By Chip Chandler — Digital Content Producer
Only one major new movie this weekend, and it's a big one: See what critics have to say about Guardians of the Galaxy, plus get details on special screenings heading to theaters.
New in theaters
Baahubali 2: The Conclusion
Already a massive overseas hit, this Indian fantasy adventure expands to more American theaters this weekend, including Cinemark Hollywood 16, which has a history of bringing in Indian films. In the movie, a sequel to 2015's Baahubali: The Beginning, singularly named actor Prabhas stars as Shivudu, or Shiva, in a high-fantasy, special-effects-laden epic. The spectacle is something to behold, critics say: "Baahubali is a delight for all those who enjoy cinema as a visual medium, there is not much else, though," writes The Hindustan Times' Dipanjan Sinha. (NR; click here for showtimes at Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and his ragtag band of mercenaries and adventurers are back in action in the sequel to the huge 2014 hit. This time, they're looking to solve the mystery of his parentage, specifically how a guy named Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell) ties into it. Reviews are mostly quite good. San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle says it's "wilder and more inspired" than the original, while AV Club's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky says it's "a more offbeat film than the original, with better gags, better (and more cartoonish) action, and more visual variety." (PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content; click here for showtimes at United Artists Amarillo Star 14, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd., and Hollywood 16, and here for Tascosa Drive-In, 1999 Dumas Drive)
Special engagements
Canelo v. Chavez Jr.
The heavily hyped Cinco de Mayo bout between two-division world champion Canelo Alvarez and former WBC middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will screen at 8 p.m. Saturday at Amarillo Star 14. (NR)
Saturday Night Fever
Disco never dies! Catch a 40th anniversary screening of this iconic drama starring John Travolta as a working-class bum who finds escape on the dance floor. It'll screen at 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at both the Amarillo Star 14 and the Hollywood 16. (R for strong language, sexuality/nudity and some drug content)
Chonda Pierce: Enough
The Christian comedian's latest concert special gets an encore screening at 7 p.m. Tuesday at both the Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. (NR)
Boston: An American Running Story
Fathom Events will encore this documentary, narrated by Bostonian Matt Damon, about the city's legendary race and how it bounced back after the 2013 bombing. It'll screen at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Amarillo Star 14. (NR)
Still in theaters
Beauty and the Beast (AS-14, H-16); Born in China (AS-14, H-16); The Boss Baby (AS-14, H-16); The Case for Christ (H-16); CHiPS (WM-6); The Circle (AS-14, H-16); A Dog's Purpose (WM-6); The Fate of the Furious (AS-14, H-16); Gifted (AS-14, H-16); Going in Style (AS-14, H-16); The Great Wall (WM-6); How to Be a Latin Lover (AS-14, H-16); John Wick: Chapter 2 (WM-6); The Last Word (WM-6); The Lego Batman Movie (WM-6); Power Rangers (TDI); Smurfs: The Lost Village (H-16); Split (WM-6); and Unforgettable (H-16). (Click on titles for my reviews and on theaters for showtimes)
Chip Chandler is a digital content producer for Panhandle PBS. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.
