Another month has begun, and that means another month full of new entertainment options for subscribers to the Disney Plus service. The fifty-million-strong subscriber platform already has enough content to last you the rest of your lifetime, but such is the vast nature of the Disney back catalog that there are still a few gems that are yet to be released for the service. There’s also brand new exclusive content to look forward to as well – although May 2020 doesn’t look set to be the greatest month for that.
Disney has quite wisely taken the decision to stagger the release of its creations on its streaming service for two reasons. The first is that new content means new subscriptions. The second is that freshening up it’s offering periodically means that existing subscribers are more likely to stick around. This is a strategy that the company presumably borrowed from online slots websites, where the addition of new best online slots UK every week is what makes one online site preferable to another from a player’s point of view. The whole concept of making so many products available in one place on the internet started with online slots sites, and given that the industry makes so much money, it’s not surprising to see one or two of its other tricks being picked up and applied elsewhere, too.
As this is May, and May 4th is now known around the world as ‘Star Wars’ day, it’s no surprise to see the most recent (and final) installment in the nine-movie-long ‘Skywalker Saga’ dominating the release schedule in the UK, but there are a couple more eye-catching releases to pay attention to as well.
Rise of Skywalker
If you grew up watching ‘Star Wars’ and you’ve never seen the ninth installment in the original story yet, the release of ‘Rise of Skywalker’ is probably worth taking out a subscription on its own, even if you choose to cancel it after your first month. The tale that started with Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker finally comes to an end in this film, which follows young Jedi Rey in her quest to end the First Order once and for all. As this is the last piece in the puzzle, expect lots of kisses to the past, some improbable cameos, and even what some would say is a completely implausible villain. This film didn’t please everybody, but nor did its predecessor ‘The Last Jedi.’ If you thought ‘The Last Jedi’ deviated too far from the path of what makes for a good ‘Star Wars’ movie, you’d probably love the return to tradition that comes with this movie. On the other hand, if you were one of the many who praised ‘The Last Jedi’ for its bold new vision, you’re likely to be left disappointed by this. Still, you can’t please everybody!
Night At The Museum
Hands up if you didn’t know that this was a Disney property? The company has bought up so many other entertainment companies in the last few years that even things that weren’t made by Disney now get to carry the Disney label, and ‘Night at the Museum’ is one of them. It was originally made by 20th Century Fox in 2006, and what was Fox’s is now Disney’s. Whether or not you enjoy this film, which was a surprise hit at the box office, will probably depend on your opinion of Ben Stiller’s work. If you usually find Stiller funny and charming, there’s no reason why you won’t hold the same opinion of him here. He plays Larry Daley, a stuck-in-a-rut middle-aged father whose life is turned upside down when he takes a job as a night watchman at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and finds that the exhibits aren’t quite as dormant and you’d expect them to be. The movie is also notable for a memorable cameo appearance by the late Robin Williams.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
If you’re not already familiar with the Percy Jackson movie series, you’re missing out. Fortunately, you can now start finding out all about it on Disney Plus, as the first of the films has been made available to subscribers. You might enjoy this film more if you haven’t read the original books that it’s based on. The plot apparently deviates significantly from the source material, but if you’re unaware of that, the movie takes you on a wild fantasy ride involving Greek Gods, the Empire State Building, and lightning bolts. Logan Lerman is outstanding in the lead role, and he’s backed up by an all-star cast that includes Steve Coogan, former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, and Sean Bean. The film wasn’t a huge hit at the box office, and so it’s a little surprising that a sequel was made, but this was followed up in 2013 with ‘Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters,’ and there are still whispers that a third movie may appear.
While those are the highlights, the May schedule is notable for the absence of a brand-new movie that we were rumored to be getting, and that’s Scarlett Johansson’s standalone Marvel movie debut in ‘Black Widow.’ The movie has missed its scheduled April world premiere for obvious reasons, and there persistent rumors that it would be released directly to streaming platforms instead. We now know that isn’t going to be the case, and we’ll be seeing Black Widow much later this year instead. We don’t know where the rumors came from, but we suppose we should have realized that there was no way Disney was ever going to forego a big-time premier for a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. If you thought the tale of Black Widow came to an end with the final ‘Avengers’ film,’ you were very wrong indeed. Disney is going to carry on making these films for as long as people carry on paying to come and see them in big numbers, and we suspect that will continue to be the case for several years yet.
Don’t forget that the ‘Mandalorian’ season finale will air this month as well, so if you’re a ‘Star Wars’ fan that’s two reasons to celebrate!