Movies to watch in February
EIGHT Chinese New Year films are showing in cinemas right now, with the star power of Jackie Chan and Stephen Chow fuelling two of them – The Knight Of Shadows Between Yin And Yang and The New King Of Comedy respectively.
However, if you are looking for something else during this festive season there are also the longanticipated Alita: Battle Angel, the only other movie we can use “assemble” to describe it, Lego Movie 2: The Second Part as well as the titles listed below:
Fall In Love At First Kiss (Feb 14)
Based on Japanese manga Itazura Na Kiss, about a teenage girl who falls in love with a senior on her first day of high school but can only love him from afar.
However, when her home is destroyed in an earthquake, she is forced to move into the home of her father’s old friend, who also happens to be her crush’s father.
Why you should watch it:
Hey, it’s Valentine’s Day, and director Frankie Chen is pretty good at making romantic love stories. But if sappy love stories are not your thing on Valentine’s, there’s always...
Happy Death Day 2U (Feb 14)
Two years after the events of the first film, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) gets stuck in a time loop again, and is forced to die over and over again.
But this time, it’s different, because her friends are involved as well, which forces her to find a way out once and for all.
Why you should watch it:
The first Happy Death Day was actually pretty entertaining, and judging from this trailer, the comedy level has been dialled up, and the deaths the leading lady has to go through have gotten more fun. Final Destination this is not.
Integrity (Feb 14)
A long running investigation into the corrupt Lida Conglomerate involving the sale of smuggled cigarettes is about to be dismissed.
One of the top agents assigned to the case is forced to team up with another agent, who is also his estranged wife, to try and solve it before that happens.
Why you should watch it:
Alan Mak + Sean Lau + Nick Cheung + Karena Lam + Alex Fong = intense Hong Kong crime thriller. We’re due another good one in that genre, to be honest.
A Dog’s Way Home (Feb 21)
Adapted from W. Bruce Cameron’s bestselling novel of the same title, a dog named Bella is separated from its owner, Lucas, and has to travel 644km to get home.
Along the way, it influences the lives of several humans and creatures it meets, including an orphaned mountain lion cub and a homeless veteran.
Why you should watch it:
Who doesn’t love touching little movies about lost pets who have to find their way home to their owners? Get those tissues ready.
Cold Pursuit (Feb 21)
Snowplower Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson) just wants to live a quiet life ploughing snow. But when his son is murdered by a gang, he goes looking for revenge.
Why you should watch it:
We’ve always been Taken with Neeson’s action movies, for Unknown reasons. The man has been a Non-Stop action machine, and if you even caught The Commuter, you know you’re quite Taken 2.
Misteri Dilaila (Feb 21)
Jefri and Dilaila, a married couple, go holidaying at Fraser’s Hill. Jefri wakes up the next day to find his wife missing.
An imam shows up to inform him that Dilaila has been found, but Jefri is shocked to see that the woman is not his wife, though she keeps insisting that she is. What is going on?
Why you should watch it:
Syafiq Yusof’s last two movies, Abang Long Fadil 2 and KL Special Force, were huge action hits. It should be interesting to see how he fares in the psychological thriller genre.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Feb 28)
(GSC International Screens)
Based on a 2008 memoir by author Lee Israel, who used make her living from the 1960s to the 1980s writing profiles of high-achieving women, but was forced to turn to forging letters written by famous writers, playwrights and actors that have died to make ends meet.
Why you should watch it:
Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are nominated for the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor Oscars respectively, so that alone should make this worth watching. It should also be an intriguing watch for those of us used to watching McCarthy only in comedic roles.