Weekend Movie Review: 'The Angry Birds Movie 2' And More

We might only have a few more weeks left of summer, but there are still plenty of hot days on the horizon, perfect for skipping the sun and heading to the theaters for a slew of new August releases.

Looking for an irresistible comedy? "The Angry Birds Movie" saga continues with an intriguing sequel, "The Angry Birds Movie 2" (featuring the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom and Sterling K. Brown), in which the flightless birds of Birds Island face another looming threat.

The highly anticipated novel-turned-film “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is also headed to the big screen, starring Cate Blanchett as Bernadette, a mother and architectural legend in the throes of a maddening midlife crisis.

In the coming-of-age comedy “Good Boys,” Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams and Brady Noon play three 12-year-old boys on the cusp of teenage life as they deliver nostalgic memories of elementary school days.

Last but not the least, in the dramedy "Blinded by the Light," Viveik Kalra plays a teenage boy whose rude awakening comes in the form of Bruce Springsteen's music during 1987's Britain.

Here's what to see and what to skip this weekend:

Movies Out This Weekend

“Where’d You Go, Bernadette” — Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer; directed by Richard Linklater

A film adaptation of Maria Semple’s 2012 bestseller, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is a comedy about a self-observant woman named Bernadette Fox (Cate Blanchett). Once a celebrated rising star in the field of architecture, she was winning accolades left and right. But then she had a reversal of fortune, got married and completely abandoned her illustrious career.

Approximately 20 years after her disappearance from the public eye, we find Bernadette living in a gated community in Seattle with her high-tech exec husband, Elgie (Billy Crudup) and their 15-year-old daughter, Bee (Emma Nelson).

Bernadette is undeniably in control of her monotonous life — that is, until one day when the family’s sprawling blackberry vines are bulldozed. Suddenly, the middle-aged stay-at-home mom feels empty and hollow to the core. She seeks the advice of her long-time friend and former colleague (Laurence Fishburne) who tells her, “People like you must create. If you don’t, you become a menace to the society.”

And so begins a great disappearing act in which Bernadette tries to get to Antarctica in the hopes of finding herself.

See it. Blanchett's sublime performance and Linklater's deft direction buoy an underwhelming screenplay.

Watch the trailer:

“The Angry Birds Movie 2” — Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom; directed by Thurop Van Orman

Remember Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (voiced by Josh Gad), and Bomb (voiced by Danny McBride), the three ostracized, flightless birds in the CG-animated comedy, “The Angry Birds Movie”? Well, they’re back for the sequel with another riotous adventure.

The saga picks up with Red and his best pals being celebrated as heroes after saving the day against the thieving pigs. But a new threat looms ahead in the form of gigantic ice balls falling from the sky onto the Birds Island and Piggy Island.

Surprisingly, Leonard (voiced by Bill Hader), the leader of the pigs, pays Red a visit suggesting a truce between the buzzards and the swine and join forces to defeat a common enemy from a third mysterious island. Begrudgingly, Red agrees.

Red and Leonard assemble a combat posse that includes Chuck, Bomb, Chuck’s clever sister, Silver (voiced by Rachel Bloom), Leonard’s sassy assistant, Courtney (voiced by Awkwafina), porcine scientist Garry (voiced by Sterling K. Brown) and the deeply flawed Mighty Eagle (voiced by Peter Dinklage).

As the plot thickens, the motley crew of frenemies will declare war against Zeta (voiced by Leslie Jones), leader of the beleaguered Eagle Island, a place replete with frozen terrain, ice and snow.

See it. With its irresistible ebullience, “The Angry Birds Movie 2” soars higher than the original film.

Watch the trailer:

“Good Boys” — Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon; directed by Gene Stupnitsky

“Good Boys” conjures up a prequel to the coming-of-age comedy “Superbad,” only this time around, Gene Stupnitsky R-rated comedy brings nostalgic moments from elementary school days instead of high school days.

At the center of the story are the 12-year-old “Bean Bag Boys,” best pals Max (Tremblay), Lucas (Williams) and Thor (Noon), who are about to experience their first-ever kissing party. Amongst their posse, Max is the most stoked to go because his crush, fellow sixth grader Brixlee (Millie Davis), will be at the party. However, there’s one problem: Max has never kissed a girl in his entire life and doesn’t know how to do it.

Desperate to make it work for Max, the threesome becomes unfettered, setting in motion a series of innocent exploits that will leave the Bean Bag Boys entangled with Max’s dad’s drone and two teenage girls.

Skip it. Simply put, the raunchy jokes land flat more often than not.

Watch the trailer:

“Blinded by the Light” — Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir; directed by Gurinder Chadha

Based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir, “Blinded by the Light” is a tale about self-discovery and determination.

Gurinder Chadha (who also directed “Bend It Like Beckham”) directed the coming-of-age comedy, which follows the story of Javed (Kalra), a British-Pakistani teenage boy in search of his voice during the austere days of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Britain in 1987.

It's only a matter of time before Javed meets and befriends Roops (Aaron Phagura), a fellow student who becomes the young lad’s introduction to Bruce Springsteen’s hit, “Dancing in the Dark.” Suddenly, Javed feels exhilarated and inspired to face the challenging times in his hometown of Luton.

The more Javed listens to the Boss’s music, the more he is thrust into a colorful world where he will have to reconcile his cultural values, family ties, and his dreams— but with a twinkle in his eyes.

See it. “Blinded by the Light” is exuberant and uplifting, giving you a twinkle in your eyes. Plus, Bruce Springsteen’s music is dreamy.

Watch the trailer:

Other Entertainment News:

• What's New On Netflix: August 2019
• Reviews of 'The Art Of Racing In the Rain,' And 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold'
• Reviews of 'Hobbs & Shaw,' And 'Luce'
• Reviews of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' And 'Skin'
• Reviews of 'The Lion King' And 'The Art of Self-Defense'