Opening 12/2/16

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.

Believe [PG] 2 hrs.Drama Watch Preview Cast: Ryan O'Quinn, Shawnee Smith, Danielle Nicolet. Plot: a small-town business owner tries to save the local Christmas pageant against all odds. Showing at: Warren West.

Incarnate [PG-13] 1 hr. 27 min. Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Aaron Eckhart, David Mazouz, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Carice van Houten, Mark Henry. Plot: an exorcist (Eckhart) comes up against an evil from his past when he uses his supernatural skills to enter the subconscious of a nine-year-old boy. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Moonlight [R] 1 hr. 50 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Naomie Harris, Andre Holland, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, Alex R. Hibbert, Jaden Piner, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Jharrel Jerome. Plot: the story of a young man's struggle told across three chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.  Showing at: Warren East.

Leaving 12/1/16

Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - Kubo And The Two Strings, Middle School
Warren East 13th - Bleed For This, Shut In, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Warren West 21st - Bleed For This, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk
Warren Old Town - nothing

More people are back to work, but not getting the hours they want, nor the wages they need to get back what they lost in the recession. 

Worthwhile (or not) 11/25/16

MetaCritic indicates Moana (81) is the top ranking film this week, followed by Loving (79), Allied (60), Rules Don't Apply (59) and Bad Santa 2 (40). Holiday newspaper deadlines and early screenings didn't allow me to view any of these. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 11/23/16

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.

Allied [PG-13] 2 hrs War Drama Watch Preview Cast: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Lizzy Caplan, Matthew Goode. Plot: the story of an intelligence officer (Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters a French Resistance fighter (Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Bad Santa 2 [R] 1 hr. 27 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Christina Hendricks, Jenny Zigrino, Ryan Hansen, Jeff Skowron. Plot: Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Loving [PG-13] 2 hrs. 3 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Michael Shannon. Plot: celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple who married and then spent the next nine years fighting for the right to live as a family in their hometown. Showing at: Warren East.

Moana [PG] 2D/3D 1 hr. 43 min. Animated Comedy Watch Preview Voices: Dwayne Johnson, Auli’i Cravalho, Jemaine Clement, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Alan Tudyk. Plot: Disney animated film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren West.

Rules Don't Apply [PG-13] 2 hrs. 6 min.Biographical Drama Watch Preview Cast: Warren Beatty, Lily Collins, Alden Ehrenreich, Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, Haley Bennett, Candice Bergen, Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Steve Coogan, Taissa Farmiga, Ed Harris, Megan Hilty, Oliver Platt, Martin Sheen. Plot: an aspiring young actress (Lily Collins) and her ambitious young driver (Alden Ehrenreich) struggle hopefully with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire (Warren Beatty), who they work for. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving 11/22/16

Movie Machine - Jack Reacher
Palace West - Kevin Hart, Hell Or High Water
Warren East 13th - Deepwater Horizon, Jack Reacher, Inferno, Fantastic Beasts 3D
Warren West 21st - Shut In, Boo!, Jack Reacher, Fantastic Beasts 3D
Warren Old Town - Fantastic Beasts

More people are back to work, but not getting the hours they want, nor the wages they need to get back what they lost in the recession. 

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them ***

David Yates directed this Fantasy/Adventure. Watch Preview. Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, Jenn Murray, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Colin Farrell, Zoe Kravitz. Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action violence. Running time is two hours and thirteen minutes.

An all-new adventure returning us to the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling. Only this time the action takes place in New York City, seventy years prior to the Hogwarts stories.

This is a fantastic looking film, loaded with the type of action Rowling creates. Production values are first class and the cast is deep and excellent. But, as much as I like Redmayne as an actor, he doesn't have the impact in this story that Daniel Radcliffe had in the Potter series. In fact, none of the characters in this film will have the same impact as the leads in those films. There will supposedly be three to five films in this series, but I'm having a hard time believing these characters can maintain the momentum to achieve that. My real problem with the film is that it's too long for the story element. I was ready for it to be over long before it was. If you blink you'll miss an appearance by Johnny Depp. I can only assume he's here to set up a larger role in one of the subsequent films. I saw this in the IMAX 2D version but a 3D version might prove to be more spectacular. While it may be a bit frightening at times for the youngest ones, a younger crowd will appreciate this more than senior patrons.

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

Worthwhile (or not) 11/18/16

MetaCritic indicates The Edge Of Seventeen (76) is the top ranking film this week, followed by Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (65), Bleed For This (62) and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (53). I saw one of these and thought it was entertaining. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 11/18/16

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.

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk [R] 1 hr. 52 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin. Plot: based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel about a 19-year-old private (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. Showing at:  Warren East, Warren West.

Bleed For This [R] 1 hr. 56 min. Biographical Drama Watch Preview Cast: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, Ted Levine, Ciaran Hinds, Jordan Gelber, Amanda Clayton. Plot: a renowned trainer (Aaron Eckhart) agrees to help a fighter (Miles Teller)  return to the ring just a year after a near-fatal accident for what could be the last fight of his life. Showing at:  Warren East, Warren West.

The Edge Of Seventeen [R] 1 hr. 39 min.Comedy/Drama Watch Preview Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Hayden Szeto. Plot: an honest, candid, often hilarious look at what it's like to grow up as a young woman in today's modern world. Showing at:  Warren East, Warren West.

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them [PG-13] 2 hrs. 12 min. Fantasy/Adventure Watch Preview Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, Jenn Murray, Faith Wood-Blagrove, Colin Farrell, Zoe Kravitz. Plot:  an all-new adventure returning us to the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling.  Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 11/17/16

Movie Machine - Inferno
Palace West - Snowden, When The Bough Breaks
Warren East 13th - Boo!, Ouija, Keeping Up With The Joneses, Magnificent Seven, Dr. Strange 3D
Warren West 21st - Inferno, Ouija, Girl On The Train, Keeping Up With The Joneses, Dr. Strange IMAX 3D, 3D
Warren Old Town - Boo!

More people are back to work, but not getting the hours they want, nor the wages they need to get back what they lost in the recession. 

Arrival ****

Denis Villeneuve directed this Sci-Fi/Action film. Watch Preview. Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language. Running time is one hour and fifty-six minutes.

When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team - lead by an expert linguist (Amy Adams) and a physicist (Jeremy Renner) - are brought together to investigate the American site.

Yes. this is a Sci-Fi film complete with spaceships and aliens you see and hear. But they really aren't the final focus of this film. What the focus actually is will take to the end of the film for you to discover. And, after you do it will take some thinking on your part to finally realize what's happened. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the best  films I've seen this year. I like Sci-Fi and I like films that make me think, rather than just putting me on a path I can clearly see...where I'm just along for the ride. I had no idea  how this would end, but after some thought, all was clear and the resolution was satisfying. The cast is first rate and the CG are not overdone. I rather doubt this will be a big  picture but I think you'll find it mesmerizing if you decide to go.

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

Worthwhile (or not) 11/11/16

MetaCritic indicates Arrival (82) is the top ranking film this week, followed by Almost Christmas (52).Shut In (NR) has not yet received any reviews (not a good sign). I saw one of these and thought it was excellent. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 11/11/16

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.

Almost Christmas [PG-13] 1 hr. 52 min.Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, Danny Glover, Romany Malco, Nicole Ari Parker, J.B. Smoove, Gabrielle Union, Jessie T. Usher, DC Young Fly. Plot: a beloved patriarch asks his family for one gift this holiday season: to get along. If they can honor that wish and spend five days under the same roof without killing one another, it will be a Christmas miracle. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Arrival [PG-13] 1 hr. 56 min. Sci-Fi/Action Watch Preview Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg. Plot: when mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team - lead by an expert linguist (Amy Adams) - are brought together to investigate. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Shut In [PG-13] 1 hr. 31 min. Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Naomi Watts, Oliver Platt, Charlie Heaton, David Cubitt, Jacob Tremblay. Plot: when a young boy a widowed child psychologist (Watts) is treating goes missing, and is presumed dead, she becomes convinced his ghost is haunting her and her bedridden son. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving 11/10/16

Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - Blair Witch, Star Trek Beyond
Warren East 13th - The Girl On The Train, Storks, Sully, Trolls 3D
Warren West 21st - I'm Not Ashamed, Miss Peregrine's Home, Sully, Storks, Deepwater Horizon
Warren Old Town - Inferno, Jack  Reacher: Never Go Back

More people are back to work, but not getting the hours they want, nor the wages they need to get back what they lost in the recession. 

Dr. Strange **½

Scott Derrickson co-wrote and directed this Fantasy/Adventure. Watch Preview. Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton. Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence. Running time is one hour and fifty-five minutes.

After a tragic car accident, a talented neurosurgeon (Benedict Cumberbatch) must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions in an attempt to regain his surgical skills.

If you're into multi-dimensions and the astral plane you may find this a bit more interesting than did I. Strip out the special effects and you're left with a simplistic, bare-bones plot that seems more like a comic book than a major film (yes, I know it's based on a comic book, but still...). The special effects are fantastic but there are so many of them they start  to bore after awhile. The cast is good, considering what they have to work with. I became so uninvolved in the plot I actually drifted off for a bit in the middle. I saw this in IMAX 3D which was excellent as usual. Comic book and CGI fans may find this exciting, but the average viewer is going to have to work hard to stay involved.

There are two additional sequences after the credits begin, one at the very end. The larger the screen, the better. Theatres/Times. 

Worthwhile (or not) 11/4/16

MetaCritic indicates Dr. Strange (72) is the top ranking film this week, followed by Hacksaw Ridge (71) and Trolls (56). I saw one of these and wasn't as impressed as were the national reviewers. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.