Film Shorts: Valley Cinemas, Streaming, The Worx

The Good Dinosaur proves that it is indeed easy being green, as it's held over for another week at Valley Cinemas. Joining that film is the latest iteration of the Rocky franchise, unofficial as it may be: Creed, in which an aging Rocky Balboa trains the illegitimate son of his old foe, Apollo.

It's one of the best films of the year, especially once Sylvester Stallone as Rocky appears about 15 minutes in. Before that, the viewer is given the life story and psychological profile of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan, directed here again by Fruitvale Station's Ryan Coogler). The story alternates between Adonis settling in to Philly and getting a girl, the less interesting parts, at least to some viewers, and his seduction and thriving under Rocky's ruling hand. Adonis' first pro fight is a marvel to behold, the centerpiece of the film. And Stallone is terrific, his familiar crumpled porkpie hat and slow mental gears ("You got it in the cloud? What cloud?") inviting the viewer into the warm yet honest sentimentality of the best Rocky movies.

And speaking of a relic of the '70s, there is the Vietnam War, whose end receives a fascinating analysis in the history lesson, Last Days in Vietnam, available at the Glasgow City-County Library (408 3rd Ave S, 406, 228-2731). Made by one of the Kennedy scion, Rory, Last Days recounts in footage culled from public and private hands the fall of Saigon and the mass exodus from the American embassy. Among the most fascinating sequences is a bit of hair-raising flying feats by a South Vietnam pilot out at sea as refugees are dropped off. The film is a fine history lesson and a foreshadowing of current affairs.

Among the biggest DVDs coming to The Worx, the video shop at 700 1/2 1st Ave N, 228-4474, are Minions and Antman. Minions is a nonsense prequel to the Despicable Me series, while Antman surfs on the charm of star Paul Rudd as it traverses the usual plo points of Marvel origin stories, as usually of late culled from the updated or modern comics, not from the debuts back in the early 1960s. Literally all I can remember of the film is that Mr. Rudd was in it. For completionists, the DVD will contain some deleted scenes (the hero as a cable repair guy, and others), and "making of" moments that reveal special effects secrets.

Over at HBO, the following films are leaving at the end of December, so plan your viewing accordingly. Among them are Her, the sci-fi essay on urban loneliness in a techno world, Best in Show, the fake documentary about the eccentrics of dog competitions, Reno 911: Miami, the hilarious show in faux-documentary form about the worst police department since Police Academy, and The Fault in Our Stars, from a YA novel that in part concerns the hazards of meeting your idols, in this case a revered literary master.