I'll See You in My Dreams - 4 smiles

"I'll See You in My Dreams" has a fresh tone and an original way to tell a story. Nobody is as predictable as they first appear. A luminous 74-year-old Blythe Danner plays Carol, a widow of two decades who plays bridge and golf with her friends (Rhea Perlman, Mary Kay Place and June Squibb). And as Carol begins to realize she has been living life in a bubble, the new perspectives she develops aren't easy moves into romance or cutesy mom scenarios. And Carol's daily drinks look like the actions of a closet alcoholic until you realize that she's self-medicating because she's lonely. She makes her choices for believable reasons and the relationship (not a sexual one, thankfully) she has with a 30-ish pool cleaner (Martin Starr) is sweet and effective. Writer/director Brett Haley doesn't complicate his narrative with too much drama or make life overly simple. He provides a slice of Carol's life that's a little sad, sometimes silly, and all too real.

Hot Pursuit - 1 1/2 smiles

I wanted to like "Hot Pursuit," starring Reese Witherspoon and Sophia Vergara. And after seeing it, I'm not sure how it got made. The story, which takes the 'odd couple' concept, pairing a by-the-book female cop and a Spanish-speaking wife of a cartel stool-pigeon, doesn't work. That they don't like each other is more believable than when they're supposed to like each other. There's more chemistry in the outtakes at the end of the movie. The road trip doesn't work either, with the humor based on stereotypes and bad acting. One of the reasons I don't often see comedies is because they are too stupid to be funny. I should have remembered that and not seen 'Hot Pursuit.'

Furious 7 - 4 smiles

"Furious 7" is a big, noisy movie full of impossible car stunts that not only manages to give a proper send of to Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker's character), but manages to be a lot of fun as well. The cast from the previous 'Furious' movies returns, including Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges. Joining them this time around are Jason Statham as the hard to kill villain and Kurt Russell as a mysterious US government official. The most memorable scenes are the stunts, which include a parachute drop of muscle cars onto a twisting road in the Caucasus Mountains and a multi-million dollar sports car flying from one skyscraper through a second and onto a third. You don't go to a 'Furious' movie for the story or dialogue. You go for the thrill of the ride. So sit back and enjoy.

Pitch Perfect 2 - 2 1/2 smiles

I loved 'Pitch Perfect.' I liked 'Pitch Perfect 2.' Elements that made the original so good are a part of the sequel, but watered down. The focus, instead, is on more slap stick, involving Rebel Wilson's character, Fat Amy. And while you know the Barden Belles are going to win whatever competition they're in, their nemesis this time around, the German Das Sound Machine, led by a blonde dominatrix-looking lead singer (Brigitte Hjorth Sorensen), doesn't even get their comeuppance at the end. Unfortunately for first time director Elizabeth Banks, the plot is more of a series of vignettes rather than a smoothly flowing narrative. And Banks doesn't capitalize on the charisma star Anna Kendrick brings to the screen. Nonetheless, what Banks does create is a joyous, infectious spirit and upbeat, entertaining music.

Tomorrowland - 3 smiles

The best thing about 'Tomorrowland,' starring George Clooney and Britt Robertson, is its story. The worst thing is there's too much story, in that it takes too much time for Casey (Robertson) to meet Frank (Clooney). One superfluous scene involves Keegan Michael Key and Katheryn Hahn as a couple who run a sci-fi memorabilia shop. It seems this scene was thrown in so Bird could use a 'freeze gun.' Once Casey and Frank do get together, the story takes off. And child actress Raffey Cassidy is adorable as the butt-kicking Athena. Hugh Laurie is the unexpected villain, but the story has to have a villain so maybe not so unexpected.

Mad Max: Fury Road - 4 smiles

Although the movie's title suggests that Max (played by Tom Hardy) is the central character, he shares the hero duties with Charlize Theron's Furiosa, who is amazing, dominating every scene she's in. The plot is simple - it's one long chase with lots of explosions, crashes and special effects. The creativity is in the design of the various cars (which actually work), the costumes (note the difference in Furiosa's and the wives') and how each chase segment is different. Director and co-writer Geroge Miller cleverly develops character and his theme of redemption as the story progresses so you know little when the movie starts. Miller, who wrote the Mel Gibson Mad Max script, has a successful reboot and if you're an action fan, 'Mad Max: Fury Road is not to be missed.