After a barren January that saw only a handful of noteworthy new releases in movie theaters,February promises to delivera wide variety of films. This weekend offers three diverse movies to suit anyone’s mood: A horror-comedy starring one of modern rock’s most popular bands, a restored masterpiece, and a thriller from the director ofDead Calm.
It can be hard to figure out what you should spend your hard-earned dollars on, so Digital Trends will round up movie reviews from leading print and online publications to give you a comprehensive critical consensus of the films that are opening each weekend.
Studio 666
Most positive review:“Some horror films make you scream out of fear;Studio 666instead makes you want to scream just for the thrill of it — a roller coaster ride through a tsunami of blood, while the Foo Fighters rage into the mike.”— Liz Shannon Miller,Consequence
Average review:“Unfortunately, althoughStudio 666is clearly a lark for the band, the film rarely builds much comedic momentum, primarily because the group’s back-and-forth tends toward sophomoric name-calling and awkward line readings.”— Tim Grierson,Screen Daily
Most negative review:“But there is an awful lot of terrible wooden acting from everyone else, together with sub-Ghostbustersvisual effects, for which the movie expects fan base forgiveness.”— Peter Bradshaw,The Guardian
Consensus:Studio 666is for die-hard Foo Fighters fans only. Even retro horror devotees who love theEvil Deadmovies will be disappointed by this pale imitation.
The Desperate Hour
Most positive review:“Naomi Watts anchors every beat and every frame with a tangible despair, delivering a full-throated, full-bodied performance which the film rightly zeroes in on as its most volatile, unpredictable facet.”— Siddhant Adlakha,Observer
Average review:“Desperate Houris well-intentioned, and there are flashes of genuine dramatic tension, thanks to Watts’ performance. Mostly, though, it feels contrived and heavy-handed, with nothing really new to say about this well-traveled subject matter.”— Richard Roeper,Chicago Sun-Times
Most negative review:“In the final act, when the film abandons any connection to reality altogether, it becomes abundantly clear that Noyce and screenwriter Chris Sparling are merely using these all-too-familiar tragedies as a shameless way of generating emotional stakes to enliven the painfully generic thriller tropes that are the real, and weak, backbone of the film.”— Derek Smith,Slant Magazine
Consensus:Despite a strong performance from star Naomi Watts,The Desperate Hourcan’t rise above its own mediocrity. A decent opening gives way to absurd contrivances and a final act that throws all realism and credibility out the window.
The Godfather 50th Anniversary
Most positive review:“Coppola was to follow his epic masterpiece with the equally ambitious and audaciousThe Godfather Part II, a sequel/prequel that is often thought of as even better. Brilliant though that second film is, I think the original will always have the edge in its simplicity, clarity, and brutal power.”— Peter Bradshaw,The Guardian
Average review:“The Godfather is the most memorable, most influential, most quoted, most beloved, most discussed, most imitated, most revered, and most entertaining American movie ever made.”— Richard Roeper,Chicago Sun-Times
Most negative review:None exist.
Consensus:A half century after its debut,The Godfatherstill holds up asone of the best movies ever made. With a 4K image restoration, modern audiences can see the film as moviegoers did in 1972 in all of its shadowy, sepia-toned glory.
