In the market for high-caliber entertainment? Don't miss this week's lineup of acclaimed movies showing on the big screen in and around Irving.
Here are the highest rated films to catch, based on critical scores sourced from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. (Movie descriptions courtesy The Movie Database; showtimes via Fandango.)
Gremlins
When Billy Peltzer is given a strange but adorable pet named Gizmo for Christmas, he inadvertently breaks the three important rules of caring for a Mogwai, and unleashes a horde of mischievous gremlins on a small town.
With an 84 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this '80s throwback has much to recommend it. The site's critical consensus indicates that "Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, 'Gremlins' is a minor classic."
It's playing at Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas (320 Las Colinas Blvd.) on Sunday, Dec. 23. Click here for showtimes and tickets.Elf
When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, who is a workaholic publisher.
With an 83 percent critical approval rating and an audience score of 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, "Elf" has much to recommend it. The site's critical consensus has it that "A movie full of Yuletide cheer, 'Elf' is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell's funny and charming performance as one of Santa's biggest helpers."
It's screening at Regal MacArthur Marketplace Stadium 16 (8505 Walton Blvd.) on Saturday, Dec. 22. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
Aquaman
The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be: a king.
Set to be released on Friday, Dec. 21, "Aquaman" already has a critical approval rating of 70 percent and an audience score of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The site's critical consensus has it that "'Aquaman' swims with its entertainingly ludicrous tide, offering up CGI superhero spectacle that delivers energetic action with an emphasis on good old-fashioned fun."
It's playing at AMC Classic Irving 10 (4205 W. Pioneer Drive) through Monday, Dec. 24; AMC Irving Mall 14 (2433 Irving Mall) through Wednesday, Dec. 26; Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas (320 Las Colinas Blvd.) through Monday, Dec. 24; and Regal MacArthur Marketplace Stadium 16 (8505 Walton Blvd.) through Wednesday, Dec. 26. Click here for showtimes and tickets.
