Summer blockbuster season traditionally doesn’t start till late April/May, but 2017 doesn’t seem to have received the memo.
March has quite a number of huge blockbuster-level movies coming up, starting with Hugh Jackman’s final stint as Wolverine in Logan (March 2), monster King Kong prequel Kong: Skull Island (March 9), the live-action remake of Beauty And The Beast (March 16), the Hollywood remake of cult anime Ghost In The Shell (March 30) and, er, the return of the Power Rangers (March 23).
Here are eight movies you should definitely check out this month.
MARCH 2
Logan
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant and Dafne Keen
Director: James Mangold
Long retired from superheroing and X-Man-ing, Logan, a.k.a. the Wolverine, is now an old man, taking care of an even older Professor X. Then he meets Laura, a young mutant with powers similar to his, and is pulled back into the life he thought he had left behind.
Why you should watch it:
It’s also been getting great reviews for being the best solo Wolverine movie so far (though the bar was set pretty low, to be honest). IF this really is Hugh Jackman’s final movie as Wolverine (he has not said anything to deny that he is leaving the role), then he deserves to go out with a bang (and a lot of SNIKTs).
J Revolusi
Cast: Zul Ariffin, Izara Aishah, Nur Fazura, Farid Kamil, Azad Jasmin and Iedil Putra
Director: Zul Azhar
Jay Zulkarnain is an assault leader for the UTK (Unit Tindakan Khas), or elite special force. When a terrorist frames Jay for the murder of one of his teammates, he has to discover who this mysterious villain is, and why he is so set on destroying his life.
Why you should watch it:
Our reviewer (http://ift.tt/2lOiqX1) calls it a “reminder that good people have bad days that could unleash a whole lot of hell”. You could go for the explosions, the spy intrigue, or the family drama, but ultimately, we know you’ll be going just to see Zul Ariffin kick some butt.
MARCH 9
Kong: Skull Island
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly
Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Set before the events of King Kong (you know, the one where he climbs the Empire State Building), this one has a group of explorers discovering Skull Island, where the legendary giant ape lives. However, Kong is not the only monster on the island…
Why you should watch it:
Because it’s always fun to see King Kong making a bunch of arrogant humans regret underestimating his majestic power. It’s also set on Skull Island, which was where the best scene of 2005’s otherwise forgettable King Kong – the fight against a Vastatosaurus rex – took place, so we’re hoping for more monster-on-monster fights this time around. Speaking of which, this is also supposedly the second film in Legendary’s Monsterverse cinematic universe, which will ultimately see Kong taking on Godzilla in 2020!
Adiwiraku
Cast: Sangeeta Krishnasamy, Xavier Fong, Wan Azlyn, Farra Safwan and Ahmad Adnin Zidane
Director: Eric Ong
Based on a true story about a teacher in Kedah’s SMK Pinang Tunggal who builds a team of choral speakers who won a competition in 2015.
Why you should watch it:
We just love heartwarming stories about underdogs beating the odds, and the fact that this was a true story that happened in Malaysia makes it even more of a must-watch.
MARCH 16
Beauty And The Beast
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Josh Gad, Stanley Tucci
Director: Bill Condon
Disney’s live-action-ification of its iconic animated features continues with one of the most beloved of them all – Beauty And The Beast. It’s a tale as old as time, with a song as old as rhyme, so you really don’t need us to explain what it’s about, do you?
Why you should watch it:
Will it be ever just the same? Will it be ever a surprise? Or will it be ever as before? Well, we’re ever as sure that the movie will still be as magical as its animated version. Besides, we’ve got a soft spot for Emma Watson as Belle and Luke Evans as Gaston. (We certainly hope he’s especially good at expectorating.)
MARCH 23
Power Rangers
Cast: Dacre Montgomery, Becky Gomez, Ludi Lin, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler and Elizabeth Banks
Director: Dean Israelite
Five ordinary kids come together in the same place at the same time to form … VOLTRON, DEFEN… oh, sorry, wrong 1980s franchise. Anyway, they find some magic coins and fall into some strange water, and get superpowers, which they then use to morph into the Power Rangers. They then have to save the world from Rita Repulsa (who is apparently “pure evil”) and fight a lot of giant monsters. Cool.
Why you should watch it:
If you grew up with Power Rangers, then you know what time it is then … yup, it’s Morphin’ time!! If you aren’t a Power Rangers fan in the first place, well, just go watch it for the giant robot fighting the giant monster, OK?
MARCH 30
Ghost In The Shell
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han and Juliette Binoche
Director: Rupert Sanders
Based on the hit manga and anime created by Masamune Shirow. Set in a future where humans can now have cybernetic bodies called “shells”, the story revolves around Major Motoko Kusanagi, captain of the elite Public Security Section 9, assigned to capture a notorious hacker known as the Puppet Master.
Why you should watch it:
While we’re not exactly thrilled to see the distinctly non-Japanese-looking Johansson play the iconic Major, we’re huge fans of the anime and are hoping that the movie will at least be more of the intriguing sci-fi thriller the anime was, and not just another all-out CGI/action fest.
The Boss Baby
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Will Arnett
Director: Tom McGrath
Seven-year-old Tim discovers that his baby brother is actually the boss of BabyCorp, and is on a mission to win back the love and affection that babies used to get, but which has now been stolen by … puppies.
Why you should watch it:
To be frank, we’re not really convinced about this, but the premise of a baby who is also a boss is just too wacky to resist. Plus the trailer actually looks hilarious, and with Alec Baldwin voicing the baby, we’re looking forward to some great zingers from that bossy little baby. Choo choo on that, if you will.
