In theaters this week

Published 9:15 am Friday, February 9, 2018

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.

The 15:17 to Paris (not reviewed at this time)

(Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas)

12 Strong (C+)

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The incredible true story of the first U.S. soldiers to fight in Afghanistan following 9/11 gets the watered down Jerry Bruckheimer treated. These heroes deserve a better movie. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Darkest Hour (A)

This could easily have been a one-man show – with a transformative piece of work from Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill – and been a film that is well worth your time.

Fortunately, director Joe Wright doesn’t rest on the incredible work of his lead actor. The result is a crisply paced film with many layers, thanks to a supporting cast that brings depth to the story and Wright’s sharp eye behind the camera. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Den of Thieves (C)

A few well staged action sequences can’t save this thriller that has too much going on around the edges and a slightly preposterous final twist. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Fifty Shades Freed (F)

The end is at hand for the “Fifty Shades” saga, with the arrival of the final film in the trilogy.

That’s about the only thing positive I can say about this film, which – after the slight improvement of last year’s “Fifty Shades Darker” – falls right back into the pit of unbearableness. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)

Forever My Girl (D)

It’s “Nashville” meets Nicholas Sparks in this contrived drama that feels like it should have went straight to Lifetime. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas)

The Greatest Showman (C)

There is a lot of razzle dazzle, but no real pizzaz in this musical based on the life of P.T. Barnum. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Hostiles (A-)

Scott Cooper’s old-fashion Western is both brutal and beautiful featuring strong work from Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Highland Cinemas)

Insidious: The Last Key (D+)

A pretty standard horror flick that brings nothing new to the table for the genre or the franchise. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Jumanji (C+)

A part reboot, part follow-up to the 1995 Robin Williams hit that has a strong cast doing some really good work, but then completely wastes it with a convoluted script and a parade of CGI moments that overshadow what the cast is doing. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (D)

The final installment of the Maze Runner series is a lethargic bore that feels like the demon spawn of “Hunger Games” and “Resident Evil.” (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Paddington 2 (B+)

The delightful follow-up to the 2015 hit is everything you could ask for in a family film – an engaging story, some very imaginative visuals, and a wonderful cast that includes Sally Hawkins and Hugh Grant. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)

Peter Rabbit (not reviewed at this time)

(Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)

The Post (A-)

It’s hard not to feel nostalgic about the latest from Steven Spielberg.

This is a film that harkens back to some incredible story telling in the 1970s created by films like “All The President’s Men” and “Network,” but it also shows the importance of print journalism and the decisions made in the newsroom that can affect the country. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)

The Shape of Water (B)

There is an undying love for cinema sprinkled the latest from writer/director Guillermo del Toro, which led the pack with 13 Academy Award nominations Tuesday.

This is a film that pays homage to a slew of classic genres, ranging from creature features and sweeping romances to Cold War thrillers. While the genres don’t always seem to be the right fit, del Toro makes it work, thanks to some beautiful imagery and a strong cast anchored by an Academy Award-worthy performance from Sally Hawkins. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (A-)

The “Star Wars” franchise kicks into high gear with “The Last Jedi,” the second installment of the reboot trilogy, with director Rian Johnson taking the reigns from J.J. Abrams and delivering one of the best films in the series.

Johnson, best known for the Bruce Willis/Joseph Gordon-Levitt time-shifting thriller “Looper,” grabs the audience from the very first scene and doesn’t let up, guiding viewers on a thrill ride that will have audiences gasping, laughing and perhaps even shedding a tear. (Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12)

Winchester (D)

A movie based on the infamous Winchester Mystery House, the mansion built in San Jose, Calif., by Sarah Winchester known for its endless maze of rooms, would seem to be the ideal subject matter for a horror film – especially with the backstory of Winchester’s desire for never-ending construction for fear the structure was haunted.

Yet the promising premise gets saddled into a rather mundane creation with the lackluster “Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built.” Despite the presence of Helen Mirren, this is a dull, plodding horror film that could have easily taken place in any house and it really wouldn’t have made any difference. (Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas)