For up to date local cinema links and day-by-day listings every week visit the Virtual-Lancaster Cinema Page. Read on for the weekly round-up, and reviews.
A rather quiet period for movies with a single new release Rio 2 (U). Meanwhile we have lost the following 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Non-Stop and Ride Along.
Must see movies still on offer include Muppets Most Wanted, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the excellent The Grand Budapest Hotel. For action and adventure 300: Rise of an Empire and Starred Up are recommended. For family entertainment The LEGO Movie and Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy are still being screened. Also there is still a chance to catch Frozen.
Culture is represented by Bolshoi Ballet: Marco Spada whereas horror is represented by Only Lovers Left Alive.
Reviews
300: Rise of an Empire
Director: Noam Murro
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Rodrigo Santoro
The film is based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel ‘Xerxes’ and the
action adopts the visual style of the 2007 prequel ‘300’. The Persian
forces led by Xerxes (Santoro) and Artemisia (Green) are opposed by the
Greek General Themistokles (Stapleton). The film centres on a sea
battle. The story is rather predictable, but there is plenty of blood,
violence and CGI effects to keep the interest. If you liked the
original you will enjoy this movie
Frozen
Director: Chris Buck
Certificate PG
Cast Includes Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad,Alan Tudyk, Jonathan Groff
This Disney musical animation is loosely based on the fairy tale
‘The Snow Queen’ who has condemned a kingdom to eternal winter. It is
up to Anna (sister to the snow queen) and a loner Kristoff to undertake
an epic journey to find the Snow Queen and convince her to lift the icy
spell. This is a magical movie destined to become a classic. It will
appeal to families and children of all ages.
Muppets Most Wanted
Director: James Bobin
Certificate: U
Cast includes: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey, Eric Jacobson, Steve Whitmire
A long awaited sequel to ‘The Muppets’ in which the entire Muppet
cast undertake a sell out world tour. However Constantine (a Kermit
lookalike and major criminal) and his right hand man Dominic (Gervais)
involve the Muppets in an international crime heist. The film is an
upbeat Disney musical comedy that will appeal to all ages and generates
plenty of laughs. An excellent film.
The Book Thief
Director: Brian Percival
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Roger Allam, Emily Watson
The film is based in World War II Germany and tells the story of
Liesel (Nelisse) a young girl sent to live with a foster family after
family problems. She copes by stealing books to read and this enables
her to become close with her foster father and with Max, a Jewish boy
hiding in their basement. The film does not make any comments on the
horrors of Nazi Germany, it simply provides a backdrop for what is
essentially a love story, and during the film we have Death providing
the narration. The acting is acceptable but the characters are not
totally believable.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director: Wes Anderson
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Saoirse Ronan, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Tony Revolori
An idiosyncratic movie telling the adventures of Gustav (Fiennes)
the concierge at the Budapest hotel and his friend Zero Moustafa
(Revolori). The film is full of madcap characters and is filmed in the
classic Anderson style. Set in Europe between the wars, the film tells
the story of the theft of a Renaissance painting and disputes over
fortunes. The movie has a star-studded cast and much of the plot of
interlocking stories is told in flashbacks. A fine comedy making this a
must see movie.
The Monuments Men
Director: George Clooney
Certificate: 12A
Cast includes: George Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray
An action adventure based on the book ‘The Monuments Men:
Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History’
by Robert Edsel. This tells the true story of a platoon comprising art
historians and musum directors who were dispatched into World War II
Germany to retrieve art works plundered by the Nazis. A very
entertaining movie with a generous helping of high profile stars.
Perhaps not a must-see film but still worth a visit to the cinema.
The Stag
Director: John Butler
Certificate: 15
Cast includes: Andrew Scott, Michael Legge, Peter McDonald, Brian Boru Gleeson, Hugh O’Conor, Amy Huberman
Fionan (O’Conor) is due to marry Ruth (Huberman). He does not want a
stag night but Ruth gets the best man Davin (Scott) to arrange a stag
weekend with groom and assorted friends as they hike in Ireland. This
is an inoffensive British comedy that comes up with a good selection of
wacky situations, male bonding and predictable nudity. A run of the
mill film that generates some laughs.