With the successful release of “Deadpool,” the movie industry has marched out of the tunnel with great expectations in 2016. Lucky for action-lovers, Hollywood seems posed to continue delivering films that will indulge our eyes with CGIs and heroic battles. To further fuel the excitement, preview trailers are flooding the popular media. Here are some first impressions of the upcoming blockbusters.
“Gods of Egypt” (Feb. 26)
A fantasy-action blockbuster featuring Brenton Thwaites (“Maleficent”), “Gods of Egypt” tells a story of a thief named Bek who accompanies Horus, played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”), on his mission to save the world. Gerard Butler (“300”) plays the evil god Set who dethrones Horus to overtake Egypt before creatively enslaving the entire population. In order to save humanity, Bek and Horus must battle their way through Egypt by killing computer-generated mythical monsters. While the plot seems comically similar to every single other action blockbuster movie, Butler’s distinguished expertise in playing an ancient warrior is enough reason to buy a ticket for this weekend. “Gods of Egypt” will also provide a much-needed dose of Coster-Waldau’s unfairly handsome looks before “Game of Thrones” relaunches in April.
“London Has Fallen” (March 4)
Evidently, Gerard Butler didn’t get enough screen-time in “Gods of Egypt,” so he returns as secret agent Mike Benning in this modern thriller. Following a series of devastating terrorist attacks, the U.S. president, played by Aaron Eckart (“The Dark Knight”), falls under the custody of the criminals responsible for the attacks. Butler’s mission to save the president is certainly more noble this time around: He’s no longer enslaving entire nations and attempting to destroy the world. Morgan Freeman (every movie) is Speaker Trumbull, who assumes the duties of the president in his absence. Fear not — his renowned voice is prevalent throughout the trailer, which creates high hopes for the film. If you can cope with seeing London ransacked in yet another action movie, this sequel to “Olympus Has Fallen” will get your patriotic blood boiling in March.
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (March 25)
Think mom and dad having an argument about where to go for vacation, except mom and dad are superheroes capable of leveling entire cities while causing maximum collateral damage. Ben Affleck dons the memorable cape as Bruce Wayne/Batman to battle Henry Cavill, who returns in blue and red spandex. Honestly, if you love superhero movies, the train stops at “Dawn of Justice.” Both heroes enter the trailer with arms swinging, guaranteeing maximum mindless action loud enough to temporarily disable your eardrums. Our favorite gadgets such as the Batmobile and the Batplane return, ensuring even more explosions.
These picks beg the question, are striking good looks a prerequisite for being cast as a superhero? In any case, reward yourself after midterms by making the trip to a theater to indulge in handsome heroes and essentially the same explosion effects in these three highly-anticipated movies.
