Freeze Frame

Certain movie franchises have been blessed by the cinematic gods. The Harry Potter, James Bond, Star Wars and Toy Story sagas immediately jump to mind. But in terms of pure box office gold, nothing quite compares with the Marvel Universe. …

“The Chaperone” is an adaptation of a novel by Lawrence, Kansas author Laura Moriarty. Elizabeth McGovern (“Downton Abbey”) stars in this story of a suppressed Wichita housewife who accompanies 15-year-old dancer Louise Brooks to a dance workshop in New York in …

Yes, the laborious stop-motion animation technique still has a place in a world dominated by CGI cinema. “Missing Link” is a visual treat from the folks at Laika Studios. Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana and Zach Galifianakis provide the voices in this comic tale about a big-headed Victorian explorer who discovers and befriends a big-footed sasquatch. The mildly amusing storyline is very slight and will soon evaporate from your memory, but the plush textures of the images help make up for the movie’s narrative weaknesses. A strong script is the only thing missing in “Missing Link.” I was really rooting for “Little,” a movie that flips the script on the Tom Hanks classic, “Big.” Marsai Martin from TV’s “Blackish” stars as the nasty, selfish founder of a high-tech firm who is magically transformed into the body of her 13-year-old self. She learns some valuable lessons, relying on her assistant Issa Rae and returning to the hard knocks of middle school. This comic fantasy has some strange lapses that play like some crucial scenes were left on the cutting room floor. And dividing the story between the two leads diminishes the story’s impact. Still, Rae is likable and Martin is a force…

With the exception of the exceptional “Wonder Woman,” most of the recent superhero movies from the DC universe have been dark and dour or dumb and dull. Thankfully, “Shazam!” has come to the rescue! Zachary Levi leads the cast in this witty, heartfelt work of escapism that that brings the fun back to the DC universe. Smart, funny and well-cast, “Shazam!” is fresh and refreshing.   “The Best of Enemies” is based on an unlikely true story. Taraji P. Henson plays a civil rights activist who forms an unlikely bond with KKK leader Sam Rockwell over the issue of school desegregation in the early 1970s South. The cast is fine and the movie has a good-natured vibe. But “The Best of Enemies” is overlong and awkwardly paced.   “Storm Boy” is an adaptation of a 1964 Australian children’s book. This gentle tale is about a young boy who saves and befriends a pelican that winds up having a major impact on the boy’s life. Geoffrey Rush plays the boy as an adult who tells the story to his granddaughter. While underwhelming as a drama, it’s a sweet-natured and sentimental ode to environmentalism.   “The Wind” might have been titled “Little…

The 1941 Disney animated classic “Dumbo” soared because of its charm. That’s the crucial element that’s sorely missing in Tim Burton’s live action remake. The superb art direction provides an immersive atmosphere, but Burton’s quirky style is ill-suited to the gentle story. It’s passable, but this overlong “Dumbo” never quite takes off.   Keira Knightley, Alexander Skarsgard and Jason Clarke from a post WWII love triangle in the soapy drama, “The Aftermath.” The story serves as an allegory about conflict, grief and rebuilding. It competently made but doesn’t catch fire.   In the drama “The Mustang,” Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts plays a Nevada prison inmate who trains wild horses as part of a rehab program. It’s a very low-key but humane and uplifting drama about the healing powers of working with animals.   Dev Patel and Armie Hammer lead the cast of “Hotel Mumbai,” a harrowing reenactment of the bloody terrorist attack at the Taj Palace Hotel in 2008. It’s a competently made and involving film, but viewers will have to decide if this violent dramatization is a salute to heroism or a work of exploitation. It’s probably both.   “The Hummingbird Project” may be the most misleading title of…

Originality is a rare commodity in Hollywood, but Oscar-winning writer/director Jordan Peele demonstrates more than his fair share in his new horror film, “Us.” Multiple social allegories are explored in the story of a family of four that is terrorized by a murderous quartet that looks exactly like them. Lupita Nyong’o gives a stunning dual performance as the mom and her evil doppelganger. Prepare to be creeped out and intrigued at the same time.   Julianne Moore has given some top-notch performance and her turn in the comic drama “Gloria Bell” is no exception. A remake of an acclaimed Chilean film, “Gloria Bell” tells the story of a divorcée taking a second chance on romance. This very adult movie provides a realistic, almost melancholy look at the emotional struggles of women of a certain age. It doesn’t all work, but Moore creates a memorable portrait of quiet resilience.   I’m not sure what the title “Dragged Across Concrete” means, but I felt like I had been after watching this grueling and gritty three-hour crime drama. Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn play cops disciplined for employing rough tactics. While on suspension, the opportunity to steal gold from crooks becomes too tempting…

he Marvel Universe offers yet another superhero origin story, this time set in the 1990s. “Captain Marvel” stars Bree Larson as Vers, a member of the alien Kree Starforce. But through a convoluted series of plot twists, she discovers that she’s actually Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force pilot now imbued with high-energy powers absorbed during an experimental aircraft crash. Carol goes through a series of challenges with Avengers honcho Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and must ultimately decide where her allegiance lies.   Quality-wise, "Captain Marvel" undoubtedly lands somewhere in the middle of the pack among Marvel superhero movies, but it's still good, goofy fun and Larson displays acting chops that remind us why she's an Oscar winner.   Although the directors and editor lose focus during the early scenes, it all makes sense as the plot unfolds. I have to commend the filmmakers for shedding some of the misogynistic, sexist elements of the "Captain Marvel" comics and replacing them with aspects of female empowerment.   While I'll admit that superhero fatigue has hit many of us by now, the character of Captain Marvel emerges to fill a hole that the Avengers franchise sorely needed. While…

Argentine/French filmmaker Gaspar Noé has a full and impressive command of the medium. But he has the darkest, ugliest world view of any working filmmaker. His latest descent into cinematic hell is “Climax.” A group of dancers enjoy a party until someone spikes the punch with acid and the affair degenerates into a hallucinatory orgy of violence. Although the dancing is excellent, Noé somehow renders these horrifying events boring.   “Ruben Brandt: Collector” is a visually impressive animated thriller for adults from Hungary. A psychiatrist and a group of his patients pull off a series of art heists in an attempt to put a halt to the doctor’s nightmares. Art students may enjoy the inside jokes in this wacky heist movie, but the whole thing is a bit too convoluted for its own good.   “Finding Steve McQueen” is a very laid-back 1970s crime tale, inspired by a true story. Travis Fimmel plays a McQueen fan who attempts to pull off a $30 million bank job from Richard Nixon’s secret campaign fund. The best thing about this modest little opus is the infectious soundtrack filled with 70s pop tunes.   “Birds of Passage” is yet another true story, this time…

Acclaimed French actress Isabelle Huppert plays a troubled woman who stalks young Chloë Grace Moretz around New York City in the campy thriller, "Greta." Written and directed by Neil Jordan, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “The Crying Game,” “Greta” tells the story of a naïve girl who finds a woman’s purse on the subway. When she tracks her down to return it, the woman sticks to her like chewing gum. The potential for a great creepfest was there, but the plot elements are a bit too familiar. The talented actresses give this suspense flick a boost, though, making it a passable nail-biter.   The German film "Never Look Away" was one of the nominees for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. A sweeping fictional overview of the life of an artist, “Never Look Away” is loosely based on the life of Gerhard Richter, based upon interviews the artist had with the film’s writer and director, Florian Henckel von Donnersmark, the man behind the 2006 Oscar winner, “The Lives of Others.” For his part, Richter has disavowed the movie saying that it is a gross distortion of his life. While this three-hour epic is beautifully filmed by Oscar nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and has some…

The Lebanese film “Capernaum” is a social drama about a poor boy who does the best he can to survive on the streets of Beirut. Written and directed by Nadine Labaki, the film is a nominee for this year’s Oscar …