January was a slow start for movies with only a few standouts to start off the 2020 film scene. With movies like The Gentlemen and Bad Boys For Life, a good time was find-able in the cinema, but duds were more common. Movies like The Grudge, Underwater, Dolittle, The Turning, and The Rhythm Section represented a stumble into the new year and they will most likely be forgotten by the end of it. Luckily, February looks promising.

This past Friday began the slew of movies which will be gracing our silver screens this February. Hopefully, these will bring us some memorable stories and performances. Friday brought us DC’s R rated, female led, super-romp Birds of Prey. Starring Margot Robbie and a plethora of other amazing actresses, Birds of Prey looks to be more grounded, yet still comic books fun than past ventures. I’m also stoked for a villainous performance of the character Black Mask by Ewan McGregor.

Valentine’s Day has always been a strong time for movies, and with the 14th falling on a weekend this year, we will be seeing multiple movies having a Valentine opening. I have a selection of four films which I believe may just be worth the 12 or so dollar trip to the theater. The Romantic Dramedy Downhill starring comedy legends Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus comes out on the 14th. Downhill is about a married couple and their relationship after surviving an avalanche in the Alps. I’m sure it will be full of laughs and have its fair share of tear jerking moments as well. However, be aware of its R rating.

For anyone looking forward to a movie to take their significant other to on Valentine’s Day, I have my eye on The Photograph starring Issa Rae and Lekeith Stanfield. This PG-13 romantic drama about the death of a photographer and the journey his estranged daughter embarks on will for sure be the Valentine’s Day hit of the year. Other movies which may be worth seeing over the Valentine weekend are the PG-13 horror mystery Fantasy Island starring Lucy Hale and Michael Peña, as well as the PG movie adaptation of the famous Sega video game character Sonic the Hedgehog starring Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, and Jim Carrey. 

Now, skipping ahead to the weekend of February 21st, we will see the debut of Emma, Brahms: The Boy II, and The Call of the Wild. Emma is a dramatic, yet light-hearted adaptation of the famous Jane Austen novel starring Anya Taylor-Joy with a PG-13 rating. The R rated Brahms: The Boy II is the horror mystery sequel to the 2016 film The Boy. Brahms: The Boy II stars Katie Holmes and Owain Yeoman. The Call of the Wild is a new PG Disney adaptation of the classic adventure novel by Jack London starring Harrison Ford.

The end of February brings us two classic tales with a twist. I am talking about The Invisible Man and Wendy. The Invisible Man stars Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia, a woman being haunted by her dead boyfriend. After suspecting his death to be a hoax, Cecilia works to prove that she isn’t crazy and that her boyfriend isn’t dead; he’s invisible. The Invisible Man premieres on February 28th and is rated R. Wendy is a fresh take on the story of Peter Pan. I would personally describe the look of it as Peter Pan meets Lord of the Flies. This fantastical adventure finds a group of children marooned on a mysterious island. One young girl leads them on an adventure to find their freedom, the spirit of youth, and their way home. Wendy also opens on the 28th with a PG-13 rating.

I decided to ask some Cape Central Seniors if they were interested in any of the movies listed above. First, I asked my questions to Senior Morgan Hessenkemper.

Brady: “So, do any of these movies coming out this February look interesting to you, or any you are already planning on seeing?”

Morgan: “I’ve been thinking about going to Birds of Prey, that’s the Harley Quinn movie right?”

Brady: Yeah, that’s the Harley Quinn movie. Is there any specific reason you want to see it?”

Morgan: “I love Margot Robbie, especially in I, Tonya, so seeing her leading her own movie really got my attention.”

Brady: “Margot Robbie is fantastic, but are you familiar with any of the characters in the movie? Is there anything besides the actors that has peaked your interest?”

Morgan: I honestly don’t know much about it, I’ve seen an ad or two, but I don’t know much about the story or who anyone is. I do think the trailers looked cool and fun.

Brady: “I’m glad the trailers were able to peak your interest despite your lack of knowledge of the characters and story. Most people, I assume, are in the same boat as you. Without going into much detail, did any of the other movies catch your attention?”

Morgan: “I would say that The Call of the Wild sounds fun. I love Disney and will probably end up watching it.”

After finishing my conversation with Morgan, I wanted to ask another student their thoughts as well. So, next I interviewed Senior Randee Graham.

Brady: “Do any of these movies look like one you would like to go see at the theater?”
Randee: “I don’t go to the movies that often, but I think Downhill would be funny.”

Brady: “Downhill is the dramedy starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, are you a fan of theirs?”

Randee: “I love Will Ferrell. I think he is one of the funniest actors I’ve ever seen.”
Brady: “So, out of all of these movies, the one starring comedy legend Will Ferrell caught your eye. Would it be fair to say you prefer comedies?”

Randee: Yeah, I guess so. I don’t watch that many movies, but my favorites are all comedies.”

Brady: “I asked this question to Morgan and I’m going to ask it to you. Is there another movie on this list that you might want to check out at some point?”

Randee: “I want to say Sonic because I’ve seen the memes about how he looked in the first trailer, and I think Jim Carrey is super funny.”

There are many more films to be seen in February, so make sure to do some research yourself and go see what you are interested in. If you liked what you read here, thank you! I plan on doing one of these every month until May, so I hope you continue reading. If you want to read reviews of some of the films listed above, check out the February-March edition of The Tiger where I will have an article of my thoughts, opinions, and ratings of said movies.