Short reviews of movies playing throughout the Tampa Bay area
24 Hour Party People (NR) One of the better rock "n' roll movies of the last few decades, and certainly the definitive film about the Manchester music scene of the punk and post-punk era (actually, it's the only one). 24 Hour Party People is a sly, self-mocking ball of pomo energy that should be as much fun and as interesting for the uninitiated as it is for diehards who know everything there is to know about bands like the Buzzcocks and New Order. Mixing archival footage of seminal bands from the "70s and "80s with expertly shot "fake" scenes, the film depicts the rise and fall of a scene that bloomed with the likes of the great Joy Division and then exploded into the empty, self-destructive excess of Happy Mondays and their ilk. Our guide into the fray is real life rock impresario and journalist Tony Wilson (wonderfully played by Steve Coogan) a bastion of droll wit who rightfully tells us, "I'm a minor character in my own story." It's true, in that this isn't a movie about any one character, but rather about a city and the music that it spawned. Director Michael Winterbottom offers proof positive that, from Welcome to Sarajevo to Wonderland to The Claim, this is a man who has never made the same film twice. Also stars Andy Serkis, Shirley Henderson and Sean Harris as a monumentally tortured Ian Curtis. At Channelside. Call theater to confirm.
Austin Powers in Goldmember (PG-13) The least fabulous of all the Powers entries to date but still good, disposable fun. Goldmember is really just a loosely connected series of gags, routines and set pieces (not that the other two movies weren't) with much of the humor coming off as more raunchy and obsessively screwier than ever. Stars Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael York and Seth Green. 
Australia: Land Beyond Time (PG) The film takes us Down Under to the flattest, driest continent on earth, immerses us in parched, otherworldly landscapes and introduces us to tons of incredibly odd and supremely adaptable animals — from cute koalas and feisty dingoes, to an endless variety of bizarrely shaped lizards, to the amazing and little-understood kangaroo. Animal lovers will want to pounce on this one. 
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (R) What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu square off as secret agents supremo. Also stars Ray Park.
(Not Reviewed)
The Banger Sisters (R) Susan Sarandon and Goldie Hawn star in this comedy/drama about two former rock groupies and best friends who reunite after 20 years. One has remained a wild woman; the other has turned conservative. Also stars Geoffrey Rush.
(Not reviewed)
Barbershop (PG-13) Ice Cube stars in this mediocre yarn about barbershop camaraderie. Cube (Calvin) is bequeathed the shop by his late father. His desperation leads to dubious means to pay past-due rent. Calvin's employees provide the bulk of amusement with their conflicting personalities. Also stars Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Sean Patrick Thomas and Michael Ealy.
—Corey Myers
Blue Crush (PG-13) For all its faults, this is one surf movie that takes its cue more from Bruce Brown's Endless Summer than from Baywatch. Offering a glimpse into the lives of a group of young female surfers in Oahu, Blue Crush is a fairly interesting movie when it's just following its characters around. When the film attempts to tell us a story — something about finding love, regaining your confidence and becoming the best darned surfer in the word — it's predictable, shallow and not very good. Stars Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, Matthew Davis and Sanoe Lake.
The Bourne Identity (PG-13) Matt Damon plays an amnesiac who also just happens to be a world-class fighter, linguist, escape artist — in fact, he pretty much possesses all the skills of a top-notch spy/sleuth/assassin. Complicating matters is the fact that, even as he tries to reclaim his memory, Damon's being hunted by the ultimate bad guys who appear to be his old bosses — our old pals, the CIA. The Bourne Identity is basically an action movie, but it's an overly murky one that lacks a real sense of urgency or purpose.
Carnival Knowledge (NR) Aspiring filmmakers might take a lesson or two from this self-described "unromantic comedy" from the local writer-director team of Peter Knight and Morgan Klein. Carnival Knowledge is an admirable and, for the most part, effective little film with a number of virtues that belie its less than spectacular budget. The film's somewhat rambling tale of a free-spirited woman (Colleen Porch) balancing simultaneous relationships with two very different types of males owes more than a little to the feature debut of another indie filmmaker you may have heard of — Spike Lee — but that's only a starting point here. Strong performances and some well-written dialogue put an interesting and believable spin on this three-sided affair, and the characters generally come off as appealing even when their behavior is not. Entirely shot on location in the Bay area, the film makes good use of Tampa's natural resources, and production values are surprisingly high. The movie suffers from some of the pitfalls typical of low-budget productions (a generic soundtrack, inconsistent audio) and it has its share of ham-fisted scenes (the last act verges on soap opera), but on the whole, the film satisfies. The title refers to the protagonist's carny roots, a history that provides a steady stream of flashbacks that, while interesting in themselves, wind up feeling contrived and intrusive in the context of the story being told here. Based on the promise of Carnival Knowledge, maybe Knight and Klein might consider giving us a story next time that concentrates exclusively on the carnival subculture, something they seem to know a thing or two about. Also stars David Gail and Bradley Cooper. Held over at Channelside Cinemas in Tampa. Call theater to confirm.
City by the Sea (PG-13) Coincidences and emotional baggage are piled on to predictably numbing effect in City by the Sea, director Michael Caton-Jones workmanlike tale of crime, urban decay and familial dysfunction. Robert De Niro stars as a Manhattan cop who moved away from the now deteriorating community of Long Beach when his marriage went bad. Now, many years later, De Niro's character is investigating a murder in which it just so happens the primary suspect is none other than his estranged, junkie son (James Franco). Also stars Eliza Dushku. 
The Country Bears (G) A bear cub raised by humans sets out to discover his roots and winds up hanging with an all-bear band in Nashville. Stars Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Walken and Charles S. Dutton.
(Not Reviewed)
feardot.com (R) A series of murder victims are linked by a Web site they've all visited. Stars Stephen Dorf, Udo Kier and Stephen Rea.
(Not Reviewed)
The Four Feathers (PG-13) AEW Mason's tale of courage under fire during Britain's Sudan Campaign of the late 19th Century has been brought to the big screen eight times and counting. This latest version is far from being the worst of the Feathers, but it's not the best of the batch either (the 1939 version still holds that honor). Heartthrob thespian Heath Ledger plays a young British soldier who refuses to join the battle against "Mohammedan fanatics," and then travels to the Sudan incognito to prove to his former friends that he's not a coward. As in director Shekhar Kapur's previous Hollywood outing, Elizabeth, the movie is beautifully appointed, but it all feels a bit unfocused, and the final third of the film seems to unravel into a series of loosely connected sequences. Also stars Wes Bentley, Kate Hudson and Djimon Hounsou.
The Good Girl (PG-13) Outside of some clever comic dialogue and a handful of amusing bit characters, this is a more or less lackluster film about lackluster lives. Lackluster existence numero uno belongs to the aptly named Justine Last (Jennifer Aniston, de-glammed and limp-haired), a frustrated young Texan leading a life of quiet desperation from behind the checkout counter of the Retail Rodeo. Just turned 30, unhappily married and childless, Justine strikes up a friendship with a 22-year-old loner (Jake Gyllenhaal). Friendship soon crosses the line into romance, or at least sex, and from there into obsession, paving the way for Justine to begin realizing there's no way she's ever going to be happy without first removing a few people permanently from her life. Also stars John C. Reilly and Tim Black Nelson.
Lilo and Stitch (PG) Another hit from the Disney team, although not quite out of the ballpark. Lilo and Stitch is basically a brightened-up, kid-friendly reinvention of the Frankenstein story, in which a manmade monster (or, in this case, alien-created critter) comes to grips with his own, um, uniqueness and, in the process, finds something not unlike a soul.
Like Mike (PG) Hip-hop mini-icon Lil' Bow Wow makes his, um, acting debut as a tiny teen who dons a pair of magical sneakers to become a great NBA star. Also stars old-timer Morris Chestnut and Jonathan Lipnicki.
(Not Reviewed)
Martin Lawrence Live After traipsing around as a medieval knight and in a fatsuit in some forgettable recent films, Lawrence returns to what he allegedly does best: standup. The material is raunchy and offensive and perhaps even shocking. What else would you expect? Reviews have been generally unkind.
(Not Reviewed)
The Master of Disguise (PG) Dana Carvey gets a chance to showcase his considerable skills at mimicry as a multi-morphing sleuth battling a brilliant criminal mastermind. Expect lots of special effects and big, fat, physical comedy. Also stars Brent Spinner and Jennifer Esposito.
(Not Reviewed)
Men in Black II (PG-13) Although it might just have well been titled Men in Black I, Slight Return, this briskly paced 80-some minute romp offers considerable fun, particularly for the undiscriminating summer viewer.
Minority Report (PG-13) The best movie of the summer, and one of the best movies of recent years, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi noir boasts a fascinating premise beautifully expanded into a provocative and consistently gripping feature-length film. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report takes place in a not-so-distant future where crimes are predicted and criminals arrested before they actually commit their offense. Tom Cruise plays the top cop who becomes the glitch in a perfect system when he finds himself falsely accused and on the run. Although there's plenty of action, Minority Report is anything but an action movie; it's a smart, tough and tantalizing remapping of the familiar territory known as the crime thriller. Also stars Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow. 
Moonlight Mile (PG-13) Is it In the Bedroom redone as a romantic comedy of sorts? Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon star as a couple who takes in their daughter's fiance when she dies. Also stars Jake Gyllenhaal.
(Not Reviewed)
Mostly Martha (PG) A German romantic comedy about a headstrong chef who takes charge of her equally stubborn 8-year-old niece. Tensions mount, then an Italian sous-chef arrives to lighten things up.
(Not Reviewed)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (PG) Nia Vardalos stars in this sweet-natured, sporadically amusing adaptation of her one-woman show about a plain Greek-American woman who transforms herself into a babe and hooks up with her Prince Charming — who, much to the chagrin of her loud and proud Greek family, turns out to be as WASP-y as they come. In all, Greek Wedding probably worked better on stage than on the big screen. Also stars John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Lainie Kazan and Andrea Martin.
One Hour Photo (R) A cool, crisply elegant horror story told in flashback, there's a cloud of uneasiness that hangs over this entire movie as we wait for the film's nondescript protagonist to do the unspeakably awful thing we know he'll eventually do. Robin Williams plays Sy Parish, a mousy little man whose very ordinariness is a cover for the demons lurking within. A man with no real life of his own, Sy is secretly obsessed with one of the families for whom he processes pictures at his job a Wal-Mart-type chain. Williams is understated, self-effacing and generally excellent throughout — all hard-set features and awkward, uptight body language — and his dull, middle-aged character becomes both ominous and pitiable. Also stars Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole and Dylan Smith.
Possession (PG-13) Two stuffy academics begin an affair while researching the lives of a pair of long dead poets who also had a secret relationship. By most accounts, director Neil LaButte in a softer, gentler mood. Stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart and Jeremy Northam.
(Not Reviewed)
Red Dragon (R) The first installment of Thomas Harris' so-called Hannibal Lecter Trilogy gets a competent but uninspired big screen treatment at the hands of Brett Ratner, a director best known for balancing action and physical comedy in the Rush Hour movies. Red Dragon is best appreciated without firsthand knowledge of Harris' book or Michael Mann's earlier movie adaptation Manhunter, both of which are superior versions, but the film does at least look pretty good in comparison to the recent comic book idiocies of Hannibal. Edward Norton is a touch too understated as Will Graham, a retired FBI agent who's persuaded to enlist Lecter's help in catching a serial killer dubbed the Tooth Fairy (Ralph Fiennes, who steals the show here in a performance that's both creepy and moving). Ratner's done his homework and has the basic building blocks of the original Silence of the Lambs down cold, albeit without much of the nuances or psychology. There are no glaring missteps here, but neither is there much to get excited about. Also stars Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Opens Oct. 4 at local theaters.
Reign of Fire (PG-13) A ragtag band of humans square off against a deadly species of fire-breathing dragons in the decimated future of 2020. Director Rob Bowman's movie looks good, if you go in for tons of grubby, post-apocalyptic atmosphere, but the plot arc here is just short of by-the-numbers, the action scenes are far too murky to generate much excitement, and the characters are uniformly underwritten or annoying. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale and Izabella Scorupco.
Road to Perdition (R) Director Sam Mendes follows up American Beauty with a densely textured but occasionally magnificent gangland epic. Tom Hanks stars in an uncharacteristically ambiguous role as a paid killer who doesn't like what he does, but does it anyway. Targeted by his former boss and a couple of mad dog killers, Hanks and his young son take to the road seeking revenge and survival, and finding (this is a Hollywood movie, after all) redemption.
Serving Sara (PG-13) Ex-Lawyer turned process server Joe (Matthew Perry) is assigned to serve divorce papers to Sara (Elizabeth Hurley). Joe's early attempts are stymied by an unscrupulous and oafish co-worker played by Vincent Pastore of Sopranos' fame. Their vacuous efforts to thwart each other's strategy and serve Sara fail to deliver laughs. What transpires is a cross-country pursuit to salvage Sara's fortune. Could be slightly entertaining for a rainy day. Also stars Bruce Campbell and Cedric the Entertainer.
—Corey Myers 
Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (PG) An engaging mix of history, drama, fascinating archival footage and breathtaking, state-of-the-art photography, Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure tells the incredible true tale of an epic battle for survival in the wake of a failed expedition to cross Antarctica in 1914. Playing at IMAX Dome Theater at MOSI. Call theater to confirm.
Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box (PG) As magnificently overblown a piece of Uber Kitsch as you could ever want to find, Siggy and Roy's 3-D movie is a big, gaudy, guilty pleasure for the whole family. Stars Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn. Playing at Channelside IMAX.
Signs (PG-13) The least convoluted but, in some ways, the least compelling movie yet from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable). Mel Gibson stars as a faith-challenged former clergyman who spends most of the movie sweating bullets and waiting, along with the rest of the world, for a devastating attack from hostile extraterrestrials. The movie is all mood — ominous, still and full of apocalyptic mystery. Nothing much happens, but it's good, uncomplicated pulp entertainment, with a vaguely spiritual underpinning that rises to the surface in the last act. Also stars Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones and Rory Culkin.
Space Station (PG) New IMAX featurette documenting a pair of voyages to the international space station floating high above planet Earth. The multinational crews include a mix of American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. At IMAX Dome Theater.
(Not Reviewed)
Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (PG) Like its predecessor, Spy Kids 2 is an unapologetically silly little romp that's so full of energy and sincerity it's almost impossible to dislike. It's not a great movie, but it's a pretty darned good kids' movie because it does what it does very well and, most important of all, it almost never condescends to its audience. Stars Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Steve Buscemi, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara.
Stealing Harvard (PG-13) Combine love and cross-dressing with a couple of armed robberies. Another action-packed blockbuster? Not exactly. Despite humor that's way too obvious and a quite a bit of overkill, Stealing Harvard is still funny enough to keep you watching. Good guy John (Jason Lee) and his lifelong best friend Duff (Tom Green) are on a mission for cash. John and his fiancee, Elaine (Leslie Mann), have set aside $30,000 for a house; meanwhile, his niece needs $29,000 to pay for her first year at Harvard. The answer: theft. Duff becomes John's partner in crime, and more than a few problems get in their way. Also stars Dennis Farina and Megan Mullally.
—Jenese Harris
Stuart Little 2 (G) Teeny tiny tykes will eat up this barely 75-minute sequel to Stuart Little, but most grown-ups will either be bored out of their skulls or find their teeth tingling from all the sugar-coated sap. Despite the expensive-looking production values and state-of-the-art CGI effects, Stuart Little has the bland, throwaway feel of a direct-to-video sequel.
Sweet Home Alabama (PG-13) A lazy romantic comedy that apparently looked no further back than 1991's Doc Hollywood for its inspiration, Sweet Home Alabama finds Reese Witherspoon basically treading Legally Blonde terrain in a picture that relies on the usual narrative props found in seemingly every other comedy these days. Witherspoon plays Melanie Carmichael, a rising New York fashion designer who's just accepted a marriage proposal from the son (smarmy Patrick Dempsey) of the city's mayor (Candice Bergen). First, though, she has to go back to her Alabama hometown and get her first husband (Josh Lucas) to sign the divorce papers, something he's been reluctant to do.
—Matt Brunson 
Swimfan (PG-13) Jesse Bradford and Erika Christensen star in this thriller about a high school swimming star who has a one-night stand leading to tangled and dangerous consequences.
(Not Reviewed)
Trapped (R) Kevin Bacon and Courtney Love are professional low-lifes who extort money from wealthy parents by kidnapping their children. The subject matter's just sensitive and timely enough that the movie will probably become a minor fluke hit for a few weeks and then disappear completely from theaters. Also stars Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend.
The Tuxedo (PG-13) The Tuxedo has the "distinction" of being Jackie Chan's slickest movie ever and also his least memorable. This sporadically appealing but basically mediocre spy spoof stars Chan as an ordinary guy who dons a government-manufactured tux and transforms into a super-powered but anything-but-suave secret agent. Jennifer Love Hewitt is game as Chan's cranky sidekick, but virtually everything else about the movie is off target. The script is weak, the villains are utterly lacking in charisma, and, even with a healthy digital assist, the action sequences are by far the least exciting stuff Chan's ever done. The movie looks pretty good but has virtually nothing by way of a personality. Also stars Jason Isaacs and Debi Mazar.
Undisputed (R) Wesley Snipes stars as a professional heavyweight boxer who's falsely accused of a crime and winds up in jail, where he goes up against the prison boxing champ. Also stars Ving Rhames.
(Not Reviewed)
XXX (R) A movie so relentlessly forward propelled that we hardly even have a chance to catch our breath and realize how utterly idiotic it all is. Vin Diesel plays Xander Cage, X for short, a bald, tattooed slab of flesh given to looking straight into the camera and screaming lines like, "I live for this shit!" Enter Samuel L. Jackson in a wig and with latex scar tissue over half his face, as an NSA agent looking for fresh blood to combat a group of international bad guys. X is recruited, infiltrates the bad guys' group, and spends the rest of movie striding around in a ratty sheepskin coat, pulling off outrageous stunts and shouting glib catch phrases while clobbering baddies and saving the world. Also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Asia Argento and Michael Roof.
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted
This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2002.