Home Movies

Pioneer, directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg
Pioneer, directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg

Pioneer, directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg

(R, 106 minutes)

Arkansas native Wes Bentley stars in this paranoia-drenched conspiracy thriller set in the early 1980s in the North Sea, where a massive oil reserve is found near Norway.

The reserve lurks at a claustrophobic depth of 1,600 feet, so a risk-loving pair of diving brothers (Aksel Hennie and Andre Eriksen) and a temperamental American colleague (Bentley) are tasked with the death-defying assignment of laying the pipework needed to bring the oil to the surface.

After an exploratory dive, something goes very wrong -- and that's never good in a morally murky situation. Political maneuvering, industrial-level spycraft and the possibility of high crimes take over the screen. Good performances abound. With Stephen Lang, Stephanie Sigman. In English and Norwegian with English subtitles.

Song of the Sea (PG, 93 minutes) This magical animated children's film, a mix of myths and legends and extraordinary visuals, concerns Saoirse, a little girl who lives with her grandmother in Ireland and possesses a secret identity: that of a selkie, a creature that lives as a seal in the ocean and takes on human form on land. When Saoirse embarks on a perilous journey to return to the sea, she encounters others who could use her help in awakening their own hidden destinies. With the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Jon Kenny, Lisa Hannigan; directed by Tomm Moore.

Son of a Gun (R, 108 minutes) A sharply detailed crime actioner in which JR (Brenton Thwaites), thrown in an Australian prison for a minor crime, becomes an apprentice to Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), the most infamous criminal in the country -- a circumstance that is helpful behind bars but that will prove difficult when he's released and promises to help Brendan escape. With Alicia Vikander; directed by Julius Avery.

Vice (R 96 minutes) In this bleak futuristic sci-fi fantasy, Julian Michaels (Bruce Willis) is an inventor who has created what he believes to be the ultimate form of entertainment and release -- a resort populated by artificial people who can be used and abused in every way possible by resort visitors. With Ambyr Childers, Thomas Jane; directed by Brian A. Miller.

My Girl (PG-13, 102 minutes) Remastered in high definition, this 1991 family film, along with Troop Beverly Hills, is now available on Blu-ray. My Girl stars Anna Chlumsky as Vada Sultenfuss, an 11-year-old tomboy obsessed with death, who experiences the adventures of adolescence with Thomas J. (Macaulay Culkin), the boy next door. With Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd; directed by Howard Zieff. Bonus features include new commentary with writer Laurice Elehwany, two new behind-the-scenes featurettes, and an original featurette created for the film's initial release.

Troop Beverly Hills (PG, 100 minutes), released in 1989, concerns wealthy Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long), who, in reaction to the threat of losing her husband Freddy (Craig T. Nelson), intends to prove she's still the amazingly creative and energetic woman he once loved by becoming the leader of her daughter's Wilderness Girls troop. Directed by Jeff Kanew. The Blu-ray includes deleted scenes and two new making-of featurettes.

The Penguins of Madagascar (PG, 92 minutes) Frenetic, brilliantly colored, noisy and exceedingly silly, this little-kid-pleaser spinoff of the popular Madagascar franchise concerns penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private, who are recruited by exclusive spy organization North Wind to defeat villainous Dr. Octavius Brine. That's because he intends to conquer the world. Animated with voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Tom McGrath, Ken Jeong; directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith.

Annie (PG, 118 minutes) An updated but none too exciting multicultural take on the popular 1977 Broadway musical (which was based on the Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie) in which cheerful young Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis, adorable as ever), living with cantankerous hard-drinking foster mother Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), meets wealthy New York mayoral candidate Benjamin Stacks (Jamie Foxx) on the street, and the two form a relationship that changes both of them. But will their friendship survive the unexpected return of ­Annie's parents? With Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, David Zayas; directed by Will Gluck. The Blu-ray and DVD include behind-the-scenes looks at the making of the film, a director's commentary, and a music video.

MovieStyle on 03/20/2015

Upcoming Events