The following capsule reviews of recent releases, long runs and revivals come from various wire services, as noted:
RATINGS: G -— Suitable for all ages. PG -— Parental guidance recommended. PG-13 -— Parental guidance strongly suggested. R -— Restricted; anyone under 18 must be accompanied by adult. NC-17 -— No children under 17.
★ ★ ★ ★ Excellent ★ ★ ★ Good ★ ★ Fair ★ Poor
After the Wedding
Drama. A manager (Michelle Williams) of an orphanage in India travels to New York to meet a benefactor (Julianne Moore), but secrets soon emerge. The new “After the Wedding” is an American remake of one of the best films of the 21st century and it has much less of what made the original so good. Still, Williams and Moore are powerhouses, and “After the Wedding” lets them share the screen. It’s impossible to dislike a movie that does that. (PG-13 for thematic material and some strong language) ★★ 1/2 (Mick LaSalle, Hearst Newspapers)
Angel Has Fallen
Action. Secret Service Agent Mike Banning Gerard Butler) is framed for the attempted assassination of the president and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat. The filmmakers concoct a series of situations that, if not believable, are so entertaining that we’re happy to accept them. (R for violence and language thrughout) ★★★ (M.L.)
The Angry Birds Movie 2
Animated. The flightless birds and scheming green pigs take their beef to the next level. (PG for rude humor and action)
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Drama. Through his bond with his owner, aspiring Formula One race car driver Denny, golden retriever Enzo learns that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” a sure-handed but predictable adaptation of Garth Stein’s best-selling 2008 novel, is a sloppy wet-kiss of a movie that demands nothing more from its viewer than to engage and empathize. (PG for thematic material) ★★ 1/2 (G. Allen Johnson, Hearst Newspapers)
Blinded by the Light
Comedy. In 1987, a British-Pakistani Muslim teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen. “Blinded by the Light” is passionate in its sincerity, inept in its execution, misbegotten in its conception. (PG-13 for thematic material and language including some ethnic slurs) ★ 1/2 (M.L.)
David Crosby: Remember My Name
Documentary. Singer-songwriter David Crosby shares his often challenging journey. This movie is like a car crash you can’t look away from. His truth and his music are all Crosby has left. The film’s engine runs on a flicker of humanity in Crosby that nothing can extinguish. (R for language, drug material and brief nudity) ★★★★ (Joel Selvin, Hearst Newspapers)
Don’t Let Go
Thriller. After a man’s (David Oyelowo) family dies in what appears to be murder, he gets a call from one of the dead, his niece. He’s not sure if she’s a ghost or if he’s going mad. “Don’t Let Go” is a supernatural psychological thriller cop drama, and that’s just the first five genres that come to mind. And yet through all of the complexities in the plot, the new film by Jacob Aaron Estes succeeds because of the simplest things — beginning with the lead performances of Oyelowo and Storm Reid as his niece. (R for violence, bloody images, and language) ★★ 1/2 (Peter Hartlaub,Hearst Newspapers)
Dora and the Lost City of Gold
Adventure. Dora, a teenage explorer, leads her friends on an adventure to save her parents and solve the mystery behind a lost city of gold. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we’re talking about a big budget “Dora the Explorer” movie in the Indiana Jones mold. What is surprising, however, is how well “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” works. It exists like a time capsule, the kind of artifact the title character might herself seek out, hearkening back to the kinds of movies the whole family might have made an evening of in the ’80s and ’90s (PG for action and some impolite humor) ★★★ (M.L.)
The Farewell
Drama. A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decides to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies. Stars UAlbany grad Awkwafina. “The Farewell” has a special feeling about it. It’s full of truth, full of emotion and lacking in sentimentality. It has an eye for absurdity and for the telling detail, and it marks Lulu Wang as a director with the rare but essential ability to make you care about what she cares about. Let’s hasten to say what “The Farewell” is not. It’s not a depressing movie, and it’s not the annoying opposite of that — a featherweight comedy that ignores the seriousness of the situation. It’s funny and real. It’s a triumph. It will go down as one of the standout movies of 2019. (PG for thematic material, brief language and some smoking) ★★★ 1/2 (M.L.)
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Action. Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain (Idris Elba) threatens the future of humanity. “Hobbs & Shaw” is nothing but fun. It will inevitably be seen by fans of action movies — a considerable audience, to be sure — but this one deserves an even bigger crowd than that. “Hobbs & Shaw” is witty and mischievous, full of surprise and a total blast. Perhaps it loses just a little velocity in the last half hour, but not much, and it never loses interest. If you want to strap in and have a movie take you for a big ride, “Hobbs & Shaw” is the best of its kind since “Mission: Impossible — Fallout.” (PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language) ★★★ 1/2 (M.L.)
Good Boys
Comedy. Three sixth-grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party. The big problem of “Good Boys” is not that it’s harsh or nasty or outrageous or tasteless or shocking or appalling. The problem is that it’s none of those things, when it should have been all of those things. It’s safe and sentimental, with just a few mild laughs. The filmmakers may have found out that making a movie of this kind about 12-year-olds isn’t really possible. (R for strong crude sexual content, drug and alcohol material, and language throughout — all involving tweens) ★ (M.L.)★
It
Horror. In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.
The Lion King
Action. After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery, in this “live action” CGI version of the 1994 Oscar-winning animated classic. Featuring the voices of Donald Glover, Beyonce, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Oliver, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, Keegan-Michael Key, Alfre Woodard and the impossible-to-recast James Earl Jones. “The Lion King” is an animated remake of the 1994 film, but a photo-realistic computer animation, so that it looks exactly like live action, except that lions are talking and their mouths are moving exactly as they would if lions could talk. (PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements) ★★ 1/2 (M.L.)
Luce
Drama. A married couple (Tim Roth and Naomi Watts) is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher (Octavia Spencer) threatens his status as an all-star student. “Luce” is a gripping drama for about 100 minutes, but it’s 109 minutes long, and its ending is a disappointment. The movie establishes itself as a thriller and seems to be playing by that set of rules, but then it switches gears into something else entirely, something not nearly as satisfying. Still, it’s impossible to dismiss a movie that breaks its leg so close to the finish line. But however good the acting, and however smart or questionable the movie’s ideas are, a drama is all about drama. And there’s no escaping the fact that, after a promising beginning, middle and almost end, “Luce” trails off into dramatic nothingness. (R for language throughout, sexual content, nudity and some drug use) ★★ 1/2 (M.L.)
Maiden
Documentary. The story of Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook on charter boats, who became the skipper of the first all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989. The film, by Alex Holmes, is interesting in a number of ways, some of them unexpected. In footage shot for this film, Edward appears, as do all the interview subjects, talking directly into the camera. “Maiden” is very much a feel-good movie, a tale of underdogs finding their strength, combined with a character study and a sprinkling of social history. (PG for language, thematic elements, some suggestive content and brief smoking images) ★★★ (M.L.)
Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood
Drama. A faded television actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. Quentin Taratino’s ninth — and according to him, penultimate — film. Also stars Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell and the late Luke Perry. (R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references) ★★★★ (M.L.) Highest rating
Overcomer
Drama. Life changes overnight for basketball coach John Harrison and the high school where he and his wife teach when they learn the largest manufacturing plant in town is shutting down. (PG for some thematic elements)
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Comedy-drama. Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a nice little movie that barely goes anywhere, but audiences, in a certain mood, might be willing to drift along with it. It’s most notable for starring, in a principal role, a man with Down syndrome, Zack Gottsagen, who is a good actor — he’s funny and interesting and holds the screen. But there’s nothing here to propel our interest from scene to scene. Fortunately, the movie gets a huge lift from Dakota Johnson. (PG-13 for thematic content, language throughout, some violence and smoking) ★★ 1/2 (M.L.)
Ready or Not
Thriller. A bride’s wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game. This is the kind of corny genre piece that William Castle — a master showman but a filmmaker of limited talent — would have embraced. One of Castle’s gimmicks was to provide a jolt of electricity with wires under the seats, and I have to admit as “Ready or Not” got stupider and stupider, I would have enjoyed having my butt zapped from time to time. Anything to take my mind off the onscreen action. (R for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use) ★ (G.A.J.)
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Horror. A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is almost like a live-action “Scooby-Doo” without the dog, maybe even with a little “Stranger Things” vibe. Norwegian director André Øvredal struggles with some clunky sequences early in the film. However, the film finally gets into gear around the midpoint and zooms to a satisfying finish. (PG-13 for terror/violence, disturbing images, thematic elements, language, including racial epithets, and brief sexual references) ★★★ (G.A.J.)
Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Comedy. A loving mom becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery. There are a lot of little things wrong, but one big thing right: Cate Blanchett, who takes the title role and has a party with it. She lifts the film, though whether she lifts it enough as to make it worth seeing is a maybe-sort of proposition. (PG-13 for some strong language and drug material) ★★ 1/2 (M.L.)
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