Frozen II

Somebody super jaundiced might dismiss this film as mostly a collection of music videos of varying quality. Not me though—I learned my lesson from the first outing: there’s more here than meets the eye, at least at first glance. I’m not sure the plot makes a lot of sense, beyond its service as a means to creating its ultimate end, which affirms what has been hinted at all along: that one sister is the real ruler of things, while the other one is more of a symbol, or a figurehead, or perhaps just a metaphor for powers greater than the human world. That’s not really what tends to drive movies for kids, so we get the story we get here. Mostly, it’s entertaining, occasionally touching, every once in a while awkward (and maybe even a bit cringeworthy), and it’s packed with musical numbers that are, if not quite a match for the now classic songs of the first flick, at least good enough to hold their own here. (The Lopezes certainly do have a way with the music and lyrics.) It definitely feels like this should be the saga's second and last part, even with the announced plans for a third installment. After all, it would be a singular irony if it turns out that these, of all people, can’t find the wisdom to let it go.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

It turns out bullshit really can be entertaining bullshit—up to a point. So it is here with this nearly totally made up biopic of the legendary parody songster. There are a handful of laugh out loud moments in this flick, especially for a Dr. Demento listener from way back in the day, though most of the funniest stuff comes from Al’s old songs, not from the movie’s original jokes. It’s apparent from the very start that this work gets stuck between going too far and not far enough. And then the whole thing really loses its track in a long, overdone, and not especially inspired joke about Madonna. And then, further, the movie is not helped by being shown by and on Roku, thanks to the numerous commercial breaks, which kill a lot of the momentum; ironically, the very company that brought the work to life is its own worst enemy. (The movie may be a better viewed on disc for a more enjoyable experience.) Ultimately, the total package here is one that is mostly entertaining, but could have been much much more than it is.

The Missing

Half of a good movie. It's most interesting during the scenes between Tommy Lee Jones's "gone native" old man and his estranged rancher daughter, played by Cate Blanchett. That tense dynamic always keeps it interesting. Less successful are the scenes involving the missing daughter/granddaughter and her captors. Rather than add to the drama, the plain presentation of the captors and their evil leader actually detracts from the movie--it's much more intriguing when the girl just vanished into thin air. But it's not a total loss. Call it a toss up--watch if you have the time.

Practical Magic

I forgot it almost as soon as it finished rewinding. But if you watch it you get to look at Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, so that's something.