More Birds of Prey and Sonic – Hot

Ah yes, February, the month where Cupid comes prancing in with arrows and shoots holes in our pocket. Even as we roll our eyes at the commercialization of Valentine’s Day, refusing to give in and make any dinner reservations, we can’t escape the reality of having to do something a tiny bit romantic so that we don’t get the cold shoulder for the next month or so.

Interestingly, none of the big movie releases this month have got anything to do with romance. Moreover, it seems like we headed down a path of anti-romance, where we are warned off romantic entanglements. While Netflix is still holding onto the idea of February as the month of romance (it has 2 romantic movies releasing that month), the rest of the film world have had it with the sweet promises of love and chocolate hearts. Here are the 5 biggest new movies of February 2020.

 

1. Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn | 7 February 2020

This movie is on the list for the 15 Biggest New Movies of 2020, and I certainly hope it lives up to the hype. Moving along in the vein of anti-romance, Harley Quinn and the Joker are splitsville. However, she can’t wallow for long because the Joker’s enemies are after her, well, a particular enemy in this instance – the infamous Roman Sionis aka Black Mask played by Ewan McGregor. Since she’s not the only one with a target on her back, she teams up with Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya to take him down.

The cast is stacked and the direction of the movie seems bonkers enough (at least from the trailers anyway), so it would seem that there is much to look forward to. Oh, not forgetting Bruce the hyena, who is proving himself to be the kind of pet all mad girls want.

 

2. Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island | 14 February 2020

Another year, another horror film from Blumhouse starring Lucy Hale. This movie is a remake of the popular 70s TV series of the same name, though of course the series was rather normal and isn’t based in horror. Based on the trailer, it seems that they are on an island that helps in wish fulfillment, but done in such a way where you will probably regret having thought up such desires. It does seem to be a bold attempt at a remake, taking an old narrative and spinning it in a subversive direction.

However, it is also Blumhouse, so I am not expecting a stellar showing. If you’re bored and fancy a fun day at the cinema with your friends or your boo, Fantasy Island sounds like it could be just the thing for you (hey, that rhymed).

 

3. Sonic the Hedgehog | 14 February 2020

Sonic the Hedgehog was involved in much controversy after the first trailer was released, involving the same issue that plagued Cats the film musical. The issue was that Sonic looked very un-Sonic-like. It would seem that they were striving for realism, but Sonic isn’t a real hedgehog, so this seemed a bit of a strange decision in terms of creative direction.

After the backlash, Paramount Pictures actually listened and spent time and money to redo Sonic’s design. So now we get something a bit more palatable, with more people indicating their interest to see the film now that Sonic looks less disturbing. However, Sonic’s creator Yuji Naka still feels that the new design is weird, mainly because Sonic’s eyes aren’t joined together as expected. Still, he is looking forward to the movie’s release, so that should serve as appropriate endorsement for all you Sonic fans still on the fence about giving the movie a go.

 

4. The Call of the Wild | 21 February 2020

This isn’t the first time Jack London’s book has been adapted to a movie. The most recent effort was in 1997, with Rutger Hauer in the lead role. But I guess stories about dogs will never go out of style; I still can’t watch Marley & Me and Hachi: A Dog’s Tale without weeping buckets. There’s a bit of a spin in this one given that the dog is a digital one, though you wouldn’t know given how realistic it looks. Starring Harrison Ford, featuring majestic snow-filled sights, The Call of the Wild looks like it will be wholesome family fun.

 

5. The Invisible Man | 28 February 2020

Just like Birds of Prey, this movie is on my list of 15 Biggest New Movies of 2020. It is Universal’s attempt to once again rejuvenate the Dark Universe, though this time with the focus on individual stories and narratives instead of striving for a connected universe like Marvel. There is a switch in point-of-view for this one. While the original story is focused on the Invisible Man and how he got his abilities, The Invisible Man turns its attention to the woman said man is stalking.

Like I said before, I will watch any movie with Elisabeth Moss in it, and even if the movie is a let-down, we know she is going to deliver on the performance part regardless. Once again we have a anti-romance narrative, proving that February of 2020 isn’t going to be a month of romance, unless you stay home with Netflix.

MORE MOVIES:
– 15 Best Horror Movies on Hulu
– 15 Biggest New Movies of 2020
– 36 Best Zombie Movies of the 21st Century