NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of April 15. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, April 15, 8-10 p.m. EDT (TCM) "The Smallest Show on Earth" (1957). Engaging British comedy in which a young couple (Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna) inherit a decrepit movie theater known to locals as "the fleapit," then join longtime employees (Margaret Rutherford, Peter Sellers and Bernard Miles) in trying to put it back on its feet. Director Basil Dearden smooths over the contrived plot with some very funny character bits, a nostalgia for old movies and the quirky ways of the exhibition business. Mild sexual references. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Thursday, April 19, 8-10:15 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Great Expectations" (1946). Classic British production of Charles Dickens' novel in which a poor orphaned lad helps an escaped convict (Finlay Currie), then is enthralled by the ward (Jean Simmons) of a rich recluse (Martita Hunt) until brought to London and turned into a gentleman (John Mills) by a lawyer (Francis L. Sullivan) acting for a mysterious benefactor whose identity has profound consequences. Directed by David Lean, the adaptation re-creates the period story admirably, abetted by Guy Green's evocative camerawork and the memorable performances of a fine cast in bringing the Dickens characters to life. Menacing situations. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, April 21, 9:30-11:30 a.m. EDT (Showtime) "Life is Beautiful" (1998). Bittersweet comic fable in which an Italian Jewish bookseller (Roberto Benigni) uses his imagination to convince his little son that their grim existence in a Nazi concentration camp is just an elaborate contest and that they are sure to win the grand prize. Also co-written and directed by Benigni, the story starts off as a slapstick comedy with the young man courting his future wife, then midway becomes a touchingly human story of a parent's irrepressible determination to protect his child from terror and misery. Theme of genocide. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, April 21, 8-10:20 p.m. EDT (HBO) "War for the Planet of the Apes" (2017). Monkey business turns deadly serious in this climactic installment of the rebooted franchise based on the work of French science-fiction author Pierre Boulle (1912-1994) and directed by Matt Reeves. An epic battle is under way between the super-sentient simians and what's left of the human race after a devastating epidemic. When the erudite ape leader (Andy Serkis) suffers a personal tragedy, he puts aside his peace-loving ways to seek revenge on the leader (Woody Harrelson) of the human army. Accompanying him on his journey are a trusted orangutan adviser (Karin Konoval), a mute human girl (Amiah Miller) and a clownish ape (Steve Zahn). The film's spiritual messages are mixed; while the apes espouse Christian values of peace, love and family, there's an anti-Christian theme embodied by the evil human leader who wears a cross around his neck, displays one in his quarters and gleefully announces that he is waging a "holy war." Frequent stylized violence, two uses of profanity, and a subtle anti-Christian message. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, April 21, 10:25 p.m.-12:20 a.m. EDT (Cinemax) "The Mummy" (2017). Clumsy horror flick charts the dire consequences that follow when a shady soldier (Tom Cruise) and an archaeologist (Annabelle Wallis) unwittingly revive an evil Egyptian princess (Sofia Boutella) who was put to death for her crimes in the days of the pharaohs. Pagan mumbo-jumbo aside, there's not much to bother grown viewers in director Alex Kurtzman's film, which has a sketchy but respectable good-vs.-evil theme. Yet, as the eventual injection of Robert Louis Stevenson's character Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe) into the plot suggests, there's a growing note of desperation in the unwieldy proceedings as the scene shifts across centuries and continents, but the script fails to gain traction. Occult and nonscriptural religious ideas, much harsh violence with fleeting gore, numerous gruesome images, partial nudity, some sensuality, occasional sexual references and humor, a couple of mild oaths and crude words, several crass terms. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.