U.S. Release Date: 2019-02-14
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: : Rosa Salazar, Mahershala Ali, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Keean Johnson, Jackie Earle Haley, Eiza Gonzalez, Ed Skrein
Despite offering a riveting, high-energy origin story, "Alita" lacks a genuine ending and this leaves the narrative frustratingly unfinished.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-02-08
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Animated/Adventure
Director: Mike Mitchell
Cast: Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell
Kids will enjoy it more than adults, although there’s enough to keep older viewers from zoning out (at least most of the time).
U.S. Release Date: 2019-02-01
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content, Drugs)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Cristina Rodlo, Damian Alcazar, Anthony Mackie
Although the lead character’s arc is troubled and conflicted, the ending makes her seem more like a superhero than the material warrants.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-02-01
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Sexual Content, Profanity, Nudity)
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Director: Nicolas Pesce
Cast: Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa
The director’s macabre flourishes and garish visuals can’t completely camouflage the hollow space at the production’s core.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-01-25
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Steven Knight
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, Jeremy Strong, Rafael Sayegh
Esoteric qualities don’t merit an unqualified recommendation for a production more apt to deliver frustration than gratification.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-01-25
MPAA Rating: "PG" (Violence, Bullying, Disturbing Images)
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Joe Cornish
Cast: Louis Ashboure Serkis, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor, Rhianna Dorris, Angus Imrie, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart
This fantasy-adventure inspired by Arthurian legends, although entertaining for children in the age 8-12 bracket, may be a bore and a chore for adults.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-01-18
MPAA Rating: "NR" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Rachael Tunnard
Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Lorraine Ashbourne, Brett Goldstein, Rachael Deering, Eileen Davies, Edward Hogg, Ozzy Myers
There are times when the movie seems quirky for quirkiness’ sake and the lead character comes across as an assemblage of tics and traits.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-01-18
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence)
Genre: Science Fiction
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, Charlayne Woodard
Overlong, talky, filled with meta references, and with a strangely low-energy tone, the movie never fully gels.
U.S. Release Date: 2019-01-18
MPAA Rating: "NR" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Director: Melissa B. Miller
Cast: Brendan Meyer, Jemima Kirke, Molly Ringwald, Brian d’Arcy James, Harley Quinn Smith, Sam McCarthy
Offers a mix of honesty and artifice - some scenes simmer with truth; others are too obviously the construct of a screenplay.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-12-07
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Hedges
Cast: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton, Rachel Bay Jones
By adding cumbersome elements to the narrative, it ultimately detracts from the core human story.