U.S. Release Date: 2017-04-21
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Ben Wheatley
Cast: Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Cillian Murphy, Brie Larson, Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Jack Reynor, Noah Taylor, Babou Ceesay
A superior alternative to the big-name, bloated action films hogging the largest screens in most multiplexes.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-04-14
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: Vin Diesel, Kristofer Hivju, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Scott Eastwood, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlize Theron, Dwayne Johnson, Helen Mirren
“Dumbing down” was coined for productions like this: big, splashy, testosterone-fueled monstrosities.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-02-17
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Sexual Content, Nudity, Violence, Drugs)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Richie Keen
Cast: Charlie Day, Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan, Jillian Bell, Christina Hendricks, Dean Norris, JoAnna Garcia Swisher
A trying 90 minutes for anyone who commits to seeing this failed and unfortunate production.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-02-10
MPAA Rating: "R" (Sexual Content, Nudity, Profanity)
Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: James Foley
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Bella Heathcote, Kim Basinger, Marcia Gay Harden
This is a bad film - at times it’s nigh unwatchable - but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
U.S. Release Date: 2017-01-20
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity)
Genre: Drama
Director: John Lee Hancock
Cast: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Patrick Wilson, Linda Cardellini, B.J. Novak, Laura Dern
Represents two hours well-spent, especially for anyone with a fascination for complex characters.
U.S. Release Date: 2016-12-25
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Sexual Content, Adult Themes)
Genre: Drama
Director: Denzel Washington
Cast: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, Stephen Henderson
Brilliantly scripted and powerfully acted and deserves to be seen by all who care about great performances and emotional impact.
U.S. Release Date: 2016-11-18
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Fantasy violence)
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: David Yates
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Ron Perlman
"Fantastic Beasts" is an enjoyable stand-alone but its position as the progenitor of a new franchise remains unclear.
U.S. Release Date: 2016-09-09
MPAA Rating: "NR"
Genre: Documentary
Director: Adam Nimoy
Cast: Leonard Nimoy, Adam Nimoy, Julie Nimoy, William Shatner, George Takei, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Nicholas Meyer, Neil deGrasse Tyson
A loving tribute in general to "Star Trek" and in particular to the man who gave more than half of his life to Spock.
U.S. Release Date: 2016-06-17
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Animated
Director: Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane
Cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Hayden Rolence, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, Sloane Murray, Idris Elba, Dominic West
"Finding Dory" is enjoyable in its own right even if its powerful sense of déjà vu keeps it from approaching the pinnacle of the Disney/Pixar collaborations.
U.S. Release Date: 2016-01-29
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Disaster Movie Images)
Genre: Adventure
Director: Craig Gillespie
Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Graham McTavish, Holliday Grainger, Ben Foster, Kyle Gallner, John Magaro, Eric Bana
With expertly crafted high seas disaster sequences, "The Finest Hours" feels more like a summer spectacle than a winter throw-away.