Although its plot centers on a family of friendly witches, the romantic drama “Practical Magic 2” (Warner Bros.) involves no advocacy for the dark arts. They simply exist as part of the fanciful premise. Instead, the film’s appeal, like that of its 1998 predecessor, is meant to lie in its portrayal of strong female bonding amid adversity.

In 1381, one of the more unusual occurrences in Medieval history took place when a massive rebellion broke out among English serfs, temporarily threatening the established order of society. The events surrounding this attempt at revolution are chronicled in the grim and slaughter-filled dramatization “The Uprising” (Focus).

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. 20, 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.

“By Any Means” (Paramount) is a morally defective fact-based drama that not only rejects Jesus’ teaching on the proper response to wrongful aggression but explicitly mocks it. Viewers of faith should, accordingly, shun the film.

As its title suggests, the comedy “Coyote vs. Acme” (Ketchup Entertainment), which blends live action with animation, concerns a legal case. Namely, a tort suit brought by Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote against the Acme Corporation alleging that the company has repeatedly sold him dangerously defective products.

“The Dog Stars” (20th Century) tries to overcome its ostensible status as a post-apocalyptic shoot ’em up by exploring the need for a supportive and compassionate spirit of community in the wake of a worldwide flu pandemic. But the effort proves less than successful.

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. 13, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

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. 6, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week.

There’s not much cinematic bounty to be derived from “Mutiny” (Lionsgate). A star vehicle for the ever-brooding Jason Statham, director Jean-François Richet’s action flick is dreary from the start and eventually deteriorates into an explicitly revenge-driven bloodbath.

Self-sacrificing maternal love animates the thin plot of “Insidious: Out of the Further,” the sixth installment in the eponymous horror franchise.