Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Dinklage, Keala Settle, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Jonathan Bailey, Bronwyn James, Ethan Slater
Director: Jon M. Chu
Rating: PG
Synopsis: After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart.
The story of the Wicked Witch of the West is reinvented once again in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked.
Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Tudyk, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rose Matafeo
Director: David G. Derrick Jr., Dana Ledoux Miller, Jason Hand
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Directed by Dave Derrick Jr. with music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina, “Moana 2” opens in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024.
Reviews
Moana 2 might not have the same punch as the original, but audiences will be wowed by the stunning animation.
Cast: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David
Director: Barry Jenkins
Rating: PG
Synopsis: “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka – the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny – their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Reviews
Moonlight director Barry Jenkins’s all-action tale boasts uncanny CGI effects and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, but the screenplay is schmaltzy and derivative.
What works in ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’s’ favour is that it’s a new story. Yes, while it does borrow ideas from other pieces of these characters’ backstories, it hasn’t been presented in this way before.
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Jim Broadbent, Carla Tous
Director: Dougal Wilson
Rating: PG
Synopsis: PADDINGTON IN PERU brings Paddington’s story to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.
Reviews
The third instalment in the film adventures of the furry marmalade addict may boast Olivia Colman as a singing nun but it lacks home comforts
Our furry hero goes in search of his Aunt Lucy in a high-action jungle sequel that’s perfectly enjoyable but lacks the wit and magic of its predecessors.
Cast: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Shaun Dooley, Lorraine Ashbourne, Benjamin Wainwright, Michael Wildman, Janine Duvitski, Gaia Wise, Yazdan Qafouri, Bilal Hasna
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Rating: M
Synopsis: Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
Reviews
The plundering of JRR Tolkien’s source material continues with this plodding adventure turning a footnote into a film.
Produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, the 183-years-earlier animated spinoff may not be strictly canonical, but it does introduce another female hero in the vein of Éowyn.
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, Levi Miller
Director: J.C. Chandor
Rating: MA 15+
Synopsis: Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.
Reviews
‘Kraven the Hunter’ is five different films trying to fight their way out.
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis, Takehiro Hira, Zlatko Burić
Director: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
Rating: M
Synopsis: The leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out.
Reviews
The film is loose and sometimes feels as if it’s also lost in the metaphorical woods of structured storytelling. It spends a lot of time just ambling, as if it’s a hang-out movie with no urgency. Curious choice for an apocalypse.
Cast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Elle McKinnon
Director: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck
Rating: MA 15+
Synopsis: Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Reviews
Heretic furthers the horror genre’s stronghold on cinema at its most perceptive.
Synopsis: PIECE BY PIECE is an unparalleled motion picture experience that captures the magic and brilliance of Pharrell Williams’ creative genius, one LEGO® brick at a time. Uninterested in making a traditional film about his life, Pharrell set out to tell his story in a way that would set audience’s imaginations free. Developed from his singular vision, PIECE BY PIECE defies genres and expectations to transport audiences into a LEGO world where anything is possible. From Focus Features, PIECE BY PIECE was directed by Academy Award® winner Morgan Neville and produced by Neville and Caitrin Rogers (Tremolo Productions) alongside producers Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdés, and Shani Saxon (i am OTHER). Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producing for the LEGO Group.
Reviews
The remarkable story of a brilliant musician and producer is told in this surreal but also strangely wrongheaded film.
Cast: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, May Calamawy, Peter Mensah
Director: Ridley Scott
Rating: MA 15+
Synopsis: From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
Reviews
The story and drama of Gladiator II may be fairly dull, but its superb action, visual spectacle and outlandish historical inaccuracy are where the film truly shines.
