Though Black or White earns its adoption stripes through simple kinship adoption (Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer vie for custody of the granddaughter they share, Eloise, played by the luminous Jillian Estell), the bigger message for adoptive families is the devastating split a person can experience when divided in two by color, race, biology and/or biography. And how not dealing with tough emotions such as anger and grief rarely means they resolve on their own.
A vivid and delightful animated spectacle, “Rio 2” is chock-full of colorful 3-D wonder and jubilant musical numbers set against a tale of family dynamics and environmental dilemmas. The sequel opens with a vibrant New Year’s Eve bash, as partying in the music-filled streets of Rio de Janeiro is punctuated by fireworks bursting above the Christ the Redeemer statue. Supervised by composer John Powell, more emphasis has been placed on the music of this film, which benefits from numbers by artists like Bruno Mars (who also voices the smooth bird Roberto in the film), Janelle Monae and celebrated Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown. After mating in Brazil in 2011’s “Rio,” rare macaws Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway) now have three lively kids w...
“I am more than just a cropduster!” Dusty Crophopper proclaims at the beginning of “Planes,” and it’s hard not to sigh. In recent years we’ve seen a penguin that wants to dance, a video game villain who wants to be a good guy and, most recently, a snail that wants to be a race car. The children of the world get it. You can be whatever you want if you work really hard and have charming sidekicks. But after a trying first act, this DisneyToon Studios release finds a nice cruising altitude, embarking on a world tour that yields some pleasant surprises. “Planes” was supposed to debut direct to video, before Disney decided it was deserving of the big screen. (Story idea: A video store cassette that dreams of being a theatrical release!) “Pla...
“Despicable Me” had two big things going for it — heart and humor. “Despicable Me 2” doesn’t have nearly as much heart, but it makes up for that deficiency with a lot more humor. It’s tough to find the same kind of emotional notes that made the original film — the 2010 hit where Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) goes from a super villain who steals the moon to the loving father of three orphans — so enjoyable. It seems almost impossible to emotionally top adopting orphans. That’s why the sequel leans more on the humor, especially with a much-expanded role for the jabbering, yellow, round assistants known as his Minions. These are the funniest yellow characters this side of “The Simpsons.” Not since the “Madagascar” movies — where...