Dodie Smith’s 1956 children’s novel, “The Hundred and One Dalmatians,” has proven itself to be quite valuable to the Walt Disney Corporation. The company created a popular and profitable animation adaptation, 1961’s “101 Dalmatians,” and hasn’t looked back, returning to the concept, not necessarily the source material, to inspire sequels, television programs, video games, theme park meet and greets, spin-offs, and something approaching a remake with a 1996 live-action endeavor starring Glenn Close as the wicked villain, Cruella de Vil (and there was even a sequel to that). It isn’t surprising to see Disney returning to Smith’s creation once again for “Cruella,” but this isn’t a continuation of the original story. Instead, screenwriters Dana Fox and Tony McNamara are starting fresh with the feature, giving “Cruella” a “Maleficent” makeover, attempting to transform a woman who once wanted to skin puppies alive and wear their fur into a sympathetic character, asking viewers to endure a 134-minute run time as the producers attempt to position Cruella for future franchise opportunities. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Plan B” is a strange film. It begins as a teen horndog comedy before it becomes a road trip movie, eventually transforming into a relationship drama that touches on self-esteem issues, and it concludes with a message on the importance of birth control options for teenagers. Screenwriters Joshua Levy and Prathiksha Srinivasan take the kitchen sink approach to the picture, which is primarily a comedy but gradually loses interest in securing laughs, hoping to reach audience hearts and minds with a tale of acceptance and love. The intent is pure, and “Plan B” is awfully funny at times, but it’s handled roughly by director Natalie Morales, who has trouble smoothing out tonal changes as she falls in love with the main characters, content to go wherever they lead. It’s disjointed and overlong, but the endeavor captures adolescent concerns quite accurately at times, creating its finest moments when it merges horror and heartache. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

If you had “underdog movie about the world of sport fishing” on your 2021 bingo card, you’re in luck with “Blue Miracle.” Screenwriters Chris Dowling and Julio Quintana (who also helms the picture) find a slightly different direction with the material, which is based on the true story of orphanage Casa Hogar and their participation in the 2014 Bisbee’s Black & Blue fishing tournament. The film hopes to provide a lively tale of competition and human connection, also providing messages on self-worth and the pressures of integrity, and while the feature isn’t a challenging endeavor, Quintana captures the heart of the story, offering strong performances and suspenseful fishing action to help deliver some decent family entertainment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Jason William Lee is concerned about the state of fame and pop culture, and he tries to work through some of his issues with “Funhouse.” It’s a horror take on the “Big Brother” television franchise, tracking the growing nightmare prepared for eight reality show celebrities who choose to compete in a locked, monitored building for an enormous cash prize. The idea of “Funhouse” isn’t a problem, with the premise creating opportunities to lampoon and lambast what passes for popularity these days. It’s the execution that’s difficult to endure, as the low-budget production struggles with casting limitations, and Lee battles the cheap look of the feature while trying to launch his stinging attacks on the perversity of modern-day notoriety. The movie isn’t an effective takedown of reality show stupidity, but Lee is certainly trying to make a difference with the endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s a big year for director Zack Snyder. In March, the filmmaker brought his full version of the superhero extravaganza “Justice League” to the masses, finally receiving a chance to right a considerable wrong in the eyes of many. And now there’s “Army of the Dead,” which represents a break from costumed avengers, presenting something of a spiritual sequel to his 2004 “Dawn of the Dead” remake. The zombies are similar in ferocity and the end of the world is here, but Snyder is aiming big with the feature, delivering a heist movie with massive scale at times, and he co-scripts material that’s meant to represent the beginning of a new franchise. “Army of the Dead” has plans to be a major event, and the scope of the effort is impressive. Storytelling is another issue, with the production bending awkwardly to transform the picture into a heartfelt relationship tale, a few of them actually, and Snyder asks a lot of his audience when serving up droopy turns of plot and borderline obnoxious characters for nearly 150 minutes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Dry” is the rare movie to offer two distinct mysteries to solve over the course of the run time. It’s an adaptation of a novel by Jane Harper, presenting a story about a police investigation into a suspicious murder-suicide, also examining unfinished business involving the lead character’s past, constructing two timelines that carry equal suspense. It’s also an Australian production, using the land to generate a sense of danger and denial, with director Robert Connolly creating an evocative sense of remoteness with the picture, which matches the tale’s level of suspicion perfectly. “The Dry” grabs viewers with outstanding intensity, offering a detective story that’s confident with character, not entirely focused on twists. The film really connects at times, but more so when creating motivations, not payoffs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Toni Collette is not an actress known for her participation in feel-good cinema. While she achieved fame with her sunniness in 1994’s “Muriel’s Wedding,” Collette has generally gravitated toward complex characters filled with misery, dread, and general darkness (her most recent offerings include “Stowaway” and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”). And she’s usually outstanding in these parts. For “Dream Horse,” Collette portrays Jan Vokes, a middle-aged woman with a desire to feel something again, turning her attention to the care of a special race horse funded by the residents of a small Welsh village. It’s not an especially fresh idea, but that’s what Collette is here for, delivering an unusual performance of emotional processing in a feature that’s looking to lift spirits during impossibly dark times. “Dream Horse” doesn’t go Disney, finding ways to do different things with formulaic material, highlighting relationships as it delivers the essentials in underdog cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Drunk Bus” claims to be some sort of true story, examining a burgeoning friendship between a cowardly overnight bus driver on a college campus and the Samoan muscle hired to protect him from the dangers of intoxicated riders and their low impulse control. It’s trying to be a comedy about the craziness of the job and the struggles of empowerment, and perhaps it doesn’t try hard enough. “Drunk Bus” remains periodically engaging with appealing performances, but it’s no farce, which screenwriter Chris Molinaro promises in the feature’s first act before slowly trading a freewheeling tone for a more serious understanding of broken people and their life choices. It’s not an especially deep motion picture, but initial liveliness and characterization is amusing, giving the film a decent launch before it ultimately loses interest in caricature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriter Simon Barrett achieved strong reviews for his work on “You’re Next” and “The Guest,” earning a reputation of sly work that subverted genre expectations, refreshing hoary plots and dull characters. Barrett makes his feature-length directorial debut with “Séance,” which returns him to scary business, this time examining the haunted happenings at an all-female boarding school, which is experiencing a newfound surge of violence after the suspicious death of a student. Once again, Barrett returns to a well-worn premise, and expectations are in place that he could do something inventive with a semi-slasher, possibly supernatural idea. The helmer is no mood to bring his A-game to the project, overseeing a bizarrely sleepy chiller that doesn’t have much oomph as a thriller or complexity as a mystery. “Séance” just lays there for most of its run time, with Barrett trusting a creepy mood might cover the writing’s lack of adventure. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com