Joseph McAleer

The beloved characters created by Beatrix Potter in her series of children’s books stray even further from their amiable roots in this sequel to the 2018 film, a blend of live action and computer-generated animation once again directed and co-written by Will Gluck.

It’s a shame that extraneous material has been needlessly thrown into the mix, because viewers of all ages could otherwise have enjoyed a fascinating history lesson.

The most entertaining Stone Age family since the Flintstones returns to the big screen in “The Croods: A New Age” (Universal), a delightful animated comedy suitable for almost all ages.

Take “Peter Pan,” add a dash of “Alice in Wonderland,” stir in the poetry of William Butler Yeats and you have the recipe for “Come Away” (Relativity), an intriguing if slightly schizophrenic fairy tale.