the washington post.
friday, february 21, 2020eZ32
Movies
The Call of the Wild (Pg)
age 9+
Thrilling, sometimes intense
adventure teaches resilience.“The Call of the Wild” is a
family-friendly adaptation of Jack
London’s classic novel. Starring
Harrison Ford, it’s a simpler,
somewhat sanitized take on the
book — which makes it more
appropriate for younger viewers
— but the themes and messages
of London’s story are still as crisp
as a Yukon sunrise. Canine hero
Buck and his friends are often in
peril; the dogs escape it, but the
humans, not always. Buck suffers
one significant hit from a human
on screen, and additional animal
abuse is implied through taunts,
the sound and verbal
acknowledgment of a whip and
seeing dogs passed out, pushed
beyond their limit. Ford’s
character, John Thornton, stands
up to Buck’s owner about this
cruel treatment, and Buck stands
up to his pack’s alpha dog, Spitz,
who also behaves with bullying
behavior. There’s an epic dogfight
as a result, but both animals end
up fine (the same unfortunately
can’t be said for a cute rabbit
that’s killed by a mean dog). The
movie is set on the frontier, where
the saloon is the center of the
community. Alcohol flows, but
drinking is negatively portrayed,
and Buck actually teaches
temperance. The theme of this
story has always been that life is a
two-sided coin: You’ll encounter
the good with the bad, the great
with the terrible, moments of
danger and moments of security.
Life is unfair, but it’s also what
you make of it, with new
beginnings and final endings.
And through the eyes of a CGI
dog set against gorgeous scenery,
it’s an exhilarating family
experience with themes of
courage, perseverance and
teamwork. (105 minutes)Olympic Dreams (Pg-13)
age 11+
Rom-com has cool behind-the-
scenes access but weak story.“Olympic Dreams” is a
romantic comedy starring
comedian Nick Kroll set during
the 2018 Winter Olympics in
PyeongChang, South Korea. The
film, which takes place inside the
official Olympic Village, was made
as part of the Olympics Artist-in-
Residence program and was co-
created/written by and stars long-
distance Olympic runner Alexi
Pappas. It has cool behind-the-
scenes footage, and everyone in
the movie (aside from Kroll) was
truly a part of the Winter
Olympics. Sharp eyes will catch a
bevy of Olympians in the
background practicing, horsing
around and serving as supporting
cast members. This is a “will they
or won’t they” r omance — Kroll’s
character isn’t sure whether he’s
still engaged or even in a
relationship after his fiancee
declares them “on a break.”
Parents will probably a ppreciate
that he’s morally conflicted about
taking a new relationship beyond
friendship when his heart is still
committed to someone else. Iffy
content is pretty minimal: There’s
a muttered “what the f---” a nd a
non-graphic conversation about
athletes losing their virginity, and
characters drink socially. Visually,
there are a couple of nonsexual
glimpses of Pappas in underwear,
and it’s implied that one character
sleeps nude.
(83 minutes)The Lodge (r)
age 16+
Clever, ice-cold, chilling horror
movie with kids in peril.“The Lodge” is a horror/
thriller movie about sinister
things happening to two kids
and their soon-to-be-stepmotherwhile they’re stuck in a remote,
snowbound lodge. Violence
includes guns and shooting,
characters dying/dead bodies
shown (including a frozen dog),
blood spatters/trails, children in
peril and other unsettling,
spooky imagery. A woman’s bare
breasts are seen after she gets
out of the shower, and her naked
body is somewhat visible
through the shower’s opaque
door. Two people kiss and giggle
together in bed. Language
includes a few uses of “f---” ( or
“f---ing”), and a character seems
to depend on prescription pills.
Characters drink wine in several
scenes; one drinks just before
dying via suicide. Another scene
suggests that a character may be
nursing a hangover. The movie’s
setup isn’t very smart, but the
story is well told, and the film is
moody and icily-paced; it shouldappeal to sophisticated horror
hounds. (108 minutes)To All the Boys: P. S. I
Still Love You (tV-14)
streaming
age 13+
Sunny sequel to fan fave follows
ups & downs of first love.“To All the Boys: P. S. I Still
Love You” is a sequel to 2018’s
wildly popular Netflix teen rom-
com “To All the Boys I’ve Loved
Before.” Based on the second in a
trilogy of books by Jenny Han,
the story picks up immediately
after the first movie, after Lara
Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter
(Noah Centineo) have become a
couple. The high school duo
faces some challenging
moments, mostly fueled by the
newness of their situation and itsaccompanying emotions for a
“first-timer” l ike Lara Jean.
Expect kissing, embracing and a
flashback from the first film that
shows the teens smooching in a
hot tub. But overall there’s less
kissing and making out in this
entry than in the first. There’s
also a thoughtful conversation
about whether to have sex, and
overall the film promotes strong
family support, honest behavior
and thoughtful decision-making.
A few curses are heard: “s---,”
“hell,” “ b----” and “bulls---.”
(102 minutes)
Available via Netflix streaming.common sense
media helps
families make smart media choices.
go to commonsensemedia.org for
age-based and educational ratings
and reviews for movies, games, apps,
tV shows, websites and books.neon
Jaeden Lieberher, right, and Lia McHugh appear in “The Lodge,” a horror/thriller about two kids and
their soon-to-be stepmother.Common Sense Media What parents need to know
matt Kennedy/stXfilms- ford v ferrari
- Playing With Fire, left
- terminator: dark fate
- Joker
- doctor sleep
SOURCE: Redbox,
for the week ended Feb. 16New on DVD
l21 Bridges, right
la Beautiful day in the neighborhood
lfr ankie
lJojo rabbit
lmidwayWhat Washington is watching on DVD
doane gregory/Paramount PicturesUPLOADED BY "What's News" vk.com/wsnws TELEGRAM: t.me/whatsnws