NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Nov. 18. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Nov. 18, 10:25 a.m.-1:55 p.m. EST (AMC) "The Last Samurai" (2003). An embittered Civil War veteran (Tom Cruise), retained by the emperor of Japan to train a newly formed conscript army in the ways of modern warfare, finds himself torn between duty and honor when he befriends the man he has been hired to destroy, a Samurai general (Ken Watanabe) who is leading a band of renegade warriors against the imperial forces in an attempt to preserve their fading traditions and halt the encroachment of Westernization into the country. Lavishly shot with painstaking attention to historical detail, director Edward Zwick's epic 19th-century costume drama is, at its center, an intimate tale of one man's search to reclaim his soul; unfortunately, despite lofty platitudes about honor, the film's romanticized portrayal of the samurai's militaristic lifestyle results in an at times exalted view of war. Strong battlefield violence. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Monday, Nov. 19, 6-9 p.m. EST (AMC) "Cast Away" (2000). Finely crafted drama in which a harried businessman (Tom Hanks) is transformed after surviving a plane crash that leaves him stranded on an uninhabited island for four years before he makes a daring escape in hopes of returning to the woman (Helen Hunt) he loves. With Hanks' superb performance at its center, director Robert Zemeckis' film movingly probes what matters most when someone is stripped of his everyday life and possessions. A violent accident and an instance of profanity. 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.

Thursday, Nov. 22, 8-10:15 p.m. EST (TCM) "Life With Father" (1947). Fine adaptation of the Howard Lindsay-Russel Crouse play about the domineering head (William Powell) of a New York City household at the turn of the century who sees no need of baptism to be a good Episcopalian, until his wife (Irene Dunne) makes him see the light. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the droll proceedings are based on the reminiscences of Clarence Day Jr., who recalls his father's foibles as well as his own adolescent antics with nostalgic fondness and much good-natured irony. Domestic tensions and youthful hijinks. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, Nov. 24, 8-10 p.m. EST (HBO) "Tomb Raider" (2018). Murky video-game adaptation in which, seven years after the disappearance of her business tycoon-turned-archeologist father (Dominic West), an heiress (Alicia Vikander), who prefers life as a London bicycle courier to enjoying her riches, follows clues he left behind to track him to an almost uncharted island off the coast of Japan where an evil goddess lies buried, and must remain entombed for the welfare of the world. The resourceful lass gets help on her quest, and in her fight against the shadowy organization trying to locate and exploit the deity (served by Walton Goggins), from a hard-drinking Hong Kong sea captain (Daniel Wu). Director Roar Uthaug's origin story features the same main character played by Angelina Jolie in 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and 2003's "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life." Whether this familiar figure, who is presented in Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons' script as equally capable of holding her own in a kickboxing match and quoting Shakespeare off-the-cuff, represents female empowerment or sophomoric male wish fulfillment may be debatable. But the high volume of nasty mayhem along her path is not. Occult themes, much harsh violence with some gore, a few gruesome images, at least one use of profanity and a couple of milder oaths, a stifled rough term, about a half-dozen crude words. 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, Nov. 24, 8-10:30 p.m. EST (TCM) "All About Eve" (1950). Classic Broadway story in which a veteran star (Bette Davis) helps a seemingly innocent novice (Anne Baxter), then learns too late of the younger woman's duplicity in landing a role intended for the star by charming the play's author (Hugh Marlowe), its director (Gary Merrill) and the town's leading theater critic (George Sanders). Writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz keeps the proceedings churning with a steady stream of witty dialogue and pungent put-downs, but it is Davis' caustic performance as the flinty veteran actress that carries the picture to its wryly satisfying conclusion. Devious characters, sexual innuendo and marital discord. The Catholic News Service classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Saturday, Nov. 24, 9:55-11:35 p.m. EDT (Cinemax) "The Invasion" (2007). Effective, frequently exciting remake of the 1950s science-fiction classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," centers on a Washington-based psychiatrist (a tense Nicole Kidman) who, aided by her doctor boyfriend (Daniel Craig), must rescue her young son (Jackson Bond) from her ex-husband (Jeremy Northam), whose body -- like that of much of the populace -- has been taken over by alien forces. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel generates considerable suspense, and the pace rarely flags, despite some continuity flaws and a rather muddled political agenda that fails to better the "red scare" McCarthy subtext of the original. A few instances of crude words and profanity, intense action violence with some blood, killings, a vicious attack by a dog on a child, and brief female disrobing but no nudity. Probably acceptable for older adolescents. 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.