Movies Quick Flicks
Great eeeee Good eeee Fair eee Bad ee Bomb e KEY: D, Drug use; N, Nudity; P, Profanity; S, Sexual activity; V, Violence. Reviews are by Bill Goodykoontz unless noted. Listings are subject to late changes by theaters.
‘AFTERMATH’ (Not reviewed) Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a man whose wife and daughter are killed because of an error by an air-traffic controller (Scoot McNairy); their lives are bound together. (R — 94 minutes) V. ‘THE CASE FOR CHRIST’ (Not reviewed) An atheist journalist tries to prove God’s existence after his wife becomes a Christian. (PG — 112 minutes) ‘FRANTZ’ A German woman who lost her fiance in World War I meets a French woman who lays flowers on his grave. (PG-13 — 113 minutes) V. See movies.azcentral.com for review. ‘GIFTED’ eee Outstanding performances from Chris Evans and Mckenna Grace overcome the predictable story in Marc Webb’s film about an uncle raising his math-genius niece. (PG-13 — 101 minutes) P. ‘GOING IN STYLE’ ee1⁄2 (Randy Cordova) Remake of a fine 1979 film about three men, all well past retirement age, who hold up a bank. The movie lacks the poignancy and nuance of the original, but the cast is game. That includes pros like Michael Caine, Alan Arkin, Morgan Freeman and Ann-Margret. (PG-13— 96 minutes) P. ‘KIZUMONOGATARI III: REIKETSU-HEN’ (Not reviewed) The third film in the franchise, based on the novel by Nisio Isin. (Not rated — 83 minutes) ‘MINE’ (Not reviewed) Armie Hammer plays a soldier stranded in the desert after a failed assassination attempt. (Not rated — 106 minutes) ‘QUEEN(Notthe adventuresreviewed)a BritishOF THE politcal Wernerof DESERT’Gertrude attache, Herzog’s Bell, writerfilm (Nicole followsand Kidman) explorer(PG-13 — working128 minutes)in ArabiaN. in the early 1900s. ‘SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE’ eee1⁄2 (Barbara VanDenburgh) Smurfette struggles to find her purpose and finds a lost Smurf village in this new, fully animated Smurfs adventure. A welcome course correction. (PG – 89 minutes). ‘TIM TIMMERMAN, HOPE OF AMERICA’ (Not reviewed) A student-body president in Utah tries to talk his way into Yale. (PG-13 — 94 minutes) D. ‘THE VOID’ eee Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski’s film, about creepy goings-on in a hospital, has a 1980s horror-movie vibe, right down to the iffy acting. Fun, but only for fans of this kind of thing. (Not rated — 90 minutes) ‘YOUR(Not strangersbizarre reviewed)way. NAME’who (PG find Animated— themselves106 minutes)film about linked twoin a STILL PLAYING ‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ eeee Emma Watson shines in Disney’s live-action remake of its 1991 animated classic. Director Bill Condon tells the tale as old as time with style. (PG — 129 minutes) V. ‘BEFORERy Deutch,her Russo-Young’slast day quiteI FALL’ repeatedly,good) film, eee1⁄2who aboutis dies unexpectedlya and girl must (Zoey compelling. relive (PG-13 — 99 minutes) P, S, V. ‘THE BELKO EXPERIMENT’ (Not reviewed) Americans working in Bogota, Colombia, are locked in their office and ordered to participate in a deadly game. (R — 82 minutes) D,P, S, V. ‘THEOz treat. (Kiernangoings Perkins’ BLACKCOAT’STwo on. Shipka studentsAnd first what’sfilm and at is Lucya DAUGHTER’a Emma boarding slow-buildingBoynton) Roberts schoolface eee1⁄2up horror weirdto? Scary stuff. (R — 93 minutes) P, V. ‘THE BOSS BABY’ (Not reviewed) A new baby arrives with a family – wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. He and his brother must team up to stop the plot of Puppy Co. (PG - 97 minutes) ‘CHIPS’ e1⁄2 Dax Shepard wrote, directs, stars and cast his wife (Kristen Bell) in a profane remake of the ‘70s TV show, and it’s terrible. Shepard can film a chase scene, but that’s about it. (R — 100 minutes) D,N, P, S, V. ‘DESPITE THE FALLING SNOW’ (Not reviewed) Rebecca Ferguson plays a Cold War spy who falls in love with the politician she’s stealing secrets from. (PG-13 — 93 minutes) S, V. ‘FIFTY Dakota SHADESJohnson and DARKER’Jamie Dornane1⁄2 are back as would-be lovers in the sequel to the original hit. This time around she’s not submitting to bondage, but calling the shots. Sort of. It’s a real mess. (R — 118 minutes) N, P, S. ‘FIST FIGHT’ ee 1 ⁄2 An angry teacher (Ice Cube) challenges a mild-mannered teacher (Charlie Day) to a fight. There’s not much more to Richie Keen’s comedy, though there are a few funny moments. (R — 91 minutes) D,N, P, S. ‘GET OUT’ eeee Jordan Peele writes and directs a terrific (and funny) horror film in which a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) meets his white girlfriend’s parents, and things go insanely wrong. (R — 103 minutes) P, S, V. ‘GHOST IN THE SHELL’ ee1⁄2 (Barbara VanDenburgh) The Japanese manga about a cybernetic woman gets a glittery new adaptation that visually wows but lacks a beating heart. (PG-13 – 107 minutes) V. ‘THE (Barbara GREAT VanDenburgh)WALL’ ee Zhang Yimou brings visual spectacle to an international blockbuster set in ancient China, but this lumbering beast feels dated. (PG-13 – 103 minutes) V. ‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ eeee (Barbara VanDenburgh) A crowd-pleasing tale of the brilliant black women who helped launch John Glenn into space. Great performances, tons of heart. (PG-13 – 127 minutes). ‘JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2’ eee1⁄2 Keanu Reeves returns as the lethal assassin who is again drawn back into the killing game. It’s much like the first film, which is to say exceedingly violent and ridiculously entertaining. (R — 122 minutes) N, P, V. ‘KONG: SKULL ISLAND’ eee Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts doesn’t skimp on the ape in the latest version of King Kong. But the story strands an impressive cast. Big dumb fun. (PG-13 — 120 minutes) P, V. ‘LA LA LAND’ eeeee Damien Chazelle’s brilliant musical takes the boy (Ryan Gosling) meets girl (Emma Stone) story and turns it on its head, with song and dance and heartbreaking emotion. The best movie of the year. (PG-13 — 128 minutes) P. ‘THE Shirley LAST MacLaine WORD’is the ee1⁄2 best thing about Mark Pellington’s film, in which she plays a rich older woman who decides to write her own obit. Amanda Seyfriend plays the put-upon obit writer she enlists. (R — 108 minutes) P. ‘THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE’ eeee “The LEGO Batman Movie” is terrific fun, with Will Arnett voicing the Caped Crusader as an jerk who needs to let others in. This sequel holds up in every way. (PG — 104 minutes) ‘LIFE’ Scientists aboard a space station find a rapidly evolving life form, threatening the crew and all life on earth. With Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds. (R — 103 minutes) P, V. See movies.azcentral.com for review. ‘LION’ eee1⁄2 Dev Patel stars as a young man desperately trying to trace his roots in rural India, hoping to find his birth family after growing up in Australia. Manipulative, but moving. (PG-13 — 118 minutes) ‘LOGAN’ eeee Hugh Jackman returns for what he says is the last time, taking Wolverine down a melancholy path in James Mangold’s R-rated film. (R — 137 minutes) N, P, V. ‘MOANA’ eee1⁄2 Disney’s latest animated film tells the story of Moana, who must return a magical stone to its owner to save her island. She’s a princess, but not a standard-issue Disney one. (PG — 113 minutes) ‘MONSTER(Not seniorsecret reviewed) ingredient:who builds TRUCKS’Lucasa a monster.monsterTill is a high-schoolertruck(PG — with 122 a minutes) ‘PERSONAL SHOPPER’ eee1⁄2 Kristen Stewart stars in Olivier Assayas’ film, about a woman living in Paris trying to contact her dead brother. It’s a weird story but it works. (R — 105 minutes) N,P, S, V. ‘POWERDean Club”-likefranchise, Israelite RANGERS’but realismis tries onlyto to the partly bring ee1⁄2 popular successful.some TV-and-film“Breakfast (PG-13 — 124 minutes) V. ‘ROCK DOG’ (Not reviewed) Animated film about a dog (Luke Wilson) who, after a radio drops into his hands, sets out to become a musician. With Eddie Izzard, J.K. Simmons and Lewis Black, among others. (PG — 80 minutes) ‘ROGUEeeee ONE: A STAR WARS STORY’ Gareth Edwards’ film tells the story of stealing the plans for the Death Star, a mission involving the daughter (Felicity Jones) of the man who helped design it (Mads Mikkelsen). It stands on its own. (PG-13 — 134 minutes) V.) ‘THE SHACK’ (Not reviewed) Sam Worthington plays a depressed man who receives an invitation to meet God at “the shack.” With Octavia Spencer. (PG-13 — 132 minutes) V. ‘SING’ eee Matthew McConaughey gives voice to a koala who’s trying to save his theater with a talent show in this animated musical. The cast is great, but the story doesn’t really satisfy. (PG — 108 minutes) ‘SPLIT’ eee1⁄2 James McAvoy is terrific as a man with 23 personalities who kidnaps three girls in M. Night Shyamalan’s film, a nice return to form. (PG-13 — 117 minutes) P, V. ‘A (Randya Londonertrue UNITEDfrom story, Cordova) (Rosamund Botswana KINGDOM’about Starchya black Pike),who periodeee princewedsand film,the a (David white internationalbased Oyelowo) on strong crisis performersthat ensues.at the Earnestfront, but film it’s with rarely two more than a handsomely made hagiography. (PG — 1114 minutes). P. ‘THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE’ eee Niki Caro’s film tells the true story of Jan and Antonina Zabinska (Johan Heldenbergh and Jessica Chastain), who smuggled Jewish people into their zoo to save them. Great story, OK film. (PG-13 — 126 minutes) N, S, V.