Dragonlord's 2015 Movie Guide

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Welcome to Dragonlord's 5th Annual Sherdog Movie Guide - 2015 Edition. From the trailers, synopsis to the cast and director, everything you need to know about the upcoming 2015 films is right here, as well as what films are opening this week, the professional critics' reviews and box office numbers. I will also constantly keep the thread updated with new trailers, pics and info when they surface.

Please feel free to post your own short/long reviews as well on any of the 2015 films you've seen. Same with the previous Movie Guide, I


Notice:

Due to the Sherdog migration to the new forum software last December 16, a lot of the posts in the 2015 Movie Guide are ruined (videos not showing, posts cut short, and gibberish symbols appearing). My apologies if it's a mess to read.

The 2016 Movie Guide is up and running though. Click the link below:

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/dragonlords-2016-movie-guide-update-thread-now-open.3137195/

 

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THE WOMAN IN BLACK 2: ANGEL OF DEATH

Release Date: Jan. 2 (Wide Release)

Genre: Mystery Suspense Horror

Director: Tom Harper (The Upside of Anger)

Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Helen McCrory, Phoebe Fox and Amelia Pidgeon

Synopsis: During the London bombings of World War II, school teachers Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox) and Jean Hogg (Helen McCrory) lead a group of children in evacuation to Crythin Gifford, a remote village outside of the city. When the group takes up residence at the Eel Marsh House, 40 years after Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) investigated the first haunting, Eve soon realizes they are not alone. The longer they stay in the house, the more the awful past of the residence unravels itself and the evil spirit that lurks around them threatens the well-being of the children. With the help of a pilot (Jeremy Irvine), Eve does all that she can to protect the children and discover the truth behind the Woman in Black.

 

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TAKEN 3

Release Date: Jan 9 (Wide Release)

Genre: Action Thriller

Director: Olivier Megaton (Taken 2)

Cast: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott

Synopsis: Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) has his reconciliation with his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) is tragically cut short when she is brutally murdered. Consumed with rage, and framed for the crime, he goes on the run to evade the relentless pursuit of the CIA, FBI and the police. For one last time, Mills must use his “particular set of skills,” to track down the real killers, exact his unique brand of justice, and protect the only thing that matters to him now – his daughter (Maggie Grace).


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INHERENT VICE

Release Date: Jan. 9 (Expanded Release)

Genre: Crime Comedy Drama

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia)

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Katherine Waterston, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short, Eric Roberts Sasha Pieterse, Joanna Newsom and Jena Malone

Synopsis: "Inherent Vice," is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon novel. When private eye Doc Sportello's ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a looney bin...well, easy for her to say. It's the tail end of the psychedelic `60s and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that "love" is another of those words going around at the moment, like "trip" or "groovy," that's being way too overused - except this one usually leads to trouble. Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp - all Thomas Pynchon.

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SELMA

Release Date: Jan. 9 (Expanded Release)

Genre: Biographical Drama

Director: Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere)

Cast: David Oyelowo, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tessa Thompson, Tim Roth, Giovanni Ribisi, Carmen Ejogo, Alessandro Nivola, Martin Short, Tom Wilkinson, Oprah Winfrey, Wendell Pierce, Dylan Baker, Common

Synopsis: Selma is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernays Selma tells the real story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

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PREDESTINATION

Release Date: Jan. 9 (Limited Release)

Genre: Science Fiction Action Thriller

Director: The Spierig Brothers (Daybreakers, Undead)

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor, Madeleine West, Christopher Kirby

Synopsis: Predestination chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to ensure the continuation of his law enforcement career for all eternity. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.

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BLACKHAT

Release Date: Jan. 16 (Wide Release)

Genre: Action Thriller

Director: Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice)

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Viola Davis, Tang Wei, Holt McCallany and Wang Leehom

Synopsis: Set within the world of global cybercrime, Legendary

 

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MORTDECAI

Release Date: Jan. 23 (Wide Release)

Genre: Adventure Comedy

Director: David Koepp (Premium Rush, Ghost Town)

Cast: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Paul Bettany, Jeff Goldblum

Synopsis: Juggling some angry Russians, the British Mi5, his impossibly leggy wife and an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part time rogue Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) must traverse the globe armed only with his good looks and special charm in a race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filled with Nazi gold.




Rotten Tomatoes: 13% Approval Rating (7 out of 55 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Aggressively strange and willfully unfunny, the misguided Mortdecai sounds a frightfully low note in Johnny Depp's post-Pirates filmography.
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BLACK SEA

Release Date: Jan. 23 (Limited Release)

Genre: Submarine Adventure Thriller

Director: Kevin Macdonald (The Eagle, The Last King of Scotland)

Cast: Jude Law, Jodie Whittaker, Ben Mendelsohn, Scoot McNairy, Tobias Menzies

Synopsis: A suspenseful adventure thriller directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald, centering on a rogue submarine captain (two-time Academy Award nominee Jude Law) who pulls together a misfit crew to go after a sunken treasure rumored to be lost in the depths of the Black Sea. As greed and desperation take control onboard their claustrophobic vessel, the increasing uncertainty of the mission causes the men to turn on each other to fight for their own survival.




Rotten Tomatoes: 81% Approval Rating (46 out of 57 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Black Sea may not be particularly deep, but thanks to Kevin Macdonald's judicious direction and a magnetic performance from Jude Law, it remains an efficiently well-crafted thriller.
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THE BOY NEXT DOOR

Release Date: Jan. 23 (Wide Release)

Genre: Suspense Thriller

Director: Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, Stealth)

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, John Corbett, Kristin Chenowith, Ian Nelson, Ryan Guzman

Synopsis: Neglected by her adulterous husband and left feeling particularly vulnerable as her marriage crumbles, lonely teacher Claire (Jennifer Lopez) has an affair with a younger neighbor (Ryan Guzman) that turns terrifying as his fiery lust morphs into dangerous obsession. John Corbett, Ian Nelson, and Kristin Chenoweth co-star.




Rotten Tomatoes: 13% Approval Rating (10 out of 76 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Boy Next Door may get a few howls out of fans of stalker thrillers, but for most viewers, it won't even rise to "so bad it's good" status.
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STRANGE MAGIC

Release Date: Jan. 23 (Wide Release)

Genre: Animated Fantasy Adventure

Director: Gary Rydstrom (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Maya Rudolph, Peter Stormare, Alan Cumming, Alfred Molina

Synopsis: "Strange Magic," a new animated film from Lucasfilm Ltd., is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion. Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects.




Rotten Tomatoes: 10% Approval Rating (3 out of 31 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Like most modern animated movies, Strange Magic is lovely to look at; unfortunately, there isn't much going on beneath the surface.
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CAKE

Release Date: Jan. 23 (Limited Release)

Genre: Drama

Director: Daniel Barnz (Won't Back Down, Beastly)

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Anna Kendrick (mine!), Sam Worthington, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, Britt Robertson, Adriana Barraza, Chris Messina and Lucy Punch

Synopsis: The acerbic, hilarious Claire Simmons (Jennifer Aniston) becomes fascinated by the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group. As she uncovers the details of Nina's suicide and develops a poignant relationship with Nina's husband, she also grapples with her own, very raw personal tragedy.




Rotten Tomatoes: 47% Approval Rating (37 out of 79 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Cake finds Jennifer Aniston making the most of an overdue opportunity to test her dramatic chops, but it lacks sufficient depth or warmth to recommend for all but her most ardent fans.

 

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PROJECT ALMANAC

Release Date: Jan. 30 (Wide Release)

Genre: Sci-Fi Found-Footage Adventure

Director: Dean Israelite (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Jonny Weston, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Amy Landecker, and Virginia Gardner

Synopsis: As a group of friends discover plans for a time machine, they build it and use it to fix their problems and personal gain. But as the future falls apart with disasters, and each of them disappear little by little, they must travel back to the past to make sure they never invent the machine or face the destruction of humanity.




Rotten Tomatoes: 36% Approval Rating (18 out of 50 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Project Almanac isn't without wit or originality, but its thin story and irritating found-footage camerawork ultimately make it difficult to recommend.
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BLACK OR WHITE

Release Date: Jan. 30 (Wide Release)

Genre: Drama

Director: Mike Binder (Reign Over Me, The Upside of Anger)

Cast: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Ehle, Anthony Mackie, Bill Burr, Gillian Jacobs

Synopsis: Black or White is the story of a grandfather (Academy Award (R) winner Kevin Costner) who is suddenly left to care for his beloved granddaughter. When the little girl's paternal grandmother (Academy Award (R) nominee Octavia Spencer) seeks custody, a legal battle ensues that forces the families to confront their true feelings on race, forgiveness and understanding. Anchored by an all-star cast and based on real events, the movie is a look at two seemingly different worlds, in which nothing is as simple as black or white.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 34% Approval Rating (21 out of 62 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Black or White has more on its mind than your average family drama, but the film's approach to its thought-provoking themes too often lives down to its title.
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WILD CARD

Release Date: Jan. 30 (Limited Release)

Genre: Crime Action Drama

Director: Simon West (Con-Air, The Expendables 3)

Cast: Jason Statham, Michael Angarano, Milo Ventimiglia, Dominik Garc

 

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JUPITER ASCENDING

Release Date: Feb. 6 (Wide Release)

Genre: Science Fiction Action Adventure

Director: Andy and Lara Wachowski (The Matrix Trilogy, Cloud Atlas)

Cast: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D'Arcy, and Tim Pigott-Smith

Synopsis: From the streets of Chicago to the far-flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” tells the story of Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), who was born under a night sky, with signs predicting she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.




Dragonlord's Review: Despite the cool gadgets and some fun chase sequences early on, the insipid story, wooden leads, inane situations and mind-numbing action all make Jupiter Ascending spectacularly dull. 5/10


Rotten Tomatoes: 22% Approval Rating (30 out of 136 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Pleasing to the eye but narratively befuddled, Jupiter Ascending delivers another visually thrilling misfire from the Wachowskis.
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SEVENTH SON

Release Date: Feb. 6 (Wide Release)

Genre: Fantasy Action Adventure

Director: Sergey Bodrov (Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan )

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Ben Barnes, Djimon Hounsou, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harrington, Olivia Williams, Antje Traue

Synopsis: In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory. In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. He has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man's only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 11% Approval Rating (7 out of 64 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Seventh Son squanders an excellent cast and some strange storyline ingredients, leaving audiences with one disappointingly dull fantasy adventure.
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THE VOICES

Release Date: Feb. 6 (Limited Release)

Genre: Crime Dark Comedy

Director: Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis, Chicken with Plums)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick (mine!), Gemma Arterton, Jacki Weaver, Adi Shankar

Synopsis: The Voices is a genre-bending film which centers around Jerry, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for the attention of a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden turn, we follow Jerry’s perspective as his talking pets, a sinister cat and benevolent dog, lead him down a fantastical, murderous path.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 74% Approval Rating (29 out of 39 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Voices gives Ryan Reynolds an opportunity to deliver a highlight-reel performance -- and offers an off-kilter treat for fans of black comedies.
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SPONGEBOB: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

Release Date: Feb. 6 (Wide Release)

Genre: Family Comedy Animated Adventure

Director: Paul Tibbitt (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Carolyn Lawrence, and Douglas Lawrence

Synopsis: SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet. Burger-Beard is a pirate in search of the final page of a magical book that makes any evil plan he writes in it come true, which happens to be the krabby patty secret formula. When his search is completed and the formula is missing, the entire city of Bikini Bottom is in danger. SpongeBob, Patrick, and the gang need to go on a quest that takes them to the surface. In order to get back the recipe and save their city, the gang must retrieve the book and transform themselves into superheroes to fight Burger-Beard and his super villain pirate crew.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 74% Approval Rating (40 out of 54 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water won't win over many viewers who aren't fans of the show, but for the converted, it's another colorful burst of manic fun.

 

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FIFTY SHADES OF GREY

Release Date: Feb. 13 (Wide Release)

Genre: Erotic Romance Drama

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy)

Cast: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Max Martini, Marcia Gay Harden, Eloise Mumford, Dylan Neal, Rita Ora, Victor Rasuk, and Callum Keith Rennie

Synopsis: E.L. James' kinky best-seller gets the big screen treatment with this Universal Pictures/Focus Features co-production. The steamy tale details a masochistic relationship between a college student and a businessman, whose desires for extreme intimacy pen from secrets in his past.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 30% Approval Rating (33 out of 111 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: While creatively better endowed than its print counterpart, Fifty Shades of Grey is a less than satisfying experience on the screen.
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KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

Release Date: Feb. 13 (Wide Release)

Genre: Spy Action Adventure

Director: Matthew Vaughn (Kickass, X-Men: First Class)

Cast: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Sophie Cookson, Sofia Boutella, Mark Strong

Synopsis: Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men First Class), Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 71% Approval Rating (79 out of 111 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Stylish, subversive, and above all fun, Kingsman: The Secret Service finds director Matthew Vaughn sending up the spy genre with gleeful abandon.
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THE LAST 5 YEARS

Release Date: Feb. 13 (Limited Release)

Genre: Musical Romance Drama

Director: Richard LaGravenese (Beautiful Creatures, Freedom Writers)

Cast: Anna Kendrick (mine!), Jeremy Jordan, Meg Hudson, Natalie Knepp, Nic Novicki

Synopsis: In this adaptation of the hit musical, The Last Five Years is a musical deconstruction of a love affair and a marriage taking place over a five year period. Jamie (Jordan), a young, talented up-and-coming Jewish novelist falls in love with Cathy (Kendrick), a Shiksa Goddess and struggling actress. Their story is told almost entirely through song. All of Cathy's songs begin at the end of their marriage and move backwards in time to the beginning of their love affair, while Jamie's songs start at the beginning of their affair and move forward to the end of their marriage. They meet in the center when Jamie proposes.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 61% Approval Rating (19 out of 31 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Last Five Years hits a few awkward notes in its transition from stage to screen, but its freshness and sincere charm -- and well-matched stars -- offer their own rewards.
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WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

Release Date: Feb. 13 (Limited Release)

Genre: Horror Comedy

Director: Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi

Cast: Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonathan Brugh, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Rhys Darby, Stu Rutherford

Synopsis: Follow the lives of Viago (Taika Waititi), Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) - three flatmates who are just trying to get by and overcome life's obstacles-like being immortal vampires who must feast on human blood. Hundreds of years old, the vampires are finding that beyond sunlight catastrophes, hitting the main artery, and not being able to get a sense of their wardrobe without a reflection-modern society has them struggling with the mundane like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Approval Rating (60 out of 65 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Smarter, fresher, and funnier than a modern vampire movie has any right to be, What We Do in the Shadows is bloody good fun.
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THE REWRITE

Release Date: Feb. 13 (Limited Release)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Director: Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice)

Cast: Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney and Chris Elliott

Synopsis: Once upon a time, screenwriter Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) was on top of the world – a Golden Globe Award and a hit movie to his name, a beautiful wife and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of wit and charm. But that was fifteen years ago: now, he’s divorced, broke, approaching fifty and hasn’t written a hit film in years. Luckily, his agent has a job for him – a university in the quiet town of Binghamton is looking for someone to teach a course in screenwriting, and with an empty wallet as his motivation, Keith can’t say no. Hoping to give minimal attention to his duties and focus on writing a new script, his attitude slowly begins to turn when he meets Holly (Marisa Tomei). A single mum working two jobs to earn her degree, the pair find themselves connected by their mutual need for a second chance.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 60% Approval Rating (24 out of 40 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Rewrite's unremarkable plot is enlivened considerably by its likable cast, adding up to a comedy that coasts capably on the charms of Hugh Grant and his co-stars.

 

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HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2

Release Date: Feb. 20 (Wide Release)

Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy

Director: Steve Pink (Hot Tub Time Machine, About Last Night)

Cast: Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Chevy Chase, Adam Scott, Gillian Jacobs

Synopsis: When Lou (Rob Corddry) finds himself in trouble, Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. (Adam Scott). Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past… which is really the present, in the sequel from the same team that brought you the original cult hit.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 15% Approval Rating (9 out of 62 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: A shallow dip overflowing with juvenile humor, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 is a lukewarm sequel that's healthiest to avoid.
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MCFARLAND, USA

Release Date: Feb. 20 (Wide Release)

Genre: True Story Sports Drama

Director: Niki Caro (Whale Rider)

Cast: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero, Sergio Avelar, Hector Duran, Rafael Martinez, Johnny Ortiz, Carlos Pratts, Ramiro Rodriguez, Danny Mora, Valente Rodriguez, Vanessa Martinez, and Chris Ellis

Synopsis: Inspired by the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.




Rotten Tomatoes: 79% Approval Rating (63 out of 80 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Disney's inspirational sports drama formula might be old hat, but McFarland, USA proves it still works -- especially with a talented director and eminently likable star in the mix.
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THE DUFF

Release Date: Feb. 20 (Wide Release)

Genre: High School Comedy

Director: Ari Sandel (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Mae Whitman, Robbie Amell, Bella Thorne, Skyler Samuels, Bianca Santos, Ken Jeong

Synopsis: Bianca (Mae Whitman) is a content high school senior whose world is shattered when she learns the student body knows her as 'The DUFF' (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) to her prettier, more popular friends (Skyler Samuels & Bianca Santos). Now, despite the words of caution from her favorite teacher (Ken Jeong), she puts aside the potential distraction of her crush, Toby (Nick Eversman), and enlists Wesley (Robbie Amell), a slick but charming jock, to help reinvent herself. To save her senior year from turning into a total disaster, Bianca must find the confidence to overthrow the school's ruthless label maker Madison (Bella Thorne) and remind everyone that no matter what people look or act like, we are all someone's DUFF.




Rotten Tomatoes: 62% Approval Rating (37 out of 60 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The DUFF doesn't achieve teen-movie greatness, but offers enough of a postmodern twist on the genre to recommend -- and boasts typically great work from star Mae Whitman.

 

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FOCUS

Release Date: Feb. 27 (Wide Release)

Genre: Crime Drama Thriller

Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love.)

Cast: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, BD Wong and Gerald McRaney

Synopsis: Will Smith stars as Nicky, a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes romantically involved with novice con artist Jess (Margot Robbie). As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets too close for comfort and he abruptly breaks it off. Three years later, the former flame—now an accomplished femme fatale—shows up in Buenos Aires in the middle of the high stakes racecar circuit. In the midst of Nicky’s latest, very dangerous scheme, she throws his plans for a loop… and the consummate con man off his game.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 57% Approval Rating (78 out of 138 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Focus may have a few too many twists and turns, but it nearly skates by on its glamorous setting and the charm of its stars.
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MAPS TO THE STARS

Release Date: Feb. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Drama

Director: David Cronenberg (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises)

Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon, Olivia Williams

Synopsis: With this tale of a secret-filled Hollywood family on the verge of implosion, director David Cronenberg forges both a wicked social satire and a very human ghost story from our celebrity-obsessed culture. Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in a sun-soaked Southern California rife with money, dreams, fame, envy, angst, yearning - and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist, whose "Hour of Personal Power" has brought him an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab at age 13.




Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Approval Rating (68 out of 106 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Narratively unwieldy and tonally jumbled, Maps to the Stars still has enough bite to satisfy David Cronenberg fans in need of a coolly acidic fix.
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'71

Release Date: Feb. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Action Drama Thriller

Director: Yann Demange (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Jack O'Connell, Sam Reid, Sean Harris, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer

Synopsis: '71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier (Jack O'Connell) accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, and increasingly wary of his own comrades, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety through a disorientating, alien and deadly landscape.




Rotten Tomatoes: 98% Approval Rating (62 out of 63 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Powerfully directed and acted, '71 stays true to its fact-based origins while remaining as gripping as any solidly crafted action thriller.
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THE SALVATION

Release Date: Feb. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Western Action Drama

Director: Kristian Levring (Fear Me Not, The Intended)

Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mikael Persbrandt, Jonathan Pryce

Synopsis: In 1870s America, a peaceful American settler kills his family's murderer which unleashes the fury of a notorious gang leader. His cowardly fellow townspeople then betray him, forcing him to hunt down the outlaws alone.




Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Approval Rating (18 out of 28 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: It's all but impossible to add anything new or fresh to the traditional Western, but -- thanks in no small part to Mads Mikkelson's performance -- The Salvation comes close.
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EVERLY

Release Date: Feb. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Action Thriller

Director: Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End)

Cast: Salam Hayek, Jennifer Blanc, Caroline Chikezie, Togo Igawa, Masashi Fujimoto

Synopsis: Everly co-stars Togo Igawa (Last Samurai; Memoirs of a Geisha), Masashi Fujimoto (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) and Hiroyuki Watanabe. The Black List script by Yale Hannon is an intense action thriller centered on a down-on-her-luck woman (Salma Hayek) who is forced to fend off waves of assassins sent by her ex, a dangerous mob boss, while trying to save her estranged mother and daughter. The film is set entirely in one apartment, and is based on a concept created by Joe Lynch.




Dragonlord's Review: It seemed like they concocted the big action pieces first but failed to produce a link that naturally and seamlessly connects them all together. The action scenes were fun, violent, and creative but at times bland and repetitive. There's just something about Salma's accent that takes me out from totally immersing myself in the story and at times makes the film look like a parody. 6/10


Rotten Tomatoes: 40% Approval Rating (12 out of 30 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Everly benefits from Joe Lynch's stylish direction and Salma Hayek's starring work, but it's too thinly written and sleazily violent to fully recommend.
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THE LAZARUS EFFECT

Release Date: Feb. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Suspense Horror

Director: David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi)

Cast: Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover, Mark Duplass, Evan Peters, Sarah Bolger

Synopsis: When a team of research students mapping the human brain accidentally kills one of their own, they unwittingly unlock a deadly force by reanimating their colleague. Fighting for their own lives, the team must contain their colleague in the lab before she is unleashed on the world.




Rotten Tomatoes: 15% Approval Rating (9 out of 62 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Lazarus Effect has a talented cast and the glimmer of an interesting idea, but wastes it all on insipid characters and dull, recycled plot points.

 

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CHAPPIE

Release Date: Mar. 6 (Wide Release)

Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy Drama

Director: Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium)

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Dev Patel, Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, Jose Pablo Cantillo

Synopsis: Every child comes into the world full of promise, and none more so than Chappie: he is gifted, special, a prodigy. Like any child, Chappie will come under the influence of his surroundings - some good, some bad - and he will rely on his heart and soul to find his way in the world and become his own man. But there's one thing that makes Chappie different from anyone else: he is a robot. The first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. His life, his story, will change the way the world looks at robots and humans forever.




Rotten Tomatoes: 30% Approval Rating (36 out of 119 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Chappie boasts more of the big ideas and visual panache that director Neill Blomkamp has become known for -- and, sadly, more of the narrative shortcomings.
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Release Date: Mar. 6 (Wide Release)

Genre: Comedy

Director: Ken Scott (Delivery Man, Starbuck)

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller, James Marsden, Nick Frost

Synopsis: A hard-working small business owner (Vince Vaughn) and his two associates (Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco) travel to Europe to close the most important deal of their lives. But what began as a routine business trip goes off the rails in every imaginable - and unimaginable - way, including unplanned stops at a massive sex fetish event and a global economic summit.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 14% Approval Rating (10 out of 74 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Unfocused and unfunny, Unfinished Business lives down to its title with a slipshod screenplay and poorly directed performances that would have been better left unreleased.
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THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

Release Date: Mar. 6 (Limited Release)

Genre: Comedy Drama

Director: John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)

Cast: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Richard Gere, Dev Patel, David Strathairn

Synopsis: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny (Dev Patel), and it's making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marriage to the love of his life, Sunaina (Tina Desai). Sonny has his eye on a promising property now that his first venture, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful, has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for fresh arrivals Guy (Richard Gere) and Lavinia (Tamsin Greig).

Evelyn and Douglas (Judi Dench and Bill Nighy) have now joined the Jaipur workforce, and are wondering where their regular dates for Chilla pancakes will lead, while Norman and Carol (Ronald Pickup and Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating the tricky waters of an exclusive relationship, as Madge (Celia Imrie) juggles two eligible and very wealthy suitors. Perhaps the only one who may know the answers is newly installed co-manager of the hotel, Muriel (Maggie Smith), the keeper of everyone's secrets. As the demands of a traditional Indian wedding threaten to engulf them all, an unexpected way forward presents itself.




Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Approval Rating (78 out of 22 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is about as original as its title -- but with a cast this talented and effortlessly charming, that hardly matters.

 

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CINDERELLA

Release Date: Mar. 13 (Wide Release)

Genre: Fantasy Family Adventure

Director: Kenneth Branagh (Thor, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit)

Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Stellan Skarsg

 

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THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT

Release Date: Mar. 20 (Wide Release)

Genre: Sci-Fi Action Adventure

Director: Robert Schwentke (The Time Traveler's Wife, Red, R.I.P.D.)

Cast: Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Mekhi Phifer, Miles Teller, Ben Lamb, Christian Madsen

Synopsis: The Divergent Series: Insurgent raises the stakes for Tris as she searches for allies and answers in the ruins of a futuristic Chicago. Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are now fugitives on the run, hunted by Jeanine (Winslet), the leader of the power-hungry Erudite elite. Racing against time, they must find out what Tris’s family sacrificed their lives to protect, and why the Erudite leaders will do anything to stop them. Haunted by her past choices but desperate to protect the ones she loves, Tris, with Four at her side, faces one impossible challenge after another as they unlock the truth about the past and ultimately the future of their world.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 33% Approval Rating (43 out of 130 critics like it)

Consensus: Shailene Woodley gives it her all, but Insurgent is still a resounding step back for a franchise struggling to distinguish itself from the dystopian YA crowd.
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THE GUNMAN

Release Date: Mar. 20 (Wide Release)

Genre: Action Thriller

Director: Pierre Morel (Taken, From Paris With Love)

Cast: Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Jasmine Trinca, Mark Rylance

Synopsis: Deadly professional assassin Martin Terrier returns to Paris after his latest job determined to get out of the game. Ten years ago he made a promise to return to his childhood sweetheart in the south of France. But circumstances put Martin’s attempted retirement on hold: a key target is flying in to Paris, and there is only one man fit for the task of eliminating him. As Martin flees southwards, desperate to return to the crushing mediocrity of life in a backwater town, he finds his former employers will stop at nothing to regain his services for one last job.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 14% Approval Rating (15 out of 108 critics like it)

Consensus: With an uninspired plot and rote set pieces that are overshadowed by its star's physique, The Gunman proves a muddled misfire in the rapidly aging Over-50 Action Hero genre.
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DANNY COLLINS

Release Date: Mar. 20 (Limited Release)

Genre: Comedy Drama

Director: Dan Fogelman (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Bobby Cannavale, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Josh Peck, Nick Offerman, Cassandra Starr, Melissa Benoist, and Katarina Cas

Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, Al Pacino stars as aging 1970s rocker Danny Collins, who can’t give up his hard-living ways. But when his manager (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40 year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon, he decides to change course and embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a second act.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 77% Approval Rating (60 out of 78 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Thanks to Al Pacino's stirring central performance - and excellent work from an esteemed supporting cast -- Danny Collins manages to overcome its more predictable and heavy-handed moments to deliver a heartfelt tale of redemption.
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KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER

Release Date: Mar. 20 (Limited Release)

Genre: Drama

Director: David Zellner (Kid-Thing, Goliath)

Cast: Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Shirley Venard

Synopsis: In this darkly comedic odyssey, Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Pacific Rim) stars as Kumiko, a frustrated Office Lady whose imagination transcends the confines of her mundane life. Kumiko becomes obsessed with a mysterious, battered VHS tape of a popular film she’s mistaken for a documentary, fixating on a scene where a suitcase of stolen cash is buried in the desolate, frozen landscape of North Dakota. Believing this treasure to be real, she leaves behind Tokyo and her beloved rabbit Bunzo to recover it – and finds herself on a dangerous adventure unlike anything she’s seen in the movies.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 87% Approval Rating (52 out of 60 critics like it)

Consensus: Powerfully acted and lovely to look at, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter offers a treat for cinephiles with a taste for the pleasantly peculiar.
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TRACERS

Release Date: Mar. 20 (Limited Release)

Genre: Action

Director: Daniel Benmayor (Paintball, Bruc, the Manhunt)

Cast: Taylor Lautner, Marie Avgeropoulos, Rafi Gavron, Adam Rayner, Sam Medina

Synopsis: After he crashes his bike into a super-sexy stranger named Nikki (Avgeropoulos), Cam (Lautner) is introduced to her crew -- a team that uses parkour to pull off heists. Hoping to alleviate his deepening debt to a violent crime gang, Cam quickly joins the group. As the stakes get higher with more dangerous side ventures, the payouts get bigger. Cam must use every ounce of his skill to stay alive as the crew's heists grow more daring with each job, and gang enforcers breathe relentlessly down his neck.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 21% Approval Rating (4 out of 19 critics like it)

Consensus: With escape as its theme, this thin-plotted pleaser comes hard and goes fast, its rush premium but fleeting.
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BACKCOUNTRY

Release Date: Mar. 20 (Limited Release)

Genre: Survival Horror Thriller

Director: Adam MacDonald (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Missy Peregrym, Jeff Roop and Eric Balfour

Synopsis: Based on a true story, Backcountry follows an urban couple who go camping in the Canadian wilderness – where unimaginable beauty sits alongside our most primal fears. Alex (Jeff Roop) is a seasoned outdoorsman while Jenn (Missy Peregrym), a corporate lawyer, is not. After much convincing, and against her better judgment, she agrees to let him take her deep into a Provincial Park to one of his favorite spots – the secluded Blackfoot Trail.

On their first night, deep in the forest, they have an unsettling encounter with Brad (Eric Balfour), a strange alpha male with eyes for Jenn who may or may not be following them. Alex’s desire to quickly reach Blackfoot Trail only intensifies. They push further and further into the woods, Alex stubbornly insisting that he remembers the way.

After three days their path disappears; they are hopelessly lost. Without food or water, they struggle to find their way back, the harsh conditions bringing out the best and worst in them, pushing their already fragile relationship to the breaking point. When they realize they have entered a bear’s territory, being lost suddenly becomes the least of their problems.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 88% Approval Rating (14 out of 16 critics like it)

Consensus: For most of its 91 tense, uneven minutes, Backcountry plays on your nerves like a kid flicking you with a rubber band.

 

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GET HARD

Release Date: Mar. 27 (Wide Release)

Genre: Comedy

Director: Etan Cohen (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Alison Brie, and Craig T. Nelson

Synopsis: When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison. Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 31% Approval Rating (40 out of 128 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: A waste of two fine funnymen, Get Hard settles for tired and offensive gags instead of tapping into its premise's boundary-pushing potential.
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HOME

Release Date: Mar. 27 (Wide Release)

Genre: Animated Comedy Adventure

Director: Tim Johnson (Antz, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas)

Cast: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, and Jennifer Lopez

Synopsis: When Earth is taken over by the overly-confident Boov, an alien race in search of a new place to call home, all humans are promptly relocated, while all Boov get busy reorganizing the planet. But when one resourceful girl, Tip (Rihanna), manages to avoid capture, she finds herself the accidental accomplice of a banished Boov named Oh (Jim Parsons). The two fugitives realize there’s a lot more at stake than intergalactic relations as they embark on the road trip of a lifetime.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 48% Approval Rating (44 out of 92 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Colorful, silly, and utterly benign, Home is a passable diversion, but there's no shortage of superior animated alternatives.
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SERENA

Release Date: Mar. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Depression-Era Drama

Director: Suzanne Bier

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Toby Jones and Rhys Ifans, Sean Harris

Synopsis: North Carolina mountains at the end of the 1920s – George (Bradley Cooper) and Serena Pemberton (Jennifer Lawrence), love-struck newly-weds, begin to build a timber empire. Serena soon proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving a man’s life in the wilderness. With power and influence now in their hands, the Pembertons refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their inflated love and ambitions. However, once Serena discovers George’s hidden past and faces an unchangeable fate of her own, the Pemberton’s passionate marriage begins to unravel leading toward a dramatic reckoning.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 20% Approval Rating (17 out of 86 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Serena unites an impressive array of talent on either side of the cameras -- then leaves viewers to wonder how it all went so wrong.
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WHILE WE'RE YOUNG

Release Date: Mar. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Comedy Drama

Director: Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha, The Squid and the Whale)

Cast: Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Driver, Charles Grodin, Adam Horovitz

Synopsis: Noah Boaumbach's comedy While We're Young stars Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as Josh and Cornelia, a childless New York married couple in their mid-forties. As their other friends all start having children, the couple gravitates toward a young hipster couple named Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). He's an aspiring documentary filmmaker, a vocation Josh already has. Soon the older couple begins enjoying the energy they feel haging out with the younger generation, but eventually Josh begins to suspect his new best friend might not be as straightforward and trustworthy as he thought.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 83% Approval Rating (48 out of 58 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Poignant and piercingly honest, While We're Young finds writer-director Noah Baumbach delivering some of his funniest lines through some of his most relatable characters.
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WHITE GOD

Release Date: Mar. 27 (Limited Release)

Genre: Suspense Drama

Director: Korn

 

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FURIOUS 7

Release Date: Apr. 3 (Wide Release)

Genre: Physics-defying Ridiculous Action

Director: James Wan (The Conjuring, Insidious, Saw)

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Kurt Russell, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Djimon Hounsou, Lucas Black, Tony Jaa, Iggy Azalea, John Brotheron and Ronda Rousey

Synopsis: After defeating Owen Shaw and his crew in Fast & Furious 6, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew are able to return to the United States and live the normal life again as they had wanted, but Owen's older brother, Ian Shaw (Jason Statham), is after Dominic, seeking revenge for the death of his brother, putting the entire crew in danger once more. After learning of Han's death, the crew sets out to find the man who killed one of their own, before he finds them first.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 81% Approval Rating (128 out of 158 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Serving up a fresh round of over-the-top thrills while adding unexpected dramatic heft, Furious 7 keeps the franchise moving in more ways than one.
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WOMAN IN GOLD

Release Date: Apr. 3 (Limited Release)

Genre: True Story Drama

Director: Simon Curtis (My Week with Marilyn)

Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Bruhl, Katie Holmes, Charles Dance, Elizabeth McGovern, and Frances Fisher

Synopsis: Academy Award winner Helen Mirren stars in the incredible story of Maria Altmann, a Jewish refugee who is forced to flee Vienna during World War II. Decades later, determined to salvage some dignity from her past, Maria has taken on a mission to reclaim a painting the Nazis stole from her family: the famous Lady In Gold, a portrait of her beloved Aunt Adele. Partnering with an inexperienced but determined young lawyer (Ryan Reynolds), Maria embarks on an epic journey for justice 60 years in the making.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 47% Approval Rating (34 out of 72 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Woman in Gold benefits from its talented leads, but strong work from Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds isn't enough to overpower a disappointingly dull treatment of a fascinating true story.
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LAST KNIGHTS

Release Date: Apr. 3 (Limited Release)

Genre: Action Adventure

Director: Kazuaki Kiriya (Casshern, Goemon)

Cast: Clive Owen, Morgan Freeman, Cliff Curtis, Aksel Hennie, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Synopsis: Academy Award (R) Nominee Clive Owen (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Closer, 2004) delivers an electrifying performance as a fallen warrior who rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master, Academy Award (R) Winner Morgan Freeman (Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Million Dollar Baby, 2004) in this epic, sword-clashing adventure of loyalty, honor, and vengeance.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 14% Approval Rating (3 out of 21 out of critics like it)

Critics Consensus: As blandly unimaginative as its title, Last Knights revisits well-worn sword-and-sandal tropes without adding anything new -- or interesting -- to the genre.

 

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EX MACHINA

Release Date: Apr. 10 (Limited Release)

Genre: Science Fiction Mystery Thriller

Director: Alex Garland (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac, Alicia Vikander, Corey Johnson

Synopsis: Alex Garland, writer of 28 Days Later and Sunshine, makes his directorial debut with the stylish and cerebral thriller, Ex Machina. Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), a programmer at an internet-search giant, wins a competition to spend a week at the private mountain estate of the company’s brilliant and reclusive CEO, Nathan Bateman (Oscar Isaac). Upon his arrival, Caleb learns that Nathan has chosen him to be the human component in a Turing Test—charging him with evaluating the capabilities, and ultimately the consciousness, of Nathan’s latest experiment in artificial intelligence. That experiment is Ava (Alicia Vikander), a breathtaking A.I. whose emotional intelligence proves more sophisticated, seductive––and more deceptive––than the two men could have imagined.




Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Approval Rating (77 out of 86 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Ex Machina leans heavier on ideas than effects, but it's still a visually polished piece of work -- and an uncommonly engaging sci-fi feature.
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KILL ME THREE TIMES

Release Date: Apr. 10 (Limited Release)

Genre: Black Comedy Thriller

Director: Kriv Stenders (Red Dog, Boxing Day)

Cast: Simon Pegg, Alice Braga, Sullivan Stapleton, Teresa Palmer, Luke Hemsworth, Callan Mulvey

Synopsis: Kill Me Three Times is a darkly comedic thriller from rising star director Kriv Stenders (Red Dog). Simon Pegg plays the mercurial assassin, Charlie Wofle, who discovers he isn't the only person trying to kill the siren of a sun drenched surfing town (Alice Braga). Charlie quickly finds himself at the center of three tales of murder, mayhem, blackmail and revenge. With an original screenplay by James McFarland, the film also stars Sullivan Stapleton (as a gambling addict that attempts to pay off his debts through a risky life insurance scam), Teresa Palmer (as a small town Lady Macbeth), Callan Mulvey (as a wealthy beach club owner simmering with jealousy), Luke Hemsworth (as a local surfer fighting for the woman he loves) and Bryan Brown (as a corrupt cop who demands the juiciest cut).

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Rotten Tomatoes: 8% Approval Rating (3 out of 40 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Kill Me Three Times offers Simon Pegg an opportunity to play against type as a villain; unfortunately, its derivative storyline fails to offer much of anything to viewers.
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THE LONGEST RIDE

Release Date: Apr. 10 (Wide Release)

Genre: Romance Drama

Director: George Tillman Jr. (Faster, Notorious, Men of Honor)

Cast: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Oona Chaplin, Jack Huston, Melissa Benoist, Alan Alda

Synopsis: Based on the bestselling novel by master storyteller Nicholas Sparks, The Longest Ride centers on the star-crossed love affair between Luke, a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback, and Sophia, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City's art world. As conflicting paths and ideals test their relationship, Sophia and Luke make an unexpected and feateful connection with Ira, whose memories of his own decades-long romance with his beloved wife deeply inspire the young couple. Spanning generations and two intertwining love stories, The Longest Ride explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 29% Approval Rating (23 out of 79 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Longest Ride is less manipulative than the average Nicholas Sparks film, but it's still saccharine and hopelessly contrived -- not that it'll matter to the target audience.
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CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA

Release Date: Apr. 10 (Limited Release)

Genre: Drama

Director: Olivier Assayas (Summer Hours)

Cast: Juliette Binoche, Kirsten Stewart, Chloe Grace Moretz, Hanns Zischler

Synopsis: At the peak of her international career, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years ago. But back then she played the role of Sigrid, now she is being asked to step into the other role, the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria, a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chlo

 

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PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2

Release Date: Apr. 17 (Wide Release)

Genre: Comedy

Director: Andy Flickman (Race to Witch Mountain)

Cast: Kevin James, Neal McDonough, Raini Rodriguez, Daniella Alonso, David Henrie

Synopsis: Everyone's favorite bumbling mall cop returns in this sequel from Happy Madison and director Andy Fickman. Original Paul Blart: Mall Cop screenwriters Kevin James and Nick Bakay reteam to pen the script, which finds Paul Blart (James) and his daughter Maya in Las Vegas for a security guard expo. When a band of menacing art thieves attempt a daring heist, Blart attempts to stop them with the help of the cynical casino security staff who once ridiculed him. Meanwhile, Blart contends with a crafty rival (Nicholas Turturro).

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Rotten Tomatoes: 0% Approval Rating (0 out of 37 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Bathed in flop sweat and bereft of purpose, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 strings together fat-shaming humor and Segway sight gags with uniformly unfunny results.
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CHILD 44

Release Date: Apr. 17 (Wide Release)

Genre: Drama Thriller

Director: Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Easy Money)

Cast: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman, Charles Dance, Vincent Cassel, Dev Patel, Tara Fitzgerald, Paddy Considine, Sam Spruell, Josef Altin, and Nikolaj Lie Kaas

Synopsis: Based on the first of a trilogy by Tom Rob Smith and set in the Stalin era of the Soviet Union. The plot is about an idealistic pro-Stalin security officer who decides to investigate a series of child murders in a country where supposedly this sort of crime doesn't exist. The state would not hear of the existence of a child murderer let alone a serial killer. He gets demoted and exiled but decides, with just the help of his wife, to continue pursuing the case.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 26% Approval Rating (12 out of 46 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: There's a gripping story at the heart of Child 44 and a solid performance from Tom Hardy in the lead, but it all still adds up to a would-be thriller that lacks sufficient thrills.
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UNFRIENDED

Release Date: Apr. 17 (Wide Release)

Genre: Horror Thriller

Director: Levan Gabriadze (Lucky Trouble)

Cast: Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead, Jacob Wysocki, William Peltz

Synopsis: One year ago, Laura Barnes (Heather Sossaman) decided to commit suicide due to ridicule received over an embarrassing video of her passed out at a party. Six of her classmates were especially horrible in their treatment of her, as they were unpopular and Laura was the most popular girl in school. Tonight, those same six classmates have decided to get together to talk with one another via Skype, but are ill-prepared when an uninvited seventh person logs onto their Skype chat and shows that they know quite a bit about the prior year's events. The unknown person threatens the group and states that if they log out or stop talking, someone will die. As the chat progresses, the truth about who posted the video begins to emerge and other secrets are revealed.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 66% Approval Rating (47 out of 71 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Unfriended subverts found-footage horror clich

 

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THE AGE OF ADALINE

Release Date: Apr. 24 (Wide Release)

Genre: Romance Drama

Director: Lee Toland Krieger (Celeste & Jesse Forever )

Cast: Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Michiel Huisman, Amanda Crew

Synopsis: After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 52% Approval Rating (45 out of 86 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Age of Adaline ruminates on mortality less compellingly than similarly themed films, but is set apart by memorable performances from Blake Lively and Harrison Ford.
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THE WATER DIVINER

Release Date: Apr. 24 (Limited Release)

Genre: Historical War Drama

Director: Russell Crowe (feature film directorial debut)

Cast: Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, Isabel Lucas, and Cem Yilmaz

Synopsis: The film is set four years after the devastating battle of Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. Australian farmer Connor (Crowe) travels to Istanbul to discover the fate of his sons, reported missing in action, where he forges a relationship with the beautiful Turkish woman (Kurylenko) who owns the hotel in which he stays. Holding on to hope, and with the help of a Turkish officer, Connor embarks on a journey across the country to find the truth about the fate of his sons.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 60% Approval Rating (65 out of 109 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: The Water Diviner finds Russell Crowe on somewhat uncertain footing as a director, but he's rescued by a strong performance from himself in the leading role.
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LITTLE BOY

Release Date: Apr. 24 (Limited Release)

Genre: War Comedy Drama

Director: Alejandro Monteverde (Bella)

Cast: Emily Watson, Kevin James, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Rapaport

Synopsis: Little Boy tells the heartwarming story of a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his dad home from World War II alive. The story reveals the indescribable love a little boy has for his father and the love a father has for his son. Set in the 40s, Little Boy is a cinematic classic that captures the wonder of life through the eyes of a 7-year-old little boy. Little Boy highlights themes of faith, hope and love in the face of adversity.




Rotten Tomatoes: 14% Approval Rating (5 out of 36 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Well-meaning but manipulative on a horrifically misguided scale, Little Boy is the rare faith-based film that many viewers may find legitimately offensive.

 

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AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Release Date: May 1 (Wide Release)

Genre: Superhero Action Adventure

Director: Joss Whedon (Avengers, Serenity, Much Ado About Nothing)

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Andy Serkis

Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

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Rotten Tomatoes: 75% Approval Rating (172 out of 228 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Exuberant and eye-popping, Avengers: Age of Ultron serves as an overstuffed but mostly satisfying sequel, reuniting its predecessor's unwieldy cast with a few new additions and a worthy foe.


Dragonlord's Review: Falls short from the benchmark set by the first film, Avengers: Age of Ultron is at its finest when it focuses on the well-executed superhero whiz-bang action. 7.5/10

 

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HOT PURSUIT

Release Date: May 8 (Wide Release)

Genre: Comedy

Director: Anne Fletcher (The Proposal, 27 Dresses)

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara, Robert Kazinsky, Mike Birbiglia, John Carrol Lynch

Synopsis: Texas police officer Rose Cooper (Reese Witherspoon) grew up tagging along with her father, who was also a cop. After an accident involving the son's mayor, Cooper gets assigned at a dead-end job at the police station. One day she gets assigned to protect a drug dealer and his wife Daniella Riva (Sof