MOVIE MINIS

OPENING TODAY “Miss Bala”

Review not available in time for publication. A woman is drawn into a world of cross-border crime and surviving will require everything she can muster. Starring Gina Rodriguez, Anthony Mackie and Thomas Dekker. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Rated PG-13 for sequences of gun violence, sexual and drug content, thematic material and language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 44 minutes.

STILL SHOWING “Aquaman”

B

There’s a scavanger hunt to track down King Atlan’s trident so Arthur can challenge the war-mongering Orm’s claim to the throne of Atlantis. It’s pure camp, wildly entertainngi and an eye-popping spectacle. Starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman. Directed by James Wan. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 23 minutes.

“Bumblebee”

C+

An 18-year-old finds a dusty yellow VW Beetle, which ends up being a scared, giant robot sent to protect Earth from the Decepticons. This film brings back to the heart to the story, honing in on the relationships and emotional connections that make us care about robot cars from space. Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and John Cena. Directed by Travis Knight. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 53 minutes.

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

A

flailing author finds she can forge notes of cheeky witticisms with famous names and sell them for top dollar to a network of dealers. The tone isn’t inflated and the message isn’t overt. It’s quite moving. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant and Dolly Wells. Directed by Marielle Heller. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated R for language including some sexual references, and brief drug use. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 47 minutes.

“Cold War”

B+

It’s the Cold War in 1950s Poland and a couple is separated by politics and more in an impossible love story. It’s as verbally spare as it is visually spellbinding. Starring Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot and Borys Szyc. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated R for some sexual content, nudity and language. At the Springs Cinema & Taphouse and Tara Theatre. 1 hour, 28 minutes.

“Destroyer”

C

An L.A. detective, who is also a barely functioning alcoholic, wakes up in her car only to find a murder victim she recognizes has been discovered nearby. The film has the depth of a simple and simplistic revenge tale and once the audience figures out who did it, it’s a repetitive slog of one hard-boiled set piece after another. Starring Nicole Kidman, Sebastian Stan and Toby Kebbell. Directed by Karyn Kusama. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for coarse language throughout, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use. At metro theaters. 2 hours.

“A Dog’s Way Home”

D

A dog gets separated from her owner, but sets off on a 400mile journey back home and meets new friends along the way. This film’s canine hero is so unexpectedly annoying that even dog-lovers might cringe. Starring Ashley Judd, Edward James Olmos and Alexandra Shipp. Directed by Charles Martin Smith. (Rafer Guzman, Newsday) Rated PG for thematic elements, some peril and language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 17 minutes.

“Escape Room”

Review not available in time for publication. Six strangers are locked in an escape room and must work together to get out or die. Starring Taylor Russell, Jay Ellis and Deborah Ann Woll. Directed by Adam Robitel. Rated pG-13 for terror/perilous action, violence, some suggestive material and language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 40 minutes.

“The Favourite”

B

The duchess and her cousin vie to get into Queen Anne’s good graces through whatever means necessary. It is more pure, devious fun than another other great movie this year. Starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times) Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity and language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 1 minute.

“Glass”

C

It’s the third installment visiting the man dealing with dissociative identity disorder which evolved as a coping mechanism from an abusive childhood. There are surprising reveals, but it’s hollow and frustratingly insistent. Starring James McAvoy, Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for violence including some bloody images, thematic elements, and language. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 9 minutes.

“Green Book”

C+

A white man is hired to drive a black pianist from New York to the Deep South and they must rely on the “Green Book” to show them where it’s safe for African-Americans to stay. It may not be accurate history, but the quality of the material matters less than usual. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali and Linda Cardellini. Directed by Peter Farrelly. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated PG-13 for thematic content, language including racial epithets, smoking, some violence and suggestive material. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 10 minutes.

“If Beale Street Could Talk”

A

couple in love is separated by a false accusation which sends the man to jail. The film is carefully curated, moments building on each other to create a transcendent whole as a testament to love and survival. KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo and Brian Tyree Henry. Directed by Barry Jenkins. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for strong language and some sexuality. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 59 minutes.

“The Kid Who Would Be King”

B

A bullied kid trying to escape his tormentors finds a sword buried in concrete piling and pulls it out. It’s a smart and sprightly kids’ movie imbued with pertinent lessons. Starring Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Dean Chaumoo and Tom Taylor. Directed by Joe Cornish. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG for fantasy action violence, scary images, thematic elements including some bullying, and language. At metro theaters. 2 hours.

“Mary Poppins Returns”

D+

This is set some 20 years after the original film and now centers on the grown Banks children who are in need of Mary Poppins’ assistance. There’s little tolerance for spontaneity so reactions like delight and surprise feel manufactured. Starring Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Mortimer. Directed by Rob Marshall. (Michael O’Sullivavn, Washington Post) Rated PG for mildly mature thematic elements and brief action. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 10 minutes.

“Mary Queen of Scots”

C+

The widowed queen of France returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne, but Scotland is now under the rule of Elizabeth I. It’s not particularly cinematic, but it is intriguing and handsomely conceived nonetheless. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie and David Tennant. Directed by Josie Rourke. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for violence and sexuality. At Landmark’s Midtown Arts and Regal Town Center. 1 hour, 52 minutes.

“The Mule”

D

A curmudgeonly white man becomes a drug mule in the most unsuspecting way. The films feels dashed off, poorly executed and disastrously performed, despite the starry cast. Starring Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper and Dianne Wiest. Directed by Clint Eastwood. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for language throughout and brief sexuality/nudity. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 56 minutes.

“On the Basis of Sex”

C

This is the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her plight to put her feminism into practice. It’s a formulaic biopic that covers 20 years, with every incident squeezed into some familiar Hollywood template. Starring Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer and Justin Theroux. Directed by Daniel Stiepleman. (Mark Jenkins, Washington Post) Rated PG-13 for some strong language and suggestive content. At metro theaters. 2 hours.

“Ralph Breaks the Internet”

B

Ralph and Vanellope leave the comfort of the arcade and venture into the Internet to save her game. It’s a fresh, smart and funny analysi of internet culture and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. Starring John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman and Gal Gadot. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Directed by Phil Johnston and Rich Moore. Rated PG for some action and rude humor. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 56 minutes.

“Roma”

A

The film is set in 1970 Mexico City and follows a young domestic worker for a family in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma. It feels simultaneously sui generis and universal, deeply private and instantly recognizable — a great work of art. Starring Yalitza Aparicio, Nancy Garcia Garcia and Marina de Tavira. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for graphic nudity, some disturbing images, and language. At Landmark’s Midtown Arts. 2 hours, 15 minutes.

“Second Act”

C

A woman struggling to make it gets a chance to prove that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts. While it has a good cast, the script is nearly hopeless. Starring Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini and Vanessa Hudgens. Directed by Peter Segal. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) Rated PG-13 for some crude sexual reference and language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 43 minutes.

“Serenity”

C+

A woman comes out of a fisherman’s past and asks him to kill her husband. The off-kilter, cartoonish fantasy is so odd and appealing and you’ll want to spend more time with the characters, even though the overly mawkish ending will leave a sour taste. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jason Clarke. Directed by Steven Knight. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some bloody images. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 46 minutes.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”

A

There’s a Peter Parker in this universe and a Peter B. Parker from an alternate universe who crashes in when an evil mobster fires up a portal to another dimension to bring back his family. The animated feature injects new life into the franchise by reminding us where Spider-Man comes from: the comic books. Starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld and Jake Johnson. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG for frenetic sequences of animated action violence, thematic elements and mild language. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 57 minutes.

“Stan & Ollie”

B+

This story follows the duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy along their career and personal lives. It rumbles along as delightful two-hander, with their most famous routines playing out in their entirety, like fine dance sequences. Starring Steve Coogan, John C. Reilly and Nina Arianda. Directed by Jon S. Baird. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated PG for some strong language and smoking. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 37 minutes.

“They Shall Not Grow Old”

A

documentary of World War I made from film footage shot at the time of the war. It’s an exceptional film that allows us to see wartime lives more vividly than their contemporaries ever could. Directed by Peter Jackson. (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) Rated R for disturbing war images. At metro theaters. 1 hour, 39 minutes long.

“The Upside”

C

A parolee lands a job taking care of a quadriplegic rich man and the two form an unlikely friendship. Little of the film is surprising or fresh in this predictable film. Starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman. Directed by Neil Burger. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) Rated PG-13 for suggestive content and drug use. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 5 minutes.

“Vice”

D+

The film plots the rise of Dick Cheney from a misdirected young man in Wyoming to one of the most notorious gray eminences in American politics. It is less a coherent narrative than a hyper-stylized lecture that feels both busily overdetermined and bluntly simplistic. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Steve Carell. Directed by Adam McKay. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) Rated R for language and some violent images. At metro theaters. 2 hours, 12 minutes.