Special screenings
African-Americans in the Civil War
2/16, documentaries Black Confederates: The Forgotten Men in Grey and The Forgotten Battle of Fort Pillow, Q&A with director Stan Armstrong, 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400.
Best Picture Film Festival
2/17-2/26, all 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees, various days and times, $35. Theaters: GVR, RR
The Big LeBOWLski
2/23, The Big Lebowski screening plus bowling tournament, 9:30 p.m., free. Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq, 702-862-2695.
George Takei’s Allegiance
2/19, broadcast of Broadway musical, 12:55 p.m., $18-$20. Theaters: COL, SF, SP, ST, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.
Is Genesis History?
2/23, religious documentary, 7 p.m., $10.50-$12.50. Theaters: SF, SP, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.
Newsies: The Broadway Musical
2/16, 2/18, 2/22, broadcast of the stage musical performed from Hollywood, Thu 7 p.m., Sat 12:55 p.m., Wed 7 p.m., $18-$20. Theaters: AL, COL, ORL, RR, SF, SS, ST, TS, VS. Info: fathomevents.com.
Oscar Movie Week
2/20-2/26, all 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees plus Oscar-nominated short films, various days and times, $35. Theaters: SP
Oscar-Nominated Short Films
2/17-2/20, live-action and animated shorts, 4 & 7 p.m., $9-$12. Theaters: GVR
Sci Fi Center
Mon, Cinemondays, 8 p.m., free. 2/18, Repo! The Genetic Opera with live shadow cast, 7:30 & 10 p.m., $10-$25. 5077 Arville St., 855-501-4335, thescificenter.com.
Tuesday Afternoon at the Bijou
Tue, 1 p.m., free. 2/21, The Masque of the Red Death. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, 702-507-3400.
Windmill Movie Club
2/18, 2 p.m., classic movie followed by discussion, free. Windmill Library, 7060 W. Windmill Lane, 702-507-6036.
New this week
Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth. Directed by Gore Verbinski. 146 minutes. Rated R. A young, ambitious investment banker (DeHaan) travels to a remote Swiss resort to retrieve his company’s CEO, only to find himself unable to leave. The plot isn’t entirely coherent, but the movie’s lush, carefully composed visual style and slowly building dread make for an enveloping, continually unsettling experience. —JB
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, DTS, ET, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Everybody Loves Somebody 
Karla Souza, Jose Maria Yazpik, Ben O’Toole. Directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta. 100 minutes. Rated PG-13. This forgettable and predictable (but occasionally semi-charming) romantic comedy follows a Mexican-American doctor (Souza) torn between her nice-guy co-worker (O’Toole) and her unreliable ex (Yazpik). The story beats are well-worn and the sentiments are clichéd, but the cultural and linguistic shifts between California and Mexico provides some refreshing variation. —JB
Theaters: CAN, ORL, PAL, ST, TS, TX
Ice Cube, Charlie Day, Jillian Bell. Directed by Richie Keen. 91 minutes. Rated R. There’s almost nothing to like about this comedy starring Cube as an angry history teacher who challenges Day’s nervous English teacher to a fight after a misunderstanding gets the former fired. It’s dreadful, with unpleasant characters, moronic jokes, a paper-thin plot and a disingenuous message that pretends to excuse the repetitive vulgarity. —JB
Theaters: AL, CAN, CH, COL, DI, ET, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, RR, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
The Great Wall (Not reviewed)
Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Pedro Pascal. Directed by Zhang Yimou. 103 minutes. Rated PG-13. European mercenaries travel to China in the 11th century and become involved in a fight against mystical monsters.
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, ET, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
My Ex and Whys (Not reviewed)
Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, Joey Marquez. Directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina. 120 minutes. Not rated. In Filipino with English subtitles. After flirting online, two social media stars decide to meet in person.
Theaters: ORL, VS
Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Michael Wittenborn. Directed by Maren Ade. 162 minutes. Rated R. In German with English subtitles. An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this nearly three-hour German comedy—yes, really!—concerns a prankster dad who creates a ludicrous alter ego in an attempt to cheer up his high-strung, workaholic adult daughter. Its transcendent mix of hilarity and poignancy will be hard to replicate, though Hollywood intends to try. —MD
Theaters: VS
Now playing
Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons. Directed by Justin Kurzel. 108 minutes. Rated PG-13. The convoluted plot of this disastrous video-game adaptation involves two organizations fighting to possess an ancient device that controls free will, with both modern-day and historical sequences (each starring Fassbender). The plot is incoherent, the tone is ridiculously self-serious and the dialogue is laughable. —JB
Theaters: TC
Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams. Directed by Scott Derrickson. 115 minutes. Rated PG-13. Marvel’s latest superhero movie follows a familiar template in telling the origin story of mystical hero Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch). While the story isn’t groundbreaking, the characters are engaging, the dialogue is snappy, the performances are lively and the special effects are dazzling, making for some astonishing action set pieces. —JB
Theaters: TC
A Dog’s Purpose 
K.J. Apa, Dennis Quaid, voice of Josh Gad. Directed by Lasse Hallström. 120 minutes. Rated PG. Gad cloyingly voices the thoughts of a dog who is reincarnated through several lives in this treacly combination of kid-movie animal antics and Nicholas Sparks-style romance. The pacing is uneven, the human characters are one-dimensional and the tone is sappy and manipulative, with multiple tearjerking dog deaths. —JB
Theaters: AL, CH, COL, FH, ORL, RP, SC, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 
Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler. Directed by David Yates. 133 minutes. Rated PG-13. This Harry Potter spinoff set in 1926 NYC is an entertaining ride, even if it doesn’t make a case for itself as essential. Wizard Newt Scamander’s quest to recapture his weird, cute and creatively designed beasts is light and fun, but the darker storylines, mostly setting up future installments, are less thrilling. —JB
Theaters: TC
Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson. Directed by Denzel Washington. 138 minutes. Rated PG-13. Washington’s adaptation of August Wilson’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning play about a working-class African-American family in 1950s Pittsburgh feels entirely stage-bound and artificial, with set design and performances that might make sense for live theater, but which come across as stilted and ineffective onscreen. —JB
Theaters: GVR, VS
Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Marcia Gay Harden. Directed by James Foley. 115 minutes. Rated R. The second movie based on E.L. James’ series of erotic novels immediately reunites billionaire sadist Christian Grey and naive college grad Anastasia Steele. The relative lack of conflict between the main characters is just one of the reasons that Darker ends up as possibly the most boring movie ever made about kinky sex. —JB
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, DTS, ET, FH, GVL, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch. Directed by John Lee Hancock. 115 minutes. Rated PG-13. The story of how businessman Ray Kroc essentially stole the McDonald’s empire has the makings of a fascinatingly dark drama. The filmmakers only get about halfway there, though, seemingly not quite sure whether they want to make a tribute to one of America’s most beloved brands or expose the dark underbelly of its origins. —JB
Theaters: COL, ST, VS
Matthew McConaughey, Édgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard. Directed by Stephen Gaghan. 121 minutes. Rated R. Based in very broad strokes on a real-life mining scandal, Gold fictionalizes the story heavily, changing locations and time periods. The scandal itself doesn’t unfold until the movie is nearly over, and for its first two-thirds Gold is a mostly dull, straightforward story about a down-on-his-luck businessman looking for a comeback. —JB
Theaters: SC
Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer. Directed by Theodore Melfi. 127 minutes. Rated PG. The story of three real-life black women who overcame prejudice while working at NASA in the early days of the space program is told with cheesy, crowd-pleasing moments that often simplify and diminish the struggles that the real people endured. Eventually its account of actual triumph over adversity becomes chintzy and disingenuous. —JB
Theaters: AL, ET, FH, GVR, ORL, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Natalie Portman, Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard. Directed by Pablo Larrain. 100 minutes. Rated R. This biopic of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy (Portman) takes place in the days following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The arch style may put off viewers looking for a conventional tribute, but director Larrain offers something more meaningful and lasting, an impressionistic portrait that says more in images than in words. —JB
Theaters: COL
Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose. Directed by Chad Stahelski. 122 minutes. Rated R. Reeves returns as the weary, unstoppable assassin who just wants to retire in peace, this time drawn back into action by an Italian mob boss. The story lacks the laser focus of the original, and the increased emphasis on franchise-building is a distraction, but Stahelski still knows how to stage stunning action sequences. —JB
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, ET, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Jolly LLB 2 (Not reviewed)
Akshay Kumar, Huma Qureshi, Saurabh Shukla. Directed by Subhash Kapoor. 136 minutes. Not rated. In Hindi with English subtitles. A bumbling lawyer faces a powerful and ruthless opponent in court.
Theaters: VS
Emma Suárez, Adriana Ugarte, Daniel Grao. Directed by Pedro Almodóvar. 99 minutes. Rated R. In Spanish with English subtitles. Almodóvar returns to more subdued territory in this drama based on three short stories, featuring Suárez and Ugarte playing the title character at different points in her life. Julieta is a bit meandering and digressive, but Almodóvar’s skill at portraying vibrant female characters serves him well, and the lead actresses are excellent. —JB
Theaters: SC
Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend. Directed by Damien Chazelle. 128 minutes. Rated PG-13. Stone and Gosling are so terrific together, as an aspiring actress and a jazz pianist struggling to realize their respective dreams in cutthroat Los Angeles, that one can sort of forgive this being a throwback musical in which neither lead is a first-rate singer or dancer. —MD
Theaters: AL, DI, DTS, GVR, SC, SS, ST, TS, VS
Voices of Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis. Directed by Chris McKay. 104 minutes. Rated PG. This animated spinoff of The Lego Movie, starring Arnett’s vain, arrogant version of Batman, retains much of its predecessor’s charm, packing in nonstop visual and verbal jokes while telling a simple, fun story with some solid lessons for the family audience. —JB
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, DTS, FH, GVL, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, TS, TX
Sunny Pawar, Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman. Directed by Garth Davis. 118 minutes. Rated PG-13. Based on a true story, Lion stars Patel as a young man who was raised in Australia (Kidman plays his mom) after getting hopelessly lost at age 5, but who uses Google Earth in an effort to locate the tiny village in India where he was born. Sluggish at the start, moving by the end. —MD
Theaters: AL, CH, FH, GVR, ORL, RP, SF, SP, ST, TS, TX, VS
Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler. Directed by Kenneth Lonergan. 137 minutes. Rated R. Lonergan’s superb third feature (following the equally terrific You Can Count on Me and Margaret) stars Affleck—now a Best Actor frontrunner—as a janitor with a tragic past who unexpectedly finds himself tasked with caring for his teenage nephew (Hedges). Funny and heartbreaking. —MD
Theaters: COL, SC
Voices of Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. 113 minutes. Rated PG. Influenced by Polynesian mythology, Moana is a pleasant but not particularly distinctive addition to the Disney animated princess canon, with the title character (Cravalho) seeking out a buffoonish demigod (Johnson) in order to save her island home. The animation is lovely, but the songs and the plot are mediocre. —JB
Theaters: COL, TC
Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes. Directed by Barry Jenkins. 110 minutes. Rated R. Divided into three segments, Moonlight follows the introverted, gay Chiron as a kid, a teenager and a young man, coming to terms with his identity growing up in one of Miami’s poorest African-American neighborhoods. It’s rooted in real details, and each segment (even the slow-moving final third) achieves its own grace. —JB
Theaters: SC
Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen. Directed by Morten Tyldum. 116 minutes. Rated PG-13. Pratt and Lawrence are passengers on an interstellar voyage who come out of suspended animation 90 years too early in this muddled sci-fi misfire. Neither the romance nor the action is particularly convincing; the stars have minimal chemistry, and the sci-fi plotting of the climax is rushed and full of holes. —JB
Theaters: BS, CH, COL, FH, ORL, PAL, SC, SP, TX
Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley. Directed by Jim Jarmusch. 118 minutes. Rated R. Jarmusch’s latest structural gem observes a week in the life of Paterson (Driver), a professional bus driver and amateur poet from Paterson, New Jersey. Virtually plotless and deliberately repetitive, the film is a lovely portrait of the inspiration that artists take from daily life. —MD
Theaters: SC
Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Bacon, Michelle Monaghan. Directed by Peter Berg. 133 minutes. Rated R. Wahlberg plays a fictional Boston cop in this drama based on the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Berg stages some of the chaos of the events with propulsive, visceral intensity, but Wahlberg’s presence at every moment becomes contrived and self-aggrandizing, undermining the tribute to the real people who lived through the harrowing ordeal. —JB
Theaters: GVR
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Not reviewed)
Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Iain Glen. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. 106 minutes. Rated R. Alice (Jovovich) leads humanity’s last stand against the undead in the sixth movie based on the video-game series.
Theaters: BS, CH, COL, FH, ORL, PAL, SC, SP, TX
Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki. Directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez. 102 minutes. Rated PG-13. In this long-delayed third Ring movie, a bland teenager (Lutz) and a college professor (Galecki) encounter the cursed videotape and go in search of soggy ghost girl Samara’s horrific history. Apart from a standalone opening sequence set on an airplane, the film just traffics in the usual clichéd jump scares. —MD
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, COL, DI, ORL, PAL, RP, SF, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn. Directed by Gareth Edwards. 133 minutes. Rated PG-13. This Star Wars prequel/spinoff, set just before the events of the original 1977 movie, struggles between fan-pleasing callbacks and telling its own story, about a group of Rebels stealing the plans to the Death Star. Although the individual elements are uneven, they come together in an entertaining and satisfying way. —JB
Theaters: ST, TS, VS
Taraneh Alidoosti, Shahab Hosseini, Babak Karimi. Directed by Asghar Farhadi. 125 minutes. Rated PG-13. In Persian with English subtitles. A married couple struggles with moving forward after the wife is attacked in their home. Farhadi carefully examines issues of trust, gender roles and the futility of revenge in this methodical and sometimes hard to watch drama. Its themes don’t always come together, but when they do, they’re quite powerful. —JB
Theaters: VS
Voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Garth Jennings. 110 minutes. Rated PG. In a city full of anthropomorphic animals, a koala stage impresario (McConaughey) mounts a singing competition to save his failing theater. The story evokes the “let’s put on a show” narratives of classic musicals, but the style is all crass 2016 Hollywood, with a soundtrack full of squeaky-clean, soulless versions of pop songs. —JB
Theaters: AL, COL, ST, TX
Singam 3 (Not reviewed)
Suriya, Anushka Shetty, Shruti Haasan. Directed by Hari. 155 minutes. Not rated. In Tamil with English subtitles. Heroic cop Durai Singam returns to face a criminal operation dealing in toxic waste.
Theaters: VS
Jamie Foxx, Dermot Mulroney, Michelle Monaghan. Directed by Baran bo Odar. 95 minutes. Rated R. This Vegas-set crime drama (mostly shot in Atlanta) takes a superficial view of the city and could have been set anywhere, really, with its by-the- numbers story of corrupt cop Vincent Downs (Foxx, barely awake), who’s targeted by underworld figures after he and his partner steal a large shipment of cocaine. —JB
Theaters: PAL, TX
Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Janet Montgomery. Directed by Peter Chelsom. 121 minutes. Rated PG-13. Space starts with an intriguing concept, about a teenager born during a mission to Mars traveling to Earth for the first time, but the science is sidelined in favor of a Nicholas Sparks-style romance (between the Martian teen and an Earth girl), with cheesy sentiment in place of philosophical concerns. —JB
Theaters: COL, FH, SC, TS
James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 117 minutes. Rated PG-13. Shyamalan’s tense thriller keeps up the suspense for its entire running time, telling the story of three teen girls abducted by a man with 23 personalities. It’s another step on Shyamalan’s comeback, telling a sometimes familiar horror story with confidence and a surprising amount of depth. —JB
Theaters: AL, BS, CAN, CH, DI, ET, FH, GVR, ORL, PAL, RP, SC, SF, SHO, SP, SS, ST, TS, TX, VS
Voices of Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel. Directed by Mike Mitchell. 92 minutes. Rated PG. This animated adventure based on the tiny, colorful, tall-haired dolls manages to avoid being crass, showcasing some cute characters and amusing situations in the process. It’s mostly forgettable and sloppily plotted, but for kids entertained by bright colors and catchy music, it will be a great time-passer. —JB
Theaters: TC
Underworld: Blood Wars (Not reviewed)
Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies. Directed by Anna Foerster. 91 minutes. Rated R. The franchise’s fifth installment finds vampire Selene (Beckinsale) fighting to end the war between vampires and werewolves.
Theaters: ST
Un Padre No Tan Padre (Not reviewed)
Héctor Bonilla, Benny Ibarra, Jacqueline Bracamontes. Directed by Raúl Martínez. 94 minutes. Rated PG-13. In Spanish with English subtitles. An elderly man must adjust to a progressive lifestyle when he’s forced to move in with his estranged son.
Theaters: BS, TX
Bryan Cranston, James Franco, Zoey Deutch. Directed by Jon Hamburg. 111 minutes. Rated R. With Why Him? director John Hamburg repeats an old and odious formula, the “uptight square versus aggravating free spirit.” The movie contains the usual bits of forced, stupid humor, and it will be quickly forgotten, but, thanks to stars Cranston and Franco, unexpectedly, the occasional moment of genuine, human humor sometimes slips through. —JMA
Theaters: TC
Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Toni Collette. Directed by D.J. Caruso. 107 minutes. Rated PG-13. Diesel’s extreme sports-loving secret agent Xander Cage belatedly returns for this moronic and unnecessary action sequel. The story lazily throws in a few plot twists that allow Cage to team up with former associates and enemies, but it’s just an excuse for a series of over-the-top action sequences that mostly fail to deliver. —JB
Theaters: DI, ORL, PAL, ST
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
(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
(ET) Eclipse Theaters
814 S. Third St., 702-816-4300
(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
(PAL) Brenden Theatres at the Palms
4321 W. Flamingo Road, 702-507-4849
(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
