This week at the movies, we’ve got funny flightless birds (Penguins of Madagascar, with voice performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and John Malkovich) and desperate businessmen (Horrible Bosses 2, starring Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis). What do the critics have to say?
The Madagascar movies are certainly a few cuts below, say, the Toy Story films, but give credit where it’s due: each entry has been better-reviewed than the last. Now, the scene-stealing penguins get their own movie, and critics say Penguins of Madagascar is an energetic, silly spy comedy that’s sure to please the little ones (and maybe earn a few smiles from their older companions). The nefarious octopus Octavious Brine (voiced by John Malkovich) is plotting against the world’s penguins, sour old penguin pals Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private join forces with a husky named Classified (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his team of animal spies to thwart him. The pundits say some parents may find Penguins of Madagascar a little too manic, but it’s got plenty of witty lines and madcap action scenes to please the kids.
The first Horrible Bosses was a funny revenge fantasy with a serious undercurrent: it drew its dark laughs from our collective economic anxiety. Unfortunately, critics say Horrible Bosses 2 trades topical humor for tastelessness, stranding its talented ensemble in a sloppy narrative. This time out, our heroes (played by Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day) have formed their own company and inked a deal with wealthy retailer Bert Hanson (Christoph Waltz) to get their product in stores. But when Bert tries to double-cross them, our would-be entrepreneurs decide to kidnap his son and hold him for ransom. The pundits say that the stars keep Horrible Bosses 2 watchable from time to time, but they’re let down by a thin script that turns juvenile and misanthropic a little too quickly. (Check out as our video interviews with the stars here.)
The pundits say The Missing (Certified Fresh at 96 percent) turns a common premise into a standout thriller, thanks to heartfelt, affecting performances.
Substantially similar to its predecessor in all the best ways, critics say this new season of The Comeback (Certified Fresh at 83 percent) thrives on Lisa Kudrow’s starring performance as Valerie Cherish.
The Babadook, an Australian horror film about a widow and her six-year-old who are bedeviled by a storybook monster, is Certified Fresh at 97 percent.
The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, a behind-the-scenes look at animation legend Hayao Miyazaki and his work at Studio Ghibli, is at 89 percent.
The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in a biopic of the brilliant mathematician and computer pioneer Alan Turing, is Certified Fresh at 84 percent.
Antarctica: A Year on Ice, a documentary about the southernmost continent’s year-round residents, is at 83 percent.
Before I Disappear, a drama about a troubled man whose plan to kill himself is foiled when he’s forced to babysit his niece, is at 54 percent.
The Immortalists, a documentary about a pair of unconventional biologists who are attempting to “cure aging,” is at 50 percent.
