Starring the Voices of: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson and Ralph Fiennes
Directed By: Travis Knight
Rated: PG
Running Time: 101 minutes
Focus Features

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Anymore, I’m shocked when I walk out of a movie after seeing something original. I was almost certain that “Kubo and the Two Strings” was based on a book or short story. I was sure that a movie utilizing origami, ancient traditions, and the mysticism of the Eastern world, was someone else’s idea come to life. Nope. The ambitious nature of the film is all its own and it’s amazing to see the animation studio, Laika, put so much faith behind it.

To say that “Kubo” is a kid’s movie or fun for the whole family would be a disservice. It seems more interested in a mature audience that fancies itself as fans of anime, late 70’s kung fu, or people who watch “Adventure Time”. So if anything, you could say it’s a very mature kid’s movie. It doesn’t have predictable silliness, but seems to find itself bordering on family friendly entertainment early on when we meet our hero, Kubo (Parkinson). He’s forbidden from staying out past dark by his near comatose mother.

Kubo spends his days going into town to make money by plucking the two strings on his shamisen (or guitar). Through his musical talents, he’s able to wield magic that puppets different origami creatures, while spinning tales that are inspired by his father, whom he’s never met. He fascinated with the journey of great samurai warrior, and the beasts and monsters they fight. Inevitably after one of his shows, he stays out past dark, invoking his evil twin aunts (voiced by Rooney Mara), sending him on his own perilous journey.

Kubo joins forces with a talking monkey voiced by Charlize Theron and a beetle warrior voiced by Matthew McConaughey. It took me a while to get on the same page as “Kubo” and a lot of that may be because I wasn’t sure what to expect. The movie’s marketing campaign made it feel like I was in for a Japanese rehash of “James and the Giant Peach”, but there’s a lot more depth and heart to “Kubo” than any Roald Dahl classic.

Without revealing too much, the heart and soul of this movie is about the family unit, forgiveness, memory and the damage jealousy can bring upon the human soul. It has some great lessons for kids, but its more heart felt for older audiences who have aging patriarchs and matriarchs at home. “Kubo” is a clash of youth and age, and how families handle the generational divide within their own families. “Kubo” does suffer from an identity crisis, having to balance audience expectations and preventing its mature script from tripping into low-brow kid’s movie pitfalls. I’m sure “Kubo” will get better with age.

The digital stop-motion animation in “Kubo” is next level. A good chunk of scenes are on the same level as most stop-motion movies, but other scenes are breathtaking and groundbreaking. I’m no animator, but I’m sure most out there will have to give pause and wonder how “Kubo” accomplishes many of it’s visual feats. There’s so much for your eyes to feast on, at times the story becomes second nature to everything happening on screen, like a scene where a sailboat made up of Autumn leaves crashes through the waves of a lake during a robust lightning storm.

“Kubo” is clearly a passion project, with a dedicated team behind the camera. It hits deep within the heart for those looking for meaning, but lacks the right amount of force to really do some emotional damage once it’s driven into your soul. There’s a lot of themes, some blatant, some yet undiscovered on my first viewing. “Kubo” will surely be keeping Disney and Pixar on the edge of their seat come award season. Laika Studios is proving to be a worthy adversary and showing that stop-motion can be just as colorfully lively, emotionally heartbreaking and creatively inspiring, than a lost fish in the sea or what your pets do while you’re at work.

Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges
Directed By: David Mackenzie
Rated: R
Running Time: 102 minutes
CBS Films

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Out of curiosity I researched the phrase, “Come hell or high water” since the movie title clearly borrows from that popular saying. My research yielded the fact that it’s an early 20th century saying that relates to the difficulties of cattle ranching. And here I had always assumed it was more of a Biblical saying or something cool Americans would say when facing adversity. That’s not to say that the originators of the saying weren’t God-fearing ranchers.

Brothers Tanner (Foster) and Toby (Pine) aren’t ranchers and certainly don’t appear to be fearful of any afterlife repercussions of their sins. Although the would-be cowboys are working on their future beer guts and sport rough stubble that could certainly mislead one to believe they’ve had to wrangle livestock. They live in western Texas where there’s clearly a hangover from the 2007 market crash. Residents dotting the drought ridden landscape seem more focused on staying true to the beliefs they grew up on, rather than adapt or evolve.

Toby isn’t old fashioned, but he definitely seems lost on what to do in this brave new world. He’s desperately trying to save the family farm and is looking for a life preserver as he swims in debt. His ex-con brother, Tanner, helps him with the first of many bad ideas, robbing banks. They’re not stupid about it at least. They commit robberies at banks in small towns with smaller police officers nearby, they’re only asking for unmarked bills smaller than $100 so the money can’t be traced, and they’re literally burying their getaway vehicles.

On their trail are, outside of the normal law enforcement, are two Texas Rangers, Marcus (Bridges) and Alberto (Gil Birmingham). Their comradery stems from a passion for what they do and years of working together. Marcus is near retirement and has a shoot from the hip viewpoint of everything, even making racist remarks about Alberto’s racial mix. But Marcus isn’t just some out-of-touch old timer; his racist jokes and jabs come from a deep appreciation and bond with Alberto. Alberto gets that too, making sure to quip back at Marcus. Alberto understands that under Marcus’ rough Texas exterior is an elderly man appreciating the friends he has as he dreads the purposelessness that’ll come with his retirement.

The movie follows these two groups journey and most of the time it’s exciting, funny, and heart felt. But behind the upbeat veil is one of hopelessness and deadly uncertainty. Any story about a two bank robbers, armed to teeth, being chased by the Texas Rangers won’t have a happy ending. For every laugh, our characters seem to wonder and ponder the consequences of their actions and the sins that will haunt us to our death day.

“Hell or High Water” captures the rustic West, the deep-seeded “Don’t Mess with Texas” attitude of its characters and the unflinching misery of living in impoverished small town America. It flips between jovial Western and teeth gritting thriller flawlessly. It’s a smart script with rich meaning that offers its characters realistic dialogue. They’re simple folk delivering simple lines, and anything near Shakespeare writing would feel horrendously out of place. Instead we get plain Midwestern men delivering speeches worthy of a Johnny Cash song.

The dialogue is further bolstered by the cast. We get to see a side of Pine we’ve never seen before, and one we’ll hopefully see more of, as well as a side of Bridges that we’ve come to love. Foster also gets the chance to make up for summer misstep, “Warcraft”, giving one of his best performances as the conflicted Tanner. If the summer movie season is truly over and it’s now time to turn the page to award season, “Hell or High Water” is a wonderful primer and a sign of good things to come.

Starring the voices of: Seth Rogen, Kristin Wiig and Salma Hayek
Directed by: Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 29 mins
Sony Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Have you ever thought about the food you eat? Until this morning I didn’t. I’ll explain that comment later.

As the lights come on, signaling a new day at the local supermarket, the various food items sing a song, paying homage to the food Gods and hoping that today will be day they are “chosen” to go into the Great Beyond. Among those singing are Frank (Rogen), one of many sausages in a package, Brenda (Wiig), the sexy bun that Frank pines for and a jar of Honey Mustard (Danny McBride). Honey Mustard is chosen but later returned. Instead of great tales of the Great Beyond, he begins to tell wide-eyed stories of horrible atrocities. Of course he is not taken seriously, which leads to some pretty tragic – and hilarious – results.

Sidesplittingly funny, the first half-hour of “Sausage Party” is a comedy masterpiece. With great jokes and an amazing musical number, the film delivers on all cylinders. However, when the “chosen” ones realize what the outside world has in store for them, it becomes a hit or miss comedy. And a filthy one. Parents who may think they are taking the little ones to see a family film about a talking hot dog are going to be in for a HUGE surprise.

That being said, there are some great things about the film. The voice cast is perfect. Besides the three mentioned above, you have Edward Norton as a Bagel, in constant conflict with David Krumholtz’s Middle Eastern flatbread, with additional great work from such familiar names as Salma Hayek, Bill Hader, Craig Robinson, James Franco and Paul Rudd. You even get a nice musical montage sung by…wait for it…Meatloaf himself.

The animation is well done and, overall, the film entertains. If you don’t have a problem learning that your bacon may be suffering when you throw it in the pan, I highly recommend it. Which reminds me. Every day I take a snack to eat mid-day to work, usually some raw veggies. This morning, I took some green peppers. And I must admit, I did take pause before I thrust my knife into them and sliced them up. Sorry my crispy, green buddies!

Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley and Wes Bentley
Directed By: David Lowery
Rated: PG
Running Time: 102 minutes
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Disney’s latest live-action rejuvenation goes way back into the dusty part of their movie vault. The 1977 “Pete’s Dragon” probably isn’t really the pinnacle of Disney’s catalogue and my last viewing of it came when I was five years old when I would generally watch any movie that had animation, especially dragons. So I had no memorable nostalgia, expectations or preconceived notions heading into the “Pete’s Dragon” reboot and I feel it’s a sufficient reimaging for today’s generation.

The 2016 version wisely takes us back to the 80’s, at a time where if there was a dragon, everyone involved wouldn’t automatically be whipping out their smartphones to record. Our trip back in time brings us to Pete (Fegley), a four-year-old about to go camping with his parents. A car wreck kills his parents, leaving Pete to wander into the woods where he’ll surely be consumed by the wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. Instead though, he’s greeted by a friendly, protective dragon.

Instead of a goofy potbellied beast, the computer generated winged creature has a emerald shag carpet fur coating his entire body. The giant reptile’s playfulness is reminiscent of the dragons in “How to Train Your Dragon”. Because of this, the dragon is more dog-like and cute when interacting with Pete. Unwisely though, Disney gives this dragon a growl and deadly fire breathing capabilities, putting the wrong people in peril in multiple instances.

“Pete’s Dragon” establishes a sweet bond as we watch the boy and dragon, which he names Elliot, over a six-year time span. They gallivant through the thick woods and play in the streams like childhood pals. Pete, clearly not remembering the traumatic events that placed him in the woods, reads a book his parents gave him to the dragon every night. It’s odd that the movie never touches upon Pete’s parental loss. A park ranger, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, spots Pete and drags him back to the real world.

With Pete taken from his forest home, Elliot is left alone, but he’s soon hunted by a bunch of Stone Age thinking loggers. It sets up some flimsy intrigue for the final act, but disappoints on a climactic and emotional level. While I do believe that Pete and Elliot have a fondness for each other and care deeply about one another, I never feel the love and adoration they have. “Pete’s Dragon” delivers a warm hug for audiences, but it left me wondering if the affection was genuine.

Kids, who are obviously the target audience, won’t see any of its problems and will enjoy the magic of it. They may understand the vague environmental and importance of family messages, but overall they’ll be wowed and thrilled by the dragon’s escapades. “Pete’s Dragon” is a sure bet for families needing a Summer escape and a positive message, but just like the original, this remake may inevitably end up in the Disney discount bin.

Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie
Directed By: David Ayer
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 130 minutes
Warner Bros.

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

The Suicide Squad is a generally unheard force in the DC Universe. They’re a group of underdog villains attempting to do good, drawing comparisons from some that this is Warner Bros. attempt at their own version of “Guardians of the Galaxy”. While the comparison is fair, “Suicide Squad” is a far more sinister beast. While Marvel’s Peter Quill and Rocket Raccoon are likable thieves and thugs, the members of the Suicide Squad are a terrifying ragtag bunch of assassins, murderers and sociopaths.

The Suicide Squad is made up of the smooth talking Deadshot (Smith), Joker’s squeeze Harley Quinn (Robbie), the beer drinking Boomerang (Jai Courtney), the gang banger El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and the hulking monster Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje). They’re all led by the self-righteous Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman). The founder of this group is Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), who may as well be the villain of the movie. She’s an unsympathetic, calculating, and murderous government official who abides by her own rules.

Her basis for creating the Suicide Squad is so that the U.S. military has an controllable force that can stop the next Superman (spoilers if you didn’t see the disappointing “Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice”). Waller has a working knowledge of nearly every villain on the planet, and seemingly every superhero, which gives pause as to why she thinks this would ever be a good idea. Despite the rather large nature of the cast working under Waller’s character, director and writer David Ayer wisely chose to focus the movie’s attention on the best actors, Davis, Smith and Robbie.

While the media lead-up to “Suicide Squad” has been about Leto’s disturbing antics off-screen, his on-screen Joker portrayal is underwhelming. It’s not because it comes on the heels of Ledger’s performance back in 2008, but because I still can’t imagine the Joker having the patience to get a tattoo or ever concerning himself with fashionable bling-bling. Despite the disappointment of Leto’s Joker, Robbie wows as the stunning lover of Mr. J, Harley Quinn. While we’ve never had a theatrical version of the Clown Prince of Crime’s murderous hunny, Robbie has set the bar, and it’s pretty damn high.

Robbie displays a natural ability to blend Quinn’s flirtatious, deadly, and juvenile nature seamlessly. She manages to convey her as a trashy, demented high school cheerleader most of the time, while displaying a softer, human side to the villain in brief glances. Matching her scene-by-scene is Smith, who’s back to his action movie roots as the assassin that never misses, Deadshot. Both of them provide most of the back story and emotional depth amongst the Suicide Squad, and rightfully so.

El Diablo has a heart breaking backstory, but Hernandez isn’t a strong enough actor or given enough dialogue to feed into his tragic past. Killer Croc is simply a grunting brute covered in scales and Boomerang is the wisecracking comic relief, minus the comic relief. The movie also finds time to wedge in Ben Affleck’s Batman, Ezra Miller’s Flash, and a brief nod to the future “Justice League” movie. Sometimes it’s a visual buffet that finds the right balance without making you too nauseous, as long as you know what the hell the movie’s talking about.

The characters are what make “Suicide Squad”, not the story, which clearly came second. When David Ayer needs to introduce the characters, he establishes a pecking order and focuses on the most relatable. As for the plot, it’s a mess involving the mysterious Enchantress (Cara Delevingne), who’s never explained, possibly angering those unfamiliar with comic books, and maybe even those familiar with them. The exact reasoning behind the Suicide Squad’s pact is a little iffy and the movie doesn’t find a satisfying conclusion after the bombastic finale.

“Suicide Squad” is a wham-bam action punch with enough exuberant and unique performances to help overshadow the lacking plot structure. You’ll be talking about Robbie’s Harley Quinn more than you will about Leto’s Joker. And that’s not a bad thing when DC is trying to establish some girl power. If DC wants to start working on a solo Deadshot or Harley Quinn movie, go ahead and buy my tickets right now.

Starring: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn
Directed by: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 41 mins
STX Entertainment

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Right before I sat down to write this review I watched Chelsea Clinton talk about her mother, Hillary, as she prepared to accept her nomination for President of the United States. Chelsea mentioned many things about the Democratic nominee, but mostly she reminded us that Hillary is, first and foremost, a mom. I hope she’s not a bad one.

Amy (Kunis) is married to a man who works when he wants and relies on her to do everything. Kids, shopping, housework…you name it, it’s her responsibility. She also works three days a week for an idiot who doesn’t appreciate her. When Amy catches her husband in the middle of a very adult on-line relationship she tosses him out the door. She also decides to do some things for herself. Enlisting the aid of fellow overburdened moms Kiki (Bell) and Carla (Hahn), the trio turn things upside down in their small, uptight community.

It makes sense that the film is directed and written by the writers of “The Hangover” because it shares a lot of that film’s DNA. Three people, mismatched at times, decide to cut loose with alcohol and dirty talk. And while the film isn’t as consistently funny as “The Hangover,” it does feature some clever scenes and strong performances by its cast, led by Kunis, who shows not only a strong comedic talent but a slight flair for the dramatic. Bell is sweetly funny as Kiki, woman who is told by her husband that she has to watch the kids because it’s “your job.” Hahn is hoot. I loved her brief work in “Anchorman” and here she is given the opportunity to cut loose. Throw in a supporting cast that ranges from Christina Applegate to Houston Texan star J.J. Watt and you have a pretty entertaining night out.

Starring: Emma Roberts, Dave Franco and Emily Meade
Directed By: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 96 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Did kids ever really play “Truth or Dare?” at sleepovers? I certainly didn’t. I grew up in the era where one-on-one conversations and group chat in a circle was replaced by shouting at each over the N64 and trying to decipher the nudity on scrambled HBO channels. So whenever I see the movie trope, especially in horror movies, of a game of “Truth or Dare?” going horribly wrong, I roll my eyes. Who knew a revamp was in order.

Most of the time, “Nerve” is a solid edge of your seat thriller. But at other times “Nerve” seems like a senior citizen’s overreaction and lecture about smartphones, social media and stupid teenage antics. Venus (Roberts) is a timid teenager, who’s known throughout her school as the artistic shutterbug. Her friends are an insipid teenage hacker, Tommy (Miles Heizer) and the school floozy, Sydney (Meade). Most likely one of those groups of friends that met in Kindergarten, grew up together, and hasn’t yet realized they’re bad for each other.

The latest high school craze is the “app”, Nerve. I only say “app” because it’s never fully explained how Nerve actually works. It looks and works like a smartphone app, but also possesses the powers of most Malware, infecting, spreading, and storing all your personal information. In Nerve you can be a watcher or player. The player completes dares and gains followers. The goal is to be the final one to complete the craziest dare. In Nerve, you’re eliminated if you choose not to a dare, snitch, or simply fail at completing your dare.

The clear thing keeping these inept teenagers in Nerve’s snare is the money. Sydney’s dare, which is suitable for the high school tart, is to flash her bare butt at a football game. Easy dare. Easy money. But the dares grow increasingly dangerous and risqué. Venus gets involved after the constant peer pressure and hurtful words of her friends that she never takes risks. While most of the times, I’d call this poor plot structuring, “Nerve” goes to a short, but adequate length to show that Venus is in need of money and in need of a major confidence boost.

“Nerve” follows Venus on her night of dares across New York City. She ends up teaming up with another Nerve player, Ian (Franco) and the two complete dares together. At first it’s light-hearted summer fun at the theater as the two are forced to run out of a high-end Manhattan clothing store in their underwear, but slowly turns into a pulse pounding action sequence the duo navigating a motorcycle at 60 mph blindfolded.

“Nerve” is a sleek techno thriller utilizing America’s current craving for online infamy, naive adolescent sensibilities, and the mob mentality that the Internet has created. If it flops at the box office, “Nerve” is sure to become a cult classic. If it succeeds at the box office, its problems will surely be highlighted. If you begin to get technical about everything, you realize that “Nerve” is in need of some IT support.

In an era where techno babble is becoming common speak and the focus piece of news media, “Nerve” struggles to keep up with some of its more technologically advanced viewers. The movie attempts to name drop things like “dark web” and “Google” in the hopes of glazing over the scriptural plot holes. But it’s fast paced story, neon visuals, Franco and Roberts likability, and thrilling third act keeps you from questioning the structural problems for too long.

Starring: Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley and Jane Horrocks
Directed by: Mandie Fletcher
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 30 mins
Fox Searchlight

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

Over two decades and 47 episodes, fans of “Absolutely Fabulous” characters Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Lumley) lived their lives vicariously through the two ladies grand adventures. Adventures that translated well in half-hour doses. How they fare in a feature length film is quite another story.

When we meet our heroines, Edina has realized that she needs some new clients in her public relations firm, the most “relevant” client currently being 60’s singer Lulu. When she and her friend Patsy discover that famous model Kate Moss is looking for new representation they conspire to crash a party and make a pitch. However a slight mishap leads to Edina being accused of killing the fashion legend. The two go into hiding as the world mourns.

Let me say, as a fan of the “Ab Fab” television show, that I was thrilled to hear a film was on its way. The series was always one of the best written shows on television (co-star Saunders wrote most of the scripts, as she does here on the film). That being said, like the best laid plans of a “Saturday Night Live” inspired film, the bits only work in small doses. Exposing the girls to 90 minutes of screen time leads to a lot of hit-and-miss jokes and outrageous situations.

That being said, it is good to see the girls back together again. And this time they’ve brought along an amazing amount of cameo appearances, featuring everyone from Jon Hamm (as one of Patsy’s many ex-lovers) to fashion designer Stella McCartney, who gets off a great joke surrounding the break-up of the Beatles. Add in the aforementioned Lulu, Baby Spice, Joan Collins and Barry Humphries and if you don’t laugh out loud you will at least smile.

Fans of the series may enjoy the film more than those unfamiliar with it. For those not in the know, may I suggest a trip to the video store to watch a couple season’s worth of “Ab Fab” so you can see what all of the commotion was about.

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Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones
Directed by: Paul Feig
Rated: PG-13
Running time: 1 hour 56 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Film Review by: Mike Smith

OK, let me make this quick announcement. For those of you that went out of your way to note online that a female-led “Ghostbusters” would cause, in the words of Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman, “Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria,” you can come back in off the ledge. The new installment is pretty damn funny and stands as tall as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

After leading his final group through a tour of a historic mansion, a tour guide finds himself lured into the basement of the dwelling and under attack from forces unknown. The building’s curator knows he needs help but who’s he gonna call?

One part funny, one part scary and completely enjoyable, this reboot of the popular 1984 film rests squarely on the shoulders of its cast. McCarthy and Wiig have made me laugh for years and I’m happy to say they do the same here. I don’t watch a lot of television so I wasn’t familiar with the other (2) “busters”, McKinnon and Jones. Both do fine work here, with McKinnon’s Jillian the standout. She’s a combination of the original film’s Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler. The film follows the original’s plot, as ghosts begin to appear seemingly out of nowhere in New York City. Not looking for bad publicity, the mayor (Andy Garcia) does his best to keep the lid on the situation. He also opens himself up for a great “Jaws” reference, which in itself gives this review an extra half-star.

Visually the film is heads above the original. I saw the 1984 film on the big screen a few years ago and I couldn’t help but notice how bad the special effects were. Here they are spectacularly presented and downright scary. But not everything is gloom and doom. You’ll be happy to learn that many of the original film’s cast show up in cameos here, which brought applause from the audience I was a part of, especially a sly nod to the late Harold Ramis. His son, Daniel, has a small part in the film, which is dedicated to his memory.

Starring: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo and Diane Kruger
Directed By: Brad Furman
Rated: R
Running Time: 127 minutes
Broad Green Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Bryan Cranston is the cure for any of Hollywood’s humdrum scripts that need a jolt of energy. We’ve seen “The Infiltrator” before. There are plenty of movies about the lengthy history of the worldwide drug war. But Cranston’s multi-faceted acting abilities create tension and heart pounding action where there isn’t. If Cranston wasn’t given the key role of “The Infiltrator”, I may have easily been telling you that “The Infiltrator” is a run-of-the-mill undercover crime movie that couldn’t find a fresh way to describe a fascinating story.

Cranston plays U.S. Customs Service special agent, Robert Mazur. He’s undercover as Bob Musella, a money launderer for the cartel and various drug dealers. He’s trusted amongst the low ranking members of various gangs because he plays the part. But Mazur is no longer interested in the criminal table scraps that Customs offers him. Mazur is going after the world’s seventh largest private bank in the 1980’s. He knows they’re the real threat because they hide and launder some of the world’s most dangerous criminal’s funds.

“The Infiltrator” has a lot going on. Too much in fact. Without the movie flat out saying it, Mazur is drawn up like a one man wrecking crew. He’s going after the powers behind the world’s drug market as well as the most crooked financiers in the world in one fell swoop. That alone should be enough for “The Infiltrator”, but the story becomes bloated when factoring in Mazur’s problems living the double life. Mazur constantly worries about the loved ones he’s putting jeopardy, while clearly developing a high off constantly putting himself in danger.

Cranston helps balance the circus act on screen by constantly displaying his prowess for portraying dual roles, much like he did season after season on “Breaking Bad”. The list of characters, real, fake, and the real ones portraying fake ones, is too long to list. So much of the movie, and the emotional core of it, shouldn’t rely on Cranston, but it does. In a better movie with a better script, Cranston would surely be looking at another Oscar nomination.

Not all the credit should go to Cranston though. Despite scriptural problems, director Brad Furman has a keen eye for how a crime movie should look. He also allows tense scenes to unfold naturally in an unsettling fashion. He also has some wonderful shots reminiscent of late 80’s and early 90’s mobster movies. But there’s really only so much he can do with the script by a first time writer tasked with condensing the fascinating, and probably lengthy, story of Mazur.

For those looking for a suspenseful time, they may get it with “The Infiltrator”. Just as long as they’re truly paying attention for all 127 minutes and bringing a notepad to keep tabs on everyone. One slip of attention on your end and you’ll miss a key point to the plot that’s brought up 30 minutes later. For that reason, “The Infiltrator” is a bizarre addition to the general popcorn summer blockbuster landscape. But if you’re wanting to watch Cranston raise the intellectual and suspense level of a movie nearly all on his own, “The Infiltrator” is your sure bet.

Starring: Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza
Directed By: Jake Szymanski
Rated: R
Running Time: 98 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

You ever watch a comedy in theaters and feel like you’ve watched one of the funniest movies of the year, only to watch it home by yourself or with a couple of friends and wonder what the hell happened? Sometimes you have to factor in audience reaction because there actually is some science behind laughter being contagious. When it happens, it really does make you feel ashamed for “enjoying” something so bad. I feel like this will happen a lot after the unfortunate few out there check out “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates.

Someone in Hollywood must have thought that a female version of “Wedding Crashers” would prove that women can be just as raunchy. But we’ve already learned this lesson from “Bridesmaids” and “Trainwreck”. The people behind “Mike and Dave” must have not have watched either of those movies because they don’t realize that vulgarity needs heart and that they need two people that can sell their ostentatious characters. Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza are not the actresses that can pull of the daunting task that Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn barely pulled off back in 2005.

The pot smoking, going nowhere in life, Millennials, Alice (Kendrick) and Tatiana (Plaza) are watching daytime TV when they spot Mike (DeVine) and Dave (Efron). The brothers are well dressed, charming, and looking for wedding dates. Their way of going about it draws national attention because they put up an ad on Craigslist and are soon hit up by every male and female gold digger in their vicinity.

But what most of the potential wedding dates don’t know is that the brothers are also losers. They work as mediocre sales representatives for a whiskey company no one’s ever heard of. They get high and constantly make buffoons of themselves at private family events. That’s why their parents have given them an ultimatum that they need dates before attending their sister’s wedding. As to how finding two women to go to Hawaii for a wedding will straighten out these two good-for-nothings is beyond me. Even more bizarre is the parents believe such an outlandish plan could ever work.

The comedy and bulk of the movie is built on the idea that Alice and Tatiana will be conning Mike and Dave the entire trip, with everything going wrong. But from the get-go, Mike and Dave should have realized that Tatiana is not smart enough to reportedly be an elementary school teacher and Alice is too verbally incoherent to allegedly handle a hedge fund (especially when she can’t explain what one is). There’s also the problem, that in the Internet age, Mike and Dave do zero social media research on the two.

I get a lot of flak for my distaste for “Wedding Crashers”, but I admit that it’s endearing because it’s about two cynical men realizing that it’s time to grow up. There’s really no growing up or learning curve in “Mike and Dave”. Unless you count Plaza abandoning her terrible Brooklyn accent after 10 minutes or the filmmakers realizing towards the end that Efron is at the beach and he needs to take his shirt off. “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” has four actors that have no chemistry and are recycling vulgar jokes and punchlines from much better films. This movie should have been called “Zac, Aubrey, Adam and Anna Wanted to go to Hawaii”.

Starring the voices of: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart
Directed by: Yarrow Cheney and Chris Renaud
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 30 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

As a long time dog lover (and owner), I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I’ve been looking forward to this movie since I saw the first trailer last year. And while that trailer promised a fun look at what our doggies and kitties do when we leave the house, it’s not all fun and games. In fact, you can say it’s a dangerous jungle out there.

Meet Max (C.K.). A friendly dog who has lived with Katie (Ellie Kemper) since he was a pup. Life is good for Max, who spends his time with Katie snuggling and playing with his ball. His time without her is either spent watching the front door until she comes home or hanging out with his fellow pet friends in the neighborhood. However, things change when Katie brings home Duke (Stonestreet), a big shaggy mess of a dog she picks up at the pound. When Max and Duke find themselves on the run from Animal Control, they must join forces or face the consequences.

First the good stuff. “The Secret Life of Pets” is from the same studio that brought you the adorable Minions from the “Despicable Me” films, and the animation is amazing. One scene finds our two pups in water that looks so realistic you can feel the wetness. The characters are well voiced. Besides the two main mutts, Kevin Hart is perfectly cast as an evil bunny while Jenny Slate, Albert Brooks and Dana Carvey shine as well.

Now the bad stuff. Did you notice above when I referred to Kevin Hart as a EVIL bunny? That’s because he is. When Max and Duke find themselves underneath the street and in the sewers of New York City they come across a group made up of animals that have been flushed down the toilet. They are only accepted when they tell a gruesome story about how the killed their masters. KILLED THEIR MASTERS! I almost fell out of seat. Have we come to a point where it’s o.k. for a cute cartoon bunny to jokingly talk about murder in a PG rated film? And a fellow critic pointed out how weird it was that the soundtrack features the song “Bounce” by System of a Down which, depending on who you talk to, is either about drug use or an orgy. Jeesh!

Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Christoph Waltz and Margot Robbie
Directed By: David Yates
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

As someone pointed out to me at the screening, the only version of Tarzan I grew up on was the Disney version (with that obnoxious Phil Collins song). My research skills did yield a cringe worthy adaptation of Tarzan featuring Casper Van Dien in 1998, but I’m fortunate to have dodged that abomination. So it seems after a nearly two decade cinematic drought, the feral child is back on the silver screen with the help of CGI and a bloated Hollywood budget.

I won’t lie. “The Legend of Tarzan” could have been bad. In fact, I thought it would be. I’m happy to say it’s not. It’s an entertaining movie with typical summer blockbuster faults. I’m sure some segment of the movie going population will be upset because “The Legend of Tarzan” drifts away from the standard Tarzan tale; explorers discovering a wild man who was raised by apes as a young boy. Instead “Legend of Tarzan” starts off in the mid 1880’s with a man named John Clayton (Skarsgard).

Clayton (which feels weird to type when referring to Tarzan), is more well behaved than the monkey speaking savage we’re used to. Clayton is stylishly dressed like a British aristocrat,
instead of a loincloth that manages to always tastefully conceal himself. He also walks upright instead of getting around like a primate in his swanky New World mansion. He lives there with Jane (Robbie) and leads a seemingly simple life.

The couple is called to the troubled country of Congo, although it’s not quite a country yet in this tale. Belgium is swimming in debt and trying to find anything that could possibly recuperate the massive debt they’ve accumulated by purchasing the African country. Their last ditch effort is Leon Rom (Waltz) and his ruthless plan. Rom’s preposterous scheme involves a massive influx of mercenaries that’ll turn the Congo into a slave machine, pumping out human lives, blood stained ivory, and sparkling diamonds.

The actual logic of everything is put in the back seat while CGI and action are the true drivers of “The Legend of Tarzan”. Don’t worry yourself with how studied and sophisticated Tarzan is despite being raised in the wild and only having a few years to acclimate himself to civilization. Don’t even think about questioning why Tarzan is fighting an imperialist who’s saving a debt-riddled country by hiring mercenaries and purchasing rows of 19th century machine guns. Of course a lot of the absurdity is quelled by Samuel L. Jackson’s character, George Washington Williams. With a name like that, and his constant witticisms about the irony of everything, it’s easy to forgive “The Legend of Tarzan” for being more fantasy than action-adventure.

“The Legend of Tarzan” is sometimes too caught up in tired clichés like revenge, the more human than human escapades of its main character and the unlikely buddying of two opposites. But like I’ve stated, this isn’t a serious movie. I’d legitimately be upset if this was a serious movie. Halfway through, it seems like Jackson’s character is one moment away from being lost in the lush jungles of the unexplored Congo and one line away from saying, “Damn nature, you scary.”

“The Legend of Tarzan” is a contrived, silly blockbuster. But on that same note, it’s an entertaining, and funny, summer escape. “The Legend of Tarzan” may have arrived a decade late. Blockbusters these days, at least the successful ones, are remembered for their deep characters and developed storylines. This movie is a simple CGI spectacle with a story that’s reliant on pure visual adrenaline. And well before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that’s all we wanted. But if both those reasons are enough for you to sit back and relax, “The Legend of Tarzan” is your movie

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Starring: Chris Strompolis and Eric Zala
Directed by: Tim Skousen and Jeremy Coon
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 39 mins
Drafthouse Films

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Film Review by Mike Smith

In 1978 my high school guidance counselor, Dr. Robert McGinnis, persuaded the local Air Force recruiter to provide me with a 16mm camera and 10,000 feet of film for my senior photography project. I was crazy about a certain fish movie so I used that material to remake scenes from “Jaws,” featuring Fred Yoder as Quint, Todd Norris as Hooper and yours truly as Chief Brody. I got an A.

Four years later, two 11-year old boys did me one better, taking seven years to film a shot-by-shot remake of another classic Steven Spielberg film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” After seven summer vacations spent filming, Chris Strompolis (who played Indy) and Eric Zala (who directed) had completed everything except the explosive plane scene (the one where Indy fights the big Nazi, who later gets caught in the blades of a propeller). A quarter-century later, the two reunite in the hopes of filming that final scene. And the adventure begins.

Told with the same exuberance as the filmmakers being profiled, “RAIDERS!” shares the backstory of the production, including footage both from the film and behind the scenes. As the youngsters have their fun, they do so with the blessings of their parents, who have been assured that they have an adult guardian with a knowledge of film guiding them. Unbeknownst to them the guardian’s knowledge comes from his brief time as a zombie while working on George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.” It’s only when another parent watches a scene where a child is set on fire (the director sprinkled a little gasoline on his back) that the folks begin to get concerned.

The film floats back and forth, giving us insight into the original production and watching as the filmmakers prepare to film their unfinished scene. Things get sticky when, during the shooting, the weather decides not to cooperate, putting Zala’s full-time job in jeopardy. “Use these two days wisely,” Zala’s boss tells him over the phone after the director begged for two more days off from work. Zala knows the consequences that will befall him if he isn’t back to work, but he also knows he can’t go back without having accomplished his mission. Indiana Jones would be proud!

Starring: Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hour 57 mins
Walt Disney Films

Our Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Film Review by Mike Smith

In 1982, director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison teamed up to create one of the greatest family films of all time, “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial.” Both earned Oscar nominations for their work, with the film earning a nod for Best Picture and taking home the prize for John William’s amazing musical score. More than a quarter-century later, the band is back together and history just may repeat itself.

London in the early 1980s. As the city sleeps, young Sophie (Barnhill) walks about the orphanage she calls home, taking in the various sights and sounds of the night. It’s 3:00 a.m. The Witching Hour. Sophie recites the three rules: Never Get Out Of Bed; Never Look Out the Window; Never Look Behind the Curtain. Sadly she doesn’t follow them, and in doing so spots a rather tall shape making its way through the dark streets. Realizing that the “shape” has seen her she retreats to her bed. First place they look!

Based on Roald Dahl’s book, in the hands of director Spielberg, “The BFG” becomes a new masterpiece that the whole family will enjoy. And while Spielberg is obviously the captain of this amazing ship, what makes it great is the performance of Mark Rylance. Revered on the stage, Rylance had done a total of eleven films in 30 years before he rose to fame with an Academy Award winning performance in Spielberg’s Cold War-era thriller “Bridge of Spies.” I wouldn’t be surprised if this film makes him the first actor nominated for a vocal performance only.

The story follows Sophie as she ends up in Giant Country, only to learn that the BFG (which is what she calls the Big Friendly Giant) is really rather small in the neighborhood. There are nine giants must bigger than BFG and they love the taste of little children. Which surely proposes a problem for young Miss Sophie. As we follow the mismatched pair, we learn about the magic of dreams and nightmares and even spend a little time with Queen Elizabeth II. Rylance’s performance helps the film jump off the screen and Spielberg shows he is still a master behind the camera. To use the BFG’s own words, “The BFG” is “Scrumdidilyumptous!”