Non-woke 'Moana 2' sinks or swims, 'Gladiator II' fights back, and 'Red One' brings some early Xmas action

1 week ago 15

No opinions, no agenda — just the basic facts you need to answer that eternal question: Is anything good playing?

Welcome to the inaugural installment of our monthly Align Movie Guide. We can't guarantee that Hollywood will make entertainment worthy of your time and money — but we can help you get a sense of your choices.

From big-budget spectacles to Christmas warm-ups, here are some of the more promising films hitting cinemas in November

'Here' — Nov. 1

Director Robert Zemeckis' attempt to recapture some of that "Forrest Gump" magic by reuniting Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for "Here" has utterly flopped with critics — and most viewers. It's too bad, as the film takes on a relatively bold challenge: depicting centuries of drama playing out on one piece of land.

Perhaps more interesting than its story is the film's groundbreaking effects work: it uses Metaphysic Live, a new AI technology, to face-swap and de-age Hanks and Wright in real-time while filming instead of doing the work in post.

'Red One' — Nov. 15

If you're one of those people who considers "Die Hard" a Christmas movie, you might want to consider "Red One."

When Santa Claus is kidnapped by sinister forces days before Christmas Eve, North Pole Head of Security Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) recruits the help of Jack O'Malley (Chris Evans), the world’s greatest tracker, to battle fantastical creatures and find jolly Ol’ Saint Nick in an action-packed Christmas adventure.

When it comes to blockbusters, you can’t go wrong with Chris Evans and Dwayne Johnson ... or can you? Evans, a staunch Democrat, has been letting his partisan side show in recent years, broadcasting his support for Kamala Harris and lambasting fans who protested a lesbian kissing scene in Pixar’s "Toy Story" spin-off, "Lightyear."

Neither is "The Rock" impervious to controversy. He was accused of urinating in bottles on the "Red One" set to save time after showing up hours late to set. Surprisingly entitled behavior for a man whose latest films — "Black Adam" and "Jungle Cruise," among them — have failed to capture audiences.

Then again, nobody's perfect, and the concept looks to be a funny, action-packed take on a Christmas movie. If that’s your cup of tea, "Red One" might be worth unwrapping.

'Gladiator II' — Nov. 22

Singer-songwriter Nick Cave once wrote a wild script for a sequel to the beloved "Gladiator," which sent Maximus (Russell Crowe) on an epic time-travel quest. That idea never came to fruition, but original director Ridley Scott is about to deliver a more straightforward follow-up with "Gladiator II." The film follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of Maximus. Like his father, he must fight for his life and the whole of Rome as a gladiator. The film has been highly anticipated for its sprawling physical sets and stacked cast, which includes Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and Derek Jacobi.

'Wicked' — Nov. 22

Nobody said it was easy being green. The long-awaited big screen adaptation of beloved musical "Wicked" has a built-in audience of loyal fans — probably best not to alienate them by crying "racist." Yet that's what star Cynthia Erivo did when one X user innocently edited the movie poster to make it resemble its Broadway counterpart.

Time will tell if this glimpse behind the DEI curtain will dissuade viewers from taking the Yellow Brick Road — but maybe Erivo's co-stars — including Ariana Grande as Glinda (the Good Witch), Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage, and Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard — will be enough of a draw.

'Moana 2' — Nov. 27

Perhaps the one film coming out this month with the most to prove is Disney’s "Moana 2," sailing into theaters a scant nine months after being announced.

"Moana 2" originally took the form of an 8-episode Disney+ series; Disney CEO Bob Iger claimed he loved it so much that he decided to turn it into a feature-length film.

Nice story, but insiders claim his real motives were to replace another animated film rife with wokeness — hardly a selling point after the one-two punch failure of "Strange World" and the well-meaning "Wish." The film was scrapped.

Even stars Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson had to renegotiate contracts and re-record lines for the film (Johnson’s cameo-sized role was expanded to a co-lead). The trailers do seem to indicate a straightforward adventure with the iconic "wayfinder," a welcome signal that Disney is getting back to what it does best: family entertainment. Audiences — and Disney — should hope the Mouse House has another billion-dollar crowd-pleaser on its hands.

Here are a few lesser-hyped upcoming films to consider:

'The Best Christmas Pageant Ever' — Nov. 8

For those who like to celebrate the most wonderful time of year early, consider bringing the family to "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," a new adaptation of Barbara Robinson's book from "The Chosen" creator Dallas Jenkins. When the Herdman siblings — who have a reputation for being the worst kids in the world — take over the local Christmas church pageant, they might just teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas. Starring Judy Greer, Lauren Graham, Pete Holmes, and Elizabeth Tabish.

'Heretic' — Nov. 8

In this horror-thriller from A24, two young missionaries become ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse when they knock on the door of the diabolical Mr. Reed. Trapped in his home, they must turn to their faith if they want to make it out alive. Starring Hugh Grant (in an excellent heel turn), Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, and Topher Grace. Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.

'A Sudden Case of Christmas' — Nov. 8

An American couple bring their 10-year-old daughter, Claire, to her grandfather's hotel in Italy to tell her that they are separating. Hoping to bring them back together, Claire asks the entire family to celebrate one last Christmas together ... in August. Starring Danny DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Andie MacDowell, Wilmer Valderrama, Adrian Dunbar, and Antonella Rose. Directed by Peter Chelsom.

'Bonhoeffer' — Nov. 22

From "Sound of Freedom" producer Angel Studios comes "Bonhoeffer," a drama about the life of the German theologian and pastor who stood up to the Nazis during the Third Reich. Starring Jonas Dassler as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, August Diehl, Moritz Bleibtreu, Nadine Heidenreich, David Jonsson, and Flula Borg.

Complete list by date: