Valentine's Day weekend is always packed with genre movies and rom-coms and this week we have a sci-fi film, a horror sequel and...yep, you guessed it, a romantic comedy.
Alita: Battle Angel
Outside of superhero movies, there has never been any other movie that has spent as much time setting up a sequel as Alita: Battle Angel.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez, this film adapts a popular sci-fi manga into live action and explodes on screen with wonderful action and well done CGI. But the film falls apart near the middle of the film when it decides to set up the sequel.
There is a logical endpoint to the film where Alita finally confronts the big bad of the film, but instead we are treated to another five minutes of sequel setup.
People will love this movie for the action and beautiful imagery, but there is nothing more to it than that. - Michael Buckner
Happy Death Day 2U
Horror movies are notoriously bad at sequels. It’s so easy to just make a copy of the original, we’re looking at you Halloween, Friday the 13th and Saw. But every once in a while moviegoers are treated to a franchise that shakes things up and subverts expectations, like The Evil Dead.
So where does the newly established Happy Death Day franchise fall in this spooky movie spectrum?
The sequel, Happy Death Day 2 U, follows Tree as she finds herself once again living the same day over and over. The day resets each time she’s killed by someone in a baby mask. But this time something is different, and that’s a good thing.
The sequel ditches the slasher feel for a more sci-fi one. There are still elements of horror in there, but the movie embraces crazy ideas like time travel and multiple dimensions. This change of genre gives the audience something they’re not expecting, all while continuing Tree’s journey to becoming a better person.
That’s an awesome way to approach a sequel. It’s something very few franchises are able to figure out. We don’t want to see the same movie with different people or plot beats. We want one that surprises us and keeps building on what came before.
Happy Death Day 2 U is not a perfect movie. It’s at best a fun way to spend your weekend with a group of friends. But it takes risks and lays the groundwork for a franchise that could be one you come back to over and over again. - JD Roberts
Isn't It Romantic
Isn't It Romantic? In small doses, sure.
Rebel Wilson stars as an architect who absolutely loathes romance movies. Her life is pretty meh, filled with meh people and lives in a dirty and grey part of New York City.
After bumping her head, she suddenly finds herself in a PG-13 romantic comedy, and can't seem to find her way out of it. Her life turns from "meh" to colorful and filled with attractive people who are filled with sunshine.
This movie makes a point to lampoon the tropes of romantic comedies, but then after about 45 minutes of jokes, it decides to just become a romantic comedy in itself. It's meant to be a celebration of the genre, but comes off as a cynical fantasy movie. At least it's only 89 minutes long. - Zach Keast