TGITDNMAR: (06/19/2015)

Another week… another TGITDNMAR without it’s usual writer. (Standing ovation! Minutes of applause!)

Guys… seriously…. keep it down. I don’t want Pete to feel bad about himself.

In case you were wondering, the Conway wedding was a fantastic affair. Many libations were enjoyed and fun was never at a minimum. And now I sit back in sunny Los Angeles (quick trip!) ready to take on his article one more time. Apparently, he’s going to be “very busy” returning to work after a week off. I don’t get it. It sounds like he’s just making excuses…

Either way, I was apparently not the only one excited about Jurassic World. In fact, if you didn’t see it, you might be the only one in the entire world who missed out! The cinematic return to Isla Nublar earned nearly $209 million in three days in the United States (and over $500 million worldwide!) and if you’re keeping track at home, that’s the most any movie has made in that amount of time. Ever.

It was a stunning development that surprised pretty much everyone. Industry predictions had the film hitting in the $120-130 million range so to be that far off, well, I really don’t know what to say. But I’m happy it beat Avengers for the all-time weekend mark. In my opinion, it was a blast to return to the island of dinosaurs! I would easily place it as the best of the sequels and I look forward to seeing what else they can create in that world with Chris Pratt at the center of it all.

But now on to this week’s releases, which features an indie darling and the 15th release from an animated company that rarely swings and misses. So let’s just get right down to it:

Dope

I know just a few things about this movie…

1) Forest Whitaker is a producer and Pharrell and his gigantic funny hat have joined forces as executive producers.

2) It takes place in Los Angeles (yes, the same one I reside in) and centers around a so-called geek who lives amongst those who that word rarely applies.

3) The trailer is only marginally funny.

That being said, as an inner-city high school teacher, I love the concept of revolving a film around a smarter-than-your-average teen because in case you didn’t know… they exist! It’s true! And if this film does ANYTHING to help promote intelligence within the boundaries of the City of Angels, then I’m on board. If it’s just another teen romp comedy, then it’s a wasted opportunity. If it’s a smart, urban take on Superbad… then it could be a classic in the making. Consider me intrigued.

Justin’s chances of seeing this in theaters: 51% – Since it’s summer and all, I have some time off (remember: teacher!) and there isn’t much theatrically after this weekend that jumps out at me until mid-July. So the chances are getting stronger by the minute.

 

Inside Out

As I said before, this is the 15th Pixar film. Nine of the previous fourteen films have at least a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The tenth highest ranked film has a measly 92%. Three more reside in the 70% window, which of course means they suck (or rather, aren’t near-perfect like so many of the others). Only one film has been met with overwhelming negative reviews and you already know what one is (Cars 2, a sequel to one of those 70% window films – meaning, of course, no one asked for it except for the toy manufacturers at Disney). All I’m really saying here is… Pixar knows what they’re doing.

This entry appears to be a renewal of the original spirit that made us fall in love with the animation company in the first place. By the look of the trailers, it feels as though Pete Docter (director of Monsters Inc. and Up!) has created a fantastical world within the minds of people. If you don’t know what it’s about, Inside Out features the five emotions inside a little girl’s head (Joy – voiced by Amy Poehler; Fear – voiced by Bill Hader; Anger – voiced by Lewis Black; Disgust – voiced by Mindy Kaling; Sadness – voiced by Phyllis Smith) and appears to showcase the true conflict that occurs within our minds when things are far from perfect.

The film already has a 100% ranking (it’s still early but it’s easy to assume it’ll end up in the high 90s) thanks to early critical reviews and it’s with tremendous excitement that I say I’ll undoubtedly be seeing this opening weekend. By all accounts it’s funny, heartfelt, and (mostly because this column has a tendency of intending all puns) emotional. There are countless reasons why you should be making time in your schedule to check this out – so I’ll just stop writing and tell you that you need to go ahead and make that happen.

Justin’s chances of seeing this in theaters: 100% – If you can give me a reason you think this won’t be one of the best movies of the year, I’ll give you $5. That’s $1 for every one of the perfectly cast lead voices.