MOVIES IN BRIEF »

■ The following capsule reviews of recent releases, long runs and revivals come from various wire services, as noted:

RATINGS: G — Suitable for all ages. PG — Parental guidance recommended. PG-13 — Parental guidance strongly suggested. R — Restricted; anyone under 18 must be accompanied by adult. NC-17 — No children under 17.

★★★★ Excellent ★★★ Good

★★ Fair ★ Poor

47 Meters Down: Uncaged

Thriller. Four teen girls diving in a ruined underwater city quickly learn they’ve entered the territory of the deadliest shark species in the claustrophobic labyrinth of submerged caves. (PG-13 for sequences of intense peril, bloody images, and brief strong language)

Angel Has Fallen

Action. Secret Service Agent Mike Banning Gerard Butler) is framed for the attempted assassination of the president and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat. The filmmakers concoct a series of situations that, if not believable, are so entertaining that we’re happy to accept them. (R for violence and language thrughout) ★★★ (M.L.)

The Angry Birds Movie 2

Animated. The flightless birds and scheming green pigs take their beef to the next level. (PG for rude humor and action)

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Drama. Through his bond with his owner, aspiring Formula One race car driver Denny, golden retriever Enzo learns that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. Who can resist cute dog stories, even if it is the centerpiece of a sappy film and the dog has Kevin Costner’s voice? Don’t allow a curmudgeon like me to rain on your parade. “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is a sloppy wet-kiss of a movie that demands nothing more from its viewer than to engage and empathize. (PG for thematic material) ★★ 1⁄2 (G. Allen Johnson, Hearst Newspapers)

Blinded by the Light

Comedy. In 1987, a British-pakistani Muslim teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen. One of the pitfalls inherent in writing a screenplay about one’s own youthful experiences is that it rarely occurs to the writer to ask the question, “Why should we care about this guy?” “Blinded by the Light” is co-written by Sarfraz Manzoor, based on his memoir of growing up in the late 1980s as a teenager from a Pakistani immigrant family in England. “Blinded by the Light” is passionate in its sincerity, inept in its execution, misbegotten in its conception. (PG-13 for thematic material and language including some ethnic slurs) ★ (M.L.)

David Crosby: Remember My Name

Documentary. Singer-songwriter David Crosby shares his often challenging journey. David Crosby is like Roman ruins; his life may be a wreck, but the magnificence remains. His mortality looms over the documentary like a sickly fog. At age 76, he finds himself playing an endless string of one-nighters to pay the mortgage on his Santa Ynez Valley horse ranch. This movie is like a car crash you can’t look away from. His truth and his music are all Crosby has left. The film’s engine runs on a flicker of humanity in Crosby that nothing can extinguish. (R for language, drug material and brief nudity)

(Joel Selvin, Hearst Newspapers)

Dora and the Lost City of Gold

Adventure. Dora, a teenage explorer, leads her friends on an adventure to save her parents and solve the mystery behind a lost city of gold. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that we’re talking about a big budget “Dora the Explorer” movie in the Indiana Jones mold. What is surprising, however, is how well “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” works. It exists like a time capsule, the kind of artifact the title character might herself seek out, hearkening back to the kinds of movies the whole family might have made an evening of in the ’80s and ’90s The “Dora” movie comes to us from director James Bobin and writer Nicholas Stoller, the same team who did such a solid job rebooting the Muppets in two movies for Disney earlier this decade, and they bring the same practiced ease with tones here. (PG for action and some impolite humor) ★★★ (M.L.)

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Action. Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain (Idris Elba) threatens the future of humanity. “Hobbs & Shaw” is nothing but fun. It will inevitably be seen by fans of action movies — a considerable audience, to be sure — but this one deserves an even bigger crowd than that. “Hobbs & Shaw” is witty and mischievous, full of surprise and a total blast. Perhaps it loses just a little velocity in the last half hour, but not much, and it never loses interest. If you want to strap in and have a movie take you for a big ride, “Hobbs & Shaw” is the best of its kind since “Mission: Impossible — Fallout.” (PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language) ★★★ 1⁄2 (M.L.)

Good Boys

Comedy. Three sixth-grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party. The big problem of “Good Boys” is not that it’s harsh or nasty or outrageous or tasteless or shocking or appalling. The problem is that it’s none of those things, when it should have been all of those things. It’s safe and sentimental, with just a few mild laughs. The filmmakers may have found out that making a movie of this kind about 12-year-olds isn’t really possible. (R for strong crude sexual content, drug and alcohol material, and language throughout — all involving tweens) ★ (M.L.)

The Lion King

Action. After the murder of his father, a young lion prince flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery, in this “live action” CGI version of the 1994 Oscarwinning animated classic. Featuring the voices of Donald Glover, Beyonce, Chiwetel Ejiofor, John Oliver, Billy Eichner, Seth Rogen, Keegan-michael Key, Alfre Woodard and the impossible-torecast James Earl Jones. “The Lion King” is an animated remake of the 1994 film, but a photo-realistic computer animation, so that it looks exactly like live action, except that lions are talking and their mouths are moving exactly as they would if lions could talk. (PG for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements) ★★ 1⁄2 (M.L.)

Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood

Drama. A faded television actor (Leonardo Dicaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. Quentin Taratino’s ninth — and according to him, penultimate — film. Also stars Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell and the late Luke Perry. (R for language throughout, some strong graphic violence, drug use, and sexual references) ★★★★ (M.L.) Highest rating

One Child Nation

Documentary. The untold history of China’s one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment. “One Child Nation” is a harrowing documentary. A balanced examination of a controversial policy is of no interest to the filmmakers: This is a work made in sorrow and anger. (R for some disturbing content/images, and brief language) ★★★ (Walter Addiego, Hearst Newspapers)

Overcomer

Drama. Life changes overnight for basketball coach John Harrison and the high school where he and his wife teach when they learn the largest manufacturing plant in town is shutting down. (PG for some thematic elements)

The Peanut Butter Falcon

Comedy-drama. Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from his care home to make his dream of becoming a wrestler come true. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a nice little movie that barely goes anywhere, but audiences, in a certain mood, might be willing to drift along with it. It’s most notable for starring, in a principal role, a man with Down syndrome, Zack Gottsagen, who is a good actor — he’s funny and interesting and holds the screen. But there’s nothing here to propel our interest from scene to scene. Fortunately, the movie gets a huge lift from Dakota Johnson. (PG-13 for thematic content, language throughout, some violence and smoking) ★★ 1⁄2 (M.L.)

Ready or Not

Thriller. A bride’s wedding night takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new inlaws force her to take part in a terrifying game. This is the kind of corny genre piece that William Castle — a master showman but a filmmaker of limited talent — would have embraced. One of Castle’s gimmicks was to provide a jolt of electricity with wires under the seats, and I have to admit as “Ready or Not” got stupider and stupider, I would have enjoyed having my butt zapped from time to time. Anything to take my mind off the onscreen action. ★ (G.A.J.)

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Horror. A group of teens face their fears in order to save their lives. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is almost like a live-action “Scooby-doo” without the dog, maybe even with a little “Stranger Things” vibe. Norwegian director André Øvredal struggles with some clunky sequences early in the film. However, the film finally gets into gear around the midpoint and zooms to a satisfying finish. (PG-13 for terror/violence, disturbing images, thematic elements, language, including racial epithets, and brief sexual references) ★★★ (G.A.J.)

Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Comedy. A loving mom becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery. There are a lot of little things wrong, but one big thing right: Cate Blanchett, who takes the title role and has a party with it. She lifts the film, though whether she lifts it enough as to make it worth seeing is a maybe-sort of proposition. (PG-13 for some strong language and drug material) ★★ 1⁄2 (M.L.)