Beauty and the Beast Is Beautiful But A Bit Too Familiar, and Iron Fist Is a Marvel Misstep

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And if you do succeed? You can add a few new ingredients to the mix and try again anyway — as Disney’s ongoing streak of live-action remakes makes clear, the odds are pretty decent that you might hit another home run. With this weekend’s Beauty and the Beast, the studio is out to breathe fresh box-office life into the tale (as old as time) of a cursed prince whose castle becomes a young girl’s prison — and whose, ahem, beastly appearance hides a heart she can’t help falling for. With Bill Condon in the director’s chair, a cast that includes Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the titular lovebirds, and some of the same songs that helped captivate audiences during the animated classic, all the ingredients seem to be there for another irresistible romance — and if this pass at the story doesn’t quite reach its predecessor’s lofty heights, critics say it gets close enough to make it worth a watch. Fans of Disney’s original Beauty may feel it suffers by beggaring comparisons to its predecessor, but if you haven’t seen that version — or can temper your expectations accordingly — this remake should make for a suitably sweet night out at the movies.

If you like your action (or your horror) high-concept, The Belko Experiment dangles what might seem like an irresistible premise: an office full of Americans working in Bogotá suddenly finds their building under lockdown — and under the command of mysterious figures demanding that they either kill their coworkers or be killed themselves. It’s a nifty setup, and one whose on- and offscreen pedigree suggests great things; with a script by James Gunn and a cast that includes John C. McGinley and Michael Rooker, the genre thrills should flow as freely as the B-movie gore. Unfortunately, that isn’t quite the case — critics say that while this isn’t exactly a failed Experiment, it’s neither as gonzo as it could be nor as smart as it thinks, which undermines its attempts at satire and makes it harder to enjoy as a straight-up action thriller. A mixed bag not without its moments, Belko could still be worth checking out… but unless you’re really into this stuff, it might be best to wait for the rental.

Trial & Error hilariously parodies the true-crime genre with consistent laughs, irreverently funny “stupid humor,” and animated characters who populate the show’s dependably entertaining narratives.

Despite some promising moments, Iron Fist is weighed down by an absence of momentum and originality.