That feels particularly fitting considering the visually dazzling and heartfelt movie couldn’t have been made without both the latest and greatest tech has to offer and extremely talented people.

Based on the best-selling and award-winning 2016 middle-grade book of the same name by Peter Brown, “The Wild Robot” lands in theaters on Sept. 27.

On the screen, the titular advanced piece of machinery — ROZZUM unit 7134, which will become known as “Roz” — is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. Well, it’s uninhabited by people, but it is teeming with animal life. As the robot attempts to activate the beacon that will help the company that made it to locate it, the animals investigate the invader, considering her to be a “monster” and giving her a decidedly hard time.

With the beacon quickly damaged, Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) goes about exploring the unfamiliar territory, soon finding a gosling egg — which a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal) very much would like to eat.

Nevertheless, Roz and Fink enter into an uneasy alliance to protect the now-hatched gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor, “Heartstopper”), even as Roz has her reservations.

“I do not have the programming to be a mother,” she tells a friendly possum, Pinktail (Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”).

“No one does,” says Pinktail, a mother herself.

Overcoming one’s programming is a major theme of the story that unfolds as Brightbill grows — away from the other larger goslings, some of whom bully him.

Roz and Fink do their best to teach him to swim and fly — the latter skill something he must master because of a ticking seasonal clock.

As the tale progresses, this unusual mother-son relationship endures the requisite ups and downs. When Brightbill gets a fuller picture of how he became in the care of Roz, he becomes rather upset.

Fortunately, a wise older goose, Longneck (Bill Nighy), takes Brightbill, well, under his wing as the migration time approaches.

Meanwhile, the island’s residents — who also include intimidating grizzly bear Thorn (Mark Hamill), task-focused beaver Paddler (Matt Berry) and falcon Thunderbolt (Ving Rhames) — face a couple of serious challenges to their well-being. Fortunately, Roz is there to help all of them, despite her rough introduction to their home.

One of the threats comes in the form of Vontra (Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”), a robot who arrives late in the game with her own plans for Roz.

In the hands of writer-director Chris Sanders (“How to Train Your Dragon,” “The Croods”), “The Wild Robot” is lively — it’s an adventure with a pulse that delivers serious thrills here and there. It’s emotionally impactful, too, if not to the level of several animated classics, among them a movie it certainly brings to mind, 1999’s “The Iron Giant.”

Again, “The Wild Robot” is a feast for the eyes, thanks to Sanders collaborators including production designer Raymond Zibach (“The Kung Fu Panda” series) and the head of character animation, Jakob Hort Jensen (“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”). Their work is especially impressive when it comes to the cleverly designed Roz, who is a marvel to look upon and to watch move.

Their work on the character is complemented nicely by performance choices made by Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “A Quiet Place: Day One”), the warmth of Roz growing as her character’s satisfying arc plays out.

The next most notable bit of voice work is turned in by the always delightful Nighy (“Living”), who gives Longneck quite a bit of personality without overdoing it.

We wouldn’t mind a little bit of overdoing it by Pascal (“The Mandalorian,” “The Last of Us”), who’s just a bit too understated as Fink.

Ultimately, any gripes with “The Wild Robot” are minor. This is an easy recommendation for families looking for a slice of entertainment that should offer something for a wide range of ages.

While the movie doesn’t conclude on a cliffhanger — at least not exactly — Brown has penned two sequels, “The Wild Robot Escapes” and “The Wild Robot Protects,” so there’s a good chance we’ll see further adventures of Roz on the big screen.

That’s a bit of programming we would not try to overcome.

‘The Wild Robot’

Where: Theaters

When: Sept. 27

Rated: PG for action/peril and thematic elements

Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Stars (of four): 3

In theaters this week, the action comedy stars Dave Bautista, but it also boasts Pom Klementieff. The two, of course, portray Drax and Mantis, respectively, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and are comedic gold in a couple of the big-screen “Guardians” adventures, as well as in the hilarious “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special” from 2022.

That pairing, however, isn’t enough to lift “The Killer’s Game” above the level of mediocrity, the tonally challenged flick squandering a vaguely promising first act by devolving into a warmed-over “John Wick” wanna-be.

Helmed by JJ Perry, the director of the similarly uneven 2022 Netflix release “Day Shift,” “The Killer’s Game” plays like two separate movies for much of its roughly hour-and-45-minute runtime. When the beefy Bautista, cast as renowned assassin Joe Flood, shares the screen with veteran actor Ben Kingsley, who portrays his mentor, or co-star Sofia Boutella, who plays his love interest, it fits roughly within reality as we know it and even finds an emotional center; at all other times, it’s an over-the-top kill-fest, with skulls crushed, body parts severed and impalings to spare.

Were those action scenes topnotch — aka “Wick”-level — and not merely passable, that would be a bit more forgivable.

Written by Rand Ravich and James Coyne, who have adapted the 1997 book by Jay R. Bonansinga, “The Killer’s Game” introduces us to Joe in Budapest, where he’s on the job at a more-than-century-old opera house, which on this night is hosting a ballet. He does his job quietly, as usual; nonetheless, machine gun fire follows the “retirement of his target,” and he helps dancer Maize — with whom he’d locked eyes during the performance — out of the building safely.

On the street, she thanks him and worries about the headache he’s having, but when she turns her back, he vanishes.

However, when he returns something to her at a dance studio, she gives him her number and — after Joe workshops a few follow-up texts — they’re out to dinner, where, of course, they hit it off. Soon they’re dating. She continues to dance, and he continues to kill, worrying, increasingly, about how she’d feel if she knew how he makes his substantial living.

However, he’s also seen a doctor, who informs him the test results are dire. He will die in, perhaps, three months, and the best they can do is make him comfortable.

That is not how Joe — who’s always worked within a set of industry rules and has retired only those who’ve deserved it — wants to leave this world. He meets with his handler, Zvi (Kingsley), about directing some money to Maize and, more consequently, having himself assassinated. Zvi agrees to handle the former but not the latter, imploring his friend to fight to the end by visiting more doctors — even a shaman, if necessary.

Enter Klementieff’s Marianna, whose business also is handling assassins. She is more than happy to take $2 million to have Joe killed, as she holds a huge grudge against him.

However, just before the killing window opens, Joe gets a call from his doctor, who says there was a mix-up with the tests and that Joe should be fine.

Unable to convince Marianna to cancel the contract, he soon is faced with a parade of killers — single operatives and groups, most with silly gimmicks and even sillier names. Most aren’t in Joe’s class, but Lovedahl (Terry Crews) proves to be a bit more of a problem.

Bautista (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Dune”) doesn’t have much range, and he isn’t called upon here to use his comedic gifts too often. That said, there’s simply something compelling about his performance, especially when he’s opposite “Gandhi” star Kinglsey or Boutella (“Atomic Blonde,” the “Rebel Moon” movies). It’s measured but not flat.

More time with Bautista and Klementieff would have helped “The Killer’s Game,” as, unsurprisingly, there’s a certain crackle to the limited time the two are in the frame together.

A former professional wrestler, Bautista is, of course, imposing enough to be convincing in the myriad action sequences, most of which are, again, of the forgettable variety — even with all the gruesome deaths. Perry, who has a background in martial arts, hasn’t figured out how to deliver something special in this arena.

“The Killer’s Game” is afoot, but unless you’re looking for what’s only intermittently a pleasant distraction, one heavily seasoned with violence, you need not play.

‘The Killer’s Game’

Where: Theaters.

When: Sept. 13.

Rated: R for strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual material, brief drug use and nudity.

Runtime: 1 hour, 44 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.

“Transformers One” — in theaters Sept. 20 — is the first fully digitally animated “Transformers” film and the first animated feature in the enduring franchise about giant robots that convert into planes, trains, automobiles and the like in nearly four decades.

In the time since, we’ve been hit with a steady stream of live-action films from director Michael Bay and others — starting with Bays’ megahit “Transformers” in 2007 — that, while technically impressive, aren’t exactly cinematic gems.

Engaging in a way the live-action offerings rarely are — and coherent in a way they almost never are — “Transformers One” serves up a fast-paced, humor-filled and untold origin of future rivals Optimus Prime and Megatron.

What was apparent from the advanced footage of the Paramount Animation release was that “Transformers; One” was aimed less at those of use who grew up playing with the Hasbro toys and watching the original animated TV series — which led to the theatrical release “The Transformers: The Movie” in 1986 — and more toward the kids of today. That’s certainly the case, but because it’s well-made, the film should be plenty entertaining to the old guard.

Helmed by “Toy Story 4” director Josh Cooley, “One” introduces us to a couple of robots, Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), who work in the dangerous Energon mines of the planet Cybertron. Although destined to become powerful leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons, respectively, and bitter adversaries, these ordinary Joe-bots are best pals who live among many others in subterranean Iacon City.

In a fun little twist, Orion is the rule breaker of the two, always dragging D along on one daring endeavor or another to prove they’re “more than meets the eye.” (That you can be something beyond how the world tries to define you is a theme used effectively throughout the movie.) In fact, we meet Orion breaking into city archives in his latest attempt to learn more about the Matrix of Leadership, a long-lost object that could help usher into a new era for the planet.

The Matrix also is said to be the priority of the city’s beloved leader, Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), who soon returns from his latest quest to find it on the planet’s forbidden, allegedly too-dangerous-to-visit surface.

The following day is the big Iacon 5000 road race, a day off for workers. Orion plans to make the most of it, pulling his unwitting pal D into the contest along with him.

“If we survive this,” D bellows, “I’m going to kill you!”

“I accept those terms!” Orion responds exuberantly.

Fall movie preview: ‘Gladiator II,’ ‘Wicked’ and much more

Afterward, Sentinel is aware of the two bots and showering them with praise. However, they soon find themselves banished to Sublevel 50 — yep, that’s way down there — where they make the acquaintance of another lowly worker, the extremely talkative B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key). (The future Bumblebee, he tries to make the name “Badassatron” — said in an ominous voice — stick here and throughout the adventure to come.)

In said adventure, our three heroes are joined by a fourth, Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), who has a grudge to settle with Orion. (He used to work under her and got her fired. It’s a whole thing.) Like so many inhabitants of Iacon City, they were born without the cogs that allow them to transform. (Or, cough, so they believe.)

When they reach the planet’s surface, they encounter dangers that include the Quintessons, a ruthless and terrifying race that fought Cyberton’s original leaders, the Primes.

As the journey continues — and the dynamic between Orion and D evolves — we meet a group of Transformers working in the shadows and led by petulant future Decepticon Starscream (Steve Buscemi), who, appropriately, immediately butts heads with D.

Working from a script from Eric Pearson and the duo of Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, with the story credited to that latter tandem, Pixar Animation Studios vet Cooley never loses focus on the all-important relationship between Orion and D as the story brings in more characters and the action gets bigger and bigger.

Plus, joke after joke lands, thanks in no small part to the hilarious Key, but also to Hemsworth, who’s a solid choice for Orion if you’re not going to employ Peter Cullen, whose voice has been synonymous with Optimus Prime dating to those old cartoons. On the other hand — and we’re picking nits here — while the typically enjoyable Henry (“Atlanta”) works early on as D, his voice isn’t big and menacing enough once we get the character’s inevitable turn.

Counting among its producers Bay and Steven Spielberg, “One” is pretty technically impressive itself, boasting sequences that deliver big action thrills.

Does it matter that you can see every plot point, every twist, coming? Not when the movie is meant for kids, who are likely to be sufficiently surprised at the desired moments.

We couldn’t help but appreciate the awe of a boy in the seat next to ours who let out a hushed-but-extended “Whoa” at a payoff moment involving Orion late in the movie.

Again, that’s more like it.

‘Transformers One’

Where: Theaters.

When: Sept. 20.

Rated: PG for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.

Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.

Landing on Netflix this week after a limited theatrical release, the supernatural horror thriller largely eschews jump scares in favor of a slow build to an extended exorcism sequence.

That all sounds perfectly appealing — and “The Deliverance” has its strengths, some effective character-driven moments among them — but the ultimate result is a movie that lacks some punch in its first half and, like some other exorcism-based flicks that have come before it, comes across as more ridiculous than dramatically satisfying in its second.

Penned by David Coggeshall (“The Family Plan”) and Elijah Bynum (“Magazine Dreams”), the latest from the director of films including “Monster’s Ball” (2001) and “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (2013) is inspired by the alleged haunting of the Ammons family in the early 2010s in Gary, Indiana. “The Deliverance” keeps the period but moves the action to Pittsburgh, which is where we meet the fictional Jackson family.

Single mother Ebony Jackson (Andra Day) is doing her best to raise her three kids — teens Nate (Caleb McLaughlin of “Stranger Things”) and Shante (Demi Singleton, “King Richard”) and younger son Andre (Anthony B. Jenkins) — while struggling to make enough money and drinking at least a bit too much. She also has welcomed into their new home — the family’s third in a brief stretch — her mother, Alberta (Glenn Close).

Ebony’s relationship with her mother is complicated, thanks to a not-so-pleasant childhood, even now that Alberta has found Christianity and seemingly has turned her life around for the better. (Alberta sticks out visually at her predominantly Black church, but this is a white woman who has lived her life as part of the Black community.) To complicate matters for the Jacksons, Alberta is undergoing treatment for cancer.

Their lives are further complicated by Andre’s apparent conversations with Trey, someone, the boy says, who lives in a hole in the basement — a basement full of flies that are a source of frustration to Ebony — and sometimes spends time in his closet.

That there is indeed an evil entity at play is baked into a film such as “The Deliverance,” but the movie nonetheless does its obligatory dance, spending significant time suggesting the spirit’s actions — including inflicting physical harm on the children — are the work of Ebony.

Among the highly concerned is determined social worker Cynthia (Mo’Nique, who was so memorable in Daniels’ acclaimed 2009 drama, “Precious”), who is frustrated by the secretive Ebony while genuinely wanting to help her.

Another woman interested in Ebony’s affairs is Bernice (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat”), who bills herself as an apostle and very much believes that an evil spirit is responsible for the family’s woes — and with good reason. And, for the record, she explains what she is offering is a deliverance, not an exorcism, even if the climactic sequence lying ahead feels extremely exorcism-like.

Though not its selling point, “The Deliverance” is at its most compelling when it works as a portrait of a Black family trying to get by with not enough money and without its male figure present. (Split from Ebony, the children’s father is away in Iraq, we learn.)

That this component of the film works as well as it does is due in part to the solid work from Day, a multi-talented performer who portrayed singer Billie Holiday in Daniels’ previous directorial effort, 2021’s similarly promising but ultimately middling “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Day holds your interest throughout the affair as its often-fiery protagonist.

Star Andra Day shines, but Hulu’s ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ can’t find its rhythm | Movie review

The same certainly can be said for veteran actress Close (“Fatal Attraction,” “101 Dalmatians”), who told People magazine she initially had no clue how to play Alberta, with Daniels apparently telling her that “every Black person knows a white woman like this, but not every white person knows a white woman like this.” Close embraces all that comes with the role, including an over-the-top moment or two it asks of her deep into the film’s supernatural section.

Alberta and Ebony’s complex mother-daughter dynamic also is more intriguing than the climactic scenes, as creepy and uncomfortable as some of them are.

Daniels hopes the powers of Christ will compel viewers — or at least, as he says in his director’s statement, that “audiences are jolted into finding their higher power.”

That’s all well and good, but it’s tough, at the end of the day, to recommend “The Deliverance” when we wish parts of it were used to construct a largely different film.

‘The Deliverance’

Where: Netflix.

When: Aug. 30.

Rated: R for violent content, language throughout and some sexual references.

Runtime: 1 hour, 52 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.

For the most part, big action movies are giving way to character-driven affairs, lots of scares starting several weeks before Halloween and a highly anticipated adaptation of a beloved work of musical theater.

Here’s a rundown of much of what’s coming to a theater near you, as well as to your living room via streaming service. (As always, dates are subject to change.)

“Afraid” | Aug. 30 | Theaters >> AI causes big trouble at home for a family in this slice of science-fiction-meets-horror offering from “The Golden Compass” director Chris Weitz. The cast includes John Cho and Katerine Waterston.

“The Deliverance” | Aug. 30 | Netflix >> Already in select theaters, the latest from director Lee Daniels (of “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” fame) is a supernatural thriller inspired by a real case. Andra Day, who started in Daniels’ 2021 biopic/drama, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” is front and center here as the alcoholic mother of children thought to be demonically possessed. Glenn Close is among the film’s supporting cast members.

“1992” | Aug. 30 | Theaters >> Tyrese Gibson stars in this drama set on the night of the 1992 Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. With “The Iceman” director Ariel Vromen at the helm, the film also features actors Scott Eastwood and the late Ray Liotta.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” | Sept. 6 | Theaters >> We first met Beetlejuice — Michael Keaton’s pesky demon character, who’s summoned when his name is said three times in a row — more than three and a half decades ago in director Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” Well, the guy still looks, um … great? Fellow “Beetlejuice” players Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also return in this sequel, as Lydia and Delia Deetz, respectively, and Burton is again behind the camera. Front and center on screen this time is Jenna Ortega — who stars as the titular figure in the Burton-produced Netflix series “Wednesday” — as Lydia’s rebellious daughter, Astrid. Also around for the dark fun are fellow newcomers Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe. If this is the hit we expect, can “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” possibly be far behind?

“Rebel Ridge” | Sept. 6 | Netflix >> Aaron Pierre, Don Johnson and AnnaSophia Robb star in this action thriller from writer-director Jeremy Saulnier (“Green Room”) involving a conspiracy in a small town chock full of corrupt cops.

“The Killer’s Game” | Sept. 13 | Theaters >> In this action comedy, Dave Bautista plays a hitman who, after receiving tough medical news, arranges a hit on himself, only to then desperately want out of his would-be assassins’ crosshairs. The cast also includes Ben Kingsley, Sofia Boutella, Terry Crews and Bautista’s buddy from the last two “Guardians of the Galaxy” romps, Pom Klementieff.

“My Old Ass” | Sept. 13 | Theaters >> We’re very much looking forward to this unusual comedy in which the typically delightful Aubrey Plaza plays the older version of a teen girl (Maisy Stella of “Nashville”) who visits said younger version in a vision, warning her about becoming entangled with someone named Chad (Percy Hynes White). This is the second film, following the well-reviewed 2021 film “The Fallout,” from actress-turned-filmmaker Megan Park.

“Speak No Evil” | Sept. 13 | Theaters >> A remake of a 2022 Danish film, this fright fest stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis and Aisling Franciosi. The tale revolves around a couple’s weekend at a country estate of a family the couple befriended on vacation. It “begins as a dream holiday” and “soon warps into a psychological nightmare,” according to press materials. James Watkins (“The Woman in Black”) directs.

“His Three Daughters” | Sept. 20 | Netflix >> In select theaters two weeks before it lands on the streamer, writer-director Azazel Jacobs’ latest stars the appealing trio of Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen and Natasha Lyonne. They portray estranged sisters who must come together to care for their father in the drama.

“Transformers One” | Sept. 20 | Paramount >> Anyone imagine a day, long ago, when bitter enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron may have been buddies? Us neither. At least this animated film, which will explore that era, seems targeted more toward a younger audience and less toward adults who grew up with the toys and for some reason are still interested in the “more than meets the eye” robots. The impressive voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth (Optimus), Brian Tyree Henry (Megatron), Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Keegan-Michael Key. Another appealing asset: Josh Cooley, who helmed “Toy Story 4,” directs.

“Wolfs” | Sept. 20 | Theaters >> There’s so much reason for optimism with this action comedy, starting with its pairing of “Ocean’s” series veterans George Clooney and Brad Pitt as fixers who prefer to work alone but who must team up on a job. And then there’s the fact “Wolfs” is directed by Jon Watts, who did an amazing job on the recent trilogy of “Spider-Man” movies. However, we can’t help but wonder that if this romp were as fun as its trailer suggests it will be, would it be getting only a limited theatrical release, followed only a week later by its debut on Apple TV+?

“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” | Sept. 21 and 25 | Theaters >> As we wait for Warner Bros. Pictures to launch the DC Universe next year with the movie “Superman,” the studio will roll out this documentary it acquired about the late actor who starred in the “Superman” movies of the late 1970s and ’80s. Very well-received since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the film is said to focus largely on the life of Reeve, who also was an activist and author, after the horse-riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

“Killer Heat” | Sept. 26 | Prime Video >> No, this isn’t a documentary about climate change but instead a mystery-based drama in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt attempts to solve a case on a remote Greek Island.

“Bagman” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> It’s not even October, month of frights, and we have to deal with this dark horror film’s titular unpleasant-looking and malevolent creature. The Bagman haunted Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) as a child and returns years later to endanger the lives of his family. Sounds like good times.

“Lee” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> In the directorial debut of cinematographer Ellen Kuras (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”), Kate Winslet stars as war correspondent and photographer Lee Miller, who made a name for herself covering World War II. (Her famous shots include one of herself in Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s bathtub.) The cast also boasts Alexander Skarsgard, Andy Samberg, Andrea Riseborough and Marion Cotillard.

“Megalopolis” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> We’ll finally get to see filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola’s long-ago-conceived, self-financed, and much-talked-about science-fiction epic, which, despite its ambitiousness, hasn’t exactly wowed many who’ve already experienced it. Set in a huge decaying city called New Rome, the film stars Adam Driver as an architect who can stop time. The cast also boasts Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight and, among others, a notable alum of Coppola’s “Godfather” films, Talia Shire. Its distributor, Lionsgate, recently got in some hot water for a trailer, which it has since recalled, reportedly boasting fabricated negative critics’ quotes about previous Coppola films to suggest the director’s work long has been initially misunderstood. Yikes.

“Never Let Go” | Sept. 20 | Theaters >> Northeast Ohio native Halle Berry portrays a mother of twin sons, all of whom are in danger after an evil sets up shop just beyond their doorstep in the next frightening offering from director Alexandre Aja (“The Hills Have Eyes,” “Crawl.”)

“The Wild Robot” | Sept. 27 | Theaters >> We’ve seen this animated adaptation of Peter Brown’s book and can say the visuals are dazzling. Also, this tale of a robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) who crash-lands on an island and makes what at first is an uneasy alliance with a fox (Pedro Pascal) to care for a just-hatched gosling (Kit Connor) also has a heart. Director Chris Sanders (“The Croods”) also penned the screenplay.

“Hold Your Breath” | Oct. 3 | Hulu >> Scare-tober begins with this straight-to-streaming offering from Searchlight Pictures about a sinister presence threatening a family amid the dust storms of 1930s Oklahoma. (Geez, aren’t the dust storms stressful enough?) The cast features Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford and, last but not least, “The Bear” standout Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

“House of Spoils” | Oct. 3 | Prime Video >> As if opening a restaurant isn’t difficult enough under normal circumstances, a chef (Ariana DeBose) working to get a new eatery going must contend with the nefarious spirit of the property’s old owner. This one comes from budget-minded horror masters BlumHouse.

“Joker: Folie a Deux” | Oct. 3 | Theaters >> Expect musical mayhem in this sequel to 2019’s acclaimed “Joker,” which earned Joaquin Phoenix the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime in the gritty psychological thriller. To help with the whole musical aspect of the film, pop star Lady Gaga has been cast as Harley Quinn, another character from the Batman comics; she traditionally transitions from psychologist Harleen Quinzel into the Joker’s love interest and sidekick. “Joker” director Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”) returns to guide this sure-to-be-dark-and-wild ride, which also boasts returning cast member Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond.

“The Outrun” | Oct. 4 | Theaters >> Saoirse Ronan stars as a woman returning home after undergoing treatment for her alcoholism in this drama, based on the 2016 memoir of Amy Liptrot, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Nora Fingscheidt (“The Unforgivable”).

“White Bird” | Oct. 4 | Theaters >> After multiple delays, we should finally get this half-prequel-half-sequel to 2017’s “Wonder.” Based on the 2019 graphic novel, “White Bird” sees “Wonder” bully Julian Albans (now portrayed by Bryce Gheisar) learning about the experiences of his grandmother (Helen Mirren) as a young girl (Ariella Glaser) in Nazi-occupied France. Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland,” “Christopher Robin” directs from a screenplay by Mark Bomback (“War for the Planet of the Apes”).

“Piece by Piece” | Oct. 11 | Theaters >> The latest animation feature built with Lego pieces and parts, “Piece by Piece” is a … telling of the story of music star Pharrell Williams??? Williams voices himself, with fellow music figures such as Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg doing the same. This effort would seem to be in good hands with Morgan Neville, director of the acclaimed documentaries “20 Feet From Stardom” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

“Saturday Night” | Oct. 11 | Theaters >> Director Jason Reitman (“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”) helms and is the co-writer (with Gil Kenan) of this dramatization of the coming together of the late-night sketch-comedy staple that would come to be known as “Saturday Night Live.” Gabriel LaBelle portrays showrunner Lorne Michaels, while Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, and Dylan O’Brien portray Not Ready for Prime Time Players Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd and Laraine Newman, respectively.

“Brothers” | Oct. 17 | Prime Video >> In select theaters a week before hitting Amazon’s streaming service, this action comedy comes from Max Barbakow, the director of the enjoyable 2020 offering “Palm Springs.” And Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage as the titular siblings? A very sincere “yes, please.”

“Flight Risk” | Oct. 18 | Theaters >> Mel Gibson directs and Mark Wahlberg stars in this up-in-the-air action thriller. The actor plays a pilot who’s more than he seems, while Michelle Dockery portrays an FBI agent and Topher Grace an informant.

“A Real Pain” | Oct. 18 | Theaters >> Jesse Eisenberg is the writer, director and co-star of this dramady, in which he and “Succession” star Kieran Culkin portray mismatched cousins taking a tour of Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. Against the backdrop of their family history, old tensions resurface.

“Smile 2” | Oct. 18 | Theaters >> In this sequel to 2022 creepy-fun flick “Smile,” the supernaturally induced grinning is surrounding Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a famous pop singer. Parker Finn, the writer-director of “Smile,” returns.

“Canary Black” | Oct. 24 | Prime Video >> Kate Beckinsale stars as a CIA agent whose husband is kidnapped by terrorists in this action thriller from “Taken” director Pierre Morel.

“Venom: The Last Dance” | Oct. 25 | Theaters >> OK, the campy “Venom” movies aren’t our particular cup of Spider-Man-adjacent tea, but 2018’s “Venom” and its 2021 sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” have been successful enough to justify this apparent series conclusion. Tom Hardy is back as Eddie Brock — the antihero joined with a loud-mouthed alien symbiote attached to him — and is supported by appealing newcomers Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) and Juno Temple (“Ted Lasso”). A co-writer on “Venom” and the writer of “Carnage,” Kelly Marcel returns as this film’s writer, and she is making her directorial debut.

“Here” | Nov. 1 | Theaters >> We have a genuine “Forrest Gump” reunion in the offing, with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright starring in this drama directed by Robert Zemeckis. Co-penned by Zemeckis and Eric Roth — yes, the “Gump” screenwriter — “Here” chronicles one small bit of the planet over many many years, a few of which see it become home to the couple played by Hanks and Wright. The cast also features Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Dockery.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” | Nov. 8 | Theaters >> Judy Greer and Pete Holmes star in this adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s 1972 children’s book, with Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) in the director’s chair.

“Conclave” | Nov. 8 | Theaters >> That this adaptation of the international bestseller by Robert Harris looks gorgeous in its advanced footage is hardly surprising considering it is the work of Edward Berger, director of 2022’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.” In the thriller, intrigue swirls as a new pope must be chosen as the secrets of the one recently deceased surface. Ralph Fiennes portrays the cardinal tasked with leading the papal conclave, while the cast also boasts Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rosellini. Note this is the wide date, the film being slated to get a limited release a week earlier.

“Back in Action” | Nov. 15 | Netflix >> Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx play former spies pulled back into the world of espionage after their identities are exposed in this action comedy from “Horrible Bosses” director Seth Gordon. Other notable cast members include Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler and Andrew Scott.

“Heretic” | Nov. 15 | Theaters >> The autumnal scares continue into November with this horror film about Mormon missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who get more than they were looking to convert a man played by Hugh Grant. This is the latest from “Haunt” and “65” writing-and-directing duo Scott Beck and Brian Woods.

“Red One” | Nov. 15 | Theaters >> Jake Kasdan (“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”) directs an impressive cast — Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans and J. K. Simmons being among the notable names — in this Christmas-themed action-comedy. Johnson plays the head of North Pole security, who, after Santa Claus (Simmons) is kidnapped, must team with a bounty hunter (Evans) for the rescue. The screenplay is by Chris Morgan, best known for his work on the “Fast and Furious” franchise.

“Gladiator II” | Nov. 22 | Theaters >> In this sequel talked about for decades, Paul Mescal (“Aftersun,” “All of Us Strangers”) portrays the grown Lucius, who years earlier had witnessing the death of the heroic Maximus — Russell Crowe’s character from director Ridley Scott’s 2000 Academy Award winner, “Gladiator,” in case the name somehow doesn’t ring a bell — is now a gladiator himself. Scott returns, directing from a screenplay by David Scarpa (Scott’s “All the Money in the World”), as does “Gladiator” cast member Connie Nielsen, as Lucilla, mother of Lucius. Notable actors new to Scott’s spin on ancient Rome include Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn (“Stranger Things”).

“Spellbound” | Nov. 22 | Netflix >> The latest animated offering from “Shrek” director Vicky Jenson is set in the magical world of Lumbria, where a young girl voiced by Rachel Zegler must break a powerful spell. Others contributing voice work include Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Nathan Lane and “Shrek” alum John Lithgow.

“Wicked” | Nov. 22 | Theaters >> You sometimes will see this film referred to as “Wicked: Part One,” and we have come to believe, rather strongly, that when you break a piece of source material into two movies, the second will be the stronger of the two because it tells the conclusion of a story. This film may be the exception, as we’ve also come to believe, almost as strongly, that the first act of a piece of musical theater tends to be stronger than the second, as their creators have a habit of packing Act I with more topnotch songs. And knowing that “Part One” is almost sure to end with the banger that is composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s “Defying Gravity” has us thinking “Wicked: Part Two” — slated to ride a broom into theaters on Nov. 26, 2025 — will have a tough time topping it. The beloved stage musical is loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, “Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West,” which, of course, wouldn’t exist without L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” and the movie made from it, 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz.” In this screen version of “Wicked,” penned by the book writer of the show, Winnie Holzman, and directed by Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande lead the cast as witch pals Elphaba Thorpp and Galinda Upland, respectively. The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh.

Given its production values, that the film was routed right to home theaters feels appropriate. Oh, they’re fine, to be sure — they just won’t wow you.

That said, the friendship — the deep, heavily tested sisterhood — at the heart of director and co-writer Tina Mabry’s movie is big-screen-worthy.

The bond shared by Black women Odette, Barbara Jean and Clarice is brought to life via two sets of actresses and two timelines. Together — and, unfortunately, at times, alone — they will face racism, disease, addiction, loss and pain. As a viewer, you hope only that they’ll come out stronger for it on the other side.

Although “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” briefly introduces us to Odette (an excellent Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor of “King Richard” and “The Color Purple”) late in her life before taking us back to a time shortly before her birth in 1950, the story begins in earnest in 1968. It is then that teen pals Clarice (Abigail Achiri, “The Underground Railroad”) and Odette (Kyanna “KeeKee” Simone, “All American”) befriend Barbara Jean (Tati Gabrielle, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”), who has recently lost her mother and faces living alone with her abusive stepfather. (In a fun scene, Odette stands up to him in a way that surprises not only Barbara Jean but close friend Clarice).

Clarice and Odette reach out to all-around good guy Big Earl (Tony Winters, “Queen Sugar”) — owner of the film’s titular diner, where the trio will be given the nickname “The Supremes” — who insists Barbara Jean move into the room vacated by his grown daughter.

At the diner, the young ladies spend time with gentlemen suitors. For Clarisse, there is slick football player Richmond (Xavier Mills, “The Wood”), and for Odette, the quiet-and-shy James (Dijon Means, “P-Valley”).

And while Barbara Jean is pursued by the older Lester (Cleveland Berto, “A Journal for Jordan”), she has her eyes fixed upon new diner hire Ray (Ryan Paynter, “Dopesick”), who the girls agree is very nice-looking for a white boy.

Although Chick doesn’t quite see it, Barbara Jean believes the world isn’t ready for two people like them to be together — and she soon is presented with terrifying evidence to support her theory.

We spend time with the older versions of Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan, “Love & Basketball,” “The Best Man”), Clarise (Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment,” “Orange Is the New Black”) and Odette beginning around the turn of the century, as they mourn the loss of someone special with husbands Lester (Vondie Curtis Hall, “Harriet”), Richmond (Russell Hornsby, “Seven Seconds”) and James (Mekhi Phifer, “8 Mile”) by their sides. (Also, know that Chick will resurface, now portrayed by Julian McMahon of “Nip/Tuck” fame.)

Most of the trials and tribulations still lie ahead for the Supremes, who still regularly occupy the same table at Earl’s, where they can talk and share the good and bad of life.

Mabry (“Mississippi Damned”), who shares the writing credit with Cee Marcellus, does a nice job juggling the story’s two timelines, going back and forth a few times smoothly.

More importantly, she shows a deft touch, aided by the actors, with the story’s character-driven moments. The one that hits home the hardest comes when two of the women learn late in the affair that the other has been keeping something highly concerning from them, carrying the burden by herself. The looks they give her, showing both incredible frustration with her and great concern for her, are perfect.

And then there’s a moment we won’t spoil, set back where we encountered Odette in the film’s opening moments as she sits under a tree. It’s, well, it’s just perfect — something sure to put a smile on your face.

That’s true in general of “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat,” even as it makes the occasional misstep. For example, the long-foreshadowed and almost obligatory near-implosion of their friendship feels forced and unearned based on all we’ve seen to that point.

This story — at least the screen version of it — uses a sycamore tree as a metaphor for the trio’s strength and longevity. It’s an effective bit of symbolism for three women well worth knowing.

‘The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat’

Where: Hulu.

When: Aug. 23.

Rated: PG-13 for thematic content, sexual content, strong language including racial slurs, and violent content.

Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.5.

That is the true story of Joao Pereira de Souza, who in 2011 made his penguin friend, DinDim, which delighted folks the world over.

Their adorable bond is the inspiration for the charming family-friendly film “My Penguin Friend,” which wades and waddles its way into theaters this week.

Starring well-known French actor Jean Reno, as Joao, and Mexican star Adriana Barraza, as Joao’s initially befuddled wife, Maria, “My Penguin Friend” is written by Kristen Lazarian and Paulina Lagudi and helmed by David Schurmann.

The writers and Schurmann — director of “Little Secret,” Brazil’s official Academy Awards representative in 2017 — take a less-is-more approach with “My Penguin Friend,” which could have used a bit more in the story department.

There is some invention, of course, the film introducing us to younger versions of fisherman Joao (Pedro Urizzi) and Maria (Amanda Magalhães), along with their son, Miguel (Juan José Garnica), who live along the water of Ilha Grande, an island off the coast of Brazil. On this day — one before the fifth-grader’s birthday — we see that theirs is a happy home, Miguel joking with Joao that he smells like “stinky fish,” resulting in Dad deciding to spread that particular gift to his son (and wife) via a group hug.

The next morning, despite concerning weather, Joao gives into his son’s wish that he take Miguel out on the water with him. It is a choice that will change him forever.

Years later, Reno’s Joao barely speaks to the other fishermen, one referring to him as “broken.”

Enter the penguin.

Swimming from the coast of Patagonia, Argentina, at migration time along with scores of other Magellanic penguins, our winged but flightless hero runs afoul of oil from a ship.

Spotting the bird in the water feet from the shore, Joao wraps it up, brings it home and begins to care for the creature.

“I will get you clean,” he promises. “Look at this oil on you.”

Maria isn’t thrilled with the prospect of hosting this guest, but Joao assures his wife the penguin needs but a few days to rest. After a week, Joao asks for another.

He does attempt to take the penguin — by now given the name DinDim by Lucia (Duda Galvao), the daughter of Miguel’s childhood friend Calista (Thalma de Freitas) — away from the village to a spot from which he believes the penguin can swim home.

Of course, that’s not the last the two will see each other.

Maria seems to be noticing a change for the better in her husband, thanks to DinDim, but she still acts a bit frustrated after Joao builds a little living structure for his little buddy.

“It is for the penguin!” he says proudly.

“EVERYTHING is for the penguin!” she says.

Eventually, genuine conflict will emerge in the narrative, indirectly caused by well-meaning biologists Adriana (Alexia Moyano) and Carlos (Nicolás Francella), who are studying the penguins of Patagonia.

You can understand Schurmann and company choosing to keep the tale pretty basic, as the director insisted on using real penguins, as opposed to animatronics or digital effects, with 10 penguins ultimately portraying DinDim.

In the production notes, he credits trainer Fabian Gabelli, whom he calls “a penguin whisperer,” for things going so well during the shoot. Furthermore, it’s funny to read that, perhaps, more chaos ensued from the fact that the Brazilian production boasted “a Brazilian director, a British cinematographer, an Argentine production designer and a cast from across North America, South America and Europe,” many of whom, he says, were speaking different languages. (If you’re wondering, “My Penguin Friend” is an English-language film.)

Perhaps a top goal was to make the film suitable for children, and it should be for most, although parents should be aware of a scene or two in the third act in which things do not look so promising for DinDim.

With enjoyable performances from Reno (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Flushed Away”), Barraza (“Amores Perros,” “Babel”) and, last but not least, all the penguins, “My Penguin Friend” is easy to recommend even as it leaves you wanting a bit more from it.

This story of healing and of a friend, not a pet, that comes and goes as it wishes will put a smile on your face … and, just maybe, a tear in your eye.

‘My Penguin Friend’

Where: Theaters.

When: Aug. 16.

Rated: PG for thematic content.

Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.

The filmmaker, whose credits include 2016’s well-received tension-filled horror-thriller “Don’t Breathe,” this week unleashes “Alien: Romulus” into theaters.

A bit of a mixed bag overall but certainly at times thrilling and at others scary and unsettling, the movie is designed to be a bridge that forms a trilogy; its story is set about 20 years after the events of director Ridley Scott’s aforementioned 1979 science-fiction-meets-horror classic and not quite four decades before its first sequel, 1986’s “Aliens,” a more action-heavy offering helmed by James Cameron.

Perhaps less a “re-imagining” of “Alien” than the way Alvarez’s 2013 offering, “Evil Dead,” is said to be of 1981’s “The Evil Dead” and more a love letter to it, “Alien: Romulus” offers myriad elements and moments similar to those in the film that started the now massive franchise. (“Romulus” also boasts one rather strong connection to “Alien,” but detailing that would be to venture into spoiler territory. Let’s just say we’re interested to see how it’s received by fans.)

The fifth installment in the “Alien” saga — or, if you count crossover offerings “Alien vs. Predator” (2004) and “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” (2007), the seventh — “Romulus” takes us back to the far future after the two Scott-directed prequels, “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017), to a time when human colonies have popped up on other planetary bodies.

We meet this film’s young protagonists in one such colony, Jackson Star, where the mining operation of the franchise’s embodiment of corporate greed, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, has caused sickness and claimed lives, such as those of the parents of 25-year-old Rain (Cailee Spaeny).

While sticking close to her “brother,” Andy (David Jonsson) — an android, or “synthetic,” created by Weyland-Yutani and taken in and fixed up by Rain’s father after it had been discarded — Rain dreams of a better life off-world. (She also dreams of sunsets, as no sunlight ever falls upon the seemingly cruelly named Jackson Star.)

After she is screwed over by the company, which suddenly requires several more years of work from her before she can leave the colony, she is recruited for a scheme ginned up by other young people hoping to depart for a planet that is a several years’ journey away. Ultimately, they need the services of Andy, who, they hope, will be able to interface with tech aboard a decommissioned space station, giving them the access they need to steal cryo pods, devices that would allow them to survive such a trek while sleeping.

Once aboard the station, the Renaissance, problems arise quickly for Rain, Andy and their cohorts: Tyler (Archie Renaux, “Shadow and Bone”), who’s Rain’s ex and with whom she still shares a connection; Kay (Cleveland native Isabela Merced, “Sicario: Day of the Soldado”), Tyler’s sister; Bjorn (Spike Fearn, “Back to Black”), who has reason to distrust synthetics; and Navarro (Aileen Wu, in her feature film debut), a tech-savvy type who is like a sister to to Bjorn.

Soon enough, those problems include the familiar “facehugger” alien parasites that incubate a victim with an embryo of the dreaded Xenomorph monsters that are synonymous with the “Alien”-verse. As should come as no surprise, humans aboard the Weyland-Yutani-owned station had been holding scores of the facehuggers captive in tanks. (As the film’s production notes remind us, “The Xenomorph is the most perfect specimen in the universe, as well as the ultimate weapon. It has concentrated acid for blood, does not require food, and can survive in any atmosphere.”)

Looking at the state of their surroundings in the half of the station designated as “Remus,” a character wonders, with good reason, whether Renaissance truly had been decommissioned or rather abandoned.

Soon enough, Rain and Andy must make a harrowing journey to the “Romulus” half of the station if they are to survive long enough to escape it. Complicating matters: Renaissance is now on a collision course with the nearby planet’s rings, so the clock is ticking.

Spaeny, who in the last 12 months earned a Golden Globe nomination for her work as the titular figure in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and was a key player in Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” makes for a reasonably compelling heroine here. In her hands, Rain is relatable and caring but also tough — perhaps not as tough as Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, the central figure in serval “Alien” installments, but tough enough.

The best performance, however, is turned in by Jonsson (“Industry”), whose Andy starts as one thing — a bad joke-loving, beaten-down robot — and evolves into something else. The actor’s work after the switch is flicked makes you better appreciate what he’s done to that point.

The rest of the characters? Entirely forgettable — more an indictment of Alvarez and his co-writer, frequent collaborator Rodo Sayague (and director of 2021’s not-so-well-reviewed “Don’t Breathe 2”), than of the actors.

And do some of those characters make inexplicably bad choices? Well, this IS an “Alien” movie, isn’t it?

Still, there’s a lot to admire with what Alvarez has accomplished here, from all the visual homages — Remus takes its visual cues from “Alien,” Romulus from “Aliens” — to his opening-sequence reminder that “In space, no one can hear you scream.” (No one screams — then — but the sudden harmless noises made by a craft’s waking computer are at least a little jarring after a stretch with no sound.)

Unsurprisingly, his movie, just as “Alien” does, saves a little something for its final few minutes — and, oh baby, is it something.

Just know you won’t be able to UN-see it.

‘Alien: Romulus’

Where: Theaters.

When: Aug. 16.

Rated: R for bloody violent content and language.

Runtime: 1 hour, 59 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.5.

Take, for instance, “The Instigators,” a buddy crime comedy that, after a limited theatrical rollout last week, lands this week on Apple TV+.

The movie is better than it has any right to be thanks largely to the chemistry of stars — and ol’ Boston pals — Matt Damon and Casey Affleck.

It’s better for the supporting work of talented Hong Chau and, to a lesser degree, by big-name bit players including Michael Stuhlbarg, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina and Paul Walter Hauser.

Last but not least, “The Instigators” benefits — greatly — from having a well-above-average director in Doug Liman, who long ago directed Damon in “The Bourne Identity” and keeps this romp engaging and moving along to, well, let’s say an acceptable ending.

Set in Beantown, “The Instigators” first introduces us to Damon’s Rory, a former Marine who hasn’t seen much go right in his life, in a session with psychiatrist Dr. Donna Rivera (Chau). He won’t reveal much to his caring doctor but does mention that he’d had the thought of ending his life in a year if things didn’t turn around for him.

“And when did you come up with this plan?” she asks.

“It was about a year ago.”

Desperate to generate a little more than $32,000 to address a situation with his son, Rory meets with gangster Mr. Besegai (Stuhlbarg), who wants to rip off Boston Mayor Miccelli (Rob Perlman) on what surely will prove to be his re-election night. Long on the take, Miccelli is expected to be greeted with bags of cash at his waterfront victory party.

For the job, Rory has been recruited by unspectacular Besegai lieutenant Scalvo (rapper and singer Jack Harlow), as has Cobby (Affleck), an ex-con we meet using a neighborhood kid to pass the breathalyzer on his motorcycle so he can start it.

Rory’s quiet, primarily talking only when asking one of his many logistical questions, while Cobby is a chatterbox, commenting, sarcastically, on this, that and the other. Both men frustrate Besegai and Scalvo, the latter also being a constant irritation to the former.

What could go wrong with this operation?

Well, it should come as no surprise, plenty, and soon enough Rory and Cobby are on the run, both from criminals — such as Booch (Hauser), who works for Besegai associate Richie DeChico (Molina) — and the cops — namely Frank Toomey (Rhames), who has an off-the-books relationship with Miccelli and is turned loose by him after the lads swipe something they’ll come to learn is of great value.

Before long, Dr. Rivera is roped into the affair, more or less agreeing to be taken hostage by Rory to provide some medical care to Cobby. She then proceeds to try to re-engage with Rory as a counselor, which is witnessed with bewilderment — and genuine curiosity — by Cobby, who takes an interest in this highly intelligent woman.

Damon scores some laughs as the criminal newbie, but “Manchester by the Sea” star Affleck is more consistently funny cracking-wise, even as he does it at a relaxed pace that befits the actor’s talents.

While Damon is more connected to Affleck’s brother, Ben Affleck — and “The Instigators” is the second movie to be produced by Damon and Ben Affleck’s company, Artists Equity, following last year’s “Air,” which featured both actors — Damon and Casey Affleck have an obvious comfort with each other even if their characters don’t. (The latter appeared in 1997’s “Good Will Hunting,” which, of course, helped to establish Damon and Ben Affleck as stars.)

Rory and Cobby constantly annoy each other, a dynamic with the possibility of becoming annoying but doesn’t.

When you stir Dr. Rivera into the mix, Chau more or less serves the same purpose as Selena Gomez in the hit Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” where she shakes up the dynamic of longtime partners-in-comedy Steve Martin and Martin Short. Chau doesn’t fit neatly with Damon and Affleck, which is fun.

It’s too bad Chau — an Academy Award nominee for her work in 2022’s “The Whale” whose credits also include “Downsizing” (2017) and “The Menu” (2022) — isn’t in more scenes. She adds something to each she gets.

And she gets many more than Stuhlbarg (“A Serious Man”), Molina (“Chocolat”) and Hauser (“Richard Jewell”), each of whom lends his gifts to only a few minutes of “The Instigators.” We are especially left wanting more of the impactful Stuhlbarg, intimidatingly bearded, as a career criminal at his wits’ end.

Rhames (“Pulp Fiction”) has a bit more to do, but he, too, is underutilized.

The aforementioned screenplay is the work of Chuck MacLean (“City on a Hill”) and Casey Affleck, who’ve known each other for years. MacLean is said to have written an early draft years ago, the script changing significantly when Affleck joined him to work on it.

It sounds as if the story told in “The Instigators” continued to evolve through shooting, Liman encouraging the cast to offer ideas and improvisation during the filming. It certainly has that feel.

Liman, whose credits also include 2005’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and 2014’s excellent “Edge of Tomorrow,” also was at the helm for this year’s guilty-pleasure, straight-to-Prime Video remake of “Road House.” If something has a chance to work, he’ll make it work.

As fun as it is, “The Instigators” certainly isn’t all it could have been. But while it may be rough around the edges, without the people involved, it could have been downright rough.

‘The Instigators’

Where: Apple TV+.

When: Aug. 9.

Rated: R for pervasive language and some violence.

Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes.

Stars (of four): 2.5.

We assume that’s also the second rule when it comes to this highly anticipated film, which finally is landing in theaters this week.

In September 2022, “Deadpool” franchise star Ryan Reynolds revealed Hugh Jackman would reprise the role of gruff-and-tough hero Wolverine in the movie, and we’ve gotten carefully constructed trailers in recent months. Otherwise, though, Disney-owned Marvel Studio has released little more than a brief synopsis or two, revealing almost nothing of the goings on of this third “Deadpool” outing, following big hits “Deadpool” (2016) and and “Deadpool 2” (2018).

Why have we waited so long between installments of such a popular franchise? For that, you can thank Disney’s acquisition a few years ago of 20th Century Fox, the studio that held the big-screen rights not only to the foul-mouthed antihero but also other prominent Marvel characters, most importantly the mutants of the X-Men, such as the big-clawed, quick-healing Wolverine.

All the paperwork completed, Disney now oversees a much larger Marvel playground, which has implications for its hugely successful — if stalling of late — Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Let’s table that for now, though. What Disney’s absorbing of Fox means for the moment is that the House of Mouse has its hands on Deadpool, an incredibly foul-mouthed and violent figure inhabited on the screen by the charismatic Reynolds.

Would Marvel Studios actually make a movie as violent and boasting the same level of adult language as the first two films? OK, sure, “Deadpool & Wolverine” earned an R rating — the studio’s first effort to do so — and those previous movies, sexually charged swears and all, now reside on the streaming service Disney+, but would they REALLY make something comparable?

Short answer: Yes.

Maybe “Deadpool & Wolverine” feels just a tick tamer — there are constant references to something Disney forbade, although that mandate may not truly have happened — but that could be because that spicy Deadpool schtick long ago stopped seeming quite so shocking.

Still, if Disney doesn’t want reviewers to say too much about “Deadpool & Wolverine,” that’s made easier by the fact that so much of what’s said — mainly by Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson — can’t be repeated in a publication such as this.

So many things are said. So many filthy things.

But, OK, let’s talk about the story … at least a little.

Years after the events of “Deadpool 2,” Wade and Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) are on the outs (a tissue, please). Failing to find a way to “matter,” the disfigured Wade has stopped Deadpool-ing, now wears a “hair system” and sells cars alongside pal Peter (Rob Delaney), whom he still calls “Sugar Bear.”

We know from the movie’s flash-forward opening that this won’t last, as Deadpool is seen then in “downtown North Dakota” digging up Wolverine at the site of his death in 2017’s critically acclaimed “Logan.” We don’t yet know why he needs Logan, but Wade believes the former can’t possibly truly be dead due to the healing abilities Wade also possesses.

Whelp, dead he is, but at least Deadpool has use of Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton to not so gently fend off armed agents of the Time Variance Authority who show up to apprehend him.

We learn that Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen of “Succession”), a higher-up in the TVA — an organization that oversees the multiverse and that was featured prominently in the two seasons of the Disney+ MCU series “Loki” — has offered Wade a job. The constantly fourth-wall-breaking Wade initially is very excited, believing he’s going to a place where he may see a “marvel,” somewhere truly “cinematic,” but when Mr. Paradox reveals all to him, Wade makes a multiversal escape and sets about finding a Logan to help him save the day.

Eventually, he finds one, the “worst” one, a Wolverine who let down his friends and now spends his days drowning his sorrows in a bar. This Logan isn’t keen keen on helping him, but Wade suggests there may be a way for him to redeem himself.

And so we get an uneasy alliance, one paused every so often for the pair to kick (and stab) the absolute snot out of one another … before quickly healing. As you’d expect, these carefully choreographed fight scenes deliver the goods.

Our heroes, such as they are, up in a place seen in “Loki,” where they run afoul of the movie’s most powerful villain, played by Emma Corrin of “The Crown” and “A Murder at the End of the World.”

It is here, also, that Wade gets the type of high-level cameos he expected would come with a Marvel budget. We won’t spoil them, of course, but let’s just say that one is hotter than all the others.

Less exciting but important: Dafne Keen reprises the role of Laura from “Logan.”

A pair that first played opposite one another in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” in which Reynolds portrayed another version of Deadpool, he and Jackman are a lot of fun together in this romp.

Wade won’t shut up. Logan wishes so badly he would shut up. It just works.

The screenplay, credited to Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells and the movie’s director, Shawn Levy, prioritizes laughs over making anything coherent out of this multiversal story, which was wise. (It also takes some swipes at the MCU’s multiversal storytelling, which is welcomed.)

Levy directed Reynolds in 2021’s “Free Guy” and 2022’s “The Adam Project,” and he proves to be a safe choice here even if, again, the “Deadpool” formula no longer seems so fresh.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” arrives at what the movie not so jokingly refers to as a “low point” for the MCU.

However, those hoping the romp may point to a clear new direction for the increasingly complicated universe may be disappointed, as this feels less like an MCU reset and more like … well, we’ve probably already said too much about the “Deadpool & Wolverine” experience.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’

Where: Theaters.

When: July 26.

Rated: R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, gore and sexual references.

Runtime: 2 hours, 7 minutes.

Stars (of four): 3.