Abandon (PG-13) A much better film that those horrible trailers would lead you to believe, Abandon spends a good portion of its running time pulling the rug out from under our feet and keeping us guessing. The plot elements here are standard — a pretty grad student (Katie Holmes), a vanished ex-boyfriend who might be stalking her, and a handsome cop on the case (Benjamin Bratt) — but writer-director Stephen Gahgan continually reconfigures those elements in a variety of ways that, right up until the end, defy formula. Also stars the always wonderful Zooey Deschanel and Charlie Hunnam, who looks like a blond version of Val Kilmer playing Jim Morrison. Opens Oct. 18 at local theaters. 
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) Bad guy Robert Gant (Gregg Henry) steals a prototype of Softkill, a microscopic, robotic assassin that could change the face of professional killing. Ex-agent Sever (Lucy Liu) intercepts Softkill and soon Gant and ex-FBI agent Jeremiah Ecks (Antonio Banderas) are in pursuit to get it back. Explosions galore and some impressive fight scenes somewhat salvage the movie's weak plot. Also stars Ray Park, Talisa Soto and Miguel Sandoval.
—Ana Lopez 
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 
Below (R) The Shining on a ship, anyone? Making excellent use of a concept that sounds pretty absurd on the surface (so to speak), Below is just about as good a haunted submarine movie as you could hope to see. (It is also by no means to be confused with Ghost Ship, which has the bad fortune to open almost simultaneously with this film.) Below is a hybrid so sturdily crafted that you barely notice that the parts are stitched together, with all the claustrophobic suspense of a classic men-stuck-in-a-sub flick and all the smart, creepy intrigue of a good ghost story. Director David Twohy combines the eerie atmosphere of his debut The Arrival with the thrill-machine forward momentum of his Pitch Black, then gives the whole thing the classic pulp feel of a vintage Twilight Zone episode. And I mean that in the best possible way. Stars Bruce Greenwood, Olivia Williams and Scott Foley. Opens Oct. 18 at local theaters
Brown Sugar (PG-13) A simple romantic comedy that turns into a playful drama. Sanaa Lathan portrays Sidney, an editor for a New York City urban magazine, who's best pals with Dre (Taye Diggs), a new executive for a big record label. Sidney is a little bitter over the lack of love in her life. Dre is mired in money and contracts. They share an undying love for hip-hop. Will they become more than friends? Brown Sugar is worth watching for the same reasons as Love Jones and The Best Man. Also stars Mos Def, Queen Latifah, Ralph Tresvant, Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe. —Jenese Harris
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 Cockettes (NR) One of the biggest crowd pleasers of this year's Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival moves into Channelside for a regular run. A fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable timepiece of the late "60s and early "70s, The Cockettes is a surprisingly satisfying entertainment. The movie offers a richly detailed account of the infamous group of mostly gay San Francisco-based performers who took tons of acid, adorned themselves with glitter and outrageous gender-bending outfits (or nothing at all) and took to the stage, shoving the more flamboyant side of the counterculture firmly in the face of America. The ultra-androgynous Cockettes weren't the most talented bunch on the block, but their dubious historical/cultural impact winds up being only a small part of a story that is ultimately that of an entire era. Combining rare archival footage with contemporary interviews, the movie is finally anything but subversive. The Cockettes is simply good, classic storytelling. Opens Oct. 18 at Channelside Cinemas.
Eight Women (R) Artifice has rarely been so enjoyable as in this gloriously perverse, fabulously fake murder-mystery-cum-musical from eclectic French auteur Francois Ozon. The film's substance is negligible but its tone is seductive and its style is irresistible. Each of the eight great actresses gets a moment to shine brightly all by her lonesome (Ozon claims he wanted to make a "democratic movie"). The songs they sing kick the whole thing up a notch, alluding not just to the action but to the real life persona of the stars performing them. It's all carefully (almost absurdly) color-coded for maximum impact, and the sets, costumes and basic mise en scene will knock your eyes out. Stars Catherine Deneuve (see profile in Film), Danielle Darrieux, Isabelle Huppert, Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Beart, Firmine Richard, Ludivine Sagnier and Virginie Ledoyen. Opens Oct. 18 at Tampa Theatre.
The Emperor's Club (PG-13) Not to be confused with The Dead Poets Society or any number of other similarly titled or similarly plotted productions, The Emperor's Club is another of those well-meaning movies about a teacher who tries to make a difference. Kevin Kline plays Mr. Hundert, who engages in a battle of wills with a rebellious new student with a taste for Godard, Dylan and skin mags. The film's heart is in the right place but it is essentially, as Kline himself finally tells us, "a story without surprises." Also stars Emile Hirsch, Embeth Davidtz and Rob Morrow.
The Four Feathers (PG-13) Heart-throb thespian Heath Ledger plays a young British soldier who refuses to join the battle against "Mohammedan fanatics," during the country's Sudan Campaign of the late 19th century. He 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. 
Igby Goes Down (R) The trials and tribulations of a rebellious rich kid struggling to rise above his safe, sanitized privileged roots. Stars Kieran Culkin. Opens Oct. 18 at Channelside.
(Not Reviewed)
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (G) For what it's worth, Jonah has to be the most entertaining and unintentionally bizarre mix of religion and talking vegetables since the reign of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. The cast of cute cucumbers, tomatoes and asparagus play out a version of the Old Testament tale of the reluctant prophet who wound up in the belly of a whale, complete with a smattering of songs, pirates, kiddie-friendly antics and God-friendly message. Featuring the voices of Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki and Tim Hodge.
Just a Kiss (R) Falling into a dubious limbo somewhere between a quirky/edgy independent film and a flat-footed sitcom, Just a Kiss takes a basic Sex in the City-ish approach, where everybody's engaging in copious amounts of random and senseless acts of copulation. The monkey wrench here is Dag (Ron Eldard), a hip, successful young New Yorker who creates a snowballing mass of confusion when he makes the mistake of sleeping with his best friend's significant other. Also stars Kyra Sedgewick, Patrick Breen and Taye Diggs. Playing at Channelside Cinemas.
The Knockaround Guys (R) In yet another spin on the age-old saga of what happens when the country comes to the city (and vice versa), we get the tale of a quartet of young Brooklyn tough guys looking for a lost stash of cash in rural Montana. Despite a premise that sounds an awful lot like one of those lame gangster comedies in which De Niro so loves to slum, the movie isn't nearly as stupid as you might imagine. There's nothing too terribly ambitious or original going on here, but Knockaround Guys is a fairly respectable offering, for the most part, with some credible dramatic moments blending easily with splashes of humor. If the movie didn't dissolve into such a sea of cliches during its last act, this might actually have been something interesting. Also stars Barry Pepper, John Malkovich and Dennis Hopper.
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.
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) After the senseless slaying of his fiancee, a young man moves into the home of her parents so they can retain a connection with their daughter. A few plot developments seem extraneous and certain conclusions feel too glib, but overall, this is a moving and occasionally insightful study of how individuals learn to cope with loss and grief in their own idiosyncratic manner.
—Matt Brunson
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.
Notorious C.H.O. (NR) If you love I'm the One That I Want, odds are you'll be up for another serving with Notorious C.H.O., which is essentially more of the same, just a bit more tediously "choreographed" and shot. Playing at Tampa Theatre 9:45 p.m. Fri. and Sat., Oct. 18 and 19.
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. Also stars Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole and Dylan Smith.
Red Dragon (R) The first installment of Thomas Harris' so-called Hannibal Lecter Trilogy gets a competent but uninspired big screen treatment. 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. Also stars Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The Ring (PG-13) A Hollywood remake that for once holds up to the original (a Japanese shocker that spawned both a sequel and prequel), The Ring is a class-act creepfest. Naomi Watts confirms the star power she exhibited in Mulholland Drive, as a woman in the sway of a videotape that causes anyone who watches it to die within a week. The movie feels a little rushed and sloppy toward the end, and the nods to The Blair Witch Project and The Sixth Sense are completely unnecessary, but the bulk of what transpires in The Ring is extremely cool stuff. It has the makings of a classic modern horror film, eerily dreamlike, suspenseful and possessed of a relentless forward momentum that can be absolutely terrifying. Also stars Martin Henderson. Opens Oct. 18 at local theaters.
Rules of Attraction (R) Alternately horrible and horribly funny, this is one of those audience-polarizing films that may well be destined for some sort of cult immortality. Director Roger Avery's remarkable adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' novel is both thoroughly cinematic and utterly faithful to the book's peculiar literary qualities. The setting is a posh East Coast liberal arts school where an incestuous circle of characters spend the lions share of their waking hours thinking about sex, engaging in sex or finding ways to engage in more sex. What drives everyone and everything in Rules of Attraction is all about getting off and, most of all, wielding power. All of the movie's characters are deeply flawed and self-deluded, and most of them are out-and-out creeps, every bit as off-putting and alien as those in Ellis' books. Their relationships are without purpose and, without exception, nasty, short-lived things where everyone is either a predator or a willing victim. That Avery manages to make something interesting and frequently hilarious of all this is an amazing achievement. Stars James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon and Ian Somerhalder.
Secretary (R) A dubious dose of S&M Lite that hardly seems to warrant the raves it occasioned at Sundance. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as an ex-mental patient with a fondness for self-mutilation who lands a job with the world's weirdest lawyer and winds up in a pleasantly sadomasochistic relationship with her boss. It's all very self-consciously mannered and curiously uninteresting, especially in light of the outlandish obsessions on display, and the entire last act is just plain silly. Also stars Lesley Ann Warren.
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. 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 unrepentantly 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) 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 A lazy romantic comedy that apparently looked no further back than 1991's Doc Hollywood. Reese 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)
The Transporter (PG-13) Hong Kong-styled action pic produced by Luc Besson, revolving around an American mercenary and a kidnapping scheme. Stars Jason Starham and Tchecky Karyo.
(Not Reviewed)
Tuck Everlasting (PG-13) An early 20th century romantic-fantasy from Disney that inexplicably wraps the atmospheric mystery of The Secret Garden into a kitschy kiddie kissfest not too far afield from The Blue Lagoon. Fine-featured beauty Alexis Bledel (from The Gilmore Girls) stars as Winnie Foster, a little rich girl living a cloistered existence as stiff and restraining as the corsets she's forced to wear — but aching for something, anything, to come and change her life. When Winnie wanders into the woods and meets the mysterious, life-loving Tuck family, it seems like a heaven-made match, a connection signed and sealed when she falls for the Tuck's handsome son Jesse. The Tucks have a secret, though (as the movie's trailers will undoubtedly make all too clear), and complications inevitably ensue. Also stars William Hurt and Amy Irving.
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. 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)
White Oleander (PG-13) Compelling story about the relationship between mother and daughter. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Ingrid Magnussen, a single mother whose uncompromising nature unravels the fabric of her life as an artist and parent. In a crime of passion, she kills her boyfriend, leaving her 15-year-old daughter Astrid to grow up in a series of foster homes. Astrid embarks on a journey of self-discovery through hard knocks. The beauty of this film lies in the characters' responses to their own emotional evolution. Also stars Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Renee Zellweger and Patrick Fugit.
—Corey Myers
Zardoz (NR) It's being billed as an example of a hilariously bad movie, but the really funny thing about Zardoz, John Boorman's 1974 cult classic, is that it's not half-bad at all. Sure, Sean Connery looks more than a little preposterous zipping around in his little mutant barbarian loincloth and yes, the premise of technology and intellect versus spirituality and good old-fashioned sex appeal verges on camp. But the film is really surprisingly clever, visually sophisticated and filled with lots of strong performances and unforgettable moments. The movie has its share of ridiculous elements too, but it's smart enough to know when it's being ridiculous. Zardoz is a hoot, but it's the sort of movie you laugh with, not at. This one-time screening is introduced by Florida-based critics Scott Hamilton and Christopher Nolan, authors of Reel Shame: Bad Movies and the Hollywood Stars Who Made Them. Nolan and Hamilton will stick around after the screening to sell and autograph their book. Also stars Charlotte Rampling. Plays Oct. 17 at Tampa Theatre.
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2002.
