Freeze Frame: “The Killer’s Game” (R), “The Critic” (R), “Uglies” (PG-13)

Graphically violent action comedies just keep popping up, with over-the-top stunt work inspired by movies like “The Kingsman” and “John Wick.” It takes a deft touch to pull these movies off and the makers of “The Killer’s Game” don’t quite have it. Dave Bautista stars as a world class hitman who thinks he’s terminally ill and puts out a hit on himself. When the diagnosis proves wrong, he changes his mind and must defend himself from all manner of bad guys. It starts out well enough but gets progressively silly, tedious and repetitious. “The Killer’s Game” is mainly a time killer.

Sir Ian McKellen takes the title role as one of the vilest of all humans, “The Critic.” In 1930s London, an unscrupulous theater critic manipulates a struggling, insecure actress into a scheme to blackmail the publisher of the newspaper that runs his column.  It’s well produced and McKellen is excellent as is the stalwart ensemble of fine British actors. But the improbable melodramatic flourishes and abrupt climax undermine a promising setup. This critic says “No” to “The Critic.”

“Uglies” is a Netflix offering adapted from Scott Westerfeld’s sci-fi novel series. Joey King stars in the tale of a future society where operations to make people pretty are mandatory at age 16. You may have flashbacks to other YA sci-fi series like “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner,” but those movies are much better than this. The cliffhanger climax hints at more episodes to come, but don’t hold your breath. Ineffective direction, iffy special effects and stilted dialogue make “Uglies” unattractive.

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