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The movies and DVDs section is home to columns from our chief movie reviewer, Chuck Vinch. Not sure whether the latest arrival at the googleplex is worth seeing? Before you go, read Chuck’s reviews to find out. If you’re in the mood to camp out on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn instead, check out our reviews of the latest DVD arrivals.

Reassignment of the Week: G.I. Joe
As of 2009, G.I. Joe will no longer be a “real American hero.”

Chuck Vinch’s movie reviews

Going nowhere — fast
If ever a movie could be said to exhibit acute bipolar disorder, it’s “Speed Racer.”
Film Review: ‘Iron Man’
When word got out a while back that Marvel Comics’ next big-screen project, “Iron Man,” would star Robert Downey Jr., a lot of fanboys (myself included) had similar reactions: Huh?
Film Review: ‘Zombie Strippers,’ 2½ stars
So you thought the last lip-smacking bits of braaaaains had been sucked from the bleached skull of the zombie genre?
Film review: ‘88 Minutes,’ 1 star
The “ticking clock” film gambit — routinely played to exhausting effect on TV’s “24” — exerts an undeniable pull on our natural curiosity about whodunit and,...
Solid performers can’t strike sparks in ‘Smart People’
1 1/2 stars — Filmmakers who aim to muscle into the increasingly crowded dysfunctional family comedy genre had better bring something new to the table or their flicks will end up as so much...
Light on his feet
George Clooney’s new comedy, “Leatherheads,” could serve as Exhibit A in any conversation that laments how “they just don’t make movies like they used to.”
Film Review: ‘Stop-Loss,’ 3 stars
As film fodder, the Iraq war and its effects on U.S. troops and their families has so far been quicksand for Hollywood.
Film Review: ‘Drillbit Taylor,’ 2½ stars
When you think of bodyguards, you picture taciturn, heavily muscled men with dark glasses on large, brick-shaped heads.
‘Sleepwalking’ clicks as a portrait of small-town despair
For many people, movies are about pure escapism. Fantastic flights of science-fiction, off-the-wall action-adventures, gut-wrenching horror … it’s all about temporarily transporting to a...
Empty epic
The general plot of writer-director Roland Emmerich’s new film “10,000 B.C.” goes like this:
Sleek and spare
“Once I was normal ... a chump just like you,” young David Rice (Hayden Christensen) informs us in the opening scenes of the new sci-fi thriller, “Jumper.”
Slow cruise to nowhere
Matthew McConaughey’s career has always intrigued me because its trajectory has gone so hard against the usual arc. Instead of starting small and gathering buzz on the way up to the A-list, he...
Irresistible gore: ‘Untraceable’ is hard to watch — but you will
The luridly voyeuristic, no-holds-barred anarchy lurking in the darker corners of the Internet is the subject of “Untraceable,” a slick thriller that rubbernecker types will find...
Brutal, bloody finale: ‘Rambo’ goes over the top, then shoots holes in it
So, have you heard that Sly has released a new comedy?
Film review: ‘Cloverfield,’ 2 ½ stars
The much-hyped monster movie from “Alias” impresario J.J. Abrams, “Cloverfield,” is 20 minutes of head-scratching tedium followed by a 60-minute, one-note gimmick.
Film Review: ‘The Bucket List,’ 3 stars
From the 1950s through the ’70s, it wasn’t that unusual for films to feature large ensembles made up of well-known, top-shelf names.
Top 10 of ’07
The year just past was a curiously tepid one. Although the movie industry looks like it will end up with a healthy box-office gross, the number of movies that caused measurable, sustained excitement...
Smith is a powerful presence in eerie thriller
It all looks familiar ... those tall skyscrapers, the wide avenues, and hey, isn’t that Times Square?
Way off target
Film adaptations of video games are a study in devolution — since the 1982 fountainhead, “TRON,” each has felt emptier and dumber than the last.
Top-notch ‘Mist’ leaves hands cold, clammy
Note to self: If something big and weird is swiftly approaching and a column of heavily armed military dudes is fleeing in the other direction with their eyes bugging out, it’s probably a good...
Almost overkill
Director Robert Zemeckis’ new animated, 3-D “Beowulf” is undeniably entertaining — but maybe not for the right reasons.
A brutal masterpiece
“No Country For Old Men,” the title of the eagerly awaited new film by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, is something of a misnomer — the blood-soaked landscape of this riveting...
Solid cast helps ‘Claus’ spread holiday cheer
It’s a sibling rivalry for the ages when jolly old St. Nicholas (Paul Giamatti) and his black-sheep big brother Fred (Vince Vaughn) mix it up in “Fred Claus.”
Tepid remake
Michael Caine has been in some dull movies in his long career, but he’s rarely, if ever, given a dull performance. Watching him at work is one of the few pleasures to be found in...
Affleck brothers make good as star, director in ‘Gone Baby Gone’
Ben Affleck has shown beyond a reasonable doubt that he’s a wooden dud in front of the camera. So it’s not a stretch to think he’d also have a hard time producing any sizzle behind...
‘Clayton’ a brilliant morality tale
Up in the rare air where the masters of the universe play, Arthur Edens, the brilliant senior litigator for a high-powered New York law firm, has spent six years defending a corporate megaclient by...
Jodie Foster is out for vengeance in ‘The Brave One’
The vengeance impulse may be fairly evenly spread across the global human gene pool, but two centuries of frontier vigilante justice in pursuit of manifest destiny has given our homegrown strain of...
A standing 8-count
The career of the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson has been nothing if not eclectic.
Latest round is more of the same for ‘Rush Hour’
Observations about “Rush Hour 3,” the latest “Brett Ratner film” in the increasingly worn franchise starring motormouth Chris Tucker and motorfists Jackie Chan:
‘Simpsons’ shoots, and scores, on big screen
For 18 years, the cheerfully oblivious doofishness of Homer J. Simpson has seemed far too vast to be contained by a mere TV set.
Bubblier than a Baltimore bouffant
The very idea of John Travolta in a fat suit and 2-acre muumuu is enough to make most folks run screaming into the night.
Fifth ‘Harry Potter’ film is a treat — for dedicated fans
The fifth big-screen adaptation of author J.K. Rowling’s phenomenally successful global franchise, “Harry Potter and the Order of the...

‘Ocean’s Thirteen’ proves series belongs on the Strip
In “Ocean’s Thirteen,” the third film in the self-indulgent franchise spawned by George Clooney, Brad Pitt and a whole slew of their...
Costner’s dark side
“Mr. Brooks” (Kevin Costner) seems to have it all — he is a wealthy, successful business owner who makes generous...
Time to send ‘Pirates’ trilogy to Davy Jones’ locker
Odds bodkins, but this be one long, salty sea voyage to nowhere.
‘Home of the Brave’ tries, but it’s a bundle of clichés
Mediocre movies don’t often implode in spectacular fashion; usually they just slowly deflate under the accumulated weight of their banalities and absurdities.
A worn-out web
When “Spider-Man” hit the big screen in 2002, it delivered a sense of exhilarating wonder to comic-book fans everywhere. Watching Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) soar through New...
The most dim-witted game
In “The Condemned,” an insultingly stupid ripoff of “
Hilarious absurdity abounds in ‘Hot Fuzz’
Imagine the gang from Monty Python re-enacting “Die Hard” and you’ve got a good...
Troubled double
Want the story? I’ll spin it for you quick.
Shallow ‘Stranger’ fails to thrill
“Perfect Stranger” is an all-too-appropriate title for Halle Berry’s new film — every principal character is so unlikable that you very much want to keep them at arm’s...
It’s the characters that thrill in subtle ‘Lookout’
So a brain-damaged janitor, a blind man, a former stripper with the exquisite “nom de pole” of Luvlee Lemons and a gang of desperados walk into a bank
‘Shooter’ takes aim at government conspiracy
Action films have long used corrupt government weasels and thugs as handy foils. But you’d be hard pressed to find an action film with a more cynical view of government than “
That not-so-funny feeling
Almost all of us can lay claim to having had a premonition — a feeling, an inkling, a hunch — about something that hadn’t yet happened, then did. Many times, it’s more of a...
Ultimate warriors
Comic book geeks, action movie fans, history buffs and anyone who has ever had anything to do with the profession of arms will bliss out on “300,” a dazzling recounting of the famed...
Decoding ‘Zodiac’: ‘Fight Club’ director tracks serial killer’s trail
Just before Christmas 1971, Clint Eastwood unleashed San Francisco police Inspector Harry Callahan on an unsuspecting world in the classic “Dirty Harry,” in which the hero chased a psycho...
‘Hogs’ slow to get its motor running
“Wild Hogs” has to be one of the most jarring juxtapositions of A-list actors and a Z-list script ever to hit the big screen.
Bad things come in 23s
Add the numerals in 9/11/2001 — 9 + 11 + 2 + 1 — and you get 23. Euclid’s geometry has 23 axioms. We each carry 23 chromosomes from each parent. The Hiroshima bomb detonated at 8:15...
‘Hannibal Rising’: A serial killer cuts his teeth
Has any movie fan watched “Silence of the Lambs” and not wondered what twisted, horrific event(s) could have made Hannibal Lecter the way he is?
Missing pieces
The way “Breach” tells it, by the time FBI Agent Robert Hanssen was arrested in 2001, he had done more damage to the U.S. in his many years of spying for the Russians than any other...
Screechy, shrill and shallow
Every film fan has a personal list of least favorite actors who are irritating enough to spark an outbreak of hives.
‘The Hitcher’: On the road again
When a horror flick called “The Hitcher” hit movie screens in 1986, hitchhiking was already a dying form of social interaction due to what seemed to be a sharp and steady upswing in the...
Smokin’ hot
Crime-caper flicks with big rosters of all-star (or at least recognizable) talent were a staple of the 1960s but were a dying breed by the early ’90s.
‘Letters from Iwo Jima’: Through their eyes
It’s been a maxim of warfare through the ages that the history of any given conflict is written largely by the winning team — which is why virtually no American movies about World War II...
‘Turistas’: Chiller in the rough
So many mainstream movies today are such packaged, pretested, predictable pap that when you trip over a good one that’s flying into the wind and under the radar, it seems to deliver twice the...
‘Borat’: Foul, offensive — and funny
So very, very wrong — yet so very, very funny. That sums up “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” British comedian Sacha Baron...
‘Running with Scissors’: Missing the point
“Running With Scissors,” the film version of Augusten Burroughs’ best-selling 2002 memoir about his allegedly whacked-out childhood, is one seriously bent flick — and not in a...
Bright lights, big city, and a misspent youth
Chuck Vinch was born in 1958 in Brooklyn, N.Y., but moved at a very...
‘Children of Men’: Movie labors to bring its ideas to life
A lot of big ideas are tossed into the blender in “Children of Men.”
‘Rocky Balboa’: Last bout is fitting finale
Admit it — when you heard Sylvester Stallone was making a sixth “Rocky” film, your first reaction was to snicker, right?
‘The Pursuit of Happyness’: Smith and son shine
Anyone who doubts the power of sheer human will should come away with a different view after seeing “The Pursuit of Happyness,” in which a man endures a cosmic beatdown of Jobian...
‘Blood Diamond’: The high price of ice
It’s often said that many more of us would be vegetarians if we were made intimately familiar with the precise journey that our filet mignon takes on its way from hoof to dinner plate.
‘Casino Royale’: Daniel Craig has license to thrill as 007
There’s one scene deep into “Casino Royale” that tells you all you need to know about the latest version of Ian Fleming’s British superspy, James Bond.
‘Flags of Our Fathers’: Film shows reality behind legendary photo
Every war needs heroes -- people who do extraordinary things that inspire others in support of the grand and glorious cause. And, sometimes, if real heroes can’t be found, they must be...
‘The Guardian’: Seain’ ain’t believin’ this cliché-ridden plot
A cocky young studmuffin with a tragic past gets it in his head to join an elite military unit to show himself and the world that he is, indeed, somebody.
‘Flyboys’: Ground the romance and go for the dogfights
Those magnificent men in their flying machines are back on the big screen for the first time in decades in “Flyboys,” a flawed, overlong but sporadically engaging paean to the World War I...
‘Man of the Year’: The accidental president
These days, the dysfunctional American political scene would seem to be beyond the reach of satire. But in “Man of the Year,” writer-director Barry Levinson takes his best shots —...
‘The Departed’: Scorsese scores
The notion that acclaimed director Martin Scorsese someday would (or even could) top the outrageous climax to his 1976 film “Taxi Driver” — you know, when DeNiro turns a...
‘Shoot ’Em Up’ delivers a high-octane bulls-eye
“Shoot ’Em Up,” a hyperviolent action movie in an increasingly crowded genre that includes “
A timeless lesson: 'James' explores early celebrity fascination and pitfalls of fame
In “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” both men figure as prominently as you might expect.
Film review: ‘American Gangster’
Business owners have been looking to boost profits and market share by cutting out the middleman almost as long as the concept of “business” has existed.
Head games
The media kit for “Revolver,” the latest film by British writer-director Guy Ritchie (that’s Mr. Madonna to you), promises a “psychological twist that your mind may not be...
Film Review: ‘Charlie Bartlett’
Anyone taking the measure of “Charlie Bartlett” solely from its trailer likely would think it’s just another goofy teen comedy.

DVD reviews

New on DVD: ‘Zodiac’ has supreme stars
2007, Paramount, rated R, $30)
New on DVD: ‘300,’ ‘Hot Fuzz,’ ‘Pathfinder’
Want to stir the circulation?
New on DVD: Miller pops in ‘Factory Girl’
(1951, Criterion, unrated, $40)
New on DVD: ‘Astronaut Farmer’ is a bit of a blast
Vol. 1 ( 1959, MGM/Fox, unrated, $15)
Good times and bad with ‘Nixon’
This week’s platinum picks:
This week’s platinum DVD picks
1955, Warner, unrated, $15
DVD reviews for June 15
2007, IFC/Genius, unrated, $27
New on DVD: ‘Ghosts of Abu Ghraib’ is haunting
(1954-56, Paramount, unrated, no extras, $30)
New on DVD: O’Toole provides pulse for ‘Venus’
A tale of medieval Japan, familial despair spanning a lifetime — and a great filmmaker shining near the end of his life.
DVD reviews: ‘Pan’s Labyrinth,’ ‘The War Tapes’ and more
2006, New Line, rated R, $29 and $35 editions
Home movies reviews from May 11
(2006, Lionsgate, unrated, no extras, $28)
Home Movies reviews for May 4
(2006, New Line, rated R, $28)
New on DVD: Hail Mirren’s ‘Queen’
First-rate politically, first-rate personally and with an indelible scene of Elizabeth II in a scarf and shades ... driving. So, wait: Did the government require a parallel-parking exam?
DVD picks: Week of Jan. 8
The first week of January is typically dead for DVD. Before we take on a new year, though, here’s a sampling of 2006 DVD releases that were available only in box sets devoted to stars or...
Gift guide ’06: The best DVDs of the holiday season
Looking for a blockbuster DVD gift this holiday season for the movie fan in your family? Our picks were chosen specifically for their wow power on big-screen TVs, but they’ll rock the house on...

More movie reviews

Film Review: ‘Semi-Pro,’ 2 Stars
The old American Basketball Association was a scream.
‘X-Files’ returns, minus mythology
LOS ANGELES — The sequel is out there.
‘Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem’ less than the sum of its parts
In their feature debut, Colin and Greg Strause have slid a spinoff of two series closer to the edge of monotony with the sequel “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.”
‘Charlie Wilson’s’ a weak ‘War’
It’s probably cheap and easy to say that “Charlie Wilson’s War” plays like an especially good episode of “The West Wing.”
Reilly brings goofy rocker Dewey Cox to life
Dewey Cox rocks. And drinks. And does drugs. And sleeps with any number of women. And fathers a boatload of children by them.
Iraq war films shoot blanks at box office
Against the backdrop of the maelstrom that is strangling Iraq, one Hollywood endeavor after another that focuses on the war is belly-flopping at the U.S. box office.
Life after loss
There’s a house in Brownsville, Texas, that haunts Warren Pellegrin. His wife, a Navy lieutenant who died seven years ago from a flulike virus contracted at sea, fell ill there during a...
‘Rambo’ returns to big screen a changed man
Rambo has become a nihilist.
Ready to SCARE
The late, great Boris Karloff once said that the scariest moments are not on the screen but are the ones an audience imagines.
On the big screen this weekend
A look at new movies:
Coming to the big screen
Here’s a look at what to expect from the fall big-screen lineup:
Fantastic ‘Kingdom’
Some directors produce great work the moment they burst onto the scene, a la Orson Welles and “Citizen Kane.” Others need time to experiment and hone their craft, a la Peter Berg.
Cool weather, hot movies
Here’s a look at what to expect from the fall big-screen lineup. Remember that dates are subject to change:
Oscar winners go slumming in ‘Mr. Woodcock’
Perhaps there’s a special circle of Dante’s Inferno -—or at least a dingy shelf in the back of Blockbuster — reserved for cinematic offenses committed by people who should...
Bland ‘Hunting Party’ fails to hit its mark
The adage that truth is stranger — and usually more entertaining — than fiction proves all too real in “The Hunting Party,”...
There’s no bad or ugly in ‘3:10 to Yuma’
The next time you hear someone say they don’t make movies like they used to, point to the refreshingly retro Western “3:10 To Yuma” as...
Bacon’s ‘Death Sentence’ is six degrees of Charles Bronson
It’s been 13 years since the late Charles Bronson’s final “Death Wish” flick was released, but the spirit of the franchise...
‘Fury’ is the ‘Bloodsport’ of table tennis movies
Any movie that invites Christopher Walken to mince around in garb that makes him look like a geisha in drag and to lisp threats such as “What...
A long and bloody road: The ‘Halloween’ back story
Michael Myers.
‘September Dawn’ portrays tragedy of another Sept. 11th
Grim and single-minded, “September Dawn” recounts the ugly events of Sept. 11, 1857, in a Utah meadow. It concludes that the elders of the...
‘Nanny Diaries’ nothing to write home about
It sounds like the ultimate chick flick with crossover potential — Scarlett Johansson learning a lot about life and a little about love in a film based on a cornerstone of chick lit — but...
‘Mr. Bean’ no holiday for filmgoers
Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean can be very grating.
Any stay at ‘Daddy Day Camp’ not recommended
That “Daddy Day Camp” is bad should surprise no one. The film is a sequel to 2003’s lame “Daddy Day Care”...
Luminary cast shines in ‘Stardust’
Mixing a winning combination of whimsy, a cheeky sense of self-aware humor, charming performances and some rousing action scenes, “Stardust”...
In ‘Bratz,’ BFF doesn’t mean ‘best friends forever’
Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight needs a new agent.
Bourne-again hard
You are U.S. government property.
‘Hot Rod’ spins its wheels
With “Hot Rod,” comedian Andy Samberg tries to make the massive jump from “Saturday Night Live” to the big screen. And, like the...
J.Lo sizzles in electrifying ‘El Cantante’
“El Cantante,” based on the short life and ultra-bright career of Hector...

Bourne to be wild
“The Bourne Ultimatum” opens with Matt Damon racing through the streets of Moscow and never slows down.
‘Rescue Dawn’ a compelling true tale of survival
When film buffs see director Werner Herzog’s name on the credits, they can usually expect to see an esoteric film about obsessed people.
‘Talk to Me’ may speak volumes at Oscar time
Don Cheadle is one of those actors who has been plugging away for decades but only recently reached the point where movie producers would let him carry their films. Thank goodness for Cheadle’s...
‘Chuck and Larry’ goes where all buddy comedies have gone before
The pairing of comedians Adam Sandler and Kevin James isn’t a match made in heaven, but it will probably be close enough for most moviegoers.
Global warming? Not in the sci-fi future of ‘Sunshine’
Danny Boyle is among the most talented and versatile directors working today, which makes each of his projects worth looking forward to.
‘Dwights’ a cure for blockbuster blues
For those seeking an alternative to giant robots and flying wizards, there’s an amusing Australian comedy that might be just the right panacea for blockbuster overload.
New movie dishonors POWs, family members say
Hollywood is known for taking liberties when it adapts true stories and real lives for the movies, but Tinseltown has gone too far in an upcoming action-adventure movie based on the life of a real...
The case for ‘Top Gun’ as an all-time great
It seems you’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’.
You’ll want to revoke lame ‘License to Wed’
What were the creative forces behind “License to Wed” thinking?
In ‘Transformers,’ the ’bots turn into cheese
A little bit of robot trash-talking goes a long way in the loud, long and silly “Transformers,” the big-screen version of the 1980s...
Experts wonder why movies aren’t more family-friendly
Jacquie Wyllie enjoys taking her two children to the movies but she’s not always happy with the choices.
If we ran Hollywood ...
If you’ve never seen them before, a lot of the films on AFI’s top 100 list sound like they could be military movies, too. Here’s our Magnificent Seven:
AFI’s wartime duty roster
Of the 400 motion pictures presented by the American Film Institute to 1,500 voters, only 21 can be considered true American war movies. Here is an alphabetical list, with the ranking of those...
Our Top 10 best military movies of all time
Lists of “best of” movies are like boxes of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get.
Yippee-ki-yay! ‘Die Hard’ is back in action
Sit in on Forrest Hartman’s conversation with Bruce Willis
‘Die Hard’ easy for Olyphant
NEW YORK — Just days before he attempts to cripple the country in the fourth “Die Hard,” Timothy Olyphant can wander through the Museum of Modern Art without eliciting any double...
Fine cuisine: Pixar’s ‘Ratatouille’ is a cinematic treat
In the grand scheme of cinema, rats haven’t gotten their due.
Michael Moore’s ‘Sicko’ takes a stab at health care industry
Who are we?
All-star cast fails to elevate soapy chick-flick ‘Evening’
With all the tinkling pianos and shots of gentle waves hitting beaches, you expect to see a feminine-hygiene-product logo pop up in the estrogen-filled “
Haunted hotel thriller ‘1408’ worth checking into
If filmmakers got awards for the creative use of pop music, the people behind the fun and frightening “1408” would be front-runners for the...
Divine comedy
If one were to endure 40 days and 40 nights aboard a ship full of smelly animals, it would probably be good to have a funny man like Steve Carell on board. And, according to “
Cheesiest story ever told
“Evan Almighty,” the lame sequel to the 2003 blockbuster “Bruce Almighty,” loves to...
Jolie gives Oscar-caliber performance in ‘A Mighty Heart’
With all the tabloid headlines, her international baby-adopting jaunts and some awful films, Angelina Jolie’s considerable acting skills have been overshadowed.
Stephen King talks of on-screen scariness
Stephen King knows it’s the little things that frighten the most.
Surfing with the alien
There’s a prejudice against most movies based on comic book adventures. With a few exceptions, they take themselves too seriously, they’re humorless, the characters are two-dimensional,...
‘Nancy Drew’ mystery: Who stole the punch from this script?
It’s been decades since Nancy Drew hit the big screen, so we wish we could report a triumphant return. Alas, the teen sleuth’s latest adventure is more kitschy than catchy, more...
March of penguins continues with ‘Surf’s Up’
Two-and-a-Half StarsIn “Surf’s Up,” penguins are riding a wave — figuratively and literally.
‘Speed Racer’ heads to the big screen
Emile Hirsch was 6 years old when he saw his first episode of the cartoon “Speed Racer” and, more important, caught a glimpse of the Mach 5.
New gang of jokers out front now
Watch out, Frat Pack. There is a new gang of jokers in town.
‘Knocked Up’ is a belly full of laughs
Unexpected pregnancy and belly laughs don’t go hand in hand. Unless, of course, you’re Judd Apatow, the writer-director who found humor even in midlife virginity.
Bend it like ‘Beth
Female athletes are still overshadowed by their male counterparts, but movies like “Gracie” — an appealing, new sports drama — remind...
Kevin Costner doesn’t shy away
CARPINTERIA, Calif. — Kevin Costner kicks his feet up on his living room coffee table when he suddenly notices its four sharp corners.
‘Pirates’ sails with great villains and one-liners, savvy?
When it comes to escapist entertainment, the bad guys may be even more important than the heroes in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”
Play pirate at home with seafaring movies, games
What’s putting people in a pirate mood is, after all, a pirate movie. If the first two “Pirates of the Caribbean” films are any indication, half the civilized world will see...
A treasure trove of pirate lore
We’re used to our movies coming from the pages of comic books or even from the pixels of video games, but “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” managed to...
It’s easy being green
In a summer season filled with return visits by lots of cinematic friends, from Spider-Man to Jack Sparrow, few are as welcome as Shrek, the immensely likable big green ogre, and his crazy menagerie...
Back for thirds: Improv spirit shaped ‘Shrek’
According to the voters in the American Film Institute polls, the greatest hero in all of cinema is Atticus Finch, the justice-minded Southern lawyer and single father of two in the film adaptation...
Film Review: ‘Shrek the Third,’ 3.5 stars
In a summer season filled with return visits by lots of cinematic friends, from “Spider-Man” to Jack Sparrow, few are as welcome as Shrek, the immensely likable big green ogre, and his...
Jane Fonda is back — and so are her veteran critics
Even starring alongside some of the hottest stars in Hollywood can’t make the world forget about “Hanoi Jane.”
’28 Weeks’ thrills, but can’t beat the original
Like most sequels, “28 Weeks Later” is a mere shell of its predecessor.
You can ignore the ‘Georgia Rule’
She’s just a girl looking for someone to say no.
‘The Ex’ marks a bad spot
If Zach Braff wants to get back the momentum and good will he generated with his writing-directing debut “Garden State,”...
More than ‘Georgia’ on this trio’s minds
NEW YORK — Between clenching Lindsay Lohan in a tight, tearful hug and congratulating Felicity Huffman on a successful TV interview, Jane Fonda breaks into song.
Hopes for huge summer lie in Spidey’s grip
LOS ANGELES — What does a superhero have to do these days to earn some respect in this town?
‘Lucky You’ doesn’t know when to hold ‘em
Sometimes the dealer gives you a good hand, but you only manage to play it well enough to win, but not as spectacularly as you might have expected. You win some chips, but with a few smarter bets,...
Jessica Simpson to play Marine major
Semper fi-nd your own hook, Jess, sheesh.
Downey forges a bond with ‘Iron Man’ role
LOS ANGELES — Robert Downey Jr. is hardly the obvious choice to play an iconic crime fighter.
WWE star out to prove in ‘The Condemned’
As one of the most popular wrestlers ever, Steve Austin, better known as the beer-bashing Stone Cold Steve Austin in World Wrestling Entertainment, has spawned catchphrases like:...
Cage, Moore waste their talents in dumb ‘Next’
Memo to filmmakers: Watching Nicolas Cage scrunch up his face, tilt his head and close his eyes doesn’t make for an exciting cinematic experience.
Kevin Bacon tapped to play Marine officer again
Actor Kevin Bacon, who last put on a Marine uniform as a captain in 1992’s “A Few Good...

‘Fracture’ isn’t just another ‘Hannibal’
Director Gregory Hoblit, creator of the memorable courtroom thriller “Primal Fear,” entices us again with “
Heartbroken writer finds healing ‘In the Land of Women’
As its title suggests, “In the Land of Women” positions Carter Webb, a confused twenty-something, in the midst of several women of widely...
‘Disturbia’ comes off without a Hitchcock
Neither of the writers behind Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 masterpiece, “Rear...

‘Pathfinder’ stumbles on trail blazed by ‘300’
Since “300” set the gold standard for slow-motion, sword-wielding violence last month, “
Disney’s digital 3-D thrills in entertaining ‘Robinsons’
Let’s do the time warp once again in the imaginative CGI-animated “Meet the Robinsons,” in which the past and...
‘Van Wilder’ vet Kal Penn turns to drama in ‘The Namesake’
Few filmmakers have been as artful as Mira Nair in structuring stories around a culture’s Diaspora. In such films as “Mississippi Masala” and “Monsoon Wedding,” Nair has...
Nitwits on ice: ‘Blades of Glory’ skewers figure skating
Will Ferrell continues his comic assault on high-profile jobs, destroying the world of Olympic figure skaters in “Blades of Glory,” after...
‘Last Mimzy’ an unusual treat for kids, parents
You’ve probably seen trailers for “The Last Mimzy” and found yourself wondering what a Mimzy is. Well, it’s not a king of Scotland, a samurai or even a temptation of Christ,...
‘Reign’ tells tale of redemption in post-9/11 NYC
Mike Binder’s “Reign Over Me” takes on a rarely examined topic — the redemptive quality of true friendship....
‘TMNT’ offers thrills on the half shell
“The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” may have hit their peak more than a decade ago, but kids still love them. Heck. Adults kinda dig ’em,...
Terrence Howard makes a splash in ‘Pride’
The field of uplifting sports movies is getting a bit crowded nowadays, as filmgoers have been treated to “Glory,” “Miracle,” “We Are Marshall,” and even...
Rock builds little heat as husband tempted to cheat
Comedian Chris Rock goes for restraint and romance in “I Think I Love My Wife,” his modestly appealing new film as director, co-writer and star. It’s a loose adaptation of the 1972...
Stylized ‘300’ strips graphic Greek battle to epic core
An ancient Greek battle may seem an unlikely topic for a comic book, but only to those who haven’t followed the growth and development of the medium into something darker and more complex,...
6 more doses of Sparta
It’s hard to not geek out on the Spartans.
An epic tale, told ‘300’ strong
WEST HOLLYWOOD — Few modern men can look into the face of death and gladly accept their fate. Except maybe those masochistic bozos from the “Jackass” movies.
Survivor of Zodiac attack praises film’s accuracy
For nearly 30 years, Bryan Hartnell refused to cooperate with reporters and movie producers who wanted to tell his story of surviving an attack by the Zodiac killer.
From cartoonist to ‘Zodiac,’ author Robert Graysmith has prominent role in film
The movie is never as good as the book.
From Hollywood to hog-wild: Four guys tap into a midlife affair
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY — John Travolta is scaring the bejesus out of Tim Allen, William H. Macy and just about everyone else on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Ruffalo goes to the source to play ‘Zodiac’ cop
Mark Ruffalo knew he was playing a cop in “Zodiac” who had previously been played by Clint Eastwood (in “Dirty Harry”) and Steve McQueen (in “Bullitt”), but he...
Blues hit right note in steamy ‘Black Snake Moan’
“Hustle & Flow” writer-director Craig Brewer makes the leap from hip-hop to the blues for his follow-up, a sweaty, feverish Southern tale of sex, the blues, and redemption entitled...
Jim Carrey faces his fears in numerology thriller
Jim Carrey is used to making fans scream with laughter, but this weekend, he just wants them to scream.
TV’s mock cops are arresting on the big screen
There’s an argument to be made that “Reno 911!: Miami” is the stupidest movie title ever. But, when one looks more closely — moving beyond the knee-jerk wretch that comes from...
‘Amazing Grace’ educates, entertains
Michael Apted’s “Amazing Grace” is an enlightening saga about that rarest of individuals, a morally uncompromising politician. William Wilberforce was a key figure in the 16-year...
Quirky ‘Farmer’ is flight of fancy
Sitting through “The Astronaut Farmer” is a curious experience.
Big-screen ‘Bridge’ shines
To steal a phrase from famed child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim, “Bridge to Terabithia” is a children’s tale that demonstrates “the uses of enchantment.”
Military documentaries shut out of Oscar race
The list is out, and you’re not on it.
‘Letters From Iwo Jima’ depicts battle from perspective of Japanese soldiers
Few people — in wartime or after — care to look back at the bloodshed through the eyes of the enemy. It is particularly hard peering through that lens when your people, your culture and...
‘The Good Shepherd’: Intriguing movie is worth 3 hours
The early days of the Central Intelligence Agency form the intriguing backdrop for “The Good Shepherd,” a smart, multilayered espionage drama, starring Matt Damon as an idealistic Yale...
‘Dreamgirls’: A transcendent movie experience
It took a quarter-century for “Dreamgirls” to make it from Broadway to the big screen, but it’s been worth the wait.
‘We Are Marshall’: Uplifting sports film born of tragedy
According to the old saying, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.
‘Fountain’: Drowning in its own philosophy
In one of the funniest scenes in “Animal House,” a pot-smoking professor played by Donald Sutherland prattled on about metaphysical nonsense. The difference between the professor’s...
‘Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny’: It’s no ‘Spinal Tap’
“Tenacious D” gets an F.
‘Déjà Vu’: Time-travel crime thriller revisits old clichés
The film “Déjà Vu” posits that it’s possible to reach back in time to change the mistakes of the past. If that’s true, moviegoers may want to use that portal to advise...
Jane addiction
If one were to fuse the literary sensibility of Jane Austen with the fanciful imaginative license of “Shakespeare in Love,” what would emerge would likely be the charming tale, “
‘Lions’ skimps on plot in favor of preaching
It’s almost as if the makers of “Lions for Lambs” forgot that we go to the movies to escape reality, not to be lectured. The screenwriters and producers either forgot or just made...

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Final Salute
Final Salute is a stunning tribute to the brave troops who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the families who continue to mourn them. Military Appreciation Month - Save 10%