Capsule reviews for Feb. 14

Kid Snow

Whether it’s the scrappy underdog getting one last shot against the champ, or prizefighting as a metaphor for working-class redemption, this Australian boxing drama feels more familiar than fresh. It’s set in 1971, when disgraced ex-boxer (Billy Howle) is a decade into his stint working for his brother (Tom Bateman) as a sideshow in a traveling Outback carnival. Awash in alcohol and personal demons stemming from past tragedy, he meets a young woman (Phoebe Tonkin) who might hold the key to his life turning around. Some effective character-driven moments within an evocative hardscrabble milieu spark a predictable story that lacks a broader emotional punch. (Not rated, 127 minutes).

Paddington in Peru

While its adorable titular bear still retains his whimsical charm, this third installment in the franchise based on the British children’s books series is starting to offer diminishing and more formulaic returns. In this adventure, marmalade aficionado Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) returns to his Peruvian homeland to visit his Aunt Jenny (Imelda Staunton). And of course, he brings his human family along for another round of bear-out-of-water mischief, including Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary (Emily Mortimer). The result is wholesome and stylish, sprinkling doses of humor and heart into a predictable story that — despite its exotic setting — fails to explore any meaningful new territory. (Rated PG, 106 minutes).

Rounding

A committed performance by newcomer Namir Smallwood centers this atmospheric character study, in which some intriguing genre elements parts don’t quite coalesce into a coherent whole. He plays a troubled medical resident at a rural hospital looking for a fresh start after a traumatic incident at his previous job. He tries to acclimate with guidance from the head physician (Michael Potts), but becomes suspicious about the care for a teenage asthma patient (Sidney Flanigan). Even if it’s subject to dramatic exaggerations and horror-infused detours, the uneven screenplay by filmmaker Alex Thompson (co-director of Ghostlight) remains unsettling as an intimate examination of medical ethics and emotional attachment. (Not rated, 90 minutes).