Major Theatrical Releases January 2019

Major Theatrical Releases January 2019

After a slew of epic films hit theaters at the end of December, January is looking to be a rather soft month for major film releases, with only one being really anticipated.

Here are the major theatrical releases for January 2019.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
Also dates are subject to change

Escape Room

January 4

Pretty much everyone has heard of Escape Rooms, and they're all the rage nowadays.  People pay money to be locked in a room, and must use clues in the room to get out within the hour.  It was only a matter of time before Hollywood took this concept and put it on the big screen, and unfortunately it's in "Escape Room."  The film seems as generic as they come, with absolutely no name recognition to it, and looks to be a very dull, boring outing where audience members will try to find their way out of the theater before this ends.

The Upside

January 11

Even when Kevin Hart tackles a more serious role, he still maintains the same typical stock character he's known for.  Based on the true story of quadriplegic Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his caregiver Abdel Sellou, "The Upside" stars Kevin Hart's Dell Scott as the caregiver to Bryan Cranston's Phillip Lacasse, who's a wealthy quadriplegic.  Dell has a criminal record, and is from the wrong side of the tracks, which is why this friendship is so strange, yet so endearing.  This film is the American remake of the 2011 French film "The Intoucables," which earned its lead actor Omar Sy the coveted Cesar Award (the equivalent of the Oscar here), but I doubt we'll see any of these actors' names mentioned come the 2019 Oscars.

A Dog's Way Home

January 11

As someone who values animal lives almost over human lives, "A Dog's Way Home" should be right up my ally, but since the trailer pretty much gives everything away - and because I hate seeing animals suffering, although it doesn't seem the dog suffers, it's just missing, but still - I'm not really excited about this film.  I much prefer to hear the real-life stories of dogs and other animals who've miraculously made their way home than sit through this tear-jerker (I know it'll be a tear-jerker because I was tearing up at the trailer).

Replicas

 January 11

Returning to the genre that made him an international superstar, Keanu Reeves stars in "Replicas," but in this case, success will be the only thing not replicated.  Here he stars as a biologist who plans on bringing his family back from the dead, and looks to be as dreadful as you'd imagine.  Surprised this is getting a national release, and not a straight-to-DVD outing.

Glass

January 18

M. Night Shyamalan exploded on the scene with "The Sixth Sense" and "Unbreakable," but soon fell from grace with a string of disastrous misses including "The Last Airbender" and "The Happening," but then found a rejuvenation with "The Visit" and especially "Split," a film about a man who has 25 multiple personalities, including the Beast.  Now, Shyalaman brings together "Unbreakable" and "Split" with "Glass," centering on the three main characters from those two films - Mr. Glass, David Dunn, and Kevin Wendell Crumb - as they come into contact with one another and face off in a true hero versus villain showdown.  Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis and James McAvoy return to their roles, along with several supporting cast members from the previous films, along with Sarah Paulson as a psychiatrist who doesn't believe in superpowers, and this looks to be a massive hit for Shyamalan.

The Kid Who Would Be King

January 25

 The story of King Arthur has been told and retold throughout the centuries, and now it gets a more modern telling in "The Kid Who Would Be King," about a young boy (played by Andy Serkis's son Louis) who finds the legendary sword Excalibur and is tasked with protecting the world from the evil Morgana.  This looks to be a film geared for families, but I don't think there'll be any families interested in this typical, by-the-books adventure that's light on the adventure and heavy on the CGI.

Serenity

January 25

Typically when films are pushed back, it's not a good sign.  Such is the case with "Serenity," which was supposed to be released in 2018, but is coming out in early 2019 instead.  The film boasts a strong cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, and Jason Clarke, and comes from the director of "Locke," and is a classic neo-noir thriller.  All signs point to this being a hit, so we'll see how it all turns out.

So there are the major films being released in January 2019.  Here is the order in which I am most eager to see them:

#7 - A Dog's Way Home
#6 - The Kid Who Would Be King
#5 - Replicas
#4 - The Upside
#3 - Escape Room
#2 - Serenity
#1 - Glass