New in Theaters March 16, 2018 "Tomb Raider, "7Days in Entebbe" and "Love, Simon"

Love, Simon

Starring: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel
Rated PG-13

Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends, and all of his classmates: he's gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.

“Love, Simon” is a heartfelt but heavy handed look at a teen coming to terms with who he is. The film tries to navigate into deeper waters, but fails to drop anchor. Instead the movie plots a much safer course with a feel-good ending that will satisfy its teen audience.

In the end “Love, Simon” doesn't take the chances it should have and ends up a likable but bland film.

It gets a C and is rated PG-13

7 Days in Entebbe

Starring: Rosamund Pike and Daniel Bruhl

Rated PG-13  

Inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, and the most daring rescue mission ever attempted.

“7 Days in Entebbe” is a complex political film that examines two sides of an event.

On one side are the hijackers, who see what they are doing as a last effort to be heard.

These revolutionaries begin in total solidarity with each other but as the drama unfolds, there is a shift as some of the hijackers may be changing their minds about the taking of the hostages.

On the other side is the Israeli government's attempt to quell the event as quickly as possible, but as times is running out for the hostages, and the long-standing rule not to negotiate with terrorists comes into question.

“7 Days in Entebbe” is a political thriller and a good one. It gets a B and is rated PG-13.

Tomb Raider
Starring: Alicia Vikander and Daniel Wu

Rated PG-13  

Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.

“Tomb Raider” is an origin story that asks the audience to accept a little too much. There are some good moments in the film, but this story has borrowed so much of its plot from “The Dark Knight,” “Indiana Jones” and “The Lost World” that those films should have been thanked in the credits.

Alicia Vikander does a competent job as Lara Croft. She takes on the physical strain of the character and balances that with an innocent side. Vikander understands Lara Croft and allows her to grow during the adventure.

Walton Goggins plays the evil Mathias Vogel with all the subtlety of a looney tunes cartoon. His performance is uncomfortably over the top replete with hand-wringing and cliche-ridden dialogue. 

Most of the stunt work is fine, but there's really nothing new here for an audience who has seen countless action adventure films.

Despite Alicia Vikander's performance, “Tomb Raider” is just average.

It gets a C and is rated PG-13.