Amazing Journeys (PG) IMAX films are about scale, size — from the unfathomably huge (the oceans, the cosmos themselves) to the microscopically small — and this latest IMAX production gives us a little bit to look at from both ends of the spectrum. Amazing Journeys examines the migration habits of various creatures.
American Pie 2 (R) You can see the gags coming from Ypsilianti. The characters are as thin as rice paper, the acting is either terminally bland or hopelessly over the top, and — what's more — AP2 is stingy on the T&A shots. The gang of wacky dudes is back, this time spending summer break at a beach house. Guess what? There are all sorts of sexual hijinks. For real.
—Eric Snider
America's Sweethearts (PG-13) John Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones play an estranged married couple whose teaming on hit movies is about to end with one last sci-fi flick. Also stars Julia Roberts.
—Eric Snider
Apocalypse Now Redux (R) Spectacular, deeply sensual, provocative and pretentious, the inscrutable heart of darkness in Apocalypse Now is as daunting and formidable as ever — and perhaps, just perhaps, a wee bit more understandable — in the extended, three-hour-and-16 minute edit of Coppola's legendary film, retitled Apocalypse Now Redux. This new, even longer version of the director's seminal Vietnam war opus basically restores four scenes that were cut from the original 1979 release, all of which are interesting, but none indispensable. The additional scenes include some expanded horseplay between Martin Sheen and his boatmates, another rant by Marlon Brando and a strangely lyrical but ultimately unfocused interlude with a group of apparently shell-shocked Playboy playmates. The centerpiece of Redux, and the one new scene that might possibly be considered crucial, involves an extended and curiously talky detour to a French plantation in which a virtual history lesson on Indochina is delivered. Other than that, this is still basically the same old Apocalypse you know and love and maybe hate, only a little longer. The bottom line is that the new material would have probably been better relegated to the status of bonus deleted scenes on some future special edition DVD. Also stars Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Sam Bottoms and Dennis Hopper. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm.
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (R) Romance blooms on a ridiculously beautiful Greek island during World War II when a ridiculously sensitive Italian soldier (Nicolas Cage) and a ridiculously strong-willed Greek woman (Penelope Cruz) are forced to share the same home. The movie is sometimes fun to look at, but we never for a moment believe we're watching anything other than highly paid movie stars putting on a show.
Cirque du Soleil: Journey of Man (G) Multi-media performance artists/acrobats/magicians Cirque du Soleil find their way to the big screen — the really big screen — in this visually spectacular IMAX 3-D experience. The film's astonishing imagery constitutes an authentic document of Cirque du Soleil in motion, as well as a beautifully poetic tribute to the glory of the human body; the supremely graceful synchronized swimming, trapezing and other gymnastics of these superb athletes are far closer to ballet than to any traditional circus act. The movie's big mistake lies in its attempt to tie the performances together by framing the whole thing as some sort of half-baked allegory about the stages of life (we even get a narrator, a little older in each scene, who stands around gazing at everything in open-mouthed, Spielbergian wonder). As might be expected with a movie called Journey of Man, there's a fairly high pretense factor here, almost all of which is a by-product of the boy-to-man narrator and his unintentionally dopey and completely unnecessary voice-overs. Opens Oct. 5 at IMAX Channelside.
Curse of the Jade Scorpion (PG-13) Woody Allen stars as an insurance investigator looking into a series of heists it turns out that he himself has committed while under the influence of hypnotic suggestion. That's about all there is to the film, other than the combative, bantering relationship Allen's character enjoys with an efficiency expert played by Helen Hunt. Also stars Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron and David Ogden Stiers.
The Deep End (R) Less a whodunit than a whydunit, The Deep End features Tilda Swinton as Margaret Hall, an ordinary California housewife who, in the imperceptible blink of an eye, passes from perfect, almost invisible normalcy to a state of dread when she finds herself an accomplice to what appears to be a terrible crime. The Deep End is, in any number of ways, a letter-perfect 21st Century update of classic noir, albeit one that's been transposed from the nocturnal city to the sun-dappled countryside.
Don't Say a Word (R) A slickly made but only modestly interesting thriller in which a child psychologist (Michael Douglas) races against time to meet the ransom demanded by his daughter's kidnappers. What Douglas' character needs to do is to extract information locked in the mind of a deeply traumatized patient and then convey that info to the bad guys. There's much less here than meets the eye, but there are some passable moments of suspense, and the film is skillfully crafted enough to occasionally give the thin storyline the illusion of substance. Also stars Famke Janssen, Oliver Platt, Sean Bean and Brittany Murphy.
Ghost World (R) As inexplicably entertaining as it is, Ghost World belongs to a long tradition of teenage alienation flicks, an angsty style that includes such downer-comedies as Welcome to the Dollhouse and Heathers, and maybe even MTV's Daria. Enid (Thora Birch) and her best pal Rebecca (Scarlet Johansson) are recent high school graduates who cast a cold, cynical eye on everything in their path, as they clomp through life in thrift store polyester and massive combat boots, treading a self-created fine line between geek and hipster. Curiously enough, Ghost World has an actual heart too, located in the strange yet oddly natural friendship that develops between Enid and a cranky, middle-aged record collector named Seymour (Steve Busemi in yet another memorable performance). Each of them comes to believe, at least momentarily, that they're completed by the other's assortment of personal ticks — which in Ghost World's singularly skewed universe might be something very close to love. It's hard to miss Zwigoff and Clowes' point about the powerful allure of essentially worthless pop culture (and modern life in general), but, beyond that, it all makes for one of the very best films of the year. Held over at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm.
The Glass House (PG-13) Two orphaned minors find their new guardians aren't exactly the model parents they present themselves as. Given the lurid subject matter, The Glass House might have been an enjoyably sleazy little thriller, but the movie won't own up to its numerous cliches and have fun with them, while the clumsy script has the parents seeming so ominous from such an early stage that the movie conveys very little suspense or surprise.
Glitter (PG-13) Semi-autobiographical rock video/flick stars Mariah Carey as an up-and-coming R&B performer with a hot body, a great set of pipes, and a manager/boyfriend determined to help her succeed. A ho-hum plot and mediocre acting provide little tension throughout the film, certainly not enough to justify the high-impact scene changes and frequent cinematic sweeps across the Manhattan skyline. The film doesn't go anywhere — there's too little conflict, too little characterization, too little explanation. Her mother's abandonment only bothers her sporadically, and though her man may be a bit controlling, Ike Turner he ain't. Carey's acting duties are wisely kept to a minimum, leaving her character with no emotional depth or personality, and really nothing more to recommend her than, well, a hot bod and a great set of pipes. Still, Mariah Carey fans should enjoy the movie, as it showcases their favorite diva doing what she does best, which is wear tight clothes and sing her little heart out. And, man, the babe can sing.
—Diana Peterfreund
Happy Accidents (PG-13) Straddling the line between science-fiction and reality, Happy Accidents is a bit like The Terminator played out as serious (that is, what used to be called thinking person's) romantic-drama. The movie's about complicated, wounded-in-love Ruby (Marisa Tomei), who's in love with Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio), a sweet, sensitive guy who appears to be Mr. Right — that is, until he reveals to her one fine day that he's in fact a time-traveler from the future who's journeyed back to be with her. The movie plays all of this in a loose, guileless, nearly verite fashion, so that we become quickly caught up in Ruby's story of her relationship with a loving individual who also appears to be mentally ill. At the same time, writer-director Brad Anderson cleverly, skillfully strews the narrative with just enough seeds of doubt to encourage us to wonder if there's some possibility that Sam might actually be telling the truth.
Hardball (PG-13) Keanu Reeves plays a lifelong underachiever who discovers the real meaning of life when he becomes the coach of a baseball team of underprivileged kids. Also stars Diane Lane.
(Not Reviewed)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (R) Writer-director John Cameron Mitchell's bizarre and extremely entertaining glam rock musical about a transgendered wannabe rock star is an old-fashioned musical at heart — albeit one that's been outfitted in rabbit fur, rhinestones, spandex and no less than 30 different wigs (and that's just for Hedwig alone). Based on Mitchell's popular off-Broadway production (he also stars as the sexually ambiguous title character), Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a heady dose of rock theater influenced, both musically and attitudinally, by what Hedwig calls, in typically eloquent and acid-tongued fashion, the crypto-homo rockers of yore — Lou Reed and the Velvets, a little bit of Iggy, and, most of all, oodles of Alladin Sane-era Bowie.
Hearts in Atlantis (PG-13) Based in part on a Stephen King novel, and much in the mold of Stand by Me, Hearts in Atlantis takes adorable children with loads of character and jolts their hum-drum lives with a dose of adventure — this time of a rather cosmic sort. Eleven-year-old Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) lives with his widowed mom in small-town New England in the late '50s. He's thick as thieves with Sully-John (Will Rothhaar) and Carol Gerber (Mika Boorem), his sorta-kinda girlfriend. A retired stranger, Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) moves into the upstairs apartment; he's wise but weird, and Bobby is immediately drawn to him. The film drags a bit as Bobby and Ted establish a bond; cute little comic moments don't quite give the narrative enough oomph. But then mysterious stuff starts to happen and Hearts in Atlantis finds its groove. The film trucks in quiet suspense and genuine human interaction, and is imbued with a pervasive sweetness, all of which should play well to the current national mood.
—Eric Snider
Island of the Sharks (PG) Another intriguing, typically beautiful IMAX underwater feature, this one taking us eyeball to eyeball with the denizens of the waters around the Cocos Islands off the coast of Costa Rica. Island of the Sharks is not all grim, fish-eat-fish stuff — there are also some fascinating glimpses of a symbiotic environment in which barberfish groom other, larger fish (including sharks); warm and fuzzy moments with creatures and their young; and amusing time-lapse sequences of starfish wobbling along the ocean floor like an army of underwater Charlie Chaplins. At Channelside IMAX.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (R) In which the New Jersey anti-auteur conjures up all the ghosts of his past, living and dead, and then bids adieu. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is billed as Kevin Smith's farewell to the so-called mythology he's been evolving (or, some might suggest, de-evolving) since Clerks. The movie's plot, such as it is, is simply a cross-country road trip taken by the drug-addled title characters (Smith and Jason Mewes) in order to stop a movie from being made that's based on comic book characters based on them
Jeepers Creepers (R) A Grade A guilty pleasure. Taking the long way home down an endless country road, brother and sister Trish and Darry (Gina Philips and Justin Long) find themselves being terrorized by some sort of demonic entity with a penchant for human flesh.
Joy Ride (R) A couple of college kids play a prank with a CB radio (described as a prehistoric Internet) and wind up being relentlessly pursued by a super-human psychopath in a monster truck from Hell. Joy Ride is, at root, an old fashioned spook tale cum urban legend told late at night around the campfire — much in the vein, at least on the surface, of something like I Know What You Did Last Summer. The crucial difference is that, instead of dumbing things down a la I Know What You Did, director John Dahl (The Last Seduction, Red Rock West) laces the movie with interesting character dynamics and then gives the whole thing a forward momentum that's really quite remarkable. The result is smart, tight, tense and, most of all, consistently scary. The first half of Joy Ride is the best of its kind since Duel, and there's a sustained intensity that makes itself felt throughout virtually the entire film. Stars Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski and Steve Zahn, whose amiable but intense wise-ass performance recalls a young Dennis Hopper or maybe even Jack Nicholson. Opens Oct. 5 at local theaters.
Legally Blonde (PG-13) Reese Witherspoon's sheer adorability carries Legally Blonde. She plays Elle Woods, a privileged graduate of a sunny California campus who not only possesses naturally luxuriant blond locks and copious perkiness but is whip-smart and has a heart of gold. After she's dumped by her Eastern blue-blood boyfriend, for not fitting his future politico image, she wrangles her way into Harvard law, where Plan A is to win the guy back. She strikes many blows for would-be dumb blondes everywhere.
—Eric Snider
Megiddo: Omega Code 2 (PG-13) Just in time to further rattle a moviegoing public already panicked by doomsday scenarios, director Brian Trenchard-Smith (auteur of Leprechaun in the Hood and Brittanic) offers us the chilling sequel to the apocalyptic action flick, Megiddo, what could be described as Star Trek meets Armageddon meets The 700 Club. Learn about The Bible's Book of Revelations and see has-been actor Michael Biehn kick some Satanic ass.
(Not Reviewed)
Max Keeble's Big Move (PG) Harmless kiddie fare about a plucky 7th grader's run-ins with school bullies, weirdoes, cute girls and a very evil principal (played by Larry Miller, whose normally too-abrasive persona is a welcome addition to this bland mix). Much of the movie plays like a dumbed-down Spy Kids, as our young hero concocts a series of get-even schemes on his assorted foes and then winds up in hot water for a few crucial moments. It's all utterly predictable but good-natured and fairly energetic, with the odd food fight and misbehaving monkey thrown in to perk things up. Stars Alex D. Linz, Zena Grey and Josh Peck. Opens Oct. 5 at local theaters
The Musketeer (PG-13) The latest big screen adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas classic about 17th Century Parisian swordsmen. Legendary Hong Kong choreographer Xin Xin Xiong (Once Upon a Time in China) was responsible for the fight sequences. Stars Justin Chambers, Catherine Deneuve, Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea and Tim Roth.
(Not Reviewed)
O (R) The idea of transposing Shakespeare's Othello to a contemporary American high school isn't half-bad, but, for what it's worth, Tim Blake Nelson's O makes its biggest mistake in simply taking itself too seriously.
Osmosis Jones (PG-13) The Farrelly Brothers' latest is a mostly animated rehash of that old Fantastic Voyage territory in which the majority of the action takes place inside a guy's body — only this time the good guys are the germs. Unfortunately, Osmosis Jones is surprisingly bland stuff from the notorious Farrellys, a watered-down bid for the hearts of the Disney crowd that feels unconvincing and ultimately insincere.
The Others (PG-13) A good old fashioned spook story, creepy and quietly menacing in an elegant, understated way that hardly ever finds its way into horror movies any more. Nicole Kidman stars as a high-strung widow with two small, sunlight-allergic children, and, possibly, a ghost or two hanging about the house. All the right elements are here — weeping and wailing from invisible entities in the night, inanimate objects that take on ominous life, creepy children, withered crones with weird eyes, inscrutable servants with terrible secrets.
Pearl Harbor (PG-13) Almost everything about Michael Bay's movie is epic. Balancing human drama and unabashedly cornball romance with balls-to-the-wall action — and told in big, stirring, simple (occasionally simplistic) strokes — Pearl Harbor is nothing if not a clear attempt to out-Titanic Titanic.
The Princess Diaries (PG) The unlikely premise here concerns an average American teen, Mia (Anne Hathaway), who discovers her late father was actually the crown prince of a small European country, and she's now the sole heir to the throne.
Rat Race (PG) One long madcap chase that basically looks to be an uncredited remake of Stanley Kramer's 1963 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (or maybe even, gulp, Cannonball Run). As much as it's about anything, Rat Race is about a wacky ensemble of mismatched characters frantically racing against time and against each other to get their hands on a huge stash of cash. Rat Race isn't exactly a good movie, but it is surprisingly funny, in fits and starts, if you're able to just take it for what it is and turn off pretty much all portions of your brain but the reptilian core.
Rock Star (R) Bland, trite and gutless garbage that trots out every conceivable cliche about rock music and still can't even manage to make itself lurid enough to come off as remotely interesting. Mark Wahlberg stars as a faceless schlub (typecasting?) who lands a gig as the lead singer in a famous heavy metal band.
Rush Hour 2 (PG-13) Pretty much everything that happens in this Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker rematch is according to formula, but it's a workable and, for the most part, highly enjoyable formula. Chan and Tucker's characters travel from Hong Kong to L.A. to Las Vegas trying to break up a big counterfeiting ring. The movie's a modest success, but, in a dreary summer like this one, sure to rank as one of the highlights (and box office champs) of the season.
Serendipity (PG-13) Another sticky-sweet and thoroughly uncomplicated romantic comedy about fate and true love, in which the main characters spend the entire movie trying to find each other. The movie is basically harmless but overly long, and its allusions to destiny and mystical connections are just short of pretentious. It's probably worth mentioning that Serendipity is set in a pre-September 11th Manhattan that's never looked more smashing (and unrealistic), but word is that the periodic glam shots of the late, great World Trade Towers are being digitally removed. A wise decision considering how those images have taken on an emotional and symbolic weight far different than what the filmmakers obviously intended, and have made the movie seem even emptier than it actually is. Stars Jon Cusack and the chick from Pearl Harbor. Opens Oct. 5 at local theaters.
Shrek (PG) Dreamworks' animated fantasy is a deliciously irreverent bit of make-believe. Mike Myers, who supplies the voice (and personality) for the titular lime-green ogre, is great, as is all the voice talent here. The 3-D-like digital animation is also a treat, but the real star here, for once, is the writing.
Summer Catch (PG-13) Freddie Prinze Jr. plays a hotheaded blue-collar kid whose dreams of playing major league ball are complicated by his dysfunctional family and his growing involvement with a wealthy society girl (Jessica Biel). The movie is unremittingly hokey and filled with all manner of uplifting cliches, but it's up front about it all, which makes the film, at least in brief bursts, a weirdly appealing sort of experience.
Training Day (R) Rookie narc Ethan Hawke gets in way over his head during his first day on the job, when his partner/mentor (Denzel Washington) turns out to be the worst role-model cop since Harvey Keitel's character in Bad Lieutenant. Washington spends virtually the entire movie indulging in all manner of corrupt, sadistic and immoral behavior, and yet the movie is so essentially clueless it can't resist intermittently making him into some sort of hero in a way that appeals strictly to the audience's basest instincts. There's no real message here, just a visceral but patently superficial rendering of a system that's corrupt through and through. Training Day is grimy, confused, ugly and depressing stuff. Just what the world needs now. Also stars Scott Glenn. Opens Oct. 5 at local theaters.
Two Can Play That Game (R) Cat and mouse shenanigans abound in this romantic comedy featuring an African American cast. Stars Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut.
(Not Reviewed)
Zoolander (PG-13) Consistently funny, spot-on spoof of the fashion industry and all its pretty vacant pop culture tentacles. Starring Ben Stiller as the world's most clueless male model. It's doubtful the movie will prove as franchise-fertile as something like Austin Powers, but, frankly, Zoolander is just about as enjoyable and almost as silly. Owen Wilson and SNL's Will Ferrell get in some good licks as well, and the numerous cameos — from Jon Voight to David Bowie to Billy Zane to Stiller's mom and dad — are well chosen and a total hoot. The last half hour of Zoolander falters a bit by trying a little too hard to create a semblance of plot and backstory for its characters, but the bulk of it is great fun. Also stars Christine Taylor.
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted.
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2001.