Movie Reviews, Trailers: ‘Mike and Dave,’ ‘The Secret Life of Pets,’ ‘Captain Fantastic,’ and More

By Beau Behan, Film Critic

Are you planning on going to the movies this weekend? Here are this week’s new releases:

• “Now You See Me 2” (Video Review)
• “Me Before You” (Video Review)
• “The Nice Guys” (Video Review)
• “Money Monster” (Video Review)
• “Captain Fantastic”
• “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”
• “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”
• “The Secret Life of Pets”
• “Zero Days”

And here’s what they’re all about.

“Now You See Me 2”

WATCH the above movie review.

PG-13, 129 min, Action, Comedy, Thriller

Director: John M. Chu

Writer: Ed Solomon

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan

The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan) return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights and taking them around the globe. One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names and reveal the mastermind behind it all. – Lionsgate

“Me Before You”

WATCH the above movie review.

PG-13, 110 min, Drama

Director: Thea Sharrack

Writer: Jojo Moyes

Stars: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin

“Me Before You” is the powerful love story between a once successful banking executive (Sam Claflin) and an effervescent young woman (Emilia Clarke). – Warner Bros.

“The Nice Guys”

WATCH the above movie review.

R, 116 min, Action, Comedy, Crime

Director: Shane Black

Writers: Shane Black, Anthony Bagarozzi

Stars: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe

Down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power. – Warner Bros.

“Money Monster”

WATCH the above movie review.

R, 98 min, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Director: Jodie Foster

Writers: Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore

Stars: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O’Connell

In the real-time, high stakes thriller Money Monster, George Clooney and Julia Roberts star as financial TV host Lee Gates and his producer Patty, who are put in an extreme situation when an irate investor, who has lost everything (Jack O’Connell) forcefully takes over their studio. During a tense standoff broadcast to millions on live TV, Lee and Patty must work furiously against the clock to unravel the mystery behind a conspiracy at the heart of today's fast-paced, high-tech global markets. – Sony Pictures

“Captain Fantastic” (Limited, July 8)

WATCH the above movie trailer.

R, 118 min, Drama

Director: Matt Ross

Writer: Matt Ross

Stars: Viggo Mortensen, George Mackay, Samantha Isler

Deep in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, isolated from society, a devoted father (Viggo Mortensen) dedicates his life to transforming his six young children into extraordinary adults. But when a tragedy strikes the family, they are forced to leave this self-created paradise and begin a journey into the outside world that challenges his idea of what it means to be a parent and brings into question everything he's taught them. – Bleecker Street

“Hunt for the Wilderpeople” (Limited, July 8)

WATCH the above movie trailer.

PG-13, 101 min, Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Director: Taika Waititi

Writers: Taika Waititi, Barry Crump

Stars: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata

Raised on hip-hop and foster care, defiant city kid Ricky gets a fresh start in the New Zealand countryside. He quickly finds himself at home with his new foster family: the loving Aunt Bella, the cantankerous Uncle Hec, and dog Tupac. When a tragedy strikes that threatens to ship Ricky to another home, both he and Hec go on the run in the bush. As a national manhunt ensues, the newly branded outlaws must face their options: go out in a blaze of glory or overcome their differences and survive as a family. – The Orchard

“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” (Nationwide, July 8)

WATCH the above movie trailer.

R, 98 min, Comedy

Director: Jake Szymanski

Writers: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien

Stars: Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick

Hard-partying brothers Mike (Adam Devine) and Dave (Zac Efron) place an online ad to find the perfect dates (Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza) for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves outsmarted and out-partied by the uncontrollable duo. – FOX

“The Secret Life of Pets” (Nationwide, July 8)

WATCH the above movie trailer.

PG, 90 min, Animation, Comedy, Family

Directors: Yarrow Cheney, Chris Renaud

Writers: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio

Stars: Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart

For their fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures present “The Secret Life of Pets,” a comedy about the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day. – Universal

“Zero Days” (Limited, July 8)

WATCH the above movie trailer.

PG-13, 116 min, Documentary

Director: Alex Gibney

Writer: Alex Gibney

Stars: David Sanger, Emad Kiyaei

Alex Gibney’s “Zero Days” is a documentary thriller about warfare in a world without rules— the world of cyberwar. The film tells the story of Stuxnet, self-replicating computer malware (known as a “worm” for its ability to burrow from computer to computer on its own) that the U.S. and Israel unleashed to destroy a key part of an Iranian nuclear facility, and which ultimately spread beyond its intended target. It’s the most comprehensive accounting to date of how a clandestine mission hatched by two allies with clashing agendas opened forever the Pandora’s Box of cyberwarfare. – Magnolia Pictures

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