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Posted August 17, 2016 by Scott Davis in Features
 
 

The Preview Reel: Will Dogs Bury Kubo and Ben-Hur?

Welcome to another “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. This week sees the release of three vastly different movies, with the true story war comedy War Dogs, the animated Kubo and the Two Strings, and the remake of the classic film Ben-Hur. None of them are expected to set the box office ablaze, but let’s see if any of them are worthy of your time.

 

War Dogs

War Dogs PosterWhat we are excited about:
The main thing we are excited about is the two leads, Jonah Hill and Miles Teller. Jonah Hill is known for his over-the-top comedy (21 Jump Street, Superbad, This is the End) but he also can pull off some dramatic acting as well (as seen in his Oscar-nominated performance in Moneyball). It looks like War Dogs is asking him to do both, and with the up-and-coming Miles Teller by his side, this movie actually looks promising.

What we are worried about:
Much like the star of the film, Jonah Hill, director Todd Phillips is known for his over-the-top comedy movies. The Hangover and Old School are two of the best R-rated comedies of the 2000s, but Phillips has not shown that he can handle dramatic scenes well, which it looks like this movie calls for. With its true story aspect and potential commentary on the Iraq war, we are a little worried that Phillips might be over his head. Then again, Adam McKay shocked us all when he followed up the mediocre Anchorman 2 with the Oscar-nominated The Big Short, so anything can happen.

The Buzz:
August is normally a time where studios like to release some of their riskier projects and hope to find an audience, which looks like Warner Bros. is hoping happens here. There is some light buzz about this movie, but the talk of the town is still Suicide Squad, and after its strong first weekend, Sausage Party. With mostly positive reviews, War Dogs should do fine at the box office with around a $15 million opening weekend.

Final thoughts:
The trailers for this movie seem to be intriguing, especially when you throw in the fact that this is from the director of the Hangover trilogy. Hopefully it is not a tonal mess and can balance the war drama with its comedic talents well.

 

Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings PosterWhat we are excited about:
Laika is one of the more well-known stop-motion animation studios and knows how to make quality family films. Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls are all solid animated offerings, but Kubo and the Two Strings looks like it can be something special. With beautiful animation, a talented voice cast, and a wildly unique premise, this looks like it can be a late summer surprise for the whole family.

What we are worried about:
While they do make quality films, there is always the worry that Laika will go too far with their films. This could be a strange, uneven, and an example of a movie appealing to only certain people. There seems to be a risk, which is certainly welcome in today’s entertainment industry, but it could be a risk that not everyone likes. Hopefully the story has enough depth to appeal to all moviegoers.

The Buzz:
As with all Laika movies, there is buzz in the movie community, but not really in the general public. Movie buffs love stop motion animated movies, but there is something about it that makes it a turn off for some casual audience members. With glowing reviews from critics, look for around a $20 million opening for Kubo.

Final thoughts:
Laika always takes risks with their movies, and so far all of them have paid off (at least in terms of quality, maybe not box office). Hopefully Kubo and the Two Strings continues that trend and they can finally have a box office hit on their resume.

 

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur PosterWhat we are excited about:
Not much, I mean it is from the director of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Some of the chariot races look exciting, but other than that this looks like an extremely passable movie.

What we are worried about:
There’s a lot to be worried about with this film. Besides, as of late, there was almost no marketing for this movie which shows the studio’s lack of confidence with the film. Trailers have been extremely vague as they seem to just focus on the chariot races and not really the story. This could be an example of Hollywood going too far with its remakes and getting burned by it. Hopefully they learn their lesson.

The Buzz:
There is almost no positive buzz surrounding this movie. Tracking indicates a $12 million opening, which would be awful considering its reported $100 million budget. Reviews have been mostly bad, which will certainly not help its box office prospects.

Final thoughts:
This looks like it could be the latest box office bomb in a summer full of disappointments. How much of a bomb remains to be seen, but it definitely does not look worthy enough to see in theaters.

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.