Brian Truitt

“Lightyear” is a crowd-pleasing effort that doesn’t shoot for the moon but manages to be a nostalgic blast anyway.

The Whale is an exquisitely soulful tale that avoids forgettable sentimentality.

There’s no end to the schmaltz in Winnie the Pooh’s honey pot, yet Disney’s live-action Christopher Robin also tosses in enough charm and tomfoolery for a sufficiently delightful hang with the iconic bear.

Wonder Woman 1984 is director/co-writer Patty Jenkins’ much lighter, somewhat campy follow up to her World War I-set 2017 hit film, though a lot has to do with the new retro time frame. While not quite up to par with its predecessor, the Reagan-era sequel returns Gal Gadot as the Amazon princess with the bulletproof bracelets, introduces a couple worthy foes, and is a pretty fun time even if the extremely busy “1984” almost wears out its welcome at a hefty two and a half hours.

A spectacular ride for most of it, and while you're a little let down at the end, you kind of want to jump back on and do it all over again.

Tthe writer/producer/director/star’s first film in 15 years struggles with its tone and is a solid if unspectacular effort, though Beatty smartly takes a supporting role to the youngsters by playing the kookily eccentric Hughes.

But in trying to break free from being Fast and Furious, “Hobbs & Shaw” forgets to maintain the balance of insanity and heart that makes the series special.

The film is decidedly emotionally manipulative without being cloying, and often finds real humor in the complicated situation that arises around a genius 7-year-old, played by Mckenna Grace.

But be warned, fellow best actress contenders: The power of Gaga is undeniable as she rules House of Gucci with powerful panache and addictive swagger.

While it lacks a strong overall narrative focus, "Ricardos" makes the most of a strong supporting cast and Sorkin’s excellent, banter-filled script.

The superior yet still extraordinarily cheesy "Here We Go Again" suffers from many of the same fundamental problems, though the film exudes an infectious energy and hearty spirit that’ll put you in a powerful Swedish super-pop headlock until you submit.

A film like, say, all-time weepie cancer tale “Love Story” crescendos toward the eventual waterworks – while it may leave some looking for a tissue, “We Live in Time” ends up thwarting rather than boosting that catharsis.

White Boy Rick works better as a working-class father/son drama than a cautionary tale about the American judicial system, though it never comes together satisfactorily as either.

The Overlook Hotel is still plenty creepy, as is the crusty naked ghost lady in Room 217. But the adaptation of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep is more likely to keep you awake at night with the fresher stuff than the retreads.

In a year full of talking-animal hits, Sing isn't quite as strong a number. It's a tale that might not be particularly thought-provoking but sure is toe-tapping.

Deliver Me From Nowhere is the solid portrait of an artist working through some stuff, and a man learning the power of being the Boss.

While it unabashedly leans into its chick-flick nature, returning director Sharon Maguire — who helmed 2001’s franchise-starter "Bridget Jones’s Diary" — manages to craft the strongest and funniest film of the series.

Cars 3 at least tries to put a little extra in the tank this time around.

The Drama is a moral thought experiment conducted amid a disaster-filled deconstruction of the romantic comedy. And given the plot's somewhat jaw-dropping twist, it’s also one of the boldest, brashest movies in some time.

Jurassic World gives us enough dino-mite action to stave off excitement extinction.

[Jolie] does what she can with the throwback role, though it’s the least of the film’s problems, with an unfocused plot, painfully dull villains and far-fetched sequences. That said, for those who dig really cool fire sequences, you’ll definitely feel the burn.

While it focuses more on character moments than absolute Bayhem, Bad Boys for Life does feel a bit long and there is a late out-of-nowhere plot twist that feels a little far-fetched even for these movies. Thankfully, neither detracts from the delightful spectacle that comes with Smith and Lawrence fist-bumping and insult-slinging just like it was 1995 again.

There’s no need to yearn for a female 007 or a woman Wick anymore – just hope for another film that’s all about Eve.

Joker is at times predictable and too familiar given the source material, yet it splendidly captures the essence of the iconic bad guy as a frighteningly unreliable narrator in the movie’s best moments.

And while not everything goes swimmingly, Halle Bailey splendidly buoys this "Mermaid" as the naive underwater youngster with dreams of exploring the surface.

None of this works without Stone, though. She’s got the comic timing for the lighter scenes as well as the acting chops to pull off the character’s psychological transformation and personal reckoning.

Rather than being an entertaining trainwreck, the finale nihilistically undermines all the good and thoughtful stuff that came before, doing the couple dirtier than they ever could to each other.

Let Jason Statham wreck dudes with “The Beekeeper” and “A Working Man,” and let Affleck be a role model for empathetic masculinity – who can still wreck dudes if needed – with “The Accountant” movies.

Director Ry Russo-Young’s drama does manage to smartly dig into the real-world consequences of bullying and arrive at a provocative conclusion by having its main character live her final day on Earth over and over until she gets it right.

However solid the grown-ups are, the youngsters together – whether in the first film or the sequel – make “It” shine.

These movies are best when marrying James Bond high jinks with their longtime emphasis on the strength of family, plus a serving of macho philosophy on the side. F9 tries to goose that template exponentially with soap opera and a greatest-hits package to craft the ultimate "Fast and Furious" movie, instead succeeding at making one that's merely fine.

The movie is a by-the-numbers action film that's not nearly as strong as its Damon-led predecessors.

There are some scattered laughs but it's not particularly funny, and American Pickle is generally all over the place, aiming to be an abstract comedy about family and religion but losing its way trying to also poke fun at modern culture.

With Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, the raunchy college comedy is graduating to smart feminist commentary.

The humor, mainly of the raunchy and older-parents-having-sex variety, lands in hilarious fashion only some of the time.

The Midnight Sky doesn’t always have the smoothest storytelling, yet in Clooney’s capable directing hands, the film’s emotional core and human touch are never a waste of space.

Jojo Rabbit succeeds even with a high degree of difficulty, given the sensitivities of the subject matter, the emotional undercurrent of a mother’s devotion to her son and the breaking down of artificial walls to let love in. As much as it makes you laugh, Waititi’s must-watch effort is a warm hug of a movie that just so happens to have a lot of important things to say.

Snowden’s a polarizing whistleblower portrayed as an American hero here but in too pedestrian a fashion for such a hot-button topic, and the movie seems at times as awkward as its brainiac subject.

The follow-up plots an extremely familiar course but at least does so with fresh new personalities and more inspired Pacific Island influence.

The new “Girls” sticks to the script plotwise, to a slavish degree. Even Fey and Tim Meadows playing their old teacher roles seems forced and uninspired. It’s only when the movie remembers it’s a musical that it refreshingly breaks from the norm.

The rescue drama The Finest Hours rocks the boat in terms of blizzard-blitzed sea thrills but leaves you cold with its side love story.

It’s cute and heartfelt at times, though the adventure by director Thea Sharrock (“Me Before You”) can’t decide between being a fun-filled romp or an animal-rights drama.

Dial of Destiny is a solid Indiana Jones adventure that ultimately dodges the giant boulder of expectations. But as a franchise closer, it’s an anticlimactic affair that, while not a memorably rousing last crusade, at least bids Indy adieu in an emotionally satisfying fashion.

A stronger and tighter movie than its Oscar-nominated predecessor without losing any of its splendor.

The storytelling suffers from the weight of that ambition, though Elemental at least pulls off fun world-building a la “Zootopia” with a city where the residents – of fire, water, earth and air persuasions – reflect four different cultural groups and ethnicities and don’t always get along.

Heads of State is a bomb pop of a summer movie. It works as a fizzy, somewhat kid-friendly throwback to action-packed ‘80s partnerships – think “Tango & Cash” or “Lethal Weapon” – that doesn’t take itself too seriously and, for a starry streaming action flick, thankfully isn’t a lame duck.

Does “Sleepless in Seattle” slathered in supernatural madness sound like a good time? Then dive into “The Gorge," a Whitman’s Sampler of film genres with a delightfully sweet center that belies its freaky packaging.

Even with the occasional misfire in the plot, Fey’s strong performance throughout the film lets Whiskey go down in smooth and satisfying fashion.

While Southpaw doesn’t do anything innovative with the punch-drunk formula — there’s even a rousing final match, leaving you exhausted by the end — Gyllenhaal and Whitaker are real heavyweights who give the feature a winning combo.

This is pretty much Burton doing an "X-Men" movie, with a plucky yesteryear vibe and evil Samuel L. Jackson thrown in for extra fun.

There is more than enough magic, music and muscle to go around – everybody’s so ripped, Love and Thunder often seems like a Frank Frazetta painting come to life.

Gosling nicely follows up his Oscar-nominated Ken turn as an embattled Everyman who falls 12 stories, gets thrown through glass and pulls off an epic car jump, among other death-defying moments in the breezily delightful Fall Guy.

The film is loaded with a gripping plot and enjoyably sketchy characters but hobbled by an uneven tone that ricochets between zany comedy and serious crime thriller.

There are elements borrowed from B-movie horror flicks, crime dramas, Broadway musicals and love stories, mashed together in bold and bizarre strokes. And while imperfections exist in the violent, genre-defying romance, they don’t dim Gyllenhaal’s clear-eyed passion, grand ideas and big swings spattered on the screen.

That Circle of Life everybody was singing about three decades ago? Thanks to Jenkins’ inimitable grace and Miranda’s tuneful swagger, it continues to feel vibrant.

Entertaining and surprisingly funny given the subject matter, the movie’s also an exquisitely acted affair paced by Chastain (who also produces), turning in a career-best effort as the complex Tammy Faye.

The Glass Castle offers up a movie clan to beat in terms of complete dysfunction, though the brutal and heart-wrenching film is in its own way just as much of a mess.

Race makes its title's double meaning all too clear, and at a time when the Oscars and movies, in general, struggle with finding racial balance, two guys of different skin colors coming together for some sports-movie magic is a fitting and truly welcoming lapping of the competition.

Most of the silliness lands, and the stuff that doesn’t is enveloped by the total chaos, anyway. That’s all to be expected with Deadpool around. The meat of the matter, surprisingly, is the loving closure given to the Fox movie run, plus a reminder how much an unleashed Jackman rules now, and always did.

A satisfying look at young unrequited love, bromances, independence and letting go.

The follow-up fails in every way, as a retread of the beloved ‘90s vehicle and as a youth-centered setup for future installments.

Your mileage may vary when it comes to the over-the-top carnage and in-your-face machismo, but it’s impressive just how bonkers Fate is, like a litter of kittens hopped up on grade-A catnip.

The women in Coen brothers’ movies are usually the much smarter gender, as it is with “Dolls,” where Joel Coen and Cooke’s script creates a tight-knit relationship between its heroines that’s an absolute delight to watch, surrounded by goofball personalities and a healthy amount of campiness. It’s a playfully madcap turn on the “Thelma & Louise” model, and if Jamie and Marian decided to drive off a cliff, you’d want to be in that Dodge with them.

While Mission: Impossible has found a popular way to reimagine an old show for modern times, Man is immersed in all things retro — from the ginchy fashion to a jazzy score — but for an action adventure, it’s a mostly tedious affair with fleeting moments of cool.

Both fun and frustrating, Fast X gets it in gear enough for a gutsy finale that leaves characters in serious peril. Yet with an end game in motion, and only one movie (perhaps two) left in this long-running franchise, it’s not the time to be stalling out this close to the finish line.

A lively, satirical stab at modern-day reality TV, scary big-brother technology, cultural dissension and rampant income inequality, all slathered in blood-soaked ultraviolence and bonkers charm. And don’t worry, old-school Arnold lovers: It’s so insanely different from the original movie that you can adore one without losing any love for the other.

There’s a Miracle Mop at the heart of Joy, though the movie is such a mess that even it would have a hard time cleaning up.

The cast is a stellar one, especially Smith. Not only does he capture Omalu’s Nigerian accent and mannerisms but also the character's idiosyncrasies.

It isn't good and it isn't bad – it is, to borrow a fitting adjective, "all right." But the film might as well be called “Matthew McConaughey: The Movie,” as it casts McConaughey in a role seemingly tailor-made for his famous style and yet, like the actor himself, also upends those same expectations.

Fennell’s adaptation takes some liberties with Emily Brontë’s original 1847 Victorian-era novel but unless you’re a devout superfan, you likely won’t be too mad. The Oscar-winning British filmmaker crafts a sumptuous bad romance that’s quite haughty, darkly hilarious and ultimately heartfelt.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare does well with its “Superman and Reacher kill Nazis” vibe before overcomplicating the matter. Yet the biggest issue with director Guy Ritchie’s World War II action comedy is it doesn’t know what kind of movie it wants to be.

A hostage thriller, a campy satire of the 24/7 media culture and a takedown of Wall Street, though it never fully succeeds on any of those tracks.

Introduces an endearing, guitar-strumming new star in British actor Himesh Patel.

Everything Everywhere is an action-packed club sandwich of weird, but also a splendidly human experience to cherish.

The low-budget thriller deftly mixes horror-movie moments, pure strangeness and comedy like a family-friendly David Lynch effort as it takes audiences on one really oddball trip to grandma's house.

Even with its flaws and struggles with originality, Aquaman is reminiscent of the early Marvel movies in its storytelling, best when taking wild swings instead of being an earnest superhero jam.

With good guys aplenty and a big heart, The Flash pens a love letter to DC superhero movies past, though the film runs around in circles trying to make it all work.

All the contemporary wrapping, a dizzying array of tones (from screwball humor to cornball earnestness) and endless songs by “The Greatest Showman” duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul winds up being like tinsel distracting from what works best: Will Ferrell as a determined phantom and Ryan Reynolds as his snarky Scrooge.

Like a bag of Skittles come to life, there’s more sugar and style to Trolls than substance — with the exception of a “Find your own happiness” theme — but you’d be hard-pressed to keep from smiling throughout the trippy dance sequences and clever banter in this feel-good confection.

Lego Ninjago sparkles with humor and kung fu style, yet it’s a few pieces short of greatness.

The Prom is an exuberant love letter to Broadway’s “Let’s put on a show!” ethos that will earworm you till the new year and proves how a great musical – armed with a heartfelt story – unites like nothing else can.

This Lion King is akin to a revival of an iconic Broadway musical, with an all-star cast and a few welcome improvements but lacking a certain magic and originality.

It’s far from perfect, but Life’s worth living for two freaky hours.

The over-the-top survival thriller definitely fits into the aesthetic of Hollywood’s August burn-off period, where bad (and so-bad-they’re-good) movies reign, though Elba’s charisma goes a long way in terms of enjoyability as do some hair-raising animal attacks.

Even though the film can’t focus on one subject, Hands of Stone does boast notable performances from its leads, especially Ramirez.

Hemsworth’s machismo is all real, though, and for two war-torn hours, you’ll forget about that iconic hammer of his.

It does deliver on the mayhem front.

Strays is definitely a treat, especially for dog lovers who will howl with laughter and also cry at its empathetic understanding that we all, furry or otherwise, just want to be loved.

Rather than being clever like the original movie, a horror-tinged sci-fi satire/parental cautionary tale, sequel "M3GAN 2.0" is the type of combo goofy comedy/undercooked action flick that would earn an epic sick burn from M3GAN herself.

A proudly ridiculous yet sincerely enjoyable exercise of putting wacky characters in the war path of a dangerous (and very high) beast. The “Citizen Kane” of coked-out bear movies is not perfect by any stretch but like its furry star, the film is scrappy and hungry while owning its throwback absurdity.

The Magnificent Seven is like a long-fused stick of dynamite: It takes forever to get interesting but does at least unleash an explosive finale.

Imagine if “The Phantom Menace” was better than every episode of George Lucas’ original “Star Wars” trilogy. Kind of bonkers to think about, right? But that’s pretty much the situation with “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, an enticing blend of dystopian action epic and musical drama that surpasses the previous films starring Jennifer Lawrence.

The movie's exploration of obsession and a sliding scale of what’s right vs. what’s wrong is among the aspects that Little Things does well. And there’s always some positive with Washington in a thriller like this.

Dark Fate ultimately blows up any chance for innovative storytelling with rehashed plot points and reheated signature moments.

Between the goofy humor, Adam Sandler’s hallmark gibberish and an unfortunate return of "The Macarena," Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation houses an unexpectedly affecting story of modern love with a creaky vampire dad.

L'Engle's source material is a sneakily deep novel for youngsters, and Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell's screenplay doesn't do nearly enough with those themes of death, loss and parents letting their children down. Instead, theirs is a patchwork adaptation with weak character development, a lack of narrative groove and a haphazard finish.

For all its whiz-bang goodness, “Alita” is almost completely undone by its flawed script.

It's impressively ambitious, though great new personalities and fresh storytelling suffer for the sake of fan service.