Elizabeth Weitzman

Peake provides the solid center for a movie that would otherwise melt into indie formula. The quirky supporting characters, slow pacing and predictable plotting intermittently threaten to overwhelm such a modest story. But then Ted secretly turns his camera back toward Vanetia and, like him, we’re smitten again.

The subject matter calls for ruthless observation, but his candy-colored pop vision has more in common with “Glee” than, say, “Heathers.” He’s aiming for a stinging WTF, but winds up with a fairly mild LOL.

Director Jillian Schlesinger’s documentary does a terrific job countering everyone’s assumptions. Maidentrip is a clear-eyed chronicle of Dekker’s record-breaking voyage. Think “All Is Lost,” but real, and with a teenage girl instead of Robert Redford (plus a very different ending).

Story and his four screenwriters don’t exactly strain themselves to find a new angle in this mismatched buddy comedy. Picture “Rush Hour,” and then imagine Hart as the annoying kid in “Are We There Yet?” You’ve basically just watched the entire movie in your head.

On the bright side, the charismatic Liberato is one to watch. And de Matteo (“The Sopranos”) brings a crucial jolt of assertive energy. Both seem to be in another, more exciting movie entirely.

The most startling truth is about Emanuel is that she's a rather ordinary teen in a rather ordinary movie.

A few barely conceived scenes allow Carl Reiner, Tom Arnold and Jay Mohr to show up for a quick paycheck. What’s that title again?

Peter Berg’s ultra-bloody battle film “Lone Survivor” is ultimately more grueling than satisfying. It’s more carnage than cinema.

If you embrace the overkill, you’ll enjoy it. But if extravagance isn’t your thing, move swiftly on to something lighter and more digestible.

Directed tastefully by Ralph Fiennes, The Invisible Woman is very lovely to look at. But it lives up to its own title too well.

A director who really wanted to honor these actors’ legendary roles, rather than simply use them as a marketing hook, might have found a way to make this concept palatable. Segal (“Get Smart”) is not that director.

The Past is not as nuanced as its predecessor — and not as impactful, either. But this is still far more complex than most family dramas.

Both leading actors are teenagers who’ve never acted before — and they are both phenomenal.

Will you relate more to the bitter, or embrace the sweet? The choice itself is Jonze’s ultimate gift to us: an invitation to leave his film ready to communicate, debate and, most crucially of all, connect.

Most of the movie elicits tense empathy, which builds to a genuinely nerve-wracking sense of dread.

If you’re only a casual observer of Bergman, you’ll find this documentary as inaccessible as his densest works.

What’s most surprising is that this talky dramedy was a massive smash at home in France, outearning blockbusters like “The Avengers.”

Holwerda’s film never bothers to conceal its fawning view of Dawkins and Krauss — or challenge their dogma. And there’s no need for empty celebrity cameos from fans like Cameron Diaz (“Knowledge is power,” she reveals).

The cast, including Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly as warrior elves, is also excellent (though we don’t get even a glimpse of Andy Serkis’ Gollum). And individually, each escapade does hold its own thrills.

An evocative vision of self-destruction, a gorgeously crafted time capsule, and a fantastic showcase for Oscar Isaac in the title role.

On the bright side, Robinson’s unlucky astronauts are played by Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Olivia Williams and Romola Garai. All of these actors approach their potential demise with impressive conviction.

Despite the revved-up start and a suitably dusty setting, the movie stalls almost immediately. The story is uninspired, Lyons looks lost, and Booth makes for a bland femme fatale. Clarke tries to inject some energy into the action, but even he seems to realize this ride’s going nowhere.

What’s crucially missing, however, is a hissable villain. Nor are there any memorable tunes, which is too bad given that Broadway star Menzel is playing Elsa.

The movie doesn’t weave religion into the familiar structure of a comedy or melodrama. Instead, everything works in service to the sermon at the core. For most audience members, that will either be the primary draw or an inescapable drawback.

The movie wouldn’t stand for much of anything without such an effective team to represent the equivocating.

Looking for something unusual to see this weekend? Try this cool time capsule, which premiered in 1972 and then disappeared for decades.

Why does the movie waste so much time on empty adoration from celebrity fans and skim past the significant tragedies that contributed to her complex life? Parental neglect, sexual assault, severe mental illness — all of these factors shaped the woman Page became. But perhaps even today, no one wants to consider the sadness behind her 1,000-watt smile.

Most important, he’s got Vaughn, whose mix of silliness and sincerity is an ideal anchor for the broad premise. Vaughn is one of those actors who tends to autopilot his way through too many mediocre projects. When he goes all in, though, it’s impossible to resist his charm.