A.X.L. PG
This second release in as many weeks (see Alpha) spotlights our affection for our canine best friends. While riding his motorcycle through a military research area, Miles (Alex Neustaedter) discovers a damaged top-secret, robotic dog. Created to protect soldiers, the Bengal tiger-sized artificial intelligence is named A.X.L.—a colorful character programmed to bond with its human counterpart. Having bonded with Miles, A.X.L. is a loyal protector, while Miles, in conjunction with computer savvy Sara (Becky G), joins A.X.L. to evade his abusive military researchers. A.X.L. easily keeps pace as Miles capably maneuvers his motorbike over and around obstacles, taking advantage of the terrain to outwit their military pursuers. A kid-friendly film, A.X.L. certainly presents excellent toy merchandising opportunities.
The Happytime Murders R
When Brian Henson signed on to direct Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks and Maya Rudolph in a live-action/human-puppet film, he embraced exposing the seamy side of puppet sex addicts and prostitutes. Being the son of Muppet creator Jim Henson, the experience must have been equal parts confusing and amusing. In a universe where puppets and humans coexist, McCarthy portrays detective Connie Edwards, a human teamed with an oversexualized puppet detective to solve the murders of puppets from a popular children’s TV show. Complex human-puppet friendships are further complicated because the human actors here must walk two-foot wide planks in order to accommodate puppeteers beneath the sets.
