2 films to see on the week of January 6-13, 2017
Assassin’s Creed
Shame and 12 Years a Slave actor Michael Fassbender plays Callum Lynch who “through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th century Spain,” according the film’s synopsis. The film, based on the Ubisoft video game, got a measly 16% score at review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus reading: Assassin’s Creed is arguably better made (and certainly better cast) than most video game adaptations; unfortunately, the CGI-fueled end result is still a joylessly overplotted slog.
MTRCB Rating: PG
Sing
Popular with the critics polled on the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregate site, which gave the film a score of 69%, the animated film tells the story of Buster, a Koala bear show-biz impresario voiced by Matthew McConaughey, who tries to save his struggling theater by hosting an American Idol-style singing competition. His idea quickly spreads throughout the animal kingdom, attracting a wide range of contestants, from a mother of 25 piglets (voiced by Reese Witherspoon) to a porcine punk rocker (Scarlett Johansson). As the Critics Consensus goes: “Sing delivers colorfully animated, cheerfully undemanding entertainment with a solid voice cast and a warm-hearted — albeit familiar — storyline that lives up to its title.”
MTRCB Rating: PG
