Freeze Frame

This is what "Bohemian Rhapsody" is NOT: The definitive biopic about Freddie Mercury of Queen. This is what it IS: A very entertaining overview of the British rock band that features a powerhouse performance by Rami Malek. It skims the surface, but in an engaging way. Disney's gargantuan reworking of the famous fairytale and ballet, "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" takes a lot of liberties wit...

A game cast isn’t quite enough to keep the submarine thriller “Hunter Killer” afloat. Gerard Butler plays Captain Joe Glass, the square-jawed leader of an American nuclear sub that is called upon to fulfill a unique mission: To save the …

It’s been 40 years since the masked killer Michael Meyers slashed his way into movie infamy in the horror classic “Halloween,” but there was one victim who got away. After decades in an asylum, Michael escapes to finally finish things …

A game cast isn't quite enough to keep the submarine thriller "Hunter Killer" afloat. Gerard Butler plays Captain Joe Glass, the square-jawed leader of an American nuclear sub that is called upon to fulfill a unique mission: To save the leader of Russia from an internal military coup. There are so many improbabilities in "Hunter Killer" that audiences are forced to suspend disbelief more than for...

It’s been 40 years since the masked killer Michael Meyers slashed his way into movie infamy in the horror classic “Halloween,” but there was one victim who got away. After decades in an asylum, Michael escapes to finally finish things with Laurie Strode in the reboot of “Halloween.” Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie and Nick Castle is back as Michael. Filmmaker David Gordon Green’s film dispenses...

Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle goes from “La La Land” to outer space with “First Man.” Ryan Gosling plays the ultra-reserved astronaut Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy is his devoted wife, Janet. It’s beautifully produced, but like Armstrong himself, “First Man” …

Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle goes from “La La Land” to outer space with “First Man.” Ryan Gosling plays the ultra-reserved astronaut Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy is his devoted wife, Janet. It’s beautifully produced, but like Armstrong himself, “First Man” is emotionally aloof.   “Bad Times at the El Royale” is half of a great movie. This slick and violent grindhouse exploitation flick...

There are two words that best describe the fourth big screen version of the old Hollywood chestnut, “A Star is Born”: Oscar bait. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are impressive in this tragic romance about an alcoholic musician on the …

There are two words that best describe the fourth big screen version of the old Hollywood chestnut, “A Star is Born”: Oscar bait. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are impressive in this tragic romance about an alcoholic musician on the downslide and his protégé who’s on the rise. Cooper directed and co-wrote this update, his first foray behind the camera. He also provides his own songs. In her movie d...

The themes in the animated goof “Smallfoot” may be a bit heavy-handed, but it’s still a modestly amusing musical lark. Channing Tatum provides the voice of Migo, a giant yeti living in an isolated village atop a hidden mountain in …

“The House with a Clock in its Walls” is an atmospheric PG-rated horror movie for kids based on John Bellairs’ novel. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star in this story about witchcraft, a young kid and a particularly spooky house. …

The themes in the animated goof “Smallfoot” may be a bit heavy-handed, but it’s still a modestly amusing musical lark. Channing Tatum provides the voice of Migo, a giant yeti living in an isolated village atop a hidden mountain in Nepal. He’s banished when he claims to have seen a smallfoot…that is, a human… which is believed to be mythical. The voice cast includes Common, Zendaya, LaBron James an...

“The House with a Clock in its Walls” is an atmospheric PG-rated horror movie for kids based on John Bellairs’ novel. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star in this story about witchcraft, a young kid and a particularly spooky house. Fans of “Harry Potter,” “Goosebumps” and “Lemony Snicket” will find much that’s familiar here, but this adaptation isn’t quite as successful as any of them. Plus, “The Ho...

“The Predator” is the fifth entry in the popular alien huntsman series. Writer/director Shane Black offers lots of chaotic violence as well as a good deal of jokey humor. Jacob Tremblay, who may be the best child actor working today, …

“The Predator” is the fifth entry in the popular alien huntsman series. Writer/director Shane Black offers lots of chaotic violence as well as a good deal of jokey humor. Jacob Tremblay, who may be the best child actor working today, plays a kid genius who becomes an alien target. Fans of the series, yes. Others, no.   A highly controlled and nuanced performance by Glenn Close is the main attracti...

Do you miss the good old “Death Wish” days when Charles Bronson took the law into his own hands and meted out vigilante justice against all manner of bad guys? Well, Jennifer Garner essentially has stepped into Bronson’s shoes in …

Do you miss the good old “Death Wish” days when Charles Bronson took the law into his own hands and meted out vigilante justice against all manner of bad guys? Well, Jennifer Garner essentially has stepped into Bronson’s shoes in the new thriller, “Peppermint.” Garner plays a woman whose husband and daughter are killed by an LA drug gang. When the justice system lets them all off the hook, Jen goe...

Audiences always say they want something different from Hollywood. “Searching,” a tense thriller with a unique gimmick, fills the bill. All of the action takes place on a computer screen. John Cho and Debra Messing star in the story of …

Audiences always say they want something different from Hollywood. “Searching,” a tense thriller with a unique gimmick, fills the bill. All of the action takes place on a computer screen. John Cho and Debra Messing star in the story of a father who uses the internet to frantically search for his missing daughter. The story is involving, so the gimmick works. “Kin” is an action drama mashup of sci-...

Some foul-mouthed puppets behaving in degenerate ways provide the gimmick in the one-joke movie, “The Happytime Murders.” Jim Henson’s son, Brian Henson, takes his puppetry skills into the R-rated realm with this raunchy and vulgar comedy. Melissa McCarthy plays a …

Some foul-mouthed puppets behaving in degenerate ways provide the gimmick in the one-joke movie, “The Happytime Murders.” Jim Henson’s son, Brian Henson, takes his puppetry skills into the R-rated realm with this raunchy and vulgar comedy. Melissa McCarthy plays a police detective who reunites with her former puppet partner to find a serial killer targeting stars from a 1980s TV puppet show. The s...

You’ve seen it all before, but not like this and not with this cast and not at this locale. “Crazy Rich Asians” is a very likable Cinderella story, a romantic comedy that seems fresh due to its engaging all-Asian cast, …

You’ve seen it all before, but not like this and not with this cast and not at this locale. “Crazy Rich Asians” is a very likable Cinderella story, a romantic comedy that seems fresh due to its engaging all-Asian cast, feel-good vibe and amusing script. It’s a sweet wish-fulfillment fantasy, the positive Ying to “Fifty Shades of Grey’s” negative Yang.   “Alpha” is a visually spectacular pre-histor...

If it weren’t true, you might not believe it. “BlacKkKlansman” tells the remarkable true story of a black Colorado police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s. Director Spike Lee, who co-wrote the screenplay with KU professor …

If it weren’t true, you might not believe it. “BlacKkKlansman” tells the remarkable true story of a black Colorado police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s. Director Spike Lee, who co-wrote the screenplay with KU professor Kevin Willmott, recharges his career with a film that is funny, incendiary, thought-provoking, unnerving and oh-so relevant in contemporary America. John Dav...