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MOVIES Film Clips Coming soon
Now playing
“Creed” ★★★1⁄2
PG-13, 2:12, drama. In 1976 the nation yearned for a red, white and
blue plate special piled high with corn. Then, up those Philadelphia
Museum of Art steps, backed by the Bill Conti theme, that some-
thing arrived. Nobody went to the first “Rocky” for the finesse of
the filmmaking. They went for the underdog rooting, for Rocky and
Adrian, for the unexpected sweetness, for the redemption angle,
for the reconstituted boxing movie cliches that tasted not new but
new-ish. It was simply time for “Rocky,” written by and starring
Sylvester Stallone, directed by John Avildsen. So, “Creed,” a seventh “Rocky” movie? Apollo
Creed, Rocky’s old nemesis turned best friend, had a son who grows up a scrappy fighter in
the Los Angeles foster care system? Moves to Philly, connects with Rocky, who’s tending
the restaurant and still wearing that hat? Rocky trains him for a big fight? That’s how it
goes, yes. And “Creed” is easily the best “Rocky” movie since “Rocky.” — Michael Phillips
“The Good Dinosaur” ★★
PG, 1:40, animation. Work by multiple writers was cobbled together
for this story of a world where the meteor that hit the Earth and
wiped out all dinosaurs actually missed. The dinosaurs have
evolved to the point where they live in houses, plant crops and herd
bison. For some reason, humans have only progressed slightly more
than canines. Production was halted early in the process of making
“The Good Dinosaur” because it had some dinosaur-size problems.
Peter Sohn was brought in as the new director and he started the
process over two years ago. The second attempt ends up so flat it would have been smart to
scrap it and try a third time. The only aspect worthy of high praise is the background work,
which is so stunning it keeps the movie from heading for a tar pit. — Rick Bentley
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” ★★1⁄2THE MORNING CALL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015 PARAMOUNT PICTURES
PG-13, 2:17, sci-fi. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” brings Steve Carell, left, plays Mark Baum and Ryan Gosling portrays Jared Vennett in “The Big
the four-film saga of Katniss Everdeen and her revolutionary war to Short,” a film about anti-high-finance guys on a mission to take down the big banks.
a dutiful, fairly satisfying if undeniably attenuated conclusion. In
the first and best “Hunger Games” film four years ago, Jennifer Dec. 4 anti-high-finance guys Dec. 25
Lawrence was like Peggy Sawyer, the Allentown, Pa., hoofer in on a mission to take
“42nd Street.” With bow, arrow and hawklike gaze of destiny, she “I Saw the Light” down the big banks. “Joy”
went out there a youngster, but she had to come back a star, and Biopic, R. Tom Hiddleston Drama, PG-13. “Silver Linings
she did. Lawrence brought home the bacon and fried it up in a pan. stars in the biography of Dec. 18 Playbook” stars Robert De
In “Mockingjay 2,” it’s more a case of her saving the movie’s bacon, period. — M.P. country music icon Hank Niro, Bradley Cooper and
Williams. “Sisters” Jennifer Lawrence are to-
“The Peanuts Movie” ★★1⁄2 Comedy, R. Amy Poehler gether again in this story of
Dec. 11 and Tina Fey play sisters a family business that has
G, 1:33, animation. Beloved, neurotic cartoon kid Charlie Brown who throw one last sustained four generations
hits the biggest screen possible (and in 3-D) in the warm “The “In the Heart of the Sea” blowout party before of loyalty, betrayal and love.
Peanuts Movie,” directed by animation vet Steve Martino. “The Action, PG-13. Chris Hems- their parents sell their
Peanuts Movie” is extremely faithful to the original source materi- worth stars and Ron How- childhood home. “The Revenant”
al, which will please longtime fans, but this is aimed at bringing in ard directs the adventure Action, R. Leonardo Di-
a new, youthful audience. While Charlie Brown is the definition of based on an 1821 event Dec. 23 Caprio stars as an 1820s
an insecure worrywart, the feature film not only redeems him in where a sperm whale at- frontiersman seeking re-
his failures but also rewards the way he reacts to disappoint- tacked a whaling ship, leav- “Alvin and the Chip- venge on those that left him
ments and challenges. — Katie Walsh ing the crew stranded at sea munks: The Road Chip” for dead.
for 90 days. Animation, PG. Alvin,
“Spectre” ★★★ Simon and Theodore Jan. 8
“The Big Short” take a road trip to Miami
PG-13, 2:30, action. “Spectre” cost nearly $300 million to make, and Drama, R. A quartet of Hol- to stop Dave from marry- “The Forest”
I suppose it was worth it. It’s a good Bond movie, which will be good lywood’s finest (Brad Pitt, ing his girlfriend who Horror, PG-13. Something
enough for many millions of fans. It’s also the longest Bond movie in Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell they believe wants Dave wicked is happening in a
existence, clocking in at just under 21⁄2 decadent, carefree, flam- and Christian Bale) play to get rid of them. Japanese forest.
boyantly destructive hours. This time Ian Fleming’s well-dressed
assassin changes clothes from Mexico City to Rome, from London
to the Austrian mountains, from Tangier back to London, where
terrorists-entrepreneurs carrying the familiar handle of Spectre are
doing dirty work on a large scale. Of the Daniel Craig 007s, director Sam Mendes’ follow-up
16 to “Skyfall” is not quite up to “Skyfall” or my favorite, “Casino Royale.” But it’s a considerably
better evil-quelling instruction manual than “Quantum of Solace.” — M.P.
Now playing
“Creed” ★★★1⁄2
PG-13, 2:12, drama. In 1976 the nation yearned for a red, white and
blue plate special piled high with corn. Then, up those Philadelphia
Museum of Art steps, backed by the Bill Conti theme, that some-
thing arrived. Nobody went to the first “Rocky” for the finesse of
the filmmaking. They went for the underdog rooting, for Rocky and
Adrian, for the unexpected sweetness, for the redemption angle,
for the reconstituted boxing movie cliches that tasted not new but
new-ish. It was simply time for “Rocky,” written by and starring
Sylvester Stallone, directed by John Avildsen. So, “Creed,” a seventh “Rocky” movie? Apollo
Creed, Rocky’s old nemesis turned best friend, had a son who grows up a scrappy fighter in
the Los Angeles foster care system? Moves to Philly, connects with Rocky, who’s tending
the restaurant and still wearing that hat? Rocky trains him for a big fight? That’s how it
goes, yes. And “Creed” is easily the best “Rocky” movie since “Rocky.” — Michael Phillips
“The Good Dinosaur” ★★
PG, 1:40, animation. Work by multiple writers was cobbled together
for this story of a world where the meteor that hit the Earth and
wiped out all dinosaurs actually missed. The dinosaurs have
evolved to the point where they live in houses, plant crops and herd
bison. For some reason, humans have only progressed slightly more
than canines. Production was halted early in the process of making
“The Good Dinosaur” because it had some dinosaur-size problems.
Peter Sohn was brought in as the new director and he started the
process over two years ago. The second attempt ends up so flat it would have been smart to
scrap it and try a third time. The only aspect worthy of high praise is the background work,
which is so stunning it keeps the movie from heading for a tar pit. — Rick Bentley
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” ★★1⁄2THE MORNING CALL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2015 PARAMOUNT PICTURES
PG-13, 2:17, sci-fi. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” brings Steve Carell, left, plays Mark Baum and Ryan Gosling portrays Jared Vennett in “The Big
the four-film saga of Katniss Everdeen and her revolutionary war to Short,” a film about anti-high-finance guys on a mission to take down the big banks.
a dutiful, fairly satisfying if undeniably attenuated conclusion. In
the first and best “Hunger Games” film four years ago, Jennifer Dec. 4 anti-high-finance guys Dec. 25
Lawrence was like Peggy Sawyer, the Allentown, Pa., hoofer in on a mission to take
“42nd Street.” With bow, arrow and hawklike gaze of destiny, she “I Saw the Light” down the big banks. “Joy”
went out there a youngster, but she had to come back a star, and Biopic, R. Tom Hiddleston Drama, PG-13. “Silver Linings
she did. Lawrence brought home the bacon and fried it up in a pan. stars in the biography of Dec. 18 Playbook” stars Robert De
In “Mockingjay 2,” it’s more a case of her saving the movie’s bacon, period. — M.P. country music icon Hank Niro, Bradley Cooper and
Williams. “Sisters” Jennifer Lawrence are to-
“The Peanuts Movie” ★★1⁄2 Comedy, R. Amy Poehler gether again in this story of
Dec. 11 and Tina Fey play sisters a family business that has
G, 1:33, animation. Beloved, neurotic cartoon kid Charlie Brown who throw one last sustained four generations
hits the biggest screen possible (and in 3-D) in the warm “The “In the Heart of the Sea” blowout party before of loyalty, betrayal and love.
Peanuts Movie,” directed by animation vet Steve Martino. “The Action, PG-13. Chris Hems- their parents sell their
Peanuts Movie” is extremely faithful to the original source materi- worth stars and Ron How- childhood home. “The Revenant”
al, which will please longtime fans, but this is aimed at bringing in ard directs the adventure Action, R. Leonardo Di-
a new, youthful audience. While Charlie Brown is the definition of based on an 1821 event Dec. 23 Caprio stars as an 1820s
an insecure worrywart, the feature film not only redeems him in where a sperm whale at- frontiersman seeking re-
his failures but also rewards the way he reacts to disappoint- tacked a whaling ship, leav- “Alvin and the Chip- venge on those that left him
ments and challenges. — Katie Walsh ing the crew stranded at sea munks: The Road Chip” for dead.
for 90 days. Animation, PG. Alvin,
“Spectre” ★★★ Simon and Theodore Jan. 8
“The Big Short” take a road trip to Miami
PG-13, 2:30, action. “Spectre” cost nearly $300 million to make, and Drama, R. A quartet of Hol- to stop Dave from marry- “The Forest”
I suppose it was worth it. It’s a good Bond movie, which will be good lywood’s finest (Brad Pitt, ing his girlfriend who Horror, PG-13. Something
enough for many millions of fans. It’s also the longest Bond movie in Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell they believe wants Dave wicked is happening in a
existence, clocking in at just under 21⁄2 decadent, carefree, flam- and Christian Bale) play to get rid of them. Japanese forest.
boyantly destructive hours. This time Ian Fleming’s well-dressed
assassin changes clothes from Mexico City to Rome, from London
to the Austrian mountains, from Tangier back to London, where
terrorists-entrepreneurs carrying the familiar handle of Spectre are
doing dirty work on a large scale. Of the Daniel Craig 007s, director Sam Mendes’ follow-up
16 to “Skyfall” is not quite up to “Skyfall” or my favorite, “Casino Royale.” But it’s a considerably
better evil-quelling instruction manual than “Quantum of Solace.” — M.P.
