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A young orphan in London named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) discovers that magical creatures really do exist when a chance encounter with a Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) ends up taking her to a far off land– Giant Country. Sadly, Sophie quickly learns that most giants aren’t so friendly, in fact they’re bone crunching, cannibalistic, knuckle dragging bullies. So, when more children seem to be vanishing around the city, it would appear the giants are behind their disappearances, swift action must be taken but will Sophie and her BFG have what it takes to stop the other giants before it’s too late? Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the story by Roald Dahl, this family fun romp certainly contains the polished flashiness we’ve come to expect from Spielberg combining well known themes of singled out children, magic, whimsy, and the incorrigible adults; meaning, this hearkens back to Spielberg from the early 80’s with the television series Amazing Stories, capable of sparking the imagination and bringing levity to what might otherwise be a darker world. Furthermore, John Williams’s score serves as a strong reminder as to just how much of a scene can be loaded up with music, performing right under the nose of the audience without drawing attention to itself, a score that elevates without distracting. Overall, positive marks for this family adventure worthy of a matinee dollar and maybe more. The BFG is rated PG.

Having adapted to the modern world after being raised by Gorilla’s in the jungle, Tarzan (Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd), is courted to return to Africa and give approval of the division of property and state lines on the continent. But, Dutchman Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz) has plans of his own in order to flex his power and illustrate his supremacy. Escorted by George Washington Williams (Samuel L Jackson) and accompanied by his wife Jane (Margot Robbie), Tarzan will have to call upon his four and two legged friends in the wild to prove he’s still indeed King of the Jungle regardless of borders and time, but will he arrive in time to save the continent? Directed by David Yates this summer time popcorn chomper sets out with the best intentions but instead overreaches its bounds and comes up empty handed delivering stale and overdone CGI action scenes, telegraphed twists and turns, and some of the most incongruous accents in a period piece. As for the ensemble, all parties appear to be playing within their respective wheelhouses and not taking risks, it’s all about earning an easy paycheck this go round; end result, a lot of whiz and bang but an experience that’s quickly forgotten just the same. A matinee at most, The Legend of Tarzan is rated PG-13.

Traveled by misadventure and the poor life choices by a handful of quirky owners, a benign Dachshund wanders middle America in search of treats and love all the while shining a small and brief spotlight on the human condition– but to what end? Written and Directed by Todd Solondz, this series of vignettes proves that life isn’t so much about the distance traveled but more so a sum of an individual’s experiences; in this case, one laughably sad situation parlayed into another in a bizarre schadenfreude demonstrated by a hearty ensemble which includes the likes of Danny DeVito, Gretta Gerwig, Julie Delpy, and Kieran Caulkin all of whom are equally unnerving and difficult to sit with, by design. Trouble is, Solondz has written some interesting sketches but fails to provide sufficient glue or string to tie and hold everything together; and, with humor that misses more than it hits in the hearty laugh department the end result is a film that feels disjointed and uneven in it’s pacing. More of a pass all together on this one, Wiener-Dog is rated R