Movie & Television Reviews

As origin stories for Marvel Cinematic Universe characters go, “Madame Web” (Sony) is notable for being particularly abrasive, sour and gloomy. That’s surprising given that this fourth film in the Spider-Man series is meant to be something of a conversion story.

“Ark: Survival Ascended” (Studio Wildcard) is a remastered remake of the same franchise’s 2015 game “Survival Evolved.” Like its predecessor, it’s a post-apocalyptic adventure that anachronistically combines advanced futuristic technology with the presence of dinosaurs.

In 1999, almost two decades after its creator’s untimely death at the age of 36, the 1977 reggae LP “Exodus” was named the album of the century by Time magazine. The making of that classic record is one of the events chronicled in the competent biographical drama “Bob Marley: One Love” (Paramount).

A little-known chapter of American religious history is explored in the enlightening documentary, “For the Sake of the Gospel.” Produced by the Diocese of Savannah, and made possible by the Catholic Communications Campaign, the film will air on EWTN Monday, Feb. 5, 5:30-6 p.m. EST.

“Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora” (Ubisoft) is an open-world action-adventure game that takes place concurrently with the movies. Its narrative, however, tells a standalone tale. While the experience as a whole is safest for grown-ups, it may also be acceptable for older adolescents.

Five years since the premiere of the first season, the series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth is now garnering over 770 million views of its episodes and has more than 12 million social media followers.