Capsule reviews for Dec. 13

Code 8

Noteworthy more for its ambition than execution, this science-fiction crime thriller features strong production values but a wobbly script. It takes place in a futuristic police state where mutant humans are ostracized and forbidden to use their superpowers by surveillance drones. However, Conner (Robbie Amell) needs money to pay for his mother’s medical expenses, so he joins a crime ring led by drug dealers and bank robbers, where his ability to conduct electricity comes in handy. The film enhances its concept with stylish visuals, including serviceable effects. Yet the performances are uneven, and the screenplay’s lack of sufficient context muddles the subtext and emotional pull. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Cunningham

Merce Cunningham himself admitted that his work was an acquired taste, but modern dance aficionados will appreciate this documentary tribute to one of the medium’s most revolutionary performers and choreographers. For more than three decades as a dancer and teacher during the mid-20th century, Cunningham broke traditional rules by combining elements of ballet with fluid movements free from musical constraints. Russian filmmaker Alla Kovgan uses archival footage to fill in the biographical gaps, while freshly interpreting some of Cunningham’s dances in vibrant 3D sequences. Although some of the accompanying visual gimmicks seem forced, the film offers a worthwhile salute to its subject’s artistry and legacy. (Rated PG, 93 minutes).

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan

Intended as a complex examination of the emotional toll of celebrity, this English-language debut for Canadian director Xavier Dolan (Mommy) instead feels as shallow and pretentious as the characters it portrays. Told in flashback, the story follows the career of John (Kit Harington), a young actor on a hit television show who confides in one of his young fans (Jacob Tremblay) via a secret pen-pal relationship. Eventually, as the title suggests, John’s personal demons lead to his demise. A strong cast — including Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon, and Kathy Bates — makes the most of the self-indulgent material, which doesn’t provide much insight amid its unsympathetic melodrama. (Rated R, 123 minutes).

Jumanji: The Next Level

Bigger but not necessarily better, this inevitable sequel to the effects-driven 2017 blockbuster fails to steer the star-driven franchise in any meaningful new directions. The charismatic returning cast — Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan — tries its best to breathe fresh life into the concept of teenagers magically transformed into video-game characters amid a series of perilous adventures. Even if you buy the narrative rationale for a second go-round, the film’s reliance on visual mayhem (as imaginative as some of the action sequences might be) and convoluted plotting overwhelm its occasionally amusing sight gags and one-liners. Maybe it’s more fun to play than watch. (Rated PG-13, 123 minutes).

Mob Town

For a movie featuring dozens of prominent true-life mobsters, this low-budget drama is painfully dull. It boils down to an accent contest among members of its ensemble cast, portraying kingpins and Mafiosi from around the country who converged at a house in a small village in upstate New York in 1957, allegedly for a meeting. The film focuses on the buildup to that gathering and the cop (David Arquette) who organized the raid to bring it down. A quick Google search will provide more historical insight than the screenplay, which is hampered by wooden dialogue and narrative clichés. Worse, it looks as cheap as it sounds. (Rated R, 90 minutes).