ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP

Rated: R

Release Date: October 18, 2019

Director: Reuben Fleischer

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin

Plot: Nine years after the zombie apocalypse began these four survivors continue to look for other humans while facing off against evolving zombies

Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and see this in theaters now

ZOMBIELAND is one of those flicks that, if I see it on TV while I'm searching for something to watch, I will stop and watch every single time. It is a cult classic bordering on legendary status. It has all of the markers of a long-living film: Compelling, funny, suspenseful, great dialogue, fantastic acting, and long-running gags. It is near-perfect and one-of-a-kind.

And then they made another one.

There were so many ways that this new venture could have gone wrong. They could have slapped it together knowing that most of us would pay to see it no matter what. They could have changed out the cast. They could have royally messed it up.

Thankfully, they didn't. This movie is awesome!

From the opening credits to the final after-credit scene, (stick around), this movie pulls you in and puts you in a Tallahassee choke hold. It is hilarious with dozens of laugh-out-loud moments, it is suspenseful with several moments where you are sure it's all over for the crew, and it has its own long-running gag that has nothing to do with Twinkies.

One of the things that made the first film so special was the cast. Arguably, one could say that ZOMBIELAND was the breakout role for 3/4 of the cast. They all had such amazing chemistry and everything worked together so well.

This new film adds several new characters to the bunch all of which bring their own style and fun to the movie. I was nervous that the story might lose something with the addition of new characters, but it actually helped make a better movie. Zoey Deutch is so funny and lovable, and Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch are pain-in-the-jaw-from-laughing-so-hard funny as the mirror images of Tallahassee and Columbus.

This is a must-see movie for anyone that likes zombie movies, comedies, great acting, or fun in general. It is too good to pass up.

JEXI

Rated: R

Release Date: October 11, 2019

Director: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Stars: Adam Devine, Rose Byrne, Alexandra Shipp

Plot: A lonely man has his life overtaken by the voice in his smart phone

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release and make someone else rent it

If you saw the trailer for this movie and said to yourself that it didn't look like this had much of a plot, go ahead and give yourself a thumbs up for being right. Here is how thin this movie is. The total running time (including end credits) is only 84 minutes, and there are no less than three musical montages, (read "filler"), in the film. 

It is truly disappointing that the likes of Adam Devine and Alexandra Shipp had to waste their incredible talents on a screenplay as terrible as this one. They did their best to make this movie fun and likable, but despite their efforts it just comes across as cliche and obnoxious. 

I am happy to say there are a couple of good laughs, but a couple doesn't cut it in a raunchy comedy. The good ones make you leave with your face hurting from laughing so much. This film isn't even close to that standard. 

This is a completely forgettable and feeble attempt at comedy. There are so many better movies out now. Don't waste your money on this one. 

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON

Rated: R

Release Date: September 13, 2019

Director: Paul Downs Colaizzo

Stars: Jillian Bell, Alice Lee, Jennifer Dundas

Plot: A woman decides to get her life together by making a goal to run in the NYC marathon

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

I love a good inspirational film. A film that has the ability to motivate you, touch your soul, and give you all of the warm, tingly feelings. 

This is not one of those films. 

It wants to be, but it isn't. 

This is based on a true story, and the real story is quite inspirational. I'm not really sure how the people in charge of this movie managed to swing and miss when it came down to it, but they did. The whole time I was watching the part of the movie that should have been moving me emotionally, I found myself just sitting there, waiting for the next event to happen. 

Jillian Bell does a good job in the lead role when she stays on script. There are a few moments where you can tell that they let her do her own thing and most of it isn't funny at all. The supporting characters are the ones that make the film much better.

If you are a runner, or a health enthusiast, this is a movie you'll probably want to see and will most likely enjoy. If you are just a movie fan looking for a decent comedy, this may not be your best bet for laughs. 

GOOD BOYS

Rated: R

Release Date: August 16, 2019

Director: Gene Stupnitsky

Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon

Plot: Three tweens find themselves in the middle of a very grown-up adventure

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

It isn't very often that you can see a movie that is sweet, heart-warming, and adorable, and at the same time it is, insanely raunchy, foul-mouthed, drug-filled, and ridiculously hilarious. It's even less often that those opposite elements can be combined to make a great movie.

In this case, they work.

Jacob Tremblay (ROOM, WONDER) is fantastic in his first coming-of-age role. He's been a great actor for years already, but this film proves that he also has comedic timing. His co-stars are wonderful in their own ways. Keith Williams steals a ton of scenes. He is a fantastically funny straight man. And Brady Noon plays a perfect version of a 6th grader who wants to be tough, but has no clue how to make that happen.

What makes this movie work so well is that the kids are wanting to do adult things, but they are too innocent to figure it all out. If it had just been a movie about three potty-mouthed tweens that are wise to the ways of the world it wouldn't have worked.

This movie is very rated R all the way through. If you can handle 90 minutes of nastiness, then you will have a blast watching this movie. Just make sure you don't take the kids or you will have a TON of explaining to do.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: August 16, 2019

Director: Gurinder Chadha

Stars: Viveik Kalra, Aaron Phagura, Nell Williams

Plot: A teen, growing up in 1980's England, finds his inspiration through the music and lyrics of Bruce Springsteen

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

I don't really like to compare movies to other films, but in this case I almost have to do it. This is a British comedy focused on music. It would be shelved right beside films like YESTERDAY and SING STREET. Unfortunately, both of those films are far superior to this one.

This movie feels like a low-budget, second-year-film-student project. It has pacing issues, the acting, aside from a couple of secondary characters is bad, the dialogue is stilted, and for a movie about a teen's love for all things Bruce Springsteen, it feels like there aren't a lot of songs from The Boss. (In reality there are 12, but most are barely used at all, and two are used extensively, so it makes it feel like they couldn't afford all of the songs they wanted so they licensed a couple a used them every chance they could get).

The story is interesting, but it doesn't offer us anything we haven't seen before in movies about teens chasing their dreams and breaking away from their parents. In fact, this movie doesn't even do that very well. Most of the character development happens in the last 15 minutes of the film. Essentially, everybody stubbornly stays the same for the first 95 minutes, then finally, everyone has an life-changing moment all at the same time.

Even if you are a huge Springsteen fan, I think you are going to have a hard time enjoying this film. If you aren't a fan of The Boss, take this one off of your list now. There is nothing for you to see or experience in this movie.

STUBER

Rated: R

Release Date: July 12, 2019

Director: Michael Dowse

Stars: Dave Bautista, Kumail Nanjiani, Natalie Morales

Plot: And undercover cop and a timid Uber driver team up to take down the bad guys

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

Dave Bautista is quickly becoming a perfect straight guy in comedies. He proved it in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and he keeps it going in STUBER. Along with the continuous, hilarious one-liners from Kumail Nanjiani, these two have seriously funny on-screen chemistry.

The two characters are polar opposites, so we get the entertainment of their constant clashing and total misunderstanding of each other. It makes for several good moments, and allows the characters to grow throughout the story.

The film takes a good 30 minutes to really get going. Before that it is pretty slow and boring. But once it kicks in it is a funny ride to the end. Unfortunately, the jokes are just about all this movie has to offer. The story is mediocre, the mystery is too simple, and it feels too long even though it is only 90 minutes.

If you are just wanting a few good laughs, this film will hit the spot. If you are hoping for something funny and smart, you'll need to look elsewhere.

LATE NIGHT

Rated: R

Release Date: June 14, 2019

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Stars: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow

Plot: A young, aspiring comedy writer goes to work for a late night talk show host near the end of her career

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

One would think that a film about a late night comedy show would be filled with comedy. One would also think that a movie written by  Mindy Kaling, who wrote several of the best episodes of THE OFFICE, would be smart as well as funny.

One would think those things, but one would be wrong.

Unfortunately, this film is barely funny and so formulaic that it loses all of its own character. It is also filled with ridiculously flimsy circumstances just so our hero can knock them out of the way with unrealistic ease.

Ironically, in a movie about girl power, the best thing is the character played by John Lithgow. He is wonderful, lovable, and dispenses timely and appropriate advice throughout the film. Without him the film would be too harsh.

The film is also very slow and has several pacing issues. It felt like we were skipping over important chunks of time and information. Then it felt like we were dragging through every detail of information that didn't matter. I was already checking my watch 40 minutes into the movie.

The character arcs were strange as well. It was like everybody stayed the same for the first 3/4 of the film then everyone changed all at once as the end approached. And the main character didn't really change at all.

This isn't a terrible film, but if you are expecting a lot of laughs, this movie will not deliver. You may just want to wait for the comfort of your own couch to watch LATE NIGHT...just like most of us do with real late night shows.

BOOKSMART

Rated: R

Release Date: May 24, 2019

Director: Olivia Wilde

Stars: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jason Sudeikis

Plot: Two girls that spent their entire school careers studying, decide to party hard on the last night of high school

Trailer

Clint Says: Drop everything and go see this movie now

It seems like every year we get one or two coming of age movies, and most of them are average at best. This one may be one of the best coming of age movies in the last 20 years. Just like John Hughes used to do 30 years ago, director Olivia Wilde manages to catch the true essence of teen life in the current era. This film doesn't go as deep as Hughes's films went, but it does get deeper than just the surface emotions.

It is also a very funny, very raunchy film that will have you laughing constantly and cringing at the embarrassing moments. There are several times where you will be doing both at the same time. The great news is that the film also goes through several other emotional moments that will make you really feel for the characters.

The acting is spot on from the lead actors. Some of the minor players leave a little to be desired, but none are so bad that it pulls you out of the story.

My only issue with this film is with first-time director Olivia Wilde missing "the" shot in a few of the scenes. For example, without giving anything away, there is one scene that had a perfect physical comedy moment set up. Wilde gives us the before and after, but we don't see the actual moment happen. This occurs four or five times throughout the film.

Aside from that, this is a fantastic film that is perfect for today's climate, but it will also take you back to your fond memories of high school life. If you can handle the raunchiness, you should absolutely take the time to see this movie as soon as possible.

A DOG'S JOURNEY

Rated: PG

Release Date: May 17, 2019

Director: Gail Mancuso

Stars: Josh Gad, Dennis Quaid, Kathryn Prescott, Marg Helgenberger

Plot: A grandpa asks his old dog to come back as a puppy and help watch over his estranged granddaughter

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

Here is the good news...this movie is so much better than 2017's A DOG'S PURPOSE. The bad news...That movie was terrible, so this one is just barely average.

Thankfully, they stayed away from all of the tragic and traumatic dog death this time and tried to stick with the sweet and funny side of dogs.

The story is okay. It isn't anywhere near an exciting and compelling tale, but it does have enough conflict and twists to make it somewhat interesting.

Josh Gad plays the voice of all of the dogs. He's the best part of the movie delivering several funny lines. The rest of the actors are passable at best.

If you have young children that are interested in seeing this movie, you should probably see it first without them just to make sure they can handle it. In fact, it is probably better to just wait for the film to come out on a digital platform before you see it. That way you can pause it and answer some of the tough questions that will inevitably arise while watching this film.

THE HUSTLE

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: May 10, 2019

Director: Chris Addison

Stars: Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson

Plot: Two con artists team up to scam men

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

Oh, look. Another movie in which Rebel Wilson plays the exact same character she is in every movie she's in. I'm starting to think that she has zero ability to act and what we see on the screen is how she is in real life. Thank goodness Anne Hathaway is there to make this film somewhat tolerable and amusing. 

For a film about con artists, the cons are overly simplistic and easy. There are a couple of good twists, but those do more to set up another movie than to do anything to help this one be better.  It would have been nice if the women were as smart as the men are stupid. 

It is a comedy, and there are a few laughs, but not enough to make this a movie you'll want to see more than once. And only a couple of times are the comedic moments worthy of a big laugh.

There are plenty of great con flicks and comedies to choose from. Save your money by skipping this movie and watch one of the really good ones on your TV or computer. 

POMS

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: May 10, 2019

Director: Zara Hayes

Stars: Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, Rhea Perlman

Plot: A group of women at a retirement home start a competition cheerleading squad

Trailer

Clint Says: Save some money and see a matinee

Just like a group of octogenarian cheerleaders, it's very difficult to expect too much out of a movie like POMS. The good news is that the film over delivers on the fun and the funny.

This group of sassy grannies will have you laughing until parts of you that normally don't hurt start hurting. There are several laugh out loud moments, most of which are delivered between the stars and their High School rivals.

The movie is just sweet enough. Only occasionally does it feel like it drops into the land of forced sweetness. And thankfully, those scenes are short.

Critically speaking, this film leaves a lot to be desired in the areas of acting, using cliched tropes, and continuity. There is one chase scene where they literally use the same shot 15 seconds apart. And the whole film fits perfectly into the 90-minute comedy formula.

Aside from those small negatives, this is a fun film that will be a great night out for you and your girlfriends. It might even surprise a few people by doing very well at the box office for several weeks. It's not a great film, but it is one worth seeing.

LONG SHOT

Rated: R

Release Date: May 3, 2019

Director: Jonathan Levine

Stars: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen

Plot: Two childhood friends that have taken very different life paths, meet up again and begin working with one another

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

If you ever told me that Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen would be love interests in a RomCom, I would have said you were crazy. If you followed that up by saying the RomCom would be really good, I would have just laughed at you and walked away. 

Who knew that all of this time you were right? Congratulations!

After seeing this film I'm still not quite sure how it all worked as well as it did, but it did, and it is a fantastic movie. Theron and Rogen have incredible chemistry that has you rooting for them from beginning to end. Their conversations and interactions are fun and entertaining.

The film is filled with laugh out loud moments, most of which help the movie race towards its R-rating. The jokes are almost all raunchy, and so is a lot of the physical comedy. If you are okay with that kind of humor, you will laugh until it hurts while watching this one. 

The movie also has a great, though not fully based in reality, story that is compelling and keeps you interested throughout. It does take several liberties with the way certain events would happen in the real world in order to keep the story rolling or to give us another laugh, but those rule-breaking moments are minor compared to the entertainment that would have been lost if they stuck to a more realistic scenario. 

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this movie is that Rogen manages to become a heartwarming, lovable teddy bear, rather than just his typical stoner portrayal. And Theron seamlessly slides into the roll of party animal with surprising ease. Both of them play roles that are never their style, yet they pull it off very well. 

Before I saw this I would have told you that it was a LONG SHOT to be any good. Now, that I've seen it, I am happy to say that it is a front runner for best comedy of the year.

HELLBOY

Rated: R

Release Date: April 12, 2019

Director: Neil Marshall

Stars: David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane

Plot: Hellboy must stop a witch from being reassembled and then destroying all human life on earth

Trailer

Clint Says: Don't even bother

Have you ever had to endure the acting and writing of a sixth grade play? That's basically the level of competence displayed in HELLBOY. Of course, we can't blame the sixth graders for this...after all they are really young and just starting out on their paths to theatrical greatness. But we can blame the people that made this ridiculous nonsense. 

I'm sure almost every critic will use this line, but I have to anyway, so here it goes...

Sitting through HELLBOY is pure hell.

Whew, now that I've got that out of my system let's move on to the good parts of this movie. (Spoiler alert, there are no good parts to this movie. It's all terrible. Even the jokes are lame.)

30 minutes into the film I was already completely bored, checking my watch, and wishing time would speed up. 45 minutes in I started to try to figure out how I could turn my water bottle label into a weapon so I could just end it all. One hour in, I gave up entirely and started randomly texting friends. (There wasn't anyone around me, so I wasn't annoying...not that texting during this particular movie could ever be more annoying than the film itself). By the end, I shot out of my seat like an Olympic sprinter.

This movie is so bad even Ian McShane is atrocious. And he's great in everything he does. The rest of the cast is even worse than he is, and the dialogue is even worse than the cast. The whole thing is an abomination to the film industry.

Skip this one. 

LITTLE

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: April 12, 2019

Director: Tina Gordon

Stars: Regina Hall, Issa Rae, Marsai Martin

Plot: A mean boss is magically transformed back into her outsider, middle-school self

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

This film uses magic to transform an adult woman into her former, young self, but the real magic is that, despite all of it's efforts, this may be one of the most bland films of the last decade. Aside from a few laughs there is nothing that draws out any emotion.

Regina Hall's character is thoroughly unlikable for a majority of the movie, as is her younger self. (The girl who plays her, Marsai Martin, is adorable, but the character traits are horrible). And even when she finally sees the error of her ways she is still annoying.

Possibly the biggest problem with this film is how out of touch it is with reality. Hall's character is a company owner, but a bully to all of her employees. In today's climate, her behavior would not be accepted by anyone. The story feels a bit tone deaf.

On the positive side, the film does have several good laughs, and Martin does a fantastic job even though her character is mean. Aside from that it is formulaic and just goes through the motions until it finally gets to the ending we all know is coming.

If you are in the need for a couple of laughs, you might enjoy this movie, but I wouldn't count on it. if you are on the fence about seeing this movie, you'd be better off waiting for the digital release. There isn't anything that makes this worth seeing on the big screen. In fact, a couple of months from now most of us will have forgotten we ever saw it.

THE BEACH BUM

Rated: R

Release Date: March 29, 2019

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg

Plot: A beach bum spends his days getting high and writing poetry, but a life-changing event forces him to get serious about his career

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

Somehow I've always imagined that the character Matthew McConaughey plays in this movie is his real life persona. I can just see him sitting around with some weed, a bongo, a bright swimsuit, and a Lamborghini in the background.  I'm pretty sure he didn't have to act at all during the making of this film. 

As for the movie, it wonders around like a hapless beach bum for a good 30 minutes before we ever get any semblance of a plot or a quest. And even after that it is still a meandering mess that cleans everything up with a three minute montage of success with about 15 minutes to go in the film. 

It has a few funny moments, but not enough to make up for the incessant juvenile annoyances. I really don't want to be the curmudgeonly old guy here, but there were several occasions where I wanted to yell, "grow up, already!" at the characters.

Basically, this is a movie for 16 year old boys and pot smokers. For everyone else it is tolerable at best, but mostly it is a sad look at a pathetic waste of talent. Chances are THE BEACH BUM will leave you bummed.

A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: March 1, 2019

Director: Tyler Perry

Stars: Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely

Plot: The whole family gets together for a funeral, but there is a lot of drama happening behind the scenes

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Typically, Tyler Perry doesn't like to bother with things like plot, or character development, or multiple takes to get a scene right. But he seems to have put a lot more effort into this MADEA film than the last couple. 

This film has several funny moments, some compelling drama, characters that the viewer can care about, and I didn't notice a single overdub of dialogue. For the first time in a long time I'm happy to say that this is a Tyler Perry film that is worth seeing. Now, that doesn't mean you should spend theater prices to see it, but when it is released digitally it will be worth the rental. 

Perry also discovered the magic of the editing room. Instead of having ad lib scenes that drag on seemingly endlessly, his "entourage" hit with their best jokes and then moved on quickly to something else. It's refreshing to see a MADEA film with good pacing.

This may be the best MADEA film since the original. It's not great by any stretch of the imagination, but it is funny enough and entertaining enough to make for a fun evening.

As always, stick around through the credits for the outtakes, they are the best part of the movie. 

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: February 22, 2019

Director: Stephen Merchant

Stars: Florence Pugh, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn, Nick Frost

Plot: A girl from a small English town does whatever it takes to make it to the top of the pro wrestling world

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

I've never been a fan of pro wrestling, so I went into this movie knowing nothing about the real story. I can't be certain of which way is better to see it, knowing or not knowing, but what I can say is that I was fully entertained and completely engrossed in the story the whole time. I did talk to a couple of big-time fans after the movie, and they both loved it as well.

I was surprised that a movie about the WWE could be so full of emotion. It has moments where you will be laughing, some where you will be upset, and others where you will totally feel the pain of the characters on screen.

What makes this film so great is that it is a character-driven film, and every character has a unique voice, flaws, a purpose, and an emotional character arc. That is a very difficult task to achieve in any film, especially one that has so many players. It is quite a feat to make the characters all so compelling that the audience feels for each one and is invested in their journey. This movie does just that.

This is a wonderful film with lots of emotion, lots of actions, and a lot of laughs. It's a great date night flick.

WHAT MEN WANT

Rated: R

Release Date: February 8, 2019

Director: Adam Shankman

Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Josh Brener, Aldis Hodge, Tracy Morgan

Plot: A driven woman gains the ability to hear men's thoughts and uses that gift to try to better her career

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

It's been 19 years since the Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt snoozefest WHAT WOMEN WANT hit theaters. Now, we have a gender-flipped version of the film that is just as uninteresting as the first.

The biggest problem with the movie is how unlikable Taraji P. Henson's character is. She doesn't have a character arc. She has a flat line with a spike in the last 10 minutes. Her character is mean, obnoxious, and stubborn in every aspect of her life. And even though there is plenty of opportunity for her to get it and start to change along the way, she never does until the very end when it all hits at once.

I mean, come on, even Scrooge started to realize the error of his ways in the middle of A CHRISTMAS STORY.

Josh Brener and Aldis Hodge are fun to watch. They give the movie some much needed warmth and compassion. The rest of the cast does a decent job of moving the story forward, but nobody steals the show.

The movie does have a few laughs, but that is about it. Even though it is formulaic, it never hots the emotional tones that is should. This is mainly due to Henson's character being so self-serving. It even got to the point when she was having problems with her boyfriend that I was rooting for the guy to leave her for good.

I can't recommend paying money to see this movie. If you really want to see it, just wait until it comes out digitally. There is nothing in the movie that makes it necessary to see it on the big screen, so save yourself a few bucks and see it in a couple of months.

THE UPSIDE

Rated: PG-13

Release Date: January 11, 2019

Director: Neil Burger

Stars: Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman

Plot: A wealthy man with quadriplegia hires an ex-con with no experience to take care of him

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait until after opening weekend, but see this in theaters

January is typically a pretty bad month for movies. All of the big awards stuff is crammed into the last several weeks of the previous year, and then January gets the leftovers. Well, somehow, this little gem of a film slipped through the system and landed in January.

Maybe it's a new trend? After all, one of the first films released last year was PADDINGTON 2 and it made my Top 10 Best Films of 2018 list. I don't think this one is going to be that special, but it is really good.

Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart have great chemistry. They are funny, their conflict is powerful, and you can feel the love and admiration they develop for one another over time. Add in and exceedingly straight-laced Nicole Kidman and this movie levels up to superstar status.

Yes, this movie is formulaic and almost sappy at times, but it never feels like it gets out of control. It is a touch too long. It probably could have had a good 20 minutes cut out and been just as good of a movie, if not better. Because it is so long, (just over 2 hours), it has some pacing issues, but they aren't so bad that the movie loses its overall momentum.

If you like films about overcoming obstacles, this is a great film for you. It's also really funny for those of you just wanting to laugh during the dreary months of winter.

A DOG'S WAY HOME

Rated: PG

Release Date: January 11, 2019

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, Alexandra Shipp

Plot: A dog gets lost 400 miles from home and must find her way back

Trailer

Clint Says: Wait for the digital release

This is one of those films that is a little too pleasant for its own good. It's rated PG so there isn't a lot of suspense. The whole story just meanders along until it comes to the expected conclusion.

Sure, it is cute and the dog is adorable, but that only goes so far before something of substance needs to happen. Unfortunately, the conflict that finally gives us a plot is a bit too much for younger kids and way too simple for adults. There are scenes in this film that would probably give every kid under 8 nightmares, but for adults they are so tame it is boring.

There are a couple of fun scenes along the way, but nothing that makes this something worth spending the money to see it in theaters. If you are mildly interested in this film, or if you are a big dog lover just go ahead and wait for the digital release. You'll be glad you didn't waste the extra money.