Major Theatrical Releases February 2020

Major Theatrical Releases February 2020

Here are the major theatrical film releases in February 2020...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

Birds of Prey:
And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

February 7

The DCEU is really looking for something to grab hold and claim as a victory, and recently they haven't had much success in that department, especially the much maligned (yet somehow Oscar winning) "Suicide Squad," whose only valuable asset was Margot Robbie's beloved Harley Quinn.  So of course she gets her own spinoff film, and I'm cautiously optimistic about it.  The trailer looks bonkers (much like Harley herself), as she splits from the Joker and forms an all-female team to rescue a young girl from the hands of Ewan McGregor's Black Mask.  The film features other comic heroes including Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya, and it looks like it'll be a very Harley-centric film, but it could be fun due to Robbie's pure energy.

The Lodge

 February 7

Riley Keough stars in "The Lodge," a slow-burn horror film about a new stepmother who wants to spend time with her stepchildren ("It" star Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) in the family's remote lodge, but find themselves trapped due to a snowstorm and the dark secrets that the stepmother is keeping.  This looks to be a moody, atmospheric horror filled with tremendous performances and some exciting twists and turns.

Fantasy Island

February 14

Count on Blumhouse to take a beloved late-70s-early-80s cheesy comedy about an island where everyone's dreams come true and turn it into pure horror fuel.  When a group of people arrive on a luxurious island, they're told that their biggest dreams will become reality, but realize that these dreams are actually nightmares, and must find a way off the island or die.  Starring a strong cast including Lucy Hale (who will hopefully redeem herself from that awful Blumhouse feature "Truth or Dare"), Maggie Q, Michael Rooker and Michael Pena as a devilish Mr. Roarke, this looks like a decent horror thriller that'll hopefully deliver some unique scares.

The Photograph

February 14

The only romantic film being released wide on Valentine's Day, I expect "The Photograph" to be a moderate success.  The film centers on a young woman named Mae whose mother was a famous photographer who tells her life through her pictures, even though she seemed like a distant mother while she was alive.  Mae meets Michael, a reporter who's doing an article on Mae's mother who falls for Mae.  As the two begin a relationship, Mae worries that her mother's nature will rub off on her and threaten the relationship, but it looks like this will be another happily ever after film in the end.  Starring Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, this looks like a decent romantic film with an acclaimed cast.

Sonic the Hedgehog

February 14

It's almost unheard of for a production company to take audience thoughts before a film and change it, but that's exactly what happened here.  After a huge backlash with the first trailer made Sonic look almost unwatchable, Paramount moved the film from November 2019 to February, and brought back the design company to re-vamp the lovable blue speedball into his more classic iteration, and it looks like all has been forgiven.  Sonic arrives on earth after being hunted down on his planet for his power and finds himself again being hunted down for his power by the evil Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey, who seemingly relishes in his role).  He's aided by an ex-SFPD officer to evade Robotnik, find the rings, and save the world from domination, and while it's admirable for Paramount to fix its mistakes, this still looks like a cookie-cutter blend of live action and animation, but Sonic does look and sound cool.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

February 14

This French film centers around two women - aristocrat Heloise and painter Marianne, and the relationship they partake in as Marianne is commissioned to do a painting of Heloise.  The film is already a huge hit overseas, and earned several critical award nominations, and looks to be a very dramatic, well-thought-out forbidden love story.

Brahms: The Boy II

February 21

After having supposed to been released two other times previously, the long-awaited sequel to the so-so 2016 horror film finally arrives, and looks to pretty much erase anything the original did.  In this iteration, the creepy porcelain doll returns (if you've seen the original you already know an issue with this) and a new family takes ownership of it, particularly the young son who's already obviously mentally troubled.  Looks to be another by-the-books slasher film with very little surprises and a tiresome performance by Katie Holmes.

Emma

 February 21

Jane Austen's beloved novel has seen the big screen treatment before, but not like this.  An imaginative re-telling of the beloved character, "Emma" finds Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role as she sets out to deliver an enjoyable performance about love in the classic ole times.

The Call of the Wild

February 21

Based off Jack London's classic 1903 story, "The Call of the Wild" tells the story of Buck, a St. Bernard/Scottish Collie mix who finds himself in the Yukon where he meets adventurer John Thornton, and together they embark on a perilous adventure.  I can understand why they wouldn't use a real dog, since it'd be almost impossible to garner the emotional responses through its mannerisms, but the animated dog here looks downright silly, and completely takes away from the true emotion the film wants to portray.  Maybe Harrison Ford can save it, but it seems that this will be doomed as a soulless cash grab on a beloved classic. 

The Invisible Man

February 28

Before Elizabeth Banks can get her hands on the franchise for her "Invisible Woman" film, "The Invisible Man" takes the classic H.G. Wells story-turned Universal creature feature and twists it for a modern audience.  Elisabeth Moss stars as Cecilia, whose abusive husband ("Haunting of Hill House" star Oliver Jackson-Cohen) supposedly dies, leaving her a massive settlement as long as she's deemed sane.  She's soon haunted by a supposed ghost who could actually be her husband, who might've found a way to render himself invisible.  Moss is no stranger to psychological thrillers, and this looks like it'll be a decent modern-day adaptation with lots of thrills and scares.

There's the six major films coming out this February, 

and here's the order in which I'm most excited to see them, worst to first:

#10 - Sonic the Hedgehog

#9 - The Call of the Wild

#8 - The Photograph

#7 - Brahms: The Boy II
#6 - The Invisible Man

#5 - Emma
#4 - Fantasy Island
#3 - The Lodge
#2 - Portrait of a Lady on Fire

#1 - Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn