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Posted August 10, 2016 by Scott Davis in Features
 
 

The Preview Reel: Can Seth Rogen Slay The Dragon?

Welcome to another “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide-release movies. The summer movie season is winding down to an end, and after another divisive summer blockbuster in Suicide Squad last week, this week is a little calmer with two moderate releases. First, there is the Disney fantasy flick in Pete’s Dragon, and then there is the unique animated R-rated movie in Sausage Party. Let’s see if either of those are worth your time.

 

Pete’s Dragon

Pete's Dragon PosterWhat we are excited about:
Disney has been on a live action winning streak as of late with Jungle Book and Cinderella both being solid family films. Pete’s Dragon looks to continue that streak as the trailers seem to promise a heartfelt story, some neat visuals, and a few laughs. The cast is very solid with the talents of Bryce Dallas Howard, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley, and the legendary Robert Redford. This looks like another win for Disney.

What we are worried about:
While everything in the trailers looks good, it also looks generic. Disney films usually follow a formula, and this movie seems to be following that formula very closely. While Jungle Book and Cinderella looked impressive on a technical level, and Pete’s Dragon boasts an impressive CGI dragon, nothing else looks striking or memorable. Hopefully the film is able to use the Disney formula with a few twists and visual splendor to make it memorable.

The Buzz:
There is light buzz surrounding the movie, but really any movie being released in August is just in the shadow of Suicide Squad. Pete’s Dragon is currently enjoying mostly positive reviews, which should help parents feel confident taking their children to the movie. Look for an opening weekend around $25 million, which won’t be enough to top the second weekend of Suicide Squad.

Final thoughts:
Although Pete’s Dragon probably won’t be as memorable as this year’s Jungle Book, it looks like it will be another solid entry to the Disney live action cannon.

 

Sausage Party

Sausage Party PosterWhat we are excited about:
This is certainly one of the most unique releases of the year. Seth Rogen has always been able to provide audiences the R-rated comedy goodness, but to put that kind of humor into an animated movie is genius. The story feels unique enough and hopefully the whole film is full of that kind of creativity. The cast is great, the animation looks solid, and Rogen has a good enough track record as a writer to make us pretty excited for this movie.

What we are worried about:
The trailers are really funny, but they are also a little one note. They seem to just go for the shock value, which is the right thing to do when you have this kind of movie, but it does get a little tiring after two minutes. Hopefully there is more happening in the story and the situations the characters find themselves in to make for another winning Rogen comedy.

The Buzz:
A lot of people have been responding positively to the trailers and there is some solid buzz surrounding the movie, but due to its R-rating and subject matter, the film probably won’t open as big as other animated movies. With the very positive reviews it should get somewhere between $15 and $20 million, finishing just behind Pete’s Dragon.

Final thoughts:
This could be the best comedy of the summer, or even the year. With a great cast, a unique concept, and Seth Rogen’s writing, Sausage Party looks to be a fun party to go to the theater for.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.