ALPHA. 3 stars. Old-fashioned adventure yarn with new-fangled special effects. A young man (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is left for dead on a prehistoric buffalo hunt, and must cross dangerous lands to find his home, with the help of a wounded wolf he meets along the way. In IMAX 3D. Directed by Albert Hughes. 1 hr. 36 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP. 2/5 stars. So-so sequel to the funny original has Ant-Man helping Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) rescuing the latter's mother from a subatomic prison, with interference from a crook (Walter Goggins) and a mysterious woman known as Ghost (Hannah Kamen-Hones). Over-plotted, strains for laughs. Michael Pena, Laurence Fishburne. 2 hrs. 5 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
BLACKKKLANSMAN. 3 stars. Spike Lee brings the amazing true story to the big screen of Ron Stallworth, a black man who integrated the Colorado Springs Police Department in the 1970s and while doing so infiltrated and disrupted a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a fellow officer. Starring John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace. 2 hrs. 17 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
BLINDSPOTTING. 2.5 stars. Timely movie about an Oakland man (Daveed Diggs) whose parole is jeopardized by his rambunctious best friend (Rafael Casal). A comedy with very serious undertones that takes a sidelong look at gentrification, aggressive policing, undercut somewhat by a credulity-straining conclusion. 1 hr. 35 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
CRAZY RICH ASIANS. 3 stars. An American woman (Constance Wu) goes to Singapore for a wedding and discovers her boyfriend (Henry Golding) is ultra-wealthy, and that not everybody is happy about their relationship. Frothy, sometimes superficial, but elevated by Wu's charming lead performance, and her scenes with Michelle Yeoh as her prospective mother-in-law. 2 hrs. 1 PG-13 (Language) _ Gary Thompson
EIGHTH GRADE. 3.5 stars. Stand-up comedian Bo Burnham, who became famous as a teen on YouTube, wrote and directed this insightful and funny movie about a shy 13-year-old girl (Elsie Fisher), raised by a single dad (Josh Hamilton) who uses her optimistic internet profile to figure out who she is. 1 hr. 33 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
INCREDIBLES 2. 3 stars. Worthwhile sequel to Brad Bird's 2004 Pixar animated hit about a family of superheroes discouraged from using their powers. This time, mom (Holly Hunter) confronts a villain as part of a PR campaign to bolster superheroes, while dad (Craig T. Nelson) is stuck at home with the kids. Decent blend of action and comedy, but the movie is a visual marvel, and the throwback music (from Michael Giachinno) is a treat. 1 hr. 58 PG _ Gary Thompson
JURASSIC PARK: FALLEN KINGDOM. 2.5 stars. James Cromwell pays Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt to rescue dinosaurs about to be destroyed in a volcanic eruption. After many twists and turns, they all end up in a gothic castle imperiled by a genetically engineered super-predator. Humans are on the menu, but this sequel feels more like an appetizer. With Jeff Goldblum, Toby Jones, B.D. Wong, and Rafe Spall. 2 hrs. 9 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN. 2.5 stars. Amanda Seyfried is renovating the Greek hotel of her mother (Meryl Streep) ahead of a big reopening. More ABBA music, more sunny romance, as the movie splits time between its contemporary story and flashbacks to the lives of the characters 30 years earlier. Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. Cher joins the party. 1 hr. 43 PG-13 (some suggestive material) _ Gary Thompson
THE MEG. 3 stars. Adaptation of Steve Alten's best-selling book stars Jason Statham as a deep-sea rescue specialist who ends up doing battle with a gigantic shark thought to have been extinct. Borrows good-naturedly from "Jaws," "The Abyss," and "Deep Blue Sea," with some decent special effects as it positions itself as summertime popcorn entertainment. 1 hr. 47 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
MILE 22. 2 stars. In an Asian country, a group of U.S. covert agents (Mark Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohan) are assigned to escort a man (Ido Uwais) through a phalanx of assassins. Often ugly in tone and content, and although the final twist puts all of this in a new light, the movie still misses. By a mile. With John Malkovich. 1 hr. 30 R (violence) _ Gary Thompson
THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST. 2.5 stars. An 11th grader (Chloe Grace Moretz) is sent to a Christian camp that purports to cure teens of SSA (same sex attraction). An able cast (Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher Jr., Sasha Lane, Owen Campbell) helps the movie avoid caricature, but Moretz is uncharacteristically listless in the lead role. 1 hr. 35 No MPAA rating _ Gary Thompson
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE _ FALLOUT. 3 stars. The globetrotting IMF team (Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg), assigned to work with a CIA guy (Henry Cavill), tries to keep stolen plutonium out of the hands of terrorists, confronting an old nemesis (Sean Harris) and a mysterious new figure (Vanessa Kirby). Lots of old-school action, plenty of outrageous plot turns, all in good fun. With Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett. 2 hrs. 27 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson
SORRY TO BOTHER YOU. 3 stars. Wild comedy from rapper/activist Boots Riley about a phone sales worker (Lakeith Stanfield) whose personal success puts him in conflict with other employees who want to unionize. Not all the crazy ideas work, but there are enough to sustain the movie. With Danny Glover, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer. 1 hr. 49 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
SUPPORT THE GIRLS. 3 stars. Unstructured but effective comedy/drama about the put-upon manager (Regina Hall) trying to supervise and motivate her quirky staff (Shayna McHayle, Haley Lu Richardson) and stay on the good side of her boss (James LeGros). Rambling disarming, often funny look at the precarious lives of low-wage workers, and Hall alone makes the movie worth watching 1 hr. 30 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
WE THE ANIMALS. 3 stars. Philly native Jeremiah Zagar's lyrical adaptation of the Justin Torres novel of a boy (Evan Rosado) who finds a creative outlet for his feelings about the disintegration of his family, and his emerging sexuality. With Sheila Vand. 1 hr. 34 R (language) _ Gary Thompson
