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Rookie to the New Orleans Police Department, Alicia West (Naomie Harris) is discovered as an accidental witness to a brutal killing at the hands of a vice cop Terry Malone (Frank Grillo). Now sought by every dirty cop and criminal in the lower wards she’ll have to rely on her wits and the least likely help, shop clerk Milo Jackson (Tyrese Gibson), to survive the night and upload her body cam to the evidence database. Directed by Deon Taylor and Written by Peter Dowling, this conventional and tropey/Fugitive-esque cop drama operates with most systems go and by all means would receive the “it’s fine but not great” vote were it not for a tanked ending. For a film with the central theme of a female African American police officer struggling in her own community to effectively be “saved” or “redeemed” in the manner which she is, is disingenuous, disappointing, and frankly insulting. Meanwhile, Harris and Gibson do a fine job holding their own and selling the drama for the balance of the film, shoulder shrugs to the rest of the cast. You could do a lot worse, but a missed opportunity to do better is the sad reality here. Black and Blue is rated R.

Just before the turn of the 19th century the battle to determine which electrical system would become the global standard raged on with a cut throat vengeance. In one corner inventor and genius Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his DC system, in the other, businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) aided by inventor and genius Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) and their AC system. Lies, deceptions, electric chairs, and world’s fairs, who would rule the world and who would history remember, the two might not be mutually exclusive. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by Michael Mitnick this potentially crackling shower of sparks unfortunately arrives with barely a pulse; partially a victim of circumstance surrounding the film’s original release but mainly due to the painfully dry writing and the subdued direction of very capable actors. Additionally, further relegation of Tesla, arguably the most interesting cast member, to barely a supporting role seems to be gross oversight, even with additional footage added to this Director’s cut. On the positive, art direction, costumes, set design, and graphics make this a pretty film to look at despite the lack of lightning otherwise, it’s just not enough to advance the droll pace of this seemingly unending hour and 47 minutes. Pass. The Current War: Director’s Cut is rated PG-13.

Powerful Fey, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), finds herself caught in a series of dilemmas as her goddaughter Aurora (Elle Fanning) accepts the wedding proposal of Prince Philip (Harris Dickinson); the pending nuptials could mean the merger of the human and fairy worlds, but, there’s something awry about Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), this could all go sideways at any moment. Directed by Joachim Rønning and Written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, and Linda Woolverton, this continuation of the Maleficent lore does a fine job re-assembling the pieces of what was a lukewarm franchise to create something stronger on round two. Specifically, we’re given a considerable amount of backstory on Maleficent, her raison d’etre, and, what makes her so special out of all the fairies, a move that leads to greater empathy and understanding– a quality somewhat absent in round one. From a fantasy standpoint, acting from the ensemble measures up just fine, the visuals continue to dazzle in all regards, and score from Geoff Zanelli seamlessly melts into the background. Disappointing, the story’s lack of “justice” for a foe with historical roots to the brother’s Grimm, a considerably nastier fate seems fitting, alas a PG rating and a pulled punch. Still, enjoyable for the whole family, but realize, the really young ones may need to sit this one out due to some of the darker themes and imagery.