Reporter Ben Gardner reviews what's new in theaters

"The Lion King" (2019)
C-
"Uninspired" best summarizes this CGI/live-action re-heat of the animated classic. "Pretty" also describes it. "Unnecessary" does too. The remake rarely ventures from the territory of the original, so if you know the original, this live-action version has the effect of passively washing over you and evaporating very quickly.

"Stuber"
B+
In a summer of sequels and nostalgia-soaked remakes, it's refreshing to discover a dumb comedy that's better than it needs to be. The premise: a nebbish Uber driver is kidnapped/recruited by a hulking cop who's trying to catch a heroin dealer. It's a story we've seen before; you can imagine Stallone and Tom Hanks starring in the '80s version. But "Stuber" has some genuine laughs, due mostly to a good script and great comedic chemistry between leads Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista.

"Crawl"
B
The premise is simple and absurd: While trying to rescue her dad from a hurricane, a young woman is trapped in a flooding house with a basement full of alligators. Dumb premise, expertly acted and executed, and I'll say this: when the first gator showed up, I shrieked, hugged my knees to my chest, and didn't let my feet touch the ground till the end.