What up, GUG fans, and welcome to this month’s edition of Boom, Bust, or Meh! For those who are unfamiliar with BBoM, this monthly article focuses on five various films each month and what our predictions as movie lovers are! As with every BBoM article, each film receives one of the following scores:
Boom: A film you’ll be impressed by.
Bust: A film you’ll be unimpressed by.
Meh: A film you’ll be somewhat impressed by but not to the point of seeing again for the sake of time and money.
Before I begin, I want to say that this is the first month this year that Jonathan and I have predicted all five films in March to be correct! Yay, teamwork! With that introduction, let’s crank open the month of April vault!
The Results
Before we get to our film predictions, let us take a look at the outcome of our March predictions!
1. Power Rangers – Meh…
Rotten Tomatoes
Critic Score: 45%
Audience Score: 80%
Box Office
Production Budget: $100 million
Worldwide: $65 million
Trey: The critics may not have enjoyed it, but the fans certainly did.
2. Kong: Skull Island – BOOM!
Rotten Tomatoes
Critic Score: 78%
Audience Score: 75%
Box Office
Production Budget: 185 million
Worldwide: $395 million
Trey: I hope you stayed after the credits for this action packed film!
Our Review!
3. Beauty and the Beast – BOOM!
Rotten Tomatoes
Critic Score: 71%
Audience Score: 86%
Box Office Production
Budget: $160 million
Worldwide: $731 million
Trey: Disney, you never ceased to fail in your live adaptions!
Our Review!
4. The Shack – Bust.
Rotten Tomatoes
Critic Score: 21%
Audience Score: 84%
Box Office
Production Budget: $20 million
Worldwide: $50 million
Trey: Barely surpassing the budget isn’t gonna cut it.
5. Logan – BOOM!
Rotten Tomatoes
Critic Score: 92%
Audience Score: 93%
Box Office Production
Budget: $97 million
Worldwide: $568 million
Trey: A beautiful way to send off the legendary Hugh Jackman. You will be dearly missed in the X-Men franchise!
Our Review!
Each “Boom, Bust, or Meh” article will include each writer’s current record next to their name. My current prediction record is (50-32).
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Rating: PG
Release Date: April 7, 2017
Synopsis: In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy, and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history! (Rotten Tomatoes).
Director: Kelly Asbury
Starring: Demi Levato, Riann Wilson, Joe Manganiello, Jack McBrayer, Danny Pudi, Mandy Patinkin
The Prediction
Trey Soto (50-32): Bust. – A second attempt to bring the Smurfs to the big screen is one that is definitely worth skipping. The Smurfs (2011) and Smurfs 2 (2013) failed miserably in the box office and among critics and audiences. I don’t see this one being any different other than the story which is not convincing nor entertaining. I understand that it is for families but what makes up a family are kids AND parents, therefore, a family friendly film must be for the whole family, not just the kids. If that’s the case for the Smurfs reboot, the result is forced jokes, fart noises, and humorless comedy. Not expecting much at all. Moving on.
Gifted
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: April 7, 2017
Synopsis: Frank Adler is a single man raising a child prodigy–his spirited young niece Mary –in a coastal town in Florida. Frank’s plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the seven-year-old’s mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank’s formidable mother Evelyn whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary. Octavia Spencer plays Roberta, Frank and Mary’s landlady and best friend. Jenny Slate is Mary’s teacher, Bonnie, a young woman whose concern for her student develops into a connection with her uncle as well (Rotten Tomatoes).
Director: Marc Webb
Starring: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate
The Prediction
Trey Soto (50-32): BOOM! – Aside from The Amazing Spider-Man series, Director Marc Webb’s record is pretty clean and has taken on various projects from directing movies to television shows and even documentaries. His latest film 500 Days of Summer (2009) proved to be excellent in its storytelling and character development as a drama. I hope that Gifted can be added to his film list as a success and meaningful story. Really trying to hold back those tears.
The Fate of the Furious
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: April 14, 2017
Synopsis: When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before (IMDb).
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren
The Predictions
Trey Soto (50-32): BOOM! – Look, I am not a fan of the Fast and Furious series and honestly just find it dreadful and predictable. That being said, I cannot say that it will not succeed. Since Fast Five (2011), the series has grown not just in popularity, but also in box office numbers and positive reviews by critics. Before 2011, the Fast and the Furious films received low reviews from critics and even audiences. After Fast Five earned a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, the positive reviews and box office numbers quickly arose in Fast & Furious 6 (2013) which earned a 69%, and Furious 7 (2015) which earned a 79%. With the new plot twist given in the trailer, the positive predictions are strong and would be a great surprise if they weren’t. This movie series has grown too fast and too furious (Eyyyyy, puns).
Going in Style
Rating: PG-13
Release: April 7, 2017
Synopsis: Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very b ank that absconded with their money (IMDb).
Director: Zach Braff
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Alan Arkin,Joey King, Kenan Thompson, Ann-Margret, Peter Serafinowicz, Christopher Lloyd,
The Prediction
Trey Soto (50-32): Meh… – For those that are unaware, this film is actually a remake of the 1979 version, also titled Going In Style, which earned positive feedback from both audiences and critics alike. Based on the trailer alone, I find this film so far to be entertaining just by these three legendary actors that are still in their prime. It was funny, it was entertaining, it was understandable, and honestly made me think about my retirement in the future. That all being said, Director Zach Braff is more of an actor than a director as some of you may know him from the comedy series known as Scrubs (2001-2010). Though his most successful film is Garden State (2004), his latest film Wish I was Here (2014), earned very low ratings from both critics (44%) audiences. Though I may enjoy this film, I cannot say that for everyone, therefore, I will be splitting my prediction down the middle by giving predicting a “Meh…”. Crossing fingers and hoping that I am wrong.
The Circle
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: April 28, 2017
Synopsis: A woman lands a dream job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, only to uncover a nefarious agenda that will affect the lives of her friends, family, and that of humanity (IMDb).
Director: James Ponsoldt
Starring: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Jon Boyega, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, Claudia O’Doherty, Patton Oswalt, Ellar Coltrane
The Predictions
Trey Soto (50-32): Bust. – In general, I am a sucker for dystopian novels and movies that play around with the ethics, privacy, access to knowledge, human rights, and more. What really has to grab my attention though is the plot and so far, the plot really is not all that convincing in The Circle. I am curious because of the cast and also the fact it is not a dictatorship or a socialist government, but rather, it is a growing company heading in a direction.
That being said, I feel that this movie may be stretching itself really thin since there is much to cover in a near two hour film let alone the fact that is comes off as very dull. Though I have never read the novel myself, I do know that it has received mixed reviews and believe that film may actually do worse as an adaptation. I wish I could give it a “Meh…” but am just not convinced and therefore, give it a “Bust” prediction. I will probably see it and if I do, I hope for the best but am not expecting the best.
Thanks for reading this month’s edition! Let us know your predictions in the comment section. Join us next month for another edition of “Boom, Bust, or Meh!”
Are you looking forward to any of these films? What are you predictions? What film are you looking forward to most in April?
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