Capsule reviews for July 15

Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words

A more offbeat documentary treatment probably would have been more fitting tribute to Zappa, the iconoclastic musician and provocateur whose career gained an underground following during the 1970s. Instead, the approach of German director Thorsten Schutte feels more dutiful than daring as he edits together clips from various interviews and other archival footage featuring Zappa, from his career beginnings to his controversial stage antics to his political activism to his eventual popularity in Europe to his death from cancer in 1993. At least the film provides a fresh perspective for a new generation on an innovative entertainer whose stance on artistic freedom still resonates today. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Equals

The latest examination of a post-apocalyptic future filled with bureaucratic oppression, this science-fiction romance takes place on a distant planet where the robotic detachment of the inhabitants unintentionally carries over to the relationship between an illustrator (Nicholas Hoult) and a writer (Kristen Stewart). Their forbidden courtship touches feelings that brand them as diseased according to the rules of The Collective, prompting an escape attempt once their superiors become suspicious. The slick visual approach of director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy) creates a compelling backdrop, yet despite some powerful character-driven moments, the deliberately paced result is more pretentious than provocative as it maintains a frustrating emotional distance. (Rated PG-13, 101 minutes).

Outlaws and Angels

There are plenty of the former but few of the latter in this throwback Western, which has some evocative touches considering its shoestring budget, but little compelling drama along the way. It takes place in New Mexico circa 1890, where a bank robbery leads to a bloody showdown at a frontier farmhouse involving a masked outlaw (Chad Michael Murray), a bounty hunter (Luke Wilson) and the house’s morally conflicted inhabitants. There are some intriguing concepts and characters in the script by rookie director J.T. Mollner, which shows its spaghetti Western influences but is compromised by muddled plotting and overwrought twists that could use a lighter touch. (Rated R, 119 minutes).

Undrafted

The errors outnumber the hits in this heartfelt ensemble drama meant to pay tribute to the uniting power of baseball, especially a bond between father and son and the camaraderie between teammates. It takes place entirely during a summer amateur-league game, mostly in the dugout of a ragtag squad whose best player (Aaron Tveit) shows up after learning his professional dreams likely have been dashed. So the game takes on a bittersweet relevance, but former child actor Joe Mazzello (Jurassic Park), who makes his directorial debut, can’t reconcile those intentions with an off-putting collection of characters who become tiresome, both on and off the field. (Not rated, 100 minutes).