CinemaNerdz

The Preview Reel: Will Turtles Rule the Pond?

Scott Davis
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Welcome to the fifth week of CinemaNerdz’s “Preview Reel,” where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. As the calendar turns from May to June, we have three very different films aiming for different demographics. The younger/nostalgic crowd will get Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the romantics have Me Before You, and the comedy fans have Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. It seems like there is something for everybody but, is any of these worth your time? Let’s break them down.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

What we are excited about:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a surprise hit for Paramount in 2014, and while the film had its fair share of haters, this particular writer enjoyed the silliness of that installment. The trailers for the sequel seem to indicate that this film is doubling down on the silliness and may even feature a lighter tone than the previous installment. Add in Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen on The CW’s Arrow) and this could be the fun, lighthearted summer flick we want amidst all of the over-serious blockbusters.

What we are worried about:
While there are some things to enjoy about the first turtle adventure, there were plenty of issues that bugged not only film fans, but fans of the franchise as well. Some felt the turtles’ look was off, the humor was too low brow, and the action was just CGI overload. Based off the trailers, it looks like Out of the Shadows is following in the first installment’s footsteps instead of improving on them. If you did not like the first one, it looks like this could be more of the same.

Critical reception (if any):
The review embargo has yet to be lifted on the film, it has been screened for some critics, however. Keeping back the reviews this late after it has been screened is a little worrisome, but we cannot jump to any conclusions based on that alone.

Box office expectations:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles opened to $65.6 million back in August 2014, on its way to $191.2 million domestic and $493.3 million worldwide. It was a bona fide worldwide hit and less than two years later Paramount is looking to bank off of that success with Out of the Shadows. Despite being financially successful, the first film received poor reviews and was not a huge hit with fans. Look for a small drop off and finish in the low $50 million range this weekend.

Final thoughts:
If Out of the Shadows can be fun, silly summer entertainment, we would consider that a win. If it features over-the-top CGI action set pieces and an excessive amount of lowbrow humor, then we’re probably not going to enjoy this one. With no critical reception yet and some negative feelings towards the first installment, look for this to open lower than 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Me Before You

What we are excited about:
The trailer seems to hit all of the generic romantic dramedy beats, but the chemistry between the two leads looks promising. Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke is one of the best actresses working in the television industry, so hopefully her talents translate well to the big screen. The film could also hit the same notes that The Fault in Our Stars hit very well in 2014, and with the (500) Days of Summer (2009) screenwriters, this could be the perfect romantic summer film.

What we are worried about:
The Fault in Our Stars and (500) Days of Summer are two great romantic films for so many reasons, but they never felt generic leading up to their release. Everything about the Me Before You trailer screams generic and looks more like The Vow or Dear John than the previously mentioned films. The popularity of the source material makes us think that it could exceed our expectations, but they are pretty low right now due to the blandness of the trailer.

Critical reception (if any):
With a limited amount of reviews published, the film sits at 50% on RottenTomatoes and 49 on MetaCritic. Most critics are saying that it does tug on the heartstrings at times, but it is a mostly typical romantic dramedy.

Box office expectations:
Too much competition and less popularity will stop Me Before You from reaching the highs of The Fault in Our Stars’ $48 million in June 2014. Look for a modest $10-15 million opening weekend.

Final thoughts:
We’re hoping it’s more The Fault in Our Stars than The Vow (2012), but reviews and lack of excitement make us think this will be a forgettable summer romance flick.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

What we are excited about:
The Lonely Island. That’s pretty much it. If it weren’t for the names attached to this, we would write this off as a lame raunchy summer comedy, but these guys are comedic geniuses in the music industry. Their albums and music videos are always hilarious, so hopefully that carries over to this music mockumentary.

What we are worried about:
To be honest, the trailers have not been that funny. They just seem lazy and the whole thing feels like an inside joke we are not a part of. Marketing a comedy can be tricky so hopefully they are saving the best jokes for the film, but so far we are not impressed.

Critical reception (if any):
There have yet to be any published reviews, which is usually typical for films like this, but the lack of positive word of mouth is a little concerning.

Box office expectations:
Andy Samberg has had plenty of success on television with his stint on Saturday Night Live and currently on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The same cannot be same with his movies, as he has starred in bombs such as Hot Rod (2007) and That’s My Boy (2012). That trend should unfortunately continue as this film will likely open in the $8-10 million range.

Final thoughts:
Hopefully the film’s best moments are not in the trailers and The Lonely Island can successfully bring their signature brand of humor to the big screen.

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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