There’s a little something for everyone at the movies this summer. But, as usual, there’s a lot more out there — from superheroes to sequels to action spectacles — if you happen to be young(ish) and male.
Entertainment Columns
With “Ex Machina,” writer-director Alex Garland (“28 Days Later”) has crafted an intimate, wondrous, unsettling look at artificial intelligence.
Near the end of “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,” Kevin James’ titular security guard dangles precariously from a zip line strung between Encore and Wynn Las Vegas.
Despite taking place at Wynn Las Vegas, filming at Wynn Las Vegas and receiving $4.2 million in tax credits from the state for doing so, no one involved with “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” would talk about the movie for this column.
There’s awkward, and there’s AWKWARD. The difference between the two, between what can be hysterically funny and what can be cringe-inducingly tedious, is best illustrated by watching the FX comedies “Louie” (10:30 p.m. Thursday) and “The Comedians” (10 p.m. Thursday).
Sure, the whole thing makes zero sense. If it were possible to make negative sense, this latest sequel would do just that. But if nothing else, “Furious 7” gives fans exactly what they want.
With seven installments that have so far raked in nearly $2.4 billion, it’s one of the biggest franchises in movie history. It’s also one of the most convoluted.
