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The Preview Reel: Trekking Through the Ice Age

Scott Davis
The Preview Reel

Welcome to another “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. This week sees a couple of Hollywood’s most bankable franchises debut along with a new James Wan produced horror flick. Star Trek Beyond continues the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, Manny and the gang return in Ice Age: Collision Course, and a supernatural being terrifies in the dark in Lights Out. There’s a lot to choose from, so let’s break them down to see if any of them are worth your time.

 

Star Trek Beyond

What we are excited about:
The franchise has been on a hot streak ever since it was rebooted by J.J. Abrams in 2009. Abrams was able to inject new life into the aging franchise because of his kinetic directing style and terrific young cast. The whole cast is back, and while Abrams is only producing this time, Fast & Furious director Justin Lin is taking the reins. Based off what he was able to do with Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6, arguably the best two entries in that franchise, we think that Lin can match the exciting direction Abrams established with the first two Star Trek films. The cast has always been impressive with Star Trek, especially when it comes to Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, although it will be sad to see the late Anton Yelchin in one of his final roles.

What we are worried about:
The first trailer for the movie was a little underwhelming, and while the following trailers were all much better, it is still hard to shake off that first impression. This installment seems much brighter, faster, and less concerned about the story. While the first two Abrams Star Trek films are not heavily focused on plot, they are good homages to the original series. This installment seems to be just another fast paced adventure that could be forgettable. Hopefully the later trailers are an indication of what we are getting instead of that first one.

The Buzz:
Chatter is pretty average considering how big of a blockbuster this is. Fans seem to be excited, while the general movie-going audience seems to be lukewarm on it. It might have something to do with the number of sequels this summer has turned out. That being said, the film has gained very positive reviews from critics as most are saying it is an entertaining, but kind of shallow, summer movie experience. The last two Star Trek films were big box office successes, with both films grossing over $225 million domestically. Beyond probably won’t be as big as the first two installments as a $55-$60 million opening seems likely at this point.

Final thoughts:
The last couple of trailers for Star Trek Beyond have been great, but there is cause for some concern over the first trailer. With Justin Lin taking over and the same great cast, it seems like the series should continue to move in the right direction, and critics seem to be saying it does.

Ice Age: Collision Course

What we are excited about:
To be honest, not much. The first two Ice Age movies were fine pieces of entertainment for children, but the series has gotten annoying very quickly. If we must say we are excited about one thing it would have to be that Nick Offerman is in this installment, and who doesn’t love Nick Offerman?

What we are worried about:
Pretty much everything. This fifthquel looks to be the rock bottom of the franchise as almost every joke lands with a dud and the premise just sounds ridiculous. We know it’s for children, but why can’t they receive better?

The Buzz:
Most critics are saying this is another cash grab installment with very few things to like about the movie. Although the Ice Age films are a moderate success domestically, they are huge hits for 20th Century Fox overseas. The film is looking at a $35 million opening domestically, but the real numbers to keep an eye on are the international receipts.

Final thoughts:
Even though your kids might want to see this movie, you should probably go take them to see Secret Life of Pets or Finding Dory instead.

Lights Out

What we are excited about:
The trailers have been mostly creepy and the film seems to have a good concept. With horror master James Wan producing, we are hoping for the same level of scares that are seen in Insidious and The Conjuring. David Sandberg is making his debut in the directing chair, and with the guiding hand of Wan, we could be seeing another master horror storyteller develop before our eyes.

What we are worried about:
Except for the Conjuring series, summer has not proven to be kind to horror films. Most are reserved for January, early spring, and, of course, Halloween. While release dates do not determine the quality of a movie, it is interesting to see a studio decide to try to test out a season that is usually dominated by summer tent poles. While the trailers have been creepy, they have also been generic. Hopefully the film is saving the best scares for the actual movie and not wasting them in the trailer.

The Buzz:
Online activity for this movie is surprisingly strong. The film is enjoying a very positive response from critics as most of them are saying it is unsettling while also being surprisingly emotional. The film should open to around $15 million, which is great considering its $5 million price tag.

Final thoughts:
Wan might only be producing, but he is the reason to be excited for this movie. He has dominated the horror genre as of late and critics are saying that he continues his dominance with this small budget horror flick.

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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