December brings great films to theaters
By Emily Ready
December 20, 2017
By Emily Ready
December 20, 2017
With beautifully animated adventures, infamous superheroes joining forces, and everyone’s favorite god of thunder, the movie theaters are blowing up with three major blockbusters that are all must sees. Disney and Pixar’s Coco, DC Comics’ Justice League, and Marvel Comics’ Thor:Ragnarok are the theaters’ top hits right now, with hundreds of people flooding in to see them.
The film currently standing as the 3rd most popular movie in theaters is Thor:Ragnarok. Marvel Comics’ third installment of the god of thunder’s famous adventures was released on November 3, 2017. The film was directed by Taika Waititi and includes recurring cast members such as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Mark Ruffalo. Some new faces are introduced to the audience with Tessa Thompson playing Thor’s new ally, and Cate Blanchett starring as the film’s villain.
The movie kicks off with Thor discovering that his home planet of Asgard is in danger of being destroyed by the phenomenon called “Ragnarok,” which is the final destruction of the world. As he returns home, he finds that his infamous and mischievous brother Loki has taken over the planet and they are forced to work together to face Hela, a new threat who wants to conquer Asgard as well as all the other realms. When trying to face this new threat, Thor ends up imprisoned on the other side of the universe, without his hammer, where he is forced to fight in a gladiator contest. He must fight his way to escape so he can return home and save his people. Thor: Ragnarok continues in a surprisingly comedic and action-filled adventure that Marvel fans will be sure to love.
Though the film takes a much more different approach than the first two in the franchise, it has done quite well in the box office. Thor: Ragnarok has so far grossed $816.4M and received a rating of 92% from Rotten Tomatoes. Even though the ratings are good, some critics are having mixed reviews. Screen Rant’s Molly Freeman says,“Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok is a breath of fresh air in the MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe], but still feels very much like a Marvel movie – for better or worse.” On the other hand, The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis says, “The story is an uninteresting thicket of brawls, machinations and coincidences, but the director Taika Waititi has a charmingly human touch and a gift for turning goofiness and gab into personality.” But all in all, the film did very well and in the words of Common Sense Media’s Michael Ordona, “The Marvel Cinematic Universe's most audacious entry so far, Thor's third stand-alone movie goes there with wild, bold choices -- and it succeeds, epically, on many levels.”
Up next, taking its place at the 2nd most popular movie in theaters right now is Justice League. D.C. Comics’ first installment of the infamous Justice League was released on November 17, 2017. It was directed by Zack Snyder and features many famous actors such as Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller, and Jason Momoa.
The film follows the events of Batman vs. Superman. So inspired by the selfless acts of Superman, Bruce Wayne decides to put together a team to face a new enemy. Bruce and his ally Diana Prince, a.k.a Wonder Woman, work together to recruit a group of metahumans to protect the world against a new, frightening enemy. Their team consists of famous comic book heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Cyborg. However, even with a new team assembled, it may be too late for the heroes to stop the catastrophic attack that is about to happen on the Earth.
Justice League received a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has so far grossed $567.4M at the box office. While many critics have said that D.C.’s Justice League has not really reached the same success as Marvel’s Avengers, it has done considerably better than some preceding movies by D.C. Comics. Manohla Dargis from The New York Times stated, “The newest superhero jam from DC Comics is looser, goosier and certainly more watchable than the last one, though the bar could scarcely have been lower.” However, Screen Rant’s Sandy Schaefer offers a bit of a more positive review by saying, “Justice League successfully ushers in a new era for DC Films and delivers lots of superhero fun - at the expense of a richer and more layered movie.” And finally, Dan Jolin from Empire makes the D.C. to Marvel comparison when he says, “It’s breezily fun at times – but, lumbered with a story that struggles to find resonance beyond its improbable plot devices, Justice League isn’t about to steal Avengers’ super-team crown.” So D.C. Comics’ Justice League may not have been some critics’ absolute favorites, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an enjoyable, action-packed movie that people will enjoy.
Finally, coming in at the theater's current number 1 most popular movie is Coco. Disney and Pixar have done it again, creating yet another heart-warming, visually stunning movie for everybody to love.
Coco was released in theaters on November 22, 2017 and it was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film features the expressive voices of actors such as Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, and Alanna Ubach.
Coco is a story about young Miguel who has dreams of becoming an accomplished and famous musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Unfortunately, his family has had a mysterious ban on music for many generations now, which restricts him from truly being able to fulfill his dreams. Miguel soon finds himself in the Land of the Dead where he befriends Hector, a charming trickster. Together they embark on a fantastic and extraordinary journey to unlock the truth behind Miguel’s family history and how the ban on music came to be.
It’s not surprising to see that Coco has done so well at the box office considering it’s a Disney and Pixar animation. The film received an awesome rating of 96%, just two percent short of another one of Disney and Pixar’s incredible animations, Inside Out, released in 2015. Coco has so far grossed about $280M at the box office and the number, as well as the positive reviews, continue to climb. There has been nothing but great feedback for the film, starting with Screen Rant’s Molly Freeman stating, “Coco is a heartwarming story about family and a well-crafted coming of age tale steeped beautifully in the traditions of Mexico's Día de los Muertos.” Sandie Angulo Chen from Common Sense Media said the film was, “Colorful, beautifully animated, and culturally sensitive, ‘Coco’ is an affecting, multilayered coming-of-age drama.” And it finish it off, The New York Times’ A.O. Scott says, “If this movie doesn’t quite reach the highest level of Pixar masterpieces, it plays a time-tested tune with captivating originality and flair.” To top it all off, Coco has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards in the categories of Best Original Song and Best Animated Motion Picture. It’s clearly safe to say that Coco has done amazingly well and it will be a film that people will enjoy for many years to come.
It is clear to see why Thor:Ragnarok, Justice League, and Coco are all standing the tops spots at the box office currently. All three films have their own elements that bring something special to the audience and help to give a performance that will no doubt be enjoyable. So there’s no time to waste, get out to the movies now and see one of these amazing films! You won’t regret it!
The film currently standing as the 3rd most popular movie in theaters is Thor:Ragnarok. Marvel Comics’ third installment of the god of thunder’s famous adventures was released on November 3, 2017. The film was directed by Taika Waititi and includes recurring cast members such as Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Mark Ruffalo. Some new faces are introduced to the audience with Tessa Thompson playing Thor’s new ally, and Cate Blanchett starring as the film’s villain.
The movie kicks off with Thor discovering that his home planet of Asgard is in danger of being destroyed by the phenomenon called “Ragnarok,” which is the final destruction of the world. As he returns home, he finds that his infamous and mischievous brother Loki has taken over the planet and they are forced to work together to face Hela, a new threat who wants to conquer Asgard as well as all the other realms. When trying to face this new threat, Thor ends up imprisoned on the other side of the universe, without his hammer, where he is forced to fight in a gladiator contest. He must fight his way to escape so he can return home and save his people. Thor: Ragnarok continues in a surprisingly comedic and action-filled adventure that Marvel fans will be sure to love.
Though the film takes a much more different approach than the first two in the franchise, it has done quite well in the box office. Thor: Ragnarok has so far grossed $816.4M and received a rating of 92% from Rotten Tomatoes. Even though the ratings are good, some critics are having mixed reviews. Screen Rant’s Molly Freeman says,“Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok is a breath of fresh air in the MCU [Marvel Cinematic Universe], but still feels very much like a Marvel movie – for better or worse.” On the other hand, The New York Times’ Manohla Dargis says, “The story is an uninteresting thicket of brawls, machinations and coincidences, but the director Taika Waititi has a charmingly human touch and a gift for turning goofiness and gab into personality.” But all in all, the film did very well and in the words of Common Sense Media’s Michael Ordona, “The Marvel Cinematic Universe's most audacious entry so far, Thor's third stand-alone movie goes there with wild, bold choices -- and it succeeds, epically, on many levels.”
Up next, taking its place at the 2nd most popular movie in theaters right now is Justice League. D.C. Comics’ first installment of the infamous Justice League was released on November 17, 2017. It was directed by Zack Snyder and features many famous actors such as Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller, and Jason Momoa.
The film follows the events of Batman vs. Superman. So inspired by the selfless acts of Superman, Bruce Wayne decides to put together a team to face a new enemy. Bruce and his ally Diana Prince, a.k.a Wonder Woman, work together to recruit a group of metahumans to protect the world against a new, frightening enemy. Their team consists of famous comic book heroes like Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Cyborg. However, even with a new team assembled, it may be too late for the heroes to stop the catastrophic attack that is about to happen on the Earth.
Justice League received a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has so far grossed $567.4M at the box office. While many critics have said that D.C.’s Justice League has not really reached the same success as Marvel’s Avengers, it has done considerably better than some preceding movies by D.C. Comics. Manohla Dargis from The New York Times stated, “The newest superhero jam from DC Comics is looser, goosier and certainly more watchable than the last one, though the bar could scarcely have been lower.” However, Screen Rant’s Sandy Schaefer offers a bit of a more positive review by saying, “Justice League successfully ushers in a new era for DC Films and delivers lots of superhero fun - at the expense of a richer and more layered movie.” And finally, Dan Jolin from Empire makes the D.C. to Marvel comparison when he says, “It’s breezily fun at times – but, lumbered with a story that struggles to find resonance beyond its improbable plot devices, Justice League isn’t about to steal Avengers’ super-team crown.” So D.C. Comics’ Justice League may not have been some critics’ absolute favorites, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an enjoyable, action-packed movie that people will enjoy.
Finally, coming in at the theater's current number 1 most popular movie is Coco. Disney and Pixar have done it again, creating yet another heart-warming, visually stunning movie for everybody to love.
Coco was released in theaters on November 22, 2017 and it was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film features the expressive voices of actors such as Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, and Alanna Ubach.
Coco is a story about young Miguel who has dreams of becoming an accomplished and famous musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Unfortunately, his family has had a mysterious ban on music for many generations now, which restricts him from truly being able to fulfill his dreams. Miguel soon finds himself in the Land of the Dead where he befriends Hector, a charming trickster. Together they embark on a fantastic and extraordinary journey to unlock the truth behind Miguel’s family history and how the ban on music came to be.
It’s not surprising to see that Coco has done so well at the box office considering it’s a Disney and Pixar animation. The film received an awesome rating of 96%, just two percent short of another one of Disney and Pixar’s incredible animations, Inside Out, released in 2015. Coco has so far grossed about $280M at the box office and the number, as well as the positive reviews, continue to climb. There has been nothing but great feedback for the film, starting with Screen Rant’s Molly Freeman stating, “Coco is a heartwarming story about family and a well-crafted coming of age tale steeped beautifully in the traditions of Mexico's Día de los Muertos.” Sandie Angulo Chen from Common Sense Media said the film was, “Colorful, beautifully animated, and culturally sensitive, ‘Coco’ is an affecting, multilayered coming-of-age drama.” And it finish it off, The New York Times’ A.O. Scott says, “If this movie doesn’t quite reach the highest level of Pixar masterpieces, it plays a time-tested tune with captivating originality and flair.” To top it all off, Coco has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards in the categories of Best Original Song and Best Animated Motion Picture. It’s clearly safe to say that Coco has done amazingly well and it will be a film that people will enjoy for many years to come.
It is clear to see why Thor:Ragnarok, Justice League, and Coco are all standing the tops spots at the box office currently. All three films have their own elements that bring something special to the audience and help to give a performance that will no doubt be enjoyable. So there’s no time to waste, get out to the movies now and see one of these amazing films! You won’t regret it!