Movie Reviews War Dogs Battle Ben Hur
Movie Reviews: 'War Dogs’ Battle ‘Ben-Hur’ Movies for Grownups
Miles Teller ( and Jonah Hill () star in this action comedy, based on a true story about two stoners who scam the Pentagon into giving them a $300 million contract to arm Afghan fighters. Directed by Todd Phillips (). * Masterly stop-motion 3-D animation adds a sense of delicate artfulness to this tale of a boy in ancient searching for a mystical suit of armor worn by his late samurai father. Think origami coming to life. Ralph Fiennes, , Brenda Vaccaro and Matthew McConaughey are among the excellent voice actors. New at Home * This slam-bang buddy-cop flick harks back to the best of them (think or .). In 1977 L.A., and Ryan Gosling are mismatched detectives searching for a porn star who’s gone MIA. The jokes are just one form of the rapid-fire killers here. * is a hoot in this latter-day screwball comedy. She plays Georgette, the wife of a philanderer (Ethan Hawke) who leaves her for Maggie (Greta Gerwig), a clueless home-wrecker. Fast-forward three years, and Maggie wants to give the hubby back. But does Georgette accept returns? * Warner Bros.’ biggest star of the late 1950s — the heartthrob icon of films, TV shows and even records — concealed his homosexuality throughout his big-screen career. Narrating this funny and disarmingly honest documentary, Tab Hunter is a good-natured guide through his own ups and downs. — Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts Still Out There * Designates a Movies for Grownups Editors’ Choice Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley return for a big-screen sequel to their long-running British sitcom, starring as a pair of hard-drinking, bad-mannered publicists. On the run after apparently killing Kate Moss (it was an accident!), they encounter dozens of star cameos. * latest, the story of a young New York man (Jesse Eisenberg) eager to remake himself in 1930s , starts out as a love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood, then morphs into a meditation on life choices and regrets. * In a summer when movies labor overtime to win us over, , and director Stephen Frears () make it look easy with the funny and sad true story of a 1940s Manhattan socialite who bought out Carnegie Hall to give a one-woman singing recital. The hitch: No one dared inform her she could not sing a note. FULL REVIEW * Paul Feig () remakes the of supernatural comedies, this time with an all-female ghost-hunting cast. Look for appearances by Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson. Matt Damon returns nearly 10 years after last playing author Robert Ludlum’s amnesia-stricken secret agent. This update — like the character’s past — is instantly forgettable. * The friendship of two Brooklyn teens is torn asunder by their feuding parents. is outstanding as a conflicted dad. (Theaters and Netflix) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic children’s book comes to the screen, graced by the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, , Benicio Del Toro, Albert Brooks and Paul Giamatti. The starred Helen Reddy and Mickey Rooney. This remake’s got Bryce Dallas Howard . That may or may not be an upgrade, but the dragon’s definitely more impressive this time around. This R-rated ’toon features desperately trying to avoid being devoured. (And no, we can’t believe we just typed that sentence.) Haven’t they run out of places “where no man has gone before”? Uh, no: In the 13th big-screen adaptation of the , Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) find themselves stranded on an unknown planet. Mean-spirited. Derivative. Sloppily slapped together. In other words, just the thing to attract millions of 14-year-old boys — who, 30 years from now, will watch it with their own kids and cry out, “What was I thinking?” Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Weekend Movies War Dogs Battle Ben-Hur
Plus LeVar Burton tells why the new Roots made him cry
Exclusive Video: LeVar Burton and the New Roots History’s powerful of the classic Roots drew more than 14 million viewers when it aired this year, and the six-hour movie comes to Blu-ray and DVD next Tuesday. The original version made a star of LeVar Burton, and in this video — exclusive to Movies for Grownups, thanks to Lionsgate — the veteran actor recalls the first time he saw young Malachi Kirby step into the role of Kunta Kinte. Thelma & Louise Ride Again We love it when classic movies return to the big screen, and this Sunday you can catch a 25th-anniversary showing of Thelma & Louise, the 1991 buddy comedy/road adventure starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, at nationwide (drive there carefully, please!). A week later, many of the same theaters will show a Turner Classic Movies revival of the 1956 Yul Brynner/Deborah Kerr classic, . New in Theaters * Designates a Movies for Grownups Editors’ Choice No one asked for a new version of the 1959 (itself a ), but director Timur Bekmambetov () guides a capable cast, including , through the familiar narrative. He also brings breathtaking energy to the action sequences, most notably a nerve-shattering battle at sea.Miles Teller ( and Jonah Hill () star in this action comedy, based on a true story about two stoners who scam the Pentagon into giving them a $300 million contract to arm Afghan fighters. Directed by Todd Phillips (). * Masterly stop-motion 3-D animation adds a sense of delicate artfulness to this tale of a boy in ancient searching for a mystical suit of armor worn by his late samurai father. Think origami coming to life. Ralph Fiennes, , Brenda Vaccaro and Matthew McConaughey are among the excellent voice actors. New at Home * This slam-bang buddy-cop flick harks back to the best of them (think or .). In 1977 L.A., and Ryan Gosling are mismatched detectives searching for a porn star who’s gone MIA. The jokes are just one form of the rapid-fire killers here. * is a hoot in this latter-day screwball comedy. She plays Georgette, the wife of a philanderer (Ethan Hawke) who leaves her for Maggie (Greta Gerwig), a clueless home-wrecker. Fast-forward three years, and Maggie wants to give the hubby back. But does Georgette accept returns? * Warner Bros.’ biggest star of the late 1950s — the heartthrob icon of films, TV shows and even records — concealed his homosexuality throughout his big-screen career. Narrating this funny and disarmingly honest documentary, Tab Hunter is a good-natured guide through his own ups and downs. — Receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts Still Out There * Designates a Movies for Grownups Editors’ Choice Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley return for a big-screen sequel to their long-running British sitcom, starring as a pair of hard-drinking, bad-mannered publicists. On the run after apparently killing Kate Moss (it was an accident!), they encounter dozens of star cameos. * latest, the story of a young New York man (Jesse Eisenberg) eager to remake himself in 1930s , starts out as a love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood, then morphs into a meditation on life choices and regrets. * In a summer when movies labor overtime to win us over, , and director Stephen Frears () make it look easy with the funny and sad true story of a 1940s Manhattan socialite who bought out Carnegie Hall to give a one-woman singing recital. The hitch: No one dared inform her she could not sing a note. FULL REVIEW * Paul Feig () remakes the of supernatural comedies, this time with an all-female ghost-hunting cast. Look for appearances by Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson. Matt Damon returns nearly 10 years after last playing author Robert Ludlum’s amnesia-stricken secret agent. This update — like the character’s past — is instantly forgettable. * The friendship of two Brooklyn teens is torn asunder by their feuding parents. is outstanding as a conflicted dad. (Theaters and Netflix) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic children’s book comes to the screen, graced by the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, , Benicio Del Toro, Albert Brooks and Paul Giamatti. The starred Helen Reddy and Mickey Rooney. This remake’s got Bryce Dallas Howard . That may or may not be an upgrade, but the dragon’s definitely more impressive this time around. This R-rated ’toon features desperately trying to avoid being devoured. (And no, we can’t believe we just typed that sentence.) Haven’t they run out of places “where no man has gone before”? Uh, no: In the 13th big-screen adaptation of the , Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) find themselves stranded on an unknown planet. Mean-spirited. Derivative. Sloppily slapped together. In other words, just the thing to attract millions of 14-year-old boys — who, 30 years from now, will watch it with their own kids and cry out, “What was I thinking?” Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures