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PG-13, 2:32, sci-fi
Several questions are asked and either answered or artfully evaded by “The Last Jedi,” including Rey’s family history, and the extent and secret source of Luke’s profound disillusionment. These and other puzzlers are nicely spaced out, in between aerial dogfights and visits to the next planet on the movie’s itinerary. At one point, Finn (John Boyega) and his fellow Resistance fighter Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) search for a “master codebreaker” on a planet resembling a mashup of Catalina Island, Monte Carlo and the cantina from the very first “Star Wars.” Much will be resolved by the final chapter of the trilogy. —
PG, 1:49, animated
“Coco” begins just before Dia de los Muertos. Miguel is a secret lover of music; he idolizes musical star Ernesto de la Cruz, now dead. Why must Miguel keep his love of music a secret? Miguel’s great-great-grandfather, a traveling guitarist and singer, left his great-great-grandmother, and the matriarchal ban continues. When Miguel purloins his idol’s guitar to play in a talent contest, he is whisked off to the Land of the Dead. Trickster Hector, one of the skeletal beings in the Land of the Dead, becomes Miguel’s guide. Determined to meet Ernesto, Miguel learns lessons and solves a third-act murder mystery in the process. Since the movie’s beautiful, a second viewing would not be difficult. —
PG-13, 2:01, action
DC’s superheroes are assembled on-screen in a baffling mess. What’s it going to take to get Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and zombie Superman together at last? The end of the world, of course. Batman is the leader of this team. The action is impossible to follow as they batter at alien warriors. Gadot as Wonder Woman is a bright reminder of her stand-alone film, but the way the camera lingers on her body indicates a male gaze at work. The breathtakingly bad “Justice League” might signify a return to the goofy Batman form of the ’90s, but this is a rough bump in the road. —
PG, 1:53, drama
“Wonder” follows Auggie (Jacob Tremblay), who has been home-schooled all his young life by his mom (Julia Roberts). Because of the physical complications he was born with, the boy has some facial deformities. He has the support of his family, but once he attends middle school, brutal treatment of Auggie reaches a high degree. The only hope is that Auggie wins over a few classmates. That starts with Jack (Noah Jupe). All these stories go together to make “Wonder” a reminder that people must deal with their own demons, even if they aren’t obvious ones.
R, 1:45, comedy
“The Disaster Artist,” a movie about the making of the flop/hit “The Room” is an ode to dreamers and strivers everywhere. If you’ve seen “The Room,” part of the payoff comes in the re-creations of scenes from the source. What fun there is in “The Disaster Artist” comes primarily from James Franco’s version of Tommy Wiseau, an enigma of probable Polish extraction. Franco clearly adores his subject. Should newcomers to this cinematic phenomenon see “The Room” first? Yes. Seeing “The Disaster Artist” is less crucial to their camp education.
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