New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
MOVIE CAPSULES
ADRIFT Shailene Woodley plays a woman adrift in the middle of the Pacific, in this dull survival story, interspersed with scenes of the woman’s lackluster romance with a fellow adventurer (Sam Claflin). PG-13
AMERICAN ANIMALS Writer-director Bart Layton has made an interesting movie, a narrative feature with documentary elements, about an inept group of would-be thieves, who join forces to steal a rare book from a college library. The movie is funny, but with an extra undertone of uneasiness, partly because we know it’s a true story. R
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Too many characters, too involved a plot, too much going on with little for the Avengers to show their personalities, this latest installment in the series has its moments, but it’s overstuffed and doesn’t even come to a definite end. It’s just the setup for another equally bloated sequel. PG-13
BOOK CLUB The presence of Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen and Diane Keaton isn’t enough to save this labored comedy, about a quartet of old friends who become inspired by “Fifty Shades of Grey” to spice up their sex lives. PG-13
DEADPOOL 2 The new “Deadpool” gets all its nastiness out of the way, concentrating instead on some genuinely funny comedy and a story about Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) actually trying to do something good — save a young mutant from a time-traveling assassin (Josh Brolin). R
HEREDITARY Hypnotic and intense throughout, this brilliantly executed supernatural thriller taps into the ghosts within all of us — the insidious roots of family dysfunction — and turns them upside down and all around. The psychological fallout is just as disturbing as the apparitions that come chillingly to life. R
HOTEL ARTEMIS Written and directed by Drew Pearce, this is a highly original action film, tense but with comic elements, set in 2028, with Jodie Foster as a nurse specializing entirely in the treatment of wounded criminals. The hospital — or "hotel" — becomes the place where many colorful characters converge over the course of one particularly fraught night. Co-starring Sterling K. Brown, Sofia Boutella and Jeff Goldblum. Rated R
INCREDIBLES 2 Despite Pixar’s high production values and good performances from a strong cast (Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Catherine Keener), this sequel to the 2004 animation stalls due to a stretched-out story full of digressions. Samuel Jackson is wasted in a lackluster role. PG.
LIFE OF THE PARTY Melissa McCarthy’s latest — about a mother who attends the same college as her daughter, following a divorce — has some big laughs, but it’s dragged down by an excessively sentimental treatment of the title character, played by McCarthy. PG-13
OCEAN’S 8 This continuation of the “Ocean’s” series, with Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, is a big shiny cubic zirconia of a movie. The film can be lots of fun — with its well-cast female leads, patriarchy-breaking vibe and creative central heist. But there is something slightly off, partly in the pacing and also in the concept. It’s a slightly diminished copy, not a bold new direction. PG-13
A QUIET PLACE This is a new spin on sci-fi horror. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are parents trying to protect themselves and their children from alien invaders that hunt by sound. So they have to remain very, very quiet at all times. Genuinely scary and original. Directed by Krasinski. PG-13
RBG Even most people who are disposed to admire Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are unfamiliar with her background and personal story. This documentary sets the record straight, positing Ginsburg as the Thurgood Marshall of feminist jurisprudence. It’s an entertaining and uplifting documentary. PG
THE SEAGULL The soundtrack is intrusive and off and the cinematography is a bit unsettling, and something wrong about the town robs this Chekhov adaptation or cohesion. But it’s impossible to argue with the cast — Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Corey Stoll, Brian Dennehy. So this flawed “Seagull” will do until a better one comes along. PG-13
SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY This is about as close as one can get to a
borderline case: If this were the first “Star Wars” movie, it would stand as a fairly mediocre sci-fi action movie when compared to recent films such as “Thor: Ragnarok.” But as part of a series, this origins story of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) will satisfy. Costars Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrelson tip this into the plus column. PG-13
SUPERFLY This reboot of the 1972 blaxploitation classic “Super Fly” journeys beyond the ridiculous, and into another cinematic dimension altogether. It lacks a moral center, and at times seems oblivious to the laughable things happening on screen. And yet “Superfly” is entertaining, period. The dialogue is fast and fun, and the sense of fashion is so pervasive that it occasionally distracts from the movie. R
TAG A big disappointment, this comedy brings together a group of funny actors (Ed Helms, Isla Fischer, Hannibal Buress, Jon Hamm) in the service of a labored, distasteful, unfunny script, about a group of old friends who have been playing tag since 1983. R
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?
This enlightening and extremely moving documentary recounts how Fred Rogers, in creating “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” provided an alternative to overbearing children’s TV with his gentle manner and abiding concern for the emotional lives of his preschool viewers. Rated PG-13