Movie Picks for Winter 2013

I’ll be honest: I don’t get out much. That’s true in general, but more specifically for movies. I don’t really enjoy the whole experience – ads, trailers, uncomfortable chairs, exorbitant prices, annoying seatmates, etc. and since I have a baby, if I’m going to get out of the house without him, I want to do something that I enjoy more.

However, I did see Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) AND The Desolation of Smaug (The Hobbit 2) in theatres (courtesy Nana, babysitter extraordinaire – thanks, Nana!) a few weeks ago (which is two more movies than I’d seen all year) and was reminded that for some movies, seeing it on the big screen does add to the overall experience. It’s also a great thing to do when the weather is miserable, or if the kids are off school and already bored with their Christmas presents.

So here are my top picks for movies currently out.

1. Catching Fire – this was truly amazing. I didn’t have a single moment of wanting to scream, “They messed that up from the book! That’s not how it happened!” Also, the epic-ness of the action and arena and all that really lent itself to the big screen. Plus, we went on a Tuesday evening and there were maybe eight other people in the theatre. Score. (See my review of the first Hunger Games movie here).

2. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (i.e. The Hobbit 2). I saw this in 3D, and it was the first time I saw a feature film in 3D. I HATED it. I found it distracting and annoying. The technology isn’t quite there, and so much of the screen just looks blurry to me. Plus, they add in things, like bees flying at you or whatnot, to be like, “look how great we are! this is in THREE D!” Anyways, this was an excellent movie. I’ve pretty much stopped thinking of this series as “The Hobbit” and am just thinking about it as a way to spend more time in Middle Earth. It did make me want to reread The Hobbit, just to remind myself of how much it was actually changed from the book. For what it’s worth, my non-Tolkein-obsessed husband enjoyed it the most of any of the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies. (See my review of the first Hobbit movie here).

3. Thor: The Dark World. I’ve heard mixed review of this, but I’m looking forward to it. I probably won’t get to it before it comes out to rent, but I’ve been really impressed with the whole rash of Marvel superhero movies that have been released in the recent past.

4. Ender’s Game. I know, I know. I’m like months behind on this. See the whole “baby” thing above. But I would still like to see it in theatres, though I realize the odds of that are dwindling – it’s down to two showings locally. (See my review of the book here.)

5. Frozen. I have a baby, ok? Plus it’s by the Tangled team (which Disney is REALLY pushing hard), and I absolutely loved Tangled. I almost certainly won’t get to see this one while it’s out, but it’s high on my rental list.

What about you? What’s on your holiday movie viewing agenda?