New in Theaters January 17: Bad Boys for Life, Dolittle

By Chris Kavan - 01/15/20 at 08:31 PM CT

Star Wars was finally dethroned by the heart-pounding war film 1917. This weekend brings two new entries looking to make their mark, one is another dubious sequel that may or may not appeal to audiences, while the other is a similar gambit in a high-cost adaptation that could find it hard to stand out in the crowd despite it's all-star cast. Both films face serious competition in awards-season hopefuls and proven crowd-pleasers. We'll see if either one manages to make an impact with audiences.

DOLITTLE For his first post-MCU film, Robert Downey Jr. is taking a cue from his wife and making a movie he hopes the whole family can enjoy. That would be the tale of Dr. John Dolittle - a man who has the ability to speak with and understand animals. In this version, the good doctor has become quite the hermit, following the death of his wife, and can only be brought back when Queen Victoria falls ill and he realizes his unique talents may be all that can save her when the cure resides on a mysterious island full of beasts. Downey Jr. has plenty of other talent on hand with MCU co-star Tom Holland on board, along with a veritable AAA lineup including Antonio Banderas, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Jim Broadbent, Michael Sheen, Kumail Nanjiani, Ralph Fiennes, Craig Robinson, John Cena, Selena Gomez, Marion Cotillard, Frances de la Tour, Jessie Buckley and Harry Collett all either in human form or providing voices for the various animals in the film. Yet despite this pedigree, and a hefty pricetag reportedly in the $175 million range, Dolittle is facing a savage assault by critics (currently sitting at a woeful 12% on Rotten Tomatoes) and could very well be one of the biggest bombs of the new year. Currently tracking at about $25 million, that would be a painful opening for such a big-budget film. I admit, I have heard little to nothing in the way of buzz about this and I'm guessing unless families decide to show up, this is going to die a quick death.

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE While I don't know who requested another sequel to a solid, if unremarkable action franchise, but I guess the pairing of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence just couldn't be denied - so here we are for the third time around. This series is known for long sequels - as Bad Boys II came out in 2003 - eight years after the 1995 original - so what if they doubled that mark for the third one? Look, the reason the first two films were fun came down to Smith and Lawrence just being a good duo, both in comedy and action and if this entry can re-capture that magic, well, then it has done its job. They also managed to get Joe Pantoliano back as Captain Howard - with Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Nuñez, Charles Melton and even DJ Khaled along for this ride. Our veteran duo are not heading up an elite task force, which is good, because a dangerous drug cartel, the ruthless Armando Armas, are making Miami a living hell. Don't worry, I'm sure our upstanding officers will save the day - in between mid-life crisis and various one-liners. Critics are much warmer on this one - and, if audiences are in the mood for action, this looks to deliver. I think these bad boys have a better shot at making an impact than the good doctor.

The weekend is going to come down to whether 1917 can continue to pick up steam or if it has already run its course and a new champion will be crowned. I'll be back on Sunday with the full rundown.

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