New Movies February 12: Deadpool and Zoolander

Last week's new movies struggled to make a mark at the box office, but the new entries in the coming weekend's competition have some buzz about them that could make the weekend a little more interesting than the last. The new films all target young adult audiences, however, leaving Kung Fu Panda 3 as the only family show in town for another week.

The most-talked-about of the new wide releases is Deadpool, another installment in the pantheon of films devoted to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this one starring Ryan Reynolds as a mercenary antihero. Deadpool is darkly irreverent, and audiences have, in the past, taken to superhero movies with a bit of an edge, a la Guardians of the Galaxy. Deadpool is so dark and profane, though, that it carries an R rating, and it won't draw the family crowds that some other Marvel films have attracted. Reynold's ability to play an appealing superhero are also uncertain, given his unsuccessful turn as Green Lantern in 2011.

Also new this week is Zoolander 2, a sequel to the 2001 film about fashion models/secret agents played by Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. This one is getting terrible reviews ahead of its release, but fans of broad comedy are usually not too concerned with what the critics think.

The week's final new wide release is How To Be Single, a romantic comedy about a young woman, played by Dakota Johnson, on her own in the big city. The film also stars Rebel Wilson and Alison Brie and will be a female-centric alternative to the more fanboy-friendly Deadpool.