Table of Contents The Bottom Line: January 21, 2021A Closer Look At Some of The Top Five FilmsThe Bottom Line
The Bottom Line: January 21, 2021
Welcome back! Although there are now two vaccines for the coronavirus, the pandemic continues to ravage the United States, as the virus recently surpassed the 400,000 casualty mark. With most theaters still in lockdown, especially in large metropolitan centers like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, it’s uncertain when they will reopen. However, that didn’t stop perennial and reliable January release mainstay Liam Neeson from topping the box office this weekend, as his action thriller The Marksman (directed by Robert Lorenz) won the weekend box office, hauling in an impressive $3,104,204 at the box office, a haul large enough to dethrone Wonder Woman 1984 from its top spot, though the superhero sequel still managed to rake in a further $2.6 million dollars, for a grand total of $35.8 million dollars so far. Remaining in 2nd place is the animated Dreamworks sequel The Croods 2: A New Age, which made $2,000,870, putting its total box office at $40 million. Like the Croods, the remaining three films for the top five this weekend were holdovers from last week: the Tom Hanks Western News of The World, ($997,855), the Mila Jovovich vehicle and video game adaptation Monster Hunter ($930,303), and the thriller Fatale ($470,470).
A Closer Look At Some of The Top Five Films
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLd55DPT9lE
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The Croods 2: A New Age (PG) 95 minutes: A sequel to the 2013 Dreamworks film about the world’s first family, the Croods 2 perfectly fulfills the niche of a good family film. When the caveman Croods encounter the aptly named Bettermans (due to being better evolved), hijinks will ensue. A colorful spectacle, it stars the voice talents of Emma Stone, Nicholas Cage, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman, just to name a few.
News of the World (PG-13) 118 minutes: Directed and written by Captain Phillips director Paul Greengrass, this film reunites him with that film’s star, America’s Favorite Uncle Tom Hanks. Set in 1870’s Texas, the film follows former Civil War soldier Jefferson Kidd, who has the unusual occupation of traveling town to town reading newspapers to the populace. When he discovers a white girl named Johanna dressed in Kiowa clothing, he is determined to bring her back to her surviving family. Besides Hanks, the film also stars Michael Covino, Fred Hechinger, and newcomer Helena Zengel as Johanna.
Monster Hunter (PG-13) 103 minutes: Based on the hit Capcom series of the same name and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the film stars his wife Milla Jovovich as the leader of a United Nations military team who find themselves trapped in an alternate world after going through a mysterious portal. It’s a dumb, schlocky film filled with action, explosions, and of course, giant CGI monsters to be pitted against, a perfect film to turn off your brain while watching. The film also stars renowned Thai martial artist Tony Jaa as The Hunter, a native of the alternate world who helps Jovovich’s character.
The Bottom Line
Despite the fact that there are finally vaccines to the coronavirus, I think it’s going to be more than a few months before everything returns to a semblance of life was like pre-pandemic, so I think the lockdowns will continue. I think studios will continue to do a dual VOD and home movie release, like what WB is doing with HBO Max, and Universal for select titles. Leave your thoughts on this edition of The Bottom Line below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers looking for more editions of The Bottom Line can visit our The Bottom Line Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications of new top ten films? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Flipboard.
