Freeze Frame: “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” (R), “Nobody” (R), “Bad Trip” (R), “City of Lies” (R)

Director Zach Snyder’s superpower is that there’s no ‘quit’ in him…even when there should be. His bloated superhero movie “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” drones on and on for over four hours of spectacular but mind-numbing action featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg. Is it better than the original 2017 version that was half as long? Maybe, but Snyder has hauled the DC Comics universe to the R-rated dark side kicking and screaming…and done it oh so slowly.

Bob Odenkirk proves he’s got action movie mojo in the ultra-violent dark comedy, “Nobody.” He plays a disrespected suburban dad who has suppressed his unique past for years. The truth comes out when fate puts him in the crosshairs of the Russian mob. Obviously inspired by the success of the “John Wick” movies, “Nobody” is a wild ride that goes a bit too far but is bolstered by terrific stunt work.

“Bad Trip” is a hybrid movie, a mixture of a buddy comedy and a “Punked”-style hidden camera show. Eric André and Lil Rel Howery are pals on a road trip, pursued by vengeful prison escapee, Tiffany Haddish. Long dull stretches are punctuated by a few hilarious moments in this shamelessly raunchy farce.

Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker do their best, but they can’t save the disjointed crime thriller, “City of Lies,” a movie that’s been sitting on the shelf for five years. Was the truth behind the murder of Biggie Smalls in 1997 covered up due to a police corruption scandal in Los Angeles? That’s the premise of this story about a former detective and a journalist who tirelessly attempt to uncover the facts, even in a police system designed to protect itself. The fractured, herky-jerky narrative prevents “City of Lies” from becoming the compelling experience it should have been.

Your local art house theaters are offering online viewing options for a number of  intriguing movie titles. More information is available at nelson-atkins.org, Screenland.com, fineartsgroup.com and drafthouse.com.

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