At the Movies: capsule reviews of ‘Angels & Demons’ and other films this week

Capsule reviews: ‘Angels & Demons’ and other films

Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

“Angels & Demons” — Blessedly, “Angels & Demons” is more entertaining and less self-serious than its predecessor, the dense and dreary yet enormously successful “The Da Vinci Code.” In adapting another of author Dan Brown’s religious-mystery page turners, Ron Howard wisely gave in to its beat-the-clock thriller elements, which makes for a more enjoyable summer-movie experience. But its twists, turns and revelations are just as ridiculous as those in “The Da Vinci Code” — perhaps even more so — and it breezes through arcane details with just as much dizzying speed. The key players are back from that 2006 international hit, including Tom Hanks as Harvard professor and symbologist Robert Langdon and Akiva Goldsman as screenwriter (joined this time by David Koepp). Although the book “Angels & Demons” came out before “The Da Vinci Code,” the film is positioned as a sequel to take advantage of the strained relationship between Langdon and the Vatican — only this time, it’s his expertise the folks there reluctantly need. With the pope dead and the College of Cardinals about to meet in conclave to choose a replacement, a secret society known as the Illuminati has kidnapped the four likeliest candidates. Langdon must decipher clues at various churches and historical sites throughout Rome to prevent the killing of the cardinals, one every hour, leading to a bomb explosion at the Vatican. But wait, we haven’t even gotten to the most laughable part of the story yet! Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgaard and Armin Mueller-Stahl are among the estimable supporting cast, all of whom have enjoyed the benefits of stronger material but manage to supply gravitas nonetheless. PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material. 138 min. Two stars out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“Management” — It’s easy to forget that Jennifer Aniston truly can act. It’s easy to get caught up in her sunny looks, in the tabloid frenzy of her off-screen persona, and lose sight of the fact that, when given the opportunity in small, meaty films like “The Good Girl” and “Friends With Money” and even “Office Space,” she can reveal some real substance and depth. You want that for Aniston here, too, but the script from Stephen Belber doesn’t give her enough room to breathe and shine. A playwright and screenwriter (”Tape,” ”The Laramie Project”) directing for the first time, Belber surprisingly goes heavy on the quirk in this quirky romantic comedy and never develops a romance that feels believable. Everything about the relationship between Aniston’s Sue Claussen and Steve Zahn’s Mike Cranshaw feels contrived: the way they meet (she’s a guest at the low-budget motel where he’s the night manager), they way they first hook up (she walks into the laundry room and kisses him out of nowhere), the way they fall in love (he crisscrosses the country stalking her until he finally wears her down). They never make sense together as a couple; then again, neither of them is terribly well fleshed-out. Mike is in a state of arrested development, living and working at the motel owned by his parents (Fred Ward and an underused Margo Martindale). Sue is inexplicably closed off; we learn a little about her from her charity work with the homeless, but otherwise we never understand why she’s so stoic and reluctant to fall in love. Woody Harrelson livens things up briefly as Sue’s eccentric, once-and-future boyfriend, a punk rocker turned yogurt mogul. But he only makes you wonder how she ever ended up with him, either. R for language. 93 min. One and a half stars out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic