THE BUZZ: Adult critics have already given Moana high marks for broadening the range of Disney’s princess tales. Will kids feel similarly? Seems more than likely, and we sense that boys will be hooked into this adventure for myriad reasons as well.
Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.
THE BUZZ: If Bad Santa 2 follows a certain trend — we’re referring to the course set by Zoolander 2 and other underwhelmers this year — we’d be amazed if any studio ever lets more than a couple years pass between sequels.
A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.
THE BUZZ: After watching the incredibly moving trailer for Lion, I was amazed to find out that not only was this based on a true story about how a young Indian boy found his way home, but he did so using Google Earth. To me it speaks both to the power of never giving up hope and power of technology when it is used for good. – Michelle
In 1942, an intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.
THE BUZZ: Allied definitely has one of the biggest question marks hovering over its box office chances this season. Between the public perception of on-set canoodling between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard (which seems untrue to us) to the fact that director Robert Zemeckis is coming off mega flop The Walk, there’s a hazy uncertainty cast over what might otherwise be a prestige picture with worldwide appeal.
THE BUZZ: Wait, what?! A movie about an eccentric multimillionaire with a peculiar and particular world view that causes those around him to pause and go, “Hmm”? Welcome to Warren Beatty’s latest directorial project, where he also plays famed entrepreneur and eccentric Howard Hughes. Of particular interest to Star Wars fans is Alden Ehrenreich, who plays a driver in a forbidden romance, in a role that may or may not foreshadow his work as everyone’s favorite smuggler in the much anticipated Han Solo film. – Bret
A feature-length documentary about the life and films of legendary actor Toshiro Mifune, weaving together film clips, archival stills, and interviews with such luminaries as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Narrated by Keanu Reeves.
THE BUZZ: Clearly Akira Kurosawa’s right hand man who famously turned down Hollywood opportunities (characters he could have played include Obi-Wan Kanobi, Darth Vader, and Mr. Miyagi) deserves a documentary. Here, filmmaker Steven Okazaki, who has been nominated for four Oscars and won once (all in the short-subject documentary category), chronicles not only Mifune’s unexpected path to movie stardom and his collaborations with Kurosawa, but the evolution of samurai film as a genre.
The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to win the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash, which left him not knowing if he’d ever walk again, made one of sports most incredible comebacks.
A heart-pounding thriller about a widowed child psychologist who lives in an isolated existence in rural New England. Caught in a deadly winter storm, she must find a way to rescue a young boy before he disappears forever.
Opening This Week – November 25
November 23, 2016Share this:
Opening This Week – November 25
Moana (2016)
Directors:
Ron Clements | Don Hall | John Musker | Chris Williams
Stars:
Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison
THE BUZZ: Adult critics have already given Moana high marks for broadening the range of Disney’s princess tales. Will kids feel similarly? Seems more than likely, and we sense that boys will be hooked into this adventure for myriad reasons as well.
Bad Santa 2 (2016) – [Opens 11/23]
Director:
Mark Waters
Stars:
Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox, Christina Hendricks
THE BUZZ: If Bad Santa 2 follows a certain trend — we’re referring to the course set by Zoolander 2 and other underwhelmers this year — we’d be amazed if any studio ever lets more than a couple years pass between sequels.
Lion (2016)
Director:
Garth Davis
Stars:
Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel, David Wenham
THE BUZZ: After watching the incredibly moving trailer for Lion, I was amazed to find out that not only was this based on a true story about how a young Indian boy found his way home, but he did so using Google Earth. To me it speaks both to the power of never giving up hope and power of technology when it is used for good. – Michelle
Allied (2016) – [Opens 11/23]
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Stars:
Brad Pitt, Vincent Ebrahim, Xavier De Guillebon, Marion Cotillard
THE BUZZ: Allied definitely has one of the biggest question marks hovering over its box office chances this season. Between the public perception of on-set canoodling between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard (which seems untrue to us) to the fact that director Robert Zemeckis is coming off mega flop The Walk, there’s a hazy uncertainty cast over what might otherwise be a prestige picture with worldwide appeal.
Rules Don’t Apply (2016) – [Opens 11/23]
Director:
Warren Beatty
Stars:
Lily Collins, Haley Bennett, Taissa Farmiga, Steve Tom
THE BUZZ: Wait, what?! A movie about an eccentric multimillionaire with a peculiar and particular world view that causes those around him to pause and go, “Hmm”? Welcome to Warren Beatty’s latest directorial project, where he also plays famed entrepreneur and eccentric Howard Hughes. Of particular interest to Star Wars fans is Alden Ehrenreich, who plays a driver in a forbidden romance, in a role that may or may not foreshadow his work as everyone’s favorite smuggler in the much anticipated Han Solo film. – Bret
Mifune: The Last Samurai (2015)
– Documentary
Director:
Steven Okazaki
Stars:
Wataru Akashi, Kyôko Kagawa, Takeshi Katô, Hisao Kurosawa
THE BUZZ: Clearly Akira Kurosawa’s right hand man who famously turned down Hollywood opportunities (characters he could have played include Obi-Wan Kanobi, Darth Vader, and Mr. Miyagi) deserves a documentary. Here, filmmaker Steven Okazaki, who has been nominated for four Oscars and won once (all in the short-subject documentary category), chronicles not only Mifune’s unexpected path to movie stardom and his collaborations with Kurosawa, but the evolution of samurai film as a genre.
In Theaters Now – Box Office Top Ten
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Director:
David Yates
Stars:
Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler
Box Office:
Weekend: $74.40M, Gross: $81.16M
Doctor Strange (2016)
Director:
Scott Derrickson
Stars:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong
Box Office:
Weekend: $85.06M, Gross: $183.59M
Trolls (2016)
Directors:
Walt Dohrn | Mike Mitchell
Stars:
Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Box Office:
Weekend: $46.58M, Gross: $118.17M
Arrival (2016)
Director:
Denis Villeneuve
Stars:
Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg
Box Office:
Weekend: $24.00M, Gross: $45.06M
Almost Christmas (2016)
Director:
David E. Talbert
Stars:
Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, Danny Glover, Mo’Nique
Box Office:
Weekend: $15.56M, Gross: $26.32M
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Director:
Mel Gibson
Stars:
Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer
Box Office:
Weekend: $15.19M, Gross: $43.56M
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Director:
Kelly Fremon Craig
Stars:
Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Kyra Sedgwick
Box Office:
Weekend: $4.75M, Gross: $5.30M
Bleed for This (2016)
Director:
Ben Younger
Stars:
Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal, Ciarán Hinds
Box Office:
Weekend: $2.37M, Gross: $2.62M
The Accountant (2016)
Director:
Gavin O’Connor
Stars:
Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal
Box Office:
Weekend: $24.71M, Gross: $81.55M
Shut In (2016)
Director:
Farren Blackburn
Stars:
Naomi Watts, Charlie Heaton, Jacob Tremblay, Oliver Platt
Box Office:
Weekend: $3.70M, Gross: $6.25M
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