Tom Cruise
JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK
Starring: Tom Cruise
Director: Edward Zwick
Rating: 3 out of 5
Four years after the events in the first film, drifter Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) is again on a collision course with both law enforcers and criminal elements. He comes to the rescue of his trusted ally, Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), who’s accused of espionage.
But a more personal battle takes shape when he finds himself protecting 15-year-old Samantha (Danika Yarosh)—who could be his daughter—from a nefarious assassin (Patrick Heusinger).
“Never Go Back” is a serviceable actioner that doesn’t stray far from the formula that turned the first film into a $200-million blockbuster. Reacher is loyal, uncompromising and feral when he needs to be. What sets this movie apart from previous Cruise starrers is an exposition that is grounded in reality.
You don’t see Reacher scaling skyscrapers, but the adrenaline is just as high when he battles his pursuers in inventively staged fisticuffs.
Sam’s introduction also brings out Reacher’s tender, gentler side and makes his latest adventure more relatable to viewers. —Rito Asilo
SHELTER
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Mackie
Director: Paul Bettany
Rating: 3 out of 5
Heroin addict Hannah (Jennifer Connelly) falls in love with Nigerian immigrant Tahir (Anthony Mackie). Amid the squalor of the city, they wander aimlessly as they search for food and shelter.
Bettany (“Beautiful Mind”) makes his directorial debut in this poignant and harrowing chronicle of homelessness. The film’s protagonists are too smart for their own good—one moment, they look for food in the garbage, then discuss the Big Bang theory the next.
Bettany’s faux docudrama is a compelling commentary of the urgent woes of modern society. You can’t dismiss this deceptively showy artistic endeavor easily.
In fact, it’s an elegy of sorts, culled from Bettany’s memory—as the end credit reveals: “For the couple who lived outside my building.” —Rito Asilo
OPERATION CHROMITE
Starring: Liam Neeson
Director: John H. Lee
Rating: 3 out of 5
Inspired by historical events, “Operation Chromite” follows liberation efforts led by US Gen. Douglas MacArthur (Neeson), who tasks a group of South Korean spies with gathering information in North Korean-occupied territory.
The film’s focus on the characters’ mission is commendable, but Neeson’s MacArthur, while imposing, often speaks in bold, unrealistic declarations.
Dramatic fight sequences in bullet-riddled war zones are snappily edited and sturdy, however. The sympathetic rebels figure in gutsy battle scenarios, their tale of heroism backed up by scenes fleshing out their eclectic backgrounds. —Oliver Pulumbarit
KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
Featuring the voices of: Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey
Director: Travis Knight
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Set in ancient Japan, one-eyed boy Kubo (Parkinson), along with Beetle (McConaughey) and Monkey (Theron), must find the magical armor worn by his missing father in order to defeat his vengeful grandfather (Ralph Fiennes).
If you think you’ve had enough of generic coming-of-age tales about protagonists who discover their inner heroes through the challenges they face, “Kubo” is no exception. But Knight puts his storytelling skills to good use by cleverly incorporating inventive animation to keep the story more absorbing and visually compelling. —Rito Asilo
SUMMER CAMP
Starring: Diego Boneta
Director: Alberto Marini
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Four young Americans arrive at a summer camp in northern Spain, to work as counselors. However, a dog goes berserk and attacks them. A rage-inducing disease then spreads rapidly from animal to person, turning the afflicted into ferocious creatures.
The film is a petrifying romp that will send chills down viewers’ spine. It’s one of the year’s best-kept horror secrets. It recalls the exhilarating urgency of “Train to Busan” but, this time, set in the wilderness. —Rito Asilo