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The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Entertainment
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Capsule reviews of feature films

68 KILL (Not previewed) A "punk rock rom com" in which a couple decides to rid a rich sugar daddy of a stack of cash, leading to many shenanigans. 1 hr. 33 No MPAA rating

ATOMIC BLONDE. 2.5 stars. Charlize Theron is a rampaging British agent in Berlin as the wall collapses in 1989, teaming with another agent (James McAvoy) to help a defector and find a traitor. Works well as actioner, not so well as espionage thriller. 1 hr. 55. R (violence, nudity) _ Gary Thompson

THE BIG SICK. 3.5 stars. Based on comedian Kumail Nanjiani's life, a funny, touching comedy of a Pakistani American caught between his religious family and the American woman (Zoe Kazan) he loves. With Holly Hunter, Ray Romano. 1 hr. 59. R (sexual references) _ Gary Thompson

BRIGSBY BEAR. 3 stars. Kyle Mooney is James, a young man raised in captivity in an underground bunker who obsessively watches his parents'-produced kiddie show starring a bear named Brigsby. After his liberation, he struggles in the real world, but the real world is more than willing to meet him halfway. 1 hr. 37 PG-13 (drug use) _ Gary Thompson

CARS 3. 2.5 stars. So-so Pixar outing has racer Lightning McQueen contending with younger rivals, helping another racer learn the ropes. Featuring the voices of Armie Hammer and Bonnie Hunt. Preceded by a top-notch animated short called "Lou." 1 hr. 47 G _ Gary Thompson

DESPICABLE ME 3. 2.5 stars. Gru meets his lost brother, Dru, and they team up for a heist, much to the delight of the bored Minions. Featuring the voices of Steve Carell and Kristin Wiig. 1 hr. 33 PG (action and rude humor) _ Gary Thompson

DUNKIRK. 3.5 stars. Christopher Nolan's visually sweeping, stirring account of the way ordinary citizens, in the early days of World War II, affected the massive evacuation of stranded British troops from a French port surrounded by Germans. With Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy, and Harry Styles. 1 hr. 47 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson

THE EMOJI MOVIE (not previewed). Animated story set inside a smartphone where a misfit emoji (voice of T.J. Mill) embarks on a quest to be like everyone else. Featuring the vocal talent of James Corden, Anna Faris, Jennifer Coolidge, Patrick Stewart and Maya Rudolph. 1 hr. 26. PG.

A GHOST STORY. 2.5 stars. Oddball, occasionally effective independent film about a man (Casey Affleck) whose spirit haunts the home he once shared with his wife (Rooney Mara). Affleck spends most of the movie in a sheet with two eyes cut out, a low-tech but audacious visual stunt that sometimes pays off. 1 hr. 27 R (disturbing images) _ Gary Thompson

GIRLS TRIP. 3 stars. Malcolm Lee's vulgar but good-natured comedy about four women (Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish) reuniting for a wild weekend in New Orleans. Lots of star cameos, including Kevin Hart, for a split second. 2 hr. 2 R (nudity, obscene language) _ Gary Thompson

THE GLASS CASTLE. 2 stars. An adaptation of Jeannette Walls' best-selling memoir about growing up with extreme poverty and parents who both inspired and damaged her. Events that she could convey through the eyes of a child whose instincts re-ordered reality to create the illusion that she was safe instead come across as flat and messy. With Brie Larson, Naomi Watts, and Woody Harrelson. 2 hr. 7 PG-13 (mature thematic content involving family dysfunction, language, smoking) _ Gary Thompson

LADY MACBETH. 3 stars. Newcomer Florence Pugh makes a startling debut in this story, very loosely inspired by Shakespeare, about a young woman (Pugh) in 1865 England who rebels violently when she's forced to marry an older man. With Cosmo Jarvis. 1 hr. 28. R (violence) _ Gary Thompson

MAUDIE. 3 stars. Sally Hawkins plays Canadian artist Maud Lewis, who turned a loveless life into a career as a beloved painter of happiness and color. 1 hr. 55 PG-13 (adult themes) _ Gary Thompson

PERSON TO PERSON (Not Previewed). The lives of various New Yorkers interconnect in this ensemble piece starring Abbi Jacobson, Michael Cera, Isiah Whitlock Jr. and Michaela Watkins, from writer-director Dustin Guy Defa. 1 hr. 24 R.

PILGRIMAGE (Not previewed) A group of monks travel with a sacred relic in 13th century Ireland. Starring new Spider-man Tom Holland. 1 hr. 36 No MPAA rating

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING. 3 stars. Actor Tom Holland heads this upbeat, up-tempo reboot, awkwardly trying to fight crime (Michael Keaton is The Vulture) and date the beautiful captain of the debate team. With Robert Downey Jr. and Zendaya. 2 hrs. 13 PG-13 (some violence) _ Gary Thompson

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS. 2 stars. Luc Besson's $200 million f/x space dud about interstellar agents (Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne) on a mission to save a floating space station. Special effects can't mask wretched script. With Clive Owen. 2 hr. 17 PG-13 (sci-fi violence) _ Gary Thompson

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. 3 stars. Top-notch special effects highlight this adventure story. Unusually inventive and effective score. 2 hrs. 20 PG-13 (violence) _ Gary Thompson

WIND RIVER. 2.5 stars. Taylor Sheridan's screenplay has smart dialogue, likable neo-Western heroes in cowboy hats, sudden open-carry shootouts, a capable woman navigating a man's world, and some searing social commentary, but as a rookie director, Sheridan gets lost trying to assemble these elements into a tight package. 1 hr. 41 R ( strong violence, disturbing images including a rape, language) _ Gary Thompson

WONDER WOMAN. 2.5 stars. Surprisingly fun and energetic DC comic book movie that is welcome relief from recent dour Superman movies. Gal Gadot stars as the Amazon princess who leaves her island with WWI pilot Chris Pine to save the world. 2 hrs. 21 PG-13 (superhero violence) _ Gary Thompson

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