Now Showing
Some reviews originate at newspapers that do not award star ratings; some movies are not screened in advance for critics. Ratings range from zero to four stars.
OPENING THIS WEEK
“The Watch”
* * ½
Reviewed on Page 7C
“Reveal the Path” Not reviewed
“Easy Money”
Not reviewed
“Sacrifice” * * *
Reviewed on Page 7c
“Step Up Revolution” * * ½
Reviewed on Page 6C
CONTINUING
Here are selected mini-reviews of films in theaters, listed alphabetically.
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
American folktale. * * * * PG-13. Director Benh Zeitlin’s auspicious debut captures with magical grit the tale of a wild child named Hushpuppy, her father Wink and their friends in a fictional — and endangered — bayou called “the Bathtub.” This beauty already has its detractors: too artsy, too condescending, etc. But “Beasts” is an ecstatic work full of heart, rife with fantastical images and buoyed by a lush, emotional score. Best, it’s anchored by the mesmerizing performance of wee newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis, who graces the film with one of the finest voice-overs since Linda Manz’s in “Days of Heaven.” At the Mayan. (Kennedy) 91 minutes
“Brave”
Princess adventure. * * * PG. Pixar’s latest adventure is gorgeous to be sure: all Scottish vale and inlet and forest. But the whiz-bang company’s first feature spotlighting a female protagonist feels like a throwback gussied up as reinvention. Kelly Macdonald provides the feisty brogue of princess Merida, whose father encourages her wildness while her mother, Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), loses points for reining in her crimson-haired daughter. (Kennedy) 95 minutes
“The Dark Knight Rises”
Action franchise finale. * * * ½ PG-13. Events in Aurora have cast a grim shadow over the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Yet, arguably the best big-screen franchise of a comic book (all right, graphic novel) offers glimmers of hope, heroism and human connection in the midst of its nearly unrelenting darkness. Tom Hardy — his lovely mug covered with a mask that looks like the sort of muzzle used for aggressive dogs — portrays Bane, Batman’s nemesis. Anne Hathaway enjoys some purr-fectly turned lines as Catwoman. Fine new additions Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt join vets Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine. And then there’s Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne. Nolan gives the actor a character arc both epic and deeply human, and he has delivered something soulful. At area theaters and IMAX. (Kennedy) 164 minutes
“Ice Age: Continental Drift”
Animated sequel. PG. The fourth “Ice Age” freshens up the 10-year-old franchise by shunning easy pop-culture jokes and embracing its weird side. Previous installments drew inspiration from our planet’s climate changes, and this film is no different. Here, fissures caused by volcanic fault lines separate regulars Sid, Diego (Denis Leary) and Manny (Ray Romano) from the latter’s family — wife, Ellie (Queen Latifah), and teenage daughter Peaches (Keke Palmer). Efforts to reunite at a sinking land bridge force Manny and crew to battle Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage), a menacing ape who rules the Seven Seas from his pirate-ship-shaped iceberg. Jennifer Lopez brings romantic chemistry as Shira, an albino tiger in Gutt’s crew who ends up being a feisty love interest for Diego. And Wanda Sykes creates the funniest character in “Ice Age” history as Sid’s Granny, a seemingly confused sloth who’s far more intelligent than she lets on. (Sean O’Connell, Special to The Washington Post) 87 minutes
“Magic Mike”
Comedy. * * * R. This film has the fascination of most backstage movies: It shows a naive kid being drawn into the world of show business. He is Adam (Alex Pettyfer), a good-looking 19-year-old, who meets Magic Mike (Channing Tatum) while they’re working on a roofing job. Mike dances three nights a week at Xquisite, a marginally successful Tampa strip club. Mike brings Adam along to the club, where he’s fast-talked by the boss, Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). The kid has no desire to strip, but is pushed onstage wearing his street clothes and told to take them off down to his jockey shorts. He is awkward and embarrassed — and not surprisingly an enormous hit because the ladies think his shyness is an act, and they love it. (Ebert) 110 minutes
“Moonrise Kingdom”
Coming-of-age tale. * * * ½ PG-13.
The contradiction inherent to all Wes Anderson films — the juxtaposition of the meticulous artificiality of the settings and the passionately wistful emotions that are longing to burst free — is at its most effective in a while in “Moonrise Kingdom.” The director and co-writer’s tale of first love, filled with recognizable adolescent angst and naive fumblings, feels at once deeply personal and universally relatable. (Christy Lemire, The Associated Press) 94 minutes
“People Like Us”
Drama. * * ½ PG-13. For his directorial debut, blockbuster writer/producer Alex Kurtzman (“Star Trek,” “Transformers”) offers a human-scale drama that comes with laughs, tears and a fair amount of melodramatic lessons. Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks star as half siblings. Sam and Frankie know nothing about the other’s existence. This changes when Sam learns of his father’s death and, in an effort to make good on his father’s wishes, seeks out his sister and her son, Josh (Kennedy) 115 minutes
“Savages”
Drug drama. * * ½ R. The trouble with gifted directors is that their middling work is often superior to a lot of films out there but suffers in comparison to their own better films. Take Oliver Stone’s adaptation of Don Winslow’s crackling drug thriller “Savages.” The fast-cut, sharp-tongued movie about the battle of wills between a drug cartel and two marijuana entrepreneurs has visual zip and some nice and nasty turns. But it’s all a bit familiar. Things turn bloody when drug lord Elena and muscle Lado kidnap Ben and Chon’s lady love O (Blake Lively). To say it’s Butch and Sundance meets Tony Montana – or, in the case of Salma Hayek’s drug honcho, Toni Montana – makes it sound better than it is. But you get the picture. John Travolta and Benicio Del Toro also star. (Kennedy) 113 minutes
“Take This Waltz”
Dramedy. * * * ½ R. Writer and director Sarah Polley’s film focuses on the giddy, fleeting and illusory nature of new love. Michelle Williams gives the kind of subtle, complex performance we’ve come to expect from her as Margot, a freelance writer living in downtown Toronto with her husband of five years, a cook who spends his days in the kitchen working on chicken recipes. While out of town for an assignment at the film’s start, Margot meets Daniel (Luke Kirby). Their chemistry is immediate, but it becomes even more obvious once they find they’re seated together on the flight home. This film is always grounded and it’s always about real people making real decisions, for better or worse. (Lemire) 116 minutes
“Ted”
Comedy. * * * R. John, Lori and a stuffed bear make three in this potty-mouthed, amusing guy fairy-tale from Seth MacFarlane, creator of TV’s envelope-pushing animated series “Family Guy.” Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis have frisky chemistry as the couple whose romantic future is in doubt thanks to John’s best friend Ted, a walking, talking, trouble-stirring stuffed bear. MarFarlane provides Ted’s gruff voice and crass observations. It’s your typical Peter Pan crisis comedy pushed to some very weird places. Giovanni Ribisi arrives as a creepy fan of the bear. (Kennedy) 106 minutes
“To Rome with Love”
Comedic travelogue. * * * * R. Woody Allen continues his love affair with Europe’s great metropolises via his latest, “To Rome With Love.” And like his last film, 2011’s successful “Midnight in Paris,” this playful, seductive exercise in head-over-heels romance, overnight fame and unexplained time travel is a rewarding, entertaining confection. (Baca) 112 minutes
