Take Two

Susan and Russ have different takes on the remake of the western classic from 1960. The location, motives and back stories have changed, but the David vs. Goliath elements remain the same. This is the first time that Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and director Antoine Fuqua have worked together since Washington's Oscar-winning turn in "Training Day."

Susan and Russ take a look at a wacky comedy produced by Loren Michaels of "Saturday Night Live" that features a number of SNL alums. Zach Galifankis stars in the true story of a group of inept thieves who make off with millions only to make idiotic decisions that come back to haunt them. It was directed by Jared Hess, the man behind "Napoleon Dynamite."

With Clint Eastwood behind the camera and Tom Hanks in front, "Sully" was deemed a surefire box office hit. Indeed, the true story of the airline captain who steered a jet to a successful emergency landing in the Hudson River has captured the imagination of eager audiences. Susan and Russ agree that it's a crowd pleaser.

Luke Scott, the son of director Ridley Scott, makes his directorial debut with "Morgan," a creepy sci-fi entry about a clandestine corporate effort to create a superior artificial human. The cast includes Kate Mara, Toby Jones, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Paul Giamatti. Susan and Russ are in agreement that this is a thriller with some inherent flaws.

A biopic about one of the greatest boxers of all time, "Hands of Stone" highlights the ups and downs in the life of Roberto Duran. Edgar Ramirez portrays the Panamanian brawler, Robert De Niro is his trainer, Ray Arcel, and Usher Raymond is Duran's nemesis, Sugar Ray Leonard. Susan and Russ have very different perspectives on this one.

The powerhouse production duo of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey have taken on the daunting task of remaking a movie classic, "Ben-Hur." Jack Huston plays the title role in this epic based on the novel by General Lew Wallace. So, how does it stack up against the 1959 Charlton Heston version that won 11 Academy Awards including "Best Picture?" Susan and Russ are of one mind about this reboot that makes some changes to the original story.

Oscar bait? Susan and Russ chat about a new contemporary Western thriller starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Gil Birmingham. The screenwriter is responsible for last year's hit thriller, "Sicario." Pine and Foster play bank robbers who are taking revenge on the financial institutions that ruined their family ranch. Bridges and Birmingham play the cops who are on their trail.

Is Woody Allen's latest movie among his best? The story involves a young New Yorker (Jesse Eisenberg) who goes to Hollywood in the 1930s to work with his uncle (Steve Carell), a top Tinseltown agent. Complications arise when they start romancing the same woman (Kristen Stewart). Lackluster or blockbuster? Susan and Russ fill us in.

Susan and Russ cover a drama that, in spite of its title, is not the latest superhero movie, Viggo Mortensen ("The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) stars as a father who attempts to raise his children completely 'off the grid.' When his wife dies, her family attempts to take the children away from him. This film was written and directed by actor Matt Ross, best known for for playing Gavin on the HBO TV series, "Silicon Valley."

The BBC sitcom ran, off and on, for 21 years. Susan and Russ check out the big screen version starring Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders as aging, clueless fashionistas. As Susan puts it, they're like female versions of Donald Trump, shallow and materialistic.