In theaters this week
Published 9:00 am Friday, July 14, 2017
Can’t decide what to see this weekend?
Bowling Green Daily News film critic Micheal Compton is here to tell you the best – and worst – now playing at your local cineplex.
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47 Meters Down (C)
Another spin on the shark movie, this time with Claire Holt and Mandy Moore as sisters trapped deep under water. Even at 85 minutes, it feels very padded. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
Baby Driver (B)
Writer/director Edgar Wright has delivered a pedal to the floor, high-octane action film with a pumping soundtrack and a superb cast that only adds to the fun.
It is a slick, well-crafted piece of pulp fiction that deserves to be the surprise hit of the summer. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)
The Beguiled (B)
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This remake of a 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood is a solid piece of pulp from director Sophia Coppola features a solid cast (including Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Kirsten Dunst) that could have been given a little more narrative meat to work with. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)
The Big Sick (A-)
As romantic comedies go, it’s hard to get any better than this delightful new film based on the romance of real-life couple Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon (who co-wrote the film).
Their script doesn’t hold back, letting everyone see the ups and downs of their relationship. The result is a film that is honest, insightful, heartwarming and very, very funny. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)
Cars 3 (C+)
Better than a lot family fare, including “Cars 2,” but still lacking the Pixar magic audiences have come to expect. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)
Despicable Me 3 (C)
There’s a lot going on in the latest from the Illumination studi, but even with all the bells and whistles, and the introduction of a clever villain, the film wears out its welcome quickly and turns into an overstuffed excursion that eventually becomes more exhausting than entertaining. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas, Franklin Drive-In)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2 (B)
The follow-up to the 2014 smash doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but it is still a lot of fun. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)
The House (C-)
Even the very funny Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell can’t save this flimsy comedy where all the funny parts (save for one cameo) have been given away in the trailers. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (C)
The fifth entry in the popular Disney series is stale – rehashing pretty much everything that audiences have seen with the first four films.
Sadly, a post- credit scene hints at another chapter. It’s probably a better idea to just pull the plug on this sinking ship. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
Rough Night (C)
A few laughs, but mostly groans in this female comedy that borrows heavily from”Bridesmaids” and “The Hangover” films. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (A-)
The latest reboot of the neighborhood web slinger is one of the best “Spider-Man” films to date – a delightful mix of the Marvel Universe and the world of John Hughes that has plenty of laughs and human elements mixed into the action. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas, Franklin Drive-In)
Transformers: The Last Knight (D+)
I’ll admit I’ve probably taken more delight in the “Transformers” series than most film critics. Yes, they are trash, but for the most part they have been fun trash that kind of connects with the inner teenage boy.
But there is really no defense for the fifth installment, “Transformers: The Last Knight,” an incoherent pile of junk lifted from the scrap heap that makes the other four movies look subdued. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)
War for the Planet of the Apes (A-)
The third act of the revival of the “Planet of the Apes” franchise may be the best yet, an intense and deeply personal action film that shows the casualities of war stretch far beyond the battlefield. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)
Wish Upon (not reviewed at this time)
(Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas)
Wonder Woman (A-)
The DC universe has its first true franchise tent pole since Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” series with “Wonder Woman” – a delightful superhero picture driven by a pair of talented females (actress Gal Gardot and director Patty Jenkins). (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)