Nine new movies open Thanksgiving Weekend 2011. Three open everywhere on Wednesday, November 23rd and another six are in limited release. The three wide released are three of the best-reviewed movies this year and a few of the limited releases are holding up very good review-wise as well. Looks like a great weekend take in a flick.
Nationwide – Opening Wednesday, November 23rd:
Movie: Arthur Christmas (PG)
Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie & Bill Nighy
Genre: Animated
Synopsis: Santa’s youngest son, Arthur, sets out to deliver a present to a child that accidentally gets missed out of the hundreds of millions of kids Santa delivers to each Christmas. Things don’t go well, but will he get it to the young one before Christmas morning.
First Thoughts: It’s getting really good reviews, but doesn’t really interest me. Also available in 3-D.
Movie: Hugo (PG)
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz & Ray Winstone
Genre: Sci-Fi Action Adventure
Synopsis: An orphan that lives with his uncle in the walls of a 1930s train station works to maintain the clock. But, his most important job is to keep an automaton and notebook from his father safe. He sets out on an adventure to solve the mystery of the two along with the goddaughter of an embittered toy merchant.
First Thoughts: It looks fantastical and looks like it might be the best reviewed movie overall so far this year. Not only that, but it looks like it’s getting great reviews on it’s 3-D offering too.
Movie: The Muppets (PG)
Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper & Rashida Jones
Genre: Family Comedy Adventure
Synopsis: A ruthless oilman has discovered oil under the old Muppet Theater and is going to tear it down to get to the oil below, but his plan is found out by the world’s biggest Muppet fan, his brother and his brother’s girlfriend. So, they set out to get the gang back together for a telethon to save the theater.
First Thoughts: This is actually the movie I want to see most this weekend. It is getting very good reviews too.
Limited – Opening Thanksgiving Weekend 2011:
- A Dangerous Method – Drama starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender about a woman in 1904 Russia that goes to Carl Jung to be treated for hysteria and he uses some of Sigmund Freud’s theories to do so.
- Desi Boyz – Comedy set in 2009 about a guy living well and his friend living off of him that has their lives turned upside down after the guy gets downsized at work.
- My Week With Marilyn – Period drama starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. While the movie itself isn’t getting great reviews, Williams’ performance is.
- Rampart – Drama starring Woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver and Robin Wright about a cop in 1999 Los Angeles that often blurs the lines between right and wrong to dispense his own justice on the streets and what happens to him after he gets caught beating a suspect on camera. Another film getting solid reviews this weekend.
- The Legend of Pale Male – The true account of a love story that begins in 1993 New York, when a young man from Belgium looking to find himself comes across a wild Redtail hawk. They have not lived in the City for almost a hundred years. He is compelled to follow the creature, so he buys a video camera and sets out to follow the hawk. It takes him on a journey that lasts almost twenty years and leads him down many an interesting trail in life. Opens Thanksgiving Day.
- The Artist – Art house comedy about actor George Valentin, a bona fide matinee idol in 1929, working on his latest film where he finds himself falling in love with an ingenue named Peppy Miller. But, George is married and doesn’t want to cheat on his wife. Then the movie business begins to change and their careers begin to diverge. This is yet another movie getting fantastic reviews this weekend. Opens Friday.
There are four new movies playing in my area this week. They are Arthur Christmas, Hugo, The Muppets and My Week With Marilyn. Nine new movies open Thanksgiving Weekend 2011, which are you most likely to see?
