The latest in the series about sentient characters in a digital world follows in the tradition of its two predecessors: the creativity is in the visuals, with very little in the storyline, and almost none in the characters and dialogue. The visuals are excellent, though, so if you see it, make sure to see it in IMAX.

The original “TRON” (1983) was inspired by the video games that were captivating a new generation (indeed, the video game it inspired out-grossed the film). Like its sequel, “TRON: Legacy” (2010), it took place mostly in a digital world. This movie, reflecting the cultural impact of the technologies that move much faster than we can comprehend or control them, shows us the wall between “real” and virtual is dissolving.

It begins with glimpses of various news broadcasts reporting on the developments at two huge software companies. One is ENCOM, where Jeff Bridges’ character Kevin Flynn worked in the earlier films. It was then led by the benign, public-spirited Kim sisters, who wanted to use technology to feed people, cure diseases, and “uplift humanity.” The other is Dillinger Systems, recently taken over by Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters), grandson of the founder (the bad guy in the original film). Julian wants to use technology to create weapons, including AI soldiers who are vastly more capable than any human, and, this is a key value proposition, “100 percent expendable.” The enemy “kills” one? We’ll sell you more! And why not make these soldiers not just humanoid, but gorgeous humanoids? Thus, the sample AI-soldiers look just like Athena (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Ares, played by Jared Leto, who says that the original film transfixed him when it first came out, and is a producer of this film

There’s just one problem that Julian manages to keep from the world leaders at his demo. The soldiers collapse into ash-like piles of code after just 29 minutes. If he is going to conquer the world, he needs to find the “permanence” code he suspects ENCOM has discovered. His mother, Elisabeth (a wasted Gillian Anderson) tries to warn him that he is being reckless, but he will not listen.

Meanwhile, Eve Kim (Greta Lee) is in fact discovering that code with the help of her assistant, Seth (Arturo Castro), on floppy disks left in a remote outpost by her late sister. Julian sends Ares and Athena to steal the code as characters — and code — go back and forth between the digital and analog worlds.

The visuals from production designer Darren Gilford) are dazzling, especially the motorcycles, ultra-modern and OG, the visualization of the cyber-heist, the action conflicts, the ribbons of light and a very cool winged flying contraption, though another flying thing that looks like something between goal posts on a football field and the Arc du Triomphe seems more dramatic than aerodynamic. The sound design is excellent, thanks to supervising sound editor Baard H. Ingebretsen and the whole sound department. The score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is also first-rate, as we expect from the impressively versatile Oscar winners.

It is frustrating to see this movie almost approach some of the real and fascinating questions of AI and then swerve away for yet another “Pinocchio” story about what makes a real boy, much more thoughtfully and provocatively explored in films like “Blade Runner,” and, in a way, by every movie because they are all about what makes us most human: love, compassion, curiosity, humor, the quest for making things better. I was much less interested in whether Ares would develop feelings beyond vocabulary than I am in what we do about characters like Julian, who are unconstrained by norms, or concern for anyone but himself. The script equivalent of the 29 minute AI soldier collapse is giving Julian and his mother less depth than an 8 bit NPC. Eve, Seth, and Ajay (Hasan Minhaj) are not much better, and it is truly a shame to see this exceptional performers given so little to work with. I mean, Tilly Norwood could have handled this just as well, which is a reflection on her limitations, not her capacity.

That includes dialogue like “Maybe there is something wrong with me.” “Maybe there is something right with you.”

I did laugh at Ares’ appreciation for Depeche Mode. This is an entity made from data who has absorbed every bit and byte of information since the world began including all of Eve’s text messages, and what Ares likes is the ineffable pull of 80s British synth-pop? (He manages a kind word for Mozart.)

Jeff Bridges does show up in beatifically magisterial and most welcome mode, playing a Wizard of Oz-like figure (Julian’s interface is strongly reminiscent of the fake Oz in the MGM version), reminding us that there are some things AI cannot match. So far.

Parents should know that this movie includes extended fantasy/sci-fi peril and action with some violence and two sad deaths of family members. There is brief strong language.

Family discussion: Who should monitor and control AI? If you went into the digital world, what would you do? Why did Ares say once was enough?

If you like this, try: the other “Tron” movies and the “Blade Runner” films

Marc Maron is not going to live happily ever after. As we saw recently in the documentary “Anxiety Club,” about the connection between stand-up comedy and anxiety, Maron would not feel like himself if he was happy. He is not quite sure why other people are happy, or want to be. Not being happy has worked out well for him. In its own way, that may be his kind of happiness. What he says is, “I’m clearly dealing with grief and sadness by overcompensating with anger and funny.” And that gives him some sense of satisfaction.

“Are We Good?” is a documentary about Maron as he is in a transitional moment. He is still mourning the loss of the person he loved most, the one who made him feel the most seen and safe. That was writer/director Lynn Shelton, and the archival footage of them together is heart-wrenchingly moving, her radiant pleasure in his presence, and a glimpse of him as, yes, happy, somewhere under the defaults of the perpetual dissatisfactions that underly observational humor. If you have not seen Shelton’s “Sword of Trust” movie seek it out. The storyline gets loopy, but Maron is superb and so, in a brief appearance as Maron’s character’s ex, is Shelton.

Maron tells us he always wanted to do comedy, and we see clips from him in the early years. with long hair, a period where he tells us he was smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. David Cross says he was one of the few who liked Maron in those days.

He “didn’t draw” back then, meaning that he could get on TV talk shows but it did not translate to success in clubs. And so, with no particular goal in mind, he set up a recording “studio” in his garage and began the podcast that if he had any hopes of making commercially successful he would probably not have called WTF.

His timing may have been accidental, but it was perfect. And the kind of close observation that underlay his comedy made him an attentive, perceptive, insightful, and empathetic interviewer. Everyone anyone might want to hear came to his garage, comedians like Robin Williams, writers and directors and producers like Lorne Michaels, Quentin Tarrantino, Mel Brooks, and Mike Judge, musicians and singers like Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, and Mavis Staples, actors like Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, and national figures like Barack Obama. And, of course, Lynn Shelton, before they were a couple, and you can feel the spark between them as they discover it in each other.

In the documentary, Maron appears before an audience with a pad of paper on his lap. They and we can see him creating on the spot, not just jokes, not just his set, but as he admits, even his persona. He is still grieving the loss of Lynn Shelton, and he is also, in the movie’s most touching scenes, dealing with his father’s dementia. He is also coping with the end of WTF. He has spent more time as an actor (recently in the AppleTV+ series “Stick”), though says he is always inclined to turn down offers.

The film will be of most interest to Maron fans, though even fans may prefer his comedy specials and acting appearances. But seeing someone whose inclination is to maintain distance between his thoughts and feelings grapple with loss shows us what even comedy cannot.

Parents should know that this film includes very strong language and references to drinking, smoking, drug use, a parent with dementia, and a sad death.

Family discussion: How can comedy help to process grief? How does what Marc Maron observes around him show up in his act?

If you like this, try: “Anxiety Club,” “Stick,” “WTF,” and Maron’s comedy specials

“Gabby’s Dollhouse” is a sweet television series for young children about a girl who can shrink (and turn into an animated character) to play with cat-ish friends in a magical dollhouse. Gabby (Laila Lockhart Kraner). The show, from Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey of “Blue’s Clues,” shares that series’ interactive style, with Gabby asking the audience to help her sing and dance. The cupcake aesthetic, silly cat-puns, varied but cute dollhouse characters, and cheerful tone have made it a favorite for preschoolers.

Gabby is an appealing, aspirational heroine. She is enthusiastic and imaginative and she tells us “every moment is a chance to create magic.” She invites us into a gentle world of candy colors, sparkles, balloons, marshmallows, hugs, and magic. But it does not always scale up to a feature film, especially for those young enough to be the show’s biggest fans who might not be interested in the longer, slightly more complex storyline.

It begins with the origin story of the dollhouse. Gabby’s grandmother, Gigi (singer Gloria Estefan) made it for Gabby when she was a little girl. In present day, Gabby is older, but still loves pinching the cat ears on her headband and squeezing the paw of her stuffed toy Pandy to enter the dollhouse. She’s especially excited as the movie begins because Gigi is coming to pick her up for a visit to “Catfrancisco.” Of course that means hauling the dollhouse behind the van; Gabby would never leave her friends behind.

Gigi is so excited to show Gabby her crafting room (which is wonderfully equipped and could inspire a show of its own) and give her something to eat that they leave the dollhouse strapped to the van outside. This is a mistake. One of the dollhouse denizens is so eager to get going he releases the trailer hitch and Catfransisco is just as hilly as San Francisco (it also has a very big bridge) and off the dollhouse goes on a wild ride. It ends up in the hands of the evil (mildly evil — this is a G-rated film) Vera (Kristen Wiig, looking gorgeous and having a blast).

Gabby and Gigi go after the dollhouse. Vera, who has forgotten how to play and sees objects only as collectibles has moved the little characters from the dollhouse to display them, one in an aquarium and one in the garden, plus one in her purse. Rescuing them, with the help and sometimes hindrance of Vera’s abandoned toy (voiced by Jason Mantzoukas), takes up the rest of the film.’

There’s enough tension to keep it interesting, though the theme of an adult re-learning the importance of play may not grab young audiences. More interesting but getting almost no screen time was Gabby’s original hesitation when Gigi encouraged her to create her own project, and then, after the rescue gave her confidence and encouraged her creativity, she was willing to try. At the screening I attended, the children in the audience started to get squirmy when the film ran past the brief run time of the segments of the series, and a few of them were anxious about Vera’s low-wattage villainy. The likely audience for the film might be happier just watching the series.

Parents should know that this film has some mild potty humor and mild peril and stress.

Family discussion: Who is your favorite Gabby Cat and why? Why didn’t Vera want to play anymore? If you got tiny, where would you go?

If you like this, try; The series on Netflix

Scarlett Johansson’s first film as a director shows the careful attention she has been paying as a performer, starting with the importance of casting. The irreplaceable June Squibb stars as the title character, an outspoken 94-year old who moves from her home in Florida to New York after the death of Bessie (Rita Zohar), her roommate and best friend.

The opening scenes show the ease, comfort, and support of that friendship, as they strap on their velcro-strap shoes, grab Eleanor’s cane, go for a walk and shop for groceries. Bessie collapses in the store, and we see them in the hospital, Eleanor making sure Bessie sees a doctor right away by telling the nurse Bessie is a member of the family who donated the money for a wing at the hospital, despite the fact that it is not true. She also lies to a nosy neighbor, just to annoy her. This comfort with deception appears at first to be harmless but it is an indication of the dangers ahead.

In New York, Eleanor reunites with her recently divorced daughter, Lisa (Jessica Hecht), and college student grandson, Max (Will Price). In contrast to her relationship with Bessie, her connection to her family is prickly, contrary, and sometimes judgmental. Lisa has signed Eleanor up for a singing group at the Jewish Community Center and encourages her to look at assisted living options. Eleanor is not interested. At the JCC, she wanders into a meeting, not realizing it is a support group for Holocaust survivors. When called upon to introduce herself, she uses one of Bessie’s stories. Sitting in on the meeting is a journalism student named Nina (a radiant Erin Kellyman), who is captivated by Eleanor’s story and wants to write about her.

Nina’s mother died six months earlier and her father, a television news reporter (Chiwetel Ejiofor as Roger) has been distant, dealing with his own grief. The dislocation and grief they share leads Nina and Eleanor to become close friends very quickly.

The chemistry between them is palpable, so we want that friendship to continue to be a source of connection and healing for them. But we know, as Eleanor realizes at some level, that the “stolen valor” lie at its foundation must detonate, causing great pain for both of them. What is unexpected is compassion and generosity of the way it is resolved, I suspect the reason Johansson and Squibb were drawn to the story.

Squibb is, as we saw in “Nebraska” and “Thelma,” a treasure and this role gives her a chance to play a character who is fully human, flawed, grieving, and still learning. The British Kellyman has an impeccable American accent and she is a gem, lighting up the screen with her vulnerability and the way she treasures and is reassured by her friendship with Eleanor. Johansson created a space for superb performances by everyone in the cast, including Jessica Hecht as Eleanor’s frustrated daughter and Zohar as Eleanor’s roommate and lifelong friend.

Sqiibb, Kellyman, Johansson, and first-time screenwriter Tory Kamen have made a film about loss, friendship, and compassion. Eleanor may not always be great, but this movie lets us see the parts of her that really are.

Parents should know that this movie includes some strong language, references to the Holocaust, and grief over the deaths of a wife and mother and a friend.

Family discussion: Why did Eleanor lie? Why was it hard for her to be as nice to her daughter as she was to Nina and Bessie? Were you surprised by Lisa’s response?

If you like this, try: “Thelma,” also starring June Squibb

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson (“Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,” “The Phantom Thread”) has taken a novel written 35 years ago by an author often described as “unfilmable” and turned it into a vital, provocative, and disturbingly (in a good way) of-the-moment two hour and forty minute film that seems to go by in half the time. The film is a grand epic anchored by three Oscar-winners bringing their A game. It balances action, politics, metaphor, and satire, with heightened characters who are larger than life but still feel real and a knockout, urgently percussive score from Johnny Greenwood. There is also humor, some slapstick, though not handled quite as deftly.

While much of the story is original, like Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 book, Vineland, the story is about a couple who were in a militant activist group, here called the French 75. The couple is identified by the authorities just after their child was born. The woman went into the witness protection program and the man and the baby got new identities and were relocated by French 75.

Elements of the story evoke the unrest of the 1960s, when the most extreme activists protesting the Vietnam War and racial injustice broke the law, even becoming violent. The Weather Underground’s name was inspired by the Bob Dylan line that “You don’t have to be a weather man to know which way the wind blows.”Weather Underground’s Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert served more than 20 years in maximum-security prisons for their roles in a 1981 Brink’s robbery in upstate New York, in which a guard and two police officers were killed while Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers were on the run from the authorities (partly inspiring the film “Running on Empty”).

French 75 is a Weather Underground-inspired group, but their attacks are even more militaristic and violent. Anderson’s script is very loosely based on the book and substitutes more timely issues and attitudes. While, like the group in the Pynchon book they have broadly anti-capitalist, anti-oppression views, we meet them as they are about to raid a US immigration center on the Mexican border.

The character who will be called Bob for most of the film (Leonardo DiCaprio) is in charge of explosives. Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) is one of the leaders, with a fierce, aggressive attitude and a lot of guns. The soldier in charge of the center is Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw, played by Sean Penn in an incendiary performance, one of his best in years. Just watch the way he walks, the heft of his shoulders. Perfidia confronts him in a scene charged with highly sexualized power dynamics. He is humiliated and enthralled.

French 75 operatives zip tie the hands of the military and unlock the cages filled with rows of cots with people shivering under silvery Mylar blankets, one of innumerable striking images from cinematographer Michael Bauman. The raiders lead the immigrants into a truck and take them across the border into the US.

Perfidia is passionate about the issues and perhaps even more by the excitement and adrenaline of their raids. Bob, a bit shy and nerdy, shows her how he builds the explosives and she finds it thrilling. Soon they are a couple. Meanwhile, Lockjaw is obsessed with her. When she is captured, he says he will help her if she is nice to him. That means naming names of French 75 members and it means sex.

Perfidia has a baby, but soon leaves the infant with Bob and disappears. Sixteen years later, the couple and the baby are hiding out. No one knows where Perfidia is; she ran away from witness protection. The father and daughter, now called Bob and Willa (an outstanding debut by Chase Infiniti), are living quietly in a small Colorado town.

Lockjaw, still in the army and still deeply conflicted, wants to find Willa to determine if he is her father, and if so, to eliminate her. Perfidia is Black and Lockjaw, like Bob, is white. Lockjaw is desperate to join an elite club of the ruling class, which accepts only members who are “homegrown” (white, American-born, and gentile, with no ties to anyone who is not). If Willa is his daughter, he will not be eligible for membership. He finds out where Bob and Willa are hiding and fabricates a reason to be deployed to the area, arriving with a platoon of heavily armed soldiers.

Willa is frustrated by Bob’s constant use of marijuana and alcohol and by what she sees as his paranoia and overly strict rules. She goes to a school party with friends and is captured. Bob, with the help of Willa’s martial arts teacher, known as Sensei (Benicio Del Toro), goes after her, still wearing the ratty bathrobe he was wearing as he waited for her at home, smoking weed and watching “Battle of Algiers.” He has a special gizmo that French 75 gave him to help find her 16 years earlier, but it has been a while and he has abused many substances, so he cannot quite remember the passwords he needs to get help from the underground network or find a place to charge his phone. (The humor of this situation wears thin.)

We go back and forth from the military interrogations (even the bravest crumble when their families are at risk) to exceptionally well-designed, very exciting various efforts to capture and rescue Willa and her attempted escapes. There are fascinating characters along the way, including weed-growing nuns, the “homegrown” cabal, and a Native American tracker/hitman.

There will be a lot of conversations about this film, and a lot of arguments about how to unpack it. Anderson has enough respect for the audience not to make it easy and enough pure talent to keep us enthralled enough to try to parse it. While there are some exaggeratedly blatant villains in the film, the more important characters are the conflicted Lockjaw and the ineffectual Bob. The best clue is with the title, reminding us, again, that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Parents should know that this movie includes peril and violence with characters injured and killed and graphic and disturbing images. guns, bombs, militant and military activity, guns and bombs. Characters smoke, drink, and use drugs and very strong and crude language. Characters are bigoted and use offensive terms.

Family discussion: How have things changed since the book that inspired this movie was written? Is Bob a good father?

If you like this, try: “White Noise”