olivia Colman) while a savvy female investigator (Anjana Vasan) encounters sexism at every turn. "Wicked Little Letters" may be the perfect remedy for finding humor in these troubled times. The clever use of naughty words in those scandalous letters had me laughing. Opening: April 5.
“Femme”: Two outstanding performances drive Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping's thought-provoking, unique queer revenge drama/thriller. When Black drag performer Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) encounters homophobe Preston (George MacKay of "1917"), who violently attacked him, a plan for revenge takes shape. But as Jules becomes a part of Preston's life, the power dynamic starts to shift in unforeseen, risky ways. "Femme" keeps you on the edge throughout, making it the discovery of the indie spring season. The two performances are deeply affecting. Opening: In limited release on April 5 in Bay Area theaters.
"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes": Director Wes Ball faced a tough challenge following the success of the 2010 ape trilogy ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," and the exceptional "War for the Planet of the Apes"). But the director of "The Maze Runner" trilogy gives his best effort to the film and the franchise by jumping ahead to a new era where apes are in charge and humans comply. When a power-hungry ape begins acting like a dictator, a young ape emerges on the scene. Opening: May 10.
"I Saw the TV Glow": A movie that doesn't fit into a specific genre can end up being a mind-bending experience. That's the gist of this popular film from the Sundance Film Festival. Jane Schoenbrun's "All Going to the World's Fair" takes us back to the mid-1990s, where a lonely teenager forms a strong bond with a creepy late-night TV show. Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, and Helena Howard are the main actors. It's definitely worth watching. Opening: May 3 in select cities; May 12 nationwide.
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare": To understand Guy Ritchie's comedic adventure, just consider the title of the book that inspired it: Damien Lewis's "Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII." That's the essence of this "based on truth" project featuring a group of handsome actors including Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Henry Golding and more. Hopefully, it leans more toward "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." and less toward "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows." Opening: April 19.
"Monkey Man": We've always admired Dev Patel's acting skills, and now we can admire his abilities as a filmmaker, co-screenwriter, and producer with his directorial debut at SXSW. The intense thriller set in Mumbai features Patel as Kid, who wears a gorilla mask and channels his anger towards his opponents and those who have held him back. The fight scenes are said to be outstanding. Opening: April 5.
Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].
