Rejoice, Malaysian Movie Goers! Malaysian Cinemas are going to Open soon. After a year of cinemas being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government finally decided to relax the standard operating procedures (SOPs) under Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (VAT) for the creative industries.
In conjunction with that, the two largest cinema operators in Malaysia, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and TGV Cinemas will open their operating premises soon! But what’s there to watch?
Films To Watch When Malaysian Cinemas Open
The following is a list of just some of the films that will premiere when Malaysian Cinemas Open in September to the end of the year. Granted we don’t have given release dates for each film but GSC has stated that they are aiming to release these films sometime over the remaining year.
Keep in mind, in order to go to cinemas when Malaysian cinemas open you must have two covid jabs and they will only be operating at 50%.
Also as the writer of this piece is not currently in Malaysia, I’ve actually seen a few of these films so I’ll give a quick comment about my thoughts.
A Quiet Place Part II
Genre: Horror
Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, John Krasinski
Synopsis: Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.
Thoughts: A Quiet Place Par II is a solid follow-up to the original movie. It’s a bit more action-focused but still maintains a lot of the horror of the original. Emily Blunt is still great in the role and Cillian Murphy does a great job as her co-lead. A good one for horror fans in need of a cinema fix.
Fast & Furious 9
Genre: Action
Starting: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron, John Cena
Synopsis: Dom Toretto is living the quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, but they know that danger always lurks just over the peaceful horizon. This time, that threat forces Dom to confront the sins of his past to save those he loves most. His crew soon comes together to stop a world-shattering plot by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered — Dom’s forsaken brother.
Our Thoughts: Cars, guns, and family. Being the 9th entry in this franchise I feel most people know whether they like this series. It’s a summer staple for many and this film doesn’t seem to be any different. It’s big, loud and fun which is probably what we need in cinemas right now.
Black Widow
Genre: Action / Adventure
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone, William Hurt, O.T. Fagbenle
Synopsis: Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy, and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Thoughts: Black Widow is a nice swansong to Scarlett Johanson’s time in the MCU. It shows more of her surprisingly dark backstory and she has a great dynamic with her supporting cast. It does suffer from the MCU problem of not really standing out from the other MCU films but it’s also harmless and fun. I’d give it a watch for one final run with Black Widow.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Genre: Adventure / Animation / Comedy
Starring: LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Khris Davis, Sonequa Martin-Green, Cedric Joe, Jeff Bergman, Eric Bauza, Zendaya
Synopsis: Superstar LeBron James and his young son, Dom, get trapped in digital space by a rogue AI. To get home safely, LeBron teams up with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the rest of the Looney Tunes gang for a high-stakes basketball game against the AI’s digitized champions of the court — a powered-up roster called the Goon Squad.
Thoughts: Gonna be brutally honest: this film is one giant advertisement for warner bros properties. Like the team travel to Harry Potter world, Game of Thrones World, DC world all basically just to show of the IPs. Even Rick and Morty make a cameo. That being said, it’s almost so bad it’s good. It’s just so shameless about being a corporate shill for its own brands that it becomes sort of fun.
Let me put it to you this way: if you wanna see a film where LeBron plays basketball with Bugs Bunny while Pennywise the clown cheers in the background, this is that movie. Also, Don Cheadle is having way too much fun as the bad guy.
Jungle Cruise
Genre: Adventure / Fantasy
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Andy Nyman
Synopsis: Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his ramshackle boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal — a discovery that will change the future of medicine.
Thoughts: Jungle Crusie continues Disney’s trend of making movies based on theme park attractions and this one is pretty fun. This is Disney’s take on Indiana Jones, it’s more child-friendly and less risky for an enjoyable family adventure film. The Rock and Emily Blunt really carry the movie with strong performances and great chemistry.
Black Pink: The Movie
Genre: Documentary / Concert
Starring: Kim Ji-soo, Jennie Kim, Roseanne Park, Lalisa Manoban
Synopsis: The girl group beloved by the world, ‘BLACKPINK’ celebrates the 5th anniversary of their debut with the release of BLACKPINK THE MOVIE, it is also a special gift for ‘BLINK’—BLACKPINK’s beloved fandom—to revisit old memories and enjoy the passionate performances in the festive spirit.
Thoughts: This one is for the K-Pop fans. To celebrate 5 years of Black Pink this documentary shows the group’s rise to the top. It promises some good insight into the band and some good tunes along the way. While Malaysian cinemas may soon be open, large concerts probably are not so this fill could help fill on your music fix if you’re into k-pop.
No Time To Die
Genre: Action / Adventure / Thriller
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Billy Magnussen
Synopsis: Recruited to rescue a kidnapped scientist, globe-trotting spy James Bond finds himself hot on the trail of a mysterious villain, who’s armed with dangerous new technology.
This will likely be Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 and he looks to end it with a bang. With Christoph Waltz returning to play Blofeld (the guy with the cat) and Rami Malek as the main villain, it looks like the spy action film fans have been waiting for.
The Suicide Squad
Genre: Action / Superhero
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, David Dastmalchian, Viola Davis
Synopsis: The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world — Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn, and others — to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.
Thoughts: The most refreshing superhero film in years. The Suicide Squad combines the zaniness of a superhero outing with the blood-soaked insanity of James Gunn’s older works. Comicbook flicks truly do become more suspenseful when you know that any of the characters can die at any time. It would be my persona pick to watch when Malaysian cinemas open.
We did a spoiler-free review of the movie so check that out if you want more information.
Free Guy
Genre: Action / Adventure / Comedy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Taika Waititi
Synopsis: When a bank teller discovers he’s actually a background player in an open-world video game, he decides to become the hero of his own story — one that he can rewrite himself. In a world where there are no limits, he’s determined to save the day his way before it’s too late, and maybe find a little romance with the coder who conceived him.
Thoughts: Ryan Renolds plays an NPC in a GTA-like game, the comedy sounds like it writes itself. I’ve got nothing else to say, if that sounds fun for you, the reviews have been positive so go for it.
Malignant
Genre: Horror
Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White
Synopsis: Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
Thoughts: The latest by Sarawakian-born director James Wan, who also directed Saw, Insidious, and Aquaman. Here he seems to return to his horror routes with a new psychological horror about women, her dreams, and the strange imaginary friend she met inside them. Sound a lot like Nightmare on Elm Street but a more grounded take on the concept.
Dune
Genre: Adventure / Drama / Science Fiction
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Zendaya
Synopsis: Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.
Thoughts: One of the flagship sci-fi novels is getting the movie adaptation is always deserved. Dune promises to be faithfully adapt to the first half of the book with a high-end budget and special effects. A must-watch for all sci-fi nerds.
Halloween Kills
Genre: Horror
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Kyle Richards
Synopsis: An injured Laurie Strode leads a vigilante mob to hunt down unstoppable killer Michael Myers and end his reign of terror once and for all.
Thoughts: Oh Michael, can’t you just stay out of trouble. Set literal minutes after the end of Halloween (2018), Jamie Lee Curtis’s Lorey Strode will do battle with Michael Myers for the third and maybe last time. The premier slasher series returns once again, this Halloween.
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Genre: Action / Fantasy / Kung-Fu / Superhero
Starring: Simu Liu, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng
Synopsis: Martial-arts master Shang-Chi confronts the past he thought he left behind when he’s drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
Thoughts: Shang Chi is Marvel’s take a Chinese Kung Fu film. It’s an admirable attempt at replicating the Wuxia style through a Hollywood lens and pays heavy homage to Chinese culture from the aesthetics, to mythology to just how the mannerisms of the characters. Shang himself is a likable protagonist and his battles with his father Tony Leung as The Mandarin are the highlight of the film.
Eternals
Genre: Action / Adventure / Fantasy / Superhero
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Ma Dong-Seok, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, Barry Keoghan
Synopsis: The Eternals, a race of immortal beings with superhuman powers who have secretly lived on Earth for thousands of years, reunite to battle the evil Deviants.
Thoughts: From the woman who won the Oscars this year for Nomadland comes a far more esoteric-looking Marvel movie than we’ve seen before. It is clear that the MCU is starting to experiment more with different genres and ideas as their latest films are going to involve The Eternals, god-like immortal beings that have been around since the dawn of time.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Genre: Action / Superhero
Starring: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Woody Harrelson
Synopsis: Tom Hardy returns to the big screen as the lethal protector Venom, one of MARVEL’s greatest and most complex characters. Directed by Andy Serkis, the film also stars Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, and Woody Harrelson, in the role of the villain Cletus Kasady/Carnage.
Thoughts: The first Venom movie has dumb fun and this looks to be even more dumb fun. Venom will be put up against the serial killer Carnage with his own symbiote to fight against. The film looks like it’ll be one big slugfest between the two and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Genre: Action / Adventure / Superhero
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon
Synopsis: Spider-Man: No Way Home is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Thoughts: Into the Spiderverse but on a whole new level. Spiderman is now crossing dimensions with Dr. Strange and meeting old villains from the previous movies. Doc Ock, Green Goblin, and Electro are confirmed to be returning. Makes you wonder who else could appear? Daredevil, Mysterio, maybe some previous Spidermen?
The Matrix: Resurrections
Genre: Action / Science Fiction
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Brian J. Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith
Synopsis: The Matrix Resurrections is an upcoming American science fiction action film produced, co-written, and directed by Lana Wachowski. It is the fourth installment in The Matrix film series
Thoughts: The past couple of Matrix movies were kind of meh but Matrix Ressurection promises a return to form for the series as we drive back into the Matrix, an idea arguably far more relevant nowadays than it was back then. And yes, Keanu Reeves will come back as Neo.
The King’s Man
Genre: Action
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, Charles Dance
Synopsis: One man must race against time to stop history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity.
Thoughts: James Bond is not enough for you, well the King’s Man ensures that there are more British spies on the way. With some big names actors like Ralph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans in starring roles, this promises to be quite the explosion-filled adventure.
Malaysian Cinemas Will Open Soon
Between all of those different titles and genres, there should be a movie for you to watch when Malaysian cinemas open by the end of September. Till then, stay safe and enjoy some good films.
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