Hiccup (Mason Thames), the son of Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), befriends and trains a dragon named Toothless despite that Vikings have been battling dragons for many years How to Train Your Dragon. Soon enough, he convinces his love interest, Astrid (Nico Parker), his best friend, Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), his village's blacksmith, Gobber (Nick Frost), to befriend Toothless, as well. Writer/director Dean DeBlois has made a live-action remake that remains loyal to the animated classic original which manages to be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it hits similar notes during the action scenes and the comedic ones. The dragon still looks adorable. On the other hand, it plays it too safely and doesn't take any risks, so it has nothing new or surprising to offer. The plot feels like it's just going through the motions and takes what seems like a while to get through the exposition scenes to the heart of the story: Hiccup's bond with Toothless. The CGI effects are terrific and the scenes of Hiccup riding Toothless as he flies above the ocean are exhilarating. The final battle scene is the only palpably thrilling part of the film, though, so it's too little, too late. At 2 hours and 4 minutes, How to Train Your Dragon is well-produced and occasionally exhilarating, but overlong, pedestrian and not as moving nor as powerful as the beloved original. It opens nationwide via Universal Pictures.

 

      Dee (Natasha Henstridge) gets more than she bargained for when she joins a mysterious cult hosted by Abraham (Lukas Hassel) and his assistant, Beatrice (Lin Shaye), in hope of ending her emotional suffering from past trauma in House of Abraham. Director Lisa Belcher and screenwriter Lukas Hassel have made a clunky, overwrought and dull psychological thriller that spends too much time with exposition before heading into darker territory. It only shows its true colors after a major twist that won't be spoiled here, but then it goes into even more exposition. No, there's nothing supernatural nor does Beatrice lead Dee into "the further"---this isn't Insidious, after all. The dialogue often sounds stilted and too on-the-nose with little to no wit or any other form of levity. Screenwriter Lukas Hassel doesn't see or treat the characters enough as complex human beings; instead they seem more like plot devices. House of Abraham shares a lot in common with Opus in terms of its quality, but doesn't quite go as bonkers. Both films have an ending that feels rushed, contrived and implausible without much internal logic. Perhaps if the third act were darker and more organic, it would've been more emotionally impactful and memorable. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, House of Abraham opens at Look Dine-In Cinema W57th via Abramorama.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4

      In Materialists, Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a matchmaker, starts dating a wealthy guy, Henry (Pedro Pascal), and runs into her ex-boyfriend, John (Chris Evans), who works as a wedding caterer and off-Broadway theater actor. She soon begins to question the integrity of her job and whether or not she truly loves Henry. Writer/director Celine Song has a knack for natural dialogue and for grasping human nature as well as relationships in a way that's true-to-life. She does a great job of incorporating just the right amount of exposition about Lucy's past without relying too much on flashbacks. The dialogue sparkles with wit and very insightful observations about relationships without getting heavy-handed or cheesy. The screenplay provides enough of a window into Lucy's heart, mind and soul. She experiences a crisis of conscience when one of her clients threatens the lucrative matchmaking company for setting her up on a date with a guy who sexually assaulted her.

      Lucy shows signs of being genuinely remorseful which makes her a decent person who's capable of introspection, a very important tool. Just when you think she's selfish and shallow, there's actually more to her than meets the eye because she's intelligent, empathetic and emotionally mature. She's also blunt and candid, i.e. when she snaps at a client who refers to herself as a "catch" that she's not actually a catch because she's not a fish. To be fair, it's clear from the very beginning that her relationship with Henry won't last given the fact that it's emotionally unfulfilling to her, so the ending can be seen from a mile away. That's forgivable, though, because it's more important how and why the plot gets to that predictable point.

      The cinematography, use of music, editing, set designs and costume designs are superb without being distracting. Dakota Johnson gives a heartfelt performance, and it's great to see Chris Evans convincingly play the role of a guy who's warm and down-to-earth, so he's well-cast just like everyone on screen. At 1 hour and 57 minutes, Materialists is one of the most wise, honest, perceptive and witty explorations of modern relationships since (500) Days of Summer. It opens nationwide via A24.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       Bernard-Henri Lévy returns to interview Ukrainian soldiers, civilians and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the Russo-Ukrainian War in Our War. Although it's great that Lévy has access to the front lines of the war and doesn't shy away from showing some of its horrors, he bombards the film with too much of his very dry voice-over narration, so the audience doesn't get to hear enough of the conversations he has with his subjects, especially the Ukrainian children and soldiers. He makes good observations and points, but also repeats them and gets preachy at times. At 1 hour and 19 minutes, Our War opens at Quad Cinema via Cohen Media Group.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

      Prime Minister, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, is a slickly edited and mildly engaging, but repetitive and often hagiographic documentary biopic on New Zealand's 40th Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. There aren't enough glimpses of Ardern behind-the-curtain, so-to-speak, nor does the doc delve enough into her life outside of politics. The fact that being Prime Minister causes her a lot of anxiety is far from a surprising revelation, so the filmmakers squander many opportunities to go beneath the surface for much-needed depth and insights. At 1 hour and 42 minutes, Prime Minister opens in select theaters nationwide via Magnolia Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      In Sex, two nameless married friends (Jan Gunnar Røise and Thorbjørn Harr) who work as chimney sweeps openly discuss their sexuality and gender roles, but when one of them admits that he slept with a man, it causes a rift between him and his nameless wife (Siri Forberg). The other man has recurring dreams of being a woman which he confesses to his wife (Birgitte Larsen). In one of those dreams, he even has an encounter with David Bowie of all people. After Love, writer/director Dag Johan Haugerud has once again made an honest, unflinching and wise drama about human nature, in this case, sex or, more accurately, sexuality. So, the title is somewhat about a misnomer. Those expecting explicit sex scenes and nudity will be disappointed. This isn't the 70s after all. Instead, there's something even better and far more intimate than physical nudity on screen: emotional nudity. The plot here isn't quite as intricate or thoroughly captivating as the plot in Love nor does it have as much comic relief, but it's just as heartfelt, well-acted, sophisticated, profound and refreshingly candid. At 1 hour and 58 minutes, Sex opens at Film Forum via Strand Releasing.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2

      In Tatami, Leila (Arienne Mandi), a judo wrestler from Iran, competes against an Israeli judo wrestler at the World Judo Championships in the country of Georgia. Her coach, Maryam (Zar Amir Ebrahimi), wants her to fake an injury to drop out of the championship because the Mullah regime in Iran strictly prohibits Iranians from competing against an Israeli opponent. However, Leila refuses to cave in despite strict orders from the Islamic Republic that puts her life and the life of her family in jeopardy. Co-writer/director Guy Nattiv, co-director Zar Amir Ebrahimi and co-writer Elham Erfani have made a spellbinding, taut and empowering sports drama that gradually builds tension as it veers into a psychological thriller. Leila comes across as a brave, fearless and assertive young woman, but she's concurrently vulnerable, confused and helpless because she feels trapped and uncertain of how to get out of her quagmire. Should she tell the officials at the World Judo Championships that she's being coerced to withdraw? What can they do to help her? What will happen if she continues to disobey and anger the Islamic Republic?

      Shot in breathtaking black-and-white, Tatami maintains its suspense while also remaining focused and grounded in humanism by not shying away from emotional grit by showing Leila and Maryam's complex emotions. There's little to no padding or clunky exposition, and the fighting scenes are exhilarating to watch. Arienne Mandi delivers a raw, breakthrough performance, and Zar Amir Ebrahimi also grounds the film in authenticity with her strong, emotionally convincing performance. At 1 hour and 45 minutes, Tatami opens at IFC Center via XYZ Films. It would make for a great double featuring with Queen of the Ring empowering sports drama based on a true story.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       .  The Unholy Trinity, directed by Richard Gray and written by Lee Zachariah, is a lackluster, uninspired and painfully dull Western that squanders the talents of its ensemble cast, namely, Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson. Everything from the screenplay to the direction to the cinematography, acting and editing manage to be subpar without providing any much-needed suspense or thrills. At 1 hour and 33 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours The Unholy Trinity opens at select theaters via Saban Films and Roadside Attractions.

Number of times I checked my watch: 4