28th November 2016

The final month of the year is usually an expensive one due to someone's celebrated birthday so let's add some cinema trips on top.

The first release day of December 2016 also happens to be my 24th birthday and to celebrate being such a mid-twenties adult, I think a Disney film is in order.

Moana

December 2nd

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker Starring: Auli‘i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison

From the stable that's brought us Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph and Tangled comes the latest adventure of a navigationally talented young woman who teams up with a legendary demi-god voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Expect good fun and great songs which are partly courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda, him off of Hamilton, which also has great songs. So I'm all in after loving Frozen before it was cool.

Bleed For This

December 2nd

Director: Ben Younger Starring: Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Ciarán Hinds

Miles Teller plays a World Champion boxer who suffers horrible injuries in a car crash and attempts to get back in the ring. A rousing underdog boxing story is the expected outcome and Aaron Eckhart who plays his coach is already being touted for a Supporting Actor Oscar nom.

The Birth of a Nation

December 9th

Director: Nate Parker Starring: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr.

A film that ran amok with critical buzz earlier in the year before smashing head first into a pit of controversy over accusations against director and star, Nate Parker, and as such the buzz has almost been silenced. I presume the film must still be worthy in the first place as it tells the story of a slave and a preacher in the American south who orchestrates an uprising.

Snowden

December 9th

Director: Oliver Stone Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo

This films brings to the screen the story of infamous whistle-blower Edward Snowden, portrayed here by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. As the truth is pretty fascinating already here it will be interesting to note how closely it resembles the truth or whether it hints at deeper conspiracies that Snowden himself also often alludes to. Expect to mistrust governments even more afterwards.

Star Wars: Rogue One

December 16th

Director: Gareth Edwards Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn

Fulfilling the new tradition of our annual Star Wars film at Christmas. Although not a sequel to last year's The Force Awakens, this is actually set before the very first Star Wars movie (think A New Hope, not The Phantom Menace). It focuses on Felicity Jones' character as she leads a team to steal the plans for the Death Star so expecting a space-set heist movie wouldn't be too far off the mark. It's directed by Monsters/Godzilla helmer, Gareth Edwards, so at least you'll know that it will look pretty.

Passengers

December 21st

Director: Morten Tyldum Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen

A script that has been floating around Hollywood for years that has just been begging for two big stars to climb aboard. The two stars it finally landed are Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt who'll portray a couple of space passengers travelling to a far off planet but accidentally wake up 90 years early. A bit too punctual. The trailer makes it looks like it's taken bits from every space movie ever so combine that with the star wattage and this should be an interesting charisma vehicle for the lead pair.

__________________________

Also out this month is Tom Hanks landing a plane in a river movie, Sully (Dec 2nd) and if you want some form of Christmassy stuff, check out Office Christmas Party (Dec 7th) though I can't promise a high quality of bell ringing warmth and cheer.

A half-decent roster of release to keep you entertained at the cinema until the new year. For me though, I'm still bitter that Assassin's Creed was pushed back to January here. So boo hiss and bah humbug.

Fancy giving this a share?

Ethan M Barr
Embarr Himself