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Looking for a holiday weekend flick to get the kids out of the blazing heat? You could do a lot worse than "Minions & Monsters," the third installment in the "Minions" prequel series and the seventh installment overall in the "Despicable Me" franchise. This time out, circumstances find the Minions in 1920s Hollywood, and they decide to make a monster movie. The pacing and animation are solid in this episode that has a lot of inside jokes for parents who are movie buffs. "Minions & Monsters" delivers exactly the kind of goofy family fun you'd expect. Just in time for the July 4th celebrations, Angel Studios offers the historical drama "Young Washington." Relative newcomer William Franklyn-Miller portrays the founding father in a respectful but underwhelming look at his life before the American Revolution. Washington's ambitions and his strategic blunders in a skirmish with the French are the focus of this well-mounted but superficial biopic. The supporting cast includes familiar faces who bring a gravitas that Franklyn-Miller's performance is missing. Best thing you can say is that "Young Washington" is an easily digestible history lesson. Is the third time the charm for Millie Bobby Brown in the Netflix comic mystery, "Enola Holmes 3?" Light, bright, and easy to digest, “Enola Holmes 3” is a tongue-in-cheek sequel that presents yet another mystery for the sister of Sherlock Holmes, appealingly played by Brown. This time out, Sherlock, played by Henry Cavill, is kidnapped while attending Enola's wedding in Malta. A sprightly feminist YA offering “Enola Holmes 3” floats along nicely thanks to a solid production and an appealing cast.

While newcomer Millie Alcock soars as the new punk "Supergirl," her movie never quite flies. Giving her a personality that contrasts with her strait-laced cousin Superman was a smart choice, but the filmmakers aren't quite able to pull all the elements together. Still, the eye candy is first-rate, and the action sequences are well-staged. Maybe the best thing you can say is that "Supergirl" is a serviceable intro to a welcome new character in the DC Universe. Scott Eastwood plays a soldier caught behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge in director Rod Lurie's solid WWII flick, "Lucky Strike." While it covers familiar territory, “Lucky Strike” is a mostly effective tale of survival, heroism and the hellish nature of war. Whenever she's on screen, Angelina Jolie's strong performance propels the drama "Couture." Problem is, she's not on screen enough. Jolie plays a filmmaker working in Paris for Fashion Week when she discovers she's got breast cancer. The other stories involving peripheral characters fall flat. For a movie about fashion, "Couture" is surprisingly lacking in style. A strong cast and an interesting premise are swamped in director Julian Schnabel's colossally pretentious Netflix drama, "In the Hand of Dante." Oscar Isaac plays a writer recruited by mobsters to authenticate and then steal a manuscript of Dante's "Divine Comedy.” In an intersecting parallel story, Isaac also plays Dante himself as he struggles to write his masterpiece. While intriguing, the movie is profane, ugly, violent and saddled with laughable dialogue. Gerard Butler's performance as a murderous thug is a creepy standout in “In the Hand of Dante,” a head-scratching misfire.

Can the folks at Pixar continue to extract gold from the "Toy Story" mine after over thirty years? As "Toy Story 5" deftly demonstrates, the answer is definitely, "Yes." This time out, the focus is on cowgirl Jessie and how she and the other old school toys are threatened by high tech devices. As we've come to expect the folks at Pixar spend most of their efforts on creating a compelling and heartfelt story. Take some tissues because "Toy Story 5" has the smarts and the feels. You won't find any Merry Men in the excessively dark, violent and dour revisionary drama, "The Death of Robin Hood." Hugh Jackman stars as an aging and tired Robin Hood who, as it turns out, was a selfish bandit who robbed from the rich…and kept it. After numerous injuries, all he wants to do is die, but a nun at a rural sanctuary played by Jodie Comer insists on nursing him back to health. Despite a great cast and atmospheric production, “The Death of Robin Hood” is brooding, bloody and boring. “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” is an involving documentary about the life of the pop star who arrived in the U.S. as part of the 60s British Invasion duo Peter and Gordon and stayed to become a phenomenally successful record producer steering the careers of superstars like Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Carol King and many others. Asher tells his own story through a unique live concert mixed with extensive film clips as well as observations from his many famous pals, including mentor Paul McCartney. “Peter Asher: Everywhere Man” is a snappy pop music time capsule.

Kansas City's channel 4 news gets invaded by aliens in the wild new Stephen Spielberg sci-fi opus "Disclosure Day." Emily Blunt plays a KC meteorologist, and Josh O'Connor is a cybersecurity expert who each experience a psychic connection to an alien intelligence, putting them at odds with a shady non-government agency. The actors are fine, the suspense is palpable, and the camerawork and action sequences are masterfully executed. It all gets too literal when it could have benefitted from being more ambiguous. Still, "Disclosure Day" is very entertaining and shows that Kansas City is out of this world. It's very telling when the best thing you can think of to say about a movie is, "Well, it could have been worse." Such is the case with the Netflix rom com, "Office Romance." Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein of "Ted Lasso" fame star as a testy airline CEO and her awkward legal counsel. As the title suggests, they embark on an ill-advised affair. There's not a believable moment in Goldstein's vulgar script. “Office Romance” is an old-fashioned movie that relies on raunchy elements to make it seem contemporary. Bad idea. The Norwegian language monster flick “Kraken” is now available on digital platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Video. It’s not to be confused with the 2025 Russian monster flick of the same name. In this surprisingly effective little sci-fi opus, a marine biologist tries to figure out if the experimental techniques used by a salmon farm in a Norwegian fjord are responsible for some mysterious deaths. It’s derivative and takes a while to get going, but “Kraken” is a slickly produced Scandinavian take on the Kaiju genre.

With movies like “Once,” “Begin Again” and “Sing Street,” Irish filmmaker John Carney has found a way to make movie musicals relevant for contemporary audiences. His latest effort is "Power Ballad." Kansas City's Paul Rudd stars alongside Nick Jonas in the story of a struggling wedding singer who bonds with a pop star. When the former boy band member steals a song from his friend, things get dicey. Rudd is as good as he's been in years, and Jonas is solid in a role tailor made for him. “Power Ballad” is a rousing crowd-pleaser that's filled with catchy music. If you are familiar with the phrase, "By the power of Grayskull," then the clunky action fantasy "Masters of the Universe" might be nostalgic for you...but that's really all it's got going for it. In this update of the 80s adventure cartoons based on the line of Mattel toys, Nicholas Galitzine plays an annoyingly uncertain He-Man, Jered Leto provides the petulant voice of Skeletor and Idris Elba is wasted as a washed-up warrior. The movie’s tongue-in-cheek approach never works. “Masters of the Universe” lacks the power. The Wayans Brothers are back with yet another ultra raunchy horror movie parody. Despite its title, "Scary Movie" is actually “Scary Movie 6,” the latest installment in the franchise that started 26 years ago. It reunites many of the movies' familiar cast members including Marlon and Shawn Wayans and a few dozen other Wayans, Regina Hall and Anna Faris. Sadly, the Wayans have officially run out of ideas for “Scary Movie” and try to fill the gap with repetitive and aggressively offensive material. Now that's scary.

When JFK asked Dwight Eisenhower why the Normandy invasion was a success, Eisenhower replied, "Because we had better meteorologists than the Germans." That's the crux of the new WWII historical drama, "Pressure." In this taut movie, Andrew Scott plays a brilliant British meteorologist who butted heads with Eisenhower, played by Brendan Fraser, over the timing of the D-Day invasion. “Pressure” is an involving look at the herculean behind-the-scenes efforts of unsung heroes. Can the popularity of standup comic Nate Bargatze translate to the big screen? If the juvenile family comedy "The Breadwinner" is any indication, the answer is...we'll see. Bargatze takes on a Mr. Mom-type role as an inept dad left temporarily in care of the household. There are more laughs in five minutes of Bargatze's standup routines than in this entire movie. The new thriller "Tuner" is gimmicky, but the gimmicks work. Leo Woodall plays Niki, a piano tuner with super-sensitive hearing. Criminals figure out how to manipulate Niki into using his talents to crack safes. Well-acted, smart and involving, "Tuner" is a surprisingly gripping sleeper. The Apple TV movie "Propeller One-Way Night Coach" marks the directorial debut of actor and aviation enthusiast John Travolta. The story is based on a children’s book Travolta wrote in 1997 about a young boy on his first airplane trip from New York to Hollywood on a TWA Constellation in the 1960s. The film was partially shot in KC as the actual Connie is, of course, housed in KC alongside the TWA museum. The lightweight story tends to drift off into the ether, but it's a harmless bit of travel nostalgia.

If you're a fan of the Disney+ TV series, "The Mandalorian," then you'll probably find enough to like in the big screen edition, "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu." The story plays like a few TV episodes folded into one and ballooned onto the big screen. That’s because the movie version was apparently an afterthought. Still, there's plenty of action, visual razzle dazzle and cute aliens to spare in “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” but if you're looking for involving human drama, that’s in a galaxy far, far away. Eccentric filmmaker Boots Riley has so many creative ideas that his latest film "I Love Boosters" can barely hold them all. That's both a good thing and a bad one. Keke Palmer and Demi Moore lead a terrific cast in a wacky, surreal and profane comic sci-fi social critique about a gang of shoplifters who confront an unethical billionaire fashion designer. The movie's design elements are fantastic, but the plot elements and themes are way too scattershot. Still, the game cast gives "I Love Boosters" a boost. You don't have to be a fan of the Amazon Prime "Jack Ryan" series to enjoy the new movie "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War." In fact, you don't really need to know anything about the show or the novels. John Krasinzki, who also produced and co-wrote the screenplay, is back as Ryan, a now former CIA agent. who gets pulled into a caper involving a rogue operative group in London that threatens to undermine both the US and British spy operations. “Jack Ryan: Ghost War” has the action elements genre fans love and manages to create a bit of tension despite the overly familiar plot elements.

The new horror entry "Obsession" falls into the 'be careful what you ask for, you may get it' genre. This effective little chiller is about a man who buys a supernatural toy that grants him a wish. He wishes that a girl he has a crush on would fall madly in love with him. Emphasis on the "madly." Her obsession with him quickly escalates into violence. Well-acted by relative newcomers Michael Johnston and Inde Navarette, “Obsession” is a creepy tongue-in-cheek bit of midnight movie exploitation. The political drama "The Wizard of the Kremlin" is an interesting bit of historical fiction. It involves the rise of Vladimir Putin from KGB insider to Russian tsar. Paul Dano plays a theatrical artist who uses his skills as a spin doctor to rise from obscurity and become Putin's morally conflicted deputy chief of staff. Jude Law is appropriately chilling as Putin. Based on a novel by political essayist Giuliano da Empoli and directed by Olivier Assayas, “The Wizard of the Kremlin is thoughtful and well produced but never manages to build any dramatic momentum. Even if you're not a fan of comic actor Martin Short, you'll probably find a lot to like in the Netflix documentary, "Marty, Life is Short." Director Lawrence Kasdan has assembled a loving tribute to his longtime friend, using a vast library of home videos and film clips, plus interviews with Short's many famous showbiz pals. Short, who is enjoying a late career resurgence in popularity thanks to "Only Murders in the Building," has endured more than his share of tragedies and triumphs. Thanks largely to Short's sunny approach to sarcasm, "Marty, Life is Short" is a funny and touching overview.

Pop phenom Billie Elish joins forces with Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron to present a cinematic adaptation that captures her 2024-25 concert tour, "Billie Elish - Hit Me Hard and Soft." Since Elish doesn't employ choreography or elaborate costumes, Cameron uses dozens of swooping, acrobatic cameras and clever editing to add additional visual dazzle. The backstage footage is minimal, but interesting. It could have used a bit more of that. For the uninitiated, “Billie Elish – Hit Me Hard and Soft” provides context for Eilish's enormous popularity. For fans, it's pure catnip. "The Sheep Detectives" is a sweet-natured family-friendly comic whodunit based on the popular novel “Three Bags Full” by Leonie Swann. Hugh Jackman plays George, a reclusive shepherd who lives with his beloved flock in rural England. He reads them mystery novels at night. When George is found murdered, it's up to his loyal sheep to help the thick-headed humans solve the mystery. The realistically animated sheep are voiced by an all-star cast that includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, and Bella Ramsey. While it tries a bit too hard to be heartwarming, “The Sheep Detectives” is a harmless and likable popcorn flick. The title of the Netflix comic drama "Remarkably Bright Creatures" doesn't describe its narrator, an octopus named Marcellus. It's his description of two lonely human beings whom he helps heal some emotional wounds. Two-time Oscar winner Sally Field stars alongside Lewis Pullman in the gentle story of a lonely aquarium cleaning lady and a troubled stranger she takes on as an assistant. While it's manipulative and predictable, a strong cast keeps “Remarkably Bright Creatures” afloat.

George Orwell's classic totalitarian critique "Animal Farm" gets a dumbed-down animated big screen incarnation. Yes, the pigs take over the farm, but the metaphors don't fly. The all-star voice cast includes Seth Rogan, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin and Woody Harrelson but their efforts are for naught. Screenwriter Nicholas Stoller and director Andy Serkis deserve some credit for trying a new approach, but this so-called modernized version of “Animal Farm” isn't for adults who revere Orwell or for kids who couldn’t care less. Here's one that won't be shown on airlines anytime soon. "Jaws" meets "Airport" in "Deep Water," the story of a loaded passenger flight that crashes into -you guessed it- shark infested waters. Aaron Eckhart and Sir Ben Kingsley are the captains who accidentally serve up a smorgasbord for hungry carnivores along with the typical disaster movie cliches. If the premise sounds familiar, another movie called “No Way Up” came out two years ago with a nearly identical plot. While it’s overly familiar, director Renny Harlin's opus “Deep Water” is impressively filmed. It ain’t deep, but disaster movie fans won’t mind. Producer John Lasseter may no longer be at Pixar, but his creative fingerprints are all over the wildly imaginative Netflix animated fantasy, "Swapped." Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple provide the voices of a mammal and a bird who magically swap bodies in a fantastical woodland area. Their experiences change their perspectives, proving that differences are good and that working together makes life better for everyone. It's smart and beautifully animated. "Swapped" is a family film in the best sense, providing thoughtful entertainment that can be enjoyed by all age groups.

If you're looking for an in-depth, warts-and-all biopic about the King of Pop, keep looking. If you want a slick, entertaining reenactment of some great music, then "Michael" is the movie for you. Jaafar Jackson is fine portraying his famous uncle Michael Jackson in this family-sanctioned overview of the first 20 years of Jackson's career. The movie seesaws between Jackson's relationship with his abusive dad, played by Coleman Domingo, and his electric stage performances. Keep your expectations low and the volume on high. From "The Most Dangerous Game" to "The Hunt,” there have been a lot of movies about humans hunting humans. The newest entry in this subgenre is the Netflix thriller, "Apex." Oscar-winner Charlize Theron plays an adventurer on a solo outing in the remote Australian wilderness who becomes the target of a deranged hunter, played by Taron Egerton. Director Baltasar Kormakur puts his stars through the ringer as he stages some impressive action sequences in this cat-and-mouse action flick. While more than competent, "Apex" has a grisly ugliness that can be a bit hard to stomach. “Desert Warrior” is a historical action flick that desperately wants to be “Lawrence of Arabia,” but falls somewhat short. Anthony Mackie plays a bandit who aids a princess caught between warring tribes in 7th century Arabia. It’s well made but uninspired. “Fuze” is a taut, twisty British caper movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Sam Worthington star in a thriller about thieves who use the discovery of an unexploded WWII-era bomb in London’s Paddington district as a distraction for an elaborate bank heist. “Fuze” won’t light any fires but is a zippy bit of escapism.

The grisly body horror flick "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" owes a lot more to "The Exorcist" than Boris Karloff or Brendan Fraser. A little girl goes missing and, eight years later, she's discovered to be alive and possessed by an ancient Egyptian demon. There are some effectively scary moments, but the movie is overlong and over reliant on gruesome makeup effects. Writer/director Lee Cronin had success reviving the “Evil Dead” franchise, but this one should have remained buried. Let's hope it’s a wrap on this version of The Mummy. If you want to see two brilliant actors go toe-to-toe, the sly comedy "The Christophers" is the movie for you. Sir Ian McKellen and Michaela Cole star in the tale of a once famous painter now living as a virtual hermit who makes a little cash doing personalized Cameo videos. The painter’s estranged children hire a woman to pose as his assistant and forge his unfinished paintings so that they can sell them upon his death. James Corden and Jessica Gunning are effectively churlish as the offspring. Director Stephen Soderberg continues to expand his reach with “The Christophers,” a funny, smart and engaging movie. It's good to try to find something positive in even the worst movies, but there's nothing remotely redeeming in the criminally atrocious Amazon Prime comedy, "Balls Up." Mark Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser play employees of a condom company who ruin a World Cup soccer game in Brazil and go on the run from angry fans. Not only is it not funny, but it’s also intended to offend. “Balls Up” is certainly successful on that count. Director Peter Farrelly should have his Oscar for "Green Day" revoked.

The latest cinematic treatment of Shakespeare's "Hamlet' tries an interesting new angle, placing the action among the Southeast Asian community of contemporary London. Riz Ahmed gives a strong performance in the title role, and fine turns are provided by Morfydd Clark as Ophelia, Timothy Spall as Polonius and Art Malik as Claudius. But some of the power of The Bard's poetry is lost when rushed or mumbled to give it a more edgy feel. This "Hamlet" is a respectable mixed bag. Keanu Reeves stars in a caustic Hollywood sendup, the Apple TV satire, "Outcome." Reeves plays Reef Hawk, a movie star who is being blackmailed by strangers with an incriminating video tape. His best friends played by Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer, offer moral support but no answers. Reef turns to his crisis lawyer, played by Jonah Hill who also wrote and directed this black comedy, who instructs him to apologize to everyone he may have offended over the years. While it's sometimes very funny and hits some deserving showbiz targets, it paints a bleak picture that's frankly uncomfortable to watch. "Outcome" is like George Clooney’s recent flick "Jay Kelly," but with a meaner edge. Does the Netflix thriller "Thrash" qualify for "So bad, it's good?" status? Even though this “’Jaws’ meets ‘Hurricane’” mashup has many laughable moments, the answer is decidedly, "No." Phoebe Dynevor and Djimon Hounsou star in the tale of a storm surge that pushes ravenous sharks far inland. The man-eaters terrorize the residents of a storm drenched coastal community. "Thrash" is no "Sharknado." It’s better than that camp classic, but not as funny. “Thrash” just bites.

In 2023, the animated comedy "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" took in over a billion dollars at the box office and became the biggest video game adaptation ever. Naturally, a sequel has arrived. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" offers more of the same. Same players, same game inspired goofiness and the same strengths and weaknesses. Once again, the intrepid Italian plumbers are called upon to save Princess Peach from Bowser and his son Bowser, Jr. The visuals are duly impressive, but the plot of “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” may evaporate from your memory faster than a Mario power-up. The scenario of "The Drama" is designed to make you squirm. On that count, it's very successful. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple who learn very uncomfortable truths about each other on the cusp of their wedding. Writer/director Kristoffer Borgli examines some very intriguing themes and the players are fine, including Alana Haim in a pivotal supporting role. But there may be moments while watching the excruciating movie “The Drama” that you'll want to scream, "Hey, people, get some counseling!" The well produced faith-based historical drama "A Great Awakening" tells the story of the Calvinist preacher George Whitefield, his friendship with Benjamin Franklin and his effect on the American Revolution that occurred in tandem with an evangelical revival. Jonathan Blair as Whitefield and John Paul Sneed as Franklin give earnest performances in this impassioned biopic. While it glosses over some of controversial aspects of Whitefield's life and his debatable positions, it's a thoughtful, well-acted and sometimes moving account aimed at a receptive Christian audience.