Capsule reviews for Nov. 11

Bar Fight

Perhaps conceived during an inebriated excursion to the local pub, this uninspired comedy might prompt you to skip the beer and go straight to the hard liquor. As the title suggests, there’s plenty of bickering between Allen (Luka Jones) and Nina (Melissa Fumero), exes who realize their favorite tavern isn’t big enough for both of them. So they rope their friends into some outrageous games to settle the dispute, only to realize there might be some lingering sparks. The screenplay by rookie director Jim Mahoney never finds the right mix of hijinks and heart, and the characters aren’t likable enough to make up the difference. (Not rated, 84 minutes).

Manifest West

Despite some intriguing ideas with sociopolitical undertones, this uneven low-budget thriller isn’t as suspenseful or provocative as intended. It follows a conspiracy theorist (Milo Gibson) who takes his family off the grid, hoping for a simpler way of life free of government intrusions. But when his schoolteacher wife (Annet Mahendru) begins behaving erratically and his teenage daughter (Lexy Kolker) starts rebelling, their secluded mountain cabin isn’t the safe haven they imagined. The screenplay by directors Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson (Happy Hunting) — whose brother and wife are the stars — unspools some mild twists without providing any fresh insight into mental illness or fragile family bonds. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Paradise City

Even the abundant tropical scenery feels hackneyed in this lackluster crime thriller from director Chuck Russell (The Mask), in which even a Pulp Fiction mini-reunion between John Travolta and Bruce Willis doesn’t yield many sparks. Of course, they’re hardly on screen together in this tale of vengeance set in Maui, where a bounty hunter (Blake Jenner) tries to track down the presumed killer of his father (Willis). While teaming up with a conflicted colleague (Stephen Dorff), he runs up against a local crime boss (Travolta) with ulterior motives. Despite its capable cast, the film never generates much suspense amid a parade of cliched genre twists. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Retrograde

Capturing the end of America’s involvement in the war in Afghanistan with sobering intimacy, this observational documentary from director Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land) is both visually striking and emotionally gripping. It chronicles the chaos surrounding the controversial withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country during 2021, focusing on three overlapping perspectives — soldiers in a special operations forces unit, a young Afghan general trying to defend his homeland with the odds mounting against him, and the civilians caught in the middle and desperately trying to flee during the aftermath. The film’s even-handed approach largely steers clear of politics in favor of human stories both hopeful and heartbreaking. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Sam and Kate

The opportunity to share the screen with their real-life offspring must have lured Oscar-winning legends Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek to this relationship drama, and their graceful moments together help elevate some mediocre material. Hoffman plays an ailing larger-than-life widower living with his adult son, Sam (Jake Hoffman), who acts as his caretaker. Sam meets small-town clerk Kate (Schuyler Fisk), whose elegant mother (Spacek) is gradually charmed by the irascible old man. The screenplay by rookie director Darren Le Gallo doesn’t give the parallel courtships much depth or complexity, although there are snippets where all four actors shine, particularly in its portrayal of seniors finding love. (Rated R, 110 minutes).