Karate Kid: Legends
Blue Grass Drive-in, Blue Grass IA
Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Davenport IA
FilmScene, Iowa City IA
The Last Picture House, Davenport IA
Marcus Sycamore Cinema, Iowa City IA
Putnam Museum & Science Center, Davenport IA
VIP Cinemas, Moline IL
Voy 61 Drive In Theatre, Delmar IA
(Hyperlinked titles take you to Reader reviews; IMDb hyperlinks take you to the films’ Internet Movie Database pages or other sites with film information.)
***
The Accountant 2 (R; VIP Cinemas) - Whenever Gavin O'Connor's followup is going through the expected genre motions, it's pretty tired stuff, yet whenever the film embraces its Odd Couple buddy-comedy leanings, which is blessedly often, it's a total hoot IMDb listing.
The Bad Guys (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX: Monday, June 2, and Wednesday, June 4, 9:30 a.m.) - Not that this should be any impetus for childless adults to see it, but in this animated comedy, Sam Rockwell contributes a vocal portrayal that I can only describe as elegant. IMDb listing.
Ballerina: Early-Access Screening (R; Davenport 53rd 18 +IMAX: Wednesday, June 4, 7 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
The Birdcage (R; The Last Picture House: Saturday, May 31, noon & 9 p.m., and Monday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.) - Although a few plot points have dated badly, what remains as fresh as ever is the astounding comedic rapport of Mike Nichols' ensemble, the director's superb guidance of performance rhythms, and the loopy bravado of Elaine May's endlessly quotable script. IMDb listing.
Bring Her Back (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, FilmScene at the Chauncey, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - IMDb listing.
But I'm a Cheerleader (R; The Last Picture House: Saturday, May 31, 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday, June 3, 7:15 & 9:30 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Dinosaurs Alive (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Even young viewers may wind up disappointed that the 3D effects don't add much, while the rest of us might also be underwhelmed by the sub-Ray Harryhausen recreations and general blandness of the presentation IMDb listing.
Dogma: Resurrected! A 25th Anniversary Celebration (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema: Thursday, June 5) - IMDb listing.
Dream Big: Engineering Our World (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - IMDb listing.
The Face of Jesus (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema: Tuesday, June 3, 7 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - Not only did I have a ball, but I was reminded why the FDs constitute my all-time-favorite fright-flick franchise that doesn't feature H.R. Giger xenomorphs. IMDb listing.
The French Connection (R; FilmScene on the Ped Mall: Sunday, June 1, 8:35 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Friendship (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, FilmScene at the Chauncey, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - With Tim Robinson turning high concept into cringey art, Andrew DeYoung's comedy is uproarious, unsettling, and oddly moving. IMDb listing.
Hidden Universe (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - IMDb listing.
IF (PG; VIP Cinemas: Wednesday, June 4, and Thursday, June 5, 10 a.m.) - In this overbearing kiddie comedy, it quickly becomes clear that writer/director John Krasinski will push any buttons necessary for an emotional response, coherence and consistency be damned. IMDb listing.
j-hope Tour "Hope on the Stage" in Japan: Live Viewing (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX: Saturday, May 31, 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 1, 3 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (R; FilmScene on the Ped Mall, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - IMDb listing.
Karate Kid: Legends (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, Voy 61 Drive In Theatre, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - IMDb listing.
The Last Rodeo (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - This pro-faith "inspirational" drama is profoundly unsurprising, generically tiresome, blandly staged, and indifferently acted in several major roles. IMDb listing.
Lilo & Stitch (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, 61 Voy Drive In Theatre, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - Given Disney's “live-action” track record of recent years, "perfectly decent" is it's own kind of upgrade, and what the film is missing in magic is more than made up for in off-the-charts cute. IMDb listing.
The Lost World (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Putnam.org.
Meg & the Lost Scepter (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Putnam.org.
The Met Opera: Il Barbiere di Siviglia (nor rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema: Saturday, May 31, noon, and Tuesday, June 4, 1 & 6:30 p.m.) - MetOpera.org.
A Minecraft Movie (PG; VIP Cinemas, Blue Grass Drive-in) - Little more than an unpretentious goofball slapstick for kids, or those who, for 100 minutes, agree to be wholly in touch with their inner kid - but Jack Black is astounding. IMDb listing.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, The Last Picture House, Blue Grass Drive-in, FilmScene on the Ped Mall, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - Tom Cruise's eighth go at Ethan Hunt never stops reiterating that this is Serious Stuff for both the character and his portrayer, and the exhausting sameness of it all keeps grinding the movie to a halt. IMDb listing.
Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - This edu-doc tries to do too much in too little a time, but it's never less than interesting, and those mega-screen vistas of Egypt are truly stunning. IMDb listing.
Museum Alive! (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Putnam.org.
Observer (not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Saturday, May 31, 4 p.m.) - ICFilmScene.org.
Oceans (G; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - The movie's 85 minutes occasionally crawl by as deliberately as its sea-floor denizens, yet it's hard to be too disappointed by a film that provides so many extraordinary sights. IMDb listing.
Paris Is Burning (R; The Last Picture House: Sunday, June 1, 7 p.m., and Wednesday, June 4, 4:30 & 6:30 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Rent (PG-13; The Last Picture House: Friday, May 30, 6:30 & 9:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 1, noon & 9 p.m.) - When it veers off into flights of fancy, this adaptation of the beloved musical has some flavor, but for most of its two-plus hours, the results are tragically bland, as if the filmmakers didn't trust their more fanciful instincts. IMDb listing.
Return to the Lost World (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Putnam.org.
Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers (not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Tuesday, June 3, 7 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Seed of Chucky (R; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Wednesday, June 4, 10 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Shrek 2 (PG-13; The Last Picture House Rooftop: Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31, 8:30 p.m.) - Dreamworks' animated smash should easily satisfy the fan base that adored the original, but for the unconverted, this sequel - its moments of inspiration aside - will be just as irksome as the original. IMDb listing.
Sinners (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - This might be first great movie that literally gives you everything, considering that most revered titles don't think to add bloody supernatural horror, original blues songs, and an American-history primer into the mix. IMDb listing.
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (PG; The Last Picture House Rooftop: Thursday, June 5, 8:30 p.m.) - As most agree, Irvin Kershner's sequel is more polished work than its immediate forebear – better written, better acted, better at conveying mood and atmosphere and crisis. IMDb listing.
Superpower Dogs (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Daniel Ferguson's edu-doc provides enough globe-trotting action for a James Bond flick, treating us to first-rate training footage and re-created missions in locales ranging from the Canadian Rockies to the Italian coast to a debris-strewn site near New York's Ground Zero. IMDb listing.
T. REX (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - IMDb listing.
Thug Life (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema: opens Wednesday, June 4) - IMDb listing.
Thunderbolts* (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, VIP Cinemas, Voy 61 Drive In Theatre, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - The good time I had came only in fits and spurts, and despite sitting through the entirety of its running length including the inevitable post-credits teaser, I'm no more stoked for the next Marvel than I was for this one. IMDb listing.
Turnstile: Never Enough (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX: Thursday, June 5, 7:30 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Unko Sweater: The Woolen Sweater (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - IMDb listing.
Vulcanizadora (not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey) - IMDb listing.
