Thanksgiving break is right around the corner for SMU students, which means five days of relaxing at home before coming back to the stress of finals. Between watching football games and eating a plethora of mashed potatoes and stuffing, don’t miss these six November movies.
1. “Spectre”
The new “James Bond” movie has been highly anticipated, especially since it broke a Guinness World Record for the largest stunt explosion in a film. This explosion required 73 pounds of explosives and more than 200 gallons of fuel. Along with impressive stunts, the 24th Bond movie proves that Bond is back and better than ever.
Daniel Craig, the actor who plays Bond, is on a mission to save the world from an evil super villain. Teaming up with Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw in Rome to find the secret organization that is planning terrorist attacks, Craig and his crew provide an action-packed drama that all viewers can enjoy. The movie came out on Nov. 6.
2. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II”
Last night, the cast of “The Hunger Games” celebrated the fourth, and final, “Hunger Games” movie at the premiere in Paris. “Mockingjay Part II” calls on the powerful Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and her closest friends Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) to take down President Snow and save the citizens of war-stricken Panem.
This movie is supposedly a lot darker and more violent than the preceding three movies in the franchise, which will provide an interesting end to the series. Look out for “Mockingjay II” on Nov. 20.
3. “The Good Dinosaur”
For a funny animated film, the Disney movie “The Good Dinosaur” is sure to provide family friendly entertainment for all ages. In this movie, there is an alternate timeline where Earth is never hit by an asteroid and dinosaurs still roam freely.
The main character, a young Apatosaurus named Arlo, falls into a river and is knocked out by a rock. When Arlo awakes, he is far away from his home in the Clawed-Tooth Mountains. Arlo befriends a human cave boy, named Spot, and embarks on a journey with the boy to return home. “The Good Dinosaur” will be released on Nov. 25.
4. “Legend”
“Legend” is a crime movie based on the book The Profession of Violence: The Rise and Fall of the Kray Twins by John Pearson. The film shows the intriguing and chaotic lives of identical twin gangsters, Reggie and Ronnie Kray. The Kray twins led an organized crime empire in the East End of London in the 1960s, and are two of the most notorious criminals in all of British history. Tom Hardy stars as both the twins in the film. Catch “Legend” in theaters on Nov. 20.
5. “The Peanuts Movie”
This fifth full-length “Peanuts” film celebrates the 65th anniversary of the beloved Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip “Peanuts” and the 50th anniversary of the TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The movie was released on Nov. 6 and has already earned over $50 million from the box office. Schulz passed away in 2000, and his wife, Jean Schulz, said the movie reflected her husband’s vision and that he “would have been very proud of the care and effort that was taken in making it.” Make sure to see what Charlie Brown and Snoopy are up to in this heartwarming animated film.
6. “The 33”
This dramatic movie is based on the tragic true event of a Chilean gold and copper mine that collapsed and trapped 33 miners underground for 69 days in 2010. The miners emerged one-by-one from a capsule that was lowered 2,300 feet below the surface of the San Jose Mine. The movie stars Antonio Banderas, playing Mario Sepúlveda, the man who sent videos to rescuers to keep them up to date on the miners’ condition. “The 33” was released Nov. 9.
