In Theaters: December 26th, 2014

There are FOUR wide releases this week and they were all released on Christmas Day.

Big Eyes (Thursday Release)

You can definitely file this under "snuck past my radar."  I must have taken one look at the poster and the talent and assumed it was an independent movie.  I never heard about it in the news.  Evidently it's a Tim Burton movie.

I knew nothing about this movie until two minutes ago when I finished the trailer.  Amy Adams plays a painter in the 60's or so who marries Christoph Waltz' character.  She paints the portraits - all with big eyes - and they are sold under his name, "because people won't buy lady art!"  Eventually I guess Amy Adams' character gets tired of it and stuff gets a little crazy.  Why not?

I'll tell you why not.  Because that does not sound like something I want to watch for two hours.  Even if it is based on a true story.

Big Eyes is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language.

The Gambler (Thursday Release)

Or the alternate title: "The only reason we know Rupert Wyatt isn't dead."

I don't know what else to say except it's a movie about a gambler who gets in deep.  And Mark Wahlberg plays the gambler.  Done!

The Gambler is rated R for language throughout, and for some sexuality/nudity.

Into The Woods (Thursday Release)

I don't like Meryl Streep and I don't like Anna Kendrick.  I have no interest in this movie.  Except maybe Emily Blunt.

Into The Woods is basically Shrek before Shrek existed.  It's a stage musical that is a mash up of many well known fairy tales.

Rob Marshall is a somewhat notable director though.

Into The Woods is rated PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material.

Unbroken (Thursday Release)

Finally a movie coming out this Christmas that doesn't look awful!

Director Angelina Jolie brings us the true story of a man who was punched in the face many times in a row, Louis Zamperini.  But more than that, he was also an olympic athlete, survivor of a plane crash in the ocean, and survivor of a Japanese POW camp during World War II.

My only concern for this movie is that true stories can be tricky.  Especially in a story like this where there are three majorly impressive events it can be hard to tie them all together thematically and with good coherence.  On top of that Angelina Jolie is still unproven as a director.  The cinematography and costume design look great though.

Unbroken is rated PG-13 for war violence including intense sequences of brutality (see two paragraphs above), and for brief language.

      Big Shot Critic