“American Sicario” (** out of four) was a tired underworld saga about an American gangster (Phillippe A. Haddad) who wants to achieve a Macchiavellian rise in the ranks of the Mexican underworld but his overzealousness soon puts him at odds with various members of the Mexican cartels (Danny Trejo, Maurice Compte, and others) and puts him right in the crossfire of death. Competently made and acted but film is mostly a rehash of the similarly titled “Sicario” and the much more potent and serpentine “Traffic.” Trejo adds some style as always in a key supporting part but he can play this role in his sleep by now.

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“Death Of A Telemarketer” (*1/2 out of four) was a flat-footed satirical comedy about a smooth-talking telemarketer (Lamorne Morris) who is held hostage and at the mercy of a father-son team (Jackie Earle Haley and Haley Joel Osment) whom he tried to swindle and he has to use all his communication and selling skills to outwit them and try to survive. Potentially funny and pointed comedy is bungled by witless screenplay and unlikeable characters. Yet another three-character chamber piece that might have worked better on stage but as a feature film, it’s something you want to hang up on pretty quickly.

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“Found Wandering Lost” (*1/2 out of four) was a directionless melodrama about a man (Kyle Dyck) on the run from violent hit men who meets a drifter (Jeffrey Staab) on the road and the two form a strange and surreal friendship that gives their lives unexpected meaning and fulfillment. Rambling and pointless story offers no such meaning and fulfillment whatsoever to the viewer. This goes nowhere for nearly two hours. Some beautiful vistas of Kansas provide film’s sole merit.

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“The Shuroo Process” (*1/2 out of four) was an artificial romantic melodrama about a young woman (Fiona Dourif) who is fed up with the declining fortunes of her career in journalism and the breakup with a recent partner and then becomes enamored with a self-help guru (Donal Brophy) who inspires and empowers her to change her life. Dourif and her father (Brad Dourif) share a few scenes together and Eric Roberts shows up late in the game as himself but that’s about it here for originality. Brophy also co-wrote this but the whole “process” was a real waste.

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“Birds Like Us” (***1/2 out of four) was a visually extravagant animated feature about a group of birds (voices of Alicia Vikander, Jeremy Irons, Jim Broadbent, and others) who are flying away in search of a better home for themselves and their families but find that it is going to be an incredible journey. Story and script are thin at best but spectacular and richly detailed animation takes center-stage with wall-to-wall extraordinary visuals that are colorful, psychedelic, and hypnotic. A must-see for animation fans and a fun movie for both parents and children.

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“Sing 2” (*** out of four) was a warm-hearted sequel to the 2016 smash about the continuing adventures of Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) and his singing cohorts (Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johannson, and others) who bust their way onto a large-scale musical show and must persuade a reclusive rock star (voiced by Bono) to join them for the opening of their new show. Not quite at the exuberant heights of the original, as film hits a few lulls in the middle that slow things down, but still first-rate entertainment of its kind with colorful and razor-sharp animation and some dazzling musical numbers and a magnificent finale that send you out with more-than-a-smile and give you your money’s worth. As a bonus, Bono’s character steps out onstage and sings “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

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“Confession” (** out of four) was a tiresome thriller about a wounded man (Stephen Moyer) who shows up at a church and takes a priest hostage (Colm Meaney) and wants to confess the truth about his life before it is too late but what seems like a random encounter is not as it turns out the two have interlocking pasts that are uncovered throughout the night. Two strong performances from the two leads give this as much emotional fire as possible but story becomes undeniably tedious and talky after a while and fizzles out. This may have worked better as a two-character play.

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“Gold” (** out of four) was a torpid melodrama about two sand-diggers (Zac Efron and Anthony Hayes) who find a huge nugget of gold in the middle of a desert; problem is they have no idea how to excavate it which leads to a flurry of personal/physical complications as they both grapple with the means of survival and greed. Holds your attention for a while with it’s nice cinematography and eerie music score but story is fairly one-note and never really takes off. Efron and Hayes do what they can as they try to hold together a two-piece character story but I doubt either are going to find “gold” in them thar hills with this.

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“Tom And Jerry: Cowboy Up” (** out of four) was a harmless but innocuous animated feature about the legendary cat and mouse who team up in the wild West to help a cowgirl in distress from a greedy landowner who wants to force them all off their land. Why do all of the recent Tom And Jerry films have them as friends- when they were so much more fun and entertaining when they were trying to kill each other! Kids may like it as it does have some pretty animation and some action but adults will likely be nostalgic for the old fashioned cartoons instead.

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“Bull” (*1/2 out of four) was a colorless revenge melodrama set in London in which a reformed criminal named Bull (Neil Maskell) returns home after a 10-year absence and seeks vengeance on all who have wronged him, no matter the odds or consequences. Unexpectedly missing here are Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham, and about 10 gratuitous London bar-brawls; you do get a lot of tough-guy talking and a lot of double-crosses but it’s all very uninvolving and not helped by flat and dreary cinematography and presentation. This unexpectedly won some rave reviews at the London Film Festival but this proves yet again that a lot of critics are full of bull.

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