Skyscraper PG-13
A rare summer blockbuster that is neither sequel nor comic book adaptation, Skyscraper stars Dwayne Johnson as Will Sawyer, former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and war veteran. Now head of security for the world’s tallest skyscraper, “The Pearl,” Sawyer is framed for setting the building on fire. Pursued by police and criminals alike, Sawyer’s main concern is rescuing his wife and kids who find themselves trapped inside the massive structure above the fire line. Produced by China-owned Legendary Entertainment and set in Hong Kong, the picture caters equally to Western and Asian sensibilities. It banks on wall-to-wall action, yet was made for a relatively modest $125 million by writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber, who stretches every dollar a Hong Kong mile.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation PG
In the franchise threequel, long-widowed Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler), dreams of romance. Hoping to cheer dad up, daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez) arranges for Drac and crew to take a cruise aboard a resort ship catering to monsters. Drac immediately falls for platinum blonde ship captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), blithely unaware she’s the vampire-killing granddaughter of Van Helsing. The jokes fly fast and furious, working best in tandem with the film’s sight gags. Taking a page from Despicable Me, this chapter features adorable, look-a-like gremlins that revel in causing untold mischief and lovable werewolf pups. Some films will do anything to make us howl.
