Brian Truitt

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.

A well-crafted, albeit entirely bleak exploration of paranoia and fear.

It’s a gorgeous and stunning thing to look at, with awesome sights of underwater fauna, and the new movie is an emotionally charged outing that again dips into themes of colonization while adding environmental issues and relatable family drama.

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.

The movie is a unicorn of sorts, a pure and perfect action flick with post-apocalyptic hot rods, gorgeous demolition-derby carnage and demented confidence.

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.

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.

While Ant-Man's technically “the star,” this is most definitely the Wasp’s movie to own, and the smirking, enjoyably no-nonsense role fits Lilly well.

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.

The series has thankfully, found its way out of the doldrums of the Michael Bay era and discovered a satisfying groove of nostalgic bliss. It’s still a whole lot of earnest diatribes, hokey zingers and assorted nonsense but it’s at least crowd-pleasing, candy-in-your-popcorn nonsense.

There is a certain jittery edginess to Keaton’s Kroc but the actor imbues his character with such folksy likability that it’s a subtle turn from working-class go-getter to greedy bad guy.

If this is Bong’s take on a Hollywood space blockbuster, it’s better than most. “Mickey 17,” led by a quirky underdog, offers a timely escape where empathy can overcome cruelty on the other side of the galaxy.

Director David Yates’ entertaining introduction of awkward hero and magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is a confident and surprisingly funny adventure that’s more charming than most of the eight Harry Potter films.

Given the high-profile backstory, Money is very much a Plummer showpiece — a Golden Globe probably isn't the only trophy he'll be nominated for this awards season — yet just as integral is Williams, whose character is Getty’s biggest foil.

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

A Quiet Place is essentially "Alien" on a farm: Even though there are cornfields and land for days, there's a constant state of panic and claustrophobia for a family stalked by monsters who attack anything that makes noise.

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

An enjoyable piece of vibrant world building that steps away from the musical bent of recent non-Pixar efforts like “Encanto” and the “Frozen” flicks.

Smith brings passion and stubbornness to Richard, a controversial figure in some corners and a devoted dad in others. The movie itself is a rousing if familiar sports drama that takes care of the surface-level narrative but doesn’t delve deeply enough into the meatier stuff, at times seeming to have the wrong focal point.

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

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.

Johnny Depp’s drunken Captain Jack Sparrow stumbles into yet another seafaring adventure, which has its rocky moments but also offers an engaging tale with family legacies, above-average swashbuckling and a fantastic new villain courtesy of Javier Bardem

Though ultimately gratifying, the ambitious Okja struggles throughout with its pinballing tonal structure, beginning as a family-friendly adventure then shifting to screwball farce and later to an emotional drama involving animal cruelty and slaughterhouse horror.

Clearly far from the worst the franchise has offered (sorry, “Scream 3”) and not quite to the level of the late Wes Craven's innovative 1996 original, Ghostface’s latest slice-and-dice through Woodsboro checks all the appropriate boxes though lacks some of the quirky fun that marked previous entries.

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.

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

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.

At least we have a winning Lisbeth. Now let’s put her in a situation that’s all her own and not just a placemark for a caped crusader or a dapper secret agent.