Arts & Entertainment

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons’ comic series is adapted for the big screen in this Matthew Vaughn-directed action thriller. The story centers on a secret agent who recruits ajuvenile delinquent into a top-secret spy organization. Together, they battle a tech genius with diabolical ambitions. Director: Matthew Vaughn. Cast: Colin Firth, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong, Mark Hamill. Rated: R. Time: 2:09.

Focus

Nicky has studied the science of human nature his whole life, and understands precisely how to earn anyone’s trust, or fool them into never noticing he’s stealing their watch, or wallet, or anything they might have that he can sell. He meets Jess who tries to scam him, but turns the tables. The two of them hit it off nonetheless and she begs Nicky to teach her what he knows about the criminal life, and he brings her in on a plan to steal from as many people as possible during Super Bowl week in New Orleans. Nicky’s actions at the end of their New Orleans trip force Jess to reassess their relationship. Three years later, Nicky enters into a deal with a Garriga, a wealthy playboy, to help his Formula 1 team triumph by scamming his competitors, but he soon discovers Jess and are a couple — and old feelings complicate the new arrangement. Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa. Cast: Will Smith, Rodrigo Santoro, Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, B.D. Wong. Rated: R. Time: 1:44.

Jupiter Ascending

Mila Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones, an everyday girl in the future whose life takes an unexpected turn when an ex-soldier (Channing Tatum) comes looking for her in hopes that she can live up to her destiny as the savior of the universe. Director: Andy Wachowski. Cast: Mila Kunis, Channing Tatum, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth. Rated: PG-13. Time: 2:05.

A big screen version of the initial book in the series, has Anastasia Steele, an English Lit major on the verge of graduation.

A biopic of the celebrated scientist Stephen Hawking. Enrolled as a graduate student at Cambridge, Hawking establishes himself as one of the leading minds of his generation, and begins to win the heart of Jane.

Taken 3

Former covert operative Bryan Mills must race to protect his daughter while tracking down the criminals who framed him for killing his wife in the adrenaline-fueled third chapter of the Taken saga. Bryan and his ex-wife Lenore are taking their first tentative steps toward reconciliation when she is viciously murdered, and he is targeted as the prime suspect. Now, with the CIA, FBI, and every cop in the country hot on his trail, Bryan realizes that it’s only a matter of time before his enemies get to his daughter Kim, too. Determined to keep her alive at any cost, he realizes that his only hope for saving her is to clear his name before he is captured. But while Bryan does possess the “particular set of skills” to stay one step ahead of the men who want his entire family dead, proving that he’s innocent of murder and seeing that the real killers face justice might be the last thing he ever does. Director: Olivier Megaton. Cast: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Forest Whitaker, Famke Janssen, Dougray Scott. Rated: R. Time: 1:49.

The Gambler

In this remake of a 1974 film, James Caan, an English professor who is also a compulsive gambler, finds that the only people who will have anything to do with him are those to whom he owes money. Jim Bennett is a lecturer reeling from the death of his beloved grandfather. His all-or-nothing personality gets him in debt for more than a quarter of a million dollars to the no-nonsense Mr. Lee, who runs an illegal gambling den. Jim attempts to play his way out of the hole by borrowing money from vicious criminal Neville Baraka, but his strategy backfires and leaves him owing the latter as well. His wealthy mother initially refuses to give him any more money, which prompts Jim to make contact with Frank, a loan shark who offers to front him the cash he needs, but promises that failure to repay will lead to the death of his “bloodline.”At the same time, Jim teaches a class of college kids about Shakespeare and Camus. His best student, Amy, openly flirts with him, but he’s also preoccupied with trying to get through to Lamar, a star basketball player whom the university higher-ups want him to pass so he can continue to play. Director: Rupert Wyatt. Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Emory Cohen. Rated: R. Time: 1:51.

Birdman swoops top prize; now in the running for an Oscar

Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñarritu’s film “Birdman” won top prize at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. As many of the members of the guild also vote for the Oscars, the consensus among critics is that the film is now front-runner for the coveted Best Picture award.