NEWS ARTS & CULTURE FOOD SCREENS MUSIC there is so much here that is unfamiliar to PROMARE non-disabled audience members that could D: Hiroyuki Imaishi; with the voices of Billy Kametz, Johnny Yong Official Secrets have brought us further into Danny’s clear Bosch, Crispin Freeman, Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, Neil Kaplan, Erica sense of isolation. Lindbeck. (PG-13, 111 min.) The biggest problem is how little effort has Not reviewed at press time. The first fea- gone into threading this narrative together. At ture from new anime outfit Studio Trigger is one point, Wesley comes home to find a U.S. a hyperkinetic action explosion by director marshal speaking to his mother. When Wesley Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill) featuring pretends to know nothing about the fugitive, mechs and pyrokinetic terrorists in a post- the marshal smiles kindly and launches into apocalyptic future. the kind of parable only expressed by cops GATEWAY in backcountry thrillers. You see, the marshal recalls a woman who lived down the street from his childhood home used to feed stray FIRST RUNS cats, and one day, she started feeding a baby mountain lion. When the lion grew up, it *Full-length reviews available online at attacked the woman, killing her and the rest austinchronicle.com. Dates at end of reviews indicate original publication date. of her family. Satisfied that Wesley has gotten AFS CINEMA the point, the marshal excuses himself, never once bothering to explain why he thought a deaf boy on the outskirts of town was harbor- ABOMINABLE D: Jill Culton, Todd Wilderman; with the voices of Chloe Bennet, ing a fugitive in the first place. Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Sarah Paulson, Eddie Izzard, the bombastic boar, King Leonard Mudbeard (Hader). water status before wisely getting her back to the jungle As if these kinds of narrative lapses Tsai Chin, Michelle Wong, Joseph Izzo. (PG, 92 min.) Yet that peace is undone by a menace from the newly on a new adventure. (08/16/2019) HHH weren’t enough, The Parts You Lose has the The title of this DreamWorks animated feature sug- discovered Eagle Island, its manic ruler Zeta (Jones), and – Kimberley Jones a Bond-villain-esque volcano-powered ice cannon. So far, METROPOLITAN, SKY CINEMAS wrong cast. The film’s trio of headline per- gests something more monstrous than cuddly, but the snow-white baby yeti with a snaggle-toothed smile in so formulaic. But this second animated expedition to pro- formers – Winstead, McNairy, and Paul – are jectile bliss has a magical ingredient in animation genius ✪ DOWNTON ABBEY Abominable is a huggable little critter, ready-made for D: Michael Engler; with Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Penelope unquestionably talented, but the characters merchandising. The cleverly named Everest escapes from Thurop Van Orman. His hands may be tied on the look of this film and on the constant pop-musical stings, but his Wilton, Matthew Goode, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim they are asked to play have no connection to a Chinese research facility and sets out to trek 2,000 Carter, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Allen Leech, their respective skill sets. When Hollywood miles to return to his Himalayan family, with the help of nonsensical humor and willingness to have protagonists who are oblivious to their flaws – or even better, OK with Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier, Elizabeth McGovern, Joanne three kids residing in the apartment building of his rooftop Froggatt, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol. (PG, 122 min.) decides you’re old enough to play a mom, them – flies through this film. (08/16/2019) refuge. There’s some gorgeous animation and impeccable “It’s ... cute!” “It’s ... pretty good!” You know it when your characters are instantly vaulted into HHH – Richard Whittaker camerawork on display here, but there’s no emotional core you hear it: the audible ellipsis in search of something middle age; even if we accept Winstead as METROPOLITAN to Abominable, which mostly proceeds at a glacial pace as noncommittally positive, the pitch inflecting brightly into the mother of a 10-year-old, it’s a shame to the travelers journey across China. Sure, Everest is cute. ✪ an invisible exclamation point. I’ve been using it all week see her backed into such a one-note per- BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON But cuteness will get you only so far. (09/27/2019) D: Paul Downs Colaizzo; with Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Micah anytime somebody asked me what I thought of Downton formance. Similarly, McNairy is known for HHHn – Steve Davis Stock, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery. (R, 103 min.) Abbey, a two-hour film extension of the melodramatic ALAMO LAKELINE, ALAMO SLAUGHTER LANE, BARTON CREEK SQUARE, British TV program of the same name, itself an enjoyably bringing intricate character work to even the CINEMARK 20, CM CEDAR PARK, CM HILL COUNTRY GALLERIA, CM STONE HILL Like most millennials in New York City, Brittany (Bell) smallest supporting roles. Can he play an TOWN CENTER, FLIX BREWHOUSE, HIGHLAND, GATEWAY, IPIC, LAKELINE, is barely treading water. So when her doctor raises ques- sudsy comic melodrama made classy with period history, alcoholic abuser? Sure, but McNairy is far METROPOLITAN, MOVIEHOUSE, MOVIEHOUSE & EATERY LANTANA PLACE, SKY tions about her health during a Yelp-inspired physical, she a passing interest in income inequality, and – in America – CINEMAS, WESTGATE the dignified imprimatur of Masterpiece Theatre. It’s back more believable as a victim than a monster. decides to take matters into her own hands and take up running. Unfortunately, the closer she gets to her ideal to the comfortable upstairs lives of the Crawley family Aaron Paul is, of course, Aaron Paul. AD ASTRA body weight, the harder she is on herself, her friends, and and the downstairs toils of their staff as they prepare for The Parts You Lose captures the wintry D: James Gray; with Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv a royal visit. Fans of the show should be satisfied if not Tyler, Donald Sutherland. (PG-13, 122 min.) her family. Nestled at the heart of this self-care narrative isolation of North Dakota well, and the actors is a tender romance between Brittany and handsome free- entirely sated by this return to Downton. Those with no “Apocalypse Now meets 2001” is a hell of an ele- prior knowledge of the show should probably see what’s involved ensure that it’s never unwatchable. vator pitch. It’s beyond regrettable that Ad Astra has loader Jern (Ambudkar), and while both may have some work to do on themselves, they tend to bring out the best playing in the next theatre over. (09/20/2019) Yet this is the worst kind of bad movie: a film all the metaphysical weight of a Lincoln commercial as HHHn – Kimberley Jones second-generation astronaut Major Roy McBride (Pitt) in each other – a solid foundation for any 21st century with absolutely nothing to say. love story. Rom com fans will take pleasure seeing how ALAMO LAKELINE, ALAMO MUELLER, ALAMO SLAUGHTER LANE, ALAMO S. HHn – Matthew Monagle heads to Pluto to stop his father (Jones) from accidentally LAMAR, ALAMO VILLAGE, ARBOR, BARTON CREEK SQUARE, CINEMARK 20, a contemporary filmmaker works within the confines of CM CEDAR PARK, CM HILL COUNTRY GALLERIA, FLIX BREWHOUSE, GATEWAY, HIGHLAND (or possibly purposefully) destroying all life. Ad Astra is undoubtedly aspirational in its intent, but it’s also trite. It the genre without sacrificing an ounce of body positivity. IPIC, LAKELINE, METROPOLITAN, MOVIEHOUSE, MOVIEHOUSE & EATERY thinks it has something profound to say about the human (08/30/2019) LANTANA PLACE, SKY CINEMAS, VIOLET CROWN, WESTGATE HHHH condition, and it proceeds to have every point clubbed n – Matthew Monagle ARBOR ✪ THE FAREWELL over the audience’s head by a whisper-mumbled narra- D: Lulu Wang; with Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Shuzhen Zhao, Us tion from Pitt. Under the mush there are the bones of a ✪ DORA AND THE LOST CITY Jiang Yongbo. (PG, 98 min., subtitled) D: Jordan Peele; with Lupita Nyong’o, Winston real discussion about what humanity’s future in space After immigrating to New York with her parents as a could and may be, and writer-director Gray is at least OF GOLD Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Shahadi D: James Bobin; with Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Jeff child, Billi (Awkwafina) maintains a close relationship Wright Joseph, Evan Alex. (2019, R, 121 min.) grasping at issues that need tackling in popular culture Wahlberg, Nicholas Coombe, Madeleine Madden, Eva Longoria, with her Nai Nai (Shuzhen), even as her memories of her Alamo Drafthouse of Torment. Drafthouse before it’s too late. He just has no illuminating insight. Michael Peña. (PG, 102 min.) time in China have faded. This changes when Nai Nai is screens Peele’s horror thriller outside of Austin’s (09/20/2019) While not as explicitly educational as the original diagnosed with cancer, and so Billi’s father (Tzi), mother spine-tingling House of Torment. (*) @House of HH – Richard Whittaker Nickelodeon cartoon it’s based on, Dora and the Lost (Lin), and uncle Haibin (Jiang), who now lives in Japan, Torment, Wednesday, 7:30pm. ALAMO LAKELINE, ALAMO MUELLER, ALAMO SLAUGHTER LANE, BARTON CREEK SQUARE, CINEMARK 20, CM CEDAR PARK, CM HILL COUNTRY City of Gold proves edifying nonetheless – in the way it reunite the full family for the first time in decades to GALLERIA, FLIX BREWHOUSE, HIGHLAND, GATEWAY, IPIC, LAKELINE, embraces values like kindness, resilience, and curiosity. say goodbye. Although The Farewell is, at its core, a film METROPOLITAN, MOVIEHOUSE, MOVIEHOUSE & EATERY LANTANA PLACE, SKY Did I mention it’s also stupid charming? That has every- about cultural differences, Wang has no interest in turning CINEMAS, VIOLET CROWN, WESTGATE thing to do with the titular heroine, aged up to be a high Billi’s journey into just a fish-out-of-water story.