Cyborg ‘Alita’ goes up against Rebel Wilson rom-com spoof
You can choose love. You can choose death. And if neither of those options appeals to you, you can marvel at the technical mojo behind creating a character that is equal parts CGI and actress.
Here’s our weekly roundup of what’s hitting theaters and the streaming circuit.
Oscar winner James Cameron produced and cowrote the ambitious epic “Alita: Battle Angel.” His name will likely either entice or repel moviegoers from watching this adaptation of a manga series. Early reviews suggest this reanimated borg fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic world has some heart to it, as well. Robert Rodriguez directs.
If spectacles aren’t your thing, take your sweetie or your bestie to “Isn’t It Romantic.” In it, Rebel Wilson konks her noggin and awakens to find herself stuck in an endless loop of a romantic comedy. But don’t feel too bad for her, she — and audiences — get a PG-13 eyeful of a smitten Liam Hemsworth strutting about in a towel. It opened Wednesday for the Valentine’s Day crowd.
For PG-13 scares, there’s “Happy Death Day 2U,” a follow-up to the “Groundhog Day”-ish 2017 inventive horror-comedy box office hit. Jessica Rothe returns to play the unlucky protagonist who has to keep dying another day to save friends from being picked off permanently by a slayer wearing a freaky large doll’s head.
Indie offerings
“Everybody Knows” finds celebrated Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation”) shifting the action to Spain as a mother (Penelope Cruz) attending a joyous occasion — a wedding — faces the unimaginable, the abduction of one of her daughters. Javier Bardem co-stars as a former lover helping in the search.
In the gorgeously produced and photographed Oscar nominee “Never Look Away,” German filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (“The Lives of Others”) creates a passionate drama based on the life of artist Gerhard Richter. It shouldn’t be missed.
Stream these
On Netflix, there’s the wacky New Zealand comedy-drama “The Breaker Upperers.” Taika Waititi (“Thor: Ragnarok”) served as executive producer and his adventurous spirit is evident in this quirky, funny and ultimately touching tale about two business partners whose friendship is tested when one falls for a hunky young client who takes advantage of the relationship wreck er biz. Leads Madeleine Sami and Jackie Van Beek, who wrote and directed it and looks a bit like Kristen Wiig, make quite a comedic team. It comes out Friday.
Over on Amazon Prime, two underseen theatrical gems pop up.
Elizabeth Chomko wrote and directed “What They Had,” a beautifully done drama about family members coping with the deteriorating health and wellbeing of their parents. The cast of Hilary Swank, Blythe Danner, Michael Shannon, Robert Forster, Taissa Farmiga and Josh Lucas couldn’t be finer. It comes out Saturday.
In Sally Potter’s acerbic black-and-white comedy “The Party,” a gathering to celebrate a political promotion turns into a startling series of revelations and situations. Patricia Clarkson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall deliver the witty lines so well. It comes out Sunday.