The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television during the week of Sept. 29, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week. Televised films may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations while the programs listed have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by OSV News.
Streaming Now
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (2022; Hulu)
Frequently amusing animated comedy follows the adventures of the titular restaurant’s owner (voice of H. Jon Benjamin), his wife (voice of John Roberts) and their three children (voices of Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman and Kristen Schaal). With the payment on a bank loan looming, a sinkhole abruptly opens up in front of the family eatery, threatening its future. As Mom and Dad try to adapt to the situation, the youngsters set out to solve the murder of a skeleton found in the suddenly formed pit, hoping to clear their wealthy landlord (voice of Kevin Kline), who stands accused of the crime, and thus gain his financial help. Directors Loren Bouchard and Bernard Derriman’s adaptation of the long-running Fox TV show, which Bouchard also co-wrote, mixes wry observations and quirky personalities with a few jaunty songs. But the dialogue is larded with restrained swearing while the elder daughter’s romantic thoughts about a schoolmate (also voiced by Benjamin) sometimes focus on the seat of his pants, making this most appropriate for older teens and their seniors. Pervasive mildly profane language, occasional scatological and anatomical humor, several crass terms. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Edge of Tomorrow” (2014; Netflix)
This intriguing sci-fi action epic, set against the background of a devastating worldwide invasion by murderous aliens, finds a combat-averse Army officer (Tom Cruise) paying for his confrontation with a powerful superior (Brendan Gleeson) by being summarily reduced to the ranks and placed in the front line of a D-Day-like attack designed to liberate continental Europe from its extraterrestrial occupiers. Though the vast operation quickly becomes a rout, the unwilling warrior’s seemingly fatal encounter with the enemy results, not in death, but in his being caught up in a time warp within which he’s forced to live out the day preceding the doomed assault over and over again. He eventually makes contact with a skilled Special Forces operative (Emily Blunt) whose earlier experience of the same phenomenon enabled her to achieve a high-profile but temporary victory over the intruders, and together they try to use the anomaly to reverse humanity’s fading fortunes. Despite repeated scenes of battlefield chaos, director Doug Liman’s satisfying adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s teen-targeted novel “All You Need Is Kill” mostly shields viewers from gore, while the leads are too distracted by their military mission to express their mutual attraction in any but the most restrained of ways. Only some salty barracks talk bars a youthful audience. Pervasive action violence with minimal blood, a couple of uses of profanity, about a half-dozen crude and twice as many crass terms, a bit of sexual humor. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (2022; Amazon Prime)
Entertaining animated adventure in which the once-fearless feline bandit of the title (voice of Antonio Banderas), who first appeared in this persona in the Shrek franchise and previously had his own 2011 feature, realizes that he is down to the last of his nine lives and is paralyzed with terror when confronted by a wolf bounty hunter (voice of Wagner Moura) who preys on his dread of death. So, hoping to extend his longevity, he sets off in search of a fallen star said to have the power to grant any wish. He’s accompanied by an equally skilled cat thief (voice of Salma Hayek Pinault) with whom he shares a tangled romantic past, and by a newly acquired canine sidekick (voice of Harvey Guillén). As the trio competes with various characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes, all out to beat them to the goal of their quest, helmer Joel Crawford and co-director Januel P. Mercado intersperse frenetic action sequences with gentle lessons about friendship, goodness of heart, humility, trust and teamwork. Though too frightening for tots, their sequel will prove an enjoyable diversion for all others. Intense cartoon mayhem, characters in peril, a couple of crass terms, some scatological details. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Looking Ahead
Sunday, Sept. 29, noon-1 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “Pilgrimage Mass.” This Eucharistic liturgy, broadcast from the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock in County Mayo, Ireland, is celebrated by the Legion of Mary in honor of the relics of St. Bernadette (TV-G — general audience).
Sunday, Sept. 29, 8 p.m.-12:15 a.m. EDT (TCM) “Greed” (1924). Director Erich von Stroheim’s silent masterpiece is based on the Frank Norris novel “McTeague,” about a self-taught San Francisco dentist (Gibson Gowland) who loses his license because of a jealous friend (Jean Hersholt), is driven by poverty to kill his miserly wife (ZaSu Pitts) and escape with her money into the scorching desert wastes of Death Valley in one of the screen’s most memorable endings. Though cut by the studio, the realism of the result has an almost documentary quality in what it shows of America at the turn of the century, especially its materialistic values and their corrupting influence on the human person. Powerful parable on the wages of greed, with a few scenes of intense but nongraphic violence. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
Monday, Sept. 30, 10-11:30 p.m. EDT (PBS) “One Person, One Vote?” Filmmaker Maximina Juson’s documentary examines the workings of the electoral college and follows four electors representing different parties in Colorado during the 2020 election. An “Independent Lens” presentation.
Wednesday, Oct. 2, 8:15-11 p.m. EDT (AMC) “The Exorcist” (1973). Strong screen version of the William Blatty novel about the demonic possession of a young girl (Linda Blair) and the attempts of two priests (Jason Miller and Max von Sydow) to exorcize the devil from her. Directed by William Friedkin, the movie is on shaky ground theologically and its special effects are horrific, but the result is an exciting horror fantasy for those with strong stomachs. Its graphic violence, obscene references and foul language make it strictly adult fare. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating was R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Saturday, Oct. 5, 10:08-11:30 a.m. EDT (TCM) “Tarzan’s Magic Fountain” (1949). Fanciful jungle adventure directed by Lee Sholem in which Tarzan (Lex Barker) tries to keep greedy outsiders (Albert Dekker and Charles Drake) from finding a hidden mountain city, whose waters restore youth and heal the sick, though Jane (Brenda Joyce) complicates matters by trying to guide an aviatrix (Evelyn Ankers) and her husband (Alan Napier) there. Stylized violence. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
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