This week at the movies: A true story about a quirky, determined British ski jumper and his dream to win big; an action-packed, visual-effects-driven film where mythical Gods duke it out in Ancient Egypt’s afterlife; and an intense crime-heist movie with a stellar, seasoned cast.
Eddie The Eagle
Cut from the Olympic ski team, British athlete Michael "Eddie" Edwards (played by Taron Egerton) travels to Germany to test his skills at ski jumping. Fate leads him to Bronson Peary (Hugh Jackman), a former ski jumper who now works as a snowplow driver. Impressed by Edwards' spirit and determination, Peary agrees to train the young underdog. Despite an entire nation counting him out, Eddie's never-say-die attitude takes him all the way to a historic and improbable showing at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Also starring Jo Hartley, Tim McInnerny, and Christopher Walken.
Perfect for: Those who enjoy uplifting biopics, especially ones about underdog athletes.
What the Critics Say: The critics are praising this based-on-a-true-story film and the actors behind it. Says Empire: “Taron Egerton is charm personified as Eddie. He doesn’t caricature his eccentricities and keeps a glint of optimism even as the obstacles look insurmountable… Eddie The Eagle turns a long-running joke of British sort into a crowd-pleasing story of inspiration. It’s a solid gold winner.” Variety agrees, adding that “its cute flourishes,” and the “gamely broad performances from Taron Egerton (as Edwards) and Hugh Jackman (as his fictional coach) could make it a sentimental success for family audiences.”
Our Take: Seems like this movie deserves a medal: Eddie is as inspiring as he is endearing.
Gods of Egypt
The survival of mankind hangs in the balance when Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, usurps Egypt's throne and plunges the prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. Hoping to save the world and rescue his true love, a defiant mortal named Bek (Brenton Thwaites) forms an unlikely alliance with the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Their battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens for an epic confrontation.
Perfect for: Those who enjoy big budget films that are action-packed and centered on special effects; fans of Gerard Butler as a heavily muscled warrior (if you’ve seen 300, you know what we’re talking about).
What the Critics Say: The characters and story itself may not be very well developed, but the sound and visual effects are pretty extravagant (especially when seen in 3D). RogerEbert.com says: “Gods of Egypt has a vision, cockeyed though it may be. There are airborne chariots drawn by winged beetles and flocks of birds, an Indiana Jones-style treasure trove rigged with booby-traps, and a bracelet that repels 42 different demons.” New York Daily News was unimpressed with the choice of cast, but also thinks the “video game” visuals could be enough to make it entertaining for most: “The movie has a certain amount of camp going for it… Clearly, its studio hopes for a huge hit – with early audiences bringing in new fans, and them bringing in still more fans. There are even hopes for a franchise.”
Our Take: This movie contains violence and explosive action, so we aren’t recommending it for families with kids. But if you’re a young adult or older, you may really enjoy seeing this fantasy-action epic in 3D.
Triple 9
Bullets fly on the Atlanta freeway as armed thieves make their getaway following a bank robbery in broad daylight. Unhappy with the results, ruthless gangster Irina Vlaslov (Kate Winslet) orders the men to pull off another job. One member of the team is Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie), a crooked cop who gets saddled with Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), his new but incorruptible police partner. As Belmont and his cohorts lay the groundwork for the heist, they come up with a devious plan to use Allen as their pawn. Aaron Paul, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, and Woody Harrelson also star.
Perfect for: Fans of cop/gangster/heist/crime movies (yes, it’s a genre – think Gangster Squad and The Town).
What the Critics Say: All hail the cast (and especially Kate Winslet). Says Empire: “Triple 9 opens with a terrific bank heist, full of telling details and arresting images (a red flare goes off inside a getaway car)… and a cast that boasts strength in-depth; the quality line up of Ejiofor, Affleck, Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul all do good work. But in a male dominated world… [it is] Kate Winslet’s Russian Israeli mob moll who stands out…” Variety also commends the “diverse, high-wattage” cast, claiming the film is full of “unusually grim, coiled intensity”: “Every new twist feels rooted in an uneasy tension – and an even more uneasy complicity – between the forces of law and disorder… The result is a film that conveys the eerie sense of lying in wait for all its characters, and the paranoia is infectious, with at least two scenes certain to have viewers checking their car backseats upon exiting the theater.”
Our Take: Definitely grown-ups only (obviously). Having said that, the cast is incredibly strong (we love Kate!), and the story sounds exciting and suspenseful.