U.S. Release Date: 2019-04-12
MPAA Rating: "R" (Crucifixion)
Genre: Drama
Director: Garth Davis
Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Cheiwetel Ejiofor, Tahar Rahim, Denis Menochet, Tcheky Karyo
Occupies a curious middle ground between philosophical arthouse movie and Easter-themed faith film.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-12-19
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Musical
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Emily Blunt, David Warner, Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dick Van Dyke
"Mary Poppins Returns" is an imperfect sequel but as a throw-away holiday film designed to provide a family viewing experience, it satisfies a need.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-12-14
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence)
Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure
Director: Christian Rivers
Cast: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Leila George, Ronan Raftery, Patrick Malahide, Stephan Lang
As shepherded by filmmakers with a penchant for visual storytelling, "Mortal Engines" is two hours well-spent.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-12-14
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Sexual Content)
Genre: Adventure/Drama
Director: Josie Rourke
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Joe Alwyn, Guy Pearce, Adrian Lester, David Tennant, Jack Lowden, James McArdle, Margot Robbie, Gemma Chan
A respectable venture that fails to generate the kind of gripping, compulsively watchable melodrama and adventure needed to keep the audience engaged.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-08-17
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, John Malkovich, Ronda Rousey, Carlo Alban, Sam Medina
Delivers precisely what’s expected from a violent, escapist action film and does so with brevity and shock power.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-08-10
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity, Disturbing Images)
Genre: Science Fiction/Action
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Jason Statham, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor, Jessica McNamee, Winston Chao, Ruby Rose, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, Li Bingbing, Olafur Darri Olafsson
By failing to embrace the absurdity of the situation, the movie sets itself up as just another summer blockbuster-of-the-week.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-07-27
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Wes Bentley, Michelle Monaghan, Vanessa Kirby, Angela Bassett, Sean Harris, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Henry Cavill, Alec Baldwin
Proves that this kind of adrenaline-fueled spy thriller isn’t dead – it just needs a strong leading man and an accomplished director.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-07-20
MPAA Rating: "NR" (Violence)
Genre: Animated
Director: Mari Okada
Cast: Manaka Iwami, Miyu Irino, Yuki Kaji, Ai Kayano, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Yoko Hikasa
Despite the fantasy setting and aesthetic, it’s a human tale about relatable characters with real emotions.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-07-20
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Sexual Content)
Genre: Musical
Director: Ol Parker
Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Hugh Skinner, Josh Dylan, Jeremy Irvine, Andy Garcia, Cher, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Lily James, Meryl Streep
The first movie does a better job of everything this one does rendering the second installment redundant – painless but purposeless.
U.S. Release Date: 2018-05-11
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity, Bullying)
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Jim Loach
Cast: Blake Cooper, Judy Greer, Luke Wilson, Liana Liberato, Donald Sutherland, Danielle Rose Russell, Beau Knapp, Luke Benward
If the most important thing in any coming-of-age story is for the main character to evolve, "Measure of a Man" gets it right.