Now Playing: Friday, January 28, through Thursday, February 3 – River Cities Reader

Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX,Davenport IA

FilmScene,Iowa City IA

Marcus Sycamore Cinema,Iowa City IA

Putnam Museum & Science Center, Davenport IA

Regal Moline,Moline IL

(Hyperlinked titles take you to Readerreviews; IMDb hyperlinks take you to the films Internet Movie Database pages.)

***

The 355(PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- Even though Simon Kinberg's direction is resolutely bland, and even though his and Theresa Rebeck's screenplay is perfunctory at best and groan-worthy at worst, it's not at all difficult to enjoy yourself at this hodgepodge tale of espionage, betrayal, and hastily procured designer gowns.IMDb listing.

American Underdog(PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- While this football bio-picmight not offer much in the way of narrative surprise, especially if you're familiar with the Kurt Warner legend, it makes up for its formulaic predictability with sincerity and endearing performances.IMDb listing.

Back from the Brink: Saved from Extinction(not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center)- This edu-docwould be recommended solely for the chance, for 40 minutes, to actually feel momentarily great about the state of the human race.IMDb listing.

Crypt of the Living Dead(R; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Wednesday, February 2, 10 p.m.)- IMDb listing.

The Film Lounge 2022 (not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Saturday, January 29, 12:30 p.m.)- IMDb listing.

Flee(PG-13; FilmScene at the Chauncey)- IMDb listing.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife(PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline)- It would be wonderful to report that Jason Reitman's sequel to his dad's comedy classic was nothing more, or less, than goofy dumb fun. But if you only smile four times (I counted) over the course of two hours, I'm not sure that qualifies as having fun.IMDb listing.

Good Luck Sakhi(not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX)- IMDb listing.

House of Gucci(R; Regal Moline)-Lady Gaga is abona fidemovie star, but while her electric spark and charisma keep you invested, enjoying the diva's routines here also means putting up withso much else.IMDb listing.

In Bruges(R; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Saturday, February 29, 10 p.m.)-Martin McDonagh's first, still-finest feature film casts Brendan Gleeson and Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell as chatty Irish hit men in a film that's profane, bloody, politically incorrect, horrifying, and hilarious.IMDb listing.

Into America's Wild(not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center)- IMDb listing.

Introduction(not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey)- IMDb listing.

The King's Daughter(PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)-You kind of know what you're in for from the start of this deeply uninteresting fantasy adventure,with Julie Andrews' gentle, mellifluous narration guaranteeing an experience that'll be indistinguishable from a nap.IMDb listing.

The King's Man(R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline)- Despite Ralph Fiennes' heroic work, this is a prequel that involves Grigori Rasputin, Mata Hari, and a one-minute role for Stanley Tucci that still manages to be almost no fun at all.IMDb listing.

Lenny Cooke(not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Tuesday, February 1, 7 p.m.)- IMDb listing.

Licorice Pizza(R; FilmScene on the Ped Mal)- Paul Thomas Anderson's latest is like the movie version of a chocolate-covered pretzel: saltyandsweet, and something that, once consumed, makes you instantly crave more.IMDb listing.

Love & Basketball(PG-13; Marcus Sycamore Cinema: Thursday, February 3, 7:05 p.m.)- IMDb listing.

The Matrix Resurrections(R; Marcus Sycamore Cinema)-Massively produced and modestly winning, this sci-fi sequel is also deeply unnecessary yet unexpectedly charming, and should ensure that the red pill/blue pill debate continues at least until we enter these particular realms again.IMDb listing.

The Met:Rigoletto(not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema: Saturday, January 29, 11:55 a.m.)- FathomEvents.com.

Moonfall: Advance Screenings (PG-13; Marcus Sycamore Cinema: Saturday, January 29, and Sunday, January 30, 7 p.m.)- IMDb listing.

Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness & Light(R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- A black-and-white version of this gorgeously designed noirin which Guillermo del Toro's lethargic pacing and unusually drab compositions dull your interest in even the actors' expert contributions.IMDb listing.

Oceans(G; Putnam Museum & Science Center)- This edu-doc is a little bland, butit's hard to be too disappointed by a film that provides so many extraordinary sights.IMDb listing.

On These Grounds(not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Thursday, February 3, 6:30 p.m.)- IMDb listing.

Parallel Mothers(R; FilmScene at the Chauncey)- IMDb listing.

Redeeming Love(PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline)- This earnest, tacky, largely offensive trifle is, thanks to a handful of unexpectedly resonant performances, a lot less icky than it should have been.IMDb listing.

Scream(R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- While this latest, incessantly meta horror-comedy sequelis frequently clever and easily watchable, it also kept reminding me, unfortunately, that there's a fine line between smart and smarty-pants.IMDb listing.

Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings(PG-13; Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- It's stuck with a formulaic storyline and emotional banality, but this Marvel adventure at least boasts a bevy of terrifically sharp and well-choreographed set pieces that are bound to stick in memory.IMDb listing.

Sing 2(PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- TheAlice in Wonderlandopener delivers a jazzy re-introduction to writer/director Garth Jennings' show-biz wannabes, whose new film is understandably less inventive, but decidedly more satisfying, than its 2016 predecessor.IMDb listing.

Spider-Man: No Way Home(PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- Jon Watts' third showcase for Tom Holland's Spider-Man is an initially dreary, ultimately exhilarating love letter to Marvel fans.IMDb listing.

Superpower Dogs(G; Putnam Museum & Science Center)-Writer/director Daniel Ferguson provides enough globe-trotting action for a James Bond flick, and we're given just enough information on how the heroic pups pull off their feats of derring-do to wholly appreciate them in practice.IMDb listing.

The Tiger Rising(PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX)- IMDb listing.

Titans of the Ice Age(not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center)- Gorgeously photographed and boasting perhaps the finest CGI I've ever seen in aNational Geographicdoc, the film is both informative and a heck of a lot of fun.IMDb listing.

The Tragedy of Macbeth(R; FilmScene on the Ped Mall)- In perhaps a first for my personal acquaintance with this much-cherished Shakespeare saga, I didn't feel anything aside from respect for its designers while watching it.IMDb listing.

The Velvet Queen(not rated; FilmScene on the Ped Mall)- IMDb listing.

Venom:Let There Be Carnage(PG-13; Regal Moline)- At least it's not the 2018Venom, meaning that this one occasionallydoesn'tsuck.IMDb listing.

West Side Story(PG-13; Regal Moline, Marcus Sycamore Cinema)- Happily, and gratefully, Steven Spielberg's musical remakeis a film clearly made by people who both adore its 60-year-old predecessor and still saw 21st-century room for improvement.IMDb listing.

Wild Africa(not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center)- IMDb listing.

Go here to read the rest:
Now Playing: Friday, January 28, through Thursday, February 3 - River Cities Reader