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NEW
EL CHICANO
(Drama, R, 107 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) An LAPD detective turns superhero to battle a cartel. With Raul Castillo, Aimee Garcia, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Kate del Castillo, George Lopez. Written by Joe Carnahan, Ben Hernandez Bray. Directed by Bray.
HIGH LIFE
3 ½ stars
(Science fiction, R, 113 minutes, playing at the Darkside in Corvallis) Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche play two members of a prison ship in outer space in this beautiful, brutal and entirely astonishing science-fiction thriller from French master Claire Denis ("Beau Travail," "35 Shots of Rum"). (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times)
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LONG SHOT
3 stars
(Comedy, R, 123 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron star as a journalist and a politician, respectively, who embark on an unconventional romance amid a presidential campaign. Rogen and Theron are well-matched in this appealing outing, boosted considerably by a smart script. With O'Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, Alexander Skarsgard. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service)
SATAN AND ADAM
(Documentary, no MPAA rating, 80 minutes, playing at the Darkside in Corvallis) Director V. Scott Balcerek’s documentary traces the unlikely musical partnership between a Jewish harmonica player and an African American street musician in 1980s Harlem.
UGLY DOLLS
(Animated, PG, 87 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany, the Regal 4 in Corvallis and the AMC Corvallis 12) The plush toys break out in song in their own animated musical adventure. With voices of Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae, Blake Shelton, Wanda Sykes, Gabriel Iglesias, Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, Lizzo, Wang Leehom, Emma Roberts, Pitbull. Written by Alison Peck; story by Robert Rodriguez. Directed by Kelly Asbury.
THE TINGLER
(Horror, no MPAA rating, 82 minutes, plays at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7 at the Darkside in Corvallis) Vincent Price reunited with director William Castle for this 1959 camp classic, about a scientist who discovers a parasite in human beings that feeds on fear. For its original release, Castle attached little electric buzzers underneath some seats in theaters so that they’d vibrate at key moments; no word if the Darkside will try to duplicate this. The showing is part of the Darkside’s “Sci-Fi Extravagnza” series.
CONTINUING
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
3 stars
(Superhero action, PG-13, 182 minutes, playing at the Albany Regal 7, the Corvallis Regal 4 and the AMC Corvallis 12) The remaining Avengers, with some new faces (such as Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel) go after Thanos in this sequel to “Infinity War” and apparent capstone to the first wave of Marvel movies. It’s a stirring and satisfying finish that achieves and earns its climactic surge of feeling, even as it falls just short of real catharsis. (Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times)
BREAKTHROUGH
2 ½ stars
(Drama, PG, 116 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) Chrissy Metz of “This is Us” delivers a powerful, realistic performance in this faith-based feature, based on a true story, about a mother whose adopted son suffers a catastrophic accident. Josh Lucas and Topher Grace also star. (Katie Walsh, Tribune Media Service)
THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA
1 ½ stars
(Horror, R, 93 minutes, playing at the Regal 4 in Corvallis and the AMC Corvallis 12) A hissing, pasty-faced zombie-ghost targets the children of a social worker (Linda Cardellini) in the latest addition to the Conjuring Universe. But any hopes of a creepy horror gem are dashed by the overacting, clumsy plot machinations and cliche-riddled "Gotcha!" moments. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)
PENGUINS
3 stars
(Documentary, G, 76 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) The latest Disneynature effort follows a 5-year-old Adelie penguin (Steve, the movie calls him) as he finds a mate, raises the chicks and deals with life in Antarctica. It’s quite good for its type, with some beautiful photography. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune)
MISSING LINK
(Animated comedy, PG, 95 minutes, playing at the Pix in Albany and the AMC Corvallis 12) A Bigfoot-like creature joins others on a quest to find his long-lost relatives in this animated tale from Portland’s Laika. With the voices of Zach Galifianakis, Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Timothy Olyphant. Written and directed by Chris Butler.
THE MUSTANG
2 ½ stars
(Drama, R, 96 minutes, playing at the Darkside Cinema in Corvallis) A tight-lipped new arrival (Matthias Schoenaerts) at a Western prison is assigned to a program in which inmates work to tame wild mustands. It's solid if dramatically predictable work, part prison picture, part horse story. Bruce Dern and Connie Britton co-star. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune)
SHAZAM!
3 stars
(Superhero action, PG-13, 132 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) A streetwise 14-year-old can magically transform into an adult superhero simply by shouting out one word in this big-screen version of a long-running DC comic book. Zachary Levi brings a jolt of good humor and energy to this good-natured and endearing flick, which has a bit of a dark side as well. Mark Strong is the villain. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service)
WOMAN AT WAR
3 stars
(Comic thriller, no MPAA rating, 100 minutes, playing at the Darkside in Corvallis) Icelandic actress Halldora Geirharðsdottir is sensational in a dual role in this off-kilter offering; she plays a choir director living on her own in Reykjavik, as well as Halla's identical twin sister Asa, a yoga instructor. Halla has launched a campaign of industrial sabotage against a new aluminum smelting plant that threatens to despoil the landscape and the fresh Icelandic air. (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune)
APOLLO 11
4 stars
(Documentary, G, 93 minutes, playing at the Pix in Albany) Todd Douglas Miller’s riveting documentary uses newly discovered footage to give audiences a close-up look at the mission that put men on the moon. You end up with new appreciation for the sheer audacity of the mission. (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times)
DUMBO
2 stars
(Fantasy, PG, 112 minutes, playing at the Regal 7 in Albany) Director Tim Burton tries his hand with a live-action remake of the 1941 Disney animated flick, about the little elephant with the big ears who can fly, but even though this dramatically inert film tries, it never quite takes off. The cast includes Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, Colin Farrell and Eva Green. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service)
US
3 ½ stars
(Horror, R, 116 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Writer-director Jordan Peele proves that “Get Out” was no fluke with this whip-smart new horror classic. It’s about a picture-perfect American family (Winston Duke) and Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o) arriving at their family summer home, only to confront an identical version of the family (clad in red jumpsuits and wielding sharp scissors) in their driveway. (Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service)
CAPTAIN MARVEL
3 ½ stars
(Superhero action, PG-13, 124 minutes, playing at the AMC Corvallis 12) Brie Larson, as the Captain, and Samuel L. Jackson, as young Nick Fury, share great chemistry in a superhero origins story set to '90s hits and filled with fun cultural references. This isn't the greatest Marvel movie ever made, but it's definitely one of the funniest, and one of the sweetest. (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times)
