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
“Alien: Covenant”— Ridley Scott directs a taut, pulsating, scary return to the 1979 original’s creature feature basics. On their way tosettling on a faraway planet, the crew of the Covenant stops off at a moon where they discover David the synthetic (Michael Fassbender from “Prometheus”), plus other stuff. A nifty prequel to “Alien.” With Katherine Waterston and Danny McBride. (R) L, N, S, V. 120 minutes.? ? ?½
“Beauty and the Beast”— Faithful, old-fashioned (read: conventional) live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1991 animated fairy tale 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 gay. A shocker. (PG) 129 minutes.???
“Boss Baby”— Alec Baldwin brings his vocal skills to play a talking, walking newborn with a plan to unite babies against a common enemy: cute dogs! His 7-year-old brother (Miles Christopher Bakshi) intends to expose him in what turns out to be a sweet tale of brotherhood. (PG) 97 minutes.???
“Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie”— The animated toilet humor adventures of fourth-graders George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) and their invented superhero, Captain Underpants. Blissful silliness based on Dav Pilkey’s books. With Nick Kroll as Professor Poopypants. Reviewed by Jane Horwitz, Washington Post. (PG) 89 minutes.???
“The Case for Christ”— Fact-based drama based on former Daily Herald and Chicago Tribune editor Lee Strobel (Mike Vogel) and his attempt to prove to his believer wife (Erika Christensen) that Jesus Christ and Christianity are frauds. He fails. With Robert Forster and Faye Dunaway. (PG) 112 minutes.???
“The Lovers”— Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member Tracy Letts and Debra Winger play middle-aged spouses who wind up cheating on their lovers with themselves in a smart, insightful and truth-driven romantic comedy. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (R) L, S. 94 minutes.???
“Snatched”— Rude and randy, amusing and constantly surprising family bonding/chase comedy with Goldie Hawn and Amy Schumer as a mom and daughter getting kidnapped while on vacation in Ecuador. (R) L, N, S. 91 minutes.???
“Wonder Woman”— Gal Gadot rocks as the DC Comics Amazonian warrior, constrained by the testosterone in 2016’s “Batman v. Superman.” Patty Jenkins directs an epically mounted, conventional origin story empowered by Gadot’s confident, physical performance as Wonder Woman, who joins an American soldier (Chris Pine) to fight a German ubervillain (Danny Huston) during World War I. (PG-13) V. 141 minutes.???
“The Zookeeper’s Wife”— In German-occupied Poland during World War II, a zookeeper (Johan Heldenbergh) and his wife (Jessica Chastain) save hundreds of Jews in Niki Caro’s formulaic, simplified story of good vs evil. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) N, S, V. 124 minutes.???
Passables
“Dean”— A gently amusing, mildly emotional coming-of-(middle-)age movie about a Brooklyn cartoonist (Demetri Martin) dealing with the loss of a parent. It comes off as slight. At the Century Centre, Chicago. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) L. 87 minutes.??½
“Everything, Everything”— A new boy in town (Nick Robinson) falls for a sick teen (Amandla Stenberg) trapped in her hermetically sealed house protecting her from germs. They both contract Kristen Stewart Acting Syndrome, causing them to emit audible nasal exhalations and muffled snorts. Anika Noni Rose plays the teen’s obsessive doctor mom in a movie that succumbs to E.V.N. (Excessive Voiceover Narration). (PG-13) S. 96 minutes.??
“The Fate of the Furious”— No. 8 in the cartoony “Furious” franchise turns Dom (Vin Diesel) into a slave drone for a super cyberterrorist (a narcotized Charlize Theron) determined to detonate a few nukes to teach the world a lesson. The stunts range from inspired to silly, the acting from stilted to really stilted, and the dialogue from perfunctory to embarrassing. In short, everything that makes a “Furious” film popular. (PG-13) L, S, V. 136 minutes.??½
“Gifted”— An appealing cast, tart dialogue and genuine emotion trump manipulative plot points in this drama about a custody battle between an uncle (Chris Evans) and a controlling grandmother (Lindsay Duncan) over a young math prodigy (Mckenna Grace). Reviewed by Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post. (PG-13) L, S. 101 minutes.??½
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”— Visually dense and surprisingly suspenseless sequel to the breezy, irreverent 2014 box office smash about misfit Guardians, now a squabbling family attempting to be mercenaries. Quill (Chris Pratt) finds his biological dad in Ego the Living Planet (a game Kurt Russell) while assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana) plays Mom to Quill and Rocket (Bradley Cooper), even as her criminal sister (Karen Gillan) wants to kill her. Some good comic bits in a Marvel movie that tries too hard. (PG-13) L, S, V. 137 minutes.? ?½
“Norman”— Richard Gere stars as a none-too-bright New York “fixer” who befriends influential people to augment his own sense of self-worth. A provocative character, but one so mysterious that we can’t truly identify with him. With Michael Sheen and Hank Azaria. At the River East 21 and Century Centre in Chicago and the Evanston Century 18. (R) L. 118 minutes.??
“Paris Can Wait”— A modest, genteel piece of cinematic escapism, a silky testament to sensuality as impeccably tasteful as it is utterly undemanding. The ignored wife (Diane Lane) of a big movie producer (Alec Baldwin) takes a road trip to Paris with a French business associate (Arnaud Viard) who may be attempting to seduce her. At least with food. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. At the River East 21 and Century Centre in Chicago, plus the Evanston Century 18. (PG) 92 minutes.??
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”— No. 5 in the series is a superficial retread pumped full of dicey visual effects, numbing chases and malnourished characterizations. Henry (Brenton Thwaites) and a sassy astronomer (Kaya Scodelario) seek Poseidon’s trident so all the seas’ curses will become null and void. Johnny Depp’s foppish Captain Jack feels worn and tired dealing with Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) and Spanish ghost Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem). (PG-13) S, V. 135 minutes.??
Pits
“Baywatch”— Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron waste their talents in this unwieldy, derivative and mostly unfunny expansion of David Hasselhoff’s popular lifeguard TV series. They and three women plus a dude don’t just save drowning swimmers, they solve crimes and make time-wasting films. Reviewed by Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press. (R) L, N, S. 116 minutes.?½
“Churchill”— Brian Cox plays Britain’s cherished Prime Minister, remembered here only because he was propped up by people stronger than he, such as his noble wife (Miranda Richardson). A frustrating and incongruent portrait. Reviewed by Alan Zilberman, Washington Post. (PG) 98 minutes.?½
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul”— An unfunny family road trip film to Meemaw’s house with enough gross-out jokes to rival the R-rated “Vacation” remake. With Alicia Silverstone and Tom Everett Scott. Reviewed by Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press. (PG) 90 minutes.One-half star.
“King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”— Dark, soulless and grim reinvention of the origin of Arthur (Charlie Hunnam), now raised by kindly prostitutes after his king daddy (Eric Bana) was assassinated by his evil uncle (Jude Law, resembling a shady 1960s advertising executive). No magic in this movie that wants to be a PG-13 version of “Game of Thrones.” L, S, V. 125 minutes.?½
Unpreviewed
“Baahubali 2”— The sequel to 2015’s “Baahubali: The Beginning,” one of the top-grossing Indian epic historical fantasy films from S.S. Rajamouli. (NR) 197 minutes.
“Dear Other Self”— Not a schizo story, but two parallel tales contrasting how the life of Becky (Jodi Sta. Maria) turns out, depending on the choices she makes. (NR) 108 minutes.
“Dobaara: See Your Evil”— Weird stuff. A Hindi remake of Mike Flanagan’s 2014 horror tale “Oculus,” locally premiering at Palatine’s Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival. Two siblings (Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem) try to destroy a demonic mirror that they believe killed their parents. (NR) 107 minutes.
“Half Girlfriend”— A coming-of-age romance between a lower-class boy and an upper-class “Delhi high-society” girl. (NR) 99 minutes.
“Hindi Medium”— A lighthearted romance about a couple, Raj (Irrfan Khan) and Mita (Saba Qamar), who integrate into English-speaking society for their daughter’s sake. (NR) 150 minutes.
“How to Be a Latin Lover”— An aging gigolo (Eugenio Derbez) is forced to move in with his estranged sister (Salma Hayek). He attempts to woo a wealthy widowed grandmother (Raquel Welch) to be his sugar mama. With Rob Lowe and Kristen Bell. (PG-13) N, S. 115 minutes.
“Sachin: A Billion Dreams”— A movie based on the life of Indian cricket icon and living legend Sachin Tendulkar. (NR) 138 minutes.
“3 Idiotas”— A comedy about two friends who set out to search for a long-lost pal who mysteriously disappeared the night before their college graduation. (PG-13) L. 106 minutes.
“The Wedding Plan”— A woman (Noa Koler) continues with her planned wedding a month away, even though her betrothed has called it off. Maybe she’ll find Mr. Right on a deadline. A comic drama directed and written by Rama Burshtein. (PG) 110 minutes.
