AQUAMAN

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Pick

James Wan (Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring) directs this latest entry in the DC Extended Universe, Aquaman. The story centers on land dweller Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), aka Aquaman, the rightful heir to the throne of the underwater kingdom Atlantis. After his Atlantean half-brother, King Orm (Patrick Wilson), declares war on the surface, Arthur must claim his birthright in order to stop genocide. With help from allies Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Arthur travels the world in search of an ancient weapon: a trident that legend says can only be wielded by the one true king of Atlantis. (143 min.)

—Caleb Wiseblood

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre

Pick

Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men, Superman Returns) directs this biopic about Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) and Queen, chronicling the band's rise to super stardom, Mercury's solo career and AIDS diagnosis, and their triumphant reunion and spellbinding performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert.

The film is nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Rami Malek), Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Film Editing. (134 min.)

—Glen Starkey

A DOG'S WAY HOME

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Matinee

When's it showing? Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Pick

Charles Martin Smith (Air Bud, Dolphin Tale) directs this family adventure about Bella (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard), a dog who travels 400 miles to find her owner.

Born under a house as a stray, found and brought home by aspiring doctor Lucas (Jonah Hauer-King) to live with him and his unemployed veteran mom, Terri (Ashley Judd), and then, through circumstance, sent to live elsewhere, Bella tries to find her way home only to get lost in the woods and befriended by a cougar cub.

Sure, the story is familiar, perhaps even derivative. Yes, it's clumsily cloying and emotionally manipulative. True, its social justice message is dumbed down to the point of being ineffective. But there's an adorable dog, a formulaic feel-good story, and you can bring the whole family ... and some tissues, definitely some tissues. (96 min.)

—Glen

DRAGON BALL SUPER: BROLY

What's it rated? PG

Where's it showing? Galaxy

New

Tatsuya Nagamine directs this animated fantasy about Goku (voiced by Sean Schemmel) and Vegeta (voiced by Christopher Sabat), who face off against Broly (voiced by Bin Shimada), a Saiyan warrior with amazing powers. (100 min.)

—Glen

ESCAPE ROOM

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Rent it

When's it showing? Park

Director Adam Robitel (Insidious: The Last Key, The Taking of Deborah Logan) helms this thriller about six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control after entering a mysterious escape room. The group must use their wits and work together if they're to survive.

There's enough tension and suspense to thrill fans of the genre, but for many viewers the film won't warrant a trip to the theaters. (109 min.)

—Caleb

THE FAVOURITE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing of a Scared Deer) directs this early 18th century period piece about two warring women seeking favor from the ailing, prickly Queen Anne (Olivia Colman).

Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) is the queen's longtime companion who essentially runs the country during a time of war. Newcomer Abigail (Emma Stone), a new servant to the queen, uses her charms to gain power of her own as she attempts to return to her aristocratic roots.

Featuring excellent performances coupled with a rich and timely subtext that connects beyond its period setting, The Favourite revels in its skewering of royal aloofness and power gluttony and delivers a sardonic treat.

The film is nominated for 10 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz), Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography (Robbie Ryan), Best Sound Editing, and Best Production Design, and Best Film Editing. (119 min.)

—Glen

GLASS

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-in

Pick

In Glass, M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water, The Happening) brings back three of his most iconic characters, directing Bruce Willis as David Dunn, Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, and James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb, a man with 24 personalities. The three are meshed together in a psychiatric ward to rid them of their superhuman delusions while Elijah has a plan of his own to bring the comic book plot to life.

The film opens up with David Dunn (you'll remember him from the 2000 film, Unbreakable), who's basically an upgrade to neighborhood watch. He and his son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), are the community's vigilantes, keeping an eye on injustice and stopping it in its tracks, even if it means beating up a stupid kid or two. Because of that, law enforcement isn't really keen on David's efforts. They actually see him as a villain (similar to Gotham City and Batman's relationship).

David and Joseph are hot on the heels of Kevin, who, when the beast (one of his personalities) gets out, has held people hostage and mangled their bodies. Currently Kevin has four cheerleaders hostage in an empty warehouse. When David accidentally touches Kevin's arms, he has an uncanny vision of the location of the girls, and in the mist of letting them go, he encounters the beast.

The two fight and end up falling out of a window where police have surrounded them, ready to take them both into custody. But instead of a cell, they're taken to a psychiatric ward under Dr. Ellie Staple's care—her specialty is delusions of grandeur. She's basically there to say, "Hey you're making up your freakish strength in your mind." Somehow this doe-eyed woman has every explanation under the sun for David's bizarre strength and for Kevin's outlandish ability to walk on walls and ceilings.

And surprise surprise, the ward's long-time resident is none other than Elijah, the mastermind behind the Eastrail 177 train crash, but he's highly sedated ... or so we think. Dr. Staple has a ridiculous three days to whip these three into shape, but otherwise "vegetable" Elijah has another plan.

Look, I know what you're thinking: This is too long of a buildup to wait for a plot twist that we all know is coming. But with that said, I can honestly say I loved every minute of this film.

We're so used to superheroes that have some sort of connection to a mythical god and are destined for greatness. These heroes are based on comic books' stories but Shyamalan based his trilogy on the structure of the comic books themselves. He has a totally different take on his superheroes: They're just people.

While I can see the blatant faults in this movie, I still believe it was worth my $12. I'll admit Willis was so boring to watch on the screen, and Jackson was subpar—remember he's supposedly highly sedated during most of the film. The star here is clearly McAvoy. He gives his all to every personality.

If you're going to see Glass hoping for a spectacle of fight scenes, crashing cars, breaking buildings, and so forth, you're not going to get any of that. This is more than just some superhero film, and while it could have been more, it has the potential to be great. (129 min.)

—Karen Garcia

GREEN BOOK

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park

Pick

Co-writer Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary) directs this biopic about African-American pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who hires working-class Italian-American bouncer Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) as his driver on a music tour of the 1960s American South. Though they're very different people, they develop a warm and enduring friendship. This is one of those classic feel-good movies only a true cynic could reject. Both lead characters come out of the other side of the story improved.

The film is nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. (130 min.)

—Glen

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING

What's it rated? PG

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

New

Writer-director Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) helms this family adventure about a group of kids on a quest to save the world. Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) is sure he's nothing special ... until he finds Excalibur encased in stone! With the help of Merlin (Sir Patrick Stewart), Alex will unite his friends and attempt to defeat the evil enchantress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson). (132 min.)

—Glen

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

See Split Screen. The film is up for three Academy Awards: Best Actress (Regina King), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

MARY POPPINS RETURNS

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy

Pick

Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Pirates of the Caribbean: One Stranger Tides, Into the Woods) directs this sequel to the 1964 classic about a magical nanny who helps two neglected children reconnect with their father. This time around, Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) returns to the Banks family children who are now adults. Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) lives with his three children—Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh), Georgie (Joel Dawson)—and their housekeeper, Ellen (Julie Walters), in the same house on Cherry Tree Lane. With encouragement from Michael's sister, Jane (Emily Mortimer), and the help of lamplighter, Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Mary helps the new set of Banks children find the joy in life.

The film is up for four Academy Awards: Best Costume Design, Best Original Song ("The Place Where Lost Things Go"), Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. (130 min.)

—Glen

THE MULE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-in

Pick

Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino) directs this crime thriller screenplay by Sam Dolnick, based on The New York Times Magazine article "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Nick Schenk. Eastwood takes on the role of Earl Stone, a horticulturist and World War II vet who's caught in Michigan running $3 million worth of Mexican cartel cocaine.

The Mule will be remembered as an effective late-career effort from a masterful filmmaker who's given us classics such as The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, Mystic River, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, and American Sniper. For me, his amazing oeuvre is enough to erase his 2012 RNC speech to an empty chair. (117 min.)

—Glen

ON THE BASIS OF SEX

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm, Stadium 10

Pick

Mimi Leder (Pay It Forward) directs this inspiring biopic about a young Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) and her fight for equality, which eventually helps propel her onto the Supreme Court of the United States. (120 min.)

—Glen

A STAR IS BORN

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre

Pick

Co-writer, director, and co-star Bradley Cooper helms this remake of A Star Is Born (first released in 1937, and later remade in 1954 and 1976). In this iteration, Cooper stars as Jackson Maine, a famous musician whose star is waning as he discovers talented but insecure singer Ally (Lady Gaga). As Jack battles alcoholism and his own decline, he helps Ally find the strength to let her talent shine.

You'd think on the fourth retelling things would be getting stale, but Bradley Cooper takes a sweeping look at the rise and fall of stardom, the shallowness of the entertainment industry, creativity, substance abuse, family dynamics, and romance.

The film is up for nine Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress (Lady Gaga), Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Elliott), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography (Matty Libatique), Best Original Song ("Shallow"), Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing. (135 min.)

—Glen

SERENITY

What's it rated? R

Where's it showing? Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

New

Writer-director Steven Knight (Redemption, Locke) helms this thriller about fishing boat captain Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey), whose tranquil life is disrupted when his ex-wife, Karen (Anne Hathaway), finds him and weaves a desperate tale about her abusive new husband (Jason Clarke), who's not only threatening her, but her and Baker's son, Patrick (Rafael Sayegh). Karen's solution is a fishing excursion that will leave her new husband to the sharks. Is Baker in? Is Karen's story all it seems to be? (106 min.)

—Glen

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Stadium 10

Pick

Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman co-direct this animated action adventure co-written by Phil Lord and co-produced by Christopher Miller (the duo best known for directing The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street). Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) becomes the Spider-Man of his version of reality, then crosses into a parallel universe where he teams with other realities' Spider-Men and a Spider-Woman to stop a an evil that threatens all realities.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse does for Marvel what Teen Titans Go! To The Movies did for DC earlier this year: It takes these characters places that live action couldn't possibly allow (I could be eating these words in a year or so). Despite the comparison to a quite sillier film, Spider-Verse is surprisingly just as earnest as it is humorous. No matter how many one-liners, knee-slappers, and instances of breaking the fourth wall there are, the stakes feel real. (117 min.)

—Caleb

STAN & OLLIE

What's it rated? PG

Where's it showing? Galaxy, The Palm

New

Jon S. Baird (Filth) directs Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel and John C. Reilly as Oliver Hardy, in this biopic about the comedy duo as they attempt to revive their career with a rigorous theater tour of post-war Britain. (97 min.)

—Glen

THE UPSIDE

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Bay, Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Neil Burger (The Illusionist, Limitless, Divergent) directs this American remake of the wonderful 2011 film, Les Intouchables, about Phillip (Bryan Cranston), a wealthy quadriplegic who hires Dell (Kevin Hart), a man with a criminal record, to help him with his day-to-day needs.

Score this as another one of those audience-pleasing films that critics find cliché and cloying. True, it's not as good as its French progenitor, but as a feel-good story of redemption, it works, and there's no denying Cranston and Hart's chemistry. (125 min.)

—Glen

VICE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Stadium 10

Pick

Writer-director Adam McKay (The Big Short, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Step Brothers) helms this biopic dramedy about Washington, D.C., bureaucratic insider Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), who became George W. Bush's (Sam Rockwell) vice president, using his power to reshape the U.S. and its foreign policy.

The film covers Cheney's life from his drunken and loutish youth through his Machiavellian turn as the puppeteer behind George W. Bush's presidency, and what seems clear in McKay's interpretation of Cheney is that he was power hungry and believed the ends justifies the means. Unnecessary war, "legalized" torture, bolstering corporations and the super rich—those are Cheney's enduring legacies.

The film is up for eight Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Christian Bale), Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Film Editing. (132 min.)

—Glen

THE WIZARD OF OZ

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Sunday, Jan. 27, (2 and 5 p.m.), in Downtown Centre

New/Pick

Come see the 1939 classic about Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), who's swept away from her Kansas farm by a tornado and deposited in the Land of Oz, where she meets new friends who try to help her return home before the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) can hurt her. (102 min.) Δ

—Glen

New Times movie reviews are compiled by Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey. Contact him at [email protected].