A solid threequel dedicated to providing a heartful adventure story, Paddington in Peru’s family-friendly yet predictable narrative makes it less refined than its predecessors, but a charming escapade for the marmalade-loving bear nevertheless.

With the advent of streaming, quality older-audience fare in theaters has become less commonplace. As times change, it has become harder to make a crowd-pleaser due to audience fragmentation and an underabundance of originality in today’s cultural climate. Black Bag, a classic spy slow-burn flick with high-profile talent, is a high-stakes yet simplistic caper that entertains through craft, not flashiness.

I’m almost ashamed to say that I hadn’t seen any of Bong Joon-ho’s works until this past week with my first watch of “Parasite,” his masterclass social commentary about the evils of capitalism amidst a poor v. rich struggle. It’s almost unbelievable that its 2020 Best Picture win was 5 short years ago, preceding a global catastrophe that has had global implications. What I mean to say, perhaps, is that the world has gotten even worse in a short time, but we still persevere on nevertheless. This is true with Bong’s latest flick, “Mickey 17,” which sees Robert Pattinson (“The Batman,” “Tenet”) play an expendable worker who’s sent to outer space to colonize an unknown ice planet. While not as strong in thematic weight as anticipated, Mickey 17’s distinct satirical script still makes for a commendable effort from a true auteur.

Comedy fare at its finest, One of Them Days may not reinvent the wheel when it comes to the buddy comedy script, but does breathe fresh life into it nevertheless with modern punchlines, head-strong performances, and over-the-top set dressing.

2019’s “Ne Zha” rejuvenated the Chinese animation industry, bringing worldwide attention to itself with the $719 million cume it made in China alone and the genre as a whole. Taking place immediately after the original, “Ne Zha 2” expands in scope, narrative, and adopts a darker tone that makes it more engaging for wide audiences, all while having elements that will successfully satisfy fans of the first.

In what has been a crowded few weeks, there’s been a bumper car run of horror fare. 1/31, 2/7, and 2/21 all have films that aim to appeal to the same audience, reducing their collective chances of breaking out. One of them is quite the odd movie, and I arguably went into it expecting a much darker and cautionary tale than I ended up seeing. You can't be both a serious slasher and a bubbly romance at the same time - Heart Eyes proves this with an intriguing concept and tension set pieces being hindered by rough plotting and a so-so central romance - presenting an ideal take on the Valentine’s Day holiday that seems to perpetuate broad spectacle over constant dependability.

I’ve seen a lot of hype for COMPANION, and boy does it deliver. Contemporary horror at its finest, as it paints a picture of modern relationships, the trappings of man, and what having power can do to unjust people. Elevated by a wired performance from horror girl Sophie Thatcher and on-the-nose yet effective directing from Drew Hancock, the messaging “Companion” brings is vastly needed in today’s society, which seems more apathetic than ever.

For a while now, the Chinese film industry has been growing and growing year-over-year. Bigger, better, and more polished, their tentpoles have come a long way in the past decade. China’s “Creation of the Gods” franchise, their attempt at making a big-budget LOTR-like franchise of the stories contained in the mythological “Investiture of the Gods,” is back with its 2nd installment, aptly titled “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force.” Given the iffy quality of the 1st one, does this manage to surpass expectations?