Summer blockbuster season is winding down now, and so, this month’s movie lineup is a much more eclectic and international mix.
You’ve got American actioners (The Dark Tower, Renegades, American Made), Indonesian tearjerker (Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan), Hong Kong thrillers (The Adventurers, Paradox), Japanese anime (Gintama, Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry), Korean war flick (The Battleship Island) and even an environmental documentary (An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power).
And with school holidays coming up this month as well, there are also some family-oriented animated features to keep the kids entertained, in the form of Cars 3, The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature, The Son Of Bigfoot, and The Emoji Movie.
The Dark Tower (Aug 3)
Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Jackie Earle Haley, Katheryn Winnick
Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Eleven-year-old Jake Chambers discovers another dimension called Mid-World, where he meets a lone frontiersman knight, Roland Deschain. They go on a quest to reach the “Dark Tower” in End-World, where Deschain hopes to prevent the end of the world.
Why you should watch it:
Based on Stephen King’s best-selling series, this has all the elements of a mind-bending fantasy adventure. Plus it’s got Idris Elba looking cool while shooting guns. Lots of guns.
Surat Kecil Untuk Tuhan (Aug 3)
Cast: Bunga Citra Lestari, Joe Taslim, Izzati Khanza, Bima Azriel
Director: Fajar Bustomi
Two orphaned siblings, Anton and Angel, are part of a begging syndicate. One day, Angel gets into an accident, and is separated from her brother. Fifteen years later, she is a successful lawyer in Sydney, and is about to get married. But before that, she decides to confront her past by searching for her brother in Jakarta.
Why you should watch it:
Just watching that trailer alone makes us want to tear up. If you’re not crying buckets by the time you leave the cinema, you probably have a heart of stone.
The Adventurers (Aug 10)
Cast: Andy Lau, Shu Qi, Jean Reno, Tony Yang, Zhang Jingchu, Eric Tsang
Director: Stephen Fung
Cheung is a notorious thief who recently served time in prison. Soon after his release, he is up to his old tricks again, plotting a jewel heist in Europe with his partners Xiao Bao and Ye Hong, while avoiding French detective Pierre, who is obsessed with capturing Cheung.
Why you should watch it:
With a star-studded cast including Andy Lau and Shu Qi, a lot of high-tech wizardry and gadgets, and decent chase scenes, this should make for a fun, action-packed, Mission-Impossible-styled romp. Plus, who doesn’t love a good old heist movie?
Annabelle: Creation (Aug 10)
Cast: Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Anthony LaPaglia, Talitha Bateman
Director: David F. Sandberg
A dollmaker and his wife, whose daughter died twelve years earlier, open their home to Sister Charlotte, a nun, and several girls from an orphanage that has been closed. But there’s something strange going on in that home, and soon, the girls become targets for the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.
Why you should watch it:
If you loved The Conjuring franchise and the first Annabelle movie, you’ll want to catch this one to see how the haunted doll was created in the first place. (Also, we’d love to see an Annabelle vs Chucky movie one day, but we think it’ll just end up looking too much like Team America: World Police).
The Battleship Island (Aug 17)
Cast: Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-sub, Song Joong-ki, Lee Jung-hyun, Yoon Dae-yool, Kim Soo-ahn
Director: Ryoo Seung-wan
Korean bandmaster Lee Kang-ok leaves for Japan to protect his daughter, but is sent to Hashima (Battleship Island) labour camp instead, where they are forced to mine for coal. Also at the camp are street fighter Choi Chil-seong and freedom fighter Park Moo-yeong, who infiltrated the island to rescue a key figure in the independence movement. Together with the other 400 Korean workers, they plot their escape from Hashima.
Why you should watch it:
Song Joong-ki, Song Joong-ki, Song Joong-ki, Song Joong-ki, Song Joong-ki. What, you need more reasons? How about the fact that this looks like an epic prison escape movie with huge doses of war action and tragic emotional drama? And have we mentioned it’s got Song Joong-ki yet?
The Hitman’s Bodyguard (Aug 17)
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Elodie Yung, Salma Hayek
Director: Patrick Hughes
The world’s top bodyguard is assigned to guard the world’s top hitman, who is testifying at the International Court of Justice. After being mortal enemies, they must now work together to take down a murderous dictator.
Why you should watch it:
First of all, the trailer is absolutely funny and the action sequences also look pretty impressive. But the main draw for us is the chance to see Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds playing off each other. It’s Nick Fury and Deadpool team-up we’ve always dreamed of!
Cars 3 (Aug 24)
Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry The Cable Guy, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin
Director: Brian Fee
The legendary Lighting McQueen is being out-raced by a new generation of cars, led by Jackson Storm, an arrogant rookie who uses the latest technologies to improve his performance. Desperate to stay in the sport he loves, Lightning turns to Cruz Ramirez, an eager young technician who has her own ways of helping him win.
Why you should watch it:
After the rather disappointing Cars 2, which put the annoying tow truck Mater in the forefront, Cars 3 looks like a good return to the basics of the original Cars by focusing on Lightning McQueen’s fight to stay in the races. It’s not going to win over anyone who wasn’t a fan of the Cars franchise in the first place, but hey, for all the little kids out there who have kept the Cars engine running, all we can say is … KA-CHOW!
Paradox (Aug 24)
Cast: Louis Koo, Tony Jaa, Wu Yue, Gordon Lam, Chris Collins
Director: Wilson Yip
Hong Kong police negotiator Lee Chung Chi’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing in Thailand, and he decides to go to there look for her himself. In Thailand, Lee is assisted by a local detective, Chui Kit and his colleague, Tak. During his investigation, Lee discovers a connection between his daughter’s disappearance and an organ trafficking syndicate.
Why you should watch it:
This third movie in the SPL series sees Sammo Hung returning as action choreographer, having skipped the second movie, SPL II: A Time For Consequences. With Tony Jaa also making a return to the franchise, expect lots of mind-blowing action sequences, fight scenes and stunts.
