Canadian director Philippe Falardeau’s feature film about the Lost Boys of Sudan is a predictable yet thoroughly enjoyable tale about perseverance, love and humanity’s odd bilateral nature. The movie starts in Sudan where a number of youth are displaced after their parents are murdered during the second Sudanese civil war. Alone and desperate to survive, they begin a long and dangerous march to Kenya. 

Bateman, Fey, Fonda and Rose Byrne (in a supporting role) give the film energy and star power, and their lesser-known co-stars are just as solid. The primary failing of “This Is Where I Leave You” is the fact that there’s so much going on. While all families have drama, Levy’s film piles one unlikely scenario atop another until viewers are left with a teetering monster that strains all credibility. Viewers who can suspend disbelief and enjoy the craziness will have a good time, but those expecting subtlety will be disappointed.  

Altina, a film by Peter Sanders, is a documentary valentine to his artist grandmother.  It may not solve the riddle about the woman behind the cat’s eye frames she invented, but it’s a lively enough pastiche of the turbulent 20^th century she inhabited.  Through newsreels, archival home videos and close-up glimpses from some of the people whose lives she touched, we can enjoy the journey.  

Although “Guardians” is a Marvel Comics property, it lacks the name recognition of staple heroes, like “Spider-Man,” “Iron Man” and “Captain America.” It also relegates its most marketable stars (Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel) to roles where their faces are hidden. Ultimately, the perceived marketing issues don’t matter because the movie – a wild mix of comedy and science-fiction – is a blast, and theatrical audiences figured that out right away. 

InRealLife is both a cautionary tale and a disturbing peek behind-the-curtain into the affected lives of Internet users. While it is a little bit hyped up on the negatives of the network, it’s also good to remember that the situations presented in the film can be extreme, and that there are those who can disconnect and use the Web in moderation. InRealLife is provocative and brings up good points about the perils of Internet addiction.

Director Matt Reeves takes over for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” a sequel that maintains the themes of the original while placing a greater focus on action and spectacle. That type of shift has the potential to doom a franchise, but Reeves’ work is so good that he takes the series to new heights. “Dawn” is more exciting and action-packed than it’s predecessor, but it’s also exceedingly smart, and it features an Oscar-worthy, motion-capture performance by Andy Serkis. 

Pierce Brosnan was excellent in his brief stint as James Bond, a fact director Roger Donaldson (“Thirteen Days,” “The World’s Fastest Indian”) likely considered when bringing the English actor back to the spy genre. In “The November Man,” based on the Bill Granger novel “There Are No Spies,” Brosnan plays Peter Devereaux, a retired CIA agent lured back to action by his former boss, John Hanley (Bill Smitrovich).

When “21 Jump Street” hit theaters in 2012 it was a delightful surprise. The film – a comedic, big-screen re-imagining of the 1980s and early ’90s television series – was witty, unexpected and creative. It also marked the pleasant introduction of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as a comedy duo. With “22 Jump Street,” returning directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller continue the fun, producing a movie with a likable plot.

Director Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical “Jersey Boys” is a delightful and beautifully crafted trip down memory lane. Like the Broadway show, Eastwood’s film recounts the history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, often pausing so key players can address the audience and put their personal spin on events. The story of the Four Seasons is interesting because despite the band’s clean-cut image, the members grew up on the streets of New Jersey and – to varying degrees – had criminal ties. 

In truth, “Maleficent” is a winner no matter how one feels about “Sleeping Beauty.” A viewer could conceivably enjoy the film without even watching the original, but it’s definitely more fun for the acquainted. Familiarity with the cartoon allows viewers to contrast pre-existing impressions of Maleficent against those generated by the new picture, and that makes things interesting from an academic standpoint.