‘The Christmas Candle’
Richard Curtis’ film about a man (Domhnall Gleeson) who can travel back in time to iron out life’s romantic wrinkles takes some emotional shortcuts, but the presence of Bill Nighy helps set things right for the most part. (R — 123 minutes) P, S.
‘All Is Lost’ eee
(Randy Cordova) Robert Redford is alone at sea when his sailboat is rammed by a large metal container that’s fallen from a ship. J.C. Chandor’s film feels more like a filmmaker’s exercise — Redford is the only actor and the movie is virtually dialogue-free — than a piece of entertainment. (PG-13 — 106 minutes) P.
‘Angels Sing’ee
Tim McCanlies’ holiday film is shameless in its attempt to wring emotion from the audience. On the other hand, you get to hear Willie Nelson sing “Silent Night,” so there’s that. Harry Connick Jr. plays a Christmas-hating man who moves to a holiday-obsessed neighborhood. (PG — 87 minutes)
‘The Armstrong Lie’
Paul Greengrass directs the story, based on real events, of a U.S. ship captured by Somali pirates. It’s not as ambitious as it might have been, but Tom Hanks as the title character and newcomer Barkhad Abdi as the pirate captain are outstanding. (PG-13 — 134 minutes) V. (Randy Cordova) Resolutely hollow Christmas tale about a village in England in which everyone believes in a blessed candle that can grant miracles. Perhaps most notable as the film debut of “Britain’s Got Talent” sweetheart Susan Boyle. (PG — 99 minutes)
‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2’
Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn direct the rare sequel that takes the spirit of the original and runs with it. Flint (voice of Bill Hader) must go back to Swallows Falls to destroy the machine he built that turns water into food; it’s now making food-animal hybrids — foodimals. The originality of the first film may be gone, but there’s plenty of fun here, for kids and grown-ups. (PG — 95 minutes)
‘Delivery Man’ eeg
(Barbara VanDenburgh) Vince Vaughn stars in this English-language remake of the French-Canadian film “Starbuck,” in which an affable loser with a pregnant girlfriend discovers that, thanks to a sperm-bank error, he’s fathered 533 children. It means well, but is too broad and sappy to connect. (PG-13 — 103 minutes) D, P.
‘Ender’s Game’ eee
(Kerry Lengel) In this long-awaited adaptation of the sci-fi novel by Orson Scott Card, a child prodigy is recruited to an orbiting military academy in hopes that he is “the one” who can save humanity from a race of insectlike aliens. The checklist exposition lacks dramatic tension and emotional depth, but the climactic action sequences and surprise ending deliver a payoff. (PG-13 — 114 minutes) V.
‘Enough Said’ eeeeg
James Gandolfini, in one of his last roles, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are outstanding in writer-director Nicole Holofcener’s excellent romantic comedy, about two single parents who embark upon a relationship. (PG-13 — 93 minutes) N, P, S, V.
‘Escape Plan’ ee
This was unexpected: This is an actual good movie. Having Jennifer Lawrence back at its center helps immeasurably, of course, but new director Francis Lawrence is a big improvement, too. (PG-13 — 146 minutes) P, V.
‘Insidious: Chapter 2’
(Barbara VanDenburgh) James Wan’s horror sequel picks up right where the first film leaves off, with the Lambert family hightailing it from one haunting straight into another. It’s a tired film that wallows in predictable horror tropes for an experience that’s more funny than it is frightening. And those laughs are largely unintentional. (PG-13 — 105 minutes) V.
‘Instructions Not Included’ eeeg
Eugenio Derbez directs and stars in a film that seems content to be a goofy comedy about a single dad (Derbez) raising his daughter (Loreto Peralta). Then it takes a more serious turn. A promising debut feature for Derbez, who mixes tones comfortably. (PG-13 — 115 minutes) P, S.
‘Last Vegas’ eg
Denis Villeneuve’s film, in which two little girls are kidnapped, pushes audiences into some unexpected places. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal are good as the father of one of the girls and a detective searching for them. Not great, but certainly effective. (R — 146 minutes) P, V.
‘Rush’ eeeeg
Ron Howard’s film tells the story of the 1976 Formula One duel between Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth are outstanding as the drivers, and the racing footage is surely among the best ever shot. (R — 123 minutes) D, N, P, S.
‘Thor: The Dark World’
There is nothing in Alan Taylor’s sequel that wasn’t done better in “Thor” or a lot better in “The Avengers” — except Tom Hiddleston’s performance as Loki, the best thing about these movies. Chris Hemsworth is good as Thor, but the character is so generic he can’t keep up with Loki. (PG-13 — 112 minutes) V.