2020 is here. Not just a new year, but a new decade. As we’ve done in years past, we’ve canvassed the most guy-worthy movies to see this year. With recent Oscar nods being a little on the lighter side of things. We would not blame you if you didn’t have much faith. But, trust us ‘LLERO’s, 2020 looks to have stories that run the gamut. Action, horror, comedy and above all some stories that speak la cultura. Check em out here.
January
Bad Boys for Life
January is typically a bit of doldrum for new releases with many folk held over with the holiday offerings. Enter Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the two reunite and reinhabit their characters of Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett. Both older. Wiser? That remains to be seen. In this outing, Marcus is ready to retire, Mike not so much, but realizes he’s old school when teamed with a bunch of new much younger recruits. Let the hijinks ensue. Word of mouth, critical response and box office have been good.
Just Mercy
Speaking of stories for and about men of color. Just Mercy is a must see. Starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx. Jordan plays Bryan Stevenson, who after graduating from Harvard, heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, played by Jamie Foxx, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian’s life. There was award buzz around Foxx’s performance yet strangely the Academy was eerily silent.
February
Birds of Prey
Margot Robbie returns to the role of Harley Quinn sans the rest of the Suicide Squad, in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). This time she has her own new crew of rag tags, in the form of Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya, as they take on Black Mask. The trailer definitely has a Suicide Squad look and feel, from the color palette and tone to use of backdrop music. Word of mouth has been mixed. Let’s hope it delivers more than the last outing.
Las Pildoras de mi Novio (My Boyfriends Meds)
Jaime Camil and Sandra Echeverria star in this comedy. Jess (Sandra Echeverria) is a talented, high-powered marketing executive at an upscale tequila company who falls for Hank (Jaime Camil), a charismatic mattress store owner she meets while shopping for a new bed. Hank’s charm and good looks convince Jess he is “Mr. Right,” but Hank hasn’t been completely open with Jess- Hank suffers from a variety of issues for which he takes an endless assortment of medications. On the night Hank decides to reveal his issues to Jess, she surprises him with an invite to accompany her on a work retreat to a remote island resort. Hijinks ensue.
March
Bloodshot
It’s been some time since we’ve seen Diesel in anything other than a Fast & Furious film. On the surface this seems like a run of the mill action film. Super soldier created by government, used as mercenary, haunted by death of family, etc., etc. Yet, this go around it seems like they are turning that formula on its head, while at the same time harkening back to 80’s action films like Total Recall and Robocop. And the visual effects!!!! Impressive thus far. Some self-aware dialogue and the presence of one of our favorite Latinas Eiza Gonzalez does not hurt either.
A Quiet Place Part II
The first film was a sleeper hit so you know a sequel would follow. Looks like this go around we will delve into the events that created the setting for the first film, so flashbacks and time jumps are in generous use. John Krasinski once again wrote the script and is behind the director’s chair. Emily Blunt returns as the Abbot family matriarch. So, the elements look promising.
April
No Time To Die
Bond is back. This marks the 25th outing in the franchise and the last for Daniel Craig. After five flicks he’s pushing the martini glass back to the bartender. The action, the wardrobe, the one liners and femme fatales all look like vintage Bond. At this stage of the game the character is like an old friend for Daniel Craig. Yet, this time out the villain is played by Rami Malek – also vintage Bond. One nice twist. It appears this go around another 007 agent is on the scene since Bond’s last outing.
May
Black Widow
Marvel finally does a deep dive into Natasha Romanov’s aka Black Widow’s back-story. In over 10 films in the MCU we’ve gotten bits and pieces of the origin of Black Widow. Yet, never a complete picture. The film takes place in between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. Not a ton is known about the story line, save for the fact that she will be up against The Taskmaster, and she’ll be recruiting the Romanoff family for help.
Fast & Furious 9
The ninth installment of the car racing franchise will drop May 22nd. Several cast members are returning including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson and Nathalie Emmanuel. We’ve also got some newcomers in the form of John Cena, Ozuna and Cardi B. Save for that not much is known about the plot. Rest assured though it will be testosterone fueled and we will hear the word “family” dropped a number of times.
June
Wonder Woman 1984
Gal Gadot returns as the Amazonian Princess. This go around the action is set in the 1980’s fanny packs and shoulder pads make their requisite appearances. So, does a new gold costume and villains in the form of Kristen Wig as Cheetah and The Mandalorian himself – Pedro Pascal. The action looks great, the set pieces even better. We are sure there will be plenty of Easter Eggs spread throughout. Chief among them – how the hell is Steve Trevor still around? Guess we will have to wait until June for the answer to that.
Top Gun: Maverick
Speaking of all things 1980’s. Maverick himself is returning to the big screen. That hasn’t happened, well since 1984. Tom Cruise returns to one of the roles that made him a star. Three decades later Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Of course, some daddy issues are going to arise.
In the Heights
Remember that part about stories of cultura. At the top of our can’t wait to see list has to be In the Heights. Based on the Tony Award winning play written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The movie version is being directed by John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and sports an all-star cast of color, including Anthony Ramos (A Star is Born) Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, 24), singer/songwriter Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera (Vida), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent, Wild Things), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Jimmy Smits (NYPD Blue; West Wing; LA Law).
July
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Admittedly this may be a flick for GenX, as the only exposure millennials may have had has been through streaming, the prior reboot or the Stranger Things homage. Yet, the trailer looks like the film will take a different approach. Rather than a straight up continuation, it appears to tap into a younger generation that will learn all about the 80’s crew, with a little help from Paul Rudd, who plays the resident fan boy old enough to remember the 80’s squad. The movie stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver are also said to be returning.
Morbius
The film stars Jared Leto in the titular role. Morbius: The Living Vampire is a lesser known character in the MCU, but a great story nonetheless. The film looks to be the origin tale of biochemist Michael Morbius. As he tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead. From the looks of the trailer i
t is a faithful rendition. Jared Leto looks perfect in the role. Fans of the MCU may also be pleased to see some world building going on. The trailer contains obvious and not so obvious Spider Man Easter eggs.
September
The Many Saints of Newark
Okay Sopranos fans. This is the movie you’ve been waiting for. While things don’t pick up exactly where they left off. (Which simply is not possible given the passing of James Gandolfini). We instead get a prequel, showing the formative days of how Tony Soprano and his crew rose through the ranks of the New Jersey mob scene. Written by series creator David Chase the film also stars Gandolfini’s real life son Michael Gandolfini and the original Goodfella himself Ray Liotta.
October
Venom 2
With Venom being a runaway hit for Sony Pictures, you knew a sequel would not be far behind. Little is known about the sequel, save that it is currently being directed by Andy Serkis and the leading cast will all be returning, so Tom Hardy will once again be Eddie Brock/Venom and Michelle Williams as Ann Weying. Given the post-credits scene which featured Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady aka Carnage, as well as Harrelson’s inclusion in the sequel, we can safely assume Carnage will have prominent role in the story. There are so many great ways this could play out. Let’s hope they do it justice.
November
The Eternals
The 25th entry into the MCU will be The Eternals. Based on the Jack Kirby created characters. The films’ synopsis indicated that after an unexpected tragedy following the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Eternals—an immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7000 years will reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. The film boasts an all-star cast including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden and Kit Harrington. Given how well Marvel Studio’s handles its source material we think this will be another smash hit for the MCU.
December
Coming 2 America
Three decades after Prince Akeem found and married his princess in America, he returns. As he is about to ascend to King of Zamunda Akeem learns he has a long-lost son in the United States and must return to America to meet the unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda. Eddie Murphy is back as Akeem and , more impressively, the majority of the cast from the original, including Arsenio Hall, Shari Headly, John Amos and James Earl Jones return, with some impressive additions in the form of Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan and Wesley Snipes.
West Side Story
OK, this also speaks to cultura, but let’s hope this time they do ours some justice. Steven Spielberg remakes the classic 1957 musical West Side Story that explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Spielberg has promised a more accurate and authentic retelling. Rita Moreno who starred in the original returns so perhaps there may be a more accurate rendition.
