Charlotte County Florida Weekly

FILM CAPSULES


Solo: A Star Wars Story .½

(Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Joonas Suotamo) Young Han Solo (Ehrenreich) meets Lando (Glover) and Chewbacca (Suotamo), and flies the Millennium Falcon for the first time, in this “Star Wars” story. Ehrenreich doesn’t have Harrison Ford’s boyish charm in the title role, which is a shame. Worse, though, is the labored story and murky color scheme. Rated PG-13.

Deadpool 2

(Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison) After a horrible personal tragedy, Deadpool (Reynolds) tries to protect a young mutant (Dennison) from a futuristic soldier (Brolin) out to kill the kid. Brash and meta wit are on satisfyingly full display amidst all the action, but an underdeveloped villain makes it a weaker film than the 2016 original. Rated R.

Life of the Party ..½

(Melissa McCarthy, Matt Walsh, Molly Gordon) After her husband (Walsh) leaves her, Deanna (McCarthy) returns to college — where her daughter Maddie (Gordon) is a senior — to get her degree. You’ll think it’s going in predictable directions, but it is delightfully surprising and funny. Rated PG-13.

RBG

(Ruth Bader Ginbsurg, Gloria Steinem, Bill Clinton) The life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg takes center stage in this revealing tell-all documentary. We learn about RBG both personally and professionally, and by the end it’s hard to not have immense respect for her accomplishments. Rated PG.

Truth or Dare ..

(Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Sophia Ali) College seniors enjoy spring break in Mexico, but return to school cursed to play Truth or Dare; if they don’t play, they die. It’s a fun idea to put real lifeor death stakes on a game so many of us have played, but the filmmakers don’t do quite enough with it to keep us entertained throughout. Rated PG-13.

I Feel Pretty ..½

(Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Tom Hopper) A woman with low self esteem (Schumer) bangs her head and now views herself as beautiful, though she looks the same to the rest of the world. It’s got a great message and will be a great for a group of girl friends to enjoy together, but it’s not consistently funny for the rest of us. Rated PG-13.

Godard, Mon Amour ..

(Louis Garrel, Stacy Martin, Berenice Bejo) The late-’60s personal life of famed French director Jean-Luc Godard (Garrel), including his marriage to a young actress (Martin) and social activism, is chronicled in this nudity-filled drama. Director Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”) has crafted the most unflattering homage to a great director that one could imagine, to the point that Godard is easily the least likeable character in the film. As a result, there’s not much to enjoy. Rated R.

Avengers: Infinity War

(Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin) The Avengers and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) unite when villainous Thanos (Brolin) tries to take over the galaxy. Be prepared for anything, MCU fans, and rest assured the action, effects, and humor are all top notch. Rated PG-13.

Beirut ..

(Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris) A U.S. diplomat (Hamm) in early ‘80s Beirut must negotiate the release of an old friend who’s been taken hostage by terrorists. It’s laborious to the point that you stop caring whether the hostage, diplomat, or anyone else comes out alive. Rated R.

Chappaquiddick

(Jason Clarke, Kate Mara, Ed Helms) In July 1969, Senator Ted Kennedy (Clarke) drives his car off a small bridge, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne (Mara) and putting his political career in turmoil. What happened, how, and the cover up that followed makes for compelling drama that presents the information as objectively as possible. Based on a true story. Rated PG-13.

The Death of Stalin

(Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor) Following his death in March 1953, Josef Stalin’s underlings scheme for control of Russia in this highly effective farce. It’s silly, absurd and biting, and as darkly, morbidly funny as it aspires to be. Rated R.

Ready Player One½

(Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn) In 2045, people use avatars to search for an “Easter Egg” in a virtual reality world. The visuals and action are great in director Steven Spielberg’s latest, but it’s the retro pop culture references, along with the classic rock soundtrack, that make this an absolute blast. Rated PG-13. ¦

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