#Middlebury
“Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” (PG) – Miffed at being perennially in the shadow of Batman, Robin (voiced by Scott Menville) decides that the only way he can get the respect he deserves is to go chasing his own feature film, alongside his junior superhero buds Raven, Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy. But what really makes a superhero is a supervillain, so when the maniacal Slade (Will Arnett) – who bears a resemblance to Deadpool that warrants repeated mentioning – shows up, Robin decides he fits the bill. Based on the Cartoon Network series, it’s a goofy and fun immersion into the fart jokes, one-ups and burns that can be enjoyed by kids and most adults (if you don’t take it too seriously).
Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon in “The Spy Who Dumped Me” (Lionsgate photo)
“The Spy Who Dumped Me” (R) – Audrey and Morgan (Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon) are just a couple of working-stiff best friends. But when Audrey’s ex dumps her by text, Morgan persuades her to burn his left-behind possessions in retaliation. He shows up to collect them – and it’s revealed that he’s actually a spy – and the ladies are folded into a convoluted traipse through Europe and a multitude of treacherous scenarios as they are chased by assassins and bad guys. It’s a little predictable and it’s not brimming with cleverness, but Kunis and McKinnon are adorable and hilarious nonetheless. Also stars Justin Theroux and Sam Heughan in hunky spy roles.
“The Darkest Minds” (PG-13) – Amandla Stenberg headlines this teen-driven, dystopian-future drama. A mysterious illness takes an incredible death toll on the country’s children, but those who are left alive begin to develop an array of hypernatural abilities: enhanced intelligence, kinetic powers, etc., and Ruby (Stenberg) has them all. Kids are rounded up into camps and color coded, and after Ruby is targeted for elimination, she escapes to join a group of wild children searching for an elusive safe compound. I was really looking forward to this film, and walked away disappointed. It’s based on a book, and they spent much of the second half setting up future sequels, and not nearly enough on the actual storyline.
“Slender Man” (R) – For the record, Slender Man was a meme character created for an online contest. It has developed into an internet cultural phenomenon, praised for its creepiness and blamed for some terrible deeds. It is at its heart, simply, a slender man with long stringy limbs, hazy and ambiguous facial details and a propensity to lure people, particularly children, to their doom. This film is set in a Massachusetts town where some dumb kids go searching to prove he doesn’t exist and then suddenly he does. What can I say? This one missed the mark. Someone else will take a crack at the legend. Save your money for that attempt.
New TV Releases
“Chillers: The Complete 12-Part Anthology Series”
“Murdoch Mysteries: The Christmas Cases Collection”
“No Passport Required”
“Charmed” The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)
© 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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