Critics Consensus: Interstellar and Big Hero 6 are Certified Fresh

Interstellar

72%

Many have tried, but few have approached 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s heady mix of philosophical depth and space adventure (though last year’s Gravity had its moments). Director Christopher Nolan is clearly gunning for the sci-fi pantheon with Interstellar, and while critics say the movie is loaded with ambition and jaw-dropping visuals, its plot is sometimes a muddle. In the not-too-distant future, Earth is on the verge of becoming uninhabitable. Coop (Matthew McConaughey) a former test pilot, is recruited for a risky mission to find another planet that might be able to sustain human life. The pundits say the Certified Fresh Interstellar veers between brilliance and bombast, but its best moments approximate a sense of awe that recalls Andrei Tarkovsky‘s’s Solaris. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down McConaughey’s best-reviewed films, as well as our interviews with the stars.)

Big Hero 6

90%

Does the world need another superhero origin story? If it’s as lively as Big Hero 6, then the answer is yes; critics say this colorful, beautifully-crafted animated film scores on the strength of its distinctive setting, heartfelt story, and its loveable robotic hero, the puffy, literal-minded Baymax. Hiro Hamada is a pre-teen science geek whose older brother has invented an inflatable healthcare robot. However, tragedy strikes, and Hiro, Baymax, and a ragtag group of nerds must team up to save the city. The pundits say the Certified Fresh Big Hero 6 isn’t particularly original, but it’s briskly-paced, action-packed, and often touching. (Check out Baymax’s Five Favorite Films here.)

What’s Fresh on TV:

Critics say that Olive Kitteridge (Certified Fresh at 95 percent) lives up to its compelling source material, thanks to fascinating performances from the likes of Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, and Bill Murray.

Despite a familiar Cold War spy template, critics say The Game (100 percent) has enough style, intelligence, and twists to be worth playing.

Also opening this week in limited release:

• Actress, a documentary portrait of The Wire star Brandy Burre and her attempt to get back into showbiz, is at 100 percent.
• Pelican Dreams, a documentary about the rehabilitation of an injured pelican, is at 100 percent.
• Frederick Wiseman‘s National Gallery, a documentary about London’s eminent art museum, is at 95 percent.
• The Brazilian import The Way He Looks, a coming-of-age drama about a blind teenager in love, is at 94 percent.
• The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones in a biopic of celebrated astrophysicist Stephen Hawking in his 20s, is at 82 percent.
• Why Don’t You Play in Hell?, a gonzo action flick about a group of young filmmakers who get caught up in a mob war, is at 79 percent.
• Plot for Peace, a documentary about the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to the fall of Apartheid in South Africa, is at 71 percent.
• Mr. Pip, starring Hugh Laurie as an Englishman teaching Charles Dickens to the children of a South Pacific island in the midst of war, is at 54 percent.
• Open Windows, starring Elijah Wood and Sasha Grey in a thriller about a hacker who manipulates an overzealous fan into cyberstalking his favorite actress, is at 47 percent.
• 21 Years: Richard Linklater, a documentary about the indie film legend, is at 44 percent.
• The Better Angels, starring Diane Kruger and Jason Clarke in a meditative drama about Abraham Lincoln’s early life, is at 42 percent.
• Jessabelle, a horror film about a woman who returns to her Louisiana home to recover from an accident and discovers she’s being haunted by a malevolent spirit, is at 29 percent.
• Elsa & Fred, starring Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer a romantic comedy about two mismatched seniors who find love, is at 20 percent.