Mini-movies: 12-1-14 (2024)

Beyond the Lights: A rising music superstar and a young cop assigned to her detail fall hard and fast for each other, despite being urged by those around them to put their career ambitions first. With Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker and Minnie Driver. Written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Rated PG-13 for suggestive gestures, language, sexual content, partial nudity, thematic elements. 116 minutes.

– LOS ANGELES TIMES

Big Hero 6: Disney’s animated story about a teenager befriending a health-care robot is a big, gorgeous adventure with wonderful voice performances, some dark undertones that give the story more depth, an uplifting message and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. Rated PG for action and peril, some rude humor and thematic elements. 108 minutes.??? 1/2

– RICHARD ROEPER

Birdman: In the crowning performance of his career, the darkly funny, brooding Michael Keaton plays a faded movie star attempting a comeback by directing and starring in a Broadway play. This is a strange and beautiful and unique film, one of the best movies of the year. Rated R or language throughout, some sexual content and brief violence. 119 minutes. ????

– RICHARD ROEPER

The Boxtrolls: An animated movie about an orphan who is raised by mischievous underground creatures and must protect them from the town villain. With the voices of Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Ben Kingsley and Elle Fanning. Written by Irena Brignull and Adam Pava. Directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable. In 3-D. Rated PG. 96 minutes.

— LOS ANGELES TIMES

Dumb and Dumber To: Maybe it’s the “Jackass” world we live in, or maybe it’s the aging of stars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, but the slapstick seems more forced and sadder in this sequel. I cracked up a good half-dozen times, but there were long stretches when the movie was just spinning its wheels. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, partial nudity, language and some drug references. 110 minutes. ??

– RICHARD ROEPER

Fury: We get round after round of horrific battles, interspersed with brief scenes of macho dialogue and no small measure of Scripture-quoting, in this WWII drama starring Brad Pitt as a tank commander. In only one scene does “Fury” rise above its solid but standard war movie status and approach something really special. Rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout. 133 minutes.???

– RICHARD ROEPER

Gone Girl: Ben Affleck gives one of his best performances as the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. It’s a thing of beauty watching the characters from Gillian Flynn’s novel manipulate, stumble, recover and stumble again. This is a nutty film, and for the most part, I mean that in a good way. Rated R for a scene of bloody violence, some strong sexual content/nudity, and language. 149 minutes.??? 1/2

– RICHARD ROEPER

Horrible Bosses 2: The sequel to the mediocre, uneven “Horrible Bosses” is so lazy it’s not even about horrible bosses. It’s a slapstick kidnapping yarn as the three dimwits (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis) plot revenge against a thieving business kingpin. Also back is Jennifer Aniston as the sex-addicted dentist, one of the most poorly drawn, pathetic characters of the year. Rated R for strong crude sexual content and language throughout. 108 minutes.? 1/2

– RICHARD ROEPER

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1: The latest Katniss Everdeen adventure is a rousing yet often bleak and downbeat film that focuses a lot more on tragedies and setbacks than applause-generating heroics. Ultimately it serves as a solid if unspectacular first lap around the track of a two-lap race. Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images and thematic material. 123 minutes.???

– RICHARD ROEPER

Interstellar: What a beautiful and epic film is “Interstellar,” filled with great performances, tingling our senses with masterful special effects, daring to be openly sentimental, asking gigantic questions about the meaning of life and leaving us drained and grateful

for the experience. Rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language. 169 minutes.????

– RICHARD ROEPER

Penguins of Madagascar: A quartet of penguins teams with an undercover inter-species task force to stop a villainous cephalopod. With the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Chris Knights and Benedict Cumberbatch. Written by Michael Colton, John Aboud and Brandon Sawyer. Directed by Simon Smith and Eric Darnell. In 3-D. Rated PG. 91 minutes.

– LOS ANGELES TIMES

Rosewater: A dramatic account of journalist Maziar Bahari’s 118-day incarceration and interrogation in Iran in connection with his reporting on the country’s election protests in 2009. With Gael Garcia Bernal. Written and directed by Jon Stewart. Rated R for violent content, some crude references and language. 103 minutes.

– LOS ANGELES TIMES

St. Vincent: This story of a chain-smoking gambler baby-sitting the neighbor kid is a prime showcase for Bill Murray and his skill set. Nearly every scene is contrived, but writer-director Ted Melfi has a nice way with dialogue, and the cast – including Melissa McCarthy and young Jaeden Lieberher – is uniformly outstanding. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use, and for language). 102 minutes. ??? 1/2

– RICHARD ROEPER

The Theory of Everything: Playing the young Stephen Hawking from reckless Cambridge student to brilliant physicist, Eddie Redmayne undergoes a remarkable transformation. But it’s a memorable performance in a rather ordinary love story about his romance with future wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and suggestive material. 123 minutes.?? 1/2

– RICHARD ROEPER

GRADES: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor

REVIEWS BY Richard Roeper, Universal Press Syndicate; Los Angeles Times.

Originally Published:

Mini-movies: 12-1-14 (2024)
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