Delightful, sweet story about seniors and aliens; strong language.
“Jules” is a sweet, lightweight comedy/fantasy about a trio of folks over 60 (Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin) who discover an alien in their small town and help it until it can get its ship running again. There’s one scene of upsetting violence when a woman is attacked by a thief: She’s thrown down, they struggle and he tries to strangle her. It’s suggested that the alien causes the attacker’s head to explode, though that’s not shown. Characters hunt for dead cats (for spaceship fuel), and a cat is humanely put to sleep. There’s some gross dialogue, mild sex-related language, a couple of uses of the word “f—” and uses of “goddamn,” “hell,” “swear to God,” etc. This isn’t a message movie, but there’s a clear theme of empathy running through the story. (97 minutes)
Meg 2: The Trench (PG-13)
Moments of fun in routine, violent giant shark sequel.
“Meg 2: The Trench” is the sequel to 2018’s “The Meg,” with Jason Statham returning as hero Jonas Taylor. It’s a bit better than its bland predecessor, with occasional fun B-movie energy, but it’s mostly the same lazy, routine stuff. Violence is the biggest issue. There are — of course — many attacks by a giant shark and other monsters, with people being swallowed whole and otherwise dispatched. There are other deaths, too, plus fighting with knives, choking, punching, kicking, a little blood, explosions and more. Occasional strong language includes “s—,” “a–hole,” “son of a b—-,” “dumba–” and “b——,” plus middle-finger gestures. Two people kiss passionately, and a package of condoms is shown. Characters drink whiskey, wine and cocktails. (116 minutes)
Lots of violence, some language in female-led spy thriller.
“Heart of Stone” is an excellent spy thriller starring Gal Gadot. Expect a significant amount of violence and many tense action sequences. Women, including women of color, are featured in physically and technically demanding leadership roles as they try to save the world from powerful villains. There’s also language (“s—,” “hell,” “damn,” “b—-,” etc.) and minor drinking and flirtation. Fights can be deadly; other (often bloody) violence includes gunfights, stabbings, poisonings, physical feats (including jumping out of airplanes, paragliding through forests and driving at breakneck speed), falls and suffocations. Characters are shot dead or otherwise killed or injured at close range, and villains show no remorse for murdering targets or killing innocent bystanders. There’s mention of terrorist threats, dangerous hackers, nuclear bombs, warlords and war-related coverups. (125 minutes)
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