Aspiring to be edgy and stylish, the espionage thriller “Atomic Blonde” (Focus), matches sometimes sadistic brawling with exploitative scenes of aberrant sex. The result is not only degraded but tedious as well.
Movie: ‘Atomic Blonde’
Movie: ‘The Emoji Movie’
Tech savvy viewers will especially enjoy the wacky proceedings of “The Emoji Movie” (Columbia). But patrons of all stripes will appreciate the film’s themes of loyal friendship and faithful romance.
Movie: ‘The Tribunal’
The annulment process provides the unusual courtroom setting for the romantic drama “The Tribunal” (Freestyle). While the movie’s Catholic values are strong, they come filtered through some faulty filmmaking.
Movie: ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’
Despite its ponderous title, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” (STX) turns out to be a flashy but lightweight sci-fi adventure likely to divert those grown viewers content to munch their popcorn and enjoy a break from the heat of summer.
Movie: ‘Girls Trip’
Buried underneath several layers of crass gags, “Girls Trip” (Universal) has a substantial story about loyalty and moral decisions. But libidinous raunch is the evident lure.
Movie: ‘Dunkirk’
“Wars are not won by evacuations,” British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously observed. As writer-director Christopher Nolan’s compelling historical drama “Dunkirk” (Warner Bros.) demonstrates, however, fine films can be made about them.
Movie: ‘The Exception’
Over the top movie based on Alan Judd’s 2003 novel “The Kaiser’s Last Kiss,” it has, as billed, Kaiser Wilhelm II (Christopher Plummer) living out the last year of his exile in the Netherlands before his 1941 death.
Movie: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’
Monkey business turns deadly serious in “War for the Planet of the Apes” (Fox), the climactic installment of the rebooted film franchise based on the work of French science-fiction author Pierre Boulle (1912-1994).