Maya Phillips

The Madrigal family members belong even when they’re not conjuring roses or transforming the weather. And even with these fantastic feats of wizardry, the Madrigals, with all of their relatable family dynamics, are believably loving, funny and flawed.

“World Heroes’ Mission” has little to offer veteran fans of the series or new viewers, who won’t find any of what makes the series great in what’s essentially a filler arc.

The film, which Pollono also directs, provides more depth than the original but still flounders in the translation from stage to screen.

The film uses the superficial markers of Asian culture and filmmaking without presenting anything unique in its Marvel take on that tradition.

On Broadway sure knows how to work a theater-lover’s heart.

Free Guy has charm, but there’s not much memorable in the same old quest, same old boss fight, then game over.

Vivo, despite its exuberant beginning and heartfelt ending, struggles to offer more than odd turns and clichés in the rest of its story.

Despite the intriguing opening sequence, which involves shootings, a jet and a family escape, Black Widow, directed by Cate Shortland, lags, unsure of how to proceed with the story.

A baby in a suit? Always cute. Recycled gags? Not so much — this “Boss Baby” just didn’t get the memo.

Despite the intriguing premise of the film, its cursory and lopsided narrative approach dilutes its salient themes and messages.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines not only has laughably eccentric characters but also a script packed with bonkers, fast-paced action — with elaborate, wild visuals to match.

Hope isn’t manufactured. It can’t be limited to a shadow of a gesture or shouldered by one man whose extraordinary abilities are heralded in the “super” of his name. And it’s definitely not in the cinematic equivalent of a four-hour-long cut scene.

In a world of C.G.I.-everything, “On-Gaku” comes as a refreshing blast from the past.

“Sponge on the Run” may take us back under the sea, but this sponge is all dried up.

Flora & Ulysses veers close to falling into the trap of cheesiness that kids’ movies of this genre often find themselves in, but miraculously never does. In fact, this hopeful comedy, in showing how a twitchy-tailed hero can change a family, lifts off and flies.

Even at its most saccharine I can’t fault it for committing fully to what it is. I’m no fan of Valentine’s Day unless it’s a heart-shaped confection, but for those who are, “To All the Boys” is a light but satisfying dessert.

For one, it’s the abundance of red herrings in this fleeting 82-minute feature; connections and relationships are implied (and a plot point about a witchy rock band flies by) but end up leading to dead ends, making the journey feel incomplete. But the most regrettable part is the animation.

The grim film feels excavated from the subconscious: The coarse illustration style, with its frazzled, stray lines, emphasizes the bleakness of the images.