Box Office Battlefield: Dumb and Dumber To vs. Beyond the Lights

The weekend warriors of November 14, 2014 includes Dumb and Dumber To and Beyond the Lights, as well as a few limited releases. Every week, movie studios select candidates to enter the glorious battlefield for your hard-earned dollars, Box Office Battlefield is here to help you decide which movie(s) will take priority over the others and determine who will be victorious.

Last weekend, Big Hero 6 and Disney Animation took down Christopher Nolan. But will science and robots have the upper hand this weekend? So you’re saying there’s a chance! This is the Box Office Battlefield:

Dumb and Dumber To (Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly) Rated PG-13 [110 min] – 20 years after the dimwits set out on their first adventure, they head out in search of one of their long lost children in the hope of gaining a new kidney. Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Angela Kerecz, and Laurie Holden

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 31% • Audience – 66%

What they’re saying:

“Sporadically funny and mostly tedious, this 18-years-too-late sequel nonetheless exhibits a puerile purity of purpose.” – Andrew Barker (Variety)

“If there was any doubt that most things in society have been dumbed down in the last couple of decades, Dumb and Dumber To could be exhibit A.” – Claudia Puig (USA Today)

What I’m saying:

Like Anchorman 2, I’m sure this is a complete nightmare. I’m happy that the Farrelly’s along with Daniels and Carrey were able to return, but this just wasn’t a good idea. It’s not the same era, humor has evolved, and it’s a different type of audience. How the original got green lit is beyond me, but it’s simply fantastic and it’s sad to see the sequel wasted the goodwill of that film. RENT IT!

Beyond the Lights (Gina Prince-Bythewood) Rated PG-13 [116 min] –A talented young musician on the brink of super stardom struggles with the pressure of her new-found success. Starring Minnie Driver, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Danny Glover, and Aisha Hinds

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 85% • Audience – 80%

What they’re saying:

“The fact that “Beyond the Lights” is so effective at both celebrating and critiquing extravagance and artifice can be credited to Prince-Bythewood’s shrewd understanding of the highly pitched cinematic vernacular she’s working with.” – Ann Hornaday (Washington Post)

“A star-crossed love story is only as good as its Romeo and Juliet. Both Parker and Mbatha-Raw have a sweet, smoldering chemistry that’s a joy to witness…” – Keith Uhlich (AV Club)

What I’m saying:

When I first saw the trailer I thought it looked rather ridiculous. But the tone is so serious and based on the reviews, Beyond the Lights looks like it really hits something special without going completely melodramatic like Tyler Perry’s Temptation. Tickle me intrigued. MATINEE IT!

Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller) [Limited] Rated R [134 min] – Based on the true story of Mark Schultz, an Olympic wrestler whose relationship with sponsor John du Pont and brother Dave Schultz would lead to unlikely circumstances. Starring Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Michael Hall, and Steve Carell

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 85% • Audience – 81%

What they’re saying:

“This is a true-crime story in which the crime is treated as an afterthought.” – Noel Murray (The Dissolve)

“There’s not a hint of fantasy in Foxcatcher and it’s still the scariest monster movie of the year.” – Matt Patches (IGN Movies)

What I’m saying:

A good candidate for awards season. Channing Tatum and Steve Carell are frontrunners for Oscar and the buzz surrounding Foxcatcher is nothing short of wonderful. The age makeup on Carell is a bit jarring to me, but his transformation into this dark and serious role is a great step up for his career, Tatum’s as well. SEE IT!

Saving Christmas (Darren Doane) [Limited] Rated PG [80 min] – Kirk is enjoying the annual Christmas party extravaganza thrown by his sister until he realizes he needs to help out Christian, his brother-in-law who has a bad case of the bah-humbugs. Kirk’s fresh look at Christmas provides Christian the chance to see Christ is where He has always been: at the center of our Christmas celebrations and traditions. Starring Kirk Cameron, Darren Doane, Bridgette Cameron, and Raphi Henly

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 0% • Audience – 58%

What they’re saying:

“With a smile so wide and laughter that sounds so forced you half-expect the camera to pull back to reveal hostage takers, Mr. Cameron explains how several facets of the holiday – the tree, Santa Claus, gifts – have roots in religious tradition.” – Ben Kenigsberg (New York Times)

“This may be one of the least artful holiday films ever made. Even devout born-again Christians will find this hard to stomach.” – Bill Zwecker (Chicago Sun-Times)

What I’m saying:

This movie looks beyond terrible. Imagine how many starving children the Saving Christmas’ production budget could have fed. I think we have a sure bet for a Razzie winner. SKIP IT!

Rosewater (Jon Stewart) [Limited] Rated R [103 min] – Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari is detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogate him under suspicion that he is a spy. Starring Gael García Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Dimitri Leonidas, and Haluk Bilginer

Rotten Tomatoes Score: Critics – 72% • Audience – 81%

What they’re saying:

“While the film keeps telling us that Bahari survived his ordeal by freeing his mind from imprisonment and eventually outsmarting his rosewater-scented interrogator, we are told that he’s doing so more than we’re seeing it.” – Alonso Duralde (The Wrap)

“Like The Daily Show, Rosewater makes uncomfortable political realities into wry but uproarious jokes.” – Tasha Robinson (The Dissolve)

What I’m saying:

I think Rosewater has all the right ingredients to be a great film. I’m sure it’s good, but it just screams Oscar bait. The kind of movie that simply gets produced to tell a story that is ripe for that Oscar audience. The tale is captivating, but it’s not something that I would want to rush out and see. Based on reviews, I would say that the story is there, but tonally and thematically, it doesn’t quite create a good balance. RENT IT!

Families will still be out in droves to see Big Hero 6 and Interstellar has a lot of word of mouth traffic to keep retention, So as it stands, but Dumber To is rated PG-13. That opens a wide audience of teens. Baymax has completely won over the hearts of kids everywhere and the 3D definitely helps. So as it stands, I believe the victor for this weekend shall be: