Idris Elba protects his daughters from a man-eating lion. That’s the kind of popcorn entertainment I can go for. And that’s what we get in the upcoming feature film “Beast” from Icelandic director Baltasar Kormákur. The movie offers up a fun and meaty (no pun intended) role for the effortlessly charismatic Elba, and the first trailer gives us a good taste (ok, pun intended there) of what Kormákur is going for.

Elba plays a widowed father who takes his daughters to South Africa where he and their mother first met. While there, he takes them out on a safari led by an old friend (Sharlto Copley). But their fun day of site-seeing turns bad after they’re attacked by a ferocious lion. Soon the group is trapped on the reserve where they encounter other predators besides the deadly cat. As the trailer shows, the film quickly turns into an all-out survival thriller with Elba doing everything he can to protect his girls. Sure it looks a little silly, but it also looks like the kind of entertainment that can be an absolute blast. I’m in.

“Beast” hits theaters August 19th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Texas takes center stage in the upcoming film “Vengeance”, a new comedy thriller written and directed by B. J. Novak. It’s the directorial debut for “The Office” alum who also stars alongside Issa Rae, Boyd Holbrook, and Ashton Kutcher. It’s yet another film halted by COVID-19 but now set for its full release via Focus Features.

Novak plays a New York City journalist and podcaster who travels down to the heart of Texas to investigate the death of an old flame who he barely knew. While he supposedly just wants to discover the truth, he soon finds himself teaming up with the girl’s brother (Holbrook) who is much more interested in seeking revenge. Hijinks ensue as Novak’s ‘fish out of water’ character tries to fit in with the locals. The culture-clash elements are definitely present and look to feed much of film’s dark comedy. There’s some real potential here.

“Vengeance” hits theaters July 29th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

The star-powered action-driven Netflix Original “The Gray Man” is easily one of the streaming service’s biggest and most-anticipated movies of 2022. It’s directed by MCU big dogs the Russo brothers and stars Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. Netflix has poured at least $200 million into the film so they clearly have high hopes. After seeing the exciting newly released first trailer I gotta say I have hopes too.

Gosling plays a deadly CIA mercenary who goes by the designation Sierra Six. After he uncovers some the agency’s darkest secrets, he is ruled a danger and targeted for elimination. Leading the manhunt to track him down is an old colleague played by Chris Evans. He plays an unhinged psychopath who is let off his leash. And no amount of destruction or body count will stop him from finishing his mission. Evans is a good mix of silly and sinister while Gosling fits nicely as our stone-faced protagonist. The first trailer teases big action galore and I can’t want to see how this thing plays.

“The Gray Man” will get a limited theatrical release on July 15th and will premiere on Netflix on July 22nd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

A couple of weeks back Marvel Studios dropped a teaser for the next lucrative installment in their ever-growing cinematic universe, “Thor: Love and Thunder”. Now they have released their first full trailer which (as expected) sent MCU fandom into the stratosphere. The teaser left me with several worries, namely it’s jarring tone, the question of how a dark character like Gorr the God Butcher would fit, and it being yet another story of Thor setting out to find himself. Unfortunately the new trailer does little to cure my concerns.

The trailer shows the same playful lightweight tone with director Taiki Waititi once again infusing as much comedy into his story as drama. This time around we don’t see much of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Instead it reveals more of Thor’s inner circle. Hemsworth once again embodies the character despite the material making him look like a clown at times. We get more of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/Mighty Thor, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie gets a few more lines, and we get a glimpse of Russell Crowe’s Zeus in a weird final scene that really sees the film stretching itself.

The biggest treat of the trailer is Christian Bale’s Gorr the God Butcher. He looks absolutely terrifying and he’s the kind of villain who could (and frankly should) have a big impact. That said, the dark and sinister shots with Gorr clash hard with the silly tone of most of the trailer leaving me still wondering how it all will play out. Even more, will Gorr end up a casualty of the movie’s more comedic ambitions?

“Thor: Love and Thunder” hits theaters July 8th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Ooooooh yes! There’s really no need in me trying to hide or even downplay my enthusiasm for the next Mission: Impossible installment. I’ve love this blockbuster franchise, and it has only gotten better and better. In fact, a good argument could be made that the last film, “Fallout” has been the best of the lot. But not to be outdone, Tom Cruise and company are back for the series finale. And if the new trailer is any indication, we’re in for the biggest M:I film yet.

Cruise teams up again with writer-director Christopher McQuarrie to give the iconic action character Ethan Hunt a fitting send-off. The film brings back franchise favorites Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Vanessa Kirby. New to the series are Hayley Atwell, Shea Whigham, Carl Ewes, Pom Klementieff, and Rob Delaney. The trailer shows Hunt once again hopping the globe, and we get glimpses of some truly incredible action sequences. And of course if features Cruise doing his own signature stunt work. Originally slated for a 2021 release, we’re finally getting the first of the two-part finale next year. I can’t wait.

“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” hits theaters July 14th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

“The Forgiven” is the latest movie from writer-director John Michael McDonagh, the filmmaker behind 2014’s stellar “Calvary”. Here he leads an electric cast featuring Ralph Fiennes and recent Oscar winner Jessica Chastain. The film also stars Matt Smith, Caleb Landry Jones, Saïd Taghmaoui, Christopher Abbott, and Ismael Kanatar. “The Forgiven” premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival and is finally set to be released via Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment.

The story follows a wealthy couple (Fiennes and Chastain) who hit and kill a young local while driving to a friends wedding in a remote section of Morocco. Instead of notifying the authorities, the couple load the body into their car and take it to their friend’s (Smith) home. And the cover up begins. But when the young man’s grieving father unexpectedly shows up, the couple come face-to-face with the consequences for their choices. This looks to be a sharp and candid haves vs. have-nots story, and I’m interested to see how far McDonagh goes with it.

“The Forgiven” hits theaters July 1st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.