Wednesday, February 6, 2002
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Wednesday, February 6, 2002 |
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Movies By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Opening Friday Big Fat Liar Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) stars as a kid who gets a paper stolen by a movie executive. When his story becomes a Hollywood hit, Muniz goes to La-La Land for revenge on the executive. This one is for the kids. Rated PG. Collateral Damage Originally slated for an October release, this film deals with bombs and terrorists. Arnold Schwarznegger stars as the normal Joe who stops the terrorist known as "The Wolf" from killing again. Rated R. Rollerball Originally slated for a release last summer, this remake's release was pushed back to now. It looks flashy and stylish and I hope it is good, but no one is giving it much of a chance. LL Cool J, Rebecca Romijn Stamos and Chris Klein star. 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. 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. Birthday Girl Nicole Kidman stars as a Russian mail order bride and Ben Chaplin stars as the loser in London who orders her and gets mixed up in her crazy family with ties to the Russian mob. It could be interesting and it could be awful. See it and find out and then tell me. Rated R. 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. 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. 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. Kung Pow: Enter The Fist 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 The Naked Gun and Ace Ventura. 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. Slackers Jason Schwartzmann stars as a college geek obsessed with a girl. He catches two slackers cheating and blackmails them into helping him win the girl's heart. She falls for one of the slackers and hilarity ensues. This does look funny and the older Pete from "Pete and Pete" stars. Rated R. 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 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. 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. 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.
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