Movies playing at Valley theaters July 15-21

The rating system: ☆☆☆☆, excellent; ☆☆☆, good; ☆☆, so-so; ☆, poor; zero stars, terrible. Unless noted otherwise, reviews are by Bee critic Rick Bentley. Check movie times: http://calendar.fresnobee.com/

movies.aspx.

OPENING

The Infiltrator: An undercover agent gets close to the heart of the illegal drug business. Bryan Cranston stars.

Ghostbusters: Team is formed to stop the host of ghosts in the city.

Sultan: Wrestling champion wants to represent India at the Olympic Games.

Barbershop: The Next Cut (☆☆☆): Workers at the shop arrange a weekend cease-fire among local gangs. The script by Tracy Oliver and Kenya Barris is a strong balance of serious and funny that is accented by all of the comedians who love to improvise. It’s not a matter of the comedians trying to save the story, it’s just adding comedy accents along the way. Cedric the Entertainer continues to shine as the shop’s veteran employee, Eddie. Rated PG-13 (language, sexual situations). 112 minutes.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (☆☆): Batman takes on Superman. Holy bloated muddled mess! The first 45 minutes of director Zack Snyder’s film is such a confusing menagerie of worn-out and worthless story points that only a well-staged battle and the appearance of a female savior keep this latest comic-book-inspired film from being the biggest failure in the genre. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot star. Rated PG-13 (language, violence). 151 minutes.

The BFG (☆☆☆): A gentle giant and a spunky young girl join forces. “The BFG” brings together one of the most applauded writers of children’s books, Roald Dahl, with award-winning director Steven Spielberg. Dahl’s story looks at a spunky young girl, Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), who lives in a British orphanage and prowls the halls at night acting as if she were in command. It stands tall on its own but comes up short when compared to other giants in the Spielberg catalog. Rated PG (rude humor, peril), 115 minutes.

Central Intelligence (☆☆☆1/2): Reuniting with an old friend pulls a man into the spy world. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart star. The combination of the muscle and mirth Johnson brings to “Central Intelligence” with Hart’s controlled energy makes the spy film a sure summer hit. Rated PG-13 (crude humor, nudity, language). 114 minutes.

The Conjuring 2 (☆☆☆ 1/2 ): The Warrens go to London to help a single mother dealing with evil spirits. Vera Farmiga stars. Although he made his first mark with “Saw” – a film that launched one of the goriest franchises in film history – director James Wan demonstrated with the 2013 release “The Conjuring” that he didn’t need blood and guts to scare. In “The Conjuring,” he masterfully used things that go bump in the night to create hair-raising tension. He’s done it again with the sequel, “The Conjuring 2.” Rated R (scary images). 133 minutes.

Finding Dory (☆☆☆1/2): The blue fish who helped Nemo goes on a trek to find her parents. The long-awaited follow-up to the 2003 release “Finding Nemo” has all the fun and charm of the original movie. In some ways – especially dealing with themes of friends and family – the sequel trumps the original. Rated PG (mild thematic elements).

Free State of Jones: Southern farmer leads rebellion against the Confederacy. Matthew McConaughey stars. Not reviewed.

Independence Day Resurgence: Aliens take another shot at Earth. Not reviewed.

The Jungle Book (☆☆☆1/2): Young boy survives in the jungle with a little help from his animal friends. Director Jon Favreau, who showed with "Iron Man" his skill at handling movies with heavy special effects, uses a blend of the original writings with the whimsy of the Disney 1967 animated classic and the realism of the 1994 version starring Jason Scott Lee. It's the way all of these bits and pieces are presented that makes this movie the new king of the jungle movies. Rated PG (scary images). 111 minutes.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (☆☆☆): It is time for the student to become the teacher. Much of the appeal of the “Panda” films is the starry cast of voices. Rated PG (martial arts action, mild rude humor). 95 minutes. (Jocelyn Noveck, AP)

The Legend of Tarzan (☆☆☆): The jungle king must return to his country on a rescue mission. The latest look at the vine-swinging character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs takes a more civilized approach. Swedish hunk Alexander Skarsgård plays the title role with cinema’s current reigning beauty, Margot Robbie, as his spunky Jane. The pair are the best-looking couple to hang with the animals in a beautiful jungle setting since Adam and Eve. “The Legend of Tarzan” is not the king of jungle movies, but it is presented with such royal reverence that some people will go ape over it. Rated PG-13 (violence, action scenes). 109 minutes.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (No stars): A pair of hard-partying brothers use the internet to find dates. Zac Efron stars. You can tell from the title “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates” that the film deals with two guys who don’t want to be alone at their sister’s nuptials. There’s a lot the name doesn’t tell you. Mike and Dave” need a story that doesn’t insult anyone over the age of 3. Rated R (language, graphic nudity, drug use). 98 minutes.

Miracles From Heaven (☆☆☆): 10-year-old is cured of a chronic illness after surviving an accident. Rated PG (thematic material). 109 minutes.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (☆1/2): Plans to sell a home are threatened when a sorority moves in next door. Rose Byrne stars. Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien’s lazy script for the 2014 comedy “Neighbors” fell apart because there were plot holes big enough to sink a university. They appeared to have remedied that gaff with the sequel, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” only to return to their lazy tendencies, making the project flunk out. Rated R (drug use, language, graphic nudity). 92 minutes.

Now You See Me 2 (☆☆☆): Notorious magicians are forced into one more spectacular stunt. The sequel is much stronger than the first film. It starts out with another magical concept, but instead of the story droning to a lackluster end, the big reveal is both fun and full of original twists. It does not have nearly as many problems as the first movie. Rated PG-13 (language, violence). 129 minutes.

The Purge: Election Year (☆☆1/2): Politicians decided the annual day when nothing is illegal must stop. James DeMonaco, who wrote and directed all three “Purge” films, tries to mine some personal connections through Joe (Mykelti Williamson), the owner of a small deli. He’s a man with a checkered past but a big heart when it comes to his community. It has its moments. And the tension the director/writer has infused in the story is relentless. It’s just the unnecessary efforts to make the story bigger, coupled with a predictable plot, that leave it the least compelling of the “Purge” movies. Rated R (violence, language). 105 minutes.

The Secret Life of Pets (☆☆): The way your pet acts when you are away is very different than when you are home. “The Secret Life of Pets” comes from the same team that produced the sweet, funny and memorable “Despicable Me.” That film is almost impossible to follow, especially when there are no breakout characters like the Minions. Rateg PG (rude humor, action). 95 minutes.

The Shallows (☆☆1/2): Surfer is stuck on a rock a short distance from shore but a shark is in the way. Blake Lively stars. The film is a splash of fresh seawater in the face of a rather dismal summer movie season. Rated PG-13 (bloody images, peril, language). 87 minutes. (Katie Walsh, Tribune)

Warcraft (No stars): Azeroth is on the brink of war in this film based on the popular video game. The film has achieved a lofty goal: There hasn't been a movie as unrelentingly bad since "Jupiter Ascending" managed to surpass the bloated and pitiful "Battlefield Earth" as the worst big-budget science fiction film of all time. It's game over for another attempt to turn a video game into a movie. Rated PG-13 (violence). 123 minutes.

Zootopia (☆☆☆): Fox and rabbit must work together to uncover a kidnapping conspiracy. When the new animated movie focuses on the critters, it’s a funny trip through the animal kingdom. What slows the ark (oops, make that arc) of the film is a crime story that’s in need of a few more jokes. Rated PG (rude humor, scary images). 108 minutes.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie: Edina and Patsy look for a way to avoid a media storm.

Ice Age: Collision Course: Group must stop a meteor that could destroy the Earth.

Lights Out: An older sister tries to stop an entity scaring her brother that once haunted her.

Star Trek Beyond: Crew of the Enterprise face new threat at the edges of the uncharted space.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Movies playing at Valley theaters July 15-21."