Opening 3/1

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

21 And Over [R] 1 hr. 33 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Miles Teller, Justin Chon, Skylar Astin, Sarah Wright, François Chau, Jonathan Keltz, Daniel Booko, Dustin Ybarra. Plot: college student Jeff Chang's two best friends surprise him with a visit for his 21st birthday even though his critical medical school interview is early the next morning. What was supposed to be one beer becomes one night of chaos, over indulgence and utter debauchery. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Jack The Giant Slayer 3D/IMAX 3D [PG-13] 1 hr. 55 min. Action film Watch Preview Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy, Ewan McGregor. Plot: an ancient war is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

The Last Exorcism Part II [PG-13] 1 hr. 50 min. Horror film Watch Preview Cast: Ashley Bell. Plot: continuing where the first film left off, Nell (Ashley Bell) is found terrified and alone in rural Louisiana, unable to remember entire portions of the previous months Just as she begins the difficult process of starting a new life, the evil force that once possessed her is back. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren West.

Phantom [R] 1 hr. 37 min. Action/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Ed Harris, David Duchovny, William Fichtner, Lance Henriksen, Johnathon Schaech. Plot: the captain (Ed Harris) of a Cold War Soviet missile submarine, suffering from seizures that alter his perception of reality, is rushed into a classified mission where he is challenged by a rogue KGB group (led by David Duchovny) bent on seizing control of the ship's nuclear missile. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving 2/28

Derby Plaza - Warm Bodies, Beautiful Creatures, A Good Day To Die Hard
Movie Machine - Good Day To Die Hard, Warm Bodies, Beautiful Creatures
Palace West - Skyfall, The Last Stand, This Is 40
Starlite Drive-In - Closed for season
Warren East 13th - Django Unchained
Warren Old Town - Warm Bodies, Beautiful Creatures
Warren West 21st - Les Misrables

Worthwhile (or not)

MetaCritic indicates Snitch (53) is the best picture this week, followed by Dark Skies (46). Due to the inclement weather I didn't watch either of them this week. Both, however, received better reviews than expected so you may want to put them on your list. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 2/22

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Dark Skies [PG-13] 1 hr. 35 min. Sci-Fi Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Keri Russell, Josh Hamilton, Dakota Goyo, Kadan Rockett, J.K. Simmons. Plot: a husband and wife (Russell and Hamilton) witness an escalating series of disturbing events involving their family and take matters in their own hands to solve the mystery of what is after them. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Warren East, Warren West.

Snitch [PG-13] 1 hr. 52 min. Action/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sarandon, Benjamin Bratt, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Michael Kenneth Williams, Nadine Velazquez, Melina Kanakaredes, Lela Loren, Harold Perrineau, Rafi Gavron. Plot:  a father's (Johnson)  teenage son is wrongly accused of a drug crime. Desperate to rescue his son at all costs, he makes a deal with the U.S. Attorney (Sarandon) to work as an undercover informant and infiltrate a drug cartel. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 2/21

Derby Plaza - Side Effects
Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - Here Comes The Boom, Hotel Transylvania
Starlite Drive-In - Closed for season
Warren East 13th - Parker, The Impossible
Warren Old Town - Side Effects
Warren West 21st - Top Gun 3D, Life Of Pi, Beast Of The Southern Wild, Argo, Hobbit, Django Unchained

Safe Haven **½

Lasse Hallström directed this Romance/Thriller. Watch Preview. Cast: Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons, Cobie Smulders. Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving threatening behavior, and for violence and sexuality. Runnng time is one hour and fifty-five minutes.

A mysterious young woman (Hough) starts a relationship with a widowed store owner (Duhamel) with two young children, all the while attempting to avoid discovery by a Boston detective (Lyons).

This is clearly aimed at couples looking for an appropriate Valentine's Day movie, and in that regard it does just fine. Duhamel and Hough are good in the lead roles and appear to have some on screen chemistry which is always helpful in a romance film. Lyons (he's in TV's Revolution) is very convincing as the bad guy. Hough seems to be getting better as an actress with each successive movie but she's still got a way to go. At least she doesn't sing, which is a good thing. Production values are good with the exception of the pacing. This would have been a much better film with about thirty minutes edited out. There's a little twist at the end of the film I didn't see coming but it added a nice romantic touch.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will let you appreciate the scenery. Theatres/Times.

Beautiful Creatures ***

Richard LaGravenese wrote and directed this Supernatural Drama. Watch Preview Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson. Rated PG-13 for violence, scary images and some sexual material. Run time is two hours and four minutes.

A supernatural love story about two star-crossed lovers:(Ehrenreich and Englert) who uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town.

Since I'm not familiar with the two leads I was unsure what to expect with this film. What a pleasant surprise. They're just fine in their roles but what's really impressive is the supporting cast which is quite unusual in a film of the genre. Thompson and Irons have great fun chewing up the scenery and Davis is good as usual. Rossum is almost unrecognizable if you're used to seeing her on Shameless but she does very well with what little screen time she has. This is clearly aimed at younger girls/women and the rating makes it acceptable for all. The film could have used some editing to get the run time down but even with the two hour length I found it surprisingly entertaining.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. There are some interesting special effects that will make good use of a larger screen. Theatres/Times.

A Good Day To Die Hard **

John Moore directed this Action film. Watch Preview. Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Yulia Snigir, Cole Hauser, Amaury Nolasco, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Anne Vyalitsyna. Rated R for violence and language. Running time is one hour and thirty-seven minutes.

 McClane's (Willis) estranged son Jack (Courtney) is caught up in the daring prison escape of a rogue Russian leader, and father and son McClane must work together to keep each other alive and the world safe for democracy.

I remember really enjoying the first of this series twenty-five years ago but each successive sequel has gotten a little poorer in quality. This time the series has hit bottom in a film that's all action and virtually no plot. That's not to say action fans won't like it but those who prefers a plausible plot with their movie are going to be disappointed. There are some spectacular destruction scenes but for me that got tiring quickly and the best part of the film turned out to be the fact it was only an hour and a half long. I saw this in IMAX but even with that giant screen the action scenes were done in the 'up close' style that make it hard to understand all that's going on. Young men will probably love this but women and couples not so much.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. If this is your kind of film a large screen is probably better. Theatres/Times. IMAX Times.

Worthwhile (or not)

MetaCritic indicates Amour (94) is the best picture this week, followed by Beautiful Creatures (56), Safe Haven (36) and A Good Day To Die Hard (29). Escape From Planet Earth was evidently not screened for the national critics. I've seen two of these and thought one was strictly for the action crowd and the other surprisingly good. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 2/14-15

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Opens Thursday 2/14

Beautiful Creatures [PG-13] 2 hr. 4 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson. Plot: a supernatural love story about two star-crossed lovers:(Ehrenreich and Englert) who uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

A Good Day To Die Hard [R] 2D/IMAX 1 hr. 38 min. Action film Watch Preview Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Yulia Snigir, Cole Hauser, Amaury Nolasco, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Anne Vyalitsyna. Plot: McClane's estranged son Jack is caught up in the daring prison escape of a rogue Russian leader, and father and son McClane must work together to keep each other alive and the world safe for democracy. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Safe Haven [PG-13] 1 hr. 55 min. Romance/Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons, Cobie Smulders. Plot: a mysterious young woman starts a relationship with a widowed store owner with two young children. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Opens Friday 2/15

Amour [PG-13] 2 hrs. 7 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert. Plot: the wife (Riva) of a couple in their eighties has an attack, severely testing their bond. Academy Award nominated for Best Picture, Showing at: Warren East.

Escape From Planet Earth [PG] 2D/3D 1 hr. 29 min. Animated Comedy Watch Preview Voices Of: Jane Lynch, Craig Robinson, George Lopez, Sofia Vergara, Steve Zahn, Chris Parnell, Jonath Morgan Heit, James Corden, Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, William Shatner. Plot: planet Baab's most admired astronaut finds himself caught in a trap when he responds to an SOS from an alien planet, Earth. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 2/13-14

Derby Plaza - 2/13: Mama, Bullet To The Head, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters; 2/14: Silver Linings Playbook
Movie Machine - 2/13: Hansel & Gretel, Parental Guidance; 2/14: Life Of Pi
Palace West - 2/13: Texas Chainsaw, Killing Them Softly, Cirque du Soleil
Starlite Drive-In - Closed for season
Warren East 13th - 2/13: Parental Guidance, Broken City, Jack Reacher, Movie 43, Bullett To The Head, Les Miserables, Gangster Squad, Stand Up Guys, Hansel & Gretel 3D.
Warren Old Town - 2/13: Bullet To The Head, Django Unchained, Zero Dark Thirty, Hansel & Gretel
Warren West 21st - 2/13: Bullet To The Head, Gangster Squad, Parental Guidance, Top Gun IMAX.

Side Effects ***½

Steven Soderbergh directed this Psychological Thriller. Watch Preview. Cast: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum. Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence and language. Running time is one hour and forty-six minutes.

A successful New York couple's (Mara, Tatum) world unravels when a new drug prescribed by the woman's psychiatrist (Jude Law) has unexpected side effects.

Over the year's I've watched so many films I usually know where the plot is going and a good share of the dialogue before the film is five minutes old. Not this time. This is an extremely well done film by a superb director (this is purportedly his last directorial effort) that heads off in a completely unexpected direction about half way through. It's a little slow at first  but once it gets into the meat of the story it's fascinating and you're not really sure until the end how it will resolve. The cast is very good and production values are top notch. While it has a R rating it's not a hard R and should be perfectly acceptable for most adults. Recommended.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Screen size is relatively unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Identity Thief **½

Seth Gordon directed this Comedy. Watch Preview. Cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, Tip "T.I." Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Robert Patrick, Eric Stonestreet. Rated R for sexual content and language. Running time is one hour and fifty-two minutes.

A regular guy (Bateman) is forced to extreme measures to clear his name after his identity is stolen by a woman (McCarthy) with expensive tastes and his credit cards. She also has a skip tracer (Patrick) and a couple of mob hit people (Rodriguez and Harris) after her.

This starts out a little too slowly for my tastes but starts to pick up a bit once McCarthy comes onto the scene. Then it slows down until about half way through when Patrick, Harris and Rodriguez join the plot. Peet is virtually wasted. McCarthy steals this picture with an impressive gamut of  dramatic, physical and comedic personalities and activities. Bateman is good but so bland he makes little impact. Production values are fine but the pacing could have been improved with some judicious editing. This would not make a good first date movie but couples should find it sporadically amusing. It's really a two star film but I'm adding a half star for McCarthy's virtuoso performance.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Watching with a larger audience will make this funnier. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not)

MetaCritic indicates Side Effects (74) is the best picture this week, followed by Identity Thief (43). I've seen both of these and thought one was sporadically entertaining and the other very good. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.

Opening 2/8

For Wichita show times select a theatre at the end of each synopsis. For most other cities, select any theatre below a synopsis or review and enter other town/state below "Change Location", press enter. Next times, just press change. Friday times appear Wednesdays.

Identity Thief [R] 1 hr. 51 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, Tip "T.I." Harris, Genesis Rodriguez, Morris Chestnut, John Cho, Robert Patrick, Eric Stonestreet. Plot: a regular guy (Bateman) is forced to extreme measures to clear his name after his identity is stolen by a woman (McCarthy) with expensive tastes and his credit card. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Side Effects [R] 1 hr. 46 min.  Psychological Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum. Plot: a successful New York couple's (Mara, Tatum) world unravels when a new drug prescribed by the woman's psychiatrist (Jude Law) has unexpected side effects. Showing at: Derby Plaza, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Top Gun [PG] IMAX 3D 1 hr. 50 min. Action film Watch Preview Cast: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside. Plot: the 1986 classic is re-released in IMAX 3D for a one week engagement. Showing at: Warren West.

Leaving 2/7

Derby Plaza - 
Movie Machine - Wreck-It Ralph
Palace West - Playing For Keeps, Frankenweenie, Flight, Pitch Perfect
Starlite Drive-In - Closed for season
Warren East 13th - A Haunted House
Warren Old Town - Django Unchained, Broken City
Warren West 21st - Movie 43, Hansel And Gretel IMAX 3D, Broken City, A Haunted House

Stand Up Guys ***

Fisher Stevens directed this Crime comedy. Watch Preview. Cast: Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, Alan Arkin, Julianna Margulies, Vanessa Ferlito, Mark Margolis. Rated R for language, sexual content, violence and brief drug use. Running time is one hour and thirty-five minutes.

A tough but touching film as three retired gangsters (Pacino, Walken, Arkin) reunite for one epic last night before one of them is to be murdered to settle an old grudge.

It would be really hard to make a bad movie featuring the three leads in this film. All are as good as you'd expect and the plot lets them display their talents nicely. The story unfolds slowly but the pacing is good and the time passes quickly. The supporting cast and production values are excellent. While this is a film about former gangsters there's a lot of emotion as well as action. This would be a good movie for older couples.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen is unnecessary. Theatre/Times.

Warm Bodies ***

Jonathan Levine directed this Horror/Romance. Watch Preview. Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, John Malkovich, Analeigh Tipton, Dave Franco, Cory Hardrict. Rated PG-13 for zombie violence and some language. Running time is one hour and thirty-seven minutes.

After a zombie epidemic, a highly unusual zombie (Hoult) encounters a human survivor (Palmer), and rescues her from a zombie attack. Instead of killing her he protects her and a romantic attachment begins as he starts becoming more and more human.

I suppose after romances between humans, vampires and werewolves, a zombie/human romance had to be next. Surprisingly, this actually works; even more so than the vampire dramas we've been sitting through lately. Hoult as the zombie and Palmer as the human are just fine as is the supporting cast. Malkovich is basically wasted in his role but what there is of it, he does well. The pacing is fine,  the run time is about perfect and the occasional touches of humor round out a very enjoyable film. There's nothing too offensive so this is a perfectly acceptable date movie.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Screen size is relatively unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Bullet To The Head **½

Walter Hill  directed this Action film. Watch Preview Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah Shahi, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Christian Slater, Jon Seda, Weronika Rosati, Jason Momoa. Rated R for strong violence, bloody images, language, some nudity and brief drug use. Running time is one hour and thirty-one minutes.

A New Orleans hitman (Stallone) and a DC cop (Kang) form an alliance to bring down the killers of their respective partners and the kidnapper (Momoa) of the hitman's daughter (Shahi).

You pretty much know what you're going to get in a Stallone film, but this one is a little above average with a good plot, pacing and just the right run time. Stallone and Kang do well as uneasy partners and Shahi adds a splash of beauty as well as a little more skin than she's shown in her TV series'. Momoa is appropriately menacing as the ex-military hitman. There's plenty of action and a fair amount of violence which the intended crowd should appreciate.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A larger screen will provide more perspective during the action sequences. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not)

MetaCritic indicates Warm Bodies (66) is the best picture this week, followed by Quartet (65), Bullet To The Head (51) and Stand Up Guys (39). I've seen three of these and thought all were entertaining and closer together in entertainment value than the MetaCritic scores indicate. Check out the MetaCritic website for additional comments on each film.

Check out Monday's Opening section below to see the previews and synopses.