Films for 4th of July Weekend

by Sandra Olmsted

In addition to The BFG opening in time for the summer holiday, several other films opened recently or will open this weekend. Along with adventure and excitement, a few also offer more esoteric topics and revisit or rewrite history.

                                       OPENED FRIDAY, JUNE 24

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE (Fox) is the much-anticipated sequel to the 1996 hit. The aliens return with a vengeance in this installment. Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, and Bill Pullman return but Will Smith does not. Director Roland Emmerich’s next installment in the franchise promises to take full advantage of the new digital effects available to make battles between human and aliens bigger and more exciting. Rated PG – 13 for sequences of sci-fi action and destruction, and for some language. 120 minutes.

FREE STATE OF JONES (STX) tells the story of Newt Knight (Matthew McConaughey), a southern farmer who lead a revolt against the Confederacy. His army of local farmers and slaves launch an uprising against and secede from the Confederacy. Knight remained active into Reconstruction, and his story is compelling, but director Gary Ross’ ambitious film is more character study and history rather than excitement even though many scenes are gory. Rated R for brutal battle scenes and disturbing graphic images. 139 minutes.

THE SHALLOWS (Sony) makes those stuck anywhere away from a beach feel much better. A mere 200 yards from a secluded beach’s shore, Nancy (Blake Lively), a surfer, is attacked by a shark and trapped on an outcropping of rock by more hungry sharks. Her survival becomes a test of wills, requiring all of Nancy’s ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude. Rated PG – 13 for bloody images, intense sequences of peril, and brief strong language. 86 minutes.

OPENING FRIDAY, JULY 1

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (Universal) is Director James DeMonaco’s sequel to the ultra-violent film of a dystopian future. During the last purge, Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) stopped himself from an act of revenge. Now he’s the head of security for Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), who vows to end Purge Night. When they are forced into the streets, can he protect her? Rated R for disturbing bloody violence and strong language. 105 minutes.

   SWISS ARMY MAN (A24) is a darkly comic film and occasionally juvenile. Hank (Paul Dano) is stranded on a deserted island, having given up all hope of ever making it home again. Then a corpse named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) washes up on shore, and the two become fast friends and ultimately go on an epic adventure that may bring Hank back home. Rated R for language and sexual material. 95 minutes.

THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (Warner Bros) is director David Yates version of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s tales. Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård), having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment run by the evil Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz). He is accompanied by his wife, Jane (Margot Robbie) and George Washington Williams (Samuel L. Jackson). Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, some sensuality and brief rude dialogue. 109 minutes.

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