The most original form of this game was picking between movies. The purest contest back in the day was when several movies, very diverse in nature, were released at the same time. I'm delighted that 4 wide release movies are being dropped this weekend. And they couldn't be more different.
American Sniper:
Clint Eastwood's based on a true story drama starring Bradley Cooper, has been on heavy advertisement run in the last several weeks since it's initial limited market release. It has 3 pretty big things going for it: Clint Eastwood is a proven director of dramas. It's also a modern war drama, which has a chance to resonate very well amongst..America. And finally, Bradley Cooper has established himself as a fairly big deal actor. If you are not aware, this movie is about former US Navy Seal Chris Kyle and based off his best selling memoir. Remember, what it has earned thus far, does not count. It has strong reviews thus far.
The Wedding Ringer:
Much to Hammer's chagrin, Kevin Hart is back. This is another high concept R film, hoping to cash in on previous successes of wedding themed comedies that were highly successful (Wedding Crashers, Bridesmaids). The draw is in fact, Kevin Hart pairing with Josh Gad (...umm..Olaf from Frozen..) for tons of physical comedy. So it's a buddy comedy. Hart has had several solid hits, given the budget, including Ride Along, the Think Like a Man franchise, and About Last Night. He's everywhere, so either that will continue to work in his favor or he'll quickly become the black Will Ferrell. Aside from seeing Bradley Cooper cry a million times, you are most likely to have seen trailers for this because again, Kevin Hart is everywhere. The movie also starts Kaley Cuoco (Penny in Big Bang Theory) and Alan Ritchson (Raphael in the TMNT remake)
Blackhat:
Michael Mann returns to direct, after disappearing since 2009. He's most known for the Miami Vice tv show, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat, and Collateral. His last film was a modest hit, Public Enemies. He also tried bringing his famous TV show to the big screen, on a massive budget that barely made that budget back. His movies typically have a very gritty feel. In Blackhat, he's taking on cyber terrorism with Thor. The movie has a sizable budget, so I'd say expect many explosions. The movie's best attraction is indeed Thor, aka Chris Hemsworth. Besides Thor and the Avengers, he co-starred in the very underrated racecar movie Rush. Blackhat's best chance will be that it's an action-thriller starring a guy who's going to be in the biggest movie of 2015 in a few months. Beyond Thor, the movie stars Viola Davis. Her Q rating has shot up with the very popular TV show How To Get Away With Murder as well as being cast to lead the Suicide Squad in..The Suicide Squad (DC Comics team of villains that work for the government). It is, however, rated R, which works against it.
Paddington:
If it wasn't crazy enough that we had a war drama, an adult comedy, and an action-thriller being released, here comes the big curve ball, a family film. Paddington is the movie rendition of the child books about Paddington Bear. Basically, it's an intelligent version of Winnie the Pooh and instead of honey, he digs marmalade. And is British. Ben Whishaw is now voicing Paddington (Q from Sky Fall) after Colin Firth bowed out. The movie stars a lot of British folk and Nicole Kidman is the villain. I have honestly not seen a trailer for this film, but it has already been released months ago overseas and has racked up nearly 110 million. And it's carrying positive reviews.