Top 10 Movies in 2020 That Might Suck
#10: “Ghostbusters: Afterlife”
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Release Date: July 10, 2020 [U.S.] Honestly, we’re not sure what to make of the “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” trailer. On one hand, it definitely looks more ambitious than the 2016 reboot. On the other hand, it doesn’t really look like “Ghostbusters” either. It looks more like “Stranger Things” and not just because it stars Finn Wolfhard. Then again, “Ghostbusters” was a definitive 80s movie and it clearly had an impact on “Stranger Things.” So, maybe this film will bring things full circle? It’s still unclear how this sequel will connect to the first two films or how prominently the original cast will be featured. With Jason Reitman keeping “Ghostbusters” in the family, though, we’re curious, yet cautious. We’ll just have to wait and see if there’s any life left in this franchise.
#9: “Monster Hunter”
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Release Date: September 4, 2020 [U.S.] The good news is that the Paul W. S. Anderson era of “Resident Evil” movies is apparently over! The bad news is that Anderson’s next project is “Monster Hunter.” Why has Anderson become Screen Gems’ go-to guy for movies based on Capcom games? It’s like when Hollywood entrusted LJN with every other licensed game. Granted, Anderson’s first “Resident Evil” movie was kind of a guilty pleasure, but we didn’t need five sequels and we’re not sure we need a “Monster Hunter” movie either. While the games do show some cinematic potential, does Anderson really have the storytelling chops to build upon this world? Maybe if Geralt of Rivia opens a portal and we get a crossover with “The Witcher” Netflix series! Hey, we can dream!
#8: “Morbius”
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Release Date: July 31, 2020 “Venom” was one of the more divisive comic book adaptations of recent memory. While critics panned it, audiences generally seemed to have a good time. We’re anticipating a similarly polarizing reaction to “Morbius,” the second film in Sony's Marvel Universe. The titular vampiric antihero is being played by Jared Leto, a casting choice we could see going two ways. When we think of Leto and superhero movies, his infamous turn as the Joker in “Suicide Squad” immediately comes to mind. To play devil’s advocate, Leto is a gifted actor and director Daniel Espinosa could put those gifts to more effective use. Just as Ryan Reynolds went from “Green Lantern” to “Deadpool,” Leto may find redemption by ditching DC for a Marvel character.
#7: “Free Guy”
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Release Date: July 3, 2020 [U.S.] Speaking of Ryan Reynolds, he’s the main thing that “Free Guy” has going for it. The setup is also clever, centering on an NPC played by Reynolds in an open world game. When Reynold’s character becomes aware of his surroundings, he rises up as an unlikely hero in a world that mixes elements of “Fortnite” and “GTA.” There’s just one thing that gives us major pause: it looks a lot like “Pixels,” another comedy inspired by video game tropes. We all hoped that “Pixels” would deliver on its inventive premise, but ultimately got one of the decade’s worst movies. Well, Reynolds already defied the odds with one video game movie. So, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that “Free Guy” is this year’s “Detective Pikachu.”
#6: “Snake Eyes”
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Release Date: October 23, 2020 [U.S.] The live-action “G.I. Joe” movies haven’t had the best track record. “The Rise of Cobra” and “Retaliation” were about as compelling as the “Transformers” sequels. Much like how “Transformers” turned over a new leaf with “Bumblebee,” though, it seems like the “G.I. Joe” franchise is trying to do something similar. Instead of a big ensemble piece, this prequel provides an origin story for the mysterious Snake Eyes. It’s also refreshing to see a diverse cast with Henry Golding starring as the titular ninja. Since he’s not the most emotive or talkative character, however, a “Snake Eyes” movie won’t be easy to pull off. Here’s hoping that the filmmakers will take a page from “The Mandalorian,” keeping the hero silent but deadly and the story visually-driven.
#5: “My Spy”
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Release Date: March 13, 2020 [U.S.] From “Kindergarten Cop,” to “The Pacifier,” to “Mr. Nanny,” it feels like every cinematic tough guy has starred in a family-friendly comedy as some kind of babysitter. So, it was only a matter of time until Dave Bautista did a movie like “My Spy.” Bautista plays a CIA agent at the mercy of a nine-year-old girl. Hijinks naturally ensue, but will hilarity? This action comedy was already released in Australia in January, receiving mixed reviews. And… yeah, we can imagine why. The fact that its U.S. release was delayed from August 2019 to March 2020 doesn’t bode well either. We wouldn’t be entirely shocked if this wound up being an audience favorite regardless, but don’t expect its name to be called on Oscar nomination morning.
#4: “Sonic the Hedgehog”
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Release Date: February 14, 2020 [U.S.] In all fairness, the studio and filmmakers deserve credit for pushing this movie’s release back to give Sonic a much-needed redesign. That original design seen in the first trailer continues to haunt our nightmares. While Sonic’s updated look is infinity better, there are still a dozen reasons to be worried. James Marsden’s presence makes the movie seem an awful lot like “Hop,” except with a hedgehog instead of a bunny. Jim Carrey is basically playing Jim Carrey… playing Dr. Robotnik. The footage released thus far only vaguely resembles the games with neither Tails nor Knuckles anywhere to be found. Who knows? It’s possible that everything will miraculously come together in the end, but there’s a reason why video game movies always have us skeptical.
#3: “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway”
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Release Date: April 3, 2020 [U.S.] We were admittedly surprised that 2018’s “Peter Rabbit” wasn’t a disaster like the internet predicted. Yeah, it lacked the timeless appeal of Beatrix Potter’s books and was clearly meant for a younger demographic. Compared to “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” “The Smurfs,” and other modern takes on classic characters, however, it at least had some charm and a few laughs. That being said, just because a movie could’ve been a lot worse doesn’t mean we needed a sequel. Nevertheless, “Peter Rabbit 2” is on its way and we really couldn’t care less. Maybe it’ll be serviceable, maybe it’ll improve upon the first movie, or maybe it’ll just be another lazy kids flick. As far as talking animal movies go, we’re just praying it’s better than “Dolittle.”
#2: “The New Mutants”
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Release Date: April 3, 2020 [U.S.] “Dark Phoenix” technically wasn’t the last “X-Men” movie from 20th Century Fox… err, we mean 20th Century Studios. As the title suggests, this standalone spinoff shifts the focus to a group of new mutants with a horror twist. Sounds pretty cool on paper, but the failure of “Dark Phoenix” is just one reason why our faith has withered. The teaser landed in October 2017, so why has it taken nearly two and a half years for this movie to come out? Short story, Hollywood happened. Long story, reshoots resulted in the release date being pushed back multiple times and Disney’s acquisition of Fox didn’t help. Even if the film does surpass expectations, it’s highly unlikely that Disney will pursue a sequel, what with the MCU.
#1: “Chaos Walking”
Release Date: TBA An adaptation of Patrick Ness' novel from “Edge of Tomorrow” director Doug Liman that stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley? Sign us up! That’s what we all said back in 2016 when “Chaos Walking” started gaining momentum. It subsequently developed a reputation as one of modern cinema’s most troubled productions, however. Lionsgate reportedly found the film’s original cut “unreleasable.” Due to pitiful test screenings, it was announced in April 2018 that the film was to undergo reshoots, which apparently didn’t commence for another year. While the reshoots might be worth the wait, the YA craze has fizzled out since this film was announced and its two stars are getting a tad old to pass as teens. Is chaos literally walking towards a theater near you?