I didn't care much for either film, but if you had to see one new movie opening this weekend, I'd recommend Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World over Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
The former features Derek Luke in a supporting role; the latter has Anthony Mackie, also in a supporting role.
Neither is doing especially well with critics, although the numbers agree with my suggestion: Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World has a 52% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while Abraham Lincolm: Vampire Hunter is lower at 36%.
It's tough to muster up the will to write reviews for films you feel little to nothing for, so I won't; sue me 🙂
But as an aside… I will say that I'm left wondering what Anthony Mackie's career trajectory is at this point. Will he be forever relegated to these thankless roles in films that won't even acknowledge his presence in them (trailers and posters, leading up to each film's release, specifically), or will he someday break free of the restraints that are seemingly getting in the way of his coming out party, and become a Hollywood leading man?
Is he even leading man material, or is he perfectly suited for character and supporting roles, while occasionally starring in smaller indie films like Night Catches Us, where he has been able to flex his leading man muscle?
I recall having a conversation with a casting director some time ago in which the term "mass-fuckability" was used. Essentially, the point the casting director made was that, the one trait leading men and women in Hollywood have is their "mass-fuckability." I hope it's clear enough what that means.
And so the question was/is whether Anthony Mackie has that quality? The answer to that question will then answer the question of whether Mackie will ever become a Hollywood leading man like a Denzel Washington for example.
Although, I'm wondering just how much "mass-fuckability" actually influences these matters, because I think I'd say that Idris Elba probably has that quality, given how women of all colors become seemingly orgasmic just at the sound of his name, voice, or, God forbid, seeing him in person.
And yet, despite his "mass-fuckability," Idris is still relegated to supporting roles in Hollywood movies; aside from his work in Luther (a British mini-series) and *smaller* black films like Obsessed and the upcoming No Good Deed (although he plays a baddie in that one, it seems), as well as indies like Legacy, he has yet to be the STAR of his own Hollywood studio-backed project.
His upcoming work does nothing to change that fact; the Nelson Mandela film he starts shooting this summer, is backed primarily by an European company (Pathé). No Hollywood studio has anything to do with the project. It doesn't even have a Stateside distributor yet, but is already locked in for British and French audiences.
But of the two actors, Mackie or Elba, I'd say Elba is in a stronger position to be the heir apparent to the Denzel Washingtons of Hollywood lore (not that there are many of them to begin with).
Anyway, feel free to dish on any of this in the comments section, and if you've already seen early screenings of either film opening this weekend, you can share your thoughts on either of them in the comments section below as well.