Nov. 11 openings
It's "Almost Christmas" at the box office. Not ready? Take in some aliens instead ... or a Punjabi animated warrior.
‘Almost Christmas’ 2 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:A beloved patriarch asks his family for one gift this holiday season: to get along.
Stars:Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise.
Director:David E. Talbert.
Length:112 minutes.
Rated:PG-13 for suggestive material, language and drug content.
Where:Regal Santiam Stadium 11; Fandango.com
‘Arrival’ 3 out of 4 stars
What: A linguist leads a team of investigators to try and communicate with extraterrestrial visitors.
Stars: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker.
Director: Denis Villeneuve.
Length: 116 minutes.
Rated:PG-13 for brief strong language.
Where:Regal Lancaster Mall Stadium 11, Independence Cinema 8; Fandango.com
‘Chaar Sahibzaade: Rise of Banda Singh Bahadur’Not reviewed
What:A warrior is chosen and blessed by the Guru to restore freedom and truth back into the reigns of Punjab in this animation. Punjabi with English subtitles.
Length: 134 minutes
Rated:NR
Where:Regal Santiam Stadium 11; Fandango.com
‘Christine’ Not reviewed
What:The story of 1970s TV reporter Christine Chubbuck.
Stars: Rebecca Hall, Michael C. Hall.
Director: Antonio Campos.
Length: 115 minutes.
Rated:R for for a scene of disturbing violence and for language including some sexual references.
Where:Salem Cinema; Fandango.com
‘Shut In’ Not reviewed
What:A heart-pounding thriller about a widowed child psychologist who lives in an isolated existence in rural New England. Caught in a deadly winter storm, she must find a way to rescue a young boy before he disappears forever.
Stars: Naomi Watts, Oliver Platt.
Director: Farren Blackburn.
Length: 91 minutes.
Rated:PG-13 for terror and some violence/bloody images, nudity, thematic elements and brief strong language.
Where:Regal Santiam Stadium 11, Independence Cinema 8; Fandango.com
Nov. 4 openings
If you can, pass on "Trolls." There are too many other worthy films opening this weekend, from WWI film "Hacksaw Ridge" and Marvel's "Doctor Strange" to the drama "Certain Women" and the touching grumpy, old "Man Called Ove."
‘Certain Women’3 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:The lives of three women intersect in a small town. Lily Gladstone, Kristen Stewart areespecially good in this drama that rewards patient viewers
Stars:Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone, Kristen Stewart.
Director:Kelly Reichardt.
Length:107 minutes.
Rated:R for some language.
Where:Fandango.com
‘Doctor Strange’
What:After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Stars:Rachel McAdams, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton.
Director:Scott Derrickson.
Length:130 minutes.
Rated:PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action throughout, and an intense crash sequence.
Where:Fandango.com
‘Hacksaw Ridge’3 out of 4 stars
What:WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Stars:Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn.
Director:Mel Gibson.
Length:131 minutes.
Rated:R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images.
Where:Fandango.com
‘A Man Called Ove’3 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:An ill tempered, isolated retiree who spends his days enforcing block association rules and visiting his wife’s grave, has finally given up on life just as an unlikely friendship develops with his boisterous new neighbors. Engaging and surprisingly touching.
Stars:Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars.
Director:Hannes Holm.
Length:116 minutes.
Rated:PG-13 for language, thematic content and some disturbing images.
Where:Fandango.com
‘Trolls’1 1/2 out of 4 stars
What: A pair of cutesy creatures go on a quest to save their people from the evil Bergens, who intend to eat them. It’s formulaic and forgettable.
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Timberlake.
Director: Anand Tucker.
Length: 92 minutes.
Rated:PG for some mild rude humor.
Where:Fandango.com
Oct. 28 openings
Michael Moore gets his voice in the mix a week and a half before Election Day, plus an inspiring true story about a horse and another Tom Hanks film.
‘Harry & Snowman’ Not reviewed
What: In this docudrama, Dutch immigrant Harry deLeyer rescues a broken-down plow horse named Snowman and go on to win the triple crown of show jumping and capture the heart of America.
Stars: Harry Deleyer.
Director: Ron Davis.
Length: 82 minutes.
Rated:NR.
Where:Fandango.com
‘Inferno’ 2 out of 4 stars
What:After waking up in a hospital with amnesia, a professor and a doctor must race against time to foil a deadly global plot.
Stars: Tom Hanks, Ben Foster, Felicity Jones.
Director: Ron Howard.
Length: 115 minutes.
Rated:PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, disturbing images, some language, thematic elements and brief.
Where:Fandango.com
Oct. 21 openings
Zach Galifianakis keeps up with the Joneses,Madea celebrates Halloween, Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher and the Ouija board is back
'Boo! A Madea Halloween' not reviewed
What:Madea fends off killers, poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls and zombies on Halloween
Stars: Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis
Director: Tyler Perry
Length: 103 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for some horror images, language, drug use and references, suggestive content and thematic material
Where:Fandango.com
'Jack Reacher: Never Go Back' 2 out of 4 stars
What: Investigator Jack Reacher goes on the lam to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy
Stars: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders
Director: Edward Zwick
Length: 118 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, language, some bloody images and thematic elements
Where:Fandango.com
'Keeping up with the Joneses' 2 out of 4 stars
What:A suburban couple finds it's not easy keeping up with the Joneses — their gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors
Stars: Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher, Gal Gadot
Director: Greg Mottola
Length: 105 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for sexual content, action/violence and brief strong language
Where:Fandango.com
'Ouija: The Origin of Evil' not reviewed
What: In 1967 Los Angeles, a widow making ends meet as a psychic is stunned when she obtains a Ouija board that actually enables her to talk to the dead
Stars: Annalise Basso, Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson
Director: Mike Flanagan
Length: 99 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for disturbing images, terror and thematic elements
Where:Fandango.com
Oct. 14 openings
Ben Affleck is a math genius,Kate Winslet is "The Dressmaker" and Kevin Hart gets a big screen comedy special.
'The Accountant’ 2 out of 4 stars
What:Behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, a math genius works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations
Stars:Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons
Director:Gavin O’Connor
Length:128 minutes
Rated:R for strong violence and language throughout
Where:Fandango.com
‘The Dressmaker’2 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:A woman returns to her tiny hometown and begins to transform the women who did her wrong.
Stars:Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth
Director:Jocelyn Moorhouse
Length:118 minutes
Rated:R for brief language and a scene of violence
Where:Fandango.com
Oct. 7 openings
‘Girl on the Train’2 stars out of 4
What: A young woman witnesses a murder on her way into work and becomes entangled in the ensuing investigation
Stars: Rebecca Ferguson, Emily Blunt. Director: Tate Taylor
Length: 105 minutes
Rated: R for violence, sexual content, language and nudity
Where:Fandango.com
Sept. 30 openings
‘Deepwater Horizon’ 3 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:Crew members fight for survival when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico.
Stars:Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Kate Hudson
Director:Peter Berg
Length:107 minutes
Rated:PG-13
Where:Fandango.com
‘Masterminds’2 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:Comedy about a man talked into robbing the armored-car company where he works is funny but too all over the place.
Stars:Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, Kristen Wig
Director:Jared Hess
Length:95 minutes
Rated:PG-13
Where:Fandango.com
‘Queen of Katwe’3 out of 4 stars
What:A young girl from Uganda trains to become a world chess champion. The film is anchored by its colorful setting and solid performances by the entire cast.
Stars:David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’O
Director:Mira Nair
Length:124 minutes
Rated:PG
Where:Fandango.com
‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’3 out of 4 stars
What:Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times and finds a place known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
Stars:Eva Green, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Judi Dench
Director:Tim Burton
Length:127 minutes
Rated:PG-13
Where:Fandango.com
Sept. 23 openings
‘The Magnificent Seven’2 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:Seven gun men in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.
Stars:Haley Bennett, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio, Denzel Washington
Director:Antoine Fuqua
Length:132 minutes
Rated:PG-13 for extended and intense sequences of Western violence, and for historical smoking, some language
Where:Fandango.com
‘Storks’ 1 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:A stork and its human friend race against time to make their first baby drop.This is a kid’s film for hire, with none of the creativity, emotion and design that elevate the genre to art, or even simply a fun time at the movies.
Stars:Andy Samberg, Jennifer Aniston
Director:Doug Sweetland
Length:92 minutes
Rated:PG for some thematic elements and mild action
Where:Fandango.com
Sept. 9 openings
‘Sully’3 out of 4 stars
What: The story of Chesley Sullenberger, who became a hero after gliding his plane along the water in the Hudson River, saving all of his 155 passengers.
Stars: Tom Hanks, Laura Linney, Aaron Eckhart
Director: Clint Eastwood
Length: 96 minutes
Rated:PG-13 for some peril and brief strong language
Where:Fandango.com
Aug. 19 openings
‘Ben-Hur’2 out of 4 stars
What:A prince falsely accused of treason is stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves, and forced into slavery.
Stars:Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman
Director:Timur Bekmambetov
Length:125 minutes
Rated:PG-13
Where:Fandango.com
Aug. 12 openings
‘Pete’s Dragon’3 out of 4 stars
What:The classic tale of an orphan boy and his pet dragon.
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Robert Redford, Wes Bentley
Director:David Lowery
Length:103 minutes
Rated:PG
Where:Fandango.com
Aug. 5 openings
‘Suicide Squad’2 1/2 out of 4stars
What: A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.
Stars: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto
Director: David Ayer
Length: 130 minutes
Rated:PG-13 for disturbing behavior, action throughout, language, sequences of violence and suggestive content
Where:Fandango.com
July 29 openings
‘Bad Moms’ 1 1/2 out of 4 stars
What: A woman with a seemingly perfect life is exhausted to the point that she’s about to snap. Fed up, she joins forces with two other over-stressed moms and all go on a quest to liberate themselves from conventional responsibilities.
Stars: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett Smith
Director: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Length: 101 minutes
Rated:R for sexual material, full frontal nudity, language throughout, and drug and alcohol content
Where:Fandango.com
‘Jason Bourne’2 1/2 out of 4 stars
What: The fifth film in the “Bourne” franchise, and the first featuring Jason Bourne since “The Bourne Ultimatum.”
Stars: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Stiles
Director: Paul Greengrass
Length: 123 minutes
Rated:PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief strong language
Where:Fandango.com
July 15 openings
‘Ghostbusters’ 3 out of 4 stars
What:Thirty years after the original film took the world by storm, Ghostbusters is back with all the paranormal fighting elements that made the original franchise so beloved.
Stars:Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig
Director:Paul Feig
Length:107 minutes
Rated:PG-13 for supernatural action and some crude humor
Where:Fandango.com
July 8 openings
‘Secret Life of Pets’2 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:A comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day.
Stars:Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Ellie Kemper
Director:Yarrow Cheney
Length:90 minutes
Rated:PG for action and some rude humor
Where:Fandango.com
July 1 openings
‘The Legend of Tarzan’ 1 1/2 out of 4 stars
What:Many years after he left Africa behind, Tarzan returns to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary, unaware that he is actually a pawn in a Belgian captain’s deadly plot.
Stars:Alexander Skarsgård, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson
Director:David Yates
Rated:PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, some sensuality and brief rude dialogue
Where:Fandango.com
June 17 openings
'Finding Dory'3 out of 4 stars
What: Dory and her friends Nemo and Marlin search for answers about her past. “Finding Dory,” bright and clever like most all Pixar releases, has the animation studio’s familiar blend of wit, heart and visual detail. But it’s missing its own magic. Like Dory’s questions, it feels a bit like a repeat.
Stars: Ellen DeGeneres, Ed O’Neill.
Director: Andrew Stanton.
Length: 97 minutes.
Rated:PG.
Where:Fandango.com
