Reel Critics: Some summer movies are a gift

This weekend had something for everybody at the movies — and most of the films are fantastic.

“The Gift” is a sly thriller written and directed by the talented Joel Edgerton.

Simon and Robyn (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall, both excellent) have recently moved to L.A. from Chicago when they run into Gordon, who went to high school with Simon. The next day, Gordon starts dropping by their home and leaving small gifts.

Robyn is uncomfortable but doesn’t want to seem rude. Simon remembers the guy as “Gordo the Weirdo” and thinks he’s stalking his wife.

“The Gift” has the usual creepy events: odd noises, a pet gone missing, broken windows. But Edgerton, who plays Gordon, has thrown in some surprises that blur the lines between stalker and victim.

It is a good psychological shocker that ranks right up there with “Gone Girl” for creepy thrills.

*

‘Shaun’ is imaginative entertainment

“Shaun the Sheep” is a delightful creation from Aardman Films, the master of such hand-crafted gems as”Wallace and Gromit” and “Chicken Run.”

Aside from the wonderfully creative clay creatures, filmed in stop motion, “Shaun” is also a silent movie. Characters are given only to little grunts and wry expressions both clever and laugh-out-loud funny.

Shaun lives a life of contentment on Mossy Bottom Farm with other creatures owned by Farmer, who loves his daily routine. When Shaun and the other sheep yearn for a day off, their carefully laid plans for relaxation go awry, and Farmer ends up in a big city hospital with amnesia.

With its themes of family devotion and kindness to animals, as well as imaginative plot, “Shaun” is wild and woolly entertainment for all ages.

*

Far cry from ‘Fantastic’

Alas, if only the same could be said for “Fantastic Four.” This latest in the Marvel collection of superheroes boasts state-of-the-art effects and terrific actors such as Miles Teller (“Whiplash”) and Michael B. Jordan (“Fruitvale Station”), but it’s a real disappointment.

I can sum it up for you in four seconds and spare you two hours of tedium: I nodded off in the middle of the movie in the middle of the day.

The good guys float off in a giant hamster ball in the sky just in time to save the world, yet too late to save the movie. Save your money.

*

Family drama done right

There’s no falling asleep when Meryl Streep rocks out in “Ricki and the Flash.” Playing the leader of a bar band in the San Fernando Valley, Streep again amazes with her singing and acting.

Ricki gets a call from ex-husband Pete (Kevin Kline) to tell her their daughter Julie is despondent after the breakup of her own marriage.

Ricki (née Linda) makes the trip to Pete’s suburban Indiana paradise to a hateful reception by her daughter. It seems that mom left Pete and their three kids years ago to pursue her dream of being a musician, and the scars run deep.

Director Jonathan Demme and writer Diablo Cody give us standard clichés of old family wounds miraculously healed but do so in a quirky way that is never cloying. The performances feel genuine, especially those of Streep’s real-life daughter Mamie Gummer (as Julie) and 80s heartthrob Rick Springfield as Ricky’s band mate and lover.

Yes, the ending may be predictable, but hey it’s Meryl Streep on a Fender guitar. I know, it’s only rock ‘n’ roll, but I like it.

—Susanne Perez

SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a company in Irvine. JOHN DEPKO has the week off.