TV film fare -- week of Sept. 15, 2019

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Sept. 15. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence, and sexual situations.

Sunday, Sept. 15, 12:55-3:55 p.m. EDT (AMC) "The Fugitive" (1993). Having escaped while being transported to the state pen, a Chicago surgeon (Harrison Ford) convicted of murdering his wife must evade the ever-tightening net of a relentless U.S. marshal (Tommy Lee Jones) while desperately tracking down the one-armed man (Andreas Katsulas) who actually killed her. Director Andrew Davis knits together a strong narrative, crackerjack performances and taut editing for a fine thriller not dependent on constant, glorified violence for mounting suspense. Brief, sporadic violence. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Sunday, Sept. 15, 8-10:31 p.m. EDT (A&E) "Godzilla" (2014). Grandiose special effects, the showcasing of strong family bonds and a few religious undertones compensate for an overelaborate backstory and uneven tone in director Gareth Edwards' monster movie. Fifteen years after his mother (Juliette Binoche) was killed in a disaster at a Japanese nuclear power plant, an American Navy officer (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is still trying to convince his grieving dad (Bryan Cranston) to accept the official explanation for the catastrophe and stop obsessively pursuing his own wild theories about it. But an encounter with two scientists (Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins) working in the quarantine zone that surrounds the site of the cataclysm reveals that Dad has been on to something all along. Mayhem ensues for a number of cities, including the seaman's hometown of San Francisco where his wife (Elizabeth Olsen) and young son (Carson Bolde) come under threat. The legendary lizard of the title is only one of the outsized creatures rampaging the globe in this latest take on a sci-fi scenario that dates back to Ishiro Honda's 1954 original. But at least the human toll they exact is portrayed in a stylized, bloodless way. Pervasive action violence with minimal gore, brief marital sensuality, a few uses of profanity and of crude language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Monday, Sept. 16, 6:15-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Key Largo" (1948). High tension melodrama from Maxwell Anderson's play in which a hardened war veteran (Humphrey Bogart) arrives at a Florida Keys hotel to find its owner (Lionel Barrymore) and his daughter (Lauren Bacall) being held prisoner by gangsters (headed by Edward G. Robinson), then is forced to take them to Cuba by boat after a hurricane leaves them stranded. Directed by John Huston, the desperate proceedings are given conviction by a fine cast, including Claire Trevor's aging gun moll, with the outcome hinged on the veteran's regained idealism in the riveting climax. Stylized violence, menacing situations and muted sexual innuendo. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 8-10 p.m. EDT (Showtime) "The American President" (1995). Fluffy romance with the nation's widowed chief executive (Michael Douglas) insisting on his right to carry on a love affair with a feisty lobbyist (Annette Bening) despite its potential to derail his chances for reelection. Thanks to the appealing treatment of the couple, producer-director Rob Reiner's feel-good romantic fantasy provides superficial entertainment while glossing over moral issues and political realities. References to an off-screen affair and a few instances of rough language. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Friday, Sept. 20, 10:15 p.m.-12:15 a.m. EDT (TCM) "Knute Rockne, All American" (1940). Pat O'Brien gives a sturdy, likable performance as Rockne (1888-1931), the dedicated football coach whose winning teams made the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame a national favorite after World War I. Director Lloyd Bacon pays equal attention to Rockne's qualities on and off the field, both as devoted family man and charismatic molder of youths into men, the most memorable example of which has to do with halfback George Gipp (Ronald Reagan). Inspiring period portrait of a legendary coach who believed in the character-building values of collegiate competition. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, Sept. 21, 8-9:45 p.m. EDT (HBO) "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part" (2019). Everything is (still) awesome in this spirited and amusing animated sequel to 2014's "The Lego Movie," directed by Mike Mitchell. A mild-mannered construction worker (voice of Chris Pratt) is called again to save the day when the queen (voice of Tiffany Haddish) of a far-off galaxy kidnaps his lady love (voice of Elizabeth Banks), Batman (voice of Will Arnett) and other friends. An unexpected ally is found in a rugged space cowboy (also voiced by Pratt) as the rescue mission begins. This family-friendly film offers positive messages about (no puns intended) making connections, bridging the gaps among friends and family members, and constructing a world where people respect each other, no matter their differences. Cartoon mayhem, some peril, mild rude humor. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Sept. 21, 10:15 p.m.-12:50 a.m. EDT (Cinemax) "Cold Mountain" (2003). Rapturously shot Civil War romance about a young Confederate deserter (Jude Law) who must hoof his way across the war-torn South in the hopes of reuniting with the woman he loves (Nicole Kidman), a Southern belle enduring her own behind-the-lines hardships. In the film, based on Charles Frazier's 1997 novel, director Anthony Minghella chooses an epic historical canvas on which to paint an intimate story about love and the loss war engenders, but the episodic nature of the narrative and the tenuousness of the central love affair results in a film that, while visually elegant in its condemnation of war, is less than emotionally satisfying. Recurring graphic battlefield and associated violence, several explicit sexual situations with partial nudity, an attempted rape, as well as some crude language and humor. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.