Movie & Television Reviews

All six roughly 45 minute-long episodes of the series “Art Detectives” are currently streaming on Acorn TV. The British production combines the cozy variety of mystery solving that forms a staple of UK television with easily accessible sophistication.

Now joined by co-director J.P. Sans, Perifel has crafted an equally enjoyable follow-up, “The Bad Guys 2” (Universal). While this second installment continues the ensemble’s conversion story, the script — on which the first movie’s writer, Etan Cohen, collaborated with Yoni Brenner — also includes enough potty-centric material to annoy at least some parents.

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

“Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” is writer-director Embeth Davidtz’s adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s 2001 memoir of her childhood in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). The respectful and evocative drama recounts its protagonist’s slowly dawning recognition of racial inequality in her homeland.

With “Smurfs,” a blend of animation and live action, director Chris Miller has given the titular blue elves, Belgian cartoonist Peyo’s trademark creatures, a big-screen reboot. Although his would-be fresh start promotes positive values and is mostly free of problematic material, it’s also numbingly uninteresting.

Capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.