This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If ever a movie deserved its title, it's "Pan."
The over-the-top prequel to "Peter Pan" is a mess of ill-conceived ideas and out-of-control visual effects, a movie so terrible it almost has to be seen to be believed. The movie introduces Peter (Levi Miller) as an orphan boy in London during The Blitz, who is kidnapped by airborne pirates and spirited away to Neverland to join the slaves mining fairy dust for the nasty pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman). Director Joe Wright ("Atonement") and screenwriter Jason Fuchs squander the innocence and charm of J.M. Barrie's creation, for a mishmash of styles and tones that never come together.
The best movie opening this week is the documentary "He Named Me Malala," a thoughtful and warm profile of Pashtun girls-education activist Malala Yousafzai. Director Davis Guggenheim examines Malala's advocacy for young women like herself, details the Taliban's attempt to assassinate her, and best of all shows how she maintains a semi-normal teen life in spite of her mission and fame.
Two well-made dark dramas open at the art-houses this weekend: "Mississippi Grind," which follows two gamblers (Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds) trying to score on the road to New Orleans; and "99 Homes," a grim drama (according to the Tribune's Scott D. Pierce) about a family man (Andrew Garfield) who loses his house to foreclosure, and goes to work for the real-estate dealer (Michael Shannon) responsible for it.
Two movies with local connections also open in Utah theaters. "Just Let Go" is a dour drama, more a sermon than a narrative, based on the true story of an LDS bishop (Henry Ian Cusick) whose life is upended when his pregnant wife and two of his children are killed in a drunk-driving accident. "Highway to Dhampus" is a gorgeously photographed drama about a war photographer (Gunner Wright) who escorts a British heiress (Rachel Hurd-Wood) on a charity trip to Nepal.
Lastly, a few theaters are opening "Walt Before Mickey," a docudrama that chronicles the early career of Walt Disney (Thomas Ian Nicholas). It was not screened for critics.