G, 1:40, animation
In a simple stroke of do-it-yourself genius, “Toy Story 4” introduces a pip of a character made out of a spork, named Forky. He has been created by little Bonnie, whose fraught first day of kindergarten provides the highly relatable starting point of this enormously winning sequel. Fished out of the trash by Woody (Tom Hanks, better than ever), Forky (voice by Tony Hale) initially knows nothing beyond an impulse to return to the garbage from whence it came. The narrative deals with various challenges of letting go, and learning to move on, and when to remind yourself that — as we know from Arthur Miller — there’s “a universe of people outside, and you’re responsible to it.”
R, 1:46, horror
This is a nice summer surprise and unexpectedly the freshest of the “Annabelle” movies spun off from the larger “Conjuring” films. Most of the action confines itself to the suburban Connecticut split-level home of demonologists who have business out of town and leave their 10-year-old, Judy (Mckenna Grace), in the loving care of teenage Mary Ellen (Madison Iseman). In the basement there’s a collection of satanic objects that must not be messed with. On the other hand: no mess, no movie. Annabelle, a wide-eyed, pig-tailed, unholy doll, is the latest addition to the menagerie, and we learn early on that she’s “a beacon for other spirits,” an unnatural-born leader.
PG-13, 1:56, comedy/fantasy
Danny Boyle’s latest requires viewers to take a few leaps of faith. First, you have to buy into the rule that, categorically, the best songs ever written are by the Beatles. This magical dramedy presents the idea that a weird electrical blip/solar flare causes electricity all over the world to go out, while simultaneously wiping our collective consciousness clean of all traces of the Beatles. Jack (Himesh Patel) is the only person in the world who remembers the band, so he decides to capitalize on it. Everything in the film is high-concept, high-pressure, high-stakes, nothing makes any sense and is never explained. The songs? Great, of course. The story? Strange at best.
PG, 2:08, family
Briefly, since you’ve probably seen the radically better animated version: In the kingdom of Agrabah, street thief Aladdin (Mena Massoud) and his digital monkey Abu encounter Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) in the market. The snivelmeister Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) covets the golden lamp hidden in the Cave of Wonders. The lamp ends up in Aladdin’s hands, and out comes good ol’ Will Smith in blue pigment. The new material folds well enough into the existing material. Audiences likely will focus their love, hate or indifference on the matter of how much they like Smith in quick-change genie mode. He goes his own way in a disposable action movie, interrupted by songs.
PG, 1:26, animation
Amid the cute critter shenanigans, this sequel has plenty of lessons for parents. Most of the same gang is back this time: Kevin Hart as the fluffy white bunny Snowball, Eric Stonestreet as the goofy giant Newfoundland, Lake Bell as the laconic cat Chloe and Jenny Slate as the plucky Pomeranian Gidget. This time, though, our main hero terrier Max is voiced by Patton Oswalt, replacing the disgraced Louis CK. There are three interlocking plots — a wise decision since none is deep enough to carry the film alone, forcing some convoluted stitching together. But they manage it, creating a solid piece of entertainment for all ages, if not a terribly revelatory one.
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