Downton Abbey: A New Era
61 Drive-in Theatre, Maquoketa IA
Blue Grass Drive-in, Blue Grass IA
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 Reader reviews; IMDb hyperlinks take you to the films’ Internet Movie Database pages.)
***
2000 Mules (not rated; Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - IMDb listing.
AEW Double or Nothing (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX: Sunday, May 29, 6 p.m.) - Cinemark.com.
Anek (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - IMDb listing.
Ardent Heart (not rated; Regal Moline) - IMDb listing.
Back from the Brink: Saved from Extinction (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - This edu-doc would be recommended solely for the chance, for 40 minutes, to actually feel momentarily great about the state of the human race. IMDb listing.
The Bad Guys (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - There's nothing remotely surprising about this animated comedy's storyline that finds its titular bad apples discovering their inner goodness, but it was a treat to listen to Sam Rockwell's readings. IMDb listing.
The Bob's Burgers Movie (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - IMDb listing.
Bugs! (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - The 3D effects make the film's creepy-crawly world pop in enjoyable fashion, and the bugs' life-and-death struggle makes for endlessly intriguing viewing. IMDb listing.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - If you're viewing an entertainment with “Madness” in the title, I don't think it's out of line to expect some legitimate madness, and the alternately noisy and static shenanigans here barely rise to the level of “quirky.” IMDb listing.
Downton Abbey: A New Era (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, FilmScene at the Chauncey, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - The experience of director Simon Curtis' franchise continuation is nothing if not exceedingly comfortable, even if there's little that's remotely New about it. IMDb listing.
The Duke (R; FilmScene on the Ped Mall) - IMDb listing.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, FilmScene on the Ped Mall) - This remarkable entertainment may be the only sci-fi/martial-arts/time-travel comedy you'll ever see that also boasts an emotional power to make you cry – a lot. IMDb listing.
F3: Fun & Frustration (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - IMDb listing.
Family Camp (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - Damned if I didn't grin and giggle at this disarmingly genial entertainment from the very start, and damned if I didn't get misty-eyed on a couple of occasions – though given the film's leanings, I should probably be saying “darned." IMDb listing.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - Heavy-spirited, repetitive, and dull even when devoted to thwarted assassination attempts, this third part in a five-part J.K. Rowling adventure is a blockbuster-scaled snooze. IMDb listing.
Firestarter (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline) - This horror reboot is so lethargically presented that it nullifies even your attempts to laugh at it – which, in a livelier outing, I absolutely would have. IMDb listing.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (not rated; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX: Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
In Front of Your Face (not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey) - IMDb listing.
Ishtar (PG-13; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Tuesday, May 31, and Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Into America's Wild (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - IMDb listing.
Jerusalem (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - This visually spectacular, 45-minute edu-tainment on Israel's "cradle of civilization" is really quite a glorious piece of work. IMDb listing.
Journey to Space (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Says narrator Patrick Stewart of the genial scientists on-screen, "It's all about getting the job done and having a little fun" - an apt description for this edu-doc itself. IMDb listing.
The Lego Movie (PG; Regal Moline: Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1, noon) - Don't let the film's family-friendly nature and baked-in product placement prevent you from viewing one of the single most satisfying and intelligent comedies for adults of recent years. IMDb listing.
The Lost City (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Blue Grass Drive-in, 61 Drive-in Theatre) - With all due respect to Robert Zemeckis' funny/exciting achievement, Romancing the Stone didn't have Brad Pitt in it, and while this adventure comedy may be repackaged goods, those goods are still remarkably fresh. IMDb listing.
Memory (R; Regal Moline) - Martin Campbell's Liam-Neeson-with-a-gun revenge thriller isn't necessarily a good movie, but compared to four-fifths of its Irish headliner's big-screen blood baths, it's definitely an improvement. IMDb listing.
Men (R; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, FilmScene at the Chauncey, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - It depressed me that what we eventually got from Alx Garland's latest – despite the gloriously macabre effects at the end – was so less intriguing than the 70-or-so minutes that preceded the gory finale. IMDb listing.
Montana Story (R; Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - 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.
Oceans (G; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Occasionally dull and with subject matter left naggingly unexplored, but it's hard to be too disappointed by a film that provides so many extraordinary sights. IMDb listing.
Penguins of Madagascar (PG; Regal Moline: Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1) - This animated spinoff's sensational opener leaves you anticipating a movie that'll be smart and hilarious throughout, but I wound up settling for smart and moderately amusing. IMDb listing.
Pleasure (not rated; FilmScene on the Ped Mall) - IMDb listing.
RRR (not rated; FilmScene at the Chauncey: Wednesday, June 1, 7 p.m.) - IMDb listing.
Smokey & the Bandit: 45th Anniversary (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX) - IMDb listing.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (PG; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Blue Grass Drive-in, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - While the original film appeared covered in “Are we pulling this off?” flop sweat, this new video-game adventure exudes a relaxed, “Whew – we pulled it off!” insouciance that results in a livelier, sillier good time across the board. IMDb listing.
Star Wars (PG; FilmScene in the Park: Saturday, May 28, 8:30 p.m.) - 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.
Titans of the Ice Age (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - Gorgeously photographed and boasting perhaps the finest CGI I've ever seen in a National Geographic doc, the film is both informative and a heck of a lot of fun. IMDb listing.
Top Gun: Maverick (PG-13; Davenport 53rd 18 + IMAX, Regal Moline, Blue Grass Drive-in, 61 Drive-in Theatre, Marcus Sycamore Cinema) - IMDb listing.
Wild Africa (not rated; Putnam Museum & Science Center) - IMDb listing.
