When a killer realizes he is dying, he transfers his consciousness into a toddler-sized Chucky doll. Child’s Play reboots a 21-year-old franchise for the Internet age.
Anna (Rated R)
Writer-director Luc Besson is known for action flicks, filled with kicks delivered by attractive men and women. This time, he recruited top Russian model and acting newcomer Sasha Luss to play the title role in Anna. She’s a Russian contract killer spending much of her time changing wigs and makeup to remain incognito, all while trying to stay alive. Helen Mirren, Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy bring credibility to the cast. The bottom line is, if you liked Besson’s La Femme Nikita, Transporter and Taken, this could be just your kind of film. (Lisa Miller)
Child’s Play (Rated R)
This film reboots a 21-year-old franchise for the Internet age. When a killer realizes he is dying, he transfers his consciousness into a toddler-sized Chucky doll. That toy is soon purchased for young Andy. In order to kill those he wants dead, Chucky carries (or more often, drags) a large butcher knife, but he can also use his own Bluetooth capability to command other Bluetooth-enabled devices. The 1988 franchise gained a cult following that earned it six sequels. For the reboot to follow suit, today’s sophisticated audiences need to also find the concept of a killer toy doll frightening. (L.M.)
Toy Story 4 (Rated G)
With Pixar calling the shots, the Toy Story films had some of the most sophisticated screenplays in contemporary Hollywood, entertaining adults with their analogies and references and kids with their colorful spectacle. With Pixar’s annexation by Disney, the level has gone down in this film franchise’s fourth episode, and yet there are messages here about the tension between individuality and community and about loyalty versus making new choices: Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) struggles with a lack of purpose in a different child’s home, while Bo (Annie Potts) shows a different path of independence.
