The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

This week in Cairo Cinemas seems a little weak. You can consider that ‘pun’ intended. Three movies are coming our way, and aside from the anticipated sequel to Maze Runner, we don’t really see much to be excited about. 

 

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

What’s it about? It’s a sci-fi action dystopian film based on the novels by James Dashner. The first Maze Runner movie was actually the first movie Wes Ball directed. The Death Cure is the third installment in the Maze Runner franchise. A disease called the “Flare” spreads and it’s up to the young hero , Thomas, to find a cure for that deadly disease.

The Good: The two previous movies were well-received and were a success in the Box Office. This third installment has had the time to develop, and with the cast and director consistent, we can expect the film series to finish off with a bang. This movie explores the Last City, where the headquarters of WCKD is located. In an attempt to find a cure to the “Flare” disease, Thomas and his fellow Gladers embark on their most dangerous mission yet.

The Bad: Being the third installment of the series, which is usually the cursed and the worst, this sequel has the longest running time, and early reviews claim that it feels even longer. There’s not a lot of new ideas that this movie explores, and it feels sort of repetitive.

 

Padmaavat

What’s it about? Padmaavat is an Indian movie set in medieval Rajasthan. The film follows the story of Padmavati, the Queen who’s married to a noble king. Their life was all happily-ever-after in their prosperous fortress, until an ambitious Sultan hears of Padmavati’s beauty. This entices obsessive love within him for the Queen of Mewar, stirring up all sorts of problems.

The Good: The Director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is known for artistic frames, and he did not disappoint this time. Along with the cinematographer, Sudeep Chatterjee, they are able to portray the scenes in wonderful style, taking us along the story in a captivating manner.

The Bad: The plot line may seem a bit outdated, with obsessive love from a powerful Sultan creating problems for all those involved. Moreover, while the scenes may have been memorable, the effects in the action scenes were very forgettable. All this may make the movie feel boring, especially with its stretched running time.

 

Kickboxer: Retaliation

What’s it about? The movie is a sequel to Kickboxer: Vengeance, and it is set one year after its events. Kurt Sloan finds himself sedated and imprisoned in Thailand, after having vowed to never go back there again. Sloan is forced into a fight to the death with a beast named Mongkut, with the reward being money, and his freedom.

The Good:This movie knows what it is, and doesn’t try to be more than that. Its job is to be entertaining, and it does that job very well. The movie is laden with fun fight scenes that are amplified by stars who are very capable when it comes to performing stunts. Moreover, the director’s choice for long takes makes the scenes first rate. Adding more to the fun is the inclusion of Mike Tyson, and the cameo of fan-favorite football player, Ronaldinho.

The Bad: Well, the plot is known to be weak, and the cast doesn’t really have the best of acting talents. Watching the movie may be a bit entertaining, but for a lot of people, action sequences are not everything.

 

To find out where and when you can catch these films, check out the Cairo 360 Cinema Guide.