CinemaNerdz

The Preview Reel for October 20, 2017 Releases

Scott Davis
The Preview Reel

Welcome to this week’s “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. Last week we told you to never count out Blumhouse even when their movies look subpar, and what do you know, Happy Death Day overachieved with $26 million. This weekend will see a slew of new releases, but will they be able to take down the Groundhog Day influenced horror flick? Let’s see if Geostorm, Only the Brave, Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, or The Snowman can do that.

 

Geostorm

What we are excited about: To be honest, not much. If we had to choose we would go with the expansive cast. Gerard Butler is always a generic action lead, but Jim Sturgess, Andy Garcia, and Ed Harris are mostly reliable actors. If these actors can elevate the typical boringness of a world disaster action film, maybe this can rise above the rest.

What we are worried about: This the directorial debut of Dean Delvin, who is mostly known for producing movies like Flyboys, Eight Legged Freaks, and The Patriot. If that isn’t enough to get you worried, he also co-wrote and produced last year’s dreadfully awful Independence Day: Resurgence. Long story short, he doesn’t have the greatest track record, and combine that with the terribleness of the disaster genre, there’s a lot to be worried with this movie.

The Buzz: There’s no significant buzz with this movie, and that is probably for the best. The movie doesn’t have any reviews as of this writing, which is never a good thing. Look for an opening around $11 million.

Final Thoughts: This looks like a movie people will forget quickly.

 

Only the Brave

What we are excited about: While Geostorm has a somewhat impressive cast, Only the Brave has the best cast of the weekend. With reliably great actors like Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, and Jeff Bridges mixed with rising stars like Miles Teller and Taylor Kitsch, this movie is loaded. Mix it with a harrowing true story, and this movie could have the right mix of pedigree and excitement.

What we are worried about: The film’s director, Joseph Kosinski, always makes beautiful looking movies, but they are usually shallow. Oblivion and Tron: Legacy feature some stunning imagery, but don’t really offer anything else. Maybe a true story is exactly what Kosinski needs to give his direction some inspiration, but his small filmography does have us worried.

The Buzz: This movie didn’t really have any buzz until the initial reviews started coming in. The movie currently sits at an impressive 100% on RottenTomatoes and 75 on MetaCritic. With good reviews, this should have strong legs but look for a smaller opening around $12 million.

Final Thoughts: If the movie is as good as reviews suggest it is, this could be one of the fall’s bigger surprises.

 

Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

What we are excited about: Tyler Perry has had an incredibly successful career and sports a large following, and that’s especially the case with his Madea character. He always seems to make movies for his fans and they seem to enjoy them, which looks to be the case with Boo 2!

What we are worried about: This writer has never seen a Tyler Perry movie and this movie doesn’t really look like it is going to convert any new fans. It could be exactly what fans want, but this does not seem to have a wide appeal. If you’re a fan of last year’s Boo! A Madea Halloween, this looks more of the same, everyone else should probably just stay away from this one.

The Buzz: The film community doesn’t really get excited about a new Tyler Perry movie, but again, he has a large legion of fans. Despite no reviews or real buzz, still look for this movie to make around $20 million.

Final Thoughts: If you’re a fan of Tyler Perry, this seems to be exactly what you are looking for, but it probably won’t convert new fans.

 

The Snowman

What we are excited about: The trailer for this movie is incredibly effective. It could just turn out to be a generic detective thriller, but the trailer is edited and presented in a thrilling fashion. With a cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Val Kilmer, and J.K. Simmons, hopefully the film itself matches the kinetic energy in the trailer and uses the impressive cast to elevate it to something more.

What we are worried about: While the trailer makes the movie look cool, we’re a little worried about the story. It seems incredibly generic and could just end up being a basic detective movie. It probably won’t end up like Prisoners or Zodiac, which might end up being disappointing due to the talent attached.

The Buzz: There have been plenty of trailers on TV and at the theater for this movie, but that hasn’t really translated to any buzz. In fact, there’s some negative buzz surrounding the simplistic poster. Pair that with poor reviews (24% on RottenTomatoes and 34 on MetaCritic) and this movie could bomb at the box office. Look for an opening around $8 million.

Final Thoughts: The trailers are promising, but the reviews make it seem like this is a rental at best.

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.
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