Capsule reviews for June 26

Batkid Begins

The true-life story itself is more compelling than the recap in this crowd-pleasing documentary about Miles Scott, a 5-year-old San Francisco boy with leukemia who told the Make-a-Wish Foundation in 2013 that he wanted to become Batman. The request sparked an outpouring of support that included thousands of onlookers awaiting his “rescue,” and millions more around the world who caused the incident to go viral. The result will have all but the most cynical viewers cheering for the little boy, yet the approach by director Dana Nachman too often feels shallow and superficial, missing a chance to provide depth and context beyond the basics. (Rated PG, 87 minutes).

Big Game

A generous dose of deadpan Scandinavian humor can’t save this silly trifle from director Jalmari Helander (Rare Exports) with an amusing concept. When Air Force One is shot down by terrorists in the mountains of Finland, the president (Samuel L. Jackson) is forced to team up with an aspiring teenage hunter (Onni Tommila) to survive in the wilderness and hold off the bad guys as the Pentagon scrambles to put together a rescue effort. There are some laughs along the way, and the cast is strong, yet the film strains to replicate mainstream Hollywood action flicks instead of emphasizing the differences that make it unique. (Rated PG-13, 90 minutes).

Escobar: Paradise Lost

Benecio Del Toro’s searing performance in the title role drives this otherwise uneven thriller that uses the life of the corrupt Colombian politician and notorious drug lord as a backdrop for the story of a Canadian surfer (Josh Hutcherson) who falls for Escobar’s niece (Claudia Traisac), and learns too late how dangerous that can be when his innocent family becomes targeted during his downfall. It’s an ambitious debut for Italian director Andrea Di Stefano, whose screenplay manages some tense moments before it loses focus in the second half amid some contrived action-hero nonsense. Meanwhile, a potentially provocative examination of Escobar’s ruthless motives and madness is squandered. (Rated R, 119 minutes).

Felt

Powerful more in its intentions than its execution, this bizarre exploration of the psychological scars of rape victims follows a young woman (Amy Everson) who begins withdrawing from her social routine and behaving erratically, creating an vengeful alter-ego of sorts when she dresses up in body stockings with prosthetic genitalia. Then the past trauma brings mixed results to her subsequent dates with a sensitive stranger (Kentucker Audley). There are some moments of unsettling vulnerability as director Jason Banker (Toad Road) blends fantasy and reality in an effort to convey emotional detachment and isolation. Yet despite Everson’s audacious performance, the overall impact is more muddled than insightful. (Not rated, 80 minutes).

Fresh Dressed

This lively documentary shows that an in-depth probe of the evolution of hip-hop fashions can be as fun as you might expect, while also providing some more serious insight into how the interests of both industries are sometimes mutually exclusive. The film provides a chronological history that starts in New York, and charts — through an extensive roster of interviewees and abundant archival footage — how urban styles became more mainstream, but rookie director Sacha Jenkins also examines the corporate downside to such popularity. Although primarily a nostalgia trip for fans of the subject, the film offers outsiders a unique perspective into the intersection of art and commerce. (Not rated, 84 minutes).