Upcoming spring blockbusters bring anticipation
Movie lovers, we’ve finally made it: the dark and twisty films of fall have been released and now we’re moving into lighter, more fun content. While spring films normally have brighter content as a lead-in to a fantastic season of summer movies, there will still be some jam-packed action films coming our way in the next couple of months.
Kung Fu Panda 3 (Jan. 29)
The lovable panda Po (Jack Black) returns for a third time in the caring, adorable Kung Fu Panda series. This looks to serve as not only a family-fun movie but also one that college students can go and see with their friends when they want to be entertained. This time, Po reunites with his biological father and meets a group of pandas that he, shockingly, does not fit in with. How does he manage his way through this fiasco? Hilariously, of course.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Feb. 5)
Based on the parody novel of the same name by Seth Grahame-Smith comes an action filled mashup of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with zombie elements. Lily James and Sam Riley star as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the two leads. The premise of the film looks to add modern feminist twists to the original story: a plague has befallen England, overrunning it with zombies, and Elizabeth is advanced at martial arts. While her sisters join her in the fight to restore England to solely human presence, she and Mr. Darcy must unite to save England — and, in the process, discover their love for one another. The concept might sound silly to those who stuck to reading Austen’s original work, but the execution looks fun.
Zoolander 2 (Feb. 12)
Fifteen years after the original Zoolander film was released to critical acclaim, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are back for another wild, high-fashion adventure. This time, the dynamic duo is recruited by Interpol to infiltrate an unknown section of fashion, which is causing assassinations in the modeling world. Watching Wilson and Stiller strut it out on the New York Fashion Week runway last spring was enough to get anyone excited for this long-awaited installment.
Zootopia (March 4)
Disney is taking another shot at an animal-animated cast film with Zootopia, where rabbit Judy Hoops (Ginnifer Goodwin) joins the Zootopia police force and attempts to find a missing officer. While this film is clearly kid-friendly, college students could definitely check this film out.
Divergent: Allegiant (March 18)
The incredibly successful Divergent film series is coming to an end, with the final installment Allegiant being split into two films. The second installment will be released in the summer of 2017. Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) have escaped from the wall that is holding Chicago hostage and isolating them from the world. The two both experience shock at what the real world is like once they return and struggle to find people they can trust. The trailer is exciting and looks to enhance the already popular film series.
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25)
It may be four years since Christian Bale hung up his cape as Gotham’s resident Dark Knight, but a new Batman is here. This film looks to serve as two things: one, an introduction of Ben Affleck as Batman, and two, a sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel. In short, Batman looks to confront Superman, and fighting ensues. The casting of Affleck caused controversy, and Man of Steel didn’t fare as well with critics as the creators had hoped. However, there’s still hope that this could turn out to be a really fun, action-packed film.
The Jungle Book (April 25)
Almost 50 years after the original animated Disney feature, The Jungle Book has returned with a 3D version. With a star-studded cast ranging from Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken and Scarlett Johansson, there is — hopefully — no one that this adorable movie can disappoint.
Captain America: Civil War (May 6)
The third installment of the recent Captain America films has received immense anticipation from fans and critics since its cross-film predecessor, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Both Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) are looking to protect the world from future enemies, but split off into two teams following government regulation and implementation. Circle this on your calendar as a go-to film to see when you need a break from studying for finals.
Alice: Through the Looking Glass (May 27)
The sequel to Tim Burton’s highly successful take on the fantastic Alice in Wonderland tale is back. Set a few years after the last film, Alice — played by an incredibly convincing Mia Wasikowska — returns to Underland and finds the Mad Hatter, played by Johnny Depp, has lost his Munchness and is in a funk. So Alice is sent on a fantastic mission by Queen Mirna, played by Anne Hathaway, in the hopes of restoring Hatter to his former glory.
X-Men: Apocalypse (May 27)
Serving as the ninth film the X-Men series, and a sequel to 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, the mutants are coming back with a bang. Apocalypse, a monster who has been buried for thousands of years, is unearthed and crafts a team of mutants to help him create a new order. It’s up to the X-Men to stop this dastardly plan.