DOLITTLE: A Faithful But Ultimately Disappointing Reimagining of Hugh Lofting's Book With a Miscast Robert Downey Jr.

 Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family 

Produced by: Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Susan Downey   

Directed by: Stephen Gaghan     

Written by: Stephen Gaghan, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand    

Production Company: Universal Pictures

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Harry Collett, Jessie Buckley, Carmel Laniado, Ralph Ineson, Kasia Smutniak, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Marion Cotillard, Frances de la Tour           

Runtime: 102 minutes 

SYNOPSIS: 

After the death of his wife Lily (Kasia Smutniak), the grief-stricken doctor and veterinarian John Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) decides to withdraw from society, hiding behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only the animals to keep him company. That ends when Tommy Stubbins (Harry Collett) sneaks his way into the mansion, appointing himself as his apprentice. But that is only the beginning of a long globetrotting adventure as the pair must find a fruit in the Eden tree to cure the ailing Queen Victoria (Jessie Buckley). 

JUMANJI THE NEXT LEVEL: A Charming, Lighthearted Follow-Up That's As Good As the 2017 Smash Hit

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy

Produced by: Dwayne Johnson, Matt Tolmach, William Teitler, Hiram Garcia, Danny Garcia  

Directed by: Jake Kasdan    

Written by: Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg   

Production Company: Columbia Pictures

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Madison Iseman, Alex Wolff, Colin Hanks, Dania Ramirez, Awkwafina, Rory McCann, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain  

Runtime: 123 minutes                  

SYNOPSIS: 

Spencer (Alex Wolff) is missing, leaving his friends Martha (Morgan Turner), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain) and Bethany (Madison Iseman) worried. As they search through his house, they discover that Spencer has returned to Jumanji, the same video game that they have played, won and escaped three years ago. And so, the gang must now reenter the game to save Spencer and bring him back home. What lies ahead is not easy since the game has become a different world to the one they entered before, where the rules have changed and the stake is even higher. 

KNIVES OUT: A Fun, Lovingly Crafted 21st Century Homage to Classic Murder Mysteries

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Produced by: Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman  

Directed by: Rian Johnson    

Written by: Rian Johnson   

Production Company: Lionsgate

Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Noah Segan, Frank Oz, Christopher Plummer

Runtime: 130 minutes                                                                                            

SYNOPSIS: 

Wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead on his 85^th birthday and Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is summoned to the deceased’s estate to investigate. As all of Harlan’s family members and staffs gather to pay their last respects while undergoing rigorous police questioning, Blanc comes to the conclusion that there might be foul play involved, and everyone is a suspect. The closer he gets to the truth, the more he entangles himself in a complicated game of family drama and deception.