Movie theaters are still a thing, and they have ice-cold AC, icy drinks, and plenty of snack options. Then again, so does your place. Whether it’s hitting the mall to catch something on the big screen or sticking with #NetflixAndChill on your own comfy couch, our ongoing film coverage can help you decide what to see (or not see). Most weeks, there is a film review a few pages over, but even when there isn’t, all full-length reviews can be found at FWWeekly.com in the Screen drop-down under Film Reviews.
We also keep track of what’s currently playing in a listings format called Film Shorts. Even there, Film Editor Kristian Lin has thoughts and feelings. That’s where I found these nuggets. Spoiler alert: For the most part, he didn’t like these flicks, but you might. Nostalgia and history are huge at my house, so the husband and I plan on watching Masters of the Universe and Pressure, regardless of the reviews. We’ll see. — Elaine Wilder
The Breadwinner
Nate Bargatze’s skill as a stand-up comic is little in evidence in this unbearable and loud comedy about a Nashville car salesman who takes time off his job to raise his three daughters (Stella Grace Fitzgerald, Charlotte Ann Tucker, and Birdie Borria) after his wife (Mandy Moore) travels abroad to fund her startup company. The hijinks wouldn’t have passed muster in the 1980s when Hollywood first started making comedies like these, and the stacked cast fails to contribute anything of note. (PG)
Jackass: Best and Last
Not really the best, though it does seem like it’s Johnny Knoxville’s time to hang up the penis shock collar. He and his crew perform new stunts, though unseen footage of old stunts that MTV refused to air are the most impressive here. The early 2000s sees Johnny shoot himself point-blank in the chest while wearing a Kevlar vest and some porn magazines for protection, as well as Brad Pitt taking part in staging his own kidnapping in public. It might have been nicer if the gang had gone out with Jackass Forever, but at least the guys are leaving us with their genitals (somehow) intact. (R)
Masters of the Universe
Deeply confused and not good. In this live-action adaptation of the 1980s TV cartoon series, Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man, the warrior guardian of an alien civilization who has been stuck in Oklahoma City for the last 20 years. The lead actor has a keen grasp on the ridiculous aspects of the character, but the same can’t be said for director Travis Knight, who seems unsure when to play the material straight and when to play it for camp humor. He also fails to conjure a single memorable visual from a fantasy world where futuristic vehicles and weapons exist alongside sorcerers and fantastical creatures. A high-level cast is left high and dry by this material. (PG-13)
Courtesy Focus Features
Pressure
Too late for Memorial Day comes this not terribly exciting British film about the D-Day invasion seen through the eyes of a Scottish meteorologist (Andrew Scott) who’s brought in to provide a weather forecast for the planned day of the operation only to announce that the conditions will be terrible and that the whole thing will be postponed. Based on David Haig’s stage play, this film squeezes very little juice out of the weatherman sticking to his forecast despite heavy pressure from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and other top brass in the American and British militaries. Despite the top-level talent in the cast, this exercise comes off as more dutiful than anything else. (PG-13)
Scary Movie
It’s been 13 years since the last film in this spoof series, and this installment cycles so quickly through parodies of Get Out, The Substance, and M3GAN that it doesn’t have time to adopt a point of view on them or crack funny jokes about them. Then again, how does that make it different from the other Scary Movies? Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans all reprise their roles as they’re stalked by a new Ghostface, who’s the same as the old Ghostface (Dave Sheridan). One of the film’s few good gags is that the original killer received a presidential pardon for his murders because he was a January 6 rioter. If the Wayans family lets go of some creative control here, this series might breathe again. (R) — Kristian Lin
