1. Kingsman: The Secret Service (February 13) - I kind of hate that there have been early screenings of Kingsman going on for so long (months, now), because it's only increased my anticipation to see it. Some of my friends have already double-dipped, and I've heard nothing but praise for the comic book adaptation, which was originally pegged for an October release. Colin Firth stars as the experienced secret agent who takes on a young protege (Taron Egerton), training him in the varied arts of espionage. Matthew Vaughn, who has directed such wonderful entries in the genre as Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, is reason enough to have supreme faith in this movie, and the trailers and posters have been sleek, fun, and exciting. Hopefully Kingsman lives up to the hype, and finds the audience it deserves as it counters Fifty Shades of Grey on Valentine's Day weekend.
2. What We Do in the Shadows (February 13) - There are few things I love more than horror-comedies. Both genres, separately, operate largely on the element of surprise, and when the two become one, the opportunity for surprise becomes even greater (that's why Shaun of the Dead and Drag Me to Hell are such wonderful, rewatchable treasures). Sure, we've been drowning in vampire movies ever since Twilight exploded, including some parodies, but What We Do in the Shadows sounds like it's the vampire movie we need, and maybe even deserve after sitting through so much blood-sucking shit. From the hilarious minds of Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement, What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary about vampiric roommates living in - where else - Wellington, New Zealand. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up as one of the year's funniest movies.
3. Jupiter Ascending (February 6) - It can be tough to defend any anticipation for Jupiter Ascending. It looks pretty dumb, and the story sounds pretty dumb, and Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum look pretty dumb in it. It was originally scheduled for release last summer, but Warner Bros. yanked it and plopped it here, where it would presumably have less competition. (Funnily enough, it's fighting Seventh Son, a similarly vague-looking demi-blockbuster, for IMAX screens this weekend.) But I have faith in the Siblings Wachowski, whose vision is always grand, even if their execution is often spotty. Cloud Atlas stands as one of the most ambitious movies in recent memory, with the good far outweighing the bad, so I'm willing to go into Jupiter Ascending with an open mind, and hope that it delivers a similar mixture of awe, action, and beauty.
4. '71 (February 27) - When I attended AFI Fest in November, I drew up a detailed schedule, figuring out ahead of time what movies I would see each day. I never followed it, not once, because movies start late, lines are long, buzz is strong, and word of mouth causes detours. The movie I was most bummed to miss was '71, the well-received film about a British soldier trying to survive after separating from his unit in the riot-torn streets of Belfast in 1971. Jack O'Connell is on the verge of breaking through, and from the sounds of it, this is a far superior vehicle for him than Unbroken, where he just got to suffer a lot (he did that well). '71 looks like a tense, solid war thriller, which sounds good right about now.
5. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (February 6) - It has been many years since I watched SpongeBob SquarePants. I didn't actually realize it was still a thing; I figured it had ended years ago, becoming a relic of my tweenage years. But no. SpongeBob is alive and well, and this bizarre hybrid of animation and live-action looks like a riot. The first movie based around the character was a hilarious romp that also took a turn into the real world (briefly, though). This time around, SpongeBob and his friends must spend more time above the sea, where they become superheroes and eat ice cream and cause general havoc. With Paddington remaining the best movie of the year so far, maybe 2015 is going to become the year where kids' movies are the most worthwhile.
Other Notable Releases: Love, Rosie (February 6), Seventh Son (February 6), Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine (February 6), The Last Five Years (February 13), Fifty Shades of Grey (February 13), Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem (February 13), The Rewriter (February 13), Queen and Country (February 18), The DUFF (February 20), Wild Tales (February 20), McFarland USA (February 20), My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn (February 27), Focus (February 27)
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