Terminator: Dark Fate
He's back, and so is she! Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger are together again in the sixth Terminator movie, Dark Fate. Also back, James Cameron as co-writer and producer. The director of Deadpool, Tim Miller, helms this one. You can forget about the sequels after the first and second films. This one is the true third and likely the last. The two people with the most screen time are actually a young woman (played by Colombian actress Natalia Reyes) who may be the next savior of the human race and an enhanced human (played by Mackenzie Davis) who is keeping her safe. But this is Hamilton's film. She kicks you-know-what in a major way. Schwarzenegger even lets her have his iconic line! Arnold doesn't show up until the second half and has a hilarious line about Texas, where he's been hiding out. I wish he'd come in sooner. This is not a must-see, but it is entertaining.
Paramount Pictures - Rated R
JoJo Rabbit
JoJo Rabbit might be my favorite film this year. Set toward the end of World War II, it's an anti-hate satire from Taika Waititi, who put the humor Thor Ragnarok. He also plays an imaginary Hitler idolized by a lonely boy, and he's hilarious. Is it OK to laugh at such a sensitive topic? When the film is so clever and points out what a buffoon Hitler was, I say it is. The little boy at the center is newcomer Roman Griffin Davis, and he is perfect in his first professional acting role. Rising Star Thomasin McKenzie ("Leave No Trace") plays a Jewish teen who's hiding in the attic of the boy's home. She's terrific, too, as are Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Scarlett Johansson in supporting roles. Yes, it's a dark comedy, but it also is incredibly heartfelt. At least one scene will have you burst into tears. Look for some awards attention for this.
Fox Searchlight Pictures - Rated PG-13
Motherless Brooklyn
We haven't seen Edward Norton for awhile. He wrote, directed and stars in Motherless Brooklyn. Norton plays a private detective with Tourrette's Syndrome who stumbles upon a closely-held civic secret while trying to solve the murder of his mentor, Bruce Willis. Adapted from a novel set in the 90s, the film is in the 50s. There's nice attention paid to period detail, but Norton's ticks almost seem like a flourish to show off his acting and serve to distract more than enhance. Norton assembled a nice cast for this. In addition to Willis, Alec Baldwin and William Dafoe and the very appealing Gugu Mbatha-Raw are on board, but at two hours and 20 minutes, it feels that long. I'd consider this an earnest effort but a bit of a miss.
Warner Bros. - Rated R
Harriet
Ditto for Harriet. Harriet Tubman gets her first feature film treatment here. Cynthia Erivo, Tony winner for The Color Purple, plays the iconic abolitionist who led hundreds of fellow runaway slaves to freedom. She is really fine in the film, but the movie underserves her. This is a basic biopic, which tends to get repetitive as Harriet makes trip after trip and experiences recurring visions.Taylor Swift's boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, plays her slave owner with not much depth. Janele Monae is actually interesting as a freed slave who owns a boarding house.This a decent history lesson, but it could have been much better.
Focus Features - Rated PG-13
Arctic Dogs
Looking for something to take the kids to? There's a new animated movie called Arctic Dogs. Dogs work as mail couriers in the arctic. A villain is hatching a plan to melt the ice, and the dogs come to the rescue. This was not screened in advance for press, but there are a lot of good voice talents, led by Jeremy Renner. Alec Baldwin, John Cleese and Heidi Klum are among the others.
Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures - Rated PG
