Freeze Frame

The ‘buddy comedy’ gets a new treatment in an old way with “The Nice Guys.” The writer/producer/director team that brought you the “Lethal Weapons” movies reunite for a foul-mouthed action comedy set against the sleazy backdrop of 1977 Hollywood. Russell …

The ‘buddy comedy’ gets a new treatment in an old way with “The Nice Guys.” The writer/producer/director team that brought you the “Lethal Weapons” movies reunite for a foul-mouthed action comedy set against the sleazy backdrop of 1977 Hollywood. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are terrific as a pair of mismatched private detectives who get in over their heads when working on the case of a murdered porn star. The movie is overlong and the mix of humor and violence doesn’t always work. But Crowe and Gosling are money. They may not really be playing nice guys, but the pairing is certainly a nice one. If you’ve never heard of the mobile video game Angry Birds, you’re probably still using a rotary dial phone. In the animated big screen adaptation, “The Angry Birds Movie,” Kansas City’s Jason Sudeikis provides the voice of Red, a furious flightless bird who battles invasive pigs. The loopy humor and frenetic action are clearly aimed at the younger movie-going demographic. It’s a harmless, well-animated farce that may not be inspired, but it’s no turkey. “Pelé: Birth of a Legend” is a family sports drama that focuses on the early years of Brazilian soccer superstar, Pelé.…

Although he died in 1920 at the age of 32, self-taught Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Sree nee vasa Raman Oojen) is considered a pioneer who made major contributions to the field. “The Man Who Knew Infinity” is an earnest and …

Although he died in 1920 at the age of 32, self-taught Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (Sree nee vasa Raman Oojen) is considered a pioneer who made major contributions to the field. “The Man Who Knew Infinity” is an earnest and well-meaning biopic starring Dev Patel as the mathematical genius and Jeremy Irons as his British mentor, professor G. H. Hardy. The film, which is based on Hardy’s memories, is very respectable but also very conventional and formulaic. It lacks the dramatic spark that fueled other films about math geniuses, like “A Beautiful Mind” and “Good Will Hunting.” Still, it’s sincere and well produced even if all of the elements don’t quite add up. “Rio, I Love You” is the third in a series of anthology movies, the first being “Paris, Je t’aime” and the second, “New York, I Love You.” Ten shorts from ten different noted international directors use the Marvelous city as the background for a very uneven mishmash of shorts that range from mildly intriguing to downright awful. None of the stories linger long enough to make much of an impact. The cast includes Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Vincent Cassel, Emily Mortimer and Rodrigo Santoro. The end result…

The latest comic book extravaganza from the folks at Marvel, “Captain America: Civil War” is everything that “Batman v Superman” wishes it could have been. A villain cleverly manipulates The Avengers into a battle that splits the team in two, …

The latest comic book extravaganza from the folks at Marvel, “Captain America: Civil War” is everything that “Batman v Superman” wishes it could have been. A villain cleverly manipulates The Avengers into a battle that splits the team in two, pitting Iron Man and his super allies against Captain America and his Avenger crew. Naturally, when these forces got into battle with one another, mayhem abounds. Even though there are some dark themes in “Civil War,” the movie has plenty of action, good humor and a real sense of fun, so it never devolves into sharing the dour and brooding tone that plagued “Batman v Superman.” “Captain America: Civil War” proves that, a house divided…can be very entertaining. “Tale of Tales” is a fairytale movie that is definitely not for kids. Salma Hayek, Toby Jones, Vincent Cassel and John C. Reilly lead a cast of international stars in this offbeat and very disturbing film. It’s an adaptation of the 17th century collection of fairytales called the “Pentamerone,” featuring stories grimmer than Grimm. Three tales are interwoven, highlighting the themes of selfishness and lust. There’s enough nudity and bloody violence to earn it a hard “R” rating, but it’s being released…

Key & Peele’s first feature film together may be a one-joke affair…but it’s a very funny joke. Fans of the duo’s Comedy Central sketch show will love “Keanu,” a raunchy, irreverent satire…and so will many newcomers. The comics play nerdy …

Key & Peele’s first feature film together may be a one-joke affair…but it’s a very funny joke. Fans of the duo’s Comedy Central sketch show will love “Keanu,” a raunchy, irreverent satire…and so will many newcomers. The comics play nerdy cousins who pose as hardcore drug dealers in an effort to regain a stolen kitten. There’s enough violence, drugs and foul language in this gleefully goofy romp to easily earn an R-rating, but the vibe is so sweet natured, that it’s almost inoffensive. This “Keanu” is one cool cat. Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts and Kansas City’s Jason Sudeikis star in Garry Marshall’s latest holiday comedy, “Mother’s Day.” This ensemble sitcom weaves several stories about a number of folks as they prepare for Mother’s Day celebrations in Atlanta. The humor is forced, the sentiment is artificial and the story is chock full of awkward stereotypes. But thanks to the cast, undemanding audiences might find something to like in this extremely lightweight effort. It’s odd that a movie about one of the world’s greatest writers is so poorly written. Giovanni Ribisi plays a Miami newspaper writer who befriends Ernest Hemmingway, played by stage actor Adrian Sparks, in “Papa: Hemmingway in…

Someone must have watched the Pixar/Disney films “Brave” and “Frozen” and then decided they should do a very gloomy amalgamation of those stories. The result is “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” a sequel to 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman.” A …

Someone must have watched the Pixar/Disney films “Brave” and “Frozen” and then decided they should do a very gloomy amalgamation of those stories. The result is “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” a sequel to 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman.” A great cast, terrific production values and impressive costumes almost save this murky and violent fairy tale…but it never achieves any real magic. Kansas City native Don Cheadle wrote, produced directed and stars in the involving biopic “Miles Ahead,” a fantasia on the life of jazz legend Miles Davis. Yes, the story is highly fictionalized, but it serves to create what feels like an authentic portrait of the troubled artist. Cheadle’s work is first rate on all counts, demonstrating that the gifted actor has been paying attention. Like jazz, it’s a creative riff on the melody of Davis’ eventful life. Do you like movies that creep you out? “The Invitation” is a well-acted and unsettling horror thriller that is as affecting as it is disturbing. A man and his girlfriend are invited to a dinner party at his ex-wife’s house. It doesn’t take long for them to discover that someone has ulterior motives. If you enjoy slowly building suspense, then this…