Dunkirk

In Theaters This Week (7/21/2017): Dunkirk, Valerian, Girls Trip

Dane DeHaan in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Each Thursday we look at what is going to be coming out in theaters this weekend, show you the trailers for the big releases, predict the box office winner and just generally give you enough of a carrot to pull you through the rest of the work week.  July 21st brings three VERY different films into theaters, all currently getting mixed-to-rave reviews.

Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett in Girls Night

July has, thus far, been as good a month for movies, as June was disappointed (Wonder Woman excepted, of course).  This week all three major releases have positive reviews, with Dunkirk and Girls Night over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing.

There really aren’t any directors who can by, sheer force of their name, command a box office opening.  Spielberg had it and lost it, but if there is one left today, it’s Christopher Nolan. With a near-flawless record, Dunkirk is Nolan’s 10th film and a stretch for him as he normally operates in the realm of crime and science fiction.  Dunkirk is such an amazing story, it’s a wonder its taken this long for a big film to be made about it, and aside from Episode VIII, it’s my most anticipated film of 2017.


Girls Night will pull in a completely different demographic, and I think it will give Apes a run for its money for second place.  Well-reviewed girls-night-out comedies are rare and when they happen, they make bank.

I…have nothing to say about Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets because a very dear friend of mine is really excited about it, and this is my blog so if I want to keep all the clever retorts and snidery (not a word; should be) in my head, I’ll do just that (psst, besides it is going to be steamrolled into a crepe by all these other movies).  FINE, just that one then.


Dunkirk (Tom Hardy, Kenneth Brannagh, PG-13 1hr 47min)

Girls Trip (Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, R, 2hr 2min)


Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (Dane DeHaan, PG-13, 2hr 17m)

HOW DID WE DO LAST WEEK?
KT picked the Apes to rule the box office, and though the return was nowhere near what Dawn of the Planet of the Apes got three years ago, Dawn wasn’t following Spider-Man.  Apes pulled in $56.5 million knocking Spidey down to second with $45.2 million.
(2017 Prediction Record: 25-4; Lifetime prediction record 63-9). War for the Planet of the Apes

WHO WILL WIN THE WEEKEND?
With Apes losing the traditional 50% or so of a well-regarded blockbuster, Spider-Man still having staying power, and Girls Night getting great reviews, I think the $45 million that Dunkirk is projected to open at will be enough to get the top spot.  Which of these films have staying power as we go into the doldrums of August will be much harder to call (and probably mess with my sterling record this year thus far), but Chris Nolan rules the box office this weekend.
Dunkirk

4 thoughts on “In Theaters This Week (7/21/2017): Dunkirk, Valerian, Girls Trip”

  1. What do you make of SM’s slightly underwhelming performance? Is it just SM fatigue do you think, being felt by people who do not understand the significance of the MCU? To be fair, ASM2 was pretty dire, and as awesome as the final Homecoming trailer was, when I saw it in a theater a fellow audience member audibly remarked, “So they’re just making the same garbage, over and over again?”

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    1. I think it’s performing about as expected given where it was released and the fatigue its overcoming. I’ve only heard from one person who didn’t love it. After this week, these July films are going to have most of August for repeat viewing and I think Spidey will do just fine. It’s not going to make a billion but Disney knew that when it stuck it in the middle of the busiest month of the summer. The character needs to win kids back; kids Peter’s age. If it does that, grumbling people our age don’t matter and Spiderman is going to be a pillar of the MCU long after the Avengers founders are gone no matter what Marvel has to pay Sony.


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      1. Infinity War is going to be… something. I believe them when they say its scope will be unprecedented, simply because of all the characters coming together. But of course it’s also bittersweet, because the core group will not be sticking around much longer.

        SM will no doubt be a pillar, but he can’t be a Tony Stark, holding the MCU together, not from high school. Even as an adult, i don’t see him filling that role.


        Interesting to see where this all goes.

        Liked by 1 person

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