Focus FeaturesJohn Goodman and Ashton Sanders in a scene from 'Captive State.'

“Captive State” (Science-Fiction/Mystery: 1 hour, 49 minutes)

Starring: John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors and Vera Farmiga

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rated: PG-13 (Violence and action, some sexual content, brief language and drug material)

Movie Review: “Captive State” is not your typical space alien invasion movie. A mystery is at the core of this space alien invasion. Led by John Goodman, a talented ensemble provides good acting, even if this script’s plot leaves room for improvement.

In a not too distant future, an extra-terrestrial force occupies Earth. In a Chicago neighborhood, a resistance force builds to fight the occupation. As the dissidents build their forces, human law-enforcement officials under the command of Cmdr. William Mulligan (Goodman) are in pursuit.

Again, this is not the typical science-fiction drama. That is a positive. It involves police, politics and aliens, but not in the explosive manner most of these photoplays use.

“Captive State” takes its time to develop philosophical concepts more than its characters. That is the movie’s negative. It gives one little time to know the cast, so caring for their efforts is slim.

However, the plot holds one’s attention beautifully. The story is one worth following. It is fascinating even if some story elements are not well-developed.

Grade: B- (Captivating …)

“Five Feet Apart” (Romance: 1 hour, 56 minutes)

Starring: Haley Lu Richardson, Cole Sprouse and Moisés Arias

Director: Justin Baldoni

Rated: PG-13 (Mature themes, suggestive material and profanity)

 

Movie Review: Similar to “Love Story” (1970) and the more recent “The Fault in Our Stars” (2014), “Five Feet Part” features another tearjerker screenplay. 

The problem is it tries too much to promote the waterworks from audiences. The tragic emotional pile-ons are too plentiful and the romance is passé.

Seventeen-year-old Stella Grant (Richardson) stays at a hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is formulaic, each day a round of medicines and interactions with the medical staff. 

Her daily routine changes drastically when she meets Will Newman (Spouse), a long-haired artist suffering the same medical condition. The two young people dislike each other at first but soon a romantic relationship blossoms. While Stella and Will long for the other’s touch, they must remain at least five feet apart for health reasons.

For those who like romance — as clichéd as this one is, the movie has enough elements to make it worth your while. It has love, humor and youthful characters who are attractive.

However, the story is a systematic movie romance as all get out, a pattern seen far too often in modern romances. Two people dislike each other. They realize they do like each other, only to break up at the highlight of their relationship. Later, they reconnect at some pivotal moment to find they really do love each other. This been-there-done-that romance technique is unoriginal.

Even more, the movie’s attempt to create tremendous amounts of emotional moments suppresses one’s ability to care about these characters. They sit around talking about how they are going to die to the point that one may think adversely. Why get to know them? They are going to die anyway.

Grade: C (About the distance one should stay from a cinema playing this ineffective weepy romance.)

“Wonder Park” (Animation/Adventure: 1 hour, 25 minutes; French with subtitles)

Starring: Jennifer Garner, Brianna Denski and Mila Kunis

Rated: PG (Thematic elements and action)

 

Movie Review: “Wonder Park” tells the story of a little girl who fantasizes about an amusement park filled with talking animals. The problem is the fantasy is better than her real life. 

An imaginative June creates an amusement park, where multiple animals are her friends. There, anything is possible. 

As June leaves her imaginative world behind, the amusement park begins to fade, and its characters wander into dismay. 

“Wonder Park” has no credited director. That is the most fascinating point of interest for this animated adventure. Producers terminated Director Dylan Brown as the movie neared completion. 

This story is not splendiferous. It is two stories where neither one becomes worthy because the other interferes. One story is a lackluster bit about a mother-daughter relationship. The other is an adventurous talking animal park that provides neat visuals. Audiences only get a partial story, and that is not enough to bring these ordinary characters to life.

Grade: C- (It is no wonder.)

“Climax” (Drama/Music/Horror: 1 hour, 36 minutes)

Starring: Sofia Boutella, Kiddy Smile and Romain Guillermic

Director: Gaspar Noé

Rated: R (Disturbing content involving a combination of drug use, violent behavior and strong sexuality, and for profanity and nudity)

 

Movie Review: Gaspar Noé creates an artistic feature with “Climax.” It is a tale about dancers and their freedom of expression on and off the dance floor. 

Noé creates art while capturing young people dancing. The moves are invigorating. However, this artful drama turns into a type of subtle horror that is a well-done screenplay as it is a lackluster one. One may only want to view this movie once, if one can make it through its dark themes.

A talented group of young dancers gathers to rehearse in a remote school building during a snowy winter’s night. After they finish their rehearsal, they celebrate. The all-night celebration turns into tragedy and panic after someone laces their sangria with LSD.

Gaspar Noé (“Enter the Void,” 2010; “Irreversible,” 2002) offers audiences a creative movie about the nature of humanity when social norms of conformity discontinue. 

“Climax’s” upfront nature regarding drug content, sexuality and violent themes causes discomfort. When one is finished watching this, one needs prayers or a counseling session.

“Climax” beautifully makes one think about the nature of humanity on drugs. Still, the creative presentation is depressing. Noé and his team use annoying sounds and long dance sequences that make one speculate when something is going to happen.

When the apex of the movie happens, unsettling material makes audiences feel as impure as his characters, who are mainly dancers and not actors. In this sense, Noé is brilliant. Conversely, the movie is anticlimactic with its mediocre conclusion.

Grade: C+ (Artistic and anticlimactic simultaneously.)

“Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” (Family/Crime/Mystery: 1 hour, 29 minutes)

Starring: Sophia Lillis, Laura Wiggins, Zoe Renee and Mackenzie Graham

Director: Katt Shea

Rated: PG (Moments of peril, suggestive material including language and thematic elements)

 

Movie Review: Sophia Lillis is brilliant as Nancy Drew. She is the primary reason this movie registers with audiences. Otherwise, this loose remake of “Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase” (Director William Clemens, 1939) is mild enough for its target audiences, tweens. 

Both movies, the 1939 version and the present movie, are adaptations of the novel by Mildred Wirt Benson, known by the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. 

In River Heights, a 16-year-old Nancy Drew (Lillis) is an outsider in the small town. Her life is boring until she becomes involved with solving the paranormal activity at the Twin Elms Mansion. Nancy Drew is on the case and determined to find the mystery of the haunted mansion.

The movie should please younger audiences with some suspenseful moments and the mystery presented. Parents, at best, can be relieved this movie is suitable for mature children and preteens.

“Nancy Drew” is a simple plot. It plays like an after-school special. It is not memorable, but it is quick, easy and just long enough to promote girl power, intelligent, brave young women.

Grade: C+ (Elementary, but family friendly fun.)

Adann-Kennn Alexxandar lives and works in Valdosta.