Opening Thursday

The Contractor

Good intentions gone bad

After being involuntarily discharged from the US Special Forces, James Harper (Chris Pine) decides to support his family by joining a private contracting organisation alongside his best friend (Ben Foster) and under the command of a fellow veteran (Kiefer Sutherland). Overseas on a covert mission, Harper must evade those trying to kill him while making his way back home.

This action film is directed by Tarik Saleh in his English language film debut. It is written by J.P. Davis and also stars Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan and Florian Munteanu.

HELD OVER

Ambulance

It was supposed to be a simple heist

Over one day across the streets of LA, three lives will change forever. In this breakneck thriller from director-producer Michael Bay, decorated veteran Will Sharp (Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Candyman, The Matrix Resurrections), desperate for money to cover his wife’s medical bills, asks for help from the one person he knows he shouldn’t — his adoptive brother Danny, Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal ( Zodiac, Spider-Man: Far From Home). A charismatic career criminal, Danny instead offers him a score: the biggest bank heist in Los Angeles history – $32 million. With his wife’s survival on the line, Will can’t say no.

Ambulance is produced by Michael Bay, Bradley J. Fischer ( Zodiac, Shutter Island) for New Republic Pictures, James Vanderbilt ( Zodiac, 2022’s Scream) and William Sherak ( Ready or Not, 2022’s Scream) for Project X, and Oscar nominee Ian Bryce ( Transformers franchise, Saving Private Ryan).

The screenplay is by Chris Fedak ( Prodigal Son, Chuck), based on the original story and screenplay for the 2005 Danish thriller Ambulancen by Laurits Munch-Petersen and Lars Andreas Pedersen.

The Bad Guys

Good is no fun at all

Nobody has ever failed so hard at trying to be good as The Bad Guys.

In the new action comedy from DreamWorks Animation, based on The New York Times best-selling book series, a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws are about to attempt their most challenging con yet — becoming model citizens.

Never have there been five friends as infamous as The Bad Guys — dashing pickpocket Mr Wolf (Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), seen-it-all safecracker Mr Snake (Marc Maron, GLOW), chill master-of-disguise Mr Shark (Craig Robinson, Hot Tub Time Machine franchise), short-fused ‘muscle’ Mr Piranha (Anthony Ramos, In the Heights), and sharp-tongued expert hacker Ms Tarantula (Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians), aka ‘Webs’.

But when, after years of countless heists and being the world’s most-wanted villains, the gang is finally caught, Mr Wolf brokers a deal (that he has no intention of keeping) to save them all from prison: The Bad Guys will go good.

Under the tutelage of their mentor, Professor Marmalade (Richard Ayoade, Paddington 2), an arrogant (but adorable!) guinea pig, The Bad Guys set out to fool the world that they’ve been transformed. Along the way, though, Mr Wolf begins to suspect that doing good for real may give him what he’s always secretly longed for: acceptance. So when a new villain threatens the city, can Mr Wolf persuade the rest of the gang to become…The Good Guys?

The film co-stars Zazie Beetz ( Joker), Lilly Singh ( Bad Moms) and Emmy winner Alex Borstein ( The Marvelous Mrs Maisel).

Based on the blockbuster Scholastic book series by Aaron Blabey, The Bad Guys is directed by Pierre Perifel (animator, the Kung Fu Panda films), making his feature-directing debut. The film is produced by Damon Ross (development executive Trolls, The Boss Baby, co-producer Nacho Libre) and Rebecca Huntley (associate producer, The Boss Baby). The executive producers are Aaron Blabey, Etan Cohen and Patrick Hughes.

The Batman

Unmask the truth

Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright).

When a killer targets Gotham’s elite, the world’s greatest detective sets out on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton, aka the Riddler (Paul Dano).

As the evidence begins to lead closer to home, Batman must forge new relationships to end the corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.

The cast also includes Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham DA, Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál.

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Writing credits: Matt Reeves and Peter Craig

Created by: Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Situation spiralling out of control

For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighbourhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his superhero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk.

Directed by: Jon Watts

Written by: Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers

Based on the Marvel comic book by: Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

Produced by: Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal.

Executive producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, JoAnn Perritano, Rachel O’Connor, Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach

Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau and Marisa Tomei

Uncharted

In search of the world’s biggest fortune

Street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan and lost 500 years ago by the House of Moncada. What starts as a heist for the duo becomes a globetrotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs.

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Screenplay by: Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Screen story by: Rafe Lee Judkins, Jon Hanley Rosenberg and Mark D. Walker

Based on the PlayStation video game by: Naughty Dog

Produced by: Charles Roven, Avi Arad, Alex Gartner and Ari Arad

Executive producers: Ruben Fleischer, Robert J. Dohrmann, David Bernad, Tom Holland, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Neil Druckmann, Evan Wells, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway

Cast: Tom Holland, Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle and Academy Award nominee Antonio Banderas

Safety is a responsibility we all share – see you at the movies!

Our cinemas are open for your entertainment – Carib 5 in Cross Roads; Sunshine Palace, Portmore; Palace Multiplex in Montego Bay; and the New Kingston Drive-In.

Our staff is trained to do temperature checks and assist patrons with sanitising as they enter the cinemas.

Once inside our cinemas, masks are mandatory.

Patrons are required to wear masks properly fitted over the nose and mouth and observe social distancing in queues at the box office and concession.

Sanitisation stations are available at convenient points throughout.

Our air conditioning systems, installed with the specified MERV-13 air filters, have been regulated to bring in maximum fresh air.

Thorough cleaning and sanitisation is done to ensure a safe and relaxed atmosphere for all.

Thanks again, and PLEASE remember to observe all government protocols, so that we all can survive this devastating period.

Schedules

Schedules are subject to change. For details on your cinema of choice, half-off specials and any other tidbits, check us out in this space, on social media (FB, IG, Twitter – insert symbols) @palacemovies, or at www.palaceamusement.com.

Please note: At all cinemas, the box office opens daily at noon.