Current attractions
“Beauty and the Beast”: Emma Watson does a great job playing Belle, in this liveaction remake of the Disney animated classic. The rest of the cast is impressive, and the film does an admirable job of keeping up with the original. But make no mistake— Watson carries this film and makes it worth your time. Tony Hicks, Staff) PG, 2:09
“Before I Fall: This young-adult thriller delves deeply beneath the surface. As in the plot of “Groundhog Day,” our protagonist Samantha (Zoey Deutch) must relive the same Friday over and over, which happens to be the day of a car crash. It is also Valentine’s Day when the entire school celebrates with “val-o-grams” deliveries that factor in to each student’s popularity quotient. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) PG-13, 1:39
“CHIPS”: Fans of the decades-old TV series take note: This R-rated reboot from Dax Shepard prefers rudeness and rauch over reverence. The result is an alternately funny and flat series of sketches anchored around an entirely inane plot. The chemistry between leads Shepard and Michael Pena as mismatched CHP partners helps with the many pot- and plotholes. ½ (R. Myers, Correspondent) R 1:40 “A Dog’s Purpose”: Dennis Quaid stars in the story about a gentle, thoughtful dog who, through being reincarnated through decades, explores the meaning of his own life. Though sweet at times, it’s also emotionally manipulative and overly syrupy. ½ (Tony Hicks, Staff), PG, 2:00
“Get Out”: There’s no escape from the real monster lurking in “Get Out.” Jordan Peele’s terrifying, socially charged thriller examines the ugly truths hiding beneath the lie of a post-racial America. Millennial waif Rose (Alison Williams), who is white, has no idea her pastoral hometown might be a hotbed of bigotry, or she’d never bring her black boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) home to meet the parents, right? (Karen D’Souza, Staff) R, 2:10 “Hidden Figures”: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae play gifted real-life mathematicians who are not only dealing with how to help the United States battle the Soviet Union in the space race, but how to exist
as black women in a mostly white male environment at NASA in 1961. ½ (Tony Hicks, Staff) PG, 2:07 “I Am Not Your Negro”: As directed by Raoul Peck, this mesmerizing cinematic experience uses not just words but sound, music and visuals to create a film essay that’s powerfully relevant today, even though its subject (writer James Baldwin) died almost 30 years ago. Fromit’s opening, Peck makes important connections between the past and the present.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) PG-13, 1:33 “John Wick: Chapter 2”: Keanu Reeves returns as the title character, brewing up more Wickian magic while speaking mostly in monosyllables. Like its predecessor, “Chapter 2” is a ballet of violence, and the visuals are surreal. Reeves portrays the autopilot assassin with a haunted despondency. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) R 2:02
“Kong: Skull Island”: A reboot of the classic story works swell when we deal with the giant ape, whose character has developed since the last time we saw him on the big screen. But the humans? They’re hardly necessary and have very littte to add to the film, which is a waste of a good cast.
½ (Tony Hicks, Staff). PG-13, I:58.
“La La Land”: Damien Chazelle’s movie musical is a valentine to the breezy glamour of classic Hollywood.Gosling as Sebastian,Starring Ryana sullen jazz pianist reduced to playing 1980s remixes, and Emma Stone as Mia, a wannabe actress barista, this whimsical picture mixes the cynicism of the now with the allure of the past. (Karen D’Souza, Staff) PG13, 2:08
“The Last Word”: Shirley MacLaine plays a prominent retired advertising executive with an over-the-top perfectionist streak. As she reads her local newspaper’s death notices, she sees testaments to family affection, colleagues’ esteem and community respect. Wanting this for herself, she hires the paper’s obit writer (Amanda Seyfried) to creat such a tribute. Colin Covert, Minnesota Star Tribune) R, 1:48 “The LEGO Batman
Movie”: Here is a hilarious, farcical and loving look at Batman, with spectacular visual effects and a story that never slows down and is just plain fun. Will Arnett is perfect, playing an over-thetop version of the Caped Crusader. ½ (Tony Hicks, Staff) PG, 1:30.
“Lion”: This real-life tale, based on a memoir by Saroo Brierley, would warm the heart of a stone. Brierley, a native of India, got profoundly lost at the age of 5. He was adopted by an Australian couple but was able, more than 25 years later, to find and reunite with his birth mother via the use of Google Earth software.
½ (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) PG-13, 1:58 “Logan”: The clawed mutant Wolverine finally gets to slash through the constraints of a kid-friendly PG-13 rating, and the result is bloody, vicious fun. When asked to take Laura (Dafne Keen), a curious, quiet 11-year-old, to a safe haven, Logan refuses. Then some mean-looking dudes come looking for the girl, and the vaguely depressing movie suddenly roars to life. (Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald) R, 2:15 “My Life as a Zucchini”: This animated feature is both enchanting and heavy. The hero — a blue-haired waif named Icare (French for Icarus), but nicknamed Zucchini — has been sent to an orphanage after accidentally killing his alcoholic, abusive mother in the film’s startling first sequence. Other children at the home have similar stories. (Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post) PG-13, 1:08 “Personal Shopper: Kristen Stewart plays Maureen, an American making a hollow, silly, swank-adjacent living in Paris as personal shopper to a demanding celebrity. Maureen’s twin brother recently died, and Maureen, a spiritual medium, exists day to day in a state of suspended animation, waiting for a sign from the beyond. Steward is superb in this unconventional script.
½ (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) R 1:50
“Power Rangers”: This big-screen reboot of the Saturday-morning show that cobbled together shameless merchandising, Englishdubbed Japanese action footage and high school shenanigans here is going for “Friday Night Lights” meets “Fantastic Four,” as it follows five high school students who wield their newly found superpowers to save the world. ½ (Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press) PG-13, 2:04
“The Sense of an
Ending”: A film (based on the Julian Barnes novel) that explores the latent longings and regrets of a cranky septuagenarian might sound like a tough sell. But when we’re dealing with a performance as nuanced as the one given here by Jim Broadbent — and with a supporting cast featuring Charlotte Rampling and Harriet Walter — well, the equation shifts. (Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press) PG-13, 1:48
“The Shack”: The childhood of Mack (Sam Worthington) was scarred by violence, and later his youngest daughter was abducted and killed. No wonder he thinks of God as wrathful and judgmental. While deeply depressed, Mack gets an invitation to spend a weekend at the Oregon shack where his daughter was likely killed. There, he’s greeted by a trio of spiritual teachers. Octavia Spencer also stars. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) PG-13, 2:12 “Song to Song”: Director Terrence Malick explores love triangles of sorts. One relationship is pure (Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling’s struggling musicians), another is untenable (Cate Blanchett and Gosling), a third is damned (Michael Fassbender’s sleazy, wealthy producer and Mara), and a fourth is doomed (Natalie Portman’s waitress/teacher and Fassbender). ½ (Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press) R 2:09
“Split”: In this powerful psycho-thriller, Kevin (James McAvoy) meets his match in Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), a teen who happens to be with his two chosen victims when they’re kidnapped. But Casey manages to stay calm while drawing upon lessons learned during family hunting trips. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) PG-13, 1:57 “T2 Trainspotting”: Twenty-one years after “Trainspotting” shocked moviegoers with depictions of drug use and directionless Gen-Xers,“T2” reunites the original cast (Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner and Robert Carlyle) for another timely look at present-day life. Mark Renton (McGregor) returns to Edinburgh seeking to make amends in this story of redemption. Sandy Cohen, Associated Press) R, 1:58 “A United Kingdom”: Based on a true story, this romantic drama grows more remarkable by the minute. Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo) and Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike) face overwhelming barriers when they fall in love in 1947 London. That’s because Ruth is a Briton, while Khama is a handsome and charismatic African who is also a prince of his native country.
½ (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) PG-13, 1:51 “Wilson”: Woody Harrelson plays the toxic title character based on Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel of the same name. The movie centers on Wilson’s attempt to establish a rapport with his now-teenage daughter (Isabella Amara), who was given up for adoption before he even knew about her. But Wilson’s anti-charisma kills whatever inherent charm this story possesses.
½ (Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post) R: 1:41