In Theaters: February 16, 2018

There are three wide releases this weekend.

Black Panther

I gotta say, the tribal meets art deco art style is not doing it for me.

Even so, this movie has a good chance of being epic.  So the cast is loaded with black people.  That doesn't matter.  It's loaded with really good actors and that does matter.  The director is also black and his name is Ryan Coogler.  It doesn't matter that he's black.  He's a really good director.  Obviously a mostly black cast and a black director make sense for this movie - that's a no brainer.  But that is not why it's going to succeed.

Black Panther, like Wonder Woman, really deserves to be released in a better time.  The overwhelming majority of voices you will hear praising this movie will be going on and on about it being successful because it's chock full of black people.  While that is a contributing factor (a Black Panther movie with any fewer black people would be idiotic), it is not even close to the main reason for this movie's inevitable success.

What genuinely troubles me is that the artistic talent of those involved will be glossed over because they're black.  I can see the headlines now . . .

"Black Director Breaks Box Office Record"

"All-Black Cast Sets New February Record"

"Black History Is Made At The Box Office"

Isn't it sad that they can't see past the fact that Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman director) is a woman, and they can't see past the fact that Ryan Coogler is black?  They just get so caught up in the wrong things.

******

I'm sorry to get so sidetracked.  I just get so disgusted by this stuff.

Black Panther is about T'Challa of Wakanda, and his struggles following the events of Captain America: Civil War.

Black Panther is rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture.

Early Man

You know this one is gonna be good.

Aardman is the studio behind Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep.  They are ALWAYS funny.

Early Man is about a tribe of cavemen whose valley is annexed by some bronze age ruler (he declares that the stone age is over).  The tribe then must find out if they have what it takes to take back their home.

Early Man is rated PG for rude humor and some action.

Samson

Christian filmmaking has officially forayed into the swords and sandals sub-genre . . . and it does not look good.

First of all, where did they get this guy playing Samson?  Would you look at this guy?

I don't want to be rude, so I will now state some facts that have nothing to do with the rest of this post.

A lower angle, sloping forehead, a prominent brow, and small dark eyes are not facial features traditionally associated with intelligence.

Samson was not known for his intelligence, but there is nothing to suggest he was basically a cave man.

speaking of Early Man...

Now back to our regular blog post.

Samson just looks bad.  The visual effects, the acting, the writing, the sets, the costumes - well I take that back, the costumes look okay.  But the rest looks bad.

Samson is rated PG-13 for violence and battle sequences.

      Big Shot Critic