Culture
Sure, the mission is impossible, but it’s still fun
"Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" delivers a steady but stylized parade of action. The result is a nifty but not very profound espionage adventure.
Want to get away from it all? Start by running from ‘Vacation’
There's no summertime relief in the film reboot of the 1983 original as viewers get dragged along on a forced march through a landscape of tastelessness unrelieved by laughs.
‘Pixels’ proves those all arcade quarters weren’t wasted
The manic comedy about Pac Man, Donkey Kong and other gaming bad guys invading earth might make viewers wish it were "game over" before the film ends.
Thought-provoking almanac will delight Catholic gardeners
Any Catholic who enjoys gardening will find spiritual and practical inspiration in this book by a master gardener, retreat leader and Catholic blogger.
Adulthood nears, but not before the prom, in ‘Paper Towns’
In a faithful adaptation of a young-adult novel, kids talk, talk and talk about their anxieties for nearly two hours. Seldom does enlightenment dawn, but they gamely plug away.
‘Southpaw’: Boxing as at once repellent and alluring
The visceral boxing drama is not for the squeamish as it jabs at moral dilemmas. A wily trainer convinces a broken-down fighter to use his head as well as his hands.
Catholics can benefit from Protestant Scripture scholar’s book
A retired Harvard University theologian teaches how to read the Bible with the brain in gear that God gave you. Harvey Cox clearly rejects biblical fundamentalism.
Aptly titled ‘Trainwreck’ scoops romance from the gutter
Even as the romantic comedy formula starts wearing thin, the offensive portrayal of sexuality brings the whole film to a welcome if implausible end.
Details on Poland’s role in Cold War might overwhelm casual reader
While the Reagan administration had a focused ideological and ethical sense of the political matter, so did the Polish communist leadership, something we in the West might not realize.
Families and all their minions will love ‘Minions’
This bright, 3-D animated comedy tells the madcap story of the yellow, capsule-shaped creatures whose endearing presence contributed to the "Despicable Me" films.