New Release
‘Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’
With Imperial holdouts still loose, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu answer the New Republic’s call, crossing paths with Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver), Rotta the Hutt (Jeremy Allen White), and the lingering menace of Lord Janu (Jonny Coyne).Pedro Pascal brings the weathered bounty-hunter edge, while his diminutive sidekick, Grogu, gives the adventure a smaller, weirder pulse. Together, the duo gives this Star Wars outing its old-fashioned Saturday-matinee pull, with helmeted heroics, creature charm, and post-Empire danger.
Family Pick
‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’
Professor Lindenbrook (James Mason) follows a volcanic clue to Iceland with Alec McEwan (Pat Boone), Carla Göteborg (Arlene Dahl), and Hans Belker (Peter Ronson). Beneath the earth, prehistoric beasts and lost ruins turn the expedition into an old-fashioned peril ride.The film’s science is nonsense, and Pat Boone’s songs may test a few viewers. Still, Mason’s command, Dahl’s bite, Bernard Herrmann’s booming score, and the film’s belief in courage and curiosity make this Jules Verne adventure sturdy family fare for a Saturday afternoon.
A Professor with Killer Timing
‘Hit Man’
Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a stiff New Orleans professor, finds out he’s bizarrely good at posing as a hired killer for police stings. Then Madison (Adria Arjona) walks in, and his fake killer act turns into romance, lies, and a mess he can’t get his way out of.This rom-com has Powell’s acting chops put to good use, and Arjona gives the whole thing a dangerous charge. The story gets shady fast, so this isn’t family-night fare, but as an adult movie, it’s slick, funny, and ultimately enjoyable.
A House Full of Heartache
‘Four Daughters’
Music professor Adam Lemp (Claude Rains) raises four gifted daughters. Ann (Priscilla Lane), Felix Deitz (Jeffrey Lynn), and bitter Mickey Borden (John Garfield) are pulled into the heartbreak at the center of this family drama.Garfield’s debut and Lane’s wounded sweetness push this handsome family soap into real ache, with decency and sacrifice treated as virtues.
