If you haven’t noticed yet, new films get released on Thursdays each week. So if you’re the sort who likes to have first dibs on everything, here’s a list of movies you might wanna watch this March.
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KUNG FU PANDA 3
Release Date: 10 March 2016
Director: Jennifer Yuh, Alessandro Carloni
Cast: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Angelina Jolie
Rating: G
There are only a handful of film trilogies that are actually good, but for a fun-filled, family-friendly franchise like Kung Fu Panda, it would probably make the cut. The hilarious kung fu fighting panda Po (voice by Jack Black) reunites with his biological father, and later travel back home where he gets to meet a bunch of hilarious new panda characters. And of course, all is fine and dandy until a villain named Kai threatens to wreak havoc across China. And guess who he brings along? The entire village of clumsy pandas he’s trained.
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THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY
Release Date: 10 March 2016
Director: Louis Leterrier
Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson
Rating: To be advised (it’s Sacha Baron Cohen, so probably R21)
The man who brought us characters like Ali G, Borat and The Dictator is back and he’s bringing us more of his outrageous antics in the new film The Brothers Grimsby. The story tells of two brothers, one of whom gets adopted by spy agency. 28 years later after being estranged from each other, Sebastian Butcher (played by Mark Strong), a British black-ops agent was sent on a mission at a fancy event. Nobby (played by Sacha) catches wind of it and hoeps to make ammends, but the only thing he does it to send them running from some very powerful people.
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THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT
Release Date: 17 March 2016
Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Theo James
Rating: To be advised
It’s the penultimate of the Divergent trilogy, and Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her friends are at it again. This time, Tris is given the chance to explore the world beyond the wall (very Game of Thrones), in the hope of finding a simple new life with Four (Theo James). Of course drama ensues as they find themselves having to decide on who they can trust (once again) as a war breaks out, and some new truths to be discovered. If you’ve read the book then, well, you just know some people are going to go, “NOOOOOOOO” at the end. Part one of two films, the second part will release some time next year.
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RISEN
Release Date: 17 March 2016
Director: Kevin Reynolds
Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth
Rating: To be advised
Ahh, another Biblical film that follows the story of the Resurrection, except that this one’s told through the eyes of a non-believer. A powerful Roman Military Tribune by name of Clavius (played by Joseph Fiennes), is ordered by Pontius Pilate to find out what happened to the missing body of Yahshua (Jesus). Together with his aide Lucius (played by Tom Felton), they go on a manhunt to shut down any rumours of a risen Messiah and prevent an impending uprising in Jerusalem.
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SISTERS
Release Date: 17 March 2016
Director: Jason Moore
Cast: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph
Rating: NC16
Of course you’ll want to watch a movie where Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are sisters. The incredibly comedic duo play two estranged sisters who are summoned home by their parents to clean out their childhood bedroom before selling the family house. Looking to relive their younger days, they both throw one last high school-style party and invite all their classmates. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
Release Date: 24 March 2016
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot
Rating: To be advised (we feel it might most likely be rated PG…)
It’s impossible for anyone to say they haven’t seen any of the trailers. They’re practically plastered all over social media. With so much hype around one of the most anticipated films this year, we’re always worried about whether or not the actual film will live up to its hype. Nonetheless, we couldn’t be anymore excited to see what Wonder Woman will bring to the table. The film is also important as it marks the transition into a more intertwiced DC movie universe, similar to the comics. If you’re wondering why the two superheroes are fighting, well, let’s just leave that to the trailer.
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THE SONGS WE SANG
Release Date: 24 March 2016
Director: Eva Tang
Cast: Liang Wern Fook, JJ Lin, Stefanie Sun
Rating: PG
This local documentary is a throwback to a time when the young generation of Singaporeans wrote and sang songs that lead to the creation of a movement within the Mandarin-speaking community. Xinyao, which means “Songs of Singapore”, began in the mid-1980s and quickly grew to become semi-commercialised in the early 90s. Songs in this category often had clean acoustics and a group of people singing and harmonising together. The Songs We Sang depict the passion and courage of xinyao and its artists.
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LONG LONG TIME AGO PART 2
Release Date: 31 March 2016
Director: Jack Neo
Cast: Mark Lee, Suhaimi Yusof, Silvarajoo Prakasam
Rating: To be advised (come on, we all know this is going to be family-friendly)
The second to a two-part series, the film continues from Long Long Time Ago and follows Zhao Di (played by Aileen Tan) and her family as they make the move from the kampong to the HDB flats. Among many themes the sequel covers, it essentially captures the feelings and thoughts of many of our older generation during a time of transition, ultimately leading to the end of Singapore’s kampong era.
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EDDIE THE EAGLE
Release Date: 31 March 2016
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Tom Costello Jr.
Rating: To be advised
Based on a true story, the film portrays Michael Edwards (played by Taron Egerton), or better known as Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards and his journey to become the first person to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in 1988. The British Olympic Association didn’t believe in him, but he never stopped. Determined, he employs the help of an charismatic and rebellious coach (played by Hugh Jackman) to go on and win the hearts of people all around the world by making history.
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10 CLOVER FIELD LANE
Release Date: 31 March 2016
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Cast: John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher Jr.
Rating: To be advised
So much mystery in the trailer, just the way we like it. A young woman by the name of Michelle (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) finds herself in an underground cellar after she met with a car accident. A man identified as her rescuer (played by John Goodman) walks into the room and slowly explains that everyone outside has died after a chemical attack. Michelle starts wondering if he had kidnapped her and decides to escape. We just hope that that scene with Michelle looking out the window on the door is the last scene of the film…
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Image credit: Warner Bros. Singapore
