ONE- MINUTE MOVIE CRITIC

Superior | Beauty and the Beast Recommended | OK | Time- waster | * Reviewed today | NR Not rated The live- action remake of Disney’s 1991 animated classic is almost overwhelmingly lavish, beautifully staged and performed with exquisite timing and grace by the outstanding cast headed by Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. ( PG- 13, 126 min.) — Richard Roeper Alec Baldwin is hilarious as the voice of a baby who’s really a corporate exec on a mission to boost the popularity of infants. The many zingers provide continuous laughs, and it might be argued there is more here for adult appreciation than for the kids. ( PG, 97 min.) — Bill Zwecker Anne Hathaway is pretty much sensational playing a perpetual screw- up whose actions seem to relate to a humongous, reptilian monster demolishing Seoul. It’s surreal and it’s goofy and it’s exhilarating and it’s rather amazing to see where it all goes. ( R, 101 min.) — Richard Roeper Vin Diesel now plays a bad guy but Jason Statham has joined the heroes, and people have switched sides so many times it’s enough to give your brain a flat tire. The plot is idiotic, the quips are lame, and it’s all delivered in an extremely bloated package. ( PG- 13, 136 min.) — Richard Roeper A cash- for- guns deal goes horribly wrong, igniting a movie- length shootout starring Brie Larson and Armie Hammer. Either you’re in the mood for a series of gruesomely creative kills and lots of dark humor — or you’re not. ( R, 90 min.) — Richard Roeper When a black man meets the parents of his white girlfriend, it’s the start of a cutting- edge mashup of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” and “The Stepford Wives.” Director Jordan Peele pays homage to horror while carving out his own fantastically creative path. ( R, 105 min.) — Richard Roeper Scarlett Johansson is in full badass mode as a cyborg equipped with the brain of a badly injured terrorism victim. Just about every scene is a visual wonder but the plot machinations and the action in the foreground are largely of the ho- hum retread variety. ( PG- 13, 106 min.) — Richard Roeper A wealthy woman learns her granddaughter is a math prodigy and tries to wrest custody away from the girl’s working- class uncle ( Chris Evans). It can be too sentimental and builds to a routine court battle, but that’s OK because I care so much about the characters. ( PG- 13, 101 min.) — Richard Roeper Playing old friends drawn into bank robbery when they lose their pensions, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin throw around some wellscripted zingers in a delightful comedic romp updated to match 2017 economic challenges. ( PG- 13, 96 min.) — Bill Zwecker John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson and the rest of the A- list cast members seem like they’e having a heckuva time fighting lethal creatures in a wildly entertaining monster movie that also has a sense of humor about itself. ( PG- 13, 118 min.) — Richard Roeper I’d rank Will Arnett’s alternately heroic and ridiculous version of the Dark Knight as one of the top three Batman performances of all time. The hero/ villain dynamic is explored in a funny and sweet manner, through a constant explosion of candy- colored visual treats. ( PG, 104 min.) — Richard Roeper Despite an A- list cast headed by Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson and one very cool spaceship, this stylish and at times fantastically gory monster thriller crashes and burns due to a script that requires smart people to act like dopes far too often. ( R, 104 min.) — Richard Roeper As much a Western as it is a sci- fi thriller, James Mangold’s darkly entertaining “Logan” affords Hugh Jackman the opportunity to reinvent his “X- Men” character as brutal and bitter. The result is one of the most impressive superhero movies of this decade. ( R, 141 min.) — Richard Roeper Charlie Hunnam expertly conveys the spirit and sometimes reckless nature of a British explorer obsessed with finding proof of an ancient civilization deep in the Amazon. Director James Gray’s breathtaking epic should be seen on the biggest screen imaginable. ( PG- 13, 140 min.) — Richard Roeper The irritating networking of a would- be power player ( Richard Gere) finally pays off when his friend is elected prime minister of Israel and considers him a confidante. It’s a tribute to Gere’s skill set that as Norman makes us cringe, we’re also kinda rooting for him. ( R, 118 min.) — Richard Roeper This love triangle set against the backdrop of World War I veers into corny territory at times, but it’s a solid and sobering reminder of the atrocities of war, bolstered by strong performances from Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale. ( PG- 13, 134 min.) — Richard Roeper A reboot of the ’ 90s TV show takes a lot of angsty teen- superhero origin story before it figures out that it requires a ridiculous action climax. The last half hour is filled with cheeseball visual effects and enjoyably hammy villainy by Elizabeth Banks. ( PG- 13, 124 min.) — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY The three bodies of the Holy Trinity ( Octavia Spencer, Avraham Aviv Alush, Sumire Matsubara) help a grieving man ( Sam Worthington) confront his past in a well- acted and sometimes moving but far too often slow- paced and unconvincing spiritual journey. ( PG- 13, 132 min.) — Richard Roeper A much- needed course correction veers the franchise away from the union of animation and live action and the resulting juvenile humor. This fully animated reboot creates a brightly colored, age- appropriate adventure for young children. ( PG, 89 min.) — Barbara VanDenburgh, USA TODAY Network James McAvoy does wonders with the role of a man with 23 personalities who abducts three teenage girls. With this chilling and sometimes bat- bleep absurd thriller, writer- director M. Night Shyamalan serves notice he’s still got some nifty plot tricks up his sleeve. ( PG- 13, 117 min.) — Richard Roeper During World War II, a British ad copywriter ( Gemma Artertron, dependably good) is hired to write for propaganda films to boost morale. It’s a war film, yes, but also one that shows film’s role in society, particularly one threatened with extinction. ( R, 116 min.) — Bill Goodykoontz, USA TODAY Network The latest story of unsung World War II heroes tells of Antonina Zabinski ( a glowing performance by Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jan, who risked their lives as they helped funnel Jews to safety. It’s powerful, gauzy, sentimental and almost too restrained. ( PG- 13, 126 min.) — Richard Roeper