Capsule reviews for July 22

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

The title doesn’t accurately describe the quality of this lackluster big-screen revival of the popular British sitcom that’s been off the air for several years. It again chronicles talent agent Edina (Jennifer Saunders) and her best friend, magazine editor Patsy (Joanna Lumley), whose latest party-hearty misadventure includes a high-profile celebrity incident at a fashion launch that causes them to flee to the French Riviera, chased by paparazzi. While fans of the show might enjoy seeing their favorite divas again, and the collection of cameos is amusing, the concept fails to spark at feature length, with the chemistry between the charismatic stars feeling more obnoxious than charming. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Don’t Think Twice

A heartfelt tribute to improvisational collaboration, this ensemble comedy from director Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk With Me) has plenty of laughs along with its sharply observed examination of the fickle nature of fame. It follows a New York improv troupe that finds niche success through the rapport of its members. Yet their relationships begin to fray amid egos and petty jealousies after one of them (Keegan-Michael Key) finds success and the others fear they’ll be left behind. Regardless of your views on improv as an art form, the film has an appealing sense of authenticity among its stars (including Birbiglia himself) and maintains an appropriately freewheeling vibe. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Hooligan Sparrow

This powerful documentary looks as social injustice in China through the eyes of Ye Haiyan, a women’s rights advocate who stages a protest over a series of sexual assaults involving corrupt federal officials and young girls, and the loopholes in the country’s flimsy prostitution laws that allow them to get away with it. She winds up being persecuted by the government, of course, along with filmmaker Nanfu Wang, who was chronicling her efforts (the Chinese don’t like suspicious cameras). Although it’s structurally uneven, the film shines a thought-provoking spotlight on a courageous woman and offers a worthwhile salute to grassroots activism in the face of oppression. (Not rated, 84 minutes).

Ice Age: Collision Course

The diminishing returns continue in the fifth installment of this tired animated franchise, which finds its returning batch of prehistoric characters mixed with some new friends, and thrown into a ridiculous scenario about stopping an impending meteor shower that could wipe out life on Earth. It’s interspersed, of course, with the intergalactic adventures of Scrat the squirrel chasing his elusive acorn. The animation is crisp and the pace might be frenetic enough to satisfy children with short-attention spans, but despite an energetic voice cast, the stale jokes and forced heroism of the otherwise charming characters offer little creative rationale for saving the series from extinction. (Rated PG, 94 minutes).