Neeson seeks vengeance (again)
Also, music rules the week with Grammys and Grande followup, Chris Lackner writes
MOVIES
Big Releases on Feb. 8: Cold Pursuit; The Lego Movie: The Second Part; What Men Want
Big Picture: Cold Pursuit is like Taken meets Kill Bill meets TV’s The Punisher, only set beyond the wall in Game of Thrones. Liam Neeson plays a family man turned ruthless vigilante in order to avenge the death of his teenage son. I’m fairly certain the film was improvised from a script that contained only 20 words: “Liam Neeson brutally kills thugs with names like Viking and Wingman — all while perpetually frowning in a seemingly endless blizzard.” Meanwhile, The Lego Movie 2 finds the Lego gang from the original — Emmet (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) and Batman (Will Arnett), etc. — battling Lego space invaders. Lego my Lego: This franchise is like a marketing executive’s fever dream.
And finally, What Men Want is a comedy about a woman named Ali who gains the rather unfortunate ability to hear men’s thoughts.
Forecast: For the record: Ali gains her “super power” after she drinks some kind of illicit herbal drug, gets smashingly drunk and falls and hits her head on a dance floor. Even if that science is legitimate, I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home.
TV
Big Events: 61st Annual Grammy Awards (Feb. 10, CBS); High Flying Bird (Feb. 8); The Walking Dead (Feb. 10)
Big Picture: Canadian “Wonder Man” Drake earned seven Grammy nods for his album Scorpion. Tune in to see how much hardware he brings back to Toronto. Meanwhile, High Flying Bird follows Drake’s favourite sport. The Netflix original film is about a sports agent (André Holland) and his star rookie client navigating an NBA labour dispute. Show me the money? (Speaking of, I predict a cameo appearance by Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire.) Finally, The Walking Dead returns from hiatus in a season that has been defined by the departure of everyone’s favourite postapocalyptic champion, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).
Forecast: Speaking of Walking Dead, it looks like a leadership opportunity is still open. What actor is suited to battling the undead? Hmmm. Violent? Crazy eyes? Rugged? Incapable of smiling? Capable of one to oneand-a-half facial expressions? I predict Liam Neeson will join the cast and teach those zombies some new tricks.
MUSIC
Big Releases on Feb. 8: Ariana Grande (Thank U, Next); Said the Whale (Cascadia)
Big Picture: Ariana Grande could be the Ryan Adams of sugary dance-pop. This is her second album in a matter of months (following the aptly titled Sweetener). With song titles like Needy, Fake Smile, Bad Idea and Thank U, Next, this album couldn’t possibly be about her recent breakup with comedian Pete Davidson. Or, go fishing for Cancon with Vancouver’s talented Said the Whale. This one’s partly a concept album: “Cascadia is also the name of a proposed country comprised of British Columbia and the western United States,” the band said in a statement. “That, at its core, is the physical manifestation of our music.” Sounds like Donald Trump may have a second wall to build. Forecast: Grande’s song Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored should and will be turned into a popular Valentine.