Welcome to the first edition of our weekly guide to the various movies arriving at your local cinema this coming weekend.
If you’re unsure what to go and see with your hard earned cash then look no further than our handy guide to help you make the right decision.
Here are the releases for this Friday 10th February:
The Muppets *Pick of the week*
After what seems like a lifetime the much-anticipated Muppet movie finally arrives in the UK this weekend. It’s already been out for several months on the other side of the Atlantic and has received almost unanimously positive reviews. The plot sees Walter (Peter Linz) his brother Gary, (Jason Segel) and friend Mary (Amy Adams) striving to raise $10 million to save the Muppet Theatre from Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), else the wealthy businessman will tear the building down and drill for oil.
Expect the usual Muppet mayhem lovingly crafted by unashamed Muppets super fan and co-writer Jason Segal . We can also expect a good catchy musical number or two courtesy of Flight of the Conchords co-creator James Bobin who is on directorial duties.
Here’s what Lisa Giles-Keddie made of the film in her glowing review.
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Emma Thrower adds:
I unashamedly love The Muppets. I also love Flight Of The Conchords. So the pairing of Kermit and crew plus James Bobin and Bret McKenzie makes me want to weep tears of joy. Growing up on Sesame Street (well, not literally), Jim Henson’s creations naturally have a very special place in my heart, so the incredible amount of time and effort Jason Segel has taken over getting the fuzzy friends onto the Big Screen again is both extremely admirable and very exciting. Throw in the delightful Amy Adams, who seems to be able to do anything, and cameos from a whole range of stars, The Muppets is guaranteed to be a wholesome and wonderfully nostalgic family film. Mahna mahna indeed.
Star Wars Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace in 3D
George Lucas once again returns to his indomitable cash-cow and this time it’s delivered to you in three dimensions. The Phantom Menace in 3D was actually released to selected screens on the 9th February but receives it’s far wider release on Friday 10th.
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Our very own Jon Lyus says,
The Phantom Menace in 3D is just as satisfying and thrilling as it is in 2D.
Make of that what you will dear readers. Asim Burney points out however that the spectacular pod race is sure to look amazing in 3D as the good people at ILM do know their onions when it comes to impressive effects.
I’m sure a lot of Star Wars fans will be unable to resist the lure of another chance to see the movies on a big screen but we’ll leave it up to you to decide whether the addition of 3D improves the movie or not.
A Dangerous Method
Perhaps the movie’s own official website can offer the best synopsis:
On the eve of World War I, Zurich and Vienna are the setting for a dark tale of sexual and intellectual discovery. Drawn from true-life events, A Dangerous Method explores the turbulent relationships between fledgling psychiatrist Carl Jung, his mentor Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein, the beautiful but disturbed young woman who comes between them.
With two of the most lauded actors working in Hollywood today in the lead roles, Viggo Mortenson as Freud and Michael Fassbender as his protégé Carl Jung, there’s high hopes for this cerebral psychoanalysis flick. Director David Cronenberg has a proven track record of producing exciting and unique movies and it will be interesting to see what he can do with a film focused primarily on highly intelligent conversations.
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Emma Thrower adds,
How can you not be excited by this? It’s Aragorn and Magneto! As someone who is pro-Knightley and believes there’s far more to her than the posh accent and the pouting, I’m looking forward to seeing her joining man of the moment Fassy and the legend that is Viggo. Although the project has had a rather quiet road to release, we mustn’t forget that Knightley’s name was banded around as a potential Academy Award nominee for this for a while, so her Russian Sabina sounds pretty intriguing and, from the trailers, far different to what we’re used to seeing from her. Plus, it’s Cronenberg in the director’s chair – he loves a bit of angry Viggo.
The Vow
If you fancy something a touch more romantic, (Valentine’s Day is coming up chaps, quick reminder for you all there) then The Vow would appear to be the choice for you. The plot centres on a young couple whose perfect relationship is shattered when Paige (Rachel McAdams) is involved in a car accident and enters a coma. Once she wakes up with serious memory loss it’s up to her husband Leo (Channing Tatum) to win her heart all over again. Reviews seem to suggest it’s just slightly above average on the rom-com-o-meter but needless to say, it won’t be to everybody’s taste.
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Big Miracle
A heart-warming family tale that is based on a real life event called ‘Operation Breakthrough’. ‘Operation Breakthrough’ was an international effort to release a pod of gray whales that had found themselves trapped in ice in deepest snowiest Alaska. The rescue operation brings the community and even governments together as they work as one to free the whales. Again, this isn’t one that’s going to appeal to everybody really. Could well be a schmaltz-fest.
Here’s what Lisa Giles-Keddie made of the film.
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The Woman in Black
Daniel Radcliffe stars in this horror thriller courtesy of the legendary Hammer film studios. The story follows a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) who after taking a job which sees him relocated to a country estate, begins to see the titular ‘Woman in Black’. The townsfolk tell of a legend which suggests that the mysterious woman kills stalks their children as revenge for her own being taken away from her. It’s a classic-style horror which focuses on chills and tension rather than blood and gore. It’s interesting to see Radcliffe tackling something so far removed from Harry Potter.
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Ben Mortimer called it ‘the scariest film he’s ever seen in his review.
Casablanca
To mark its 70th anniversary, the legendary Casablanca is receiving a timely theatrical re-release. Simply one of the greatest films of all time, if you haven’t seen it before, here’s the perfect chance to find out why it is so highly regarded. The simple tale of a cynical bar owner, a torrid love triangle and wartime intrigue is simply timeless.
Full of outstanding acting performances and arguably the most quotable script of all time, few films can match Casablanca for sheer volume of memorable moments and what better place to see them than up on the big screen.
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