A24 Films Rated R for language. Running time: 118 minutes. Four stars out of four. This is one of those situations in which mere words seem insufficient in describing a film’s profoundly moving power. I can tell you this much, plainly and without shame: I sobbed throughout “Room,” about a...
Read more
Reviews
RogerEbert.com — I Smile Back
Sarah Silverman previously has dipped her toe in more dramatic waters with 2010’s excellent “Take This Waltz.” Here, the comedian flings herself headlong into dark and disturbing territory as an upper-middle class wife and mom struggling to conceal her depression and addiction. She’s willing to go to places that the...
Read moreHotel Transylvania 2
Sony Pictures Rated PG for some scary images, action and rude humor. Running time: 89 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. “Hotel Transylvania 2” is the greatest movie Adam Sandler and Kevin James have ever made together. I believe this is called “damning with faint praise,” given...
Read moreMinions
Universal Pictures Rated PG for action and rude humor. Running time: 91 minutes. Two stars out of four. We are a Minion-friendly household around here. My 5-year-old son, Nicolas, loves the Minions so much, he thinks he actually IS one. We’ve been on the “Despicable Me” ride at Universal Studios...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Strangerland
“Strangerland” is Nicole Kidman’s first Australian indie since 1989’s “Dead Calm.” It is beautifully shot and well-acted but relentlessly bleak. My RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read moreMax
Warner Bros. Pictures Rated PG for action violence, peril, brief language and some thematic elements. Running time: 111 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. “Max” is a strange beast. It is, in theory, a family-friendly movie about courage and friendship, with a brave and handsome military search...
Read moreInside Out
Disney/Pixar Rated PG for mild thematic elements and some action. Running time: 94 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. Here’s the main difference between me and my 5-year-old son. I mean, clearly, there are many, including the fact that someday soon he’ll be able to reach items...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Little Boy
The World War II drama “Little Boy” is extremely earnest but it’s also extremely heavy-handed in its notions about the transformative power of faith. I’d avoid it if I were you. My RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read moreHome
DreamWorks Animation/20th Century Fox Rated PG for mild thematic elements. Running time: 93 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. A few quick thoughts on “Home,” which I inadvertently have seen twice now in less than a week: 1. The first time I saw it was by myself...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
This second feature-length film based on the long-running “SpongeBob Squarepants” TV series is as zippy and zany as fans have come to expected. The animated, underwater sequences are a blast. It’s the back-and-forth to live action on dry land that’s the problem. My mixed RogerEbert.com review. Read the review...
Read more