OPENING THIS WEEK
Louis Ashbourne Serkis in “The Kid Who Would Be King”
The Kid Who Would Be King
Directed by Joe Cornish; stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Rebecca Ferguson, Patrick Stewart
A boy discovers the mythical sword Excalibur and helps form an alliance against a powerful sorceress who threatens mankind.
TheWrap.com calls the movie “a charming story of fantasy, pop-culture references and myth-making. It’s a movie with the playful camaraderie of ‘Goonies’ and a few elements from 1980’s sagas, like ‘Labyrinth,’ ‘E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,’ ‘The NeverEnding Story’ and ‘Legend,’ where young people go on character-building adventures.” But Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of the A.V. Club calls it “‘Uneven’ because, while “it might be smarter than the average live-action kids’ movie, it’s hamstrung by a lack of visual imagination and a generic script.”
Shay Mitchell in “The Possession of Hannah Grace”
The Possession of Hannah Grace
Directed by Diederik Van Rooijen; stars Shay Mitchell, Grey Damon, Stana Katic
An exorcism goes wrong and claims the life of a young woman. Months later, the tragedy leads to a series of horrific events in a morgue. Tim Brayton of Alternate Ending says that “there’s something like 55 minutes of good atmosphere. That’s about 50 more good minutes than most demonic possession movies are able to get up.” But Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter isn’t as enthusiastic, saying that it “never overcomes the compendium of clichés” in its screenplay, which resembles “a greatest hits of demonic possession films.”
Kevin Hart (left) and Bryan Cranston in “The Upside”
The Upside
Directed by Neil Burger; stars Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, Nicole Kidman
A wealthy paraplegic hires a struggling parolee who wishes to reconnect with his ex and son. Their situation leads to an unlikely friendship. Amanda Greever of The Daily Times says, “The upside to this movie is that you saw the best parts in the trailer.” But, Mark Feeney of The Boston Globe, says that Cranston and Hart are “surprisingly good” together. He explains, “Their chemistry goes a long way, making up for the many implausibilities in the story.”
‘Born Beautiful’
Directed by Perci Intalan; stars Martin del Rosario, Kiko Matos, Paolo Ballesteros
The sequel to “Die Beautiful,” the film follows the story of Barbs, the mortuary beautician, who faces a turning point when another friend dies.
