FREEZE FRAME: “Argylle” (PG-13), “Scrambled” (R), “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (R)

The wildly imaginative tongue-in-cheek action comedy “Argylle” is the sort of movie that the term “meta” was coined for. Bryce Dallas Howard stars as a homebody novelist. She becomes the target of assassins when the adventures of her fictional spy hero, played by Henry Cavill, parallel actual events. Sam Rockwell plays a secret agent assigned to protect her. It starts out well, but “Argylle” becomes very repetitive and increasingly absurd as the action progresses. Writer/director Matthew Vaughn is best known for over-the-top action flicks like “Kick Ass” and “The Kingsman.” If you’ve seen those movies, you’ll know what you’re in for.  “Argylle” is a mildly entertaining exercise in self-aware overkill.

Are you ready for more cinematic bad behavior? “Scrambled” is a hard R-rated farce that really pushes the envelope. Written, directed by and starring comedian Leah McKendrick, it’s about a promiscuous thirtysomething who has terrible luck with men. She decides to freeze her eggs in the event she ever decides to give birth. While it hits a few notes of honesty, the raunchy in-your-face material could make “Scrambled” a challenge for many viewers.

Donald Glover puts his unique spin on the Amazon Prime comic action series “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” based on the 2005 movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Glover stars alongside Maya Erskine in the tale of bickering married assassins. They try to work out their personal issues with a counselor while carrying out dangerous assignments for a cryptic and shadowy organization. It’s smart, well-acted and involving, but the constant squabbling between these main characters in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” gets pretty tiring afterwhile.


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