Brian Truitt

The melodrama is packed with more style – so, so much style – than narrative substance, though Jolie...fully commits to the role both emotionally and musically.

What resonates more is his more subtle exploration of how people deal differently with trauma and the power of connection. That message — and a captivating McAvoy — will stick with you long past the thrills of a cool twist.

Damon and Affleck lead a starry action vehicle – including Golden Globe winner Teyana Taylor – that, even with some plot issues and an overbearing intensity, is way better than most straight-to-Netflix potboilers.

Director David Frankel’s comedy is honest and clear-eyed as it digs into a media world where story clicks increasingly matter more than quality.

Hyperviolent, highly watchable action comedy.

It’s a sketch-type conceit stretched to movie length that wears thin at times. When the stars are on their game, though, they keep the laughs coming.

It’s a more demanding narrative to navigate than the director’s previous efforts, and not all of it works with its sly subtlety. Yet there’s sensational artistry at work, with Aster peppering much of his storytelling in the background of scenes (photos on walls, informative signs, etc.) that a lot of folks might not even notice.

For his newest starry murder mystery, based on Christie’s “Hallowe’en Party,” Branagh challenges Poirot’s deductive mind and supernatural belief system and surrounds him with spookiness that can only spiff up a creaky plot and thin characters so much.

The new "Matrix" tries to reprogram a beloved piece of cinema. However, it’s quite a few fixes short of a full upgrade.

Director James Mangold’s biopic wonderfully keeps him a mysterious minstrel, studying a complex artist reaching the early heights of his talents when times were a-changin'.

While Solo is a Star Wars movie that gambles on not really being a Star Wars movie, it’s a winning chapter that only sparingly (though intriguingly) shows its hand in connecting to the bigger universe.

The sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice boasts a big heart and fleeting moments of inspired fun, often featuring Keaton’s moldy-faced menace. Compared to the brilliant original, however, the overstuffed follow-up lacks the same unhinged, kooky magic.

It’s when there's a distinct lack of King Kong that Skull Island turns into a plodding affair.

It’s an irresistibly arresting “Beverly Hills Cop” that knows when to play the hits.

A visually sumptuous effort with wondrous sights, though its character development falls short of those same heights.

Free Guy is a big, warm hug of a movie with plenty to love, even if you’re not super into bubble gum ice cream, swing sets and vintage Mariah Carey like Ryan Reynolds' goodhearted title character.

While its narrative is unnecessarily complex and its story influences obvious, director Karyn Kusama (“The Invitation”) is mostly successful juggling a noir style, shifty denizens and shadowy dealings under L.A.’s bright sun.

Original writer/director Dean DeBlois returns for a revamped “Dragon” that feels like a different experience but is just as good as the original, with moments of wonder and awe featuring characters fleshed out in new ways – literally and figuratively.

Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, the comedy “Good Fortune” would have been just fine as a lively two-hander with Ansari and Seth Rogen that acts as a funny, often insightful exploration of the modern gig economy. It’s Reeves, though, who literally comes down from heaven (actually, more often a rooftop) to be the supernatural presence the movie needs to be something special.

Fortunately, Hudson and Hugh Jackman, in total showman mode, make up for the narrative shortcomings as the '90s dynamite duo Lightning & Thunder.

James Cameron’s third adventure in his blockbuster sci-fi franchise, is just as cool a watch as the previous films, yet also as narratively frustrating. Endless subplots, scattershot character development and borrowed story beats backfire on “Fire and Ash,” although it does benefit from an unhinged but relatable villain whose presence keeps it interesting.

Secret Life anchors itself on an oh-so-familiar concept but sparkles most when imagining some of its crazier shenanigans.

Heart Eyes is tastier than a box of candy hearts, unleashes some highly entertaining kills and sticks mostly to its genre scripts. But if it drags even one horror-hating significant other over to the dark side, that’s a bloody win.

Even with a great turn from Brad Pitt, an impressive showing by newcomer Diego Calva and a bunch of entertaining cameos, the madcap comedy-drama can’t help but run out of creative crazy juice by the end as it unspools into cinematic sentimentality.

Exquisitely crafted...It’s a strange little amalgamation that totally works: a vicious Shakespearean satire about power-hungry mind-sets, stealth corruption, American ambition and the current state of divided affairs in our country, but also a quasi-fictional go-for-broke biopic about a political leader we really don't know at all.

The illegal goings-on move to New York, where the plot plods until the crew gets together and the movie unleashes its secret comedic weapon: Anne Hathaway.

Similar to other recent musical biopic vehicles like Judy and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Respect never reaches the greatness of its shining star.

Like a highly watchable amalgam of “Field of Dreams,” “Zootopia” and Arthurian legend, the colorful crusade features a solid hero’s journey with a slam-dunk of a finale.