Rogue One (2016) ***

Rogue One is an offshoot of the main Star Wars plot. It is part of the large anthology we can expect to continue and grow well past our lifetime. The standalone story of this film chronologically intersects with the larger events; just before the Star Wars film A New Hope. It tells the story of Jyn, daughter of a scientist who unwillingly builds the Empire’s infamous Death Star, and how she ultimately plays a small yet critical role in its destruction. The problem is that Rogue One falls short in feeling meaningful. It is a side story that plays as no more than a footnote.

Manchester by the Sea (2016) *****

Like an onion, slowly being peeled layer by layer to reveal a forever bleeding heart, Kenneth Lonergan, the writer-director of Manchester by the Sea, presents us with the clumped past of the film’s lead character; Lee Chandler, a reserved janitor working in Quincy, Massachusetts. Yet people are rarely what they seem.

Moana (2016) ****

Disney’s 56th animated feature, Moana, is a 3D computer-animated musical-adventure. It is the tale of a daughter to a Polynesian tribe chief. As the chief’s only daughter, and the one to inherit his seat, she is expected to stay put and avoid taking risks. Yet, when disaster threatens her island, she fearlessly embarks upon a journey to right a wrong done to an ancient goddess. The story follows Moana from early childhood to becoming a young woman fulfilling her destiny. Accompanying her on the journey, and not much by his own choice, is a whimsical legendary demigod named Maui.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) ***

Despite its flaws, The Edge of Seventeen is refreshing. It follows Nadine, first as child, and then as a teenager turning into a young woman, in an environment she finds, for the most part, hostile. While featuring a familiar coming-of-age theme, what makes this film work is a strong performance by its lead character, played by Hailee Steinfeld. It also relays, maybe moreso than some other films in the genre, that peculiar age, where the world seemed quite two-dimensional.
The Edge of Seventeen can be a journey on memory lane for some of us, or simply a snapshot of today’s young generation. It also makes one realize that while much had changed, a lot remained the same.

Arrival (2016) ****

Arrival begins on an emotional note that quickly turns into a thriller. It holds our attention with anticipation and sympathy to the main character, Dr. Louise Banks, a linguist, played by Amy Adams. Yet, once we, the audience, through the eyes of Louise are exposed to the aliens, the film changes some of its pace. It becomes more of a scientific riddle than a thriller. And while the tension is kept through other means (not disclosed here as to avoid plot-spoilers,) the audience is expected to shift gear and play along. That only partially works.

Doctor Strange (****) 2016

Based on the Strange Tales comics from the 1960’s, Doctor Strange, the film, can be described as House, the character from the TV series; your brilliant yet arrogant doctor, meeting Master Shifu of Kung Fu Panda. The plot is thin and consists of our bright surgeon i.e. Dr. Stephen Strange, experiencing a car accidents that ends up his career. The mishap sets him up on a quest that leads him to meet the Ancient One; a master who would instruct him in the mystic arts of the East, so that he could ultimately save the world. And if this sounds a little like Star Wars, it is because the story elements, though much simplified, are the same. Only that the evil that Doctor Strange must face is quite corny and disappointing in lack of originality.