'Father Stu' and newest 'Beasts' each tries hard to convert the masses

Thursday, April 14, 2022

'Father Stu' and newest 'Beasts' each tries hard to convert the masses

Wahlberg's "Stu" at church.

Mark Wahlberg has changed body type for various movie roles throughout a nearly three-decade Hollywood career. Now, he gets to show off a spiritual side to shape "Father Stu," the real life-priest he portrays in a faith-based film arriving just in time for the holy Easter holiday.

For what might be the actor's best performance since his Oscar-nominated turn in 2006 Best Picture "The Departed," he again goes through a plot-induced transformation that takes him body and soul from bruising boxer to aspiring, if somewhat delusional actor and, finally, to inspirational man of God.

There's another unexpected physical twist down the emotional stretch, but it's Wahlberg's ability to have us believe his foul-mouthed crusader actually might relate to the stained masses that makes a pivotal difference in Stu's very Catholic conversion.

The church-going Wahlberg's personal passion project gets strong help from worthy parental turns by Jackie Weaver and Mel Gibson, whose often angry roles finally earn some softer moments, too. Still, the story's most positive presence comes from Teresa Ruiz, as the religious young woman who instigated Stu's reclamation in the first place.

By the way, producer Wahlberg might have received a real blessing with the casting of ever-grand Malcolm McDowell, on hand here as Stu's pastor. The British star played perhaps filmdom's most sadistic bad boy in Stanley Kubrick's now 50-year-old classic, "A Clockwork Orange."

Rated "R" by MPAA: for language throughout; 2:04; $ $ $ and 1/2 out of $5

While on the subject of the dark side, the special-effects witchcraft in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" truly is the reason to see this third franchise effort to convert "Harry Potter" fans to watch more wizardry from author-turned screenwriter J.K. Rowling.

As for story, rate it somewhere between Rowling's superior and original "Beasts" of 2016 and her disappointing "Grindelwald" sequel of 2018. Certainly the fun of the former does not seriously return in this latest, though the daunting presence of Mads Mikkelsen, chosen to replace the limply weird Johnny Depp as the latter's powerful and unquestionable villain of the piece, just about really does move mountains.

Here, Grindelwald's genuine evil shows up early in a lunch meeting with the kind Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). Presumably so does the first of the titled "Secrets," and then maybe this film's most engaging character, Professor of Charm Eulalie Hicks (Jessica Williams), nicely recruited to help the series' mainstays keep things right. Most notably, those would be creature keeper Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and funny Muggle sidekick/baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler).

Meanwhile, most "Fantastic Beasts" in this third installment of same remain vital and deserving of such billing. If you haven't viewed the first two, though, catching up on them probably will make getting through this one less, uh . . . tricky.

Rated "PG-13" by MPAA: some fantasy/action violence; 2:22; $ $ $ out of $5

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REVIEWS ARE ON A SCALE OF ($ to $ $ $ $ $)

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Barbie ($ $ and 1/2)

MINI-REVIEW: They Cloned Tyrone ($ $ $ and 1/2) "A Nancy Drew-inspired hooker (the terrific Teyonah Parris), 1995's 'Pimp of the Year' (Jamie Foxx), and a drug dealer (John Boyega) everyone thought had been gunned down walk into an elevator (or two), and some dialogue-driven hilarity ensues. Add a few satirical scares, and a wild and crazy turn by Foxx's fellow 'In Living Color' alum, David Alan Grier, as a revivalist, and Netflix has a streaming hit on its hands. The dark, R-rated, but nifty message/sci-fi comedy comes from daring first-time director and 'Creed II' screenwriter Juel Taylor. (He and co-writer here Tony Rettenmaier also penned 'Space Jam: A New Legacy.')"

The Miracle Club ($ $ $)

Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One ($ $ $ $)

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No Hard Feelings ($ and 1/2)

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Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie ($ $ $ $)

Book Club: The Next Chapter ($ $ and 1/2)

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Discontinued ($ $ $)

Peter Pan & Wendy ($ $ and 1/2)

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Ghosted ($ $)

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant ($ $ $ $)

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Spinning Gold ($ $ and 1/2)

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A Good Person ($ $ and 1/2)

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Champions ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Creed III ($ $ and 1/2) "Director/star Jordan hits hard; Screenplay still needs more punch."

Cocaine Bear ($ $) "Love the wild title predator, not the movie."

Ant-Man and the Wasp ($ $) "Crawls instead of buzzes."

Sharper ($ $ $) "Not bad, but shoulda been, uh, even sharper."

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Living ($ $ $ $)

The Son ($ $)

Women Talking ($ $ $ and 1/2)

M3GAN ($ $ $)

A Man Called Otto ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Pale Blue Eye ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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Corsage ($ $ $ $)
Babylon ($ $ $)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish ($ $ $ and 1/2)
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Avatar: The Way of Water ($ $ $ $)

Nanny ($ $ and 1/2)

Empire of Light ($ $ and 1/2)

Emancipation ($ $ and 1/2)
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio ($ $ $ $)
White Noise ($ $ and 1/2)
The Inspection ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special ($ $ $ $)

The Swimmers ($ $ $)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery ($ $)
The Fabelmans ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Spirited ($ $ and 1/2)

Devotion ($ $ $ and 1/2)
She Said ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

The Menu ($ $ and 1/2)

The Wonder ($ $ $ $)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($ $ $)
Good Night Oppy ($ $ $ and 1/2)

MINI-REVIEW: Causeway ($ $ $ $) "Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry knock it out of the park as a pair of wounded souls looking for peace and contentment in the Big Easy. Finding anything close to such security, of course, appears rather difficult considering the pains of personal experience each has been confronting. Two-time Oscar-winner Lawrence speaks volumes here even when she's not saying much, while Tony- and Emmy-Award nominee Henry soars in the role of newfound therapeutic friend trying to heal himself. The little treasure from first-time feature director Lila Neugebauer is streaming exclusively now on AppleTV+."

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story ($ $ and 1/2)

The Return of Tanya Tucker ($ $ $ and 1/2)

The Banshees of Inisherin ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

MINI-REVIEW: Armageddon Time ($ $) "If not for the performance of Anthony Hopkins, as a smart and loving grandfather, this alleged '80s-era memoir from writer/director James Gray would disgrace parents, teachers and just about every adult surrounding the major brat it centers upon. That would be a creepy 12-year-old (Banks Repeta), who simply becomes dreadfully unlikable, thanks to each malfeasant move he makes. Talk about revisionist history, "Armageddon" also creates an assortment of fictitious moments -- such as bringing in two apparent members of the Trump family -- simply to pin blame on events occurring then for the political meanderings going on now. Yeah, right."

The Retaliators ($ $ $ and 1/2)

Ask Me to Dance ($ $ $)

Everybody Dance ($ $ $ $)

MINI-REVIEW: Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues ($ $ $ $ and 1/2) "This latest 'Jammie' from director Sacha Jenkins practically takes the fabled jazz musician and all-around showman from cradle to grave with a fascinating assortment of personal letters and revealing audio recordings left by the performer himself. Of course, those of a certain age might recall seeing the personable trumpeter all over the place. My parents loved the man called 'Satchmo' and, so then, did I. In fact, his week as co-host of the daily 'Mike Douglas Show' made for truly classic television, and a bit of that stint is sprinkled throughout this doc. Anyway, it's all meaningful viewing, starting Oct. 28 only on AppleTV+ (after world-premiering at last month's 47th annual Toronto International Film Festival)."

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Summer of Soul ($ $ $ $ and 1/2)

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Marathon ($ $ $ and 1/2)

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