Encanto (2021):

This animated feature from Disney's animation studios tells the story of a magical family, the Madrigals, who live in a hidden valley in Colombia in a magical house in the magical town of Encanto. Every child born in Encanto is blessed with a single gift ranging from a superpower like superstrength, to the power to heal. Despite its PG rating, we saw children in the theatre as young as age 2, with the four year-olds really getting it - a positive life message and plenty of colour, music and fun. The children in the story use their special abilities for good which further enhances the beauty and safety of Encanto. Except for one little girl named Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"). Even the greatest healers in the town have been unable to help Mirabel, to endow her with a special power, something that has made her very sad, feeling like an outsider. When it becomes evident that the magic of Encanto is in danger, it becomes equally evident that perhaps only a person with no power at all can help stop the evil threat. Rated PG.

King Richard (2021):

Will Smith does a marvellous job of disappearing into his character, that of Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams of tennis fame. This biopic takes one period of time in the lives of the two girls and their four step-siblings from their age of about 11 to 14. I certainly knew about the Williams sisters, but I knew little about Richard, who, it turns out, was not a very nice man in many respects. The two girls are capably played by Sanyya Sidney (Venus) and Demi Singleton (Serena), but from start to finish, it's all about Richard who says in the early going, that he has a plan for his girls - a plan that existed before they were even born. A man of faith and of strong religious leanings, it was his objective to keep all of his children busy - busy with school where he demanded straight As, busy with sports, particularly tennis, and busy at home with chores and odd jobs - all of this to keep them off the streets of Compton, CA where Black youth were gang-involved, and where the constant threat of drugs and of drive-by shootings were a plague that haunted parents day and night. His tactics were severe, but he was not an abusive dad, just one who demanded the best. Richard, we learn, was a hard man when it came to making deals for his daughters, and it had to be very difficult for the children, and yet, through it all, he raised two champions, not only on the tennis courts, but in the game of life, smart girls who knew how to look after themselves. I liked the movie a great deal, thought that it was fair and balanced, and that Smith may get an Oscar nom for this role. Rated 14A.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021):

This is a prequel to the series of "Resident Evil" movies that starred Mila Jovovich as Alice, fighting the horrors that emanated from Raccoon City. Set in 1998 before Alice's time, we meet Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), younger sister of Chris (Robbie Amell). Shot in Sudbury, ON, the entire movie was shot in the dark, and that became very wearing. Because it's based on a video game, it's all about killing the zombies, the more the better. Chris has been dispatched to investigate the goings-on at the Spencer Mansion while Claire, a college student, is investigating the Umbrella Corporation which has clearly been up to no good. I have to say that, if you are a fan of this genre, if you like the videogames on which it is based, this will be your pound of flesh. For me, it really didn't get the job done, although I liked the original "Resident Evil" movies well enough. Not so much this one though! Rated 14A.

Tall Girl 2 (2022):

For the audience, primarily tween and teen girls, this sequel to 2019's "Tall Girl" Netflix-distributed film about Jodi Kreyman (Ava Michelle), always the tallest girl in her high school, is a must watch. In the first movie, Jodi slouched her way through school trying to make herself look less tall and less awkward, but by the end of the movie, she had figured out the path to personal and interrelationship success. In the new film, she has gone over the top and her newfound popularity has begun, because of her behaviour, to alienate those around her. Rated PG.

Robin Robin (2021):

This stop-motion animated film from the UK tells the story of a little baby robin who rolls out of her nest onto the ground, and who is saved, and then raised by a family of mice. As Robin gets older, she begins to realize that she is not a mouse, and that maybe she doesn't really belong with this family. A heart-warming story with an excellent message that both children and parents will enjoy. Gillian Anderson ("The X-Files") provides one of the major voices in this British made film. Rated G.