The mob drama “The Kitchen” is a bit undercooked. Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elizabeth Moss star in this ethically dubious thriller based on a comic book series. They play the wives of Irish mobsters who take over their husbands’ protection racket when the men are sent to prison. In spite of its fine cast, it never rings true. Last year’s drama “Widows” handled these gender-flipped themes much more effectively.   “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” is a live-action version of the popular cartoon, “Dora the Explorer.” Isabela Moner and her castmates are likeable and the adventure story is suitably wacky. It’s harmless, but if you can reach my elbow, you’re too tall for this movie.   “Brian Banks” is a true story about a gross miscarriage of justice. Aldis Hodge is fine as an innocent man and wannabe NFL player sent to prison on a false rape charge. The filmmaking is pedestrian, but “Brian Banks” inspiring just the same.   “Maiden” is a documentary about Tracy Edwards, a young British woman who skippered the first all-female crew on a dangerous round-the-world yacht race. It’s an involving feminist chronicle.   Terrific acting saves the laconic drama, “Them That…

The 2001 movie “The Fast and the Furious” was based on a true story about LA street racers. Over the years, the films in the franchise have evolved into action fantasies so preposterous that they make James Bond flicks look like documentaries by comparison. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham star in the ninth film in the franchise, “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” They play rival rogue lawmen who try to save the world from a cyborg-human hybrid, played by Idris Elba. It’s utterly absurd, but the Johnson/Statham team-up is amusing. The way to enjoy this movie is to forget the laws of physics, throw logic out the window and just go with the action flow.   “The Farewell” is a sweet-natured and sentimental comedy about an Asian-American woman, played by Awkwafina, who travels to China when she learns her beloved grandmother is terminally ill. Problem is, the family has decided to hide the truth from the elderly lady and to stage a sham marriage to make her feel better. Alternately funny and poignant, “The Farewell” is a wistful crowd-pleaser.   Comic Marc Maron leads the cast of “Sword of Trust,” a wacky comedy about two women who try…

For his ninth feature film, writer/director Quentin Tarantino presents a very dark Valentine to the town and the art form he grew up loving and copying. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is about the movie business and the folks who attempt to survive the dramatic changes Tinseltown underwent in the late 1960s.   Leonardo DiCaprio hits all the right notes as Rick, loosely based on Steve McQueen, a TV actor who once starred in a popular Western. Overly sensitive and self-absorbed, Rick battles booze and insecurities. His best pal is his stunt double Cliff, played by Brad Pitt, a character inspired by Burt Reynolds’ buddy, Hal Needham. Tarantino’s story is purely fictional, imagining a relationship that these men might have had with actress Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie, and the notorious Manson family.   The who’s-who cast also includes Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell. Bruce Dern and Al Pacino, who has a brief but impressive turn as DiCaprio’s agent.   As always, Tarantino’s dialogue is terrific and he certainly knows this era like the back of his hand. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” does a great job of capturing the feel of the time and place,…

Disney’s stampede to create so-called ‘live-action’ remakes of its animated classics continues with “The Lion King.” The super-realistic computer-generated imagery that replaces the classic hand-drawn animation is nothing short of spectacular. But for some reason, the cinematic magic of the 1994 version doesn’t make the transition quite as smoothly. Much of the film is a shot-for-shot recreation, but many of the scenes are more drawn out, adding unnecessarily to the film’s length. While there’s still much to like in “The Lion King,” it won’t go down as the pride of the remakes.   The so-called comedy “Supervized” will be a bona fide contender for the worst film of 2019. A sad embarrassment to all involved, “Supervized” stars Tom Berenger, Beau Bridges and Louis Gossett, Jr. as foul-mouthed former superheroes living out their difficult elder years in an Irish retirement community. Nefarious foes try to sap the former caped crusaders of what’s left of their superpowers. “Supervized” represents the nadir of these actors’ storied careers.   Andrew Garfield stars in the wacky neo-noir mystery, “Under the Silver Lake.” Filmmaker David Robert Mitchell has a lot on his mind with this ambitious mind bender about a man whose beautiful neighbor goes missing.…

The violent action farce “Stuber” plays a bit like a comic reworking of the Tom Cruise/Jamie Foxx action flick, “Collateral.” Kumail Nanjiani plays an Uber driver named Stu, hence the jokey title. Dave Bautista is an LA cop who commandeers the ride, forcing Stu to take him on a series of trips to capture a homicidal drug lord. Nanjiani and Bautista are an appealingly odd couple and their repartee earns some laughs, but we’ve seen all of this before. The best rating that I can give this Stuber ride is three stars.   China’s premier filmmaker Zhang Yimou returns with another sumptuously filmed wuxia entry. “Shadow.” In ancient China, an ailing military commander finds his doppelganger and trains him to fight in his place in order to fulfill an intricate plan to bring down the king. The story is a bit confusing and the acting melodramatic, but “Shadow” is still an involving and stylish action epic.   The Canadian coming-of-age drama “Firecrackers” is rude, foul-mouthed and irreverent. It’s also beautifully acted, painfully realistic and heartbreaking. Michaela Kurimsky and Karena Evans play two teenage friends who long to escape their poverty-stricken small town lives but are seemingly thwarted at every turn.…

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man just wants to enjoy a quiet European vacation with his high school pals. Is that too much to ask? Of course, it is. Tom Holland returns as the socially artless Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” During his summer holiday on the continent, Peter is recruited by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury to don an advanced Spider-Man suit and join forces with new superhero Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. It seems that strange creatures have taken over the elemental forces of earth, water, air and fire and started destroying European cities. Whew.   The writing and directing team behind 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” reunite for a surprisingly successful action adventure laced with plenty of lighthearted and self-deprecating humor. Holland is appealingly awkward, and Gyllenhaal provides some needed gravitas. As usual, the special effects are spectacular even though the action scenes sometimes become a colorful blur.   The real appeal of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” comes from the comic coming-of-age elements. ‘Will Spider-Man get the girl?’ becomes more interesting than, ‘Will Spider-Man get the bad guy?’ Cheeky fun, “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is yet another winner in the Marvel Universe.   Last year’s startling horror entry “Hereditary”…

What if the Beatles never existed but you knew all of their songs? That’s the high-concept behind the comic romantic fantasy, “Yesterday.” Himesh Patel plays a wannabe singer who, mystically, is the only person who remembers the songs of the Fab Four and becomes an overnight sensation. An appealing cast, sharp direction and great music […]