This week at the movies, we’ve got Brazilian birds (Rio 2, with voice performances by Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg), a pigskin professional (Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner), and a malevolent mirror (Oculus, starring Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane). What do the critics have to say?
Plenty of animated films can entertain the kiddies for two hours without leaving much of an impression. Critics say Rio 2 is visually sharp and action-packed, but it’s also overly busy and short on big laughs. Married macaws Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) have settled down with their chicks in the big city, but when an ornithologist discovers a flock of endangered blue macaws, the family travels to the Amazon rainforest, where they find a group of birds who can’t relate to Blu’s city-slicker ways. The pundits say that althoughRio 2 is colorful and energetic, its lack of storytelling discipline and overabundance of musical numbers makes for a thinner experience than its predecessor. (Check out our video interview with the stars of Rio 2 here.)
Moneyball proved that front-office action could be as riveting as anything on the playing field. Unfortunately, critics say that while Draft Day is slick and well acted, it suffers from predictable plotting and a shortage of insight. Costner stars as Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver, who’s tasked with rebuilding the team after another losing season. But Sonny’s not just worried about the Browns’ roster — he’s got a host of family issues to deal with as well. The pundits say Costner is rock-solid in the lead role, but the other characters aren’t as well fleshed out, and the film often fumbles the football details. (Watch our interview with the stars of Draft Day, and browse our gallery of memorable football movies.)
If you think you’ve seen every permutation on the haunted house horror flick template, think again. Critics say Oculus is a very effective frightfest, one that features interesting characters and an encompassing sense of dread. After the bizarre death of their parents, a pair of siblings return to their childhood home in order to confront the murderous party responsible: a haunted antique mirror that has the power to distort reality. The pundits say Oculus is sharply crafted, well acted, and often very scary.
Dancing In Jaffa, a documentary about a dance instructor who teaches classes for Israeli and Palestinian kids, is at 100 percent.
The King of Escape, a comedy about a middle-aged tractor salesman who accompanies a teenage girl fleeing her parents, is at 100 percent.
Jim Jarmusch‘s Only Lovers Left Alive, starring Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as vampires in a longstanding relationship who are reunited in contemporary Detroit, is Certified Fresh at 89 percent.
Joe, starring Nicolas Cage in a drama about an ex-con who becomes a father figure for a troubled teenager, is Certified Fresh at 83 percent.
No God, No Master, starring David Strathairn in a period drama about a U.S. Bureau of Investigation agent on the trail of an anarchist plot, is at 80 percent.
A Fragile Trust: Plagiarism, Power And Jayson Blair At The New York Times, a documentary about the serial plagiarist, is at 71 percent.
The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman in a drama about a former prisoner of war who vows to confront the man responsible for his treatment, is at 69 percent (check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Kidman’s best-reviewed movies).
Hank And Asha, a romantic comedy about a couple in a long-distance relationship that corresponds by trading video missives, is at 64 percent.
Cuban Fury, starring Nick Frost and Rashida Jones in a comedy about a former salsa dancing prodigy looking for love and redemption, is at 51 percent.
Hateship Loveship, starring Kristen Wiig and Guy Pearce in a dramedy about a lonely housekeeper who becomes the victim of an elaborate prank, is at 44 percent.
