NEW YORK – Aspiring to be edgy and stylish, the espionage thriller "Atomic Blonde" (Focus), matches sometimes sadistic brawling with exploitative scenes of aberrant sex. The result is not only degraded but tedious as well.

NEW YORK – Despite its ponderous title, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (STX) turns out to be a flashy but lightweight sci-fi adventure likely to divert those grown viewers content to munch their popcorn and enjoy a break from the heat of summer.

NEW YORK – "Wars are not won by evacuations," British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously observed. As writer-director Christopher Nolan's compelling historical drama Dunkirk (Warner Bros.) demonstrates, however, fine films can be made about them.

NEW YORK – Historical kitsch applied to World War II espionage doesn't get more gloriously over the top than in "The Exception" (A24).

NEW YORK – Monkey business turns deadly serious in "War for the Planet of the Apes" (Fox), the climactic installment of the rebooted film franchise based on the work of French science-fiction author Pierre Boulle (1912-1994).

There is an old joke among Catholics that if you want to quote something from the Bible, ask a good Protestant.

WASHINGTON – Two decades since the publication of its first book, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling continues to draw countless readers into its pages, gaining ground among some faithful initially put off by the much-debated themes of magic and witchcraft.

VATICAN CITY – Two works painted by Renaissance master Raphael have been newly identified after art experts restored famous frescoes in the Apostolic Palace of Vatican City.

WASHINGTON – Since the 13th century, the Escolania de Montserrat has sung daily for pilgrims at Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia, Spain.

VATICAN CITY – What do the Sistine Chapel, a used car with 186,000 miles on the odometer and a statue of Our Lady of Lujan made out of metal from an abandoned factory have in common?