This week at the movies: something for everyone, but especially, Benedict Cumberbatch…
Horrible Bosses 2
Apparently, America demanded a sequel to the not-very-good comedy about bad bosses starring Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman and Charlie Day. Because we have a turkey of a sequel—this time, with Spacey’s character in prison and the threesome of Day, Bateman and Sudeikis embarking on a heist and a kidnapping involving Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz, and Jamie Foxx.
Perfect For: You like crude, rude humor and the fine set of comic actors assembled here. Grownups only.
What the Critics Say: Pretty darn bad (though the actors aren’t half bad). Writes the Los Angeles Times: “Make no mistake, despite some well-earned laughs, "Horrible Bosses 2" is not what qualifies as a good movie or even a particularly good R-rated comedy.”
Our Take: I didn’t even think the trailer was funny. That’s a bad sign!
Watch the Trailer:
Penguins of Madagascar
You’ve got something for the grownups, now something for the kids. The animated movie is from the same people who made Madagascar and features four goofy penguins as unlikely undercover agents. They are overseen by Agent Classified, a British wolf, perfectly voiced by swoon-worthy Benedict Cumberbatch. (You’ll also hear Ken Jeong, the zany comic actor most famous for the Hangover series).
Perfect For: Small children.
What the Critics Say: Mixed. It’s not a groundbreaking kid’s movie, but it works well enough. Writes the Toronto Star: “It may be a case of damning with faint praise to say that Penguins of Madagascar never really gets a chance to bore, since it never slows down.”
Our Take: It looks better than Horrible Bosses, we’ll say that.
Watch the Trailer:
The Imitation Game
Here’s something to be thankful for: MORE BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, this time, with his actual swoon-worthy face to go with this deep, swoon-worthy voice. He’s starring in a WW2 period drama with Keira Knightley (it must have been decreed in Hollywood that she must appear in period dramas) about Alan Turing, a British cryptologist who cracks Germany’s Enigma Code. Extra drama and intrigue swirls around the mad genius because he was (spoiler alert) gay. Other hot costars include Matthew Goode (Finn from the Good Wife, soooo swoon-worthy) and Allen Leech (better known as Tom Branson, the driver-turned-husband of Lady Sybil on Downton Abbey).
Perfect For: You love period dramas, Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley’s jaw, and true-life stories.
What the Critics Say: Mixed as a movie but high praise for Benedict. (Swoon). Writes Rolling Stone: “The film's prime force is Cumberbatch, a great actor whose talent shines here on its highest beams. It's an explosive, emotionally complex performance.”
Our Take: Definitely going. It might be imperfect, but Benedict…
Watch the Trailer:
