March 2015 Films On Our Radar

What does the March box office have in store for us? We pontificate in our On the Radar Preview.

Story by Matt Cummings

January 2015 was filled so many interesting titles that no one apparently wanted to see, prompting us on a recent Inside the Bucket podcast to wonder why that month landed with such a thud. When February rolled around, we weren't exactly impressed with the plate Hollywood had placed before us, hence the reason why we didn't present a Preview article. Apparently all of you felt the same. February was the lowest since in terms of box office performance since 2006 ($533.2), with 50 Shades of Grey 'leading' before literally melting away after a strong opening. And yet, the box office is up 10%, for a variety of reasons that could repeat in 2016 if distributors have learned their lesson. March has also traditionally been a weak month, as evidenced by less-than-stellar numbers during the last four years:
2014: $741.2 (-24.9% from 2013)
2013: $986.4 (-11.7% from 2012)
2012: $1117.2 (-69.6% from 2011)
2011: $658.6 (-35.5 from 2010)

So here we find ourselves, on the brink of potentially the biggest summer (and year) in box office history, with a March that merely features talking robots, Taken 7, The Revenge of YA Malaise, and a comedic gathering that could go either way. Here now is our On the Radar preview for March 2015:

Chappie

Plot: In the near future, crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Sigorney Weaver
Why We're Interested: Distopian Science-Fiction? Check? Robots? Check. Strange haircuts, weird pastels, and a film that seems like a half-dozen classic genre films collided in the middle of an intersection? Not so much. Chappie has the possibility of being something important, but the trailers don't seem to have taken such a high road. Color us not impressed.
Watch the trailer:


Run All Night

Plot:Mobster and hit man Jimmy Conlon has one night to figure out where his loyalties lie: with his estranged son, Mike, whose life is in danger, or his longtime best friend, mob boss Shawn Maguire, who wants Mike to pay for the death of his own son.
Director: Jaume Collet-Sera Starring: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Vincent D'Onofrio, Bruce McGill, Genesis Rodriguez, Ed Harris, Common, Holt McCallany, Boyd Holbrook
Why We're Interested: We loved Taken and Non-Stop, but Run feels like Taken 10, directed by the same guy. Actually, he did direct Non-Stop, which might give us hope. Kinnaman was adequate in Robocop and Harris can be terrific; but if this is really another one of Neeson's assembly-line movies, we're going to be real upset. For now, color us mildly interested until we hear better.
Watch the trailer:


Cinderella

Plot: When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger in the woods.
Director:Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett, Hayley Atwell, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Holliday Grainger, Stellan Skarsgard
Why We're Interested: Cinderella sports a great cast and creative team, has the backing of Disney, and has thus earned good early marks from critics. But we're wondering why it needed to be made in the first place. Granted, Disney can make and re-make any of its films it wants, but what's the pull behind this one? Is it an opportunity to being a non-singing version of the story to younger audiences? Or is it a chance to capitalize on the success of Frozen? We're going with the latter.
Watch the trailer:


Insurgent

Plot: Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.
Director: Robert Schwentke
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Ansel Elgort, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Zoe Kravitz, Naomi Watts, Jonny Weston, Daniel Dae Kim
Why We're Interested: You know how we felt about Divergent - that trainwreck was ugly from the start, with the only worthwhile effort made by James, who we think would make a good Han Solo if the origin movie ever gets made. For Insurgent, we expect more of the same: unsatisfying performances with love thrown into the mix. We don't like such things, not because we have no soul, but because such things are never as good as telling the story of revolution and allowing the love to take ahold if the mix is right. This series got off to a rocky start, and the trailer below doesn't exactly fill us with joy. Our 'interest' here is more about seeing how bad it is, and wondering if the series will be accepted by a dwindling YA base.
Watch the trailer:


The Gunman

Plot: A former Special Forces soldier and military contractor suffering from PTSD tries to reconnect with his long time love, but first must go on the run from London to Barcelona and across Europe in order to clear his name.
Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Javier Bardem
Why We're Interested: When word arrived in January that The Gunman would feature Sean Penn in the lead role, our thoughts moved immediately to why co-star Idris Elba wasn't tapped to play the lead. Gunman has franchise written all over it, and it would have been a great vehicle for Elba to ride into 2020. However, we're interested in Penn, a guy whose appearance here is interesting to say the least. He's a quality actor, but can we see him in an action lead? With so few of them in the mix, it's good to get some fresher blood into a genre that can make consistent money, so long as the leads are believable. Whether Penn is that sort of lead will play out soon, so color us there for the results.
Watch the trailer:


Get Hard

Plot: When millionaire James King is nailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him to go behind bars.
Director: Etan Cohen
Starring: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie
Why We're Interested: Our 'interest' in this one is more like Insurgent - we're just wondering how bad this one will be. Yet, the pairing of Ferrell and Hart could be the best idea in comedy since a bad teddy bear that talks. The problem is both Ferrell and Hart haven't had winners lately, with Anchorman 2 and Wedding Ringer failing. Granted, his appearance in The LEGO Movie was terrific, but that wasn't his project. This is Cohen's first picture, but as a writer he's produced Tropic Thunder, Men in Black 3, and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Whether he can sharpen the blades that are Ferrell and Hart's comedy and turn it into a winner will determine whether Get Hard disappears after three weeks or endures through April. For now, color us mildly interested.
Watch the trailer:


Home

Plot: When Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.
Director: Tim Johnson
Starring: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin
Why We're Interested: Parsons is so well-known and beloved for his portrayal as Sheldon Cooper on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, that it's almost impossible to see him in anything else. For Home, it seems like he's embraced that reality, which could pay off dividends. We've never been against typecasting if it turns into something special, but lots of questions surround Home, especially with the appearance of franchise killing co-star Rihanna (Battleship). Luckily, Martin is a terrific veteran and perhaps this underdog story will appeal to the kids, who have only this film to enjoy in March. This is also a big gamble for beleaguered studio DreamWorks Animation, who recently shut down their West Coast office after posting record losses. While it's doubtful that Home will bring home the cash, it could be a satisfying family film and proof that DWA should be allowed to continue as a studio. Color us there.
Watch the trailer:


Serena

Plot: In Depression-era North Carolina, the future of George Pemberton's timber empire becomes complicated when he marries Serena.
Director: Susanne Bier Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Rhys Ifans
Why We're Interested: Two of the best and brightest stars in Hollywood join up again to release a film that's frankly getting shellacked in early reviews. Why it's being dumped here before Furious 7 arrives on April 3rd tells us that something must be wrong. Films like these begin to show up in September/October as the Oscar season arrives, not before a season with fast cars, superheroes, and scantily-clad women dominating the plots. It's not like quality films arrive only in later months, but with reviews decidedly negative, we're not sure if this is another well-intentioned drama that's been tossed into an unfavorable month like Railway Man or a disaster that will quickly fade away after its limited opening. We're not too excited about its chances, so color us out.
Watch the trailer:


Lost Causes or Under the Radar Glory?
March 2015 has the potential to either be a surprising month - filled with memorable lead ups to April's Furious 7 - or it could go down as one of the worst in box office history. There's been very little buzz surrounding most of these, but our hope is that Gunman will surprise, Ride All Night and Insurgent won't put us to sleep, and Get Hard won't make us walk out half way through. We're glad to see Hollywood hasn't decided to cannibalize anyone's efforts here, as each has its own distinctive niche that it's hoping to expand. But let's be clear: all of these will be gone by April, with only winning the title of 'leader' for the month. Who will it be?

For now, be sure to add these to your Movies To-Do List:
• March 6 - Chappie
• March 13 - Run All Night, Cinderella
• March 20 - Insurgent, The Gunman
• March 27 - Get Hard, Home, Serena

Which films are you looking forward to this month? Comment below and join the conversation!

Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJohnFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.