Culture

Families don't have to achieve perfection in order to live in harmony. Along with a lesson about the breaking down of fear-based barriers, that's the basic theme of "Trolls Band Together" (Universal), a pleasant third animated adventure for the music-loving, doll-derived beings of the title who first arrived on the big screen in 2016.

This year marks the centennial of the entertainment empire established by cartoonist extraordinaire Walt Disney. To mark the occasion, we're given "Wish" (Disney), a paean to the Mouse House's legacy.

Is "Napoleon" (Sony) dynamite? The answer might depend on whom you ask.

Considered artistically, the quirky, sometimes humorous but more often confusing superhero adventure "The Marvels" (Disney) presents a mixed bag of ingredients that will likely appeal to some viewers but not others. Assessed for its morality, the film is equally miscellaneous and confronts parents with a potential quandary.

Ten years ago, Erika Kidd sat at the edge of a family member's hospital bed. It was almost Christmas; wind buffeted the window. Quietly, she recited the St. Andrew Novena over and over again.

Swedish producer Adam Anders has long been associated with such peppy musical fare as the Fox TV series "Glee" and the big-screen comedy "Rock of Ages." As he makes his directorial debut with the lively song and dance-filled film "Journey to Bethlehem" (Sony), that legacy is on full display.

Attentive viewers will discern some positive moral values underlying the plot of the action comedy "Freelance" (Relativity). The difficulty is that such audience concentration on this slipshod film will also reveal its subpar status even as a source of casual entertainment.

A child-abduction theme lends a dark undertone to the turbid horror film "Five Nights at Freddy's" (Universal). Adapted from co-writer Scott Cawthon's video game franchise by director and script collaborator (along with Seth Cuddeback) Emma Tammi, it's a dreary affair that inspires more boredom than fear.