Your weekend time is valuable and at the end of a long week, the discretionary time must be spent to its maximum value. To help narrow down your choices on the film, television, and gaming fronts, every Friday, the Weekend Preview gives you the rundown of your options and an educated guess as to which ones make the most sense.
Nick Nunziata and I predicted the box office returns for these films last Sunday.
At the Movies
Doctor Strange
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams
Current RT Meter: 91% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $90,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $79,000,000
Another Marvel movie makes its way to the big screen. This one has quite a lot of excitement behind it. Why? Stephen Strange is one of the most outlandish and visually exciting heroes in the Marvel universe. Will his movie live up to his psychedelic origins? Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, so it’s a good bet this is going to deliver.
The Verdict: Teleport yourself to the movie theater immediately and see this.
Trolls
Directors: Walt Dohrn, Mike Mitchell
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel
Current RT Meter: 75% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $31,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $30,000,000
This candy-coated sugar rush of a kiddie flick is probably going to draw a lot of younger kids who might be a little put off by the strangeness of Doctor Strange. The response to the film seems warm enough and parents like safe choices at the theater. This won’t be a classic but it might be a decent handful of cotton candy for the little ones.
The Verdict: Only for kids who don’t want to see Doctor Strange.
Hacksaw Ridge
Director: Mel Gibson
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey
Current RT Meter: 88% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $13,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $17,000,000
Mel Gibson returns to theaters. Well, as a director. This inspirational true story has been getting lots of early Oscar buzz. This is the clear choice for the more senior audiences this weekend. With an election coming next week, expect a film like this to get a nice bump in attendance. If it’s as good as people are saying, we’ll probably be hearing about this for the next two months.
The Verdict: Too square for Doctor Strange and too old for Trolls? This is your weekend at the movies.
On the Tube
The Crown
Netflix releases this powerful and uncompromising take on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The cast is stellar, the period looks excellent, and the tone is downright chilling. Could this end up being the British version of House of Cards? Oh, that already exists? Well, you know what I mean.
The Verdict: History buffs can’t miss this.
Thunderbirds Are Go!
The second season of this rebooted series lands on Netflix. The fan community has really embraced this take on the Tracy family. We got to talk to the cast and creators of the show at San Diego Comic-Con. Watch those interviews and then check out the show if you need a nice helping of nostalgia.
The Verdict: A great action show for kids and old school fans alike.
For the Gamers
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
The dominant shooter franchise pulls a Jason X and heads to the stars. To be fair, the reviews have been kinder than anticipated. The sci-fi take on the franchise seems to have brought something new to the series and fans are appreciative. How can you not enjoy seeing Kit Harrington as a bad guy?
The Verdict: You’re not reading this because you’re already playing it.
Owlboy
It’s always nice to see an indie game getting some big love. Last year, it was Undertale. Is Owlboy this year’s indie champion? The art is breathtaking and the play style is challenging but still pleasant. This is gorgeous to look at and a real treat to retro gamers.
The Verdict: For those of us who aren’t playing Infinite Warfare.
