NOW IN THEATERS
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Director Bill Condon seems to call on his collective experience directing Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls, and some Twilight films to effectively imagine Disney’s 1991 animated fairy tale as a Gothic musical horrorromance. Emma Watson steps into the role of the bookworm Belle, who is imprisoned by the Beast (Dan Stevens) in his castle. Unbeknownst to her, if she falls in love with him, she will release him and his friends from a curse. Luke Evans cuts a delicious villain as Gaston, and Emma Thompson, Ewan McGregor, and Ian McKellen voice some of the Beast’s magical knick-knacks. The story hews so closely to the animated original — which is more charming and concise — that this remake doesn’t fully validate its existence, aside from serving as a license for Disney to print money. This won’t matter to the core audience, however, who will adore the classic-Hollywood extravagance and the crowdpleasing finale. Rated PG. 129 minutes. Screens in 2-D only at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown; DreamCatcher. (Robert Ker)
BORN IN CHINA
The latest picture by Disneynature, the film imprint that takes often-incredible nature footage and conveys the lives of wild animals with kid-friendly narrative storytelling, returns for its annual release, which is usually scheduled around Earth Day. This time, the filmmakers head to China, where they look at several young animals — a panda bear cub, a two-year-old golden monkey, and a family of snow leopards — as they grow and make their way in the world. John Krasinski narrates. Rated G. 76 minutes. Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
THE BOSS BABY
In this animated comedy, Alec Baldwin voices the title character, who is also the cutthroat CEO of the Baby Corporation. Boss Baby forms a reluctant alliance with his jealous older brother (Miles Christopher Bakshi) when they uncover a dastardly plot by Francis E. Francis (Steve Buscemi), the CEO of Puppy Co., to destabilize the balance of love in the world. Rated PG. 97 minutes. Screens in 2-D only at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown; DreamCatcher. (Not reviewed)
DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE
As fans of the enigmatic arthouse filmmaker David Lynch gear up for the big return of his television series Twin Peaks this May, they can tide themselves over with this documentary. It focuses on his early years in life, as he describes some formative experiences and offers insight into how he gained his perspective on the world. The documentary focuses not only on Lynch’s work as a director but also on his painting and music-making. Not rated. 90 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Not reviewed)
THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS
In the crew of his starship Enterprise, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry sought to represent the varied peoples of planet Earth, along with a few other life forms.