There’s an eclectic group of new releases this week, one based on a video game, one based on a novel, and one based on a song. Let’s get to them.
1. Tomb Raider (Warner Brothers, 3,854 Theaters, 118 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and for some language, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 50% Fresh [128 Reviews]): What is it with this character getting Academy Award winning actresses to play her? First, Angelina Jolie, now Alicia Vikander. Lara Croft must be the Lady Macbeth of video game divas.
Just like the video game franchise did a while back, the film is getting rebooted. And from what I’ve read, it seems to be a pretty close adaptation of the rebooted game.
Of course, the reviews aren’t that great, but that might not matter much here. As long as Lara escapes booby traps and finds treasure, the fans will be happy.
2. Love, Simon (Fox, 2,402 Theaters, 109 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual references, language and teen partying, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 89% Fresh [70 Reviews]): Coming of age stories are so popular because we all have gone through those kind of growing pains ourselves. Well, unless you are gay. There are not a lot of teen romances featuring gay characters…until now.
This film, based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, is one of the first films to portray the heartbreak and uncertainty of coming of age as a closeted gay teen.
Comic book fans might want to note that this film is directed by Greg Berlanti, the man responsible for CW’s Arrowverse. Show your loyalty by going out to see this film.
3. I Can Only Imagine (Roadside Attractions, 1,628 Theaters, 110 Minutes, Rated PG for thematic elements including some violence, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: N/A [Only 3 positive reviews and 1 negative review at press time]): It’s been a while since we had a Christian film in the new releases, and since we’re quickly approaching Easter, what better time for one.
This film tells the story behind MercyMe’s double-platinum Christian rock song by the same name. It details the band’s lead singer Bart Millard’s rocky relationship with his father and how God helped to make it better.
The film should hope to get all the Christian dollars it can this week, because another Christian film is coming down the pike next week.
Next week’s new releases feature a rematch between the Jaegers and the Kaiju, as both take on snooping gnomes, people committed against their will and the apostle Paul, who is being helped by Jesus, who has now become Saint Luke. I’ll explain that next week.
