Upcoming Releases, February 2018

We've reached February, which is always an interesting month at the movies. There's always a mix of bigger releases, something for Valentine's Day, a few random offerings and of course plenty of Oscar movies at the Cineplex. Let's see what this February holds for us.

Friday, February 1:
Miss Bala: This was originally set for January but slid back a week. It stars Gina Rodriguez and feels like one that will flame out rather quickly in theaters. But releasing here will give it a bit more profile.

Friday, February 8:
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part: This is perhaps the biggest release of the month, a sequel to the animated hit that's been five years in the making. I couldn't be more excited. I've actually already seen this one, and it's definitely worth checking out.

What Men Want: This gender reversed sequel (or re-imagining) stars Taraji P. Henson and looks like a bit of fun. The trailer is fun and the gender reversal makes this feel like a timely comedy.

Prodigy: There is never a time when low-budget horror films aren't part of the cinematic landscape. This one, starring Taylor Schilling, fills the bill. Last month "Escape Room" turned a tidy profit, and I could see this one doing similarly well.

Cold Pursuit: At some point about a decade ago, Liam Neeson became an action star. He's continued down that path in all sorts of films. This time he's a grieving father getting revenge in the frozen tundra. I don't want to watch this, I feel like I have to see it. And many others will as well.

Wednesday, February 13:
Isn't It Romantic: By now we've seen just about every possible iteration of romantic comedies. The plots have become familiar and that's what "Isn't It Romantic" tries to send up. It's a romantic comedy about a woman (Rebel Wilson) who realizes she's trapped in a PG-13 romantic comedy and doesn't want to be. Wilson is very funny, and this looks like a fun movie.

Happy Death Day 2U: This follow-up to the 2017 original looks like it will also be a lot of fun. I didn't think this was the kind of film that needed to have a sequel, but then I saw the trailer and got excited. I hope it maintains the fun spirit of the original. I'm glad Jessica Rothe is back in the lead.

Thursday, February 14:
Alita: Battle Angel: James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez are teaming on this ambitious film, which looks like it's going to be a visually stunning experience if nothing else. It boasts a good cast, so there's some promise here. But I remain a little cautious about this being great.

Friday, February 22:
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: This third installment in the popular animated franchise brings back the classic characters. This combined with the "Lego" sequel makes for a pretty strong month of animated films.

Fighting With My Family: This film is based on a true story about a young girl that follows her dream of becoming a professional wrestler. It features The Rock as himself, and looks like some fun.

The Rhythm Section: This film is about a woman (Blake Lively) who misses a flight that her family was on that crashed. She learns she was the original target of the attack that brought the plane down, and that leads her on a journey. It boasts a good cast that includes Sterling K. Brown, but it's a bit of a vague topic that doesn't have much of an ad campaign going at this point.