With 2014 rapidly drawing to a close and with Christmas ever near, at times it is great to escape the noise, put down the knife and fork, switch off the television, stop listening to Christmas music and simply enjoy a couple of hours of peace and quiet at the cinema to watch the best blockbuster movies, which have been released over the festive season.
There is choice aplenty and you won’t be disappointed. There are genres to suit everybody’s taste and in fact, you’ll be spoilt for choice. We have compiled a list of the must-see movies to catch whilst trying to escape another plate of turkey…
10) The Woman in Black: Angel of Death
Not everybody wants to watch something heartwarming, festive and full of the joys of the Christmas season and THE WOMAN IN BLACK sequel looks set to be the scary ingredient for fans of Christmas horrors. The story takes place four decades after the events of the 2012 Daniel Radcliffe film and stars Phoebe Fox, Jeremy Irvine, Helen McCrory and Oaklee Pendergast.Directed by Tom Harper, ANGEL OF DEATH is set in England, 1941 in the midst of the blitz during the Second World War as Eel Marsh House is seized by the government and converted into a military mental hospital. Two teachers evacuate a group of schoolchildren to the abandoned house seeking safety from the bombs in the remote coastal location, but instead, the group find themselves facing an evil far more frightening when their arrival awakens the Woman in Black. As more and more patients fall victim, young nurse Eve (Fox) realises that she must save them from more than just their own demons.
The sequel will be hoping to follow in the same successful footsteps as its predecessor after THE WOMAN IN BLACK became the UK’s most successful horror film of all time when it was released in January 2012.
The horror flick hits cinemas January 1st.
9) Exodus: Gods and Kings
It’s Christian Bale vs. Joel Edgerton in Ridley Scott‘s film EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS as the man who made GLADIATOR and PROMETHEUS goes Biblical on us all. Gods And Kings finds Bale as Moses, who, after years spent growing up in Egypt like a brother to Rhamses (Edgerton), the man who will become Pharaoh, learns of a prophecy that he’s destined to lead his people to freedom from slavery. Because Moses has God in his side, when Rhamses refuses his request, wave after wave of terrible plagues come down upon his people. Despite Rhamses’ claim to be a living god himself, he’s no match for what follows. But even as Moses leads 400,000 Jews away from slavery, the forces allied against him start to hunt them down. Fans of big budget, historical movies will most likely enjoy Scott’s latest cinematic outing.
The historical epic hits cinemas on December 26th.
8) Dumb and Dumber To
If big budget historical movies are not your thing and you need some light-hearted entertainment, DUMB AND DUMBER TO will provide just that. Two decades on, Jim Carrey has reprised his characters trademark bowl cut and chipped tooth alongside Jeff Daniels’ extreme case of bed hair, in the sequel to the original slapstick comedy. Directed and written by the Farrelly brothers, DUMB AND DUMBER TO sees the return of idiotic best friends Lloyd Christmas (Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Daniels) on yet another road trip, but this time to track down Harry’s daughter who was given up for adoption – who Lloyd falls for. The second installment holds true to the original; it’s silly and it’s crude, and there’s no denying Carrey and Daniels’ relentless onscreen energy. There is a sense of nostalgia as they don the same clothes and step back into the same apartment, recapturing what made us first love the two ‘90s characters. There’s even the return of Harry’s Mutt Cut’s van and a grown up Billy!
See the return of the comedy duo in cinemas from December 19th.
7) Big Eyes
If informative biopics are more up your street, BIG EYES may be another great addition to your Christmas cinematic viewing list. The film chronicles the story of Walter and Margaret Keane, who became known in the ’50s and ’60s for crafting one of the first mass-marketed art sensations. Their ocularly enhanced pictures were sold in petrol stations and small stores around the US. In a sexist twist reflecting the age, it was Walter alone who became famous for the pictures, parlaying the fiction that he created them into TV talk-show stardom. But it was Margaret who actually did the work, and claimed her share of the profits when she and Walter divorced. To prove her ownership in court, the judge ordered a paint-off between the pair. Tim Burton’s film is garnering a lot of attention and may prove to be quite a popular choice to watch over the festive season.
BIG EYES arrives at cinemas on December 26th.
6) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
It doesn’t seem like five minutes ago since we first saw the exhibits in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM come to life, but in fact it has been eight years. The success of the first film was followed up by a sequel in 2009 and now it seems 2014 has brought the final installment in the franchise. Over the years, the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM series has become a fun, entertaining comedy for all of the family to enjoy and SECRET OF THE TOMB continues to provide exactly that. Third time around the magic and action has crossed the pond relocating to London (a welcoming change of venue) as Ben Stiller‘s security guard Larry attempts to revive the magical tablet that brings exhibits to life.
The film also welcomes some new faces and they certainly do not disappoint. The added attractions include Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens), a hilariously funny and friendly security guard played by the always-entertaining Rebel Wilson and of course a bunch of great cameos, including Hugh Jackman and Andrea Martin. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB provides great family entertainment for all of the family to enjoy over Christmas. (You can read our full review here).
The movie lands in cinemas December 19th.
5) Unbroken
UNBROKEN is one of the most talked about films to hit the cinemas over Christmas. Jack O’Connell is the star of the film as the younger Zamperini, an LA high-school athlete who raced in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. During World War II, his Air Force plane crashed in the Pacific, leaving him without food and water for 28 days, enduring shark attacks, starvation and strafing by enemy planes. He finally washed ashore on a Japanese island behind enemy lines, where he was held as a prisoner of war for two years and tortured by his captors. Angelina Jolie is sitting in the director’s chair for this one and with her name attached to the movie, it will no doubt draw in the audience at the box office.
UNBROKEN is released in cinemas on December 26th.
4) Get Santa
Christmas would not be the same without a traditional festive flick featuring the big FC himself – but GET SANTA adds a modern twist. A big-bearded Jim Broadbent dons his red suit ready for the big day, but just days before Christmas, he finds himself in a spot of bother. After trying out his brand new sleigh, Santa makes an unexpected stop in London when he crash-lands into the city. The reindeers are wandering loose and Mr Claus finds himself in a garden shed, where he is found by 9-year-old Tom (Kit Connor). With the prospect of children around the world waking up to empty stockings on Christmas morning, Tom decides to help Santa and enlists the help of his reluctant father Steve (Rafe Spall) to try and help get Santa back to Lapland. As always, a bad day turns into a VERY bad day when Santa is arrested for trying to steal a reindeer and the mission to help him return home comes to a sudden halt. Will Steve and Tom be able to break him out in time for Christmas?
The movie is a heartwarming, entertaining and another triumphant classic British Christmas film. (You can read our full review for the film here).
GET SANTA is out now in cinemas.
3) Birdman
Michael Keaton truly gives an exceptional performance that has created a buzz around him in the awards circuit. He plays former leading man and big time movie star Riggan Thomas. Mostly known for his former role in major comic-book hero Birdman back during the 1990’s, Riggan is crashing after finding himself older but not much wiser, as life after stardom is exceptionally ordinary. In an attempt to get back to the top of Hollywood’s finest, Riggan embarks on a journey of writing, directing and starring in an adaptation of Raymond Carver’s“What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”. Joined by his damaged daughter (Emma Stone), his publicist (Zack Galifianakis), leading lady (Naomi Watts) and hideously committed performer Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), Riggan must stumble his way through the Broadway play whilst dealing with his ever-aggressive alter ego, Birdman, who provides a wonderfully insightful look at Riggan’s self loathing.
A genuinely enlightening experience, BIRDMAN is an outstanding triumph. You can read more about the fantastic film in our review.
BIRDMAN swoops into cinemas January 1st.
2) The Theory of Everything
If ever there was a film that you know will be an emotional, heartrending film, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING IS DEFINITELY IT. There are no surprises in seeing this film racking up award nominations left, right and centre and to be honest, this is one of our firm favourites and we’re desperately hoping to see this do well during the award season. It seems 2014 is the year of the biopics and this Stephen Hawking film is definitely up there in terms of prestige, realism and execution. Eddie Redmayne’s transformation into Stephen Hawking is astounding and he is so convincing in his physicality, credible in his pain and there are not enough superlatives to describe his nuanced, heartbreaking and evoking performance. Felicity Jones, Charlie Cox, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, David Thewlis are also fantastic in this phenomenal movie. Not only does the film provide an insight into Hawking’s theories and the development of his pioneering work, it also opens our eyes to the man behind the machine that we see today. It’s simply superb. (You can read our full review here).
The film hits cinemas January 1st.
1) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Of course this big Christmas blockbuster has to be top of the list. It is our chance to say one last goodbye to our favourite dwarves, elves, humans, wizard and hobbit in the final instalment from Peter Jackson’s epic THE HOBBIT trilogy. The finale will bring action, adventure and believe or not… even tears. It is by far the most powerful and strongest film of the three and Jackson has certainly saved the best until last. The brilliant cast featuring Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Ryan Gage bring the characters and Middle Earth to life and it is the absolute must-see film over Christmas – in fact, the whole year. (You can read our full review here).
The film is out now in cinemas – GO!
