A.I. (PG-13) A film directed by Steven Spielberg based on a long-gestating idea by Stanley Kubrick, A.I. is an odd and intriguing hybrid of a movie, combining elements that smack of both filmmakers but not really fully in either's camp. The story tells us of a little robot boy (Haley Joel Osment) who has troubles adjusting to the human world (and vice versa. Individual moments in the movie are striking, but A.I. doesn't really hold together, and it never comes to grips with what it really is: a tragedy of epic proportions. Spielberg just can't seem to let go of the desire to make us smile through our tears, and the movie ultimately becomes awkward and repetitious as it drags on, straining to find just the right series of upbeat notes in what is essentially a rather dour, discordant piece. Also stars Frances O'Connor, Jude Law and William Hurt.
America's Sweethearts (PG-13) If anyone could prop up the all but moribund romantic comedy genre, you'd think it would be John Cusack and Julia Roberts. Not quite. America's Sweethearts, co-written by and co-starring Billy Crystal, collects an array of funny, sorta-funny and not-particularly-funny vignettes, but never quite congeals into a cohesive story. What's supposed to be a sprightly paced film comes off as lugubrious, sometimes plodding, until the final act. The laughs come in an ad hoc fashion (provided mostly by Crystal one-liners), not as the byproduct of a cohesive vision. Cusack and Catherine Zeta-Jones play the titular roles: an estranged married couple — adoringly known as Gwen and Eddie — whose teaming on hit movies is about to end with one last Sci-Fi flick. Crystal plays a lovingly conniving studio publicist who manipulates them into appearing at a press junket. Roberts is Zeta-Jones' once-frumpy assistant and sister (she's lost 60 pounds). A love triangle ensues, replete with all the requisite hijinks, pratfalls and rants, but much of it feels forced and formulaic. The film does feature a handful of smaller roles that enliven the action — especially Christopher Walken as a wacky film director and Alan Arkin as Cusack's guru/shrink (both wearing long gray hair).
—Eric Snider
The Animal (PG-13) Rob Schneider stars as Marvin Mange, a wannabe cop who develops animal urges after an experimental operation. Don't ask for details on the switch; there are none. But then again, this isn't the kind of movie where you really need scientific explanations. What you would hope for, though, is some better jokes.
—Dustin Dwyer 1.5
The Anniversary Party (NR) The Anniversary Party takes place during the course of a single night during a gathering of friends at the home of Joe and Sally Therrian (Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh), an L.A. power couple who've recently reunited after a lengthy separation. A little bit of everything happens before dawn breaks and The Anniversary Party concludes, some of it played for laughs, some of it designed to touch and provoke. The movie gathers together a wonderful, sprawling cast and then allows them to play off one another in a variety of situations that, while almost certainly pre-structured, tend to project the sort of freshness and energy usually associated with improvised scenarios. Also stars Kevin Kline, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jane Adams. Opens July 27 at Main Street Cinema. 
Atlantis (PG) Disney's latest animated feature is a Jules Verne-ish looking adventure about a group of explorers who discover a civilization beneath the sea. Michael J. Fox, who seems to enjoy this sort of thing, supplies the hero's voice.
(Not Reviewed)
Baby Boy (R) Ten years after Boyz N the Hood, director John Singleton revisits his old South Central stomping grounds with less than satisfying results. Singleton's title character is Jody (Tyrese Gibson), a likable but aimless 20-year-old arrested adolescent with no job, commitment issues, two small children by different women, who still lives at home sponging off his mama. 
Bride of the Wind (NR) See Film column.
Bridget Jones's Diary (R) An English everywoman in the limbo between youth and middle age, Bridget Jones is single (although not by choice), slightly overweight, smokes and drinks too much, doesn't get on that well with her nagging mum, and finds herself constantly falling for the wrong sort of man (like her sexy scoundrel of a boss, impeccably played by Hugh Grant), while soundly rejecting the ones who might just turn out to be Mr. Right.
Cats and Dogs (PG) More talking animals than you can shake a talking animal at. Stars Jeff Goldblum and a whole lot of digitally manipulated furballs.
(Not Reviewed)
Crazy/Beautiful (PG-13) A strong performance by Kirsten Dunst and a slightly above average script lift this project a notch or two above your typical after-school special. Romance blossoms between naughty rich white girl Dunst and a poor Hispanic classmate who's trying to better himself (Jay Fernandez). The movie's language and sexual content still might be a touch tough for younger, more sensitive viewers.
The Closet (NR) See Film column.
Cyberworld (PG) Billed as the world's first 3-D animated film, this latest Imax spectacular features some stunning images, amazing 3-D technique, and consistently lame writing. An overly quirky-cute techno-sprite called Phig is our guide through a state-of-the-art gallery of short digital animations. The shorts are pretty to look at and generally pretty vacant. The best moments here, by far, are the two non-original segments — the Guantanamara dance from Antz and a mini-episode from a recent Simpsons Halloween Special — both reconfigured to fine effect for the IMAX 3-D process. At IMAX Channelside.
Dr. Dolittle 2 (PG) Eddie Murphy reprises the role of the infamous animal love doctor, and this time he has a message. After being lured into the woods by a raccoon with Mafia connections, Dolittle hears from the Godbeaver himself that the forest is about to be destroyed. In order to save the pristine wilderness from evil loggers, Dr. Dolittle attempts to get two endangered and completely incompatible Pacific Western bears to mate.
—Dustin Dwyer
Everybody Famous (NR) A sweet-natured Belgian import that has a fine old time poking fun at the increasingly bizarre ways people jockey for their fifteen minutes in the sun, Everybody's Famous offers a little something for almost everyone. Jesse De Pauw is appealing as Jean Vereecken, a working stiff who kidnaps a Flemish pop singer in order to get a recored producer to turn his pudgy daughter into a star. Much of what happens along the way is fairly predictable stuff but it's all handled with liveliness, charm and almost no pretense of being anything other than what it is. In much the same crowd-pleasing, critic-proof way as The Full Monty, Strictly Ballroom, The Castle, the film does an admirable job walking the line between quirky and cute, never tipping too far over on either side of the line. Also stars Eva Van der Gucht and Werner De Smedt. Opens July 27 at Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm.
Evolution (PG-13) Ivan Reitman's latest comedic opus is full of plot holes, mindless sidetracks and middle-of-the-road directing, but it's funny as hell. Julianne Moore and David Duchovny, two normally serious actors, ham it up alongside the shamelessly hokey Orlando Jones (7-Up commercials) and Seann William Scott (Dude Where's My Car). The quartet teams up to battle rapidly evolving alien creatures threatening to take over the world. What else do you need?
—Dustin Dwyer
The Fast and the Furious (R) A total video game of a movie, in the best sense, and everything Driven should have been: a racing flick that's one big, unabashed rush, sprinkled with larger-than-life characters who swagger between iconic stature and campy cartoonishness. Director Rob Cohen (Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story) re-imagines L.A. as a glossy no-man's land ruled by speed-crazed street racers. Stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (PG-13) Move over Mickey, there's a new animated sheriff in town. Her name's Dr. Aki Ross, heroine of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, and she has something you will never possess — 3D breasts. Filmmaker Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy video games, took great care in crafting a world that would, were it not for a few subtle nuances, allow the audience to suspend disbelief long enough to think they're looking at flesh-and-blood characters. As fast as CG technology moves, however, it hasn't moved quite fast enough to make Final Fantasy audiences believe they're looking at anything other than cartoon characters, albeit beautifully rendered ones. The story line is an amalgamation of science-fiction movie plots we've seen ad nauseam, complete with cheesy dialogue.
—Kelli K
The Golden Bowl (PG) The main problem with The Golden Bowl, an impeccably crafted and solidly performed period piece based on a Henry James novel, is that the film lacks the sort of weight and complexity that have characterized (and redeemed) better Merchant-Ivory efforts, such as Howards End and Remains of the Day. Worse, The Golden Bowl lacks all but the smallest shred of narrative momentum or suspense. Stars Jeremy Northam, Kate Beckinsale, Uma Thurman, Nick Nolte.
Jurassic Park 3 (R) Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni and a couple of other unlucky customers crash land on the island of the you-know-whats. The least plot-and-character-oriented of the Jurassic franchise (which is pretty odd, considering that two of the screenwriters here were responsible for the smart and very witty Citizen Ruth and Election), JP3 cuts right to the chase. The dinosaurs gobble up two of the cast (one of them black, natch) within the movie's first 15 minutes and, from there, it's all basically one chase scene after another. That said, this is a much better and more exciting movie than we might have expected, with some expertly handled action sequences, almost no padding, and the best special effects of the series. Also stars Alessandro Nivola and Michael Jeter.
Kiss of the Dragon (R) A nasty little piece of work highlighted by some gloriously over-the-top action sequences, lots of blood and guts, firepower, flying fists and, of course, Jet Li. He plays a Chinese cop on the lam from an army of corrupt cops in Paris. Kiss of the Dragon is still thoroughly satisfying summer fare, at least if you're open to having your action tempered by more intense violence and borderline nihilism than you'll see this side of a vintage spaghetti western.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider (PG-13) Yet another reason why movies should not be based on video games. Angelina Jolie stars as Lara Croft, a busty, butt-kickin adventuress with a serious daddy complex. The plot here is almost invisible — something about LC facing off with a secret society called the Illuminati and some ill-defined mystical claptrap about a triangle that controls time — and the movie is essentially just an excuse to fetishize Jolie and showcase some exotic locations and annoying digital effects.
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 proceeds to strikes many blows for would-be dumb blondes everywhere. When Legally Blonde sticks to its story, it's rather engrossing. The filler bits designed strictly for laughs (and not often generating particularly big ones) slow matters down. In the end, though, the movie overcomes its flaws and cliches with positive vibes and copious cuteness.
—Eric Snider
Memento (R) A haunting film about a man who can't trust his own memory. Our hero, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), has a bizarre condition that makes it impossible for him to remember anything more recent than the night of his wife's brutal murder. Consequently, he travels from place to place searching for her killer, tattooing upon his own body the clues that he uncovers, clues that he would instantly forget if not for the fact that they were indelibly imprinted on his skin. Memento actually tells its story in reverse, but the movie isn't so much a radical experiment as it is a crime thriller in the classic film noir vein — all brooding atmosphere, paranoia and treachery. Also stars Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano.
Moulin Rouge (PG-13) Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman play a star-crossed pair, but the real star of Moulin Rouge is its sense of style: it's all staged as a musical. There's something a little too self-congratulatory and masturbatory, creating something of a dead end street, albeit possibly the most gorgeous and wildly cinematic dead end we may ever see. 
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.
Planet of the Apes (PG-13) The most massively hyped and eagerly awaited movie of the season, the remake of the beloved 1967 sci-fi classic turns out to be one of the bigger letdowns of an already disappointing summer. For starters, Tim Burton is simply the wrong director to pull off this misconceived project. Always the consummate stylist, Burton makes the apes and their Giger-esque habitats look cool (although Helena Bonham Carter and her furry female pals look way too cute for their own good and infinitely sillier than their counterparts in the original movie). The action is flatly directed; the story is dull and the movie's self-conscious attempts at humor mix uneasily with the darker tone of the rest of the material. By the last act, Apes degenerates into just another mediocre action flick (albeit one with guys in monkey makeup) — the result being a movie considerably less interesting and engrossing than the original. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth and Michael Duncan Clarke. Opens July 27 at local theaters.
Pootie Tang (PG-13) This smoldering turd has little to offer except Chris Rock and some corporate America spoofs. The main character, Pootie Tang, speaks his own incomprehensible language: Wadatah! Stuff like that. Funny? If you think so, see this movie because you'll get the same joke over and over.
—David Jasper
The Road Home (NR) A love story as simple as it is infectious, Zhang Yimou's The Road Home is something quite new for this most daring and demanding of filmmakers: a sweet, unaffected and unabashedly emotional ode to first love, last love, and all the love in between. The film begins with the death of a man's father and then unfolds as an extended flashback in which we're presented with the courtship of the grieving man's parents. Zhang films the romance with an almost Disney-esque lushness, the centerpiece in all this lushness being the face of Zhang Ziyi, the young actress now known widely to western audiences for her high-flying turn in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Here she's all dimpled, pigtailed, uncomplicated girlishness and a seemingly boundless affection for the handsome young schoolteacher with whom she's fallen instantly in puppy-love. A film of great charm and delicacy, the bulk of The Road Home simply details the gentle and thoroughly innocent courtship of Zhang's character and the young teacher. At Channelside Cinemas. Call theater to confirm.
Scary Movie 2 (R) Despite a handful of solid moments, Scary Movie 2 is considerably less fresh and less fun than the original, and even at under 90 minutes, the movie frequently drags.
The Score (R) It's worth sitting through this more or less routine heist movie just for the final 15 minutes. And, of course, to see its stellar cast — Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and Marlon Brando — in action. The plot's nothing special. De Niro plays a part-time jewel thief looking for a way out of the crime biz; Brando plays the colorful criminal mastermind pushing him to take on one final score; while Norton shows up as the brash newcomer who wants in on the action. In the hands of wimpy director Frank Oz (In and Out, What About Bob?, Indian in the Cupboard), what should have been a moody and even ominous setup winds up just seeming a touch laconic. The movie's second half extensively details the heist itself, a somewhat bloodless, high-tech operation that picks up steam as it progresses, but still isn't enough to save the movie.
Sexy Beast (R) Gal Dove (Ray Winstone), a retired professional thief, recently relocated from gray, drizzly London to the sunny south of Spain, finds his good life disrupted in a major way when an awful face from the past shows up at his door with an offer he can't refuse. The face belongs to the volatile, barely human gangster Don Logan (Ben Kingsley in a career-topping performance), a London East End equivalent to Joe Pesci's loose cannon in GoodFellas, only scarier.
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.
Songcatcher (R) Shot on location in the mountains of North Carolina, Songcatcher's unique story takes place a century ago and concerns a strong-willed female musicologist (Janet McTeer) who treks through the wilds of Appalachia collecting and recording American ballads. Along the way, our heroine finds herself embroiled in all manner of backwoods melodrama (including a little romance for herself) much of which is at least a bit too predictable or picturesque. What redeems Songcatcher is a sense of authenticity, the incredible music that fills the film and some interesting (albeit occasionally heavy handed) feminist politics. Also stars Aidan Quinn and Jane Adams.
Swordfish (R) Form blows away content in this extremely stylish, fast-paced but (although you'll hardly have a chance to notice) fairly ordinary thriller about a high-tech heist. John Travolta stars as master cyber-criminal Gabriel Shear. Hugh Jackman (Wolverine from X-Men) supplies the human interest as the hacker, and Halle Berry shows plenty of skin as an enigmatic gang member. Good fun while we're watching it, but a day or two later it's hard to remember much about Swordfish.
What's the Worst That Could Happen? (PG-13) A punch line waiting to happen. Danny DeVito is a rich target for bungling criminals Martin Lawrence and John Leguizamo.
(Not Reviewed)
—Reviewed entries by Lance Goldenberg unless otherwise noted
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2001.