DON’T MISS
NEW AND IMPROVED
The year’s biggest reboots and remakes from the House of Mouse are hitting the parks in what are certain to be some of the most popular screenings. There’s the Will Smith-starring Aladdin remake (Manukau Sports Bowl, Saturday, February 8) and the aforementioned shot-for-shot Lion King remake. But our pick has to be Tim Burton’s live-action/animated take on Dumbo (Mt Wellington’s Hamlin Park, Saturday, February 22). He brings his signature gothy-weirdness to the classic tale of the circus flying elephant and we can’t wait to roll up.
GET CLUED UP
Of the animated offerings we recommend you choose Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. Okay, stop rolling your eyes and hear us out; Ryan Reynolds snarks his heart out for the entire movie. Whoever thought to turn the beloved character Pikachu into a wisecracking jerk — and then have Reynolds voice that wisecracking jerk — deserves all of the praise. Kids and Poke-fans will dig the mystery-comedy flick, but even if you’ve no idea what a Pokemon is, you’ll uncover lots of lols in Reynolds’ jovial sarcasm. If you still don’t believe us then Toy Story 4 is the safe bet.
AND THEN A HERO COMES ALONG . . .
There’ll be no shortage of spandexclad superheroes saving the day down at the parks this summer, but we reckon DC’s Aquaman (Waiuku’s Rugby Park, Saturday, March 7) is worth diving into. It’s a tsunami of ridiculousness, yes, but it prioritises fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously — as evidenced by all the scenes of sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their heads.
NO KIDS? NO PROBLEM!
If you’re after something a little more adult-orientated then the popular rom-com Yesterday (St Heliers’ Glover Park Friday, March 13) is a good option. The movie’s about a young chap who wakes up one day to discover he’s the only person on Earth who remembers The Beatles and then promptly turns that fact to his advantage. Written by the amusingly sentimental Richard Curtis ( Love, Actually) and directed with typical flashy pizzazz by Danny Boyle ( Trainspotting) it’ll make for a great Date Night movie to cuddle up with.