CinemaNerdz

The Preview Reel: Mutants Over Wonderland

Scott Davis
Alice Through the Looking Glass

Welcome to the fourth week of CinemaNerdz’s “Preview Reel” where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest movie weekends of the summer, and this year features two franchise-tent pole films. There’s the next installment in the long-lasting X-Men franchise with X-Men: Apocalypse, and the follow-up to the 2010 smash hit Alice in Wonderland, Disney’s Alice Through the Looking Glass. Both films feature large price tags and look to cash-in on the four day holiday weekend, lets break them down to see if either of them are worth your time.

 

X-Men: Apocalypse

What we are excited about:
The X-Men film franchise has been one of Hollywood’s longest running franchises, and the series has arguably never been better. First Class, The Wolverine, Days of Future Past, and this year’s Deadpool are among the best of the franchise, and the trailers for Apocalypse have been promising. Featuring the young cast that have made the previous installments so enjoyable (highlighted by Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender), and Bryan Singer back in the director’s chair, Apocalypse looks like it can continue X-Men’s current winning streak.

What we are worried about:
While the trailers have been solid when it comes to action, the story seems to be generic. The villain, Apocalypse (played by the great Oscar Isaac), looks frightening and intimidating, but his plan seems pretty standard for super villains. World domination and the bringing of the apocalypse (his name gives it away) seems like something we’ve seen a hundred times before, and something that the previous great X-Men films have been smart to stay away from. Hopefully there’s more to the story and the action can smooth out any story speed bumps.

Critical reception (if any):
Apocalypse currently sits at 52% on RottenTomatoes and 51 on MetaCritic. Most critics are calling this a middling chapter in the X-Men universe and say that while entertaining and filled with action, the villain is uninteresting and is a step down from First Class and Days of Future Past.

Box office expectations:
X-Men: Days of Future Past earned $110.6 million when it opened on Memorial Day in 2014. That film faced far less competition and had the benefit of boasting both the original and new cast members, while this X-Men installment does not prominently feature the bankable Hugh Jackman. With strong competition from Alice Through the Looking Glass and Captain America: Civil War, look for Apocalypse to finish in the $90 million range for the four-day weekend.

Final thoughts:
This is one of the summer’s big blockbusters and if you’re a fan of the franchise, chances are you’re already on board. It looks to feature a great cast, cool action, and possibly a new direction for the X-Men universe. The reviews have been somewhat lackluster and it probably will not open as big as Days of Future Past, but it still looks to be worth the price of admission.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

What we are excited about:
To be honest, not much. This writer was not a huge fan of the 2010 Tim Burton film, and this looks almost identical to that movie. However, director James Bobin did wonders with The Muppets in 2011, so maybe he’ll be able to capture the same magic with Alice Through the Looking Glass. The visuals and intriguing casting choice of Sacha Baron Cohen as Time could make things fun, but this looks to be one of the lows of the summer.

What we are worried about:
Despite being a billion dollar hit for Disney in 2010, there is not much to like about Alice in Wonderland. The fact that it took over six years for this film to finally hit the screen and Tim Burton’s lack of interest to return in the director’s chair, makes us even more worried. Add a lackluster trailer and a plot that does not seem intriguing at all, we’re not looking forward to checking this one out.

Critical reception (if any):
Alice Through the Looking Glass currently sits at 47% on RottenTomatoes and 39 on MetaCritic. Critics are saying that while it is visually satisfying, the characters and underwhelming story make for an unmemorable experience.

Box office expectations:
Alice in Wonderland opened to $116.1 million back in March of 2010, and became a global phenomenon on its way to just over a billion dollars worldwide. Many credit that success to James Cameron’s Avatar, which opened the previous December and captured audience member’s fascination with 3D and visual effects. Wonderland seemed to feature the same 3D wonder as that film so many people checked it out. Not many enjoyed it, so it will be interesting to see how big Alice Through the Looking Glass does six years later. Look for it to finish in the $60 million range for the four-day weekend.

Final thoughts:
It could be visually enchanting and fine family entertainment, but there is not much to look forward to in Alice Through the Looking Glass. Critics are calling out on our worse fears and with the poor reputation of the first film, along with stiff competition, it should finish well below the first film’s big box office first weekend.

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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