War for the Planet of the Apes,
directed by Matt Reeves
(PG-13, 2 hours, 20 minutes)
Now that we've gotten over thinking that an apes-versus-human plotline is implausible, it's much easier to judge the latest chapter in this hugely popular franchise on its merits. And they're considerable, with Caesar (voice of Andy Serkis) and his apes forced into a fight-to-the-death standoff with a powerful army of humans led by the merciless, determined Colonel (Woody Harrelson).
Smart, invigorating and morally informative, the film concerns themes of civil rights, slavery, dominance of races that consider themselves superior to others, and a complicated, conflicted villain whose philosophy can't be judged in simple terms.
And the special effects are absolutely spectacular. With Steve Zahn, Judy Greer.
Along with the original Planet of the Apes (1968), other films in the series before this one are Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) Escape rom the Planet of the Apes (1971), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), the remake of Planet of the Apes (2001), then the reboot series Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014).
The Emoji Movie (PG, 1 hour, 26 minutes) Top-shelf comedians such as T.J. Miller, Maya Rudolph, Anna Faris and Jennifer Coolidge can't make a success out of this childish, practically plot-free attempt at animated comedy in which a smartphone houses messaging app Textopolis, a city where emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone's user. With Steven Wright, Christina Aguilera, Sofia Vergara, Patrick Stewart; directed by Tony Leondis.
Personal Shopper (R, 1 hour, 45 minutes) A spooky, haunting ghost story with intense psychological surprises in which a young Parisian (Kristen Stewart), working as a personal shopper for an air-headed celebrity, finds herself tormented by the death of her twin brother -- especially since they made a deal that whoever died first would attempt to send a message to the other one in the afterlife. With Lars Eidinger, Ty Olwin; directed by Olivier Assayas.
Bushwick (not rated, 1 hour, 33 minutes) A gloomy, preachy, often bloody attempt at social satire in which Texas tries to secede from the United States, provoking militias from opposing sides to swarm New York in an effort to gain it as a negotiation tool. Violence breaks out, especially in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn, where a sturdy war veteran (David Bautista) and a young woman (Brittany Snow) take to the streets to protect themselves and their community. Directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion.
Planetarium (not rated, 1 hour, 45 minutes) A showy collection of ideas, costumes, set design and decent performances that never quite meld together, this fantasy concerns Laura Barlow (Natalie Portman) and Kate Barlow (Lily-Rose Depp, Johnny Depp's daughter), fortune-telling sisters who are said to have the ability to communicate with the dead, who intersect with a creative and powerful French producer in Paris. He invites them to conduct a private seance with him. Results are disturbing. With Louis Garrel, Emmanuel Salinger, David Bennent; directed by Rebecca Zlotowski.
MovieStyle on 10/27/2017