According to nearly everyone in Remarkably Bright Creatures , octopuses are extraordinary beings. They’re shockingly clever, capable of manipulating tools, and nimble, able to slip in and out of the tiniest cracks. They can be patient and observant and possibly even funny, squirting at the occasional human just to get a rise out of them.

So it seems a bit of a bummer, frankly, that Marcellus ( Alfred Molina ), the cephalopod narrating Netflix ‘s adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s much-loved novel, is not given much more to do than fuss over the inner lives of two humans.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

The Bottom Line A poor octopus movie but a charming human one.

Release date: Friday, May 8 (Netflix)

Cast: Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Colm Meaney, Alfred Molina

Director: Olivia Newman

Screenwriters: Olivia Newman and John Whittington, based on the novel by Shelby Van Pelt

Rated PG-13, 1 hour 51 minutes

But I suppose it’s hard to blame him when the…