FREEZE FRAME: “Captain America: Civil War,” “Tale of Tales” Film Review

The latest comic book extravaganza from the folks at Marvel, “Captain America: Civil War” is everything that “Batman v Superman” wishes it could have been. A villain cleverly manipulates The Avengers into a battle that splits the team in two, pitting Iron Man and his super allies against Captain America and his Avenger crew. Naturally, when these forces got into battle with one another, mayhem abounds. Even though there are some dark themes in “Civil War,” the movie has plenty of action, good humor and a real sense of fun, so it never devolves into sharing the dour and brooding tone that plagued “Batman v Superman.” “Captain America: Civil War” proves that, a house divided…can be very entertaining.

“Tale of Tales” is a fairytale movie that is definitely not for kids. Salma Hayek, Toby Jones, Vincent Cassel and John C. Reilly lead a cast of international stars in this offbeat and very disturbing film. It’s an adaptation of the 17th century collection of fairytales called the “Pentamerone,” featuring stories grimmer than Grimm. Three tales are interwoven, highlighting the themes of selfishness and lust. There’s enough nudity and bloody violence to earn it a hard “R” rating, but it’s being released without a rating. “Tale of Tales” is true to the original stories’ accent on a mix of horror and un-romantic fantasy. While it’s visually dazzling, it’s also very episodic, slowly paced and occasionally tiresome. It’s an adult arthouse entry that has its merits, but is definitely not for all.

Also opening this week, “Francofonia” is a documentary about how the Louvre protected its valuable artworks during the Nazi occupation of France. “Sing Street” is an acclaimed musical set in Dublin during the 1980s. It’s the latest from John Carney, the writer/director of “Once.”

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