Worthwhile (or not) 12/30/16

MetaCritic indicates Lion (68) is the top ranked (and only new) film this week. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 12/30/16

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.

Lion [PG-13] 2 hrs. Biographical Drama Watch Preview Cast: Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, Nicole Kidman.  Plot: adapted from the non-fiction book "A Long Way Home" about a five-year-old boy who gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of kilometers across India, away from home and family. Twenty five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home. Showing at: Warren East.

Leaving 12/29/16

Movie Machine - none
Palace West - none
Warren East 13th - Arrival
Warren West 21st - none
Warren Old Town - none

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) 12/21, 23/16

MetaCritic indicates Sing (60) is the top ranked film this week, followed by Passengers (41), Why Him? (37) and Assassin's Creed (36). I didn't see any of these this week due to a hectic schedule. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 12/21/16, 12/23, 12/25/16/16

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.

Wednesday 12/21/16

Assassin's Creed 2D/3D [PG-13] 1 hr. 56 min. Action film Watch Preview Cast: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Khalid Abdalla, Michael K. Williams. Plot: through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, a man  (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Passengers 2D/3D [PG-13] 1 hr. 33 min. Sci-Fi Adventure Watch Preview Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne. Plot: on a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Sing 2D/3D [PG-13] 1 hr. 48 min. Animated Comedy Watch Preview Voices: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane. Plot: a koala has one final chance to restore his theater to its former glory by producing the world's greatest singing competition. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren West.

Friday 12/23

Why Him? [R] 1 hr. 55 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch. Plot: an overprotective but loving dad (Cranston) and his family visit his daughter at Stanford, where he meets his biggest nightmare: her well-meaning but socially awkward Silicon Valley billionaire boyfriend (James Franco). Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Sunday 12/25

Fences [PG-13] 2 hrs. 19 min. Drama Watch Preview  Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Willimason, Saniyya Sidney. Plot: an African American father (Washington) struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

La La Land [PG-13] 2 hrs. 8 min. Musical Drama Watch Preview  Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt, Finn Wittrock, Callie Hernandez, Sonoya Mizuno, Jessica Rothe, Tom Everett Scott, Josh Pence. Plot: in this modern take on the Hollywood musical (Ryan Gosling) and (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and threaten to rip them apart. Showing at: Warren East.

Leaving 12/20/16, 12/22/16

Movie Machine - 12/20: Fantastic Beasts, Trolls
Palace West - 12/22: Rules Don't Apply, Denial, Secret Lives Of Pets, Sully
Warren East 13th - 12/20: Loving, The Accountant Miss Sloane, Incarnate, Dr. Strange, Allied, Nocturnal Animals; 12/22: Hacksaw Ridge
Warren West 21st - 12/20: Nocturnal Animals, Arrival, Dr. Strange, Trolls, Bad Santa 2, Allied, Miss Sloane
Warren Old Town - 12/20: 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. 

Worthwhile (or not) 12/16/16

MetaCritic indicates Manchester By The Sea (96) is the top ranked film this week, followed by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (66) and Collateral Beauty (23). I didn't see any of these this week  due to a visit by the flu bug. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 12/16/16

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.

Collateral Beauty [PG-13] 1 hr. 37 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Pena, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren. Plot: a successful New York advertising executive suffers a great tragedy and retreats from life, seeking answers from the universe by writing letters to Love, Time and Death. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Manchester By The Sea [R] 2 hrs. 15 min. Drama Watch Preview Cast: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol, C.J. Wilson. Plot: the life of a solitary Boston janitor is transformed when he returns to his hometown to take care of his teenage nephew. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2D/3D/IMAX 3D [PG-13] 2 hrs. 13 min.Sci-Fi Drama Watch Preview Cast: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, Valene Kane. Plot: a rogue band of resistance fighters unite to steal the Death Star plans and bring new hope to the galaxy. Showing at: Movie Machine, Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Leaving 12/15/16

Movie Machine - Rules Don't Apply, Dr. Strange
Palace West - Sausage Party, Deepwater Horizon, Pete's Dragon, Don't Breathe, Magnificent 7
Warren East 13th - Almost Christmas, Edge Of 17, Bad Santa 2
Warren West 21st - Believe, Almost Christmas, Edge Of 17, The Accountant, Incarnate, Miss Sloane, Fantastic Beasts IMAX
Warren Old Town - Allied, Bad Santa 2, Arrival, Dr. Strange

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. 

Office Christmas Party **½

Josh Gordon, Will Speck directed this Adult Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Vanessa Bayer, Jillian Bell, Jamie Chung, Rob Corddry, Abbey Lee, Kate McKinnon, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, Karan Soni, Courtney B. Vance, Matt Walsh. Rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, drug use and graphic nudity. Running time is one hour and forty-five minutes.

When the CEO (Aniston) tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he (Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client (Vance) and close a sale that will save their jobs.

This is a film aimed at those who find crude language funny. If that doesn't happen to fit your definition of humor, this is a mildly amusing film at best. I suspect younger patrons will find this much more enjoyable than will older ones. The cast is fine, with Bateman in the lead role and Aniston as his foul-mouthed superior. McKinnon is funny as usual although she's only in a supporting role. Production values, as well as pacing, are good and make the time pass fairly fast for what is an overly long film. There is an entire sequence involving a prostitute and her pimp that could easily have been left on the cutting room floor without hurting the film at all. Still, there are a few funny bits, with some of the better ones being in the outtakes during the credits. This isn't a film I'd urge you to see, but it does have its moments if you decide to do so.

There are outtakes during the first half of the credits. Screen size is unimportant. Theatres/Times.

Worthwhile (or not) 12/9/16

MetaCritic indicates Nocturnal Animals (67) is the top ranked film this week, followed by Miss Sloan (64) and Office Christmas Party (43). I saw one of these and wasn't overly impressed. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.

Opening 12/9/16

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.

Office Christmas Party [R] 1 hr. 45 min. Comedy Watch Preview Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Vanessa Bayer, Jillian Bell, Jamie Chung, Rob Corddry, Abbey Lee, Kate McKinnon, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, Karan Soni, Courtney B. Vance, Matt Walsh. Plot: when the CEO tries to close her hard-partying brother’s branch, he and his Chief Technical Officer must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs. Showing at: Warren East, Warren Old Town, Warren West.

Miss Sloane [R] 2 hrs. 12 min. Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alison Pill, Jake Lacy, Sam Waterston, John Lithgow. Plot: when political power-broker, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) takes on the most powerful opponent of her career, she finds that winning may come at too high a price. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Nocturnal Animals [R] 1 hr. 54 min. Thriller Watch Preview Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Karl Glusman, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Sheen. Plot: a divorced couple discovers dark truths about each other and themselves. Showing at: Warren East, Warren West.

Leaving 12/8/16

Movie Machine - nothing
Palace West - Finding Dory
Warren East 13th - Moonlight, Rules Don't Apply, Moana 3D
Warren West 21st - Rules Don't Apply, Moana 3D
Warren Old Town - Hacksaw Ridge, Almost Christmas

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) 12/2/16

MetaCritic indicates Moonlight (99) is the top ranking and only ranked film this week. Believe (NR) and Incarnate (NR) have yet to receive enough reviews to earn a rating, although they may have one later if you want to check then. None of these appealed to me so I took a pass this week.. For national reviews take the link to the MetaCritic website for each film by clicking on the titles above.