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A.X.L. A sci-fi adventure about a robotic dog, created by the military, and the friendship he develops with a teenage boy (Alex Neustaedter). Not reviewed. Rated PG. 100 minutes. Alpha A slightly Disney-esque version of “The Revenant,” this satisfying Ice Age-era survival tale concerns an injured teenage boy who befriends an abandoned wolf. There are cutesy moments, but for the most part, the film is harrowing, suspenseful and gritty — and a perfect vehicle for 3-D. With English subtitles. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes. — D. Lewis American Chaos This political documentary returns to the months leading up to the 2016 election and explains how supporters of Donald Trump felt they weren’t being seen or heard until the unconventional candidate came along. It’s well-paced and watchable, but it offers no new insights and plays like a rerun of a dated CNN segment. Rated R. 90 minutes. — D. Lewis Ant-Man and the Wasp A sequel better than its original in nearly every way, with Paul Rudd back as Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp, San Francisco as a location. With newcomers Michelle Pfeiffer and Lawrence Fishburne. Silly and winning, the “Ant-Man” series occupies the fun corner of the Marvel Universe sandbox. Rated PG-13. 125 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson The Apparition In this mysterious and meditative drama, a grizzled French journalist gets embroiled in a church investigation over whether a nun-intraining has witnessed a spiritual image of the Virgin Mary. As a mystery, the film is ultimately a head-scratcher; as a meditation, though, it proves moving. Not rated. 144 minutes. In French with English subtitles. — D. Lewis BlacKkKlansman This fact-based story, about the first black detective in Colorado Springs, who makes it his mission to infiltrate the Klan in the 1970s, is one of Spike Lee’s best, a mix of laughs and suspense that connects powerfully with the current moment. Rated R. 134 minutes. — M. LaSalle Blindspotting One of the best films of the year so far, this story, about friends coping with an Oakland in transition, was written by its two stars, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada, the film is a seamless mix of extreme humor and tense drama, an inspired work or intuition and artistry. Rated R. 95 minutes. — M. LaSalle The Bookshop Emily Mortimer is a plucky bookshop owner in this English drama based on a 1978 novel by Penelope Fitzgerald. But the story alternates between charming and tedious, especially when the almost illogically evil bookhating town leaders are involved. Close your eyes, and it feels a lot like listening to a book-on-tape. Rated PG. 112 minutes. — P. Hartlaub The Cakemaker This Israeli-German coproduction is an impressive debut from director Ofir Raul Graizer. When a German baker’s male lover is killed, he travels to Jerusalem and gets a job with the lover’s wife, without telling her who he is. The story could have been melodramatic or sentimental, but in Graizer’s hands it is genuinely affecting. Not rated. 113 minutes. In German, Hebrew and English with English subtitles.

— W. Addiego Christopher Robin This live-action Winnie the Pooh adventure is charming, filled with wonderful performances and has a nuanced story that will have adults walking out of the theater thinking about their own inner-Pooh, and questioning why they’re working so hard. It’s also, if you’re a small child, as slow-moving as refrigerated honey. Marc Forster directs. Rated PG. 104 minutes. — P. Hartlaub Crazy Rich Asians The first Hollywood movie with an all-Asian cast in a quarter century stands on its own, separate from the growing hype. Director John M. Chu guides the fun cast (led by the lovely and relatable Constance Wu) through some turbulent storytelling, then finishes strong with a satisfying emotional climax. There are book-to-movie problems, too much exposition and too

many characters. But the film delivers a good time. Rated PG-13. 120 minutes.

— P. Hartlaub Eighth Grade Bo Burnham’s film about the struggles of an unpopular eighth grade girl is one of the more thoughtful and valiant feature film directorial debuts in recent memory. Elsie Fisher is terrific in the lead role, adding compassion to a difficult part. Burnham takes viewers back to a place they would rather not go, and finds goodness, without sacrificing a bit of accuracy. Rated R. 93 minutes.

— P. Hartlaub The Equalizer 2 Denzel Washington is back as the retired government killing machine, now devoting his services on behalf of the powerless. The movie has Washington, a strong premise and some winning sequences, but it pales in comparison to the original, due to a lackluster script. Rated R. 121 minutes.

— M. LaSalle The Happytime Murders This comedy filled with puppet sex and violence is a fascinating exercise, but ultimately a failure. Melissa McCarthy is the lead human in a “Roger Rabbit”like world filled with people and puppets. The best thing “Happytime” has going for it is shock value, and that wears away after about 10 minutes. Directed by Brian Henson, Jim’s son. Rated R. 91 minutes.

— P. Hartlaub Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation While the dialogue remains mediocre in this sequel, the kinetic animation stylings of director Genndy Tartakovsky are front and center. There are several charming and funny set pieces, as Dracula and family embark on a monster cruise ship. A flawed film, but still the best in the series. Rated PG. 97 minutes. — P. Hartlaub 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. Rated PG. 118 minutes.

— M. LaSalle Inventing Tomorrow This inspiring documentary by Laura Nix follows the experiences of six teenagers from different nations as they prepare to enter the world’s largest science fair. All of the projects involve environmental issues specific to their countries. Not rated. 104 minutes.

— W. Addiego John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection

French documentary centered on terrific 16mm footage of McEnroe in the 1984 and ’85 French Opens highlights his greatness not only as a tennis player but mercurial performance artist. An invaluable piece of sports history. Not rated. 95 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson

Juliet, Naked Based on the Nick Hornby novel, this latest from director Jesse Peretz tells a charming and insightful story about a dissatisfied woman from England (Rose Byrne) who becomes the pen pal of a retired musician (Ethan Hawke), who happens to be the focus of her boyfriend’s obsession. Winning, from start to finish. Rated R. 105 minutes. — M. LaSalle Kin This genre-mashing tale — about a boy and his gun hotly pursued by thugs and aliens — is sci-fi, action, family drama and crime thriller. The implausible scenes pile up, and the moments meant to be touching will make you cringe. Rated PG-13. 102 minutes.

— D. Lewis Kusama: Infinity Fascinating documentary portrait of a fascinating avant-garde artist — Japan’s Yayoi Kusama, now 89 and that nation’s most successful living artist. The film depicts the difficult years she experienced from World War II-era Japan to the 1960s art scene in New York. Not rated. 80 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson

The Land of Steady Habits In this comedydrama,

a man in a wellto-do community reconsiders his decision to retire and leave his wife. Their grown son meanders, the man makes more bad choices, and the son of a family friend breezily struggles with drugs. Stars Ben Mendelsohn, Charlie Tahan, Connie Britton. Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener. Not rated. 98 minutes.

— M. Ordoña Let the Corpses Tan A dreadful exercise in style that evokes the Italian Western and crime exploitation films of Sergio Leone, Fernando Di Leo and others. The movie involves a series of double- and triple-crosses between a gang of mostly lowlifes on a picturesque Mediterranean retreat in Corsica. For extreme action fans only. Not rated. 92 minutes. — G. Allen Johnson The Little Stranger Adapted from Sarah Waters’ 2009 novel, this film will satisfy a very specific audience: “Downton Abbey” fans who thought the show would have been perfect if the house were only down at the heels and haunted. Although the acting in this period horror film is first-rate, the horror aspect tops out at spooky ambiguity. Rated R. 151 minutes. — C. Meyer Madeline’s Madeline This intense drama, about a young actor who channels her real (or imagined) life experiences into her work, will challenge any viewer with its odd framing of shots and jumpy editing cuts. But the story line more or less holds up, and the acting is excellent. Not rated. 94 minutes. — D. Lewis Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again The sequel to the 2008 hit musical film takes place five years after the end of the previous movie. Cher shows up in the last 15 minutes of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” wearing a blond wig, and launches into the ABBA song, “Fernando.” Andy Garcia joins in on backing vocals. I can’t decide if the movie is horrible or if I liked it and must conclude that both are true. It really was horrible, and I liked it, anyway. Rated PG-13. 114 minutes. — M. LaSalle

McQueen This kinky catwalk of a documentary is a savagely beautiful tribute to the late, irreverent fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Even non-fashion fanatics can enjoy the dazzling catwalks and craftsmanship on display here. Rated R. 111 minutes.

— D. Lewis

The Meg A ChineseAmerican co-production, this limp, formulaic, uninspired action movie places Jason Statham fighting a prehistoric shark, with the help of Bingbing Li as a scientific researcher. Rated PG-13. 113 minutes. — M. LaSalle

Mile 22 The latest from the team of actor Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg is an almost opaque action film of wall-towall violence, about a counter-espionage team that has to move a double agent 22 miles, while armies of secret agents try to kill them. It has a distanced, frantic, under-glass quality, not exactly like a bad movie, but more like a bad dream about a bad movie. Rated R. 95 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

The Miseducation of

Cameron Post This coming-of-age drama, about a young woman sent to gay-conversion therapy, is well-observed, but at times it struggles to find its dramatic pulse. Not rated. 91 minutes.

— D. Lewis

Mission: Impossible

-- Fallout The latest and best installment of the series — an astonishing mix of action and expert story construction — finds Ethan Hunt and his crew looking for plutonium balls that have fallen into the hands of terrorists. Buckle up. This one never stops. It’s what summer movies used to be, and should be. Rated PG-13. 147 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

The Nun A spinoff of “The Conjuring” series, this supernatural horror film involves three unlikely demon chasers who visit the convent of hell and battle the nastiest nun ever. It’s an impressively shot film, with the requisite special effects, but its scares are too predictable to put most people on the edge of their seats. Rated R. 96 minutes. — D. Lewis

Operation Finale This flawed historical drama recounts the extraction of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina in 1960 to stand trial in Jerusalem. Good performances from Oscar Isaac (as an Israeli agent) and Ben Kingsley (as Eichmann) can’t disguise the reality that this plays out too much like a conventional Hollywood movie. The odd choice of Chris Weitz (“American Pie,” “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”) as director is part of the problem. Rated PG-13. 122 minutes. — W. Addiego

Peppermint The new action film by Pierre Morel, the director of the 2008 classic “Taken,” makes the earlier revenge fantasy look like a Ken Burns documentary by comparison. The writing is erratic, but the result is still entertaining. Boosted by a stellar effort from Jennifer Garner, there’s a maternal edge that elevates the action. Rated R. 102 minutes. — P. Hartlaub

Pick of the Litter A hard-to-resist documentary about the training of five Labrador puppies to become guide dogs. The animals are adorable, and their relationship with their humans is touching. Directed by Bay Area filmmakers Ed Hardy Jr. and Dana Nachman. Not rated. 81 minutes. — W. Addiego

The Predator “The Predator” seems to take place in the middle of a “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” group therapy