Kurt Jensen

A menagerie of special effects aimlessly searching for a coherent plot is the most concise way to sum up “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (Warner Bros.), the sequel to 2018’s immensely successful “Aquaman.”

In the musical drama “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.), author Alice Walker’s account of one woman’s survival skills and self-esteem in the face of grinding poverty and cruel patriarchal oppression finds its perfected ritual form.

The soul-deadening platter of splatter “Thanksgiving” (Sony) is intended as a comedic homage to exploitation horror films of the past.

In a world of ultra-raunchy rap and the obscenity-laden lyrics often found even outside that genre, Taylor Swift shows considerable moderation.