Movies opening this week in theaters:
- THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (Warner Bros. / PG-13 / Wide)
- NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB (20th Century Fox / PG / Wide)
- ANNIE (Sony Pictures / PG / Wide)
- MR. TURNER (Sony Pictures Classics / R / Limited)
Synopses, details, critical reception, trailers, clips and more after the jump.
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES
Official Synopsis
From Academy Award (R)-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor tohoard it as Bilbo's frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide - unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.
Film Details
- Starring: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, Michael Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
- Running Time: 144 min.
- Rating: PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 61% (105 fresh, 67 rotten, score: 6.4/10).
- Metacritic: 59 out of 100 (22 positive, 22 mixed, 1 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
- THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Soundtrack (Howard Shore)
- 5 Clips and 16 Images
- New Images and Empire Magazine Covers
- Listen to a Preview of the Closing Credits Song
- Full-Length Trailer and New Banner Posters
- 17 New Posters
- Banner Poster Teases Epic Scope
- Trailer, Posters and Images
- First Look Image
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB
Official Synopsis
Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled Night At the Museum ever as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
Film Details
- Starring: Ben Stiller, Rebel Wilson, Robin Williams, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Ricky Gervais, Rami Malek, Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, Patrick Gallagher, Mizuo Peck, Bill Cobbs, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney
- Director: Shawn Levy
- Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
- Running Time: 97 min.
- Rating: PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 47% (36 fresh, 40 rotten, score: 5.0/10).
- Metacritic: 47 out of 100 (9 positive, 11 mixed, 7 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
ANNIE
Official Synopsis
A Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations comes to the big screen with a new, contemporary vision in Columbia Pictures' comedy, Annie. Director/Producer/Screenwriter Will Gluck teams with producers James Lassiter, Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith, and Shawn "JAY Z" Carter, Laurence "Jay" Brown, and Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith with a modern telling that captures the magic of the classic characters and original show that won seven Tony Awards. Celia Costas serves as Executive Producer. The screenplay is by Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna, based on the musical stage play "Annie," book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and on "Little Orphan Annie," (C) and (R) Tribune Media Services, Inc. Academy Award (R) nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they'd be back for her someday, it's been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything's about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) - advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) - makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he's her guardian angel, but Annie's self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it's the other way around.
Film Details
- Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Director: Will Gluck
- Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical
- Running Time: 118 min.
- Rating: PG for some mild language and rude humor
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 47% (36 fresh, 40 rotten, score: 5.0/10).
- Metacritic: 33 out of 100 (5 positive, 18 mixed, 13 negative).
Trailers, Clips, Posters and More
MR. TURNER
Official Synopsis
This film explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty.
Film Details
- Starring: Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson, Karl Johnson
- Director: Mike Leigh
- Genre: Drama, Biography, History
- Running Time: 150 min.
- Rating: R for some sexual content
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 97% (76 fresh, 2 rotten, score: 8.4/10).
- Metacritic: 93 out of 100 (27 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative).