A computer-animated panther and a very real man who may become a lobster figure into two of this month's best movies on demand. All titles are available on all cable and satellite systems.
"The Bronze" (premieres Aug. 2). A cynical, washed-up Olympic gymnast (Melissa Rauch) agrees to train a bright-eyed newcomer (Haley Lu Richardson). This is a showcase for Rauch (a co-writer), and she's quite funny in a role that could be described as a foul-mouthed Mary Lou Retton.
"The Lobster" (premieres Aug. 2). In a weird dystopia, all single people must find love within 45 days or be turned into an animal of their choice. The word bizarre doesn't quite do justice to this comedy, which should please fans of Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry. The excellent cast includes Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly.
"The Angry Birds Movie" (premieres Aug. 16). Jason Sudeikis and Josh Gad lead the voice cast in an animated adaptation of the popular gaming app. The movie works best if you've played the game, but it's fairly entertaining all around thanks to its saucy sense of humor.
"Maggie's Plan" (Aug. 23). The setup is familiar _ a young woman decides to have a baby on her own, then unexpectedly falls for a guy _ but this zigzagging comedy from director Rebecca Miller never goes quite where you expect. Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore make a terrific ensemble.
"The Nice Guys" (Aug. 23). A buddy crime comedy set in the 1970s. Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, as a muscular thug and a quavering private eye, don't quite make magic together, but in the end the whole thing is passable. Directed by Shane Black ("Kiss Kiss Bang Bang").
"The Jungle Book" (Aug. 30). Disney's action-adventure remake of its 1967 animated classic uses a combination of live action (newcomer Neel Sethi plays Mowgli) and computer-generated creatures (Ben Kingsley and Bill Murray provide the voices of the panther Bagheera and the bear Baloo). Gripping and visually stunning; may be too intense for the very young.
"Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping" (Aug. 30). In this Lonely Island mockumentary, Andy Samberg plays Conner4Real, a dim-bulb pop singer mounting a comeback. It's basically Samberg's "SNL" shorts in a "This Is Spinal Tap" format. A few laughs, but not exactly inspired.
"Me Before You" (Aug. 30). A young English woman (Emilia Clarke) falls for a wealthy man in a wheelchair (Sam Claflin). The two leads are natural-born charmers, but the script makes a terrible error by devaluing life with a disability.
