The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Movie Minis
NEW THIS WEEK “American Underdog” C+
This centers on the true story of Kurt Warner who went from a stockboy at a grocery store to a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame quarterback. The film avoids inaccessibility and over-explaining, only occasionally losing sight of the intimate, feelgood story at its heart. Starring Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin and Dennis Quaid. Directed by Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin. (Thomas Floyd, Washington Post) Rated PG for some language and thematic elements. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 12 minutes.
“A Journal for Jordan”
C+
This film is based on the true story of a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. It’s a well-meaning drama, but it’s too tidy to ever feel like a living, breathing thing. Starring Michael B. Jordan, Chante Adams and Jalon Christian. Directed by Denzel Washington. (Pat Padua, Washington Post) Rated PG-13 for language, drug use, partial nudity and some sexual content. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 11 minutes.
“The King’s Man” D+
A British aristocrat has the ability to alter history with his ties to world leaders in the days leading up to the first World War. Some set pieces tonally clash with the film’s more straightforward, dressed down scenes, and the film plays like historical fiction occasionally spiced up with action junkie razzmatazz. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Harris Dickinson and Rhys Ifans. Directed by Matthew Vaughn. (Adam Graham, Detroit News) Rated R for some sexual material, language, strong/bloody violence. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 11 minutes.
“The Matrix Resurrections”
B
A video game designer of a game called “The Matrix” is enticed back into the fray as Neo and has one goal: to go in and find his one true love. This film is a welcome reminder that big action films can be well lit, stunningly designed and colorful. Starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-anne Moss and Yahya Abdul-mateen II. Directed by Lana Wachowski. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for violence and some language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 28 minutes. PARENTS GUIDE: Too violent for kids — appropriate for teens and adults.
“Red Rocket” B
An adult film star makes his way back to his hometown to make some quick cash and head right back out of town. The first hour is terrific, but the second hour grows weaker and more conventional. Starring Simon Rex, Suzanna Son and Bree Elrod. Directed by Sean Baker. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, strong sexual content. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 8 minutes.
“Shyam Singha Roy”
Review not available in time for publication. The film centers on the theme of reincarnation. Starring Nani, Sai Pallavi and Krithi Shetty. Directed by Rahul Sankrityan. Unrated. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 35 minutes.
“Sing 2’
C
The koala manager wants to take the ragtag musical act to the film’s version of Las Vegas. The song selections are puzzling, but well-performed and very few are sung in their entirety so it’s a mash-up of pop snippets. Starring the voices of Matthew Mcconaughey, Reese Witherspoon and Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Garth Jennings. (Kristen Page-kirby, Washington Post) Rated PG for some rude material, mild peril/ violence. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
STILL SHOWING “Belfast”
B
This is a personal memoir of growing up during the early years of The Troubles in Belfast’s civil war. The director bares his soul in this film, which richly rewards the audience willing to take this trip down memory lane. Starring Caitriona Balfe, Judi Dench and Jamie Dornan. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for strong language and some violence. At Tara Theatre. 1 hour, 37 minutes.
“Christmas With The Chosen: The Messengers”
Review not available in time for publication. Artists perform new and classic Christmas songs from the set of “The Chosen.” Starring Alican Barlas, Maverick City Choir and Phil Wickham. Directed by Dallas Jenkins and Jacob Schwarz. Unrated. At AMC Parkway Pointe and Regal Hamilton Mill. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
“Dune” B+
A young man, training in mind control, travels to a dangerous planet to help take over spice-mining operations and his psychic connections to the people there indicate he may be their messiah. This is not an adventure romp laced with humor, but it is approached with almost religious reverence, creating an intoxicatingly mysterious and immersive world. Starring
Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Fergson and Oscar Isaac. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG13
for some disturbing images, sequences of strong violence and suggestive material. At Regal Hollywood Stadium 24. 2 hours, 35 minutes.
“Encanto”
B
All the children who live in the mountains of a charmed place called Encanto are blessed with a unique gift. All the children except Mirabel, but she may be the family’s last hope when she discovers that the magic is in danger. It’s a simple but resonant tale, but “Encanto” is charmed and charming film that just might offer a bit of healing too. Starring the voices of Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero and Diane Guerrero. Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG for some thematic elements and mild peril. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 39 minutes.
“Eternals” C+
The ancient aliens who have secretly been on earth for 7,000 years now much come out of the shadows and defend the planet against the Deviants. It’s a dense, heavy fantasy that asks the audience to suspend their irony addiction for two-and-a-half hours, which is perhaps too tall an order. Starring Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Kit Harrington. Directed by Chloe Zhao. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for fantasy violence and action, brief sexuality and some language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 37 minutes.
“The French Dispatch” C
An editor’s funeral provides the frame for a collection of stories in the (fictional) Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun magazine. There are some charming conceits, but this film strands every sort of good and great actor in the cinematic equivalent of a design meeting. Starring Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody and Tilda Swinton. Directed by Wes Anderson. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated R for language, graphic nudity and some sexual references. At Landmark’s Midtown Arts and Tara Theatre. 1 hour, 47 minutes.
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”
D+
A single mom inherits her father’s farm and when she travels there, she finds all sorts of mysterious artifacts and ghost-hunting gear. This project is so dedicated to the original that it’s cringeworthy yet it doesn’t manage to capture the essence of what made that supernatural slacker comedy appealing at the time. Starring Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace. Directed by Jason Reitman. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for supernatural action and some suggestive references. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 4 minutes.
“House of Gucci” D+
This is the true story for the 1995 murder of fashion heir Maurizio Gucci by hitmen hired by his ex-wife. The film is overly long and the sin it’s most guilty of is taking itself too seriously. The costumes are fabulous though. Starring Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto. Directed by Ridley Scott. (Michael O’sullivan, Washington Post) Rated R for some sexual content, language, brief nudity and violence. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 37 minutes.
“King Richard”
B+
The father of the Williams tennis sisters fends off local gangs and disapproving neighbors before taking the girls to the country clubs and assuring them they had every right to be there. The film isn’t perfect — it’s overlong and repetitive, but Will Smith refuses to conceal the father’s darkness which is there simmering just under the blustery bravado. Also starring Aunjanue Ellis and Saniyya Sidney. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated PG-13 for brief drug references, a sexual reference, some violence and strong language. At AMC Southlake. 2 hours, 26 minutes.
“The Lost Daughter” B+
A professor on sabbatical in Greece is fascinated by a young mother and toddler to the point she is overwhelmed by her own memories of early motherhood. The taut, intriguingly shifting story is kept on an appropriately uneven keel, as events take their inevitable yet still-shocking course. Starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Peter Sarsgaard. Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for sexual content/nudity and language. At Landmark’s Midtown Art. 2 hours, 2 minutes.
“Nightmare Alley”
C+
A drifter stumbles into a job as a carny and partners up with a couple who has a mentalist routine and they scheme to scam their moneyed clientele out of their cash. The approach to this material doesn’t quite work and the outlook becomes muddled in this oversized version of the tale based on a novel published in 1946. Starring Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for some sexual content, nudity, language and strong/bloody violence. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 30 minutes.
“No Time To Die” B
James Bond is trying to retire in Jamaica but the gig finds him and he is back into a world he thought he left behind. The script is often delightfully light and saucy and the film is a beautifully shot and epic adventure. Starring Daniel Craig, Rami Malek and Lea Seydoux. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, brief strong language, some disturbing images and some suggestive material. At Regal Hollywood Stadium 24. 2 hours, 43 minutes.
“Pushpa: The Rise - Part I”
Review not available in time for publication. This is the story of Pushpa Raj, a lorry drive in the forests of south India, set in the backdrop of red sandalwood smuggling. Starring Allu Arjun, Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna. Directed by Sukumar. Unrated. At Regal Hollywood Stadium 24, Regal Cherokee and Regal Medlock Crossing. 2 hours, 30 minutes.
“Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City”
Review not available in time for publication. A pharmaceutical company left a Midwestern town in ruins with evil below the surface that a group of survivors must work together to contain. Starring Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-kamen and Robbie Amell. Directed by Johannes Roberts. Rated R for strong violence and gore and language throughout. At AMC Southlake. 1 hour, 47 minutes.
“Spider-man: No Way Home”
B+
Doctor Strange’s spell didn’t take and a tear in the fabric of space-time has resulted in accidentally invited unwanted visitors from other dimensions. There’s a lot to like in this film — action, effects and quippy dialogue — but it’s clearly not engineered for newbies. Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya and Benedict Cumberbatch. Directed by Jon Watts. (Michael O’sullivan, Washington Post) Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence, brief suggestive comments and some language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 28 minutes.
“True to the Game 3’
Review not available in time for publication. A couple has 72 hours to check on family before the feds close in. The pair have to escape in order to have a new life together. Starring Malik Barnhardt, Starletta Dupois and Omar Gooding. Directed by David Wolfgang. Rated R for pervasive language and violence. At AMC Conyers Crossing, AMC Camp Creek and AMC Southlake. 1 hour, 50 minutes.
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage”
C+
The character springs into action when notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady transforms into the evil Carnage. The sequel doesn’t have that sense of joyful discovery and gleeful mischief that the first film did, because it’s obviously now a comedy on purpose. Starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams and Naomie Harris. Directed by Andy Serkis. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for disturbing material, action, intense sequences of violence, some strong language and suggestive references. At AMC Southlake. 1 hour, 37 minutes.
“West Side Story” B+
Two rival gangs vie for the streets in the remake of this musical where Tony and Maria have a forbidden romance. This version celebrates the original film, but also meaningfully experiments with and engages with the text, flushing out new meaning even if the experiments aren’t always successful. Starring Ansel Elgoft, Rachel Zegler and Ariana Debose. Directed by Steven Spielberg. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, brief smoking, strong language, suggestive material and thematic content. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 36 minutes.