This week in theaters,M. Night Shyamalanreleases another thriller in theaters, whileZachary Levi(Shazam!)stars in a more family-friendly fair. Meanwhile, on VOD and streaming,MaXXXinemakes its debut, Godzilla goes retro, and somehow,Rebel Moonhas returned. Here is everything you need to watch this weekend.
Where To Watch: In Theaters
‘Trap’ Review: M. Night Shyamalan Gets in His Own Way in Josh Hartnett-Led Thriller
Hartnett excels as a father/serial killer, but Shyamalan can’t build tension in the way this film needs.
Director M. Night Shyamalan is back with a brand-new original story. This follows a man and his teenage daughter realizing they are at the center of a dark and sinister event while watching a concert.
Like most of Shyamalan’s work,Trapis a divisive film, meaning you might love or hate it.Ross Bonaimeexplains:Trapisn’t Shyamalan’s worst by a longshot, and it certainly has its moments, but seeing those glimpses of the old Shyamalan almost makes things worse. At this point in his career, Shyamalan’s biggest twist is his inability to utilize the tools that once made him such a promising filmmaker.
Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner.
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‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’
‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ Review: Zachary Levi Capably Unleashes Magical Havoc
Whatever you thought this adaptation would be, think again.
Inside his book, adventurous Harold can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book’s pages and into the physical world, he soon learns his trusty crayon can set off more hilarious hijinks than he thought possible. However, when the power of unlimited imagination falls into the wrong hands, it will take all of his creativity to save both the real world and his own.
Harold and the Purple Crayonis actually a solid film for the whole family.Jeff Ewingsays in his review: As a film intended for younger audiences,Haroldtakes interestingly large conceptual swings, boasts solid character adaptations, and has some scenes and humorous moments that work. For its intended younger audience, the film’s visual creations and situational humor might work wonders, and Levi does capably portray a magical adult child unleashing havoc in our world.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
A young boy named Harold embarks on a magical mission with the help of his purple crayon
‘Batman: Caped Crusader’
Where To Watch: On Prime Video
‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ Review: Bruce Timm’s New Animated Series Has an Identity Crisis
‘Batman: Caped Crusader’ will be available to stream on Prime Video on August 2.
Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant, and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human — the Batman. His one-man crusade attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.
Mike Thomassays thatBatman: Caped Crusaderis the best representation of the character in 20 years, saying:Overall,Batman: Caped Crusadermanages to tell 10 intriguing detective stories that bring the Dark Knight back to his roots, while Timm’s iconic art style and approach to the Batman mythos are the best they have been since the end ofJustice League Unlimited.
Batman: Caped Crusader
In Gotham City, where corruption and crime are rampant, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne transforms into Batman following a personal tragedy. His relentless pursuit of justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but also spawns deadly consequences. This series reimagines Batman’s mythology through the creative lenses of J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm.
Watch on Prime Video
‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’
Where To Watch: On Netflix
Your Favorite SpongeBob SquarePants Villain Is Getting His Own Netflix Movie
See the first image from ‘Plankton: The Movie.’
Sandy takes center stage in the latest movie in the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise. When Bikini Bottom is scooped out of the ocean, Sandy and SpongeBob head to Sandy’s home state of Texas and enlist her family to help save Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and the rest of the gang.
If you’re looking for a new animated movie to watch during a weekend at home,Saving Bikini Bottomis a solid choice. It takes us back to a world we’re all familiar with, and shifts focus even to make it a unique experience compared to otherSpongeBobstories.
SpongeBob SquarePants
Spongebob Squarepants is an animated comedy created by Stephen Hillenburg and starring voices from Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and Rodger Bumpass. The series revolves around a sea sponge that goes on many misadventures with his friends Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy Cheeks in the lands of Bikini Bottom and the surrounding sea.
Watch on Netflix
‘Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color’
‘Godzilla Minus One’ Review: The Iconic Monster Smashes His Way to Netflix
You’ve never seen the legendary kaiju quite like this. Long live the king.
Godzilla Minus One/Minus Colortakes the Academy Award-winning film and reinvents it into something new. This black-and-white edition takes Godzilla back to its roots, giving it a sense of nostalgia.
Chase Hutchinsonpraised the film saying:Godzilla Minus Onemore than carves out its place among the best entries of this long-running series. Whatever comes next for this refreshingly unique incarnation of the creature and his seemingly insatiable hunger for destruction, one can be glad this beautiful behemoth rose up once more.
Godzilla Minus One
Post war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
‘MaXXXine’
Where To Watch:In Theaters
‘MaXXXine’ Review: Mia Goth Is a Star in Ti West’s Stylish A24 Horror Finale
The follow-up to ‘X’ and ‘Pearl’ hits theaters July 5.
DirectorTi Westis back with the latest installment in his horror trilogy from A24.MaXXXineis the director’s follow-up toXandPearland seesMia Gothplay an adult film star in the 1980s. As a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
Emma Kielypraised West’s direction, saying that it’s one of his best:MaXXXinefeels like the movie that Ti West has been champing at the bit to make. It’s the type of film that directors and writers want to make and cinephiles want to watch. Sure, the story isn’t groundbreaking, but it makes up for it in its tribute to why we love cinema, specifically horror, so much.
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally secures her big break. As she navigates her path to stardom, a mysterious killer begins targeting Hollywood starlets, leaving a trail of blood that threatens to expose her sinister past.
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‘Rebel Moon - The Director’s Cut’
‘Rebel Moon’ Director’s Cut Review: Somehow, Zack Snyder’s Netflix Movies Got Worse
I got a bad feeling about this.
Zack Snyder’s true vision forRebel Moonis on full display with the release of the director’s cut. When a colony on the galaxy’s edge finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.
Unfortunately, it appears that the extended edition adds little value to the overall story. Here’s what Chase Hutchinson had to say about the film:It’s less a director’s cut that offers anything worth revisiting, and more Snyder’s glorified rearranging of deck chairs on theTitanic. You might see a new piece of furniture as it sinks down, but it only descends all the faster from the dead weight.
