Two exciting tales of adventure ring in the festive season. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is the long-awaited follow-up to the first Sherlock Holmes movie, released in 2009. This time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary spy and his sidekick, Dr. Watson, investigate the case of a murdered Austrian prince, and are drawn into Europe’s vast criminal underworld.
On Christmas Day comes the release of War Horse, based on Michael Morpurgo’s novel of the same name. The movie tells the story of a bond between a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, during World War I. Albert trains and cares for Joey until the two are forced apart. But the separation is the beginning of a remarkable journey for Joey, who touches the lives of everyone he meets as he moves through the war. The movie is based on Michael Morpurgo's young adult novel of the same name, and there is also a new visual volume called WAR HORSE: The Making of the Motion Picture, which includes over 140 images as well as insight and commentary from the makers of the film.
And new on DVD this month are The Help and Life, Above All.
In Theaters:
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris
Director: Guy Ritchie
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 16th (wide)
Based on: Characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room...until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large --- Professor Moriarty --- and not only is he Holmes's intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade, points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder --- a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction --- all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.
Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis
Director: Steven Spielberg
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: December 25th (wide)
War Horse is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. It begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets --- British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter --- before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.
To celebrate its gallop into theaters,
WAR HORSE: The Making of the Motion Picture will be available in stores beginning December 27th --- and you will not want to miss it. This outstanding visual companion to Steven Spielberg's epic adventure details the movie's story, its production and real-life history, and includes over 140 dramatic images from the film.
New on DVD:
Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain
Director: Tate Taylor
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: December 6th
Based on: THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny are three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed --- even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times.
Cast: Khomotso Manyaka, Lerato Mvelase, Harriet Manamela, Harriet Lenabe, Keaobaka Makanyane
Director: Oliver Schmitz
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
DVD Release Date: December 6th
Based on: CHANDRA'S SECRETS by Allan Stratton
Just after the death of her newly-born sister, 12-year-old Chanda learns of a rumor that spreads like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth.
