Reel Deal: August movies to watch in the theatres in Hong Kong

With the summer holidays winding down and typhoon season winding up, it might be best to spend the weekends inside – the theatre. Typically the season of car chases, experimental films and flicks to keep the kiddos entertained we’ve narrowed down the best August movies that prove not to be part of the summertime blues.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

The spin-off to the wildly popular The Fast and the Furious franchise, Hobbs and Shaw is centred around the titular Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, characters introduced in the main series. With action-hero favourites such as Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and Idris Elba it’s destined to be a fun ride and a fresh take to the nearly 20-year-old series.

Releasing on 1 August 2019

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

The children’s show that is most likely the reason you know a dozen words in Spanish, is coming to the big screen in as a live-action drama that will see Dora enter high school in the big city – before being pulled back into the jungle for an epic adventure.

Releasing on 1 August

47 Meters Down: Uncaged

Would any August movies list be complete without a shark film? Rated PG-13 47 Meters Down: Uncaged will sure to be a hit with the teens as the film follows four teenage girls whose diving trip finds thems submerged into the territory of the supposedly deadliest shark species in the world.

Releasing on 15 August 2019

Angel Has Fallen

Everyone’s favourite Scot – Gerald Butler – and the world’s favourite voice Morgan Freeman – are back in the third installation of the Olympus Has Fallen action thriller series. This time around Butler must clear his name after he’s been framed for the assassination of the President of the United State… will he be able to clear his name?

Releasing on 22 August

Crawl

While horror has been known to be an arguably less-sophisticated and critically acclaimed genre – Crawl has managed to be received with rave reviews. Taking place in the United States notorious state of Florida the film includes gators, hurricanes and the ever-talented Kaya Scodelario in a role sure to be categorised into the ‘strong female’ binder.

Releasing on 29 August

December Movies: What to watch in Hong Kong theatres next month

December movies are among the favourite releases of film-goers each year, supplying theatres with silver screen gems across a wide variety of genres and offering an opportunity to snuggle in close during the frosty month. December’s releases offer a film for everyone from blockbusters to commercially viable Christmas releases and even a few Academy Award candidates sneaking their way into eligibility before the cutoff dates. So get your popcorn ready, we have chosen the best releases of December movies coming soon to Hong Kong.

Widows – 6 December

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen is back with his newest feature film, Widows. The thriller features a cast of strong leading ladies – led by the ever-talented Viola Davis – who bring to life the story of four widows who must finish the heist their husbands lost their lives to.

Aquaman – 20 December

Based on DC Comics’ long-running series, Aquaman is the latest superhero to hit the silver screen. Starring Game of Thrones favourite Jason Momoa, the film is guaranteed to be action-packed, as our hero must choose between the surface world and the underwater kingdom that is his legacy, all to prevent a devastating revolt.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – 20 December

Spider-Man goes digital in the latest installment to the fan-favourite series, and this time, Spidey is a whole new character as the film takes place in a shared multiverse called the “Spider-Verse”. The film’s animation takes viewers inside of a real-life comic book and offers new representation and depth to the cherished hero.

Mortal Engines – 20 December

Mortal Engines brings to life the debut novel in author Phillip Revve’s hit post-apocalyptic steampunk series set in a darkly futuristic London. New Zealand’s Christian Rivers – Longtime collaborator to Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson – makes his directorial debut with this sci-fi adventure flick.

The Grinch – 27 December

Based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic Illumination, comes Universal Pictures’ reinterpretation of The Grinch. In the latest update to the childhood favourite comes a brightly animated feature with plenty of talent from its voice actors. Don’t be surprised if your little ones tell you one viewing wasn’t enough!

Text: Bailey Atkinson

8 Films to see in Hong Kong cinemas this March

What’s on the table for a March full of movies in the 852? Childhood favourites meet sci-fi, kickass female figures, video game worlds and… The Bible?!

A Wrinkle in Time vs. Goodbye Christopher Robin

Bring your: Kids / nephews / nieces!

It only took half a century for Disney to finally bring this childhood favourite to life. The science fantasy adventure follows the journey of Meg Murry and her brother who travel across the universe to save their astrophysicist father, Alex.

Fun fact: Mrs. Which is played by none other than Oprah Winfrey, our featured celebrity on the March 2018 print issue!

Release date: 8 March 2018

If you prefer period dramas to other planets, however, get tickets to Goodbye Christopher Robin instead. The biographical drama takes us back to WWII in 1940s England where Winnie-the-Pooh creator A. A. Milne wrote his first comics in a country house with wooded acreage.

Fun Fact: Australian actress and film producer Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad) stars as Milne’s wife Daphne. The blonde was named in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world last year and part of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

Release date: 15 March 2018

Red Sparrow vs. Tomb Raider

Bring your: Girlfriend(s)!

After a dearth of seriously awesome kickass female leads following the retirement of Angeline Jolie as Lara Croft in 2001, it looks like Gal Gadot (aka Wonderwoman) has propelled Hollywood into a revival of female powerhouses. And this month, we’re getting not one but TWO alpha-female showcases: Red Sparrow starring Jennifer Lawrence and a new Tomb Raider starring Alicia Vikander (Tulip Fever, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.).

Release date: 1 March 2018

In Red Sparrow, Lawrence plays a Russian ballerina-turned-spy who targets the CIA but obviously cannot help but fall in love with someone from Team America. Meanwhile, the latest installment of Tomb Raider takes us to Cape Town where Lara Croft (not unlike Meg Murry) tries to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance.

Release date: 15 March 2018

Ready Player One

Bring your: Fellow dorks!

If Tomb Raider is based on a 2013 video game but happens in real life, Ready Player One is based on a 2011 novel but happens in a video game. Specifically, in an interconnected virtual space called the OASIS. Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg partner up once again to bring viewers into a fantastical world: a near-future dystopian Earth in which people interact via virtual reality. A teenager battles an evil cyber corporation and, well, you know how the story goes…

Release date: 29 March 2018

Game Night

Bring your: Date!

Yep, more players and more games in yet another Warner Bros. production. This one stars Rachel McAdams whose friends’ interactive role-playing mystery game suddenly becomes too real to handle.

Release date: 15 March 2018

Den of Thieves

Bring your: Lads!

It looks like the gents won’t quite let the ladies do all the ass-kicking on the big screen this month. Gerard Butler carries the torch for man-kind in this heist film set in Los Angeles. L.A.P.D. blah blah team of robbers blah blah Federal Reserve blah blah shootout, strippers blah blah… but this time, Butler is American Irish (O’Brien), not just Irish (P.S. I Love You)…

Fun Fact: Curtis Jackson (as in, “In da Club” 50 Cent) plays robber Levi Enson Levoux

Release date: 22 March 2018

Mary Magdalene

Bring your: Church friends!

For those in the fold – the Church fold, that is – the end of March signifies the end of Lent for Catholics, and Easter for Christians in general. That means, time for a biblical drama film starring Joaquin Phoenix (Her, Reservation Road) as Jesus Christ. Reviews were quite unforgiving but hey, it might serve as a worthy substitute for Sunday School that week…

Release date: 29 March 2018

Words: Julienne C. Raboca