As far as new releases go, there are slim pickings this week, with only three new movies out in cinemas today. You’ve got a choice between a big budget sci-fi action explosion, male strippers and an artsy foreign language social drama on the Nouveau circuit.
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Terminator Genisys
When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline. Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…
Terminator Genesis Genisys completely disregards the events of Terminator 3 and Terminator Salvation, but it’s a different breed of movie from Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, coming out more of a popcorn blockbuster of a movie instead of a gritty, sci-fi thriller. Even though it has some superfluous action sequences, some less-than-stellar acting and some seriously timey-wimey time travel paradoxes, Kervyn rates that it’s still an immensely entertaining movie and worthy of a solid 3.5/5 stars.
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Magic Mike XXL
Picking up the story three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, “Magic Mike XXL” finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways.
I haven’t seen the original Magic Mike, and with a surprising 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems like I’ve been missing out. Unfortunately it looks like the same can’t be said for its sequel, which has lost the “magic” of the first film by trying too hard to include too much and appeal to too many. But if you’re just there for the sexy men doing sexy dances, then that’s exactly what they deliver, enough to earn 3/5 stars at least.
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Two Days, One Night (Cinema Nouveau)
Sandra has just been released from the hospital to find that she no longer has a job. According to management, the only way Sandra can hope to regain her position at the factory is to convince her co-workers to sacrifice their much-needed yearly bonuses. Now, over the course of one weekend, Sandra must confront each co-worker individually in order to win a majority of their votes before time runs out.
Two Days, One Night is an harrowing and moving drama without being preachy and sentimental, mainly thanks to Marion Cotillard’s heartbreaking and nuanced performance. With its brutally honest portrayal of contemporary social issues, an Oscar worthy performance and in French to boot, it’s every critic’s wet dream, as proven by its 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Last Updated: July 3, 2015
