U.S. Release Date: 2015-12-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Nudity)
Genre: Western/Adventure
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Demian Bichir, Channing Tatum, Walton Goggins
A high-wire thriller, full of masterfully executed twists, captivating dialogue, and a wildly entertaining narrative that gallops along at a pace to make three hours evaporate in an instant.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-12-23
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Nudity)
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Brad Pitt, Melissa Leo, Marisa Tomei, Jeremy Strong
Using gallows humor, likable protagonists, and a variety of nonstandard filmmaking techniques, director Adam McKay maintains a high level of energy for more than two hours.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-12-04
MPAA Rating: "R" (Nudity, Sexual Content, Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Paolo Sorrentino
Cast: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda
Slow and dreamy but never boring - the acting is too good and the images too beguiling for that.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-12-18
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence)
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: J.J. Abrams
Cast: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Peter Mayhew, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Andy Serkis
A solid space opera spectacle with enough nostalgia to overpower even the most hard-hearted child of the ‘70s and ‘80s but it relies a little too much on recycling old plot elements.
U.S. Release Date: 1983-05-25
MPAA Rating: "PG" (Violence)
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: Richard Marquand
Cast: Mark Hamill, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, Frank Oz (voice), Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDiarmid, Billy Dee Williams, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones (voice)
A case can be made that "Return of the Jedi" is the worst installment of the entire Lucas-helmed "Star Wars" series.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-12-11
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Disturbing Themes)
Genre: Adventure
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Michelle Fairley, Frank Dillane
As a way to bridge the gap between the Thanksgiving releases and the Biggest Movie Event of 2015, it’s a solid option.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-11-20
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Tom Hooper
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Matthias Schoenaerts, Amber Heard, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch
The performances, Alicia Vikander’s in particular, are where "The Danish Girl" shines.
U.S. Release Date: 1980-05-21
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Mark Hamill, David Prowse, Alec Guinness, Frank Oz (voice), Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones (voice)
"The Empire Strikes Back" is a true classic. It has scope and grandeur. It has heroics and tragedy. It can make us laugh and cry. It can make us get up and cheer. It can shock us to the very core of our beings.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-11-20
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy, Cory Michael Smith
"Carol" is an immersive experience that invites the viewer to slow down and amble along at its leisurely pace.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-11-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Brian Helgeland
Cast: Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, David Thewlis, Christopher Eccleston, Chazz Palminteri
With "Legend", the elements are present but they are clumsily assembled and the outcome underwhelms.