Is there life in “Life?” This sci-fi thriller features Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds as astronauts who confront a deadly new species on their voyage to Mars. The film owes a bit too much of its inspiration to the classic …

Is there life in “Life?” This sci-fi thriller features Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds as astronauts who confront a deadly new species on their voyage to Mars. The film owes a bit too much of its inspiration to the classic “Alien,” but thanks to a good cast and competent execution, “Life” nearly overcomes most of its genre clichés.   Hollywood legend Shirley MacLaine is perfectly cast as a nasty old lady in the comic drama, “The Last Word.” Since no one has anything nice to say about her, an unlikable octogenarian hires a writer, played by Amanda Seyfried, to pen a flattering obituary. The actors are fine, but the effort seems labored. “The Last Word” misses the opportunity to mine an interesting, original premise.   Woody Harrelson plays the misanthropic title character in “Wilson,” a bleak, R-rated adaptation of Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel. The film attempts a very uneasy mix of mean-spiritedness and cloying sentimentality. While the cast is terrific, the characters in this dark comedy are so clueless and unlikable that their actions elicit more groans than laughs.   Also opening this week, “Slamma Jamma” is a faith-based drama about a wrongfully imprisoned ex-con who attempts a comeback through…

It’s a tale as old as time, but when Disney goes back to the well it’s usually worth the trip. The 1991 animated classic “Beauty and the Beast” gets a rousing ‘live-action’ reboot, although I use the term “Live-action” loosely …

It’s a tale as old as time, but when Disney goes back to the well it’s usually worth the trip. The 1991 animated classic “Beauty and the Beast” gets a rousing ‘live-action’ reboot, although I use the term “Live-action” loosely when there’s this much computer animation involved. Emma Watson steps out of the world of Harry Potter and into the role of Belle, the provincial French beauty who warms the heart of a cursed beast, played by “Downton Abby’s” Dan Stevens.   The production values are first rate, the terrific music by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman is mostly well delivered, but the addition of some unnecessary new tunes by Menken and Tim Rice slows things down, ballooning the running time from the original’s 85 minutes to two hours and nine minutes.   Yet, there’s plenty of movie magic and heart-tugging sentiment in this $160 million 3-D extravaganza. While it doesn’t live up to the standard of the Oscar-winning original, this new “Beast” has a “Beauty” all its own and hits an emotional bull’s-eye.   Can a youthful mistake be amended in one’s old age? What if the memory of it is unreliable? These are the central questions behind the…

There are those who may think that Hollywood has given us way too many giant monster movies already. But I felt like a giddy kid at an old-time Saturday matinee when I saw “Kong: Skull Island.” This action-packed fantasy adventure …

There are those who may think that Hollywood has given us way too many giant monster movies already. But I felt like a giddy kid at an old-time Saturday matinee when I saw “Kong: Skull Island.” This action-packed fantasy adventure employs eye-popping state of the art special effects to create believably scary creatures and an exotic environment. But, most importantly, establishes a sense of wonder and the feel of genuine peril.   A team of explorers, led by an obsessed John Goodman, travel to an uncharted island in 1973. He’s the only one who realizes the real dangers that lurk there. The terrific cast also includes Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson. But John C. Reilly nearly steals the movie as a shell-shocked WWII veteran who miraculously survived for on the island 30 years.   But the real star is the movie’s titular colossus who protects the natives and his dangerous turf from a wild assortment of gigantic monsters. It’s violent enough to more than earn it’s PG-13 rating, but “Kong: Skull Island” is also funny and involving even if it’s script adds nothing new to the genre. I give this Kong four out of five giant bananas.…

In what is being touted as his final big-screen appearance as “Logan,” aka Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is back as a tired, aging and worn out mutant, a far cry from his glory days with X-Men. In the ultra-violent flick “Logan,” …

In what is being touted as his final big-screen appearance as “Logan,” aka Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is back as a tired, aging and worn out mutant, a far cry from his glory days with X-Men. In the ultra-violent flick “Logan,” he reluctantly protects a young girl who may be his daughter as well as the sickly Professor X, played by Patrick Stewart. This R-rated blood-fest has plenty of action and more depth than most superhero movies, but some may question the ethics of children participating in the sadistic carnage.   “The Salesman” is the winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Asghar Farhadi’s intriguing suspense drama involves a couple that gets more than they bargained for when they move into a new apartment in the middle of Tehran. It’s intricately plotted, skillfully acted, realistic and heartbreaking. Once again, Farhadi demonstrates why he’s one of the world’s finest filmmakers.   An appealing cast and some amusing moments may not be quite enough to make “Table 19” worth a sit down. Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow and Craig Robinson are among a group of misfits that get stuck together at the worst table at a wedding reception and find out…

Comic Jordan Peele of Key & Peele fame makes his directorial debut with a surprisingly effective, full-blooded horror film, “Get Out.” Daniel Kaluuya plays a young black photographer who goes to meet his white girlfriend’s parents in rural suburbia, where …

Comic Jordan Peele of Key & Peele fame makes his directorial debut with a surprisingly effective, full-blooded horror film, “Get Out.” Daniel Kaluuya plays a young black photographer who goes to meet his white girlfriend’s parents in rural suburbia, where things go horribly wrong. An effective social commentary as well as a potent creepfest, “Get Out” is this generation’s answer to “The Stepford Wives.”   David Oyelowo from "Selma" and Rosamund Pike from "Gone Girl" star in the true historical romance "A United Kingdom." Oyelowo plays the heir to the throne of Botswana who creates international chaos in 1947 when he takes a white, British wife, played by Pike. It’s a handsomely produced, beautifully acted and involving drama.   “I Am Not Your Negro” is a compelling and penetrating documentary about the late author James Baldwin and his perspective on three men he knew well: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, who were all assassinated. It’s a sobering, resonant and timely work.   “The Girl with All the Gifts” is yet another zombie apocalypse flick, but this one is particularly smart and effective. Glenn Close and Gemma Arterton lead the strong acting ensemble, but newcomer Sennia Nanua steals the…