Opening 1/2/15

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.

Woman In Black 2: Angel Of Death [PG-13] 1 hr. 38 min. Horror Watch Preview Cast: Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine, Phoebe Fox. Plot: when a group of orphaned children are forced to move from their home in London, caretakers (Phoebe Fox) and (Helen McCrory) bring everyone to the desolate and eerie British countryside and it isn't long before they starts to sense this house is not what it seems. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 1/1/15

Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - The Best Of Me, Boxtrolls, John Wick
Starlite Drive-In - closed for the season
Warren East 13th - Top Five, Hobbit 3 HFR 3D
Warren West 21st - Top Five
Warren Old Town - Exodus: Gods And Kings

Into The Woods **½

Rob Marshall directed this Musical. Watch Preview. Cast: Tracey Ullman, Frances de la Tour, Johnny Depp, Lucy Punch, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Emily Blunt, Simon Russell Beale, Tammy Blanchard, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Christine Baranski. Rated PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material. Running time is two hours and four minutes.

A musical which follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.

You see the description of this film and you think, 'a great holiday film for the kiddies'. Well, think again. Remember, this is the composer of Sweeney Todd  before you haul the little dears to the cinema. I like musicals but this would never be one of my favorites. Only the title song will stick for more than a few minutes in your mind and I'll bet you can't remember any of its lyrics other than the opening three. Production values are good and the cast is great.  You rarely hear most of them sing so that is novel in itself, and the fact they all sing very well is surprising. But the story is not the 'happily ever after' you're expecting which makes me wonder why the studio decided to release it during the Christmas season. Musicals and Sondheim fans will find this a 'must see'. But families looking for happy, wholesome fare should think twice.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen would be preferable. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 12/25/14

MetaCritic indicates The Imitation Game (72) is the top ranking film this week, followed by Into The Woods (71), Big Eyes (62), Unbroken (59) and The Gambler (55). I saw one of these and thought it fine but with some reservations  For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

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

Opening 12/25/2014

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.

Big Eyes [PG-13] 1 hr. 46 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Danny Huston, Jason Schwartzman, Terence Stamp, Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter. Plot: based on the true story of Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), and his wife Margaret (Amy Adams), who was one of the most successful painters of the 1950s and early 1960s. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.
 
The Gambler [R] 1 hr. 52 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: John Goodman, Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, Brie Larson, Michael Kenneth Williams. Plot: an English professor and  high-stakes gambler (Mark Wahlberg) bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

The Imitation Game [PG-13] 1 hr. 54 min. Biographical Drama Watch Preview Cast: Keira Knightley, Allen Leech, Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Matthew Goode, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew Beard, Rory Kinnear. Plot: based  on the life of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), the genius British mathematician, logician, cryptologist and computer scientist who led the charge to crack the German Enigma Code that helped the Allies win WWII. Showing at: Warren East.

Into The Woods [PG] 2 hrs. 5 min. Musical Watch Preview Cast: Tracey Ullman, Frances de la Tour, Johnny Depp, Lucy Punch, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Emily Blunt, Simon Russell Beale, Tammy Blanchard, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Christine Baranski. Plot: a musical which follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Unbroken [PG-13] 2 hrs. 17 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Garrett Hedlund, Jack O'Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Finn Wittrock, Miyavi. Plot: follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis "Louie" Zamperini (Jack O'Connell) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West. 

Leaving 12/24/14

Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - The Judge, Book Of Life
Starlite Drive-In - closed for the season
Warren East 13th - PK
Warren West 21st - Theory Of Everything, Dumb And Dumber To, St.Vincent, The Hobbit 3D
Warren Old Town - Horrible Bosses 2, The Hobbit 3D, Mockingjay Pt 1, Exodus 3D

Annie **½

Will Gluck co-wrote and directed this Comedy/Musical. Watch Preview. Cast: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Zayas, Quvenzhané Wallis. Rated PG for some mild language and rude humor. Running time is one hour and fifty-eight minutes.

A new, contemporary vision about a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014.

What you think about this film will depend on whether you're considering it on its own or comparing it to the 1982 version. If you're comparing it to the Albert Finney, Carol Burnett version, this one isn't even close. The 1982 film had a slew of memorable songs and first rate acting. This version has new songs you'll never remember and actors, while good, who are out of place. Foxx is fine as the male lead and Wallis is cute and effective as Annie. But Diaz is too strident to be really effective and Byrne. a fine actress, is simply miscast in this role. If you want to consider this film as a family oriented social commentary with a few nondescript songs and a little laughter thrown in, then it has its moments and is mildly enjoyable. Kids should enjoy it. My wife watched this with me and enjoyed it more than I did (she would probably give it a higher rating).

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

Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb **½

Shawn Levy directed  this Comedy/Adventure. Watch Preview. Cast: Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley, Steve Coogan, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Rebel Wilson, Dan Stevens. Rated PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language. Running time is one hour and thirty-seven minutes.

Another adventure-filled Night At the Museum, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.

This (and possibly Annie) is the family film for the Christmas season. The kids will get much more excited about this than will their parents. It's really the same story once again with a few new characters plus a visit to London, but if you've seen either of the first two you've already seen the plot. I find it hard to believe Dan Stevens left Downton Abby to be Sir Lancelot in this but at least it does give us a last look at Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams, and it was nice to see Dick Van Dyke again, if only briefly. The cast and CGI effects are fine and it's a real pleasure to see a film less than two hours long.

There are some additional scenes once the final credits begin but nothing you really need to see. A large screen will enhance the impact of the special effects. Theatres/Times.

The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies **½

Peter Jackson directed this Fantasy Adventure. Watch Preview. Cast: Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Martin Freeman, Stephen Fry, Jed Brophy, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, Billy Connolly, James Nesbitt, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Graham McTavish, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Richard Armitage. Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images. Running time is two hours and twenty-four minutes.

The third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkien.

This isn't a film I'm going to remember for long. It's very well made, has spectacular computer graphics and a very competent and talented cast. What it lacks is a story. That's to be expected since Jackson has turned a relatively small novel into three epic sized films; you've already seem most of the plot in the earlier releases. It's been long enough since the last one that I found myself struggling to remember just who the characters were. That turned out to be not much of a problem since the only thing you need to know is this is a bunch who really likes to fight. And fight they do, for two and a half hours. Tolkien fans and those who really, really like screen violence should find this a film to see. The rest will find this forgettable as soon as you leave the theatre. I saw this in 3D IMAX and found the screen quality excellent, as usual.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. If you're going to see this it should definitely be on a large screen. 2D Theatres/Times. 3D Theatres/Times. HFR 3D Times. 3D IMAX Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 12/19/14

MetaCritic indicates Wild (75) is the top ranking film this week, followed by The Hobbit: Battle Of Five Armies (59), Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb (45) and Annie (31). I saw three of these and found them all just so-so.  For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

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

Opening 12/17, 19/14

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.

Wednesday 12/17/14

The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies [PG-13] 2D/3D/IMAX 3D 2 hrs. 24 min. Fantasy Adventure Watch Preview Cast: Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Martin Freeman, Stephen Fry, Jed Brophy, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, Billy Connolly, James Nesbitt, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Graham McTavish, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Richard Armitage. Plot: the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece by J.R.R. Tolkien. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Friday 12/19/14

Annie [PG]  1 hr. 59 min. Comedy/Musical Watch Preview Cast: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Zayas, Quvenzhané Wallis. Plot: a new, contemporary vision about a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren West.

Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb [PG] 1 hr. 40 min. Comedy/Adventure Watch Preview Cast: Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley, Steve Coogan, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Rebel Wilson, Dan Stevens. Plot: another adventure-filled Night At the Museum, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

PK [NR] 2hrs. 33 min. Fantasy/Drama Cast: Aamir Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Anushka Sharma. Plot: an Indian comedy about a stranger in a city, who asks questions no one has asked before. Showing at: Warren East.

Wild [R] 1 hr. 55 min. Biographical Drama Watch Preview Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffmann. Plot: a woman (Witherspoon) undertakes a 1,100-mile solo hike as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe. Showing at: Warren East.

Leaving 12/18/14

Movie Machine - Hunger Games, Big Hero 6, Dumb & Dumber To
Palace West - Nightcrawler, TMNT, Annabelle, Ouija
Starlite Drive-In - closed for the season
Warren East 13th - Beyond The Lights, Whiplash, St. Vincent, Fury, Gone Girl, Theory Of Everything, Dumb & Dumber To
Warren Old Town - Theory Of Everything, Dumb & Dumber To, Interstellar
Warren West 21st - John Wick, Gone Girl, Fury

SOME OF THESE MAY LEAVE ON 12/16. CHECK SCHEDULE BEFORE YOU GO!

The Homesman ***½

Tommy Lee Jones co-wrote, directed and stars in this Western Drama. Watch Preview. Cast: Hilary Swank, Tommy Lee Jones, Meryl Streep, Miranda Otto, James Spader, Hailee Steinfeld, Grace Gummer, Sonja Richter. Rated R for violence, sexual content, some disturbing behavior and nudity. Running time is two hours and two minutes.

A pious woman (Hilary Swank) and a low-life drifter (Tommy Lee Jones) transport three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) driven mad by harsh pioneer life to a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) who have offered to take the women in.

Over the years I've seen so many films I can usually tell you exactly how it's going to end and even some of the dialogue after watching for just a few minutes. That's no doubt why you almost never see me getting very excited about a movie. Well, here's one I'm excited about. For one thing it's a Western, and you don't see many of those these days. And, it's a realistic, gritty Western; one that gives you some idea of just how hard it must have been to live in that era. Feature a first rate cast, one where even the bit players are recognizably good and where the lead performer, Swank, is a two time Academy Award winner. Now give that cast a plot (based on the novel of the same name) that's unique enough you're never sure where it's going and with a couple of plot twists that catch you totally by surprise. What you get is a picture you can't stop thinking about long after you've seen it and with images I don't know I'll ever  forget, they're that powerful. Unfortunately, this will be here and gone before you know it, as a picture like this will have a hard time competing with the powerhouses being released at this time. Still, I have to try: if you want to see a unique, well made film, go see this one. It's easily the best I've seen in several weeks.

There are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. A large screen will emphasize the plains vista. Theatre/Times.

Top Five *½

Chris Rock wrote, directed and stars in this Comedy. Watch Preview. Cast: Rosario Dawson, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Sherri Shepherd, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, JB Smoove, Jay Pharoah, Anders Holm, Michael Che. Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, crude humor, language throughout and some drug use. Running time is one hour and forty-two minutes.

The story of New York City comedian-turned-film star (Chris Rock), whose unexpected encounter with a journalist (Rosario Dawson) forces him to confront the comedy career--and the past--that he’s left behind.

I notice this film had a high MetaCritic rating which means a lot of reviewers liked it. I didn't care for it at all and that tells me I'm probably the wrong age and ethnicity to appreciate this film. I couldn't understand half of the dialogue and what I did understand I rarely found amusing. I didn't find anything to be laugh-out-loud funny. Dawson is the most appealing actor in the film but there's no way she can carry the whole thing. The film is basically a conversation between Dawson and Rock, and all of the other famous names you see in the credits have almost no screen time. If you enjoy ethnic and very crude humor/language you may find this enjoyable. If that doesn't describe what you like I'd give this one a miss.

There's one brief, meaningless sequence after the credits begin. Screen size is unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Exodus: Gods And Kings **

Ridley Scott directed this Action/Adventure film. Watch Preview. Cast: John Turturro, Christian Bale, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul. Rated PG-13 for violence including battle sequences and intense images. Running time is two hours and thirty minutes.

The story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.

Frankly, I thought this film would be more impressive than I found it to be. It has a first class director in Scott and they supposedly spent $140 million making it. The special effects are impressive and the cast is adequate if not outstanding. But I left the theatre feeling I'd just wasted two and a half hours on a film that contains nothing really memorable. DeMille's The Ten Commandments was more dramatic and impressive even if it lacked the special effects Exodus has. Those interested in Biblical drama will no doubt want to see this but if you're looking for top notch entertainment, you should give this a pass. I saw the 2D version although I saw some special effects that could be very effective in 3D.

There  are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. You'll want to watch this on a large screen for maximum visual effect. 2D Theatres/Times. 3D Theatres/Times. 

Worthwhile (or not) 12/12/14

MetaCritic indicates Top Five (83) is the top ranking film this week, followed by The Homesman (68) and Exodus: Gods And Kings (52). I saw all of these and personally found The Homesman best, followed distantly by Exodus with Top Five way, way behind.  For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

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

Opening 12/12/14

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.

Exodus: Gods And Kings [PG-13] 2D/3D 2 hrs. 30 min. Action/Adventure Watch Preview Cast: John Turturro, Christian Bale, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul. Plot: the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

The Homesman [R] 2 hrs.Western Drama Watch Preview Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Meryl Streep, Miranda Otto, Hilary Swank, James Spader, Hailee Steinfeld, Grace Gummer, Sonja Richter. Plot: a pious woman (Hilary Swank) and a low-life drifter (Tommy Lee Jones) transport three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) driven mad by harsh pioneer life to a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) who have offered to take the women in. Showing at: Warren East.

Top Five [R] 1 hr. 42 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Rosario Dawson, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Whoopi Goldberg, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer, Sherri Shepherd, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, JB Smoove, Jay Pharoah, Anders Holm, Michael Che. Plot: the story of New York City comedian-turned-film star Andre Allen, whose unexpected encounter with a journalist (Rosario Dawson) forces him to confront the comedy career--and the past--that he’s left behind. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving 12/11/14

Movie Machine - Horrible Bosses 2
Palace West - nothing
Starlite Drive-In - closed for the season
Warren East 13th - Saving Christmas
Warren Old Town - nothing
Warren West 21st - nothing

Worthwhile (or not) 12/5/14

No Metacritic ratings this week since there were no new pictures opening. There are at least two new films scheduled for next week so I'll be updating as usual on Monday.

Opening 12/5/14

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.

This is unusual, nothing new is opening this week.

Leaving 12/4/14

Movie Machine - Interstellar
Palace West - nothing
Starlite Drive-In - closed for the season
Warren East 13th - Penguins Of Madagascar 3D, John Wick
Warren Old Town - nothing
Warren West 21st - Penguins Of Madagascar 3D, Beyond The Lights