Rating: «« out of 4

Running Time: 128 min.

It’s important to know when to say when. Back in 2004, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (based on the Disney theme park ride), was far more entertaining and enjoyable a movie than it had any right to be. However, it was soon followed by increasingly flawed and unmemorable sequels. To be completely honest, I can barely remember the last film.

The latest sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, is still not a return to form. The witty banter and humorous pirate shenanigans remains less-than-razor-sharp and can’t match the original’s charm. Most of the new characters aren’t particularly interesting...

Rating: « out of 4

Running Time: 118 min.

I’m not very familiar with the TV series upon which the new Baywatch feature is based, but one imagines that it provided viewers with a bit of tongue-in-cheek camp and escapism over the course of an hour. The sad thing is that during a screening of the new and updated version of this property, I actually spent much of the time feeling I might have been better served watching the original show. The new Baywatch mixes blunt, ill-timed gags with straight-forward action and does neither of the two particularly well. This effort sinks early on and completely drowns before anyone or anything can rescue it.

The plot revolves around heroic Mitch...

New film chronicles Iraqi war vet

The independent feature film “Will Gardner” recently began filming around New Mexico and set shots include parts of Gallup and McKinley County, officials said.

Lisa Rodriguez, city film liaison, said the film, produced by Mona Vista Productions of Albuquerque, will be shot around the communities of Gallup, Albuquerque, Belen, Zia, Santa Ana and Jemez pueblos.

The film is about an Iraqi war veteran. Rodriguez said the essence of the film ties in with Gallup’s designation as the “Most Patriotic Small Town in America.” The city acquired the moniker in 2013 via a Rand McNally Best of the Road national contest.

“This is to a large degree a...

Rating: ««« out of 4

Running Time: 123 min.

This is an odd way to start a review, but your enjoyment of this creature feature will likely have a lot to do with your feelings about Prometheus. Since it’s release, I’ve heard all sorts of reactions from viewers both positive and negative. Alien: Covenant is the latest in the series and fits somewhere between the last film and a proper Alien movie. It continues with the themes set up previously, adding a dash or two here and there of face-hugging monster mayhem. The end result isn’t perfect but is ambitious, with enough new and compelling material to earn it a pass.

The story follows a spaceship carrying humans set to colonize a...