What a wonderful surprise this movie is. It looks like a mawkish family drama about a young boy who overcomes a genetic abnormality and finds some happiness in the world. But it ends up being genuinely moving, thanks to strong performances from Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson and...
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Reviews
RogerEbert.com — Bitch
As director, writer and star, Marianna Palka has come up with a creative, provocative concept with “Bitch”: She plays an overwhelmed, underappreciated wife and mother who snaps one day and starts living life as a dog. But Palka has trouble balancing dark comedy with dire melodrama, struggling to find the right tone...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — My Little Pony: The Movie
Oh, man are the Bronies mad at me for my review of the “My Little Pony” movie. Sorry, my dudes, but it is not good. It’s like eating a giant bag of Skittles, then throwing it all up in a fit of sugar-induced nausea. So if you’re down for that, have...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The LEGO Ninjago Movie
My kid is almost 8. We watch a lot of “Ninjago” in this house. So you can imagine how pumped we were (well, him specifically) about “The LEGO Ninjago Movie.” But the feature-film version of the long-running animated TV series only superficially resembles its source material, and it pales in...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
You’ll never know how good the first three “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” movies were until you’re forced to see the fourth one. And I say this as someone who has seen all the movies — and read all the books — with my 7-year-old son. We’re both fans of...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Lowriders
What a lovely surprise “Lowriders” is. It tells an age-old story of intergenerational conflict, but strong performances from a well-chosen cast and a vivid sense of place make it feel fresh. Set within the mythical Mexican-American car culture of East L.A., “Lowriders” is richly, culturally specific, yet its themes of...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — 3 Generations
This drama about a transgendered teen and her family in New York City has the best of intentions and a strong cast in Elle Fanning, Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon. But it skims the surface of an emotionally complicated topic and focuses on a romantic history that isn’t nearly as...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Moana
The latest musical extravaganza from Walt Disney Animation Studios follows the adventures of a young woman who finds her own voice and forges her own identity as she becomes the first female leader of her people. It’s a complete blast with a great message. But for all its thrills, laughs...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Kubo and the Two Strings
The latest stop-motion animation extravaganza from Laika is as poignant for adults as it is entertaining for children. Inspired by a multitude of Japanese art forms, it’s textured yet crisp, frighteningly dark yet radiant with bold color. It’s a classic hero’s journey full of action and adventure, but it’s also...
Read moreNine Lives
EuropaCorp Rated PG for thematic elements, language and some rude humor. Running time: 87 minutes. Two stars out of four. It’s hard to explain how incredibly strange “Nine Lives” is. I mean, the premise is pretty simple: Kevin Spacey plays a talking cat. It’s as high-concept as you can get....
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