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Finding Dory, directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane
Finding Dory, directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane

Finding Dory,

directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane

(PG, 1 hour, 37 minutes)

Finding Dory, an animated sequel to Finding Nemo, follows Pixar's default formula: Take a group of unlikely creatures, set one off from the others, and follow his search for home, learning about himself and what makes up a family along the way.

Our protagonist is Dory (voice of Ellen DeGeneres), a sweet, scatterbrained little blue tang with short-term memory loss. Still living alongside best pals Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), Dory keeps having flashes of memory of her loving parents Jenny (Diane Keaton) and Charlie (Eugene Levy), from whom she was separated at a very early age. Eventually she remembers a crucial bit of information: They are somewhere off the California coast at a place she can only remember in brief snippets. So she convinces Marlin and Nemo to join her on this epic quest to find them.

The trio make their way to the spot she thinks she remembers, which turns out to be right outside the Marine Life Institute, a massive aquarium where thousands of fish are taken in, rehabilitated and released into the wild. Shortly after arriving Dory is separated from the other two, and various adventures ensue. She meets some new friends, including Hank (Ed O'Neill), a resourceful octopus named Destiny (Kaitlin Olson), a whale shark whom Dory knew as a small fish, and Bailey (Ty Burrell), a beluga whale with useful sonar abilities.

As with the original, the film's appeal is secured mainly by the vocal talents of Brooks, playing neurotic and inflexible Marlin, and DeGeneres, who in the friendly, bubbly Dory has found the perfect animated foil for her personal brand. It is her inspired line readings that give Dory the sense of personality that made her stand out so much in the first film, and here, in a starring role, she brings even more to the table. Because of her resourcefulness and ability to see things clearly, she's the driving force in everything that happens.

Still, there's an unmistakable whiff of the reheated to the proceedings. The film, offering plentiful platitudes about the nature of families and staying together through difficult journeys, doesn't have anything much more to say than Nemo, which makes the resulting action, as clever as it can often be, somewhat less than scintillating.

Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years (not rated, 1 hour, 39 minutes) Archival footage (some of it previously unseen), witty and wisecrack-laden interviews (some new, some old), and adept commentary make up this fascinating documentary that reveals much about the game-changing 1960s by looking at the brief span of a few years starting in 1964 that The Beatles toured the world, playing 815 shows in 15 countries, attracting enormous crowds of deliriously ecstatic and shrieking fans, and setting the bar for the way superstar musicians would conduct future concerts. With Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison, Whoopi Goldberg, Elvis Costello, Sigourney Weaver; directed by Ron Howard.

Hell or High Water, directed by David Mackenzie (R, 102 minutes) One of the most compelling dramas to come out of a long hot summer, this August release is the stunning story of aging Texas ranger Marcus (Jeff Bridges) who, over time, forms a curious relationship with wily, highly motivated bank-robbery suspect Toby (Chris Pine) who has managed to walk away unscathed despite the sheriff's efforts to bring him to justice.

Toby is a relatively reasonable guy who, having taken care of his mother through a lengthy illness until her death, has two teenage sons living elsewhere with their disgruntled mother. Mom, who had no use for Toby's older brother, an unruly ex-con named Tanner (Ben Foster), has left the ramshackle family ranch house and surrounding acreage to Toby, complete with a binding reverse mortgage practically guaranteeing foreclosure by grasping financiers. Toby, who has found out that oil has been discovered on the land, decides to fight the bankers. Tanner is going to help him. But to do so they need some cash, and fast.

The power of these detailed characters (reminiscent of those in 2007's No Country for Old Men) is little short of amazing; the relationship between the brothers is heart-rending in its honesty, and the interactions between Marcus and his dignified cop partner Alberto (Gil Birmingham), who's part American Indian, is by turns hilarious, offensive and affectionate. It's a tense, electric tale that builds slowly and gains momentum in the dust of end-of-the-road west Texas, revealing an affecting, authentic situation that won't be soon forgotten.

With Dale Dickey, Katy Mixon, Marin Ireland.

Kubo and the Two Strings (PG, 1 hour, 41 minutes) Focus Features shows a glimpse of the fine studio it used to be with this beautiful, spellbinding and magical animated action adventure concerning Japanese storyteller Kubo (voice of Art Parkinson of Game of Thrones) who accidentally summons a powerful spirit from his past that fiercely intends to enforce an ancient vendetta. With the voices of Rooney Mara, Charlize Theron, George Takei, Ralph Fiennes, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa; directed by Travis Knight.

War Dogs (R, 1 hour, 54 minutes) This actioner comes awfully close to being a heckuva an adventure, but just can't go the extra distance it needs to make it memorable. Based on a true story, it follows two relatively idiotic friends in their early 20s (Jonah Hill, Miles Teller) getting by in Miami Beach who come up with a seemingly impossible plan to take advantage of a government opportunity that allows small businesses to bid on military contracts. Small successes lead to the possibility of landing a $300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan military -- an undertaking that starts out well. Then relationships deteriorate and complications set in. With Kevin Pollak, Bradley Cooper, Ana de Armas; directed by Todd Phillips.

Intruder (not rated, 1 hour, 31 minutes) A mediocre home-invasion thriller that fails to deliver much in the way of surprise or shock, Intruder concerns a cellist (Louise Linton) who plans to spend a few days loafing around her apartment before starting an exciting new job. Then she gets a creepy feeling that someone is watching her. Ya think? With John Robinson, Susannah Mars, Zach Myers; directed by Travis Zariwny.

I.T. (not rated, 1 hour, 35 minutes) A pokey, uninspiring film populated with pretty people in a formulaic story about successful family man Mike Regan (Pierce Brosnan) whose technologically advanced smart home falls under the control of Mike's I.T. consultant, who has designs on Mike's daughter, business, and who knows what else. With Stefanie Scott, Anna Friel, Jason Barry, Michael Nyqvist; directed by John Moore.

MovieStyle on 11/25/2016

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