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Top dog/guardian angel and Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is framed for an attempt on the President’s (Morgan Freeman) life. Now, reliant only on his own skills and talents Mike will have to go well above and beyond what he ever imagined in order to clear his name, keep the country safe, and protect those closest to him. Directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by a small team of writers this rough and tumble, action, adventure, die hard-esque romp of impossible dodges, punches, stabs, car chases, and explosions leaves little to the imagination from start to finish, including the not so disguised gambit of a twisting plot. Then again, we’re not here to watch chess masters outsmarting each other in wits or prowess, rather, as the film describes it, we’re here to watch old lions do what lions do best, yawn, check that checkbox. On the other hand, if it’s a popcorn chomper with no delusions of grandeur to round out your weekend, stop, look no further, you could do a lot worse. Realistically, the film sits more as a rental, but hey, you want the big theatre explosion experience, no fault there either. Angel Has Fallen is rated R.

On the cusp of becoming teenagers three lifelong friends ditch school in a semi prepubescent musketeer adventure whilst carrying illegal drugs, running from teenage girls, and trying to find their way to a much anticipated consensual kissing party. Will the Beanbag Boys endure or will 6th grade pull them apart? Directed by Gene Stupnitsky and co-written by Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg this irreverent comedy comes in the form of essentially three stale-ish joke models being told and re-told, which, while not entirely effective, does manage to land a handful of chuckles; specifically, jokes centered around the naivety of youth and misunderstanding of modern colloquialisms. But, in terms of comedy freshness, the born on date here appears to be a bit underdeveloped. Still, the film’s three leads, Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon, manage to carry the weight of higher expectations just fine with extra charisma and nutty chemistry in this brief 89 minute romp. Maybe a matinee, but just fine as a rental later, Good Boys is rated R.

A visionary architect who’s long since stepped away from her craft, Bernadette (Cate Blanchett), rediscovers her passion lest her idle hands turn to malevolent creations. But first, before this butterfly can emerge from a 20 year chrysalis, the squaring of cards with her husband and daughter (Billy Crudup and Emma Nelson) will also carry a weight, can she make it all happen before sabotaging herself? Directed by Richard Linklater and based on the book by Maria Semple, this emotional journey to find a lost passion is a chuckle worthy endeavor with an amazingly deep talent pool for an ensemble. Curiously, a bit questionable in its pacing as Bernadette’s story is spilled out between the bustling of Seattle and the desolation of the arctic circle, this oddly shaped narrative appears difficult to condense, even for an experienced storyteller such as Linklater. Regardless, enough, charm, quirk, and comedy from Blanchett manages to sell the drama, even while fans of the novel moan of the film’s shortcomings. Worthy of your matinee dollar or a rental later, Where’d You Go, Bernadette is rated PG-13.