Special-K88

In 1999, an immutable homicide detective with a modicum of emotional ties stumbles upon his family's old ham radio. Not long after a freak occurrence involving the aurora borealis, the radio recalibrates and allows him to communicate in the past with his father--a dedicated "New Yawk" firefighter who died in the line of duty back in 1969! After getting past the initial shock of it all, they realize that they're able to help each other, but then what kind of repercussions will that have on their respective timelines? The set up creates all kinds of fascinating possibilities, many of which are explored, and also provides relatable family drama, a few genuine thrills, and a couple of translucent visuals, but then it cheats at the climax in order to provide a more uplifting ending, which is kind of a let down given how unique the premise is. **½

In the beautiful English countryside of Wall, the young hopeless romantic Tristan (Cox) pines for the fair-haired maiden Victoria (Miller). To prove his worthiness, he embarks on a journey to the mystical kingdom of Stormhold to retrieve fallen star Yvaine (Danes), but his journey is stymied when Yvaine is also targeted by wicked witch Lamia (Pfeiffer), as well as single-minded Prince Septimus (Strong). Along the way Tristan also comes across the deceptive pirate Captain Shakespeare (De Niro). Spirited, star-studded fantasy allows Pfeiffer to be deliciously over-the-top, affords De Niro an opportunity to play far against type, showcases Cox as both likable and sincere, and lets Danes be incandescent, plus with the whimsical tone, off-kilter humor, and splashy visuals the stage is seemingly set for a fantabulous experience, but it's crammed and cluttered with too many needless characters and subplots, and undermines much of the joy by going on far longer than necessary. That aside, the caliber of its cast makes it impossible to dismiss. **½

15 years ago, a pair of top-level undercover CIA operatives decided to go off the grid and live the simple life. In the present day they're married with two kids, until their peaceful domesticity is suddenly imperiled when numerous enemies uncover their whereabouts while searching for a high-tech doodad. Formulaically flawed action-comedy has some Mr. & Mrs. Smith vibes, but can't replicate that film's spark or sizzle; after being out of the game for more than a decade Diaz still has enough allure to light up a screen and also clicks with her equally charismatic co-star Foxx, but ¡Ay, caramba, not even their best efforts could elevate something so frothy, nor can the presence of Glenn Close who clearly knows what movie she's in and makes the most of it. One might feel inclined to give this a pass if it were hysterically funny or breathlessly exciting, but the jokes are few and far between, and the action scenes are strictly by the numbers. **