Thumbnail image via Midroad Movie Review.
Let’s face it, and I’m going to be real for a second: every dude on earth has been dragged to the movies in the past weeks to watch Beauty and The Beast by their significant other. This, of course, is an alternative fact, but as a victim, it’s one I’m quite fond of. It’s not a bad film (I actually found it quite entertaining), but sometimes we want a movie with a bit more… kick. Here are three alternative films for your next date that are guaranteed to make both members of any couple happy.
Power Rangers
You vs. The guy she tells you not to worry about.
I have been a fan of this franchise since I was a wee lad, and even as an adult I manage to find new things to love about it. Much like many other fans, I was skeptical when I learned there would be a big screen reboot of the franchise coming out this year. With franchise fatigue becoming a factor and a budget as big as its ambition, there were many reasons to be both excited and worried about this re-attempt at a big-screen adaptation of our favorite multi-colored heroes (trust me, no one wanted a repeat of the 1995 film). The end result was, thankfully, a funny, cheesy and explosive film with a surprising amount of depth and character development, the latter of which is something that the show wasn’t exactly the best at. It may be a bit slow towards the middle, but it was for the sake of character development, and I left the theater caring about the team, which was something I was not expecting. I’m not lying when I say that at the release day screening I attended, people cheered. And clapped. It’s a fun movie that any couple can go and get a few laughs (and potentially a few tears) out of.
Life
Wait, so it isn’t about the board game?
This one is for all you horror fans out there. With an all-star cast (featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds for all you lovely ladies out there) and a spookily realistic premise, it definitely delivers its share of suspense based on the isolation of the main characters. This is a gorgeous-looking movie: the CGI in this film is stunning. It truly brings a picturesque quality to outer space that most other films set in space fail to bring to the table. The sense of isolation on the space station that these characters inhabit is great and those same characters are likeable and well-developed. There’s maybe about two characters that I didn’t really resonate with, but that didn’t deter me from feeling dread as they face a potentially game-changing threat. I won’t say much else about it (it’s the type of film that gets better the less you know about it), but it’s a great film and certainly worth your time.
Ghost in the Shell
Yes. Just… yes *heart eyes emoji*.
This just may be the most particular film on this list (which is pretty amazing considering there’s a team of armored teens that ride mechanical dinosaurs on here). An Americanized remake of a Japanese manga/anime masterpiece sounds like a recipe for disaster, but GITS is actually a lot more than meets the eye. Having just finished it as I’m writing this article, I’m still blown away by how colorful and visually stunning this film is. The cityscapes of this dark future where people can literally be hacked and manipulated are breathtaking, and the revenge story presented here is surprisingly well-written. Say what you want about is supposed whitewashing of its cast, but Scarlett Johansson nailed her role as Major and the supporting cast is nothing to scoff at either. Its only fault is that it doesn’t spark as much curiosity or thought towards its major themes as well as the anime did, but it’s a great-looking and exciting film nonetheless. If your significant other is a fan of anime, the cyberpunk genre or anything japanese as a whole, take them to watch this movie and you’ll be sure to please them (and maybe even become a fan of the franchise yourself.)