Movie guide

Four stars: superior. Three stars: good. Two stars: average. One star: poor. D (drug use), L (language), N (nudity), S (sexual situations, references), V (violence). Ratings by Dann Gire, Daily Herald Film Critic, unless otherwise noted.

Picks

“Beauty and the Beast”— Faithful, old-fashioned (read: conventional) live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1991 animated fairytale classic, now starring a luminous Emma Watson as Belle. Good (but not great) musical as visual effects dominate characters and story, stretched to 129 minutes (from its 84-minute original). Dan Stevens is the Beast. Kevin Kline is Belle’s eccentric father. Luke Evans makes a perfect, narcissistic villain Gaston. Josh Gad’s LeFou is tentatively gay until the end. (PG) 129 minutes.???

“A Dog’s Purpose”— Risky, bold translation of W. Bruce Cameron’s books about a lovable puppy that lives through several reincarnations to find his purpose. With many canine POV shots, it’s an amusing speculation on how a dog would react and think, although director Lasse Hallstrom needs to pull back on canine voice-over narration. With Peggy Lipton and Dennis Quaid. (PG) 120 minutes.?? ?

“The Founder”— John Lee Hancock tries oh-so-hard to make McDonald’s marketing man Ray Kroc (rendered with restrained obsession by Michael Keaton) a hero, but the best this handsomely mounted biopic can do is downplay his dishonesty in dealing with the original McDonald’s brothers (a hilarious pairing of Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch). Northwest suburban locations have been replicated by Georgian sets. (PG-13) L. 115 minutes.?? ?

“Get Out”— Jordan Peele’s horror comedy about a black man’s visit to the home of his white girlfriend’s parents masks a sharp, timely analysis of racism in America. Funny, scary and thought-provoking. With Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener. (R) L, S, V. 103 minutes.?? ??

“Hidden Figures”— This bracing movie, about a group of brilliant African-American women whose scientific and mathematical skills helped NASA launch its space exploration program in the 1950s and 1960s, is a shot of distilled, exhilarating joy. With Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer. (PG) 127 minutes.??? ?

“John Wick: Chapter 2”— A ballet of bullets awaits Keanu Reeves’ retired Russian mob assassin in this beautifully designed, elegantly lighted, artistically orchestrated, paranoia-fueled action movie combining John Woo, “Enter the Dragon,” “Lethal Weapon” and the 1960s TV series “The Prisoner.” Reeves’ hitman becomes the target of a $7 million bounty on his life. (R) L, N, V. 122 minutes.???½

“Kong: Skull Island”— Fleetly edited, old-fashioned monster movie stuffed with superb effects and numerous surprises. In 1973, U.S. military helicopters raid an isolated South Pacific island and go ape when confronted by creepy crawly things and a really big gorilla. Chicago’s John C. Reilly’s Cubs fan steals the show! With Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston. (PG-13) L, V. 118 minutes.???½

“La La Land”— A joyous reinvention of the American movie musical from “Whiplash” creator and Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle. Star-crossed lovers (Oscar winner Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, as a wannabe actress and a jazz musician) struggle to achieve their dreams in a jazzy, snazzy tribute to 1940s Hollywood musicals. (PG-13) L. 128 minutes.??? ?

“The Lego Batman Movie”— Supersmart, super-quick, super-dense animated comedy that sends up movie cliches and human nature while the egomaniacal Caped Crusader (voiced by Will Arnett) decides if he should remain a stoic individual or become a member of a metaphorical family to raise his new stepson Dick Grayson (Michael Cera). So crammed with hilarious zingers, you’ll need to see it twice. (PG) 90 minutes.???½

“Lion”— Gorgeous cinematography caps this interesting fact-based drama about a lost Indian boy who grows up to be an obsessed man (Dev Patel) searching for his biological family after being adopted by an Australian couple, one of them played by Nicole Kidman. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) S. In English, Hindi and Bengali with subtitles. 118 minutes.???

“Logan”— In 2029, an alcoholic, ailing Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) agrees to escort a mysterious 11-year-old girl (Dafne Keen) to a supposedly mythical mutant refuge called Eden while a nasty guy (Richard E. Grant) tracks them down. A reinvented “X-Men” Western directed with melancholy dispatch by James Mangold. Co-starring Patrick Stewart as a 90-year-old Professor X. (R) L, N, V. 135 minutes.???

“The Last Word”— Shirley MacLaine’s crusty performance as a control-freak widow highlights this conventional sentimental comic drama. She hires a local obit writer (Amanda Seyfried) to create a positive report on her life. By the numbers, but MacLaine makes the numbers shine. (R) L. 107 minutes.? ??

“Moonlight”— Oscars for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor went to this raw, yet gentle cutting-edge drama about an African-American kid in Florida glimpsed in three stages of life: as a shy boy, a troubled teen and a ripped drug dealer. An evocative tribute to the power of forgiveness from Barry Jenkins. (NR) D, L, S, V. 110 minutes.?? ??

“Sense of an Ending”— An effortlessly nuanced performance by the wonderful Jim Broadbent highlights an aging recluse forced to deal with past secrets about his first love (Charlotte Rampling) and the devastating consequences of decisions he made a lifetime ago. Reviewed by Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, S, V. 108 minutes.???

Passables

“Before I Fall”— A popular teen (“Vampire Academy” star Zoey Deutch) dies in a car wreck and wakes up every morning to relive the day until she becomes the person she truly is. Noble insights for targeted teen audience, compromised by voice-over narration and a hammered-home message. Based on Lauren Oliver’s novel. (PG-13) D, L, S, V. 100 minutes??½

“Personal Shopper”— A ghost story. And a mourning drama. And an erotic psychological thriller. And a whodunit. And a critique of celebrity vapidity (sort of). It is all over the place. And whatever the pieces add up to is rudely ambiguous. Kristen Stewart stars as an artist trying to contact her dead twin brother. At Chicago’s Century Centre. Reviewed by Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press. (R) L, N, S, V. 105 minutes.? ?½

“Rock Dog”— Cute but superficial animated musical comedy about a Tibetan Mastiff dog (voiced by Luke Wilson) who goes to the big city to become a rock star like Angus Scattergood (Eddie Izzard). Nice-looking, but too cartoony for adults. (PG) 80 minutes.??½

“Split”— M. Night Shyamalan directs and writes a meandering, suspense-diluted thriller about a man (the extremely versatile James McAvoy) possessed of 23 personalities, with the 24th about to hit, and he’s a doozy. (PG-13) L, V. 116 minutes.? ?

“A United Kingdom”— Restrained, fact-based story of the 1948 interracial marriage of an African prince (David Oyelowo) and an English office worker (Rosamund Pike) who incited two nations to try and break them up. Beautifully photographed, well-acted. But where are the passion and commitment that stood up against insane political pressures? (PG-13) L, S. 111 minutes.??½

Pits

“Fifty Shades Darker”— It’s more of a drag than the original “Fifty Shades of Grey,” but it still caters to all kinds of fantasies. S&M master Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) reconcile. Cue two stalkers, a helicopter crash and two leads with limited range. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (R) L, N, S. 115 minutes.?½

“Fist Fight”— Lame, disjointed and juvenile comedy about a timid high school English teacher (Charlie Day) who rats out an unstable instructor (Ice Cube), who in turn intends to whup his accuser in a fist fight after the last day of school. A waste of supporting talents Tracy Morgan, Jillian Bell and Christina Hendricks. An inauspicious feature directorial debut of Highland Park native Richie Keen. (R) D, L, N, S. 91 minutes.?

“The Great Wall”— Turns out China’s Great Wall was actually built to stop hungry hordes of dragons from wiping out humanity every 60 years. Good thing Matt Damon’s white savior figure is here! Stylish, bombastic visuals are sabotaged by poor acting and dumbed-down dialogue. With Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau and Zhang Hanyu fighting Industrial Light & Magic for screen time. (PG-13) V. 104 minutes.?½

“The Ottoman Lieutenant”— Hackneyed romance wins out over historical drama in this World War I story of an American nurse (Icelandic actress Hera Hilmar) forced to choose between a doctor (a wooden Josh Hartnett) and a Turkish officer (Michiel Huisman). Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (R) V. 109 minutes.?½

“The Shack”— A grieving father (Sam Worthington) meets three people identified as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Octavia Spencer, Avraham Aviv Alush and Sumire Matsubara) who teach him about the nature of God. Based on William Paul Young’s self-published 2007 book. Reviewed by Alan Zilberman, Washington Post. (PG-13) V. 132 minutes.?½

Unpreviewed

“The Belko Experiment”— Eighty people locked in a Colombia high-rise office are ordered to kill or be killed. So, they do. Starring Chicago’s own Michael Rooker, Tony Goldwyn and John C. McGinley. (R) D, S, V. 82 minutes.

“Raw”— Justin (Garance Marillier), 16, is a brilliant student at a veterinary school where, desperate to fit in, she eats raw meat for the first time. Trouble ensues. Directed by Julia Ducournau. At Chicago’s Music Box. (R) D, L, N, S, V. 98 minutes.