U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Partial Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville
It starts slowly but eventually develops into something that is in equal parts fascinating and disturbing.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Violence, Drugs)
Genre: Drama
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd, Bill Camp
The movie is all about the nonstop dialogue but, as a result of the way the words flow, they function as momentum builders.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-22
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Sexual Content, Brief Nudity)
Genre: Fantasy/Drama
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Rolf Lassgård, Udo Kier, Jason Sudeikis
The central character is as small figuratively as he is literally, and that limits the movie’s capacity to enthrall and engage.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-20
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Musical/Drama
Director: Michael Gracey
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Keala Settle, Sam Humphrey
A family film whose infectious, crowd-pleasing song-and-dance numbers justify a 105-minute running length when the pedestrian story can’t.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-20
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Cartoon Violence, Profanity, Mild Sexual Content)
Genre: Adventure/Comedy
Director: Jake Kasdan
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas, Bobby Cannavale, Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain, Mason Gussione
An improvement over the 1995 original, this quasi-sequel mixes adventure with humor, fun performances, and a canny understanding of late 1990s-style video games.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-22
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Western
Director: Scott Cooper
Cast: Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Q’orianka Kilcher, Adam Beach, Rory Cochrane, Ben Foster, Jonathan Majors, Jesse Plemons, Timothee Chalamet, Peter Mullan, Stephen Lang
A morality play that has much in common with the so-called “revisionist” Westerns of recent years.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-22
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Violence)
Genre: Drama
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys
"The Post" offers a stirring reminder of the importance of unsung heroes in protecting the American way of life.
U.S. Release Date: 1995-12-15
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Michael Mann
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Kevin Gage
Taking the focus off the Pacino/De Niro sequences and allowing the movie to stand on its own reveals a production of uncommon power and intensity.
U.S. Release Date: 1992-12-11
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Musical
Director: Brian Henson
Cast: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz
"The Muppet Christmas Carol" is a curiosity for those desperate to have a dash of Kermit to go along with their mug of Scrooge.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-12-15
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence)
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Mark Hamill, Benicio Del Toro, Kelly Marie Tran, Anthony Daniels, Billie Lourd, Laura Dern, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, Andy Serkis
Standout, signature scenes make for moments of great viewing power but can’t hide the flaws of an untidy, overlong story.