Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows
Recommended reading
Daisy Ridley in Cleaner
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (June 13 - 15)
Charlize Theron as Andy in The Old Guard 2.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 2 - 4)
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Poker Face.
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Havoc
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (April 25 - 27)
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
Streaming Services The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Lost in Starlight
Streaming Services 6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 30 - June 1)
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Movies to watch this week at the cinema: Why Him?, Collateral Beauty, Operation Chromite, more...

Features
By Total Film Staff published 26 December 2016

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Out on Friday 30 December

Out on Friday 30 December

James Franco meets the parents. Will Smith turns to Love, Time and Death (for pen pals, of course). A Korean war drama with – yes, you didn’t guess it – Liam Neeson.

Yes, here's this week's new releases. Click on for our reviews of Why Him?, Collateral Beauty, Operation Chromite, Monster Trucks, Crash & Burn, and Reset.

For the best movie reviews, subscribe to Total Film.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Why Him?

Why Him?

Bryan Cranston and Megan Mullally are the straight-laced parents introduced to their daughter’s (Zoey Deutch) new beau – sweary tech millionaire Laird (James Franco). Uh-oh…

Written/directed by Meet the Parents scripter John Hamburg, Why Him? may get defined by its gross-out moments (a tea-bagging by a moose – don’t ask) but it’s a smart gen-gap tale with loveable characters.

Director: John Hamburg; Starring: Bryan Cranston, Zoey Deutch, James Franco, Tangie Ambrose; Theatrical release: December 26, 2016

James Mottram

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Collateral Beauty

Collateral Beauty

For a wrenching portrait of grief, see Manchester by the Sea. For a facile, glossily uninvolving treatment, witness this mawkish stab at magical realism from David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada). Will Smith plays an advertising exec who, devastated by his daughter’s passing, pens letters to Love, Time and Death.

This prompts his colleagues to hire actors – among them Helen Mirren and Keira Knightley – to embody these abstractions in a bid to help him heal. A-list sad-faces abound in a film where absurd concept is rivalled only by banal execution.

Director: David Frankel; Starring: Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Naomie Harris, Keira Knightley; Theatrical release: December 26, 2016

Neil Smith

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Operation Chromite

Operation Chromite

Before the US invasion of Inchon, the turning point of the Korean War, General MacArthur sent in South Korean spies to lay the groundwork. This fictionalised account features Liam Neeson as a cartoonish MacArthur.

The rest of the film is equally hammy, from melodramatic score to cheesy slo-mo deaths. Entertaining in its own way, though probably not in the way intended.

Director: John H. Lee; Starring: Liam Neeson, Jung-jae Lee, Beom-su Lee; Theatrical release: December 26, 2016

Stephen Kelly

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Monster Trucks

Monster Trucks

Ice Age’s Chris Wedge swaps animation for live action with  this fun creature feature, in which a squid monster at risk from an  oil concern takes refuge inside teenager Tripp’s (Lucas Till) SUV.

Rob Lowe provides colour as a Southern-accented sleazeball, while the Free Willy finale has enough vehicular mayhem to excuse its dodgy FX. Transformers-lite for Finding Dory fans who can’t wait to drive.

Director: Chris Wedge; Starring: Jane Levy, Lucas Till, Rob Lowe; Theatrical release: December 26, 2016

Neil Smith

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Crash & Burn

Crash & Burn

A doc about Irishman Tommy Byrne, “the greatest racing driver you’ve never heard of”. Byrne reflects on his career as a cocky, super-talented driver who missed out on bigger success due, he claims, to underhand Formula 1 politics.

Detailing his flair on the track and partying off it, this compellingly explores the question: did he ruin his own chance of greatness, or did others deliberately stall him?

Director: Sean O'Cualain; Theatrical release: December 30, 2016

Matt Looker

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Reset

Reset

This beautiful-looking doc follows Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s 2015 quest to stage his first show as the Paris Opera Ballet’s new dance director (a post he recently quit). There’s plenty of style and grace on offer, but not much drama – even a crew strike fizzles into nothing.

Still, for dance fans this is a fascinating study of the time, effort and logistics that go into a big production.

Directors: Thierry Demaizière, Alban Teurlai; Starring: Benjamin Millepied; December 26, 2016

Stephen Kelly

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Total Film Staff

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

See more Movies Features
Read more
Daisy Ridley in Cleaner
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (June 13 - 15)
Charlize Theron as Andy in The Old Guard 2.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Anna Kendrick in Another Simple Favor
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (May 2 - 4)
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in Poker Face.
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Havoc
6 new movies and shows to watch this weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus, and more (April 25 - 27)
Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
The best new shows and movies streaming this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and more
Latest in Movies
Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Miracle as the Justice Gang in Superman
The Justice Gang explained - The non-Justice League in James Gunn's Superman may be influenced by team of classic DC supervillains
Crash Bandicoot PS1
Long before the Super Mario Bros. movie grossed $1.3 billion, Sega's president tried making a Crash Bandicoot movie but was told "video games is like a toy business"
James Gunn
James Gunn shares the most important Superman review yet - from the grandchildren of comic creator Jerry Siegel "This is the Superman movie we've been waiting to see"
M3GAN doll shushing Gemma in the final M3GAN 2.0 trailer
M3GAN 3 looks unlikely after new sequel M3GAN 2.0 malfunctions at box office
Ben Grimm and Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps
New Fantastic Four concept art post unveils our best look yet at the Baxter Building – and Marvel fans think they might prefer it to the comic version
Elio and an alien in Elio
Pixar's Elio reportedly underwent massive behind-the-scenes changes after a test screening where no one wanted to pay to watch the movie
Latest in Features
Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mister Miracle as the Justice Gang in Superman
The Justice Gang explained - The non-Justice League in James Gunn's Superman may be influenced by team of classic DC supervillains
Team Fortress 2 characters looking at a map
I have 464 games on my Steam wishlist, 23 games in my Steam Summer Sale shopping cart, and I can feel my already overstuffed library giving me the side-eye
Heavy Metal Death Can demo screenshot
I got a nicotine rush and set zombies on fire in this PS1-style survival horror demo, and it's basically Resident Evil on a submarine
A PSVR 2 review image next to the marketing reveal image of the Meta Quest 3S, separated by an orange line
Xbox finally has a VR headset, but it's not the PSVR 2 rival I was hoping for
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster image showing a giant city built upon a hill by the sea
Bravely Default's remaster is secretly the Switch 2's must-play RPG, but it's still flying under the radar
Rematch players celebrating in a large stadium
"The essence of football is not in the rules": Rematch's creative director on nailing that five-a-side feeling and making a game "about kicking a ball rather than kicking heads in"
  1. Sam fires at the ghost mech squid boss in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
    1
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  2. 2
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  3. 3
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  4. 4
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  5. 5
    Dune: Awakening review: "Both extremely compelling and extraordinarily boring, sometimes at the same time – yet still a true Dune love letter"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...