OPENING THIS WEEK
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Directed by Dean DeBlois; voiced by Jay Baruchiel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
In the third part of the animated franchise, the young hero and his dragon are threatened anew and must find a mythic realm to save their world.
IGN’s Hope Corrigan considers it “a fantastic, visually stunning and poignant way to end this beloved trilogy.” IndieWire’s Michael Nordine is likewise impressed: “[It] strikes a bittersweet chord in reminding its young audience that all good things … must come to an end.”
Exit Point
Directed by Ronnie Ricketts; stars Ronnie Ricketts, Jackie Lou Blanco, Rachaelle Ricketts, Neil Perez, Alvin Anson
Prisoners, including a wrongly accused law enforcer, attempt to escape a remote and deadly island.
The film, written by returning action star Ricketts, introduces Rachaelle, his daughter with actress-singer Mariz, who also has a role in the movie.
The Quake
Directed by John Andreas Andersen; stars Kristoffer Joner, Ane Dahl Torp
A geologist races against time to save his family from a massive earthquake that threatens to cause untold damage in Oslo.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Frank Scheck says, “For the more open-minded, ‘The Quake’ offers visceral thrills.” Film Threat’s Bobby LePire, meanwhile, thinks that “the reason to watch the film is the excellent cinematography and awe-inspiring effects.”
Gerard Butler in “The Vanishing”
The Vanishing
Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm; stars Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan, Connor Swindells
Three lighthouse workers discover a wrecked rowboat and its contents, which will change their lives forever.
Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com opines, “Even with its all-around noble dramatic intent, particularly from Butler, the film struggles to leave a mark.” Cinemalogue’s Todd Jorgensen offers: “Despite the generic title, this slow-burning thriller generates some genuine tension within its isolated setting.”
Winwyn Marquez in “Time & Again”
Time & Again
Directed by Jose Javier Reyes; stars Enzo Pineda, Winwyn Marquez
An aspiring writer longs for her unavailable dream guy, but gets a chance to literally turn back time and start over.
At a recent press conference for the film, Reyes described the rom-com’s stars as “two educated actors.” This “matters a lot,” he said, in terms of their “relationships with people on the set.”
Jackson Robert Scott in “The Prodigy”
The Prodigy
Directed by Nicholas McCarthy; stars Taylor Schilling, Brittany Allen, Jackson Robert Scott
Parents of an extremely intelligent boy are unsettled when their son starts exhibiting frightening behavior.
“The latest in a long, increasingly lousy line of bloodthirsty kid movies,” according to New York Post’s Rob Bailey-Millado. But New York Magazine’s David Edelstein begs to differ: “The film is cruelly well-made.”
Rachel Weisz in “The Favourite”
The Favourite
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos; stars Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, Emma Stone
A frail queen is tended by her friend, who runs the country in her stead, and takes a charming new servant under her wing.
Chicago Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper describes it as “a period piece with a wink. It’s also funny as hell and a true big-screen treat.” Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers raves, “Lanthimos’ renegade deviltry turns a period piece into a bawdy, brilliant triumph.”
