What to see This Week (09/09/22)

Spider-Man: No Way Home

ALL THREE Peter Parkers — played by Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire — are swinging back into theaters this week. Spider-Man: No Way Home will feature extended scenes and 11 minutes of never-before-seen footage. The return engagement comes in celebration of 60 years of the Spider-Man comic book character, in addition to the last two decades of Spider-Man films gracing the big screen. The movie’s first release back in January saw theaters with limited seating capacity and children still not allowed outside their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Directed by Jon Watts, the film also stars Zandeya, Jacob Batalon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Favreau, and Benedict Wong. Brian Tallerico of www.rogerebert.com writes: “So many modern superhero movies have confronted what it means to be a superhero, but this is the first time it’s really been foregrounded in the current run of Peter Parker, which turns No Way Home into something of a graduation story. It’s the one in which Parker has to grow up and deal with not just the fame that comes with Spider-Man but how his decisions will have more impact than most kids planning to go to college.” Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gives the film a score of 93%, and an audience score of 98%.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Fanny: The Right to Rock

THIS is the true story of a Filipina-American garage band that morphed into the ferocious rock group Fanny, the first all-woman band to release an LP with a major record label. Despite recording a handful of albums and amassing a dedicated fan base that included music legend David Bowie, the band disappeared from the records of music history. This documentary tells the story of the band’s rocking past, and also documents the band’s new chapter with the recording of a new album. Written and directed by Bobbi Jo Heart, it stars Jean Millington, June Millington, Nickey Barclay, Alice de Buhr, Brie Howard-Darling, and Patti Quatro. Variety’s Dennis Harvey writes, “Fanny: The Right to Rock remains thoroughly engaging thanks to the demonstrable talent and brassy forthrightness of its central personalities.” Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer gives the film a score of 100%, and an audience score of 79%.

MTRCB Rating: PG

Jane 

WHILE struggling with grief after her friend’s death, high school senior Olivia gets deferred from her dream college. She then pursues a social media-fueled rampage against everyone standing in her way. Directed by Sabrina Jaglom, the film stars Madelaine Petsch, Chloe Bailey, Melissa Leo, Nina Bloomgarden, and Kerri Medders. Todd Jorgenson of Cinemalogue writes: “Although it admirably tackles cyberbullying, identity theft, mental health, and affirmative action, this coming-of-age drama lacks the subtlety or surprise to make a deeper impact.”  Film review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer gives the film a score of 60% and an audience score of 90%.

MTRCB Rating: R-13