Watchlist: What to Watch This Week

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

In San Francisco, Shaun (Simu Liu) and his friend Katy (Awkwafina) make a living as parking valets—when they’re not out partying. Things get serious for them when Shaun gets attacked on a bus by members of a brutal organization known as the Ten Rings.

Shaun reveals to Katy that he’s a martial arts master named Shang-Chi and intends to travel to Macau to protect his sister from the Ten Rings. This puts Shang on a collision course with his wicked father, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung).

Apart from some dollops of political correctness, this film has some phenomenal action scenes, mixed in with peppy humor.

Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Release Date: Sept. 3, 2021
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
Runtime: 2 hours, 12 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Where to Watch: In theaters

No Time to Die

James Bond (Daniel Craig) has fallen for his love, Madeleine (Léa Seydoux), and whisked her away to southern Italy to spend time with her. However, their vacation is cut short; Bond gets ambushed by assassins and nearly killed. He soon learns that Madeleine seems to have been keeping a colossal secret from him, so he puts her on a train and disappears from her life.

Years later, Bond is drawn back into the world of espionage, because a sinister bio-weapon aimed at the target’s individual DNA has fallen into the wrong hands. This is a decent action thriller for those who enjoy a darker version of the Bond character.

Action | Adventure | Thriller
Release Date: Oct. 8, 2021
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek
Runtime: 2 hours, 43 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Where to Watch: In theaters

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

This film details the life of cherished American icon Mister Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks). However, in a clever move, it’s less about his show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and more about how he affected one person in particular, journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). Vogel is a very pessimistic person who is at odds with members of his family. When he’s assigned to interview Mr. Rogers, he sneers at the task. From there, we see how the fascinating interplay between the two men unfolds, with many unexpected turns along the way.

Drama
Release Date: Nov. 22, 2019
Director: Marielle Heller
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, DirectTV, Redbox, Apple TV

Fort Apache

Lt. Col. Owen Thursday (Henry Fonda) is assigned command of a cavalry outpost on the fringes of the western frontier. It’s a job that was originally reserved for Cpt. Kirby York (John Wayne). Thursday dislikes both the soldiers he’s been given command over (including York) and the Apaches. first of John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy.”

Western | Action | Adventure
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple
Running Time: 2 hours, 8 minutes
MPAA Rating: Passed
Release Date: March 27, 1948
Where to Watch: Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

After the defeat of Lt. Col. George Custer and his cavalry regiment by a coalition of Native American tribes, a small outpost braces for further hostilities and bloodshed. Cpt. Nathan Brittles (John Wayne) is ordered to patrol the area for any danger. But things become complicated when Brittles is required to take a couple of women along. second of John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy.”

Western | Drama
Release Date: Oct. 22, 1949
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar
Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes
MPAA Rating: Passed
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Direct TV

Rio Grande

Kirby Yorke (John Wayne), a lieutenant colonel in command of a cavalry regiment in Texas, tries his best to defend the area against marauding Apaches. But he faces a new type of challenge when his son Jefferson Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr.) is randomly assigned to his unit, and estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O’Hara) shows up to take their son home with her. third of John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy.”

Romance | Western
Release Date: Nov. 15, 1950
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ben Johnson
Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes
MPAA Rating: Passed
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play