THE TOP 5
The top five movies at the North American box office:
Ralph Breaks the Internet: Six years later, the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph struggles to capture the magic and surprises of the original. But it doesn’t feel like a crass cash grab, and it has some fun bits, not least Gal Gadot as the chief driver in an anarchic muscle-car contest called Slaughter Race. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman star. ★★1/2 (Chris Knight)
Creed II: Michael B. Jordan and Sly Stallone return for a second Creed and the eighth movie overall for the Rocky franchise. This time around, another familiar face returns — Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) brings his son Viktor along to battle Jordan’s Adonis. For those of you with short memories Ivan killed Creed’s father, Apollo, in Rocky IV. ★★★1/2
The Grinch: Every kid at the movies loves cartoons a lot. But this critic, who sees most of such movies, does NOT! It’s not that I hate them; I just need a reason for CGI antics in any old season. In the end it squeaks by with a grade that is passable, perhaps because Christmas makes me less irascible. ★★1/2 (Chris Knight)
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: This is a disappointing sequel to the charming original. Evil wizard Grindelwald’s greatest criminal infraction lies in the slurred and offbeat performance of Johnny Depp, who is distractingly bad in a film that features gorgeous visuals and structured jackets, but little else. ★★1/2 (Sadaf Ahsan)
Bohemian Rhapsody: If this movie were a song, it would have a slow opening and a weak bridge. But it would also include some fine verses and a strong finish that would have you humming it a few days later. Rami Malek and a set of prosthetic teeth star as Freddie Mercury, and the actor electrifies every scene he’s in. ★★★1/2 (Chris Knight)