December 12th
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (DRAMA/ACTION)
Rated PG-13 for violence including battle sequences and intense images.
The second biblical epic of 2014 (I'm sorry, but SON OF GOD just does not count) comes from a filmmaker with experience in swords-and-sandals epics, Sir Ridley Scott, the director of GLADIATOR. He's kind of hit-and-miss, with some big hits and big misses (he's also responsible for 1492: CONQUEST OF PARADISE), so this is a wild card. Based on the Book of Exodus from the Bible, it's based on the story of Moses (played by Christian Bale), a Hebrew raised as a prince in Ancient Egypt during a time of enslavement for Hebrews, who came to liberate his people as a prophet from the Pharaoh. Although the specific Pharaoh is not named in scripture, this interpretation goes with the most popular choice, Ramesses II, aka Ramesses the Great (believed to have ruled from 1279 BCE to 1213 BCE), played by Joel Edgerton, and like previous adaptations, appears to emphasize the brotherly relationship between Moses and Ramesses, and how that factors into them as enemies. Originally beginning production under the simpler, and frankly better, title EXODUS, the title absorbed the cooler title GODS AND KINGS as a subtitle after Steven Spielberg abandoned his long-gestating Moses project by that title, creating the combination EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, which makes it sound like a would-be franchise, which is stupid. As far as I know, there are no EXODUS franchise plans, because that would be stupid. Scott's interpretation appears to be war/action-oriented, perhaps borrowing from some historians' theories of Moses as a militaristic prophet, plus action opens its appeal wider to mass audiences. Nonetheless, expect complaints about "the Hollywood version". Scott also appears to be doing double duty by making both a Bible movie and a Holocaust movie, as the advertising reveals unmistakable visual references to the Holocaust, such as piles of bodies and hangings. I really, really hope Scott delivers on this film, because I love Bible movies when they're good, and the Moses story in particular is a favorite of mine. The only serious concern is the casting- the cast is a great line-up, but why did they cast so many roles, especially Pharaoh, with white actors? Sigourney Weaver does not look right in an Ancient Egyptian getup. She looks like she should be at a really expensive costume party.
December 17th
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (FANTASY/ACTION-ADVENTURE)
Not Yet Rated
Peter Jackson's trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit has been interesting at the very least, and this final chapter feels like obligatory viewing if you already care in the slightest, but these movies have been incredibly imperfect. The bright side is that they seem to be improving with each installment, with the first being arduous and tonally out of sorts, the second being darker and more flavorful, if no less bloated, and this climactic chapter now having the advantage of a shorter running time and a lot more action (you know, being a battle between five armies and all). Our expectations have been tempered, and at the very least, it's practically guaranteed to be exciting fare.
December 19th
ANNIE (MUSICAL/FAMILY)
Rated PG for some mild language and rude humor.
I'm actually very surprised that this remake of the musical Annie, based on the classic Little Orphan Annie comic strip, doesn't look terrible. In fact, it looks alright. It began life as a starring vehicle for Will Smith's daughter Willow Smith, which sounds bad, but eventually she dropped out and was replaced by Quvenzhane Wallis, who was delightful in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, plus added director Will Gluck, director two previous pleasant surprises, EASY A and FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. I'm not saying that this contemporary reiteration of Annie will be anything particularly special, but it looks kind of good.
December 19thNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB (FAMILY/FANTASY)
Directed by Shawn Levy; Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Skyler Gisondo, Steve Coogan, Rebel Wilson, Ricky Gervais
Rated PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language.
Five years since NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN, Ben Stiller returns as museum night guard Larry Daley, who traverses the globe to find what makes the magical Tablet of Ahkmenrah tick, when its power to bring the museum exhibits to life each night begins to wane. It's the last major film for both the late Robin Williams and the late Mickey Rooney, stuffed into a packed all-star lineup that also includes Owen Wilson, Ben Kingsley, Rebel Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke and CGI dinosaur skeletons, and I guess your entertainment from it will depend on your appreciation for the work of director Shawn Levy, who is usually adequate at best (the first NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, REAL STEEL) and unbearable at worst (THE INTERNSHIP, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2). BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN was a typical case of Levy proving utterly incapable of reigning in the chaos, and as a result, it was very dull, in spite of a bright Amy Adams performance, and while Adams is not returning for this round, the advertising proudly shows that the chaos is still plentiful, and with plenty of monkey pee. Frankly, it looks embarrassing.
December 25th
THE INTERVIEW (ACTION-COMEDY)
Rated R for pervasive language, crude and sexual humor, nudity, some drug use and bloody violence.
From Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, the writing-directing team behind one of the funniest comedies in recent years, THIS IS THE END, this movie has already gotten a good bit of free publicity thanks to North Korea's threat of a "decisive and merciless countermeasure" upon the film's release. On the one hand, a movie isn't the best excuse for a war, but on the other hand, it's not the first time that North Korea has made a stink about a movie lampooning their dictators (in 2004, North Korea made similar threats over TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE), and at least the movie looks amazing. Rogen stars alongside his THIS IS THE END co-star James Franco as celebrity journalists who get the interview of a lifetime with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un (played by Randall Park), and the CIA recruits them to assassinate their subject. There'll be celebrity cameos, abundant crudity and over-the-top violence for sure, and I can hardly wait.
December 25th
INTO THE WOODS (MUSICAL/FANTASY)
Rated PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material.
Adapted from Stephen Sondheim's Tony-winning Broadway musical, INTO THE WOODS is a fairy tale mash-up featuring famous characters like Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Prince Charming (Chris Pine), Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) and the Big Bad Wolf (Johnny Depp). At the center of it all are a poor Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), cursed childless by a witch (Meryl Streep), who embark on a quest to rid themselves of their curse. Other than it being a popular stage musical and a fairy tale mash-up, I know little about the source material (that's how I like it going into a movie), but it could be really good. My one big apprehension, and it is substantial, is director Rob Marshall, whose only really good film to date was his theatrical feature debut CHICAGO in 2002, and has since had a career comprised of misfires, his last being PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, the only truly bad film of that series (yes). I'm watching for the early responses, because this could all too easily go far to one way or another.
December 25th
UNBROKEN (WAR DRAMA)
Rated PG-13 for war violence including intense sequences of brutality, and for brief language.
Yet another biopic in an awards season dominated by them, Angelina Jolie's second narrative feature film as director tells the true story of Olympic track star Louis "Louie" Zamperini (played by Jack O'Connell) who joined the U.S. Air Force in World War II and survived for weeks adrift at sea after crashing down in the Pacific, before enduring two-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war to the Japanese. The script is written by the Coen brothers, although a script alone does not promise too much in the Coens' careers; on the other hand, it's prestigious material, with cinematography by the highly-acclaimed Roger Deakins, musical score by Alexandre Desplat, and a cast of promising up-and-comers. Even if you don't love it, I'm sure your parents will.
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