Wednesday, January 23, 2002
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Wednesday, January 23, 2002 |
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Movies By MICHAEL BOYLAN Opening Friday A Walk to Remember Mandy Moore stars as a social outcast at school who befriends and falls in love with a bully. This is based on Nicholas Spark's bestselling novel and is a tear-jerker. Rated PG. The Count of Monte Cristo Jim Cazaviel and Guy Pearce star in this film based on Alexandre Dumas' novel. It is a story about betrayal and revenge. I loved the book and the movie could be very good as well. Rated PG-13. I Am Sam Sean Penn plays a mentally handicapped man fighting for the custody of his 7-year-old daughter. Michelle Pfeiffer plays his attorney. This is getting mixed reviews, though everyone agrees Penn's performance is astounding. Rated PG-13. Kung Pow: Enter The Fist The release date got pushed back from last week to this week. The film features a blend of new footage with old kung fu film footage. This looks, silly, zany, kooky and hilarious. That is, if you like movies like Naked Gun and Ace Ventura. Rated PG-13. The Mothman Prophecies Richard Gere stars in this thriller based on true events. Gere plays an investigator looking into psychic visions and sightings of winged creatures. This is supposed to be scary. Rated PG-13. Now Playing A Beautiful Mind The Oscar buzz has started and this film is in the center of it all. Russell Crowe, last year's Best Actor, could win his second straight with his portrayal of the brilliant but troubled John Forbes Nash Jr. Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris also star in this film directed by Ron Howard. Rated PG-13. Ali Will Smith plays Muhammad Ali in this film directed by Michael Mann. Jon Voight and Jamie Foxx also star in the film. This film is getting mixed reviews. Some love it and say it is one of the year's best, while others say it is long and kind of boring. Rated R. Behind Enemy Lines Owen Wilson, growing more visible and popular by the day, stars in this film about a pilot who is shot down over some eastern European nation. Wilson has been in some great movies of late (Meet the Parents, Shanghai Noon) and could use this film to vault him to more leading roles. Gene Hackman stars as the captain who breaks protocol to go rescue Wilson. A nice, patriotic film for the family. Rated PG-13. Black Hawk Down Ridley Scott's film about U.S. troops caught in Somalia in an attempt to take out a warlord. This is based on a true story. Ewan McGregor and Josh Hartnett star in this film, which garnered several critic's awards and could be an Oscar contender. Rated R. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone This was excellent. As a fan of the books, I was very happy that the film stayed true to the tone and story. The characters looked great and I had Alan Rickman cast as Snape in my head a long time ago. This is fun for the whole family, though it is a little too long for really young kids. Rated PG. How High Two stoners, played by Method Man and Redman, get into Harvard University and cause hilarious mayhem. This movie starts off slow but gets better along the way. Method Man and Redman have good chemistry together but some of the film just isn't that funny. Rated R. Impostor Gary Sinise plays a man who is being framed as a cyborg with a bomb implanted in him. Mekhi Phifer is the man who will help him and Madeline Stowe is the woman who loves him. This looks better than most sci-fi films that come out with little to no fanfare. Rated PG-13. Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius A kid who is an inventor must save the world and his parents from aliens. Rated G. Kate and Leopold Meg Ryan is back doing what she does best: romantic comedies. In this one, she ends up falling for a man from 1876. Breckin Meyer plays her brother, Liev Schreiber plays her ex and Hugh Jackman, that's right, Wolverine, plays her time traveling loverboy. Rated PG-13. Lord of the Rings An epic fantasy comes to the screen with a solid cast and amazing special effects. This film, directed by Peter Jackson (The Frighteners) is a little long and too intense for the younger children, but is an excellent film overall. The performances are great, especially Viggo Mortensen's as Aragorn. This feels like a Best Picture nominee. Rated PG-13. Monsters, Inc. The latest computer generated film from Pixar, the people who brought you the Toy Story films. This film focuses on monsters that live in closets and are afraid of children. This is an awfully cute, and entertaining family film. Rated G. Ocean's Eleven Steven Soderbergh directs one of the greatest casts ever assembled in this remake. The story revolves around Danny Ocean and ten of his friends robbing three casinos on the night of a heavyweight prizefight. This was like a Tarantino film without the profanity and violence. It was a very entertaining film. Rated PG-13. Orange County Jack Black is back! This time he plays an underachieving slob who helps his brother get admitted to Stanford. Colin Hanks, Tom's son, Catherine O'Hara, Chevy Chase and Kevin Kline also appear in this comedy. The first half of the film is hilarious. It slows down a bit and becomes a tad sentimental towards the end but the all-star cast and it's skewed view of the world make it an enjoyable film. Rated PG-13. Snow Dogs Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as a man who inherits sled dogs and races in a race similar to the Iditerod. This is from Disney, so it should be good natured and fun for the family. Rated PG. The Royal Tenenbaums This was my number one movie of the year. Wes Andersen directed this film about a father's reconnection and redemption within a dysfunctional family. Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke and Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Angelica Huston and Danny Glover star. This has a good sense of humor and shows a New York that few have ever seen before. Rated R. Vanilla Sky This is not as confusing as everyone say it is. It plays with your mind, but the answers are all revealed at the end. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are terrific, as is Kurt Russell as the court appointed psychiatrist. The sound track is amazing and director Cameron Crowe is really trying to branch out as a director. Vanilla Sky feels like a Kubrick film in places and that is not a bad thing. Rated R. Also Playing Black Knight Martin Lawrence stars as a man who travels back to the middle ages, causes a ruckus, saves the day and has a lot of fun. This looks silly but good enough for a dollar. Rated PG-13.
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