There’s a line delivered at the opening of “Don’t Make Me Go,” with the main character declaring to viewers that they’re “not going to like how this story ends.” It’s an important warning to heed, as there’s a frightening accuracy to the statement, with screenwriter Vera Herbert taking special care to torpedo her own movie with incredibly manipulative dramatic choices. It’s a shame “Don’t Make Me Go” ends so poorly, as it begins with some sense of adventure when it comes to exploring a relationship between a father and daughter, and how such a union is attacked by the unpredictability of life and the traditional challenges of adolescence. Director Hannah Marks has a warm vision for intimate matters of the heart and family, but she’s committed to a final act that takes something with promise and transforms it into a lame soap opera. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” is a terrific example of acting, and how it’s capable of supporting a viewing experience when the material periodically dips into uninspired areas of drama. The star is Lesley Manville, who made powerful impressions in “Phantom Thread,” “Another Year,” and “Ordinary Love,” and she returns to full power in her latest turn, which distances her from the usual emotional severity she’s normally hired to communicate. As the title suggests, “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” is entertainment, mixing lighter feelings with a comedic approach, but Manville doesn’t ignore the possibilities of the character, delivering a full-bodied performance that carries the feature at times, backed by an impressive supporting cast and occasional moments that land their intended fuzzy feelings. It’s not the most rousing endeavor, but small creative goals help the film remain as charming as it possibly can. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After a career working with Disney Animation on some of their best films in recent memory (“Moana,” “Big Hero 6”), Chris Williams makes a move to go solo with “The Sea Beast,” bringing his veteran status to Netflix Animation for this oceanic adventure. While an original story from Williams and co-writer Nell Benjamin, the influence of “How to Train Your Dragon” is definitely felt during the viewing experience. There’s nothing wrong with that, as the DreamWorks Animation trilogy offered wonderful moviemaking and rich characters, and “The Sea Beast” gets fairly close to greatness with its inspection of a world of hunters ruled by fear and deception facing a challenge from a spirited girl beginning to see the truth behind all the lies. Williams serves up massive visuals and strange creatures, and the writing works hard to provide a metaphorical journey for the world of today, doing so with lots of excitement and sharp lessons for younger viewers on the importance of courage. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The difficulties of senior year love are explored in “Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between,” which is an adaptation of a 2015 young adult novel by Jennifer E. Smith. The author hands screenwriting duties over to Ben York Jones and Amy Reed, who are tasked with clarifying the story, which plays with time and includes various characters, while the plot basically remains with two teens and their struggle to make sense of a future that’s on the brink of starting. There are no surprises in the picture, which offers a traditional look at the pains of adolescent impatience, but director Michael Lewen understands the assignment, working to give the feature as much heart as possible while still playing to a specific demographic with the endeavor. “Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between” makes a positive impression with its acting and emphasis on the confusion of break-ups, giving viewers some tingles and tears as two characters wrestle with their deep feelings for each other. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the bright spots in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” with director Taika Waititi endeavoring to bring a specialized tone to the comic book spectacular, pulling away from character introductions and consequential acts of planetary heroism to make something slightly daffy with the “Space Viking.” “Ragnarok” was a gamble, with the MCU previously allowing the Guardians of the Galaxy to sniff around a lighter approach, but Waititi ran with the opportunity, crafting a hilarious adventure with Thor and his comrades, cranking up the Led Zeppelin and enormous action to present the cinematic equivalent of an extravagant custom van paint job. It was a terrific movie, and Waititi has returned (with a co-writing credit) to deliver the next chapter in the “Thor” saga, restoring the atmosphere of the previous odyssey with a slightly heavier round of freewheeling fun, looking to keep the God of Thunder loose and amusing, but also hitting the big guy with some profound emotional weight this time out. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Princess” is an empowerment tale from screenwriters Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton, but this is no ordinary story of a young woman’s awakening. Instead of playing directly to a teen audience with a sunny summation of self-preservation, the writing submits an R-rated actioner instead, hoping to wow viewers with graphic violence and extended fight scenes meant to give the feature some oomph. Such energy is appreciated, but most of the attention in “The Princess” is placed on heated battles, with the material too simplistic to really land a few of its valuable ideas on self-worth. The endeavor is more of a video game than a dramatic understanding of character, and that may be enough to support a decent distraction for some viewers, but the shallowness of it all becomes a problem for the effort the more it tries to find a reason for its existence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Minions were a supporting act in 2010’s “Despicable Me,” invented to add some wacky energy to the picture, filling all slapstick requirements while the plot was dedicated to a more heartening story of parenthood featuring supervillain Gru. After the release of the film, Minions became all the rage, dominating “Despicable Me” sequels and fitted for their own starring roles in 2015’s “Minions,” which is the highest-grossing installment of the franchise. Perhaps the Minions don’t even need Gru anymore. Illumination apparently disagrees, reuniting most of the family for the prequel “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” which moves the mayhem up to the 1970s but maintains the formula of dastardly deeds and chaotic cartoon visuals, with the fifth installment of the “Despicable Me” series playing it safe to entertain family audiences. It’s fun, periodically funny, but the production takes few risks with this endeavor, which could use a freshening of material at this point. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

John Michael McDonagh’s last feature was 2016’s “War on Everyone,” where he attempted to mount a darkly comedic understanding of American life and action movies. The experiment wasn’t creatively satisfying, getting lost in its own quirk, distancing the writer/director from his earlier successes with “The Guard” and “Calvary.” “The Forgiven” inches McDonagh back to his potential, put in charge of an adaptation of a 2012 Lawrence Osborne novel, and one with some sting to it, detailing the experiences of an elite western couple causing major problems in Morocco, dealing with the aftermath in their own uniquely acidic ways. “The Forgiven” finds McDonagh in a very deliberate mood, which is a necessary approach to a story that’s primarily about the experiences of characters gaining some clarity with the darkest of inspiration. McDonagh slows the pace of the endeavor, which doesn’t always help to build tension, but he’s after a specific tone with the picture, and mostly achieves it, maintaining surprises and defined personalities on this strange journey of guilt. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com