Film Preview: April 2019

Coming to a cinema near you next month – a mix of big studio and small independent films.

Opening on 5 April 2019, Zachary Levi (Chuck television series) is the superhero of the title in the film ‘Shazam!’ Despite appearing in two Thor films for Marvel, Levi has defected to rival DC for this, the first feature film adaptation of the character with Mark Strong (The Imitation Game) as the villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6GEIrcvFY?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&w=696&h=392]

Featuring
the voice talents of Hugh Jackman (The Greatest Showman), Zoe Saldana (Avatar),
Timothy Olyphant (Justified television series) and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr
Banks), ‘The Missing Link’ is the latest stop motion project from Laika, the American
animation studio.  All of its previous
releases, ‘Coraline’, ‘ParaNorman’, ‘The Boxtrolls’, and ‘Kubo and the Two
Strings’ were nominated for Best Animated Film/Feature BAFTAs and Oscars.
Expect brilliant craftsmanship from this film, which is released in direct
competition with ‘Shazam!’

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTgEUot8F9U?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&w=696&h=392]

In contrast, expect complete box office domination from ‘Avengers: Endgame’, the 22nd instalment in the all-conquering Marvel Cinematic Universe film empire. With at least 22 superheroes present in this, the fourth part to the Avengers film series specifically, this is event cinema on the largest scale possible. Released on 25 April, this film could become the highest grossing (unadjusted for inflation) in history.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&w=696&h=392]

With
a budget of just $2million, the comedy-drama ‘Eighth Grade’ opens the next day
and couldn’t be more different. At just 14 years of age, Elsie Fisher was
nominated for a Golden Globe for her leading performance.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8lFgF_IjPw?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1&w=696&h=392]

Watch
this space for film reviews!