Daniel Howat

Even amid the film’s breakneck pace, a warmth seeps through the whole thing.

Coon’s dazzling performance never lets the audience believe she’s a fool, or just dumb for getting sucked into this cult. We feel her pain at every turn, while never justifying her most painful decisions.

Yes, the narrative is simple, and the energy is goofy. But for those who enjoy the endless silliness and physical comedy, “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” is a joyous, warm-hearted haunt of a film. It’s a new Halloween classic for families, sure to make the rounds every fall.

It is an ode to acting, an ode to community theater, and it challenges us to do the scary thing anyway, even if it could cost you everything.

Messy as the film may be, rarely have we seen a story about students processing their grief in such a profound, modern way. While I wish more of the dots connected, “Run Amok” is often quite moving.

It’s a brilliant continuation of the series that matures alongside its characters, rather than trying to do something completely new. After nearly two decades away from the original series, this is a remarkably faithful new story, one that will surely satisfy longtime fans.

Admirably weird but only intermittently funny, Never Change! never quite reaches the heights of the comedies it so clearly emulates.

Swapped is a perfectly serviceable animated film that younger viewers will connect with. Unfortunately, despite flashes of inspiration, it suffers from dreaded forgettability; it’s too reminiscent of recent, better films with similar plots, tropes, and themes, and never quite finds the spark it needs to stand out.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is inarguably fun, built for fans of the long-running franchise. For lifelong fans of this universe and young kids experiencing it for the first or second time, this is a Mario fan’s dream. There’s enough here to leave a mass audience satisfied, even if anticipation grows for the next film to level up. For now, good enough is simply enough.

A near-perfect crowd-pleaser. Thanks to clear, confident direction from Phil Lord & Chris Miller, this soaring adaptation is bursting with creativity. Impressively crafted across the board. Ryan Gosling’s flawless turn is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Both an epic journey to save humanity and an intimate story of friendship.