Last weekend was incredible for movies. Not only did Jurassic World hold on to the No. 1 spot, breaking even more records (the highest domestic gross for a movie in its second week of release and crossing the billion dollar gross worldwide in a record 13 days), but Inside Out, even though it opened at No. 2, now holds the biggest gross for a movie based upon an original idea.
As well, it is the second highest opening weekend for Pixar Animation Studios, right behind Toy Story 3. Both movies have strong word-of-mouth, so the new challenger this week might have its work cut out for it.
However, the challenger is Ted 2 and if anything can usurp dinosaurs or an 11-year-old’s emotions, it s a Teddy bear.
Three years ago, Ted was a big hit grossing over $500 million worldwide. It came from the mind of Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane and featured his voice as the walking and talking stuffed friend of John (Mark Wahlberg). The unbelievable concept was made believable by the two leads and they are back for more sophomoric and undeniably funny antics.
In the sequel, Ted marries his girlfriend from the first movie and they want to have a baby together. They enlist John to be a sperm donor, but before they can have a baby, they must prove that Ted is a person. Amanda Seyfried plays the lawyer they consult and Morgan Freeman appears as a human rights specialist.
If you are looking for a moving family adventure about a dog, you will want to check out Max. From the director of Remember the Titans comes this touching tale of a marine combat German shepherd which returns from Afghanistan as an injured hero. After losing his handler, Kyle, in combat, Max must adjust to returning home and being adopted by Kyle’s family. He becomes close to Kyle’s teenage brother Justin and together, they team up to solve a mystery that heals both their wounds.
This movie will get lost in the blockbusters surrounding it, but those who take the time to watch it will likely get to experience a heart-warming movie.
And finally, this year’s winner of the Sundance Film Festival Jury Prize and Audience Award is coming to Kelowna. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is the story of Greg, an awkward high school senior who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl. After his mother forces him to spend time with Rachel, a girl in his class who was just diagnosed with cancer, he finds his outlook on life forever altered.
Critics have hailed this movie’s script and cast, saying it has the right balance of sentimentality, humour and quirkiness.
