In Theaters This Week (7/22/2016) – Star Trek: Beyond, Lights Out, Ice Age

Chris Pine, Captain Kirk, Star Trek Beyond
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 22nd brings the 13th StarTrek installment: Star Trek Beyond, a well-reviewed horror thriller in Lights Out, and the 75th Ice Age movie (it feels like 75, ok?)

Lights Out
Star Trek Beyond 
has been shrouded in so much negativity for so long.  There was the fanbase backlash to Star Trek: Into Darkness, the hiring of Justin Lin (not really known for sci-fi) to direct the film, the disastrous first trailer, the tragic death of Anton Yelchin, and the rather distasteful way Paramount has used Sulu’s sexual orientation as a marketing ploy the last two weeks.  It’s nice to see reviews flood in that there’s a good movie in all this to be seen, and that’s where I’ll be this weekend.  Lights Out is getting fantastic reviews.  I only check out horror when it’s more suspense driven and when there is critical acclaim, but I will probably check this out as a rental.  I was recently at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh and they offered to show us 12 minutes of Ice Age: Collision Course in exchange for 12 minutes of air conditioning during an incredibly muggy day.  It was a tough call, but my party did it.  We were very hot the rest of the day, but going back for another round of a/c was never even brought up.  Enough said.

Ice Age: Collison Course (Ray Romano, PG, 1hr 40min)


Lights Out (Maria Bello, Teresa Palmer, PG-13 , 1hr 21min)

Star Trek Beyond (Chris Pin, Idris Elba, PG-13,  2hr 0min.)


HOW DID WE DO LAST WEEK?
KT thought that The Secret Life of Pets would hold on to the top spot, despite the last minute good buzz push for Ghostbusters.  Pets plowed past the $200 million mark by winning with $50.8 million.  Ghostbusters finished second with a $46 million opening.  It will probably be enough to get them a sequel in this day and age, and it is certainly more than it was tracking to make a few weeks ago (Lifetime prediction record 17-3).  
The Secret Life of Pets

WHO WILL WIN THE WEEKEND?
This isn’t really going to be close.  Lights Out has great buzz, Secret Life of Pets is a juggernaut (though in its third weekend), and Ice Age will grab the kids, but Star Trek Beyond is at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and that is going to be enough to bring in casual moviegoers in addition to the Trekkie fanbase and take the weekend’s crown.
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One thought on “In Theaters This Week (7/22/2016) – Star Trek: Beyond, Lights Out, Ice Age”

  1. Star Trek Beyond is destined to be a casualty of an overcrowded market. No question it opens big (although I’m pretty sure this rebooted franchise peaked with the first one, and Beyond won’t do as well as people think) but while it looks to capture the spirit of Gene Roddenberry, and I personally love that, the world has moved on from Gene. If Star Trek Beyond turns out to be extremely retro, it’s going to get clobbered by Bourne and Suicide Squad a few weeks down the line, because those movies are looking cooler and cooler the more of them we’re shown.

    The reason to see the first Ice Age was the trailer for Attack of the Clones, and Scrat. Neither disappointed. But come ON.


    Like

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