This week at the movies: Matthew McConaughey continues his McConaissance as a space cowboy; and a giant inflatable robot steals the show in a Marvel Comics/Disney flick.
Interstellar
Is it possible that Christopher Nolan has made a movie without gimmicks or superheroes? One that tells a good old-fashioned space exploration story about saving the planet and searching for a bigger meaning in life? Seems that Interstellar might be as straightforward as that. He’s got the biggest stars of the moment on tap—Matthew McConaughey as the space cowboy, Anne Hathaway as his co-pilot, Jessica Chastain as his grown up daughter, Mackenzie Foy as the girl at a young age.
Perfect For: Sci-fi fans in the mold of 2001: A Space Odyssey; Nolan devotees.
What the Critics Say: Mixed bag. They like the ambition, but some think it’s overblown. Writes the New York Times: “Interstellar, full of visual dazzle, thematic ambition, geek bait and corn (including the literal kind), is a sweeping, futuristic adventure driven by grief, dread and regret." The Chicago Tribune: “A knockout one minute, a punch-drunk crazy film the next, Interstellar is a highly stimulating mess.”
Our Take: Definitely going. An iffy movie by Nolan is better than most people’s best.
Watch the Trailer:
Big Hero 6
An adorable inflatable robot that looks like the Pillsbury Doughboy serves as the buddy to a boy genius, Hiro Hamada, in this Disney-animated buddy movie. In this Marvel Comics' tale, Hiro is fighting crime (he’s a robotics prodigy) in the city of San Fransokyo (which sounds suspiciously like a mashup of San Francisco and Tokyo). But really, it’s just an excuse to watch the inflatable buddy, Baymax, be funny and adorable.
Perfect For: The family, and especially fans of the comic book.
What the Critics Say: A toss up, but we’ll chalk up the negative reviews to those people having no heart. Writes The Wrap: “Sweet and sharp and exciting and hilarious, Big Hero 6 comes to the rescue of what's become a dreaded movie trope - the origin story - and launches the superhero tale to pleasurable new heights.” New York Daily News: “Hall and Williams have given us one of the rare family films that can fairly boast of having it all: humor, heart and huggability.”
Our Take: I’d go even without the accompaniment of children.
Watch the Trailer:
