Screen

Short takes: This week’s movie listings and reviews

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Star Trek Beyond
Josh Bell, Mike D'Angelo, Jeffrey M. Anderson

Special screenings

Batman: The Killing Joke

7/25, animated feature film plus behind-the-scenes footage, 7:30 & 10 p.m., $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: AL, CAN, COL, RR, SF, SP, ST, TS, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.

Dive-In Movies

Mon, 7:30 p.m., $5, free for hotel guests. 7/25, Skyfall. Boulevard Pool at the Cosmopolitan, 702-698-7000.

Family-Friendly Summer Matinee

Wed, 11 a.m., free. 7/27, Pan. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, 702-507-3863.

Las Vegas Classic Movies Theater

Classic, indie and arthouse films, Thu-Fri 8 p.m., Sat-Sun 6 & 8 p.m., $5 per screening. 7/21, D.O.A. (1950). 7/22, Nosferatu (1922). 7/23, avant-garde short films, Battleship Potemkin. 7/24, Pandora’s Box (1929). 7/28, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The Corner Gallery, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., 702-501-9219, lasvegascornergallery.com.

Lincoln Center at the Movies

7/26, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance, 7 p.m., $12.50-$15. Theaters: CAN. Info: fathomevents.com.

Movie Night

Thu, sundown, free. 7/21, Guardians of the Galaxy. 7/28, Ant-Man. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont St., downtowncontainerpark.com.

Sci Fi Center

Mon, Cinemondays, 8 p.m., free. 5077 Arville St., 855-501-4335, thescificenter.com.

Summer Movie Series

Fri, 6:45 p.m., free with museum admission. 7/22, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave., 702-229-2734.

Summer Screen Series

Thu, dusk, free. 7/21, Cinderella (2015). 7/28, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Park Centre Drive, Downtown Summerlin, downtownsummerlin.com.

TCM Big Screen Classics

7/24, 7/27, Planet of the Apes plus introduction from Turner Classic Movies, 2 & 7 p.m., $5-$14. Theaters: CAN, COL, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.

Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou

Tue, 1 p.m., free. 7/26, Road to Utopia. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400.

New this week

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Two stars

Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Julia Sawalha. Directed by Mandie Fletcher. 90 minutes. Rated R. This feature film based on the ’90s British sitcom feels like a sad relic of a past era, with its dated, often regressive humor, its endless parade of celebrity cameos and its aimless, bloated plot, which never feels like it should be stretched beyond the length of a single sitcom episode. —JB

Theaters: GVR, ST, TS, VS

Dukot (Not reviewed)

Enrique Gil, Ricky Davao, Shaina Magdayao. Directed by Paul Soriano. 95 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. A man is kidnapped by a gang looked for ransom from his government-official father.

Theaters: ORL

Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party (Not reviewed)

Directed by Dinesh D’Souza. 107 minutes. Rated PG-13. Conservative political documentary exploring the policies of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.

Theaters: AL, CH, FH, ORL, PAL, RR, SP, ST, TS, TX, VS

Ice Age: Collision Course One and a half stars

Voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo. Directed by Mike Thurmeier. 94 minutes. Rated PG. The fifth installment in the animated series is easily the worst, a lazy, unfocused, cluttered mess, with no reason for existing other than perpetuating the absurdly successful franchise. What was once the simple story of three prehistoric mammal friends has ballooned into a never-ending family saga featuring more than a dozen characters. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

Imagine You & Me (Not reviewed)

Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, Jasmine Curtis. Directed by Michael Tuviera. 120 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. A Filipino woman falls in love while working as a caregiver in Italy.

Theaters: ORL

Kabali (Not reviewed)

Rajinikanth, Winston Chao, Radhika Apte. Directed by Pa. Ranjith. 152 minutes. Not rated. In Tamil with English subtitles. An underworld leader fights to protect his community.

Theaters: ST, VS

Lights Out Two and a half stars

Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello, Gabriel Bateman. Directed by David F. Sandberg. 81 minutes. Rated PG-13. Director Sandberg has a tough time expanding his dialogue-free, ultra-short horror film (about a malevolent entity that only appears when lights are turned off) into a feature. Still, Sandberg proves that he’s decent at creating scares, and audiences just looking for a handful of jump moments may find Lights Out satisfactory. —JB

Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

Madaari (Not reviewed)

Irrfan Khan, Vishesh Bansal, Jimmy Shergill. Directed by Nishikant Kamat. 134 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A man who loses his family in a disaster searches for answers.

Theaters: VS

One Night Only Two and a half stars

Aaron Kwok, Yang Zishan, Hao Lei. Directed by Matt Wu. 101 minutes. Not rated. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Stars Kwok and Yang have a nice chemistry as two down-on-their-luck Chinese expatriates in Bangkok. With its lush, color-saturated visuals, urban setting and slow-burning romance, One Night Only at first recalls the work of Wong Kar-wai, only to end up more like a bad soap opera. —JB

Theaters: COL

Star Trek Beyond (Not reviewed)

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban. Directed by Justin Lin. 120 minutes. Rated PG-13. The crew of the starship Enterprise encounters a dangerous new enemy in the far reaches of space.

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, DTS, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

Train to Busan Three stars

Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. 118 minutes. Not rated. In Korean with English subtitles. The passengers of a train from Seoul to Busan must fend off a zombie outbreak. The cast is full of stock characters, all of whom get their moments to shine, but Train is really about the impressive, expertly staged zombie attacks. It’s cheesy and overlong, but mostly succeeds as disposable popcorn entertainment. —JB

Theaters: TS

Now playing

The Angry Birds Movie Two stars

Voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride. Directed by Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly. 97 minutes. Rated PG. The movie version of the mega-popular mobile game (about birds being flung at pigs via slingshot) attempts to create a story around a series of basic, repetitive actions. The explanations are both boring and largely nonsensical, and expanding the game into a cohesive, family-friendly movie proves too difficult a task. —JB

Theaters: TC

The BFG Two and a half stars

Ruby Barnhill, Mark Rylance, Jemaine Clement. Directed by Steven Spielberg. 117 minutes. Rated PG. Oscar-winner Rylance enchants as the title character (BFG stands for Big Friendly Giant), but Spielberg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book predictably downplays its cruelty—no kiddies get eaten onscreen here—in favor of aggressive, cumulatively exhausting whimsy and pluckiness. —MD

Theaters: COL, RR, SF, ST, VS

Central Intelligence Two stars

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. 114 minutes. Rated PG-13. Hart is in familiar territory as a put-upon accountant very reluctantly recruited by his former high school classmate (Johnson) to join a CIA mission. Johnson ends up as the comedic highlight of the film, and the character work is stronger than the inconsistent jokes and especially the lackluster action sequences. —JB

Theaters: AL, DI, DTS, GVR, ORL, PAL, SP, SS, ST, TX, VS

Finding Dory Three and a half stars

Voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence. Directed by Andrew Stanton. 103 minutes. Rated PG. Forgetful fish Dory decides to track down her long-lost parents in this animated sequel to Pixar’s Finding Nemo. While Dory is thoroughly charming and enjoyable, with funny supporting characters and often gorgeous animation, it’s also a bit formulaic and repetitive, especially during the drawn-out third act. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, FH, RP, RR, SC, SF, SP, SS, TS, TX

Free State of Jones Two and a half stars

Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali. Directed by Gary Ross. 139 minutes. Rated R. This historical drama tells the fascinating story of a Confederate deserter who led an uprising in Mississippi, but it expands the narrative too far, jumping forward in time and diluting the power of its unique hook. McConaughey is strong as insurgent leader Newton Knight, but the character is a one-dimensional savior. —JB

Theaters: COL

Ghostbusters Three stars

Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones. Directed by Paul Feig. 116 minutes. Rated PG-13. This remake of the 1984 movie about a group of misfits fighting a supernatural infestation in New York City features strong comedy with an impressively talented cast, but eventually ends up overwhelmed by the demands of its large-scale action storyline. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, DTS, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX

The Huntsman: Winter’s War Two stars

Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt. Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. 114 minutes. Rated PG-13. The Snow White-free sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman adds a second evil queen (Blunt) and a warrior love interest (Chastain) for the huntsman (Hemsworth), but never comes up with an interesting story. Much of Winter’s War looks garish and plastic, with its style ripped off from other, more popular fantasy franchises. —JB

Theaters: TC

Independence Day: Resurgence Two stars

Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Maika Monroe. Directed by Roland Emmerich. 120 minutes. Rated PG-13. Twenty years after fighting off an alien invasion in 1996’s cheesy but rousing Independence Day, Earth is attacked again, and humanity must band together to save the planet. This sequel is just another noisy, cluttered, CGI-filled monstrosity, with a convoluted plot that’s ultimately just a prelude to another movie somewhere down the road. —JB

Theaters: AL, DI, GVR, SC, SS, ST, TX

The Infiltrator Two and a half stars

Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger. Directed by Brad Furman. 127 minutes. Rated R. The story of a U.S. Customs agent (Cranston) going undercover as a money launderer in order to bring down associates of notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in the mid-1980s may be inspired by true events, but it’s still a generic crime drama, with bland, expository dialogue and stock underworld figures. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, COL, FH, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SHO, SP, TS, TX

The Jungle Book Two and a half stars

Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley. Directed by Jon Favreau. 105 minutes. Rated PG. The latest Disney live-action remake of an animated classic is a fairly faithful retelling of its source material, about a young boy raised in the jungle. The tone is an awkward mix of savage jungle naturalism and cuddly animal antics, and there’s a sort of prefab blandness to the amazing photo-realistic CGI. —JB

Theaters: TC

The Legend of Tarzan Two stars

Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz. Directed by David Yates. 109 minutes. Rated PG-13. The latest movie featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs’ English nobleman raised by African apes pits Tarzan (Skarsgård) and his wife Jane (Robbie) against a power-hungry Belgian government official (Waltz) who plans to exploit the natives of the Congo. Legend is mostly dull, with mediocre special effects, forgettable action and a slow-moving plot. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX

Me Before You Two and a half stars

Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer. Directed by Thea Sharrock. 110 minutes. Rated PG-13. Clarke tries way too hard as Louisa, a working-class young woman who falls in love with Will (Claflin), the wealthy quadriplegic and former playboy she’s hired to take care of. The romance takes far too long to get going, and Clarke’s overstated performance is more exhausting than endearing. —JB

Theaters: COL, TC

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Two and a half stars

Zac Efron, Adam DeVine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza. Directed by Jake Szymanski. 98 minutes. Rated R. Rowdy brothers Mike (DeVine) and Dave (Efron) are told to bring dates to their sister’s wedding, and end up with a pair of degenerates (Kendrick, Plaza) pretending to be nice girls. What ensues is a mix of tiresome gross-out jokes and slapstick and some surprisingly sensitive character development. —JB

Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, DI, DTS, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, VS

Now You See Me 2 Two stars

Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan. Directed by Jon M. Chu. 115 minutes. Rated PG-13. This time around the outlaw stage magicians known as the Four Horsemen are basically just a group of thieves, hired to steal a piece of ultra-powerful tech. The plot is just as convoluted and belabored as the first time, without the added panache of the Four Horsemen’s stage productions. —JB

Theaters: SC, ST

The Purge: Election Year Two and a half stars

Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti Williamson. Directed by James DeMonaco. 105 minutes. Rated R. The third movie in the Purge series centers on an anti-Purge presidential candidate (Mitchell) who is targeted for elimination during the Purge itself. While the movie more effectively explores the world of the Purge, it still mostly features characters running through dark alleys or hiding out in dingy rooms. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, DI, PAL, RR, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

The Secret Life of Pets Three stars

Voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate. Directed by Chris Renaud. 90 minutes. Rated PG. The hyperactive animated story, with loyal dog Max (C.K.) and his dog frenemy Duke (Stonestreet) lost in New York City, isn’t nearly as sophisticated as something from Pixar or even DreamWorks Animation, but it’s good for a few laughs and is entirely kid-friendly, with plenty of cute characters and madcap set pieces. —JB

Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS

The Shallows (Not reviewed)

Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Brett Cullen. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. 87 minutes. Rated PG-13. A surfer is trapped just offshore by a shark.

Theaters: RR, ST, VS

Sultan (Not reviewed)

Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Randeep Hooda. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. 170 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. An Indian wrestler achieves international success.

Theaters: VS

Swiss Army Man Two stars

Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. 95 minutes. Rated R. This bizarre comedy features Dano as a depressed man stranded on a deserted island and Radcliffe as a possibly supernaturally powered corpse he discovers. The eventual transition from slapstick humor to wide-eyed wonder (and back again) is clumsy, and none of the movie’s emotional epiphanies feel earned. —JB

Theaters: SC

Three Wise Cousins (Not reviewed)

Neil Amituanai, Gloria Ofa Blake, Fesuiai Viliamu. Directed by Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa. 89 minutes. Rated PG-13. A New Zealand-born Samoan man asks his island-based cousins to help him impress a Samoan woman.

Theaters: COL, TX

Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe (Not reviewed)

Directed by Andrew Wakefield. 91 minutes. Not rated. Documentary alleging a cover-up of the link between vaccines and autism.

Theaters: TC

Warcraft One and a half stars

Travis Fimmel, Paul Patton, Ben Foster. Directed by Duncan Jones. 123 minutes. Rated PG-13. At once ponderous and extravagantly goofy, this adaptation of the Warcraft video-game franchise, depicting a battle royale between orcs and humans, is no cynical cash grab (it was co-written and directed by Duncan Jones, who previously made Moon and Source Code), but that only makes its failure all the more painful. —MD

Theaters: TC

X-Men: Apocalypse Two and a half stars

Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Oscar Isaac. Directed by Bryan Singer. 144 minutes. Rated PG-13. The latest adventure of the mutant superheroes reintroduces familiar characters in slightly new forms, and spends far too much time on set-up. World-ending villain Apocalypse (Isaac) is ridiculous and ineffective, and the overstuffed cast pushes too many new and/or reimagined characters to the margins. Even the big action climax is underwhelming. —JB

Theaters: VS

Zootopia Three and a half stars

Voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba. Directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore. 108 minutes. Rated PG. Disney’s latest animated feature is a winning, gorgeously animated story about anthropomorphic animals living in relative harmony in a bustling metropolis. The team-up between a police officer rabbit and a small-time criminal fox provides a thoroughly engaging mystery with some satisfying twists and turns. —JB

Theaters: TC

JMA Jeffrey M. Anderson; JB Josh Bell; MD Mike D’Angelo

Theaters

(AL) Regal Aliante

7300 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas, 844-462-7342 ext. 4011

(BS) Regal Boulder Station

4111 Boulder Highway, 844-462-7342 ext. 269

(PAL) Brenden Theatres at the Palms

4321 W. Flamingo Road, 702-507-4849

(CAN) Galaxy Cannery

2121 E. Craig Road, North Las Vegas, 702-639-9779

(CH) Cinedome Henderson

851 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson, 702-566-1570

(COL) Regal Colonnade

8880 S. Eastern Ave., 844-462-7342 ext. 270

(DI) Las Vegas Drive-In

4150 W. Carey Ave., North Las Vegas, 702-646-3565

(DTS) Regal Downtown Summerlin

2070 Park Center Drive, 844-462-7342 ext. 4063

(FH) Regal Fiesta Henderson

777 W. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson, 844-462-7342 ext. 1772

(GVR) Regal Green Valley Ranch

2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson, 844-462-7342 ext. 267

(GVL) Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+

4500 E. Sunset Road, Henderson, 702-442-0244

(ORL) Century Orleans

4500 W. Tropicana Ave., 702-889-1220

(RP) AMC Rainbow Promenade

2321 N. Rainbow Blvd., 888-262-4386

(RR) Regal Red Rock

11011 W. Charleston Blvd., 844-462-7342 ext. 1756

(ST) Century Sam’s Town

5111 Boulder Highway, 702-547-1732

(SF) Century Santa Fe Station

4949 N. Rancho Drive, 702-655-8178

(SHO) United Artists Showcase

3769 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 844-462-7342 ext. 522

(SP) Century South Point

9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-260-4061

(SC) Century Suncoast

9090 Alta Drive, 702-869-1880

(SS) Regal Sunset Station

1301-A W. Sunset Road, Henderson, 844-462-7342 ext. 268

(TX) Regal Texas Station

2101 Texas Star Lane, North Las Vegas, 844-462-7342 ext. 271

(TS) AMC Town Square

6587 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-362-7283

(TC) Regency Tropicana Cinemas

3330 E. Tropicana Ave., 702-438-3456

(VS) Regal Village Square

9400 W. Sahara Ave., 844-462-7342 ext. 272

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