Upcoming Releases — February

Winter isn't usually a great season for new movies, but thanks to some reshuffled schedules, we have a few diamonds in the rough this February.

Friday, February 7:
Monuments Men — This film, directed by and starring George Clooney, is based on the true story of the men who sought to save art and cultural works from the Nazis on the front lines of World War II. This was originally slated for awards season in December, but was delayed. It's a rare, prestige film being released in February. It has a great cast and looks amazing.

The Lego Movie — I think we should just retire from movies after February 7. "The Lego Movie" also looks fantastic, making it a great weekend for releases, and just in time for the end of football season and the beginning of what I like to call depression Sunday. This is allegedly aimed at kids, but every time I see the trailer I crack up. I have HIGH HOPES!

Vampire Academy —They can't all be winners. This is based on a series of young adult fiction books, and looks to be aimed at that audience. It taps into the vampire phenomenon as well, so it could work well with a certain demographic that isn't me.

Wednesday, February 12:
RoboCop — This is a re-make of the classic action film from the 1980s. It has a good cast and could be fascinating. While it seems strange to release a movie like this for Valentine's Day weekend, it's also President's Day weekend, so they're getting a jump on it.

Friday, February 14:
A Winter's Tale — I am a sucker for romantic films with heart. When I first saw this trailer, featuring Colin Farrell and Jessica Findlay Brown from "Downton Abbey," I was in. I like Akiva Goldsman's writing, and I have high hopes for this as a great Valentine's Day romance film.

Endless Love — This looks like an obsessive teen romance featuring people from different worlds destined to be together despite the objections of family and friends. At one point Alex Pettyfer was a hot commodity in Hollywood, then "Magic Mike" happened… This looks like another in his bad boy phase.

About Last Night — This is another re-make from the 1980s. The original was a Brat Pack movie. This new version is a starring vehicle for Kevin Hart, who's hot right now. This feels well timed for the long Valentine's Day weekend.

Friday, February 21:
Pompeii — This is the latest from Paul W.S. Anderson, the man behind the "Resident Evil" franchise. It offers the story of a tremendous battle that takes place before the story we all know, when the volcano erupts and buries the city. This will be high on action and probably low on deep story.

Three Days to Kill — I don't know what they're going for here. This is an action film about a CIA heavy-hitter played by Kevin Costner trying to complete jobs while parenting his teenage daughter, played by Hailee Steinfeld. There is little compelling about the trailers, and this seems like another bland action film dumped in the winter.

Welcome to Yesterday — This is a film about a group of teens that discover a time machine and the serious ramifications their exploits have. On it's face this could be an interesting idea. It features a largely unknown cast and appears to be following the "Chronicle" model.

Friday, February 28:
Son of God — This film is adapted from the wildly successful mini-series "The Bible." It features familiar footage culled from five hours of that mini-series as well as some footage not included in the original presentation. It's a push to get Christians out to support this in theaters in advance of the sequel mini-series, which has been picked up by NBC.

Non-Stop — This is another action film for Liam Neeson. This time he is an air marshall that gets sucked into a plot that puts the flight he's on in danger. It looks mildly intriguing, and Neeson is good at these kind of roles. Plus, it features Michelle Dockery, better known as Lady Mary on "Downton Abbey," so that will be fun!