After a barren January that saw only a handful of noteworthy new releases in movie theaters, February promises to deliver a wide variety of films. This weekend offers three diverse movies to suit anyone’s mood: A video game adaptation starring Peter Parker and Dirk Diggler, a road trip movie with Magic Mike and a canine, and a moody werewolf movie set in the 19th century.
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.
Uncharted
Most positive review: “[…] Director Ruben Fleischer‘s film is tight as a drum, moving quickly from one set piece to the next without the momentum flagging once.” — Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence Film
Average review: “Here is a movie that springs from a video game long hailed for being so cinematic and vibrant — and yet the movie fails to live up to that promising foundation.” — Richard Roeper, The Chicago Sun-Times
Most negative review: “In many respects, Uncharted feels less cinematic than its source material, lacking the games’ interest in their lore and environments or watching characters grow by confronting their assumptions and biases.” — Jack Cole, Slant Magazine
Consensus: If you keep your expectations low, Uncharted can be enjoyable as throwaway entertainment. Fans of the video game, however, may be disappointed by the changes the film makes to the characters and story that made it a hit to begin with.
Dog
Most positive review: “Dog is the kind of movie that will divide audiences into two uneven camps: Those surprised to discover that it’s actually good, and those disappointed to learn that it’s not astoundingly great.” — David Ehrlich, IndieWire
Average review: “More predictable than shaggy, Dog is more interesting than the standard man-mutt buddy movie but still never really pulls the heartstrings. What it lacks in urgency and emotion, Tatum more than makes up for in movie-star wattage.” — staff writer, Empire Online
Most negative review: “Dog wants to be that sturdy plane movie you find hard to surf past when you see it on cable in the ensuing years and while it looks and sounds the part […], there’s not the slick storytelling and big emotional beats to match.” — Benjamin Lee, The Guardian
Consensus: While not completely devoid of clichés, Dog has enough charm and heart to win over most audiences. Tatum is in particular a standout, and the movie serves as a reminder he’s one of Hollywood’s most underrated stars.
The Cursed
Most positive review: “Haunting, harrowing, and hypnotic, [The Cursed] is a werewolf story with a lot on its mind. You’ll never look at a scarecrow the same way again.” — Ben Pearson, Slash Film
Average review: “[…] The Cursed is gorgeously crafted end to end, with sharp, well-paced editing and aptly icy cinematography that finds horror everywhere it lurks, even on an ordinary kitchen counter with a dead rabbit waiting to be cooked.” — Tomris Laffly, Variety
Most negative review: “It’s a great-looking movie, with a fine cast (Reilly is particularly good) and a workable premise. The raw materials were clearly in place. Too bad they never came together.” — Jason Bailey, The Playlist
Consensus: Better than your average werewolf horror film, The Cursed rises above the pack with its memorable visuals and unusually fine performances from its cast.
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