First Posted: 1/26/2015
In theaters (some starting Friday):
BLACK OR WHITE — A bitter court battle ensues between a white lawyer (Kevin Costner) and a black woman (Octavia Spencer) over custody of their biracial granddaughter, forcing both parties to confront their feelings on race, understanding and forgiveness. PG13; 2 hours
BLACK SEA — After losing his salvage job, former naval officer Robinson (Jude Law) assembles a misfit crew of unemployed sailors for a risky mission: Find a sunken Nazi U-boat, rumored to contain a fortune in gold. Promising each man an equal share, Robinson leads the mixed British and Russian crew to comb the depths of the Black Sea. Before long, greed takes hold of a crew already divided along language and cultural lines — and the fewer men that make it back alive, the more gold to go around. R; 1:55
PROJECT ALMANAC — Teenagers build a time machine, but their joy is short-lived when they discover the ripple effects of their actions. PG13; 1:46
CAKE — After seeing visions of a member of her support group who committed suicide, a woman who manages her chronic pain with illegal drugs seeks out the dead woman’s husband. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Sam Worthington and Felicity Huffman. R; 1:32
MORTDECAI — Charismatic British aristocrat and part-time shady art dealer Charlie Mortdecai (Johnny Depp) suffers from constant lack of funds to support his lavish lifestyle. When Alistair Maitland (Ewan McGregor), a college friend and officer in MI5, asks him to find a stolen Goya painting, he accepts. But Charlie’s not the only one with designs on the painting; an American heiress and a revolutionary want it too. The artwork is rumored to contain the code to a bank account filled with Nazi gold. Not Rated; 1:47
WHIPLASH — A first-year music student (Miles Teller) wins a seat behind the drums in a jazz band led by a teacher (J.K. Simmons) who uses fear and intimidation to push his students to perfection. R; 146
STRANGE MAGIC — Goblins, elves, fairies and imps embark on a musical adventure in hopes of getting a powerful potion. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” A Walt Disney movie. PG
THE BOY NEXT DOOR — A moment she couldn’t resist. An obsession he can’t control. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman, Kristin Chenowth, John Corbett and Ian Nelson. R; 1:31
AMERICAN SNIPER — U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) takes his sole mission — protect his comrades — to heart and becomes one of the most lethal snipers in American history. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives and makes him a prime target of insurgents. Despite grave danger and his struggle to be a good husband and father to his family, Kyle serves four tours of duty in Iraq. When he returns home, he finds he cannot leave the war behind. R; 2:12
BLACKHAT — A man is released from prison to help American and Chinese authorities pursue a mysterious cyber criminal. The dangerous search leads them from Chicago to Hong Kong. R; 2:13
PADDINGTON — From the beloved novels by Michael Bond, “Paddington” tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) who travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he realizes city life is not all he had imagined – until he meets the kindly Brown family who read the label around his neck that says “Please look after this bear. Thank you,” and offer him a temporary haven. It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist. PG; 1:35
THE WEDDING RINGER — Doug Harris (Josh Gad) is a loveable but socially awkward groom-to-be with a problem: he has no best man. With less than two weeks to go until he marries the girl of his dreams (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting), Doug is referred to Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), owner and CEO of Best Man, Inc., a company that provides flattering best men for socially challenged guys in need. What ensues is a hilarious wedding charade as they try to pull off the big con, and an unexpected budding bromance between Doug and his fake best man Jimmy. R; 1:41
INHERENT VICE —In a California beach community, private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) tends to work his cases high on pot. One day, Shasta, an ex-lover, arrives out of the blue, pleading for Doc’s help; it seems that Shasta’s current beau, rich real-estate tycoon Mickey Wolfmann, has a wife who may be plotting to send him to a mental hospital. When Mickey and Shasta disappear, Doc navigates a psychedelic world of surfers, stoners and cops to solve the case. R; 2:28
SELMA — Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it hard for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated in President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. PG13; 2:08
TAKEN 3: It Ends Here — Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) and his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), are enjoying a reconciliation when Lenore is brutally murdered. Bryan is framed for the crime and flees, with the CIA, FBI and police all in hot pursuit. For the last time, he channels his rage and particular set of skills into hunting down Lenore’s real killers, taking his revenge and protecting the one important thing left in his life: his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). PG13; 1:49
THE WOMAN IN BLACK: ANGEL OF DEATH — During World War II, the London bombings force schoolteachers Eve Parkins (Phoebe Fox) and Jean Hogg (Helen McCrory) to evacuate a group of children to Crythin Gifford. When the refugees take shelter at Eel Marsh House, Eve soon realizes they are not alone. The longer they remain there, the more the house’s evil spirit threatens the children. With the help of a pilot (Jeremy Irvine), Eve tries to protect the children and uncover the truth behind the Woman in Black. PG13; 1:38
INTO THE WOODS — Based on the musical comedy about a childless couple on a mission to end a witch’s curse. Starring Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone, Richard Glover and Joanna Riding. PG; 2:05
THE GAMBLER — Literature professor Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) leads a secret life as a high-stakes gambler. Always a risk-taker, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster and offers his own life as collateral. Staying one step ahead, he pits his creditor against the operator of an illicit gambling ring while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a paternalistic loan shark. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must risk everything for a second chance. R;1:52
THE IMITATION GAME — Genius British logician and cryptologist Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) helps crack Germany’s Enigma Code during World War II but is later prosecuted by his government for illegal homosexual acts. PG13; 1:53
UNBROKEN — During World War II, Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini (Jack O’Connell) survives for 47 days at sea in a raft, only to be captured by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp. PG13, 1:17
BIG EYES — Walter Keane’s (Christoph Waltz) portraits of saucer-eyed waifs make him a popular artist in the 1950s, but no one knows that it’s his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams), who’s the real genius behind the paintbrush. PG13, 1:45
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES — Having reclaimed Erebor and a vast treasure from the dragon Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield sacrifices friendship and honor to horde the treasure, despite Smaug’s fiery wrath and Bilbo’s attempts to make him see reason. Sauron sends forth legions of Orcs in a sneak attack upon the Lonely Mountain. The fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance, races of men, elves and dwarves must decide to unite or die. Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom. PG13; 2:25
WILD — Driven to the edge by the loss of her beloved mother, the dissolution of her marriage and a headlong dive into self-destructive behavior, Cheryl Strayed makes a decision to halt her downward spiral and put her life back together again. With no outdoors experience, a heavy backpack and little else to go on but her own will, Cheryl sets out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Michiel Huisman and Gaby Hoffmann. R; 1:55
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB — Larry sets out on an epic quest to save the museum’s magic from disappearing forever. Starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson and Ricky Gervais. PG13; 1:38
ANNIE — Ever since her parents left her as a baby, little Annie has led a hard-knock life with her mean foster-mother, Miss Hannigan. All that changes when hard-nosed billionaire and mayoral candidate Will Stacks takes her in on the recommendation of his advisers. Stacks believes that he’s Annie’s guardian angel, but the plucky youngster’s confidence and sunny outlook may mean that Annie will save Will instead. Starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Cameron Diaz and Michael J. Fox. PG; 2 hours
BIRDMAN — A washed-up actor, whose previous claim to fame was his portrayal of a popular superhero, attempts to recapture his past glory by mounting a Broadway play. R, 2 hours
