FREEZE FRAME: “Finding Dory,” “Central Intelligence”

It’s taken Pixar 13 years to come up with a sequel to the smash animated hit, “Finding Nemo.” But even after all these years, this fish is still fresh. Ellen DeGeneres again provides the voice for the forgetful blue tang in “Finding Dory,” as she and her aquatic friends go on a cross-ocean adventure to find her lost family. While the movie lacks the strong story of its predecessor, there’s still an ocean of imagination on display, from the amazing visuals to the snappy sense of humor. And, yes, you may need a Kleenex or two. There are those who will say that “Finding Dory” is lesser Pixar. Maybe so, but “lesser Pixar” is still better than most movies, animated or otherwise. “Finding Dory” may well rescue this summer’s floundering box office.

The standard buddy comedy gets a big boost from two charismatic stars in “Central Intelligence.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays a once overweight nerd who reconnects with his school’s most popular jock, played by Kevin Hart, on the eve of their 20th high school reunion. But now, The Rock is a rogue CIA super agent and Kevin is a morose accountant who gets suckered in on a spy caper with grave international consequences. Hart and Johnson display the same terrific comic chemistry that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito had back in the day with “Twins.” There isn’t really much intelligence on display in “Central Intelligence,” but it’s a goofy, mindless pleasure.

Also opening this week, “Genius” tells the true story of the professional relationship between acclaimed book editor Maxwell Perkins and famed author Thomas Wolfe. The impressive cast includes Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney. “Dark Horse” is a documentary about a group of working class Brits who breed a championship racehorse.


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