Tonight In Cinemas: Oldboy, Philomena, Frozen, Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Pick A Winner?

Thanksgiving weekend represents a real mix of genres should you venture out to the pictures. From animated Disney musical action in Frozen, to hyper-violent revenge seeking in Oldboy, there’s truly something for everyone. But what are you going to pick? Well we can start by ruling something out: Oldboy.

Spike Lee seems to have missed a trick with this remake of the South Korean cult classic, which sees a man trapped for several years without explanation, only for his revenge trip to be colored by further torment. Josh Brolin stars, alongside Samuel L. Jackson, but despite an admittedly impressive cast, the film falls short on many levels.

Watch the trailer for Oldboy (it's redband)

“Much of the dialogue is stilted (several scene are laughable) and the melodrama feels unmoored without the lurid, baroque atmosphere of Park's film -- which, after all, was kind of the whole point,” say the Associated Press. 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. Don’t bother.

Next Page: Why you should check out Philomena

Now onto films you should think about seeing, and one of them is certainly Philomena. Suitable for all ages, although probably lost on the younger folk, this heart-warming tale sees Judi Dench and Steve Coogan play a mother finding her son and a determined journalist committed to helping her. Over in the UK, the critics were unanimous in their praise, and as the film has moved onto U.S shores, the comments have been equally kind.

“Director Steven Frears deserves special mention. A lesser filmmaker could so easily have turned this project into mushy, sentimental junk. The tear-jerking moments here are heartfelt and real. It's the kind of filmmaking we see too little of today,” wrote Bill Zwecker in his review for the Chicago Sun Times.

Watch the trailer for Philomena

Now settled on a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clearly one to check out, unless you’re part of a big family, or a Hunger Games fanatic, that is. Next up is Frozen, which is predicted to be a real winner this Thanksgiving weekend.

Next page: don't bother with Philomena, check out Frozen

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All the ingredients are there for a holiday family treat: snow, singing, cute characters and animation. You can’t ask for much more can you? Well actually you can, you can ask for it to be good, and luckily, it is.

“Make way for a new kind of fairy tale. These Frozen princesses are the kind we can definitely warm to,” said The Toronto Star’s Linda Barnard. “Frozen is one of the few recent films to capture that classic Disney spirit,” Bilge Ebiri, of Vulture, writes.

">Watch the trailer for Frozen

Disney certainly knew what they were doing, telling the untold story of Snow White while families are together for Thanksgiving. But their timing was impeccable, and more importantly, they’ve delivered the quintessential Disney experience while so many others are hopelessly trying to capture it.

Next Page: Frozen too cold? Warm up with some Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Finally, it’s those Hunger Games. You know all about it, but Catching Fire has certainly taken the box office by storm, and is predicted to do big things this weekend. With Jennifer Lawrence impressing as Katniss, a solid franchise backing it and a healthy response from the critics, Francis Lawrence’s effort seems to have secured him a crack at the third film.

In line for particular praise, is the film’s star, Jennifer Lawrence. “None of it would work -- not the action, the adventure, the political subtext or the humor -- without the strength and beauty that Ms. Lawrence brings to the central role,” writes The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Morgenstren.

Watch the Hunger Games: Catching Fire trailer

With experts predicting an $80m+ haul for the Hunger Games sequel from Wednesday through Sunday, it’s clear that the favourite for your attention finds itself at the end of this list. But with such a range of movies on offer this weekend, at least everyone will have something to tickle their fancy.