This week at the movies: the final installment of The Hobbit trilogy; the final third in the Night at the Museum series; and a remake of Annie.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The last third of The Hobbit trilogy is finally here. This section deals with the battle of the five armies (as the subtitle suggests), including men, orcs, elves, dwarves, and wargs. The gang is all here, including Gandalf, Bilbo and Thorin.
Perfect For: Fans of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit; we’re guessing you probably also like Game of Thrones.
What the Critics Say: This looks like it might have the worst ratings of all the movies. The problem stems from trying to squeeze every last bit of blood from a stone and stretching what should have been one movie into three. Writes Rolling Stone: “Talk about beating a dead orc. In dutifully completing his prequel trilogy to his Lord of the Rings triumph, Peter Jackson has sadly saved the worst for last. The Battle of the Five Armies is 20 percent inspiration, 80 percent desperation.” The New York Times: “Bilbo may fully learn a sense of friendship and duty, and have quite a story to tell, but somewhere along the way, Mr. Jackson loses much of the magic.”
Our Take: Only for the die-hard fan.
Watch the Trailer:
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
The first installment of this kitschy series was surprisingly good. The premise of all three flicks is that at night, thanks to some mysterious magic, all the different statues, paintings, dinosaurs, taxidermy and displays come alive. Sir Lancelot meet the caveman; Teddy Roosevelt say hello to Attila the Hun. They are overseen by a security guard, played by Ben Stiller, who tries to keep order. This segment finds Stiller in London at the British Museum; the magic is dissipating and he’s trying to figure out why. Enter new characters (and stars to play them) as well as familiar faces. Featuring: Dan Stevens as hunky Sir Lancelot, Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan (cowboy and centurion), Rebel Wilson is a sassy security guard, and Robin Williams appears for the last time on film as Teddy Roosevelt.
Perfect For: The kids, but I think a few adults won’t mind it either.
What the Critics Say: Shockingly enjoyable, if not Oscar caliber. Writes the Village Voice: “Critics aren’t supposed to like the Night at the Museum movies. We’re supposed to see them out of duty and then write stuff like, ‘It’s OK for the kiddies, if you must.’ I admit to turning a blind eye to their tendency to get excessively noisy or manic. I just...like...them.” Variety: “An altogether satisfying end to a series that has been vastly more entertaining than it had any reason to be.”
Our Take: Admittedly, I would totally see this. And so should you!
Watch the Trailer:
Annie
The 80s original starring Aileen Quinn is updated for the modern era with Quvenzhané Wallis (the charming child actress from Beasts of the Southern Wild), and Jamie Foxx as the Daddy Warbucks figure. Here, he’s a politician, callously using Annie as a prop to score points with his electorate, letting her hang out with him in his palatial apartment. But then, just when he falls for her, her real parents might have been found. Also starring Rose Byrne and Cameron Diaz (as Miss Hannigan.)
Perfect For: You want to indulge in some nostalgia, and you have a tween.
What the Critics Say: Not a very good update. Writes Entertainment Weekly: “Aside from an unintentional homage to Zoolander that is so tone-deaf it'll make you guffaw, Annie goes out of its way to make viewing it a hard-knock life...for us.” And says the Newark Star-Ledger: “Think you've got a hard-knock life? Try sitting through the new ‘Annie.’”
Our Take: Good for the kids, but not exactly an amazing movie. Night at the Museum would be better.
Watch the Trailer:
Mr. Turner
A period drama directed by director Mike Leigh about esteemed, controversial British painter J.M.W. Turner, whose paintings of ships and sea scenes were both celebrated and derided. Somewhat eccentric, he was often misunderstood for his time. Starring Timothy Spall as the tortured artist.
Perfect For: You like period films, biopics, and movies about art.
What the Critics Say: Excellent. Writes the New Yorker: “’Mr. Turner’ is a harsh, strange, but stirring movie, no more a conventional artist's bio-pic than Robert Altman's wonderful, little-seen film about van Gogh and his brother, ‘Vincent and Theo.’” Writes the Village Voice: “This is less your standard-issue biopic than a foray into the mystery of human feeling.”
Our Take: It looks moving. Yes, see it.
Watch the Trailer:
