DVDpedia : Library : Title : I

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 101

Summary: Will Smith stars in the third adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic science-fiction novel about a lone human survivor in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by vampires. This new version somewhat alters Matheson’s central hook, i.e., the startling idea that an ordinary man, Robert Neville, spends his days roaming a desolated city and his nights in a house sealed off from longtime neighbors who have become bloodsucking fiends. In the new film, Smith’s Neville is a military scientist charged with finding a cure for a virus that turns people into crazed, hairless, flesh-eating zombies. Failing to complete his work in time--and after enduring a personal tragedy--Neville finds himself alone in Manhattan, his natural immunity to the virus keeping him alive. With an expressive German shepherd his only companion, Neville is a hunter-gatherer in sunlight, hiding from the mutants at night in his Washington Square town house and methodically conducting experiments in his ceaseless quest to conquer the disease.
The film’s first half almost suggests that "I Am Legend" could be one of the finest movies of 2007. Director Francis Lawrence’s extraordinary, computer-generated images of a decaying New York City reveal weeds growing through the cracks of familiar streets that are also overrun by deer and prowled by lions. It’s impossible not to be fascinated by such a realistically altered cityscape, reverting to a natural environment, through which Smith moves with a weirdly enviable freedom, offset by his wariness over whatever is lurking in the dark of bank vaults and parking garages. Lawrence and screenwriters Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman wisely build suspense by withholding images of the monsters until a peak scene of horror well into the story. It must be said, however, that the computer-enhanced creatures don’t look half as interesting as they might have had the filmmakers adhered more to Matheson’s vampire-nightmare vision. "I Am Legend" is ultimately noteworthy for Smith’s remarkable performance as a man so lonely he talks to mannequins in the shops he frequents. The film’s latter half goes too far in portraying Smith’s Neville as a pitiable man with a messianic mission, but this lapse into bathos does nothing to take away from the visual and dramatic accomplishments of its first hour. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical:

Studio: Touchstone Pictures/ DreamWorks

Genre: Thrillers

Duration: 109

Summary: The most successful entries in the Young Adult fantasy genre cannily cater to their target audience's growing pains, allowing the adolescent consumers to feel better about their own inner fears and doubts while watching an initially awkward protagonist discover their secret powers hidden within. The potential franchise launcher "I Am Number Four", however, chooses to introduce its golden-maned, fiercely six-packed hero while he's doing a totally rad Jet Ski stunt in front of a beachful of bikinied admirers. (This is a Michael Bay production.) Based on the bestselling YA novel pseudonymously cowritten by James Frey (of "A Million Little Pieces" fame), the plot follows a super-powered exile from another world (Alex Pettyfer) attempting to uncover the secrets of his heritage while staying under the radar of the authorities. After arriving in a small Midwest town and hitting it off with a gorgeous, nonconformist classmate (Dianna Agron), he must make a stand against a gaggle of alien bounty hunters bent on wiping out him and his fellow eight exiles in numerical order. Director D.J. Caruso ("Disturbia") is a more-than-competent craftsman, but he can't do much with the film's soggy middle section, which veers away from appealing teenage angst and perilously close to whiny entitlement. (The casting of the superbly no-nonsense Timothy Olyphant as Pettyfer's Yoda-ish instructor does help matters considerably.) Things do pick up in the final act, particularly with the introduction of some giant dinosaur/flying squirrel beasties, but it remains to be seen if the majority of viewers will be able to find a vicarious entry point within the frustratingly seamless perfection of the main character. Great hair, zero zits, the attention of the most beautiful girl in school, "and" way cool telekinetic flashlight hands? Pick a side, folks. "--Andrew Wright"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Horror

Duration: 201

Summary: "I Know What You Did Last Summer"
As they celebrate their high school graduation, four friends are involved in a hit-and-run accident when their car hits--and apparently kills--a pedestrian on an isolated roadway. They dispose of the body and vow to keep the incident a secret, but a year later somebody starts sending them letters bearing the warning "I Know What You Did Last Summer." At that point the panicked foursome becomes the target of an elusive serial killer whose disguise consists of a fisherman's slicker and a lethal ice hook. Part mystery and part slasher flick, this thriller was heavily hyped as a follow-up to "Scream" by screenwriter Kevin Williamson (who later created the TV series "Dawson's Creek"), and like "Scream" it's a showcase for a teenage cast including Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar. And while this shocker isn't as inspired as its predecessor, it's guaranteed to give its target audience a few good thrills as it dives toward a routine climax of mayhem and murder. Based (rather loosely) on the popular novel by Lois Duncan. "--Jeff Shannon"
"I Still Know What You Did Last Summer"
There was so much story left to tell after "I Know What You Did Last Summer" that the filmmakers brought back all the beloved, surviving characters from the first film for this sequel. Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and Julie's white tank top (Jennifer Love Hewitt's white tank top) return to once again face a hook-wielding maniac. Not satisfied merely to repeat a theme, director Danny Cannon and screenwriter Trey Callaway add variation by introducing Karla (Brandy) as Julie's best friend in the whole wide world. Karla and Julie have won a summer trip to the Bahamas with their current infatuations but find that they've arrived at the start of the storm season and that their hotel "Do Not Disturb" signs should flip to say "R.I.P." One can only hope to hang just such a sign on this repetitive, tedious franchise, especially since this version is less scary than the price of beer in those little hotel-room refrigerators. Definite contender for Gratuitous T&A Shot of the Year (it's of Hewitt and that's "not" meant as a recommendation). "--Keith Simanton"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Paramount Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 105

Summary: Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} At once sweet, genuinely funny, and painfully awkward, I Love You, Man is that type of film that used to feel like a rare event, but these days is a lot more common thanks to Judd Apatow’s new hit factory. His stock ensemble of actors, writers, and directors have managed to hone in on the perfect formula of raunchy and sweet.  Apatow wasn't involved in this production, but his mark is all over it just the same.  Paul Rudd has to be the most infinitely likeable man in Hollywood; he manages to capture the ideal blend of sincerity and awkwardness but never comes off as annoying.  As Sidney, Jason Segal departs from the neurotic and insecure roles that have nearly made him a household name in Freaks and Geeks and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  He channels instead the endearingly arrogant and emotionally stunted man-boy who is both life of the party and sad clown.  The story is pretty simple--making friends tends to get more and more challenging as we get older and more settled into our lives.  That's never been truer than for Peter Klaven, a so-called "Girlfriend Guy" who's never really had a best guy friend.  As Peter begins to plan the rest of his life with the girl of his dreams (Parks and Recreation's Rashida Jones), the pressure to find a best man and not feel like a friendless freak becomes more intense.  Enter Sidney, a Venice Beach-dwelling, super-laid-back, Rush-loving, vaguely employed (but clearly successful) financial planner with no desire to commit, a room in his house dedicated to all things masculine and an intense desire to have a good time as often as possible.  Soul mates, right?  As directed by John Hamburg (Along Came Polly, Stella), I Love You, Man is consistently funny and totally relatable.   With strong supporting performances from Jones, Andy Samberg, Jon Favreau, Jamie Pressely, and even Lou Ferrigno (!), I Love You, Man is a little less raunch and a lot more sweet than some of this crew's other hits, with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.  –Kira Canny

Stills from I Love You, Man (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Universal Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 116

Summary: It's crude and sometimes awkward, but there's a gleefully subversive movie lurking inside "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry". By virtue of a tooth-grinding contrivance, two manly Manhattan firefighters, Adam Sandler and Kevin James, must move in together and pretend to be gay; after seeing life from the other side, they learn something about tolerance. Sandler is the obnoxious, aggressively offensive womanizer, while James plays a widowed dad worried about his effeminate son. Nothing is too surprising about the way this works out, except for the film's unabashedly gay-rights fervor. It's one thing for a sensitive art-house movie to preach to the choir, and quite another for Sandler to speak to his multiplex audience on how uncool it is to use a homophobic slur. Ham-handedly directed and almost proudly sloppy, "Chuck & Larry" wins points for remaining defiantly rude; a nicer movie wouldn't have been as effective. There's a hilarious supporting performance by Ving Rhames, and Jessica Biel brings her Kim Novak-style glamour to a truly unbelievable character. Rob Schneider and Richard Chamberlain (two names not generally brought together) are amusing in small roles. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 114

Summary: As paranoid cop Del Spooner, Will Smith ("Independence Day", "Men in Black") displays both his trademark quips and some impressive pectoral muscles in "I, Robot". Only Spooner suspects that the robots that provide the near future with menial labor are going to turn on mankind--he's just not sure how. When a leading roboticist dies suspiciously, Spooner pursues a trail that may prove his suspicions. Don't expect much of a connection to Isaac Asimov's classic science fiction stories; "I, Robot", the action movie, isn't prepared for any ruminations on the significance of artificial intelligence. This likable, efficient movie won't break any new ground, but it does have an idea or two to accompany its jolts and thrills, which puts it ahead of most recent action flicks. Also featuring Bridget Moynahan ("The Sum of All Fears"), Bruce Greenwood ("The Sweet Hereafter"), and James Cromwell ("Babe", "LA Confidential"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 88

Summary: From Keenan Ivory Wayans, the man who brought us Jim Carrey (initially just one of the bunch on Wayans's television comedy-sketch show, "In Living Color"), comes "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988), a comedy spoof on the blaxploitation films of the 1970s. Wayans plays Jack Spade, an army private just returning from the service. He comes home to find his younger brother June Bug dead of a overdose of gold chains (an "O.G.") He vows revenge, and with the help of some of the neighborhood's old school heroes including Flyguy (Antonio Fargas), Kung Fu Joe (Steve James), Hammer (Isaac Hayes), Slammer (football star Jim Brown), and John Slade (Bernie Casey), Spade wages a war against Mr. Big, the neighborhood crime lord.
In the tradition of "Airplane!" and "Naked Gun", "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" pokes fun through satire and offensive comedy. The film also features some of the players that would end up on "In Living Color" and has appearances from such varied actors as Clarence Williams III, Eve Plumb (better known to most as Jan Brady), and Chris Rock as a rib-joint customer. "--Shannon Gee"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 81

Summary: Just as "A Bug's Life" was a computer-animated comedy inspired by Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai", the funny and often enthralling "Ice Age" is a digital re-imagining of the Western "Three Godfathers". The heroes of this unofficial remake (set 20,000 years ago, during the titular Paleolithic era) are a taciturn mastodon named Manfred (voiced by Ray Romano), an annoying sloth named Sid (John Leguizamo), and a duplicitous saber-toothed tiger, Diego (Denis Leary). The unlikely team encounters a dying, human mother who relinquishes her chirpy toddler to the care of these critters. Hoping, against all odds, to return the little guy to his migrating tribe, Manfred and his associates need to establish trust among themselves, not an easy thing in a harsh world of predators, prey, and pushy glaciers. Audiences that have become accustomed to the rounded, polished, storybook look of Pixar's house brand of computer animation ("Monsters, Inc.") will find the blunt edges and chilly brilliance of "Ice Age"--evoking the harsh, dangerous environment of a frozen world--a wholly different, and equally pleasing, trip. Recommended for ages 4 and up. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 92

Summary: Holiday movies don’t get much darker, or more darkly humorous, than "The Ice Harvest", an offbeat comedy that defies expectations. The involvement of director Harold Ramis might lead some to expect a straight-up comedy like "Groundhog Day" or "Analyze This", but despite Ramis’s fine and atypically subdued work here, it’s the writers (Robert Benton and Richard Russo) who put a stronger stamp on their adaptation of the novel by Scott Phillips. Benton and Russo previously collaborated on "Nobody’s Fool" and "Twilight" (with Benton also directing), and those films are similar in tone and spirit to this quirky, modern-day film noir, set on a freezing Christmas Eve in Wichita, Kansas, where mob lawyer Charlie Arglist (John Cusack) has a lot on his mind. He’s just stolen $2 million from his boss (Randy Quaid), he can’t trust his partner Vic (Billy Bob Thornton), he’s secretly in love with the manager (Connie Nielsen) of the strip bar he owns, and his best friend (Oliver Platt, giving yet another terrific performance) is married to his ex-wife. Before the night’s over, several murders will complicate matters even further, and throughout it all, "The Ice Harvest" is anchored by Cusack’s good-natured presence in a bad-natured story that dares to combine double-crosses and bloodshed with elusive yuletide cheer. It’s a strange but oddly appealing combination, not for all tastes but refreshing for that very same reason. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1984

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 94

Summary: The amiable sci-fi spoof "The Ice Pirates" has earned a small but vocal cadre of admirers thanks to its go-for-broke gags and a healthy disrespect for outer space epics like the "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" franchises. An atypically goofy Robert Urich stars as the leader of a band of space pirates who kidnap a princess (Mary Crosby of "Dallas" fame), and then join her quest to find a mythical planet that can solve the universe’s water shortage. A completely game (shameless?) cast (which includes Anjelica Huston in fetching leather gear, Ron Perlman, John Matuszak, and fantastic film icon John Carradine) and Stewart ("The Philadelphia Experiment") and Raffill’s breezy direction help sell the funniest bits (most notably, the notorious "space herpy" scene, and the frantic time-warp finale) and make the more leaden jokes palatable. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Columbia TriStar

Genre: Horror

Duration: 90

Summary: With an ace up its sleeve, "Identity" does for schizophrenia what "The Silence of the Lambs" did for fava beans and a nice chianti. On the proverbial dark and stormy night, this anxiety-laced thriller offers a tasty blend of "And Then There Were None" and "Psycho", with a dash of "Sybil" for extra spice and psychosis. Things go from bad to worse when 10 unrelated travelers converge at an isolated motel and proceed to die, one by one, with no apparent connection... until they discover the common detail that's drawn them into this nightmare of relentless trauma. Even as it flunks Abnormal Psychology 101, Michael Cooney's screenplay offers meaty material for a superior ensemble cast including John Cusack and Rebecca DeMornay (who wins the Janet Leigh prize in a bitchy comeback role). Director James Mangold pivots the action around one character (played by his "Heavy" star, Pruitt Taylor Vince, in eye-twitching cuckoo mode), and half the fun of "Identity" comes from deciphering who's who, what's what, and who'll be the next to die. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 87

Summary: Given that "Office Space" is a bona fide cult classic, it comes as some surprise that Mike Judge's follow-up wasn't more heavily promoted. Granted, this live-action comedy is a darker, more pointed proposition, but it's unfortunate that few theater patrons got the opportunity to, well, judge for themselves. In "Idiocracy", the "King of the Hill" creator visualizes what would happen if Devo's proposition--that mankind is in the process of devolution--came to pass. The catalyst: the overeducated start having fewer children while the undereducated have more. Enter Joe (Luke Wilson), a military librarian with no family and even less ambition. The Pentagon chooses him for a top-secret hibernation project due to his extreme "average-ness." They select Rita ("SNL"'s Maya Rudolph), a prostitute, for the same reason. When the experiment goes haywire, the two emerge 500 years later--rather than one. Now it's 2505 and they're the brightest people in the over-polluted land. Everyone else is, basically, Beavis and Butt-head. Yes, the satire couldn't be less subtle, but the premise gives Judge license to make as much fun of junk food pop culture as dystopian classics like "1984" and "Planet of the Apes". Wilson wisely plays it straight, even if the actors who surround him sometimes succumb to excess. And the effects may be cheesy, but that just adds to the fun. "Idiocracy" features former footballer Terry Crews ("Everybody Hates Chris") as President Camacho and Dax Shepard ("Punk'd") as Joe's futuristic friend Frito. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: Despite all the pot-smoking in "Idle Hands", the message here seems to be that too many bong hits will take you on a one-way trip to the devil's playground. That's what happens to Anton (Devon Sawa), a wasted teen who's so perpetually zonked on weed that he doesn't notice his parents have been slaughtered by an evil force that then possesses Anton's right hand, taking on a wildly homicidal life of its own after Anton chops it off with a butcher knife. The first victims are Anton's pals Mick (teen-movie stalwart Seth Green), who gets a beer bottle embedded in his skull, and Pnub (Elden Henson), whose head is lopped off by a rotary saw blade, and later reattached with a barbecue fork and duct tape. (Did we mention that Mick and Pnub turn into undead jokesters? It's that kind of movie.) This unoriginal idea is little more than an excuse for gross-out effects and easy one-liners, and then Vivica A. Fox appears as the demon-buster who knows how to kill the hand once and for all. It's fun to a point, and certain to be a popular Halloween hit with its intended teenage audience, but you can't help wishing this movie had tried harder to be something more than a collection of crude and gory gags. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Drama

Duration: 110

Summary: First screened in Europe and scheduled for limited release in the U.S., "The Illusionist" offers welcome proof that "arthouse" quality needn't be limited to the arthouses. Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, this stately, elegant period film benefited from a crossover release in mainstream cinemas, and showed considerable box-office staying power--granted, teenage mallrats and lusty males may have been drawn to the allure of "Seventh Heaven" alumna Jessica Biel, who rises to the occasion with a fine performance. But there's equal appeal in the casting of Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti, who bring their formidable talents to bear on the intriguing tale of a celebrated magician named Eisenheim (Norton) whose stage performance offends the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), a vindictive lout who aims to marry Duchess Sophie (Biel), Eisenheim's childhood friend and now, 15 years later, his would-be lover. This romantic rivalry and Eisenheim's increasingly enigmatic craft of illusion are investigated by Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti), who's under Leopold's command and is therefore not to be trusted as Eisenheim and Sophie draw closer to their inevitable reunion. Cleverly adapted by director Neil Burger from Steven Millhauser's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist," and boasting exquisite production values and a fine score by Philip Glass, "The Illusionist" is the kind of class act that fully deserved its unusually wide and appreciative audience. -- "Jeff Shannon"

Beyond "The Illusionist"
"Eisenheim the Illusionist" and Other Stories


Paul Giamatti in a More Loveable Role
Magic Kits & Accessories Stills from "The Illusionist"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: FIRST LOOK PICTURES

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 102

Summary: New York City, year 2095. A floating pyramid has emerged in the skies above Manhattan, inhabited by ancient Egyptian Gods. They have cast judgement down upon Horus (a falcon headed god), one of their own. With only seven days to preserve his immortality, he must find a human host body to inhabit, and search for a mate. In the city below, a beatiful young woman, Jill, with blue hair, blue tears and a power even unknown to her, wanders the city in search of her identity aided by a doctor who is fascinated by this mystery of nature. Reality in this world has a whole new meaning as bodies, voices and memories converge with Gods, mutants, mortals and extra terrestrials. Stunning visual effects meld with the poetic surrealism of comic-book creator Enki Bilal's fantastic epic story. A ground-breaking step into the future of film-making.

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Dimension

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 95

Summary: Based on a short story by sci-fi master Philip K. Dick, "Impostor" holds considerable appeal for genre enthusiasts, who will instantly recognize trace elements of the Dick-based "Total Recall" and "Blade Runner". Fortunately, derivative plotting doesn't detract from director Gary Fleder's capable handling of briskly paced action involving Spencer Olham (Gary Sinise), a weapons designer suspected of being an alien robot with an assassin's agenda. The year is 2079; Earth is at war with an alien race called the Centauri, and its dome-sealed cities are intensely monitored by the Earth Security Agency. A high-tech chase ensues between Olham and his ESA pursuer (Vincent D'Onofrio), testing the bond of trust between Olham and his physician wife (Madeleine Stowe). This marital subplot gives the film's twist ending additional impact, and Dick's recurring themes of lost identity and drug-altered reality are handled with adequate sophistication, while cool gadgetry and sharp visual effects compensate for the plot holes. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 299

Summary: Unlike the original "Saturday Night Live" cast, the "In Living Color" ensemble was definitely ready for prime time. But, was prime time ready for "In Living Color"? This subversively funny 1990 sketch-comedy series boldly went where "SNL" feared to tread, particularly in matters of race relations and cultural stereotypes. Series creator Keenen Ivory Wayans was hot after his hilarious blaxploitation spoof, "I'm Gonna Git Ya Sucka". But "In Living Color" was hotter. According to a "Looking Back" segment included in this three-disc set, it took him a year to sell the pilot. He fronted a young, gifted, and mostly black cast, including David Alan Grier, Tommy Davidson, Damon Wayans, Kim Wayans, and T'Keyah "Crystal" Keyman. "James" Carrey and Kelly Coffield were the white Garret Morrises.
Like the first season of "SNL", "In Living Color" played provocateur, with such politically incorrect sketches as "Homeboy Shopping Network," "This Old Box," and "Ted Turner's Very Colorized Classics." Other sketches, such as "Riding Miss Daisy," have a stick-it-to-the-man brazenness. Don King, Mike Tyson, Milli Vanilli, and Arsenio Hall are easy targets, but "In Living Color" did not spare such icons as Richard Pryor. There is the inevitable Oprah roasting, but also a brilliant "Star Trek" spoof, "The Wrath of Farrakhan." Among the first season's breakout characters are Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier's finger-snapping "Men on Film," and Damon's Homey D. Clown. Carrey struts his stuff as "female" bodybuilder Vera DeMilo. Coffey is a scream as Samantha Kinison and Andrea Dice Clay. While much of the topical humor has dated, sketches such as "Michael Jackson Potato Head" are timeless. The fun of revisiting this groundbreaking series is watching these fearless and talented performers go for broke, and make the most of their unlikely opportunity. "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 587

Summary: To label "In Living Color" "the black "SNL"" is to not give this groundbreaking sketch comedy its props. Like its late-night counterpart, "In Living Color" pushed the envelope with sketches that remain in questionable taste ("Fashion Tampons"). It also presented its share of TV show, movie, and commercial parodies. But its racially charged humor that tackled race relations and subverted cultural stereotypes was something 1990 TV viewers were not used to seeing, especially in prime time. Among the most potent sketches featured series creator Keenen Ivory Wayans and brother Damon as the Brothers Brothers, two oblivious Toms who, in one sketch, act as spokespersons for the Arizona Tourism Commission in the wake of that state's controversial decision not to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday. In another, they are allowed to join an exclusive, all-white country club after proclaiming themselves to be followers of "Jesse" (Helms, not Jackson, about whom they profess to have never heard). Flunking all standards of political correctness is Damon's Handi-Man, the world's first handicapped superhero. "James" Carrey's skeletal Fire Marshall Bill and Damon's the Head Detective join the show's stable of breakout characters (Homey D. Clown, Vera De Milo, the flamboyant Men on Film, and homeless man, Anton). Kim Wayans's Grace Jones and Kelly Coffield's Andrea Dice Clay also make welcome returns. Other memorable characters include David Alan Grier's tell-it-too-much-like-it-is blues singer Calhoun Tubbs, and Coffield's Velma Mulholland, a nifty bit of pre-"Pleasantville" special-effects wizardry in which Damon's blind date turns out to be a quintessential dame right out of a black-and-white 1940s movie.
Episode 26, a "best of" compilation, serves as a representative introduction to the series and season. A bonus "Appreciating "In Living Color"" segment on disc 4 puts the series in cultural context. Unlike another Fox network sketch-comedy series, "Mad TV", "In Living Color" has been lamentably missing in action on the syndication circuit, so for those who have never been "Colored," and especially for fans of current critics' darling "The Chappelle Show", these 26 bracing episodes will be a revelation. Plus, it's fun to watch force of nature Carrey come into his own, and even try out a few moves that would bring him fame and fortune in his own feature films (in episode 18, he mutters the immortal, "All righty then"). "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 128

Summary: This smart, tautly directed thriller from Wolfgang Petersen is about the cat-and-mouse games between a Secret Service agent named Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) and the brilliant, psychopathic assassin (John Malkovich) who's itching to get the President in his cross hairs. The back-story--Horrigan is haunted by his inability to prevent John Kennedy's assassination (Eastwood is computer-generated into archival footage)--is more than a little hokey, but the plotting itself is smartly, even ingeniously, constructed. Petersen manages a viselike grip on the tension and Eastwood even gets to deliver an ever-more-timely lecture on the diminished nature of the office of President. Eastwood's as gruff and as infuriating to the by-the-book Powers That Be as ever, and Malkovich oozes delightful menace. Renee Russo capably costars as a colleague with whom Horrigan gets friendly. "--David Kronke"

Theatrical: 2011

Studio: Regency Enterprises

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Duration: 109

Summary: In the not-too-distant future the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid overpopulation, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, while the rest try to negotiate for their immortality. A poor young man who comes into a fortune of time, though too late to help his mother from dying. He ends up on the run from a police force known as 'time keepers'.

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 98

Summary: It won't steal any thunder from the 1979 original, but this breezy remake of "The In-Laws" offers a few solid laughs. It's blessed by the casting of Albert Brooks as one of two imminent fathers-in-law who embark on the proverbial "wacky misadventure" on the eve of a lavish family wedding. The veteran comedian plays a podiatrist (in the dentist role originated by Alan Arkin) and Michael Douglas (in Peter Falk's role) is a deep-cover agent for the CIA, unbeknownst to Brooks or his daughter, who's about to marry Douglas's son--an event also attended by Douglas's ex-wife (Candice Bergen), who remains spiteful despite her newfound Buddhist enlightenment. As an arms dealer targeted by Douglas's latest covert operation, David Suchet matches Brooks laugh-for-laugh in the movie's funniest scenes, but one drawback can't be avoided: Douglas simply isn't funny. But while the original "In-Laws" was arguably overrated, this remake, for all its faults, makes for an agreeable rainy-day pastime. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 148

Summary: Science-fiction features often involve time travel or strange worlds. In Christopher Nolan's heist thriller "Inception", the concepts converge through the realm of dreams. With his trusty associate, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a fine foil), Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio, in a role that recalls "Shutter Island") steals ideas for clients from the minds of competitors. Fallen on hard times, he's become estranged from his family and hopes one last extraction will set things right. Along comes Saito (Ken Watanabe, "Batman Begins"), who hires Cobb to plant an idea in the mind of energy magnate Fischer (Cillian Murphy, another "Batman" vet). Less experienced with the art of inception, Cobb ropes in an architecture student (Ellen Page), a chemist (Dileep Rao), and a forger (Tom Hardy) for assistance. During their preparations, Page's Ariadne stumbles upon a secret that may jeopardize the entire operation: Cobb is losing the ability to control his subconscious (Marion Cotillard plays a figure from his past). Until this point, the scenario can be confusing, since the action begins inside a dream before returning to reality. Then, after the team gets to Fischer, three dream states play out at once, resulting in four narratives, including events in the real world. It all makes sense within the rules Nolan establishes, but the impatient may find themselves much like Guy Pearce in "Memento": completely confused. If "Inception" doesn't hit the same heights as "The Dark Knight", Nolan's finest film to date, it's a gravity-defying spectacular to rival "Dark City" and "The Matrix". "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Genre: Animation

Duration: 115

Summary: After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, "The Iron Giant", filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.































Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals "Spider-Man 2" for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, "The Incredibles" has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").







The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.







Nominated for four Oscars, "The Incredibles" won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.































The Presentation
This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la "Dr. Zhivago"), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.







The Extras
The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).































Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.







There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's "This American Life") talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? "--Doug Thomas"







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Theatrical: 1996

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 145

Summary: In "Independence Day", a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. "Independence Day" is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, "Independence Day" is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 122

Summary: Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skul"l, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp ("War of the Worlds") set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of "Raiders" love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat. "--Ellen A. Kim"




Stills from "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 153

Summary: Although Quentin Tarantino has cherished Enzo G. Castellari's 1978 "macaroni" war flick "The Inglorious Bastards" for most of his film-geek life, his own "Inglourious Basterds" is no remake. Instead, as hinted by the Tarantino-esque misspelling, this is a lunatic fantasia of WWII, a brazen re-imagining of both history and the behind-enemy-lines war film subgenre. There's a Dirty Not-Quite-Dozen of mostly Jewish commandos, led by a Tennessee good ol' boy named Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who reckons each warrior owes him one hundred Nazi scalps--and he means that literally. Even as Raine's band strikes terror into the Nazi occupiers of France, a diabolically smart and self-assured German officer named Landa (Christoph Waltz) is busy validating his own legend as "The Jew Hunter." Along the way, he wipes out the rural family of a grave young girl (Melanie Laurent) who will reappear years later in Paris, dreaming of vengeance on an epic scale.
Now, this isn't one more big-screen comic book. As the masterly opening sequence reaffirms, Tarantino is a true "filmmaker", with a deep respect for the integrity of screen space and the tension that can accumulate in contemplating two men seated at a table having a polite conversation. "IB" reunites QT with cinematographer Robert Richardson (who shot "Kill Bill"), and the colors and textures they serve up can be riveting, from the eerie red-hot glow of a tabletop in Adolf Hitler's den, to the creamy swirl of a Parisian pastry in which Landa parks his cigarette. The action has been divided, "Pulp Fiction"-like, into five chapters, each featuring at least one spellbinding set-piece. It's testimony to the integrity we mentioned that Tarantino can lock in the ferocious suspense of a scene for minutes on end, then explode the situation almost faster than the eye and ear can register, and "then" take the rest of the sequence to a new, wholly unanticipated level within seconds.
Again, be warned: This is not your "Greatest Generation," "Saving Private Ryan" WWII. The sadism of Raine and his boys can be as unsavory as the Nazi variety; Tarantino's latest cinematic protégé, Eli (director of "Hostel") Roth, is aptly cast as a self-styled "golem" fond of pulping Nazis with a baseball bat. But get past that, and the sometimes disconcerting shifts to another location and another set of characters, and the movie should gather you up like a growing floodtide. Tarantino told the Cannes Film Festival audience that he wanted to show "Adolf Hitler defeated by cinema." Cinema wins. "--Richard T. Jameson"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 120

Summary: Distractingly loose but clever, this 1987 comedy by Joe Dante ("Gremlins", "Matinee") stars Martin Short as a hypochondriac and Dennis Quaid as a miniaturized test pilot who is accidentally injected into him. Taking a page or two (or a hundred) from the classic science fiction movie "Fantastic Voyage", "Innerspace" details the adventures of traveling through the human body's complicated systems, though in this case, it proves an unusual way for two characters to forge a bond. Dante's endless imagination goes into overdrive here, but the film is more gimmick than anything else and ultimately feels a bit hollow. Fans of Short or Quaid might like it more than most, though Dante's hardcore fans will also appreciate seeing his stock players Dick Miller and Kevin McCarthy. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 129

Summary: Spike Lee scored his biggest hit to date with "Inside Man", an unconventional thriller with fascinating details in the margins of its convoluted plot. The screenplay (by first-timer Russell Gerwitz) could've used a few more rewrites; it moves at a brisk pace but in hindsight a lot of it doesn't make sense. That makes "Inside Man" more fun to watch than to think about afterwards (when you discover plot holes big enough to drive a truck through), but it's curiously involving, especially as NYPD Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) struggles to outsmart a high-stakes bank robber (Clive Owen) who, along with a well-trained crew of accomplices, has seized control of a Wall Street bank, turning what initially looks like a hostage crisis into a personal crusade to expose some mysterious evil secrets. As you might expect from the director of "Do the Right Thing", Lee seizes several satisfying opportunities to examine post-9/11 issues of racial prejudice and domestic terrorism, and the mysterious "problem solver" Madeline White (Jodie Foster), as eerily sinister as she is vaguely defined, is worthy of her own movie. With the benefit of his most stellar cast to date (including Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe and Chiwetel Ejiofor), Lee seems more interested in character details than well-crafted suspense, but that doesn't stop "Inside Man" from being engrossing, subtly amusing, and quirky enough to qualify as a welcomed break from the formulaic thrillers that are Hollywood's bread and butter."--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 157

Summary: As revisionist history, Michael Mann's intelligent docudrama "The Insider" is a simmering brew of altered facts and dramatic license. In a broader perspective, however, the film (cowritten with "Forrest Gump" Oscar-winner Eric Roth) is effectively accurate as an engrossing study of ethics in the corruptible industries of tobacco and broadcast journalism. On one side, there is Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), the former tobacco scientist who violated contractual agreements to expose Brown & Williamson's inclusion of addictive ingredients in cigarettes, casting himself into a vortex of moral dilemma. On the other side is "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), whose struggle to report Wigand's story puts him at odds with veteran correspondent Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) and senior executives at CBS News.
As the urgency of the story increases, so does the film's palpable sense of paranoia, inviting favorable comparison to "All the President's Men". While Pacino downplays the theatrical excess that plagued him in previous roles, Crow is superb as a man who retains his tortured integrity at great personal cost. "The Insider" is two movies--a cover-up thriller and a drama about journalistic ethics--that combine to embrace the noble values personified by Wigand and Bergman. Even if the details aren't always precise (as Mike Wallace and others protested prior to the film's release), the film adheres to a higher truth that was so blatantly violated by tobacco executives seen in an oft-repeated video clip, lying under oath in the service of greed. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 78

Summary: Strictly for kids, this 1999 live-action feature version of the popular cartoon series seems long even at 80 minutes. As a video, it's easier to take and appreciate for what works best in the story: the special effects. Matthew Broderick plays the security guard who is physically transformed into a multi-use cyborg with a zillion attachments, from stilts to helicopter blades to skis. A crimefighter in raincoat and fedora, and equipped with a nifty Gadgetmobile, the hero investigates the death of a man linked to the villainous Sanford Scolex (Rupert Everett). Scolex, who blames Gadget for having to wear a prosthetic hand, develops an evil robot twin of the good inspector, causing much mischief and giving Broderick an opportunity to poke fun at his own performance of the virtuous Inspector. The action is shaky, the script plods along, and the effects soon take over; Everett has to go to the extremes of hamminess just to be seen above it. But children of a certain age will almost certainly engage with the more clever stuff and forgive the rest. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 123

Summary: When it was announced that Tom Cruise would play the vampire Lestat in this adaptation of Anne Rice's bestselling novel, even Rice chimed in with a highly publicized objection. The author wisely and justifiably recanted her negative opinion when she saw Cruise's excellent performance, which perceptively addresses the pain and chronic melancholy that plagues anyone cursed with immortal bloodlust. Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst are equally good at maintaining the dark and brooding tone of Rice's novel. And in this rare mainstream project for a major studio, director Neil Jordan compensates for a lumbering plot by honoring the literate, Romantic qualities of Rice's screenplay. Considered a disappointment while being embraced by Rice's loyal followers, the movie is too slow to be a satisfying thriller, but it is definitely one of the most lavish, intelligent horror films ever made. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 100

Summary: A sleek George Clooney and a seductive Catherine Zeta-Jones square off magnificently in the divorce comedy "Intolerable Cruelty". The plot is simple: Lawyer supreme Miles Massey (Clooney, "Out of Sight", "Ocean's Eleven") skillfully outmaneuvers gold-digger Marylin Rexroth (Zeta-Jones, "Chicago", "Traffic") when she divorces her wealthy husband--and she sets out to get revenge. But this movie comes from the creative minds of the Coen Brothers ("Fargo", "Raising Arizona", "O Brother Where Art Thou?"), and so "Intolerable Cruelty" includes a Scottish wedding chapel in Vegas, an asthmatic hit man, fluffy-dog-stroking European nobility, and a legendarily unbreakable pre-nuptial agreement. Still, it's pretty restrained for the Coens; smooth and consistent, it never stumbles as disappointingly as their movies can, but also never quite hits the operatic pitch of their best work. It's still damn funny, though, with top-notch performances from the leads as well as Geoffrey Rush, Cedric the Entertainer, and Billy Bob Thornton. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 99

Summary: "The Invasion" deserves a second chance on DVD. This ambitious sci-fi thriller represents a flawed yet worthy attempt to bring contemporary vitality to Jack Finney's classic science fiction novel, previously filmed as Don Siegel's 1956 classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", Philip Kaufman's suspenseful 1978 remake, and Abel Ferrara's highly underrated "Body Snatchers" from 1994. And while those earlier films are superior in many respects, "The Invasion" is not without strengths of its own, particularly for those who prefer action and suspense. Unfortunately these strengths were compromised by the unpredictable misfortunes of production: Original director Oliver Hirschbiegel (hired on the strength of "Downfall") was eventually replaced by James McTiegue ("V for Vendetta"), and the Wachowski Brothers (of "Matrix" trilogy fame) added high-octane action sequences to the original screenplay by David Kajganich. Perhaps the movie had a curse on it (star Nicole Kidman was almost seriously injured in a stunt-car mishap during last-minute reshoots), but it's really just a matter of disparate ingredients that don't always fit together, resulting in a slick-looking film that can't decide if it's a sci-fi mystery, action thriller, or political allegory. It tries too hard to be all things at once.
Despite this, Kidman rises to the occasion with a solid performance as Carol, a Washington, D.C. psychiatrist who's convinced (with the help of costars Daniel Craig and Jeffrey Wright) that a flu-like virus is spreading throughout the population, its alien spores turning victims into soulless "pod people"... only in this case without the pods. The idea is that you'll be fine if you don't fall asleep, and especially if you don't let anyone sneeze or vomit on you. (There's a lot of vomiting; don't say you weren't warned.) With a crashing space shuttle to deliver the alien threat, cute tyke Jackson Bond as Carol's threatened son, and a nod to Kaufman's film with a small role for Veronica Cartwright, "The Invasion" will surely fare better on DVD than it did in theaters. If nothing else, it proves the timeless relevance of Finney's original premise, which continues to inspire a multitude of variations. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 102

Summary: A "Sixth Sense" wannabe for teenagers, "The Invisible" is a loosely adapted remake of the 2002 Swedish thriller "Den Osynlige", and begins with a promising supernatural scenario: When wealthy teenager Nick Powell (Justin Chatwin) is nearly beaten to death by his sullen, alienated classmate Annie Newton (Margarita Levieva) and her tough-punk friends, he's left for dead and his disappearance draws the attention of local detectives while his widowed mother (Marcia Gay Harden) remains in a grieving state of shock. But Nick isn't dead yet, and now his invisible spirit is roaming among the living, struggling to prevent his own death while fixed in a state of metaphysical limbo. Can he be seen and heard by some people, but not others? Even though he's essentially a ghost, can he influence the physical world around him? Can he lead police to discover his near-dead body? Can he save Annie from the fate that awaits her? These are questions that "The Invisible" struggles to answer in a muddled, inconsistent screenplay that fails to play by its own rules--it's just one unconvincing scene after another, devoid of suspense or supernatural thrills. It's anyone's guess why director David S. Goyer (a successful screenwriter whose credits include "Blade" and "Batman Begins") was drawn to this weakly plotted story, which is derivative, illogical, and overly melodramatic. That may explain why "The Invisible" vanished after its brief theatrical release, destined for a long shelf-life on DVD. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 117

Summary: Short of "Top Gun", this could be the definitive boys movie of the 1980s. An 18-year-old (Jason Gedrick) gets instruction from an old vet (Louis Gossett Jr.) in how to fly an F-16 jet and kick butt in the Middle East, all while listening to his Walkman and--oh, yeah--saving his father from terrorist clutches. Gossett wears his tough-love face while the kids run rampant. Speaking of kids, young guys must like this comic-book movie, as its success spawned three sequels. But watch out for the Reagan-era jingoism and political reductiveness. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: Suit up for action with Robert Downey Jr. in the ultimate adventure movie you’ve been waiting for, "Iron Man"! When jet-setting genius-industrialist Tony Stark is captured in enemy territory, he builds a high-tech suit of armor to escape. Now, he’s on a mission to save the world as a hero who’s built, not born, to be unlike any other. Co-starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges, it’s a fantastic, high-flying journey that is "hugely entertaining" (Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal).

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 124

Summary: After the high-flying adventures of the first "Iron Man" picture, the billionaire arms manufacturer and irrepressible bon vivant Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds himself nursing a hangover. But not like any hangover he's had before: this one is toxic, a potentially deadly condition resulting from heavy metals (or something) bleeding out of the hardware he's installed in the middle of his chest. This is the problem Stark needs to solve in "Iron Man 2", not to mention the threat from resentful Russian science whiz Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), whose father helped create the Iron Man technology. There's an even bigger problem for the film: the need to set up a future Marvel Comics movie universe in which a variety of veteran characters will join forces, a requirement that slows down whatever through-line the movie can generate (although fanboys will have a good time digging the clues laid out here). Actually, the main plot is no great shakes: another Iron Man suit is deployed (Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard from the first film, gets to climb inside), Stark continues to bicker with assistant Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and a weaselly business rival (Sam Rockwell) tries to out-do the Iron Man suit with an army of Vanko-designed drones. Mickey Rourke is a letdown, burdened by a wobbly Russian accent and looking skeptical about the genre foolishness around him, and Scarlett Johansson has to wait until the final couple of reels to unleash some butt-kickin' skills as the future Black Widow. That climax is sufficiently lively, and the initial half-hour, including Stark's smirky appearance before a Senate committee and a wacky showdown at the Monaco Grand Prix, provides a strong, swift opening. But the lull between these high points is crying for more action and more Downey improv. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 136

Summary: When you add up all the best things about "The Island", you might just conclude that there's hope yet for Hollywood's most critically reviled hit-maker, Michael Bay. Recruited by Steven Spielberg to direct this lavish and often breathtaking sci-fi action thriller, Bay rises to the occasion with an ambitious production that is, by his standards (and compared to Bay's earlier hits like "The Rock" and "Armageddon"), surprisingly intelligent as it explores the repercussions of cloning in a sealed-off society where humans are cultivated for spare parts, surrogate parenthood, and full-body replacements for wealthy clientele. But when two of the clones (Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johanssen) begin to question their fate and the motives of their keepers, they escape into the real world and "The Island" becomes just another Michael Bay action extravaganza, albeit an impressively exciting one. With elaborate chase scenes and a high-tech feast of CGI to dazzle the eye, "The Island" recycles much of the plot from 1979's "Clonus" while borrowing elements from "Logan's Run", "Gattaca" and "Minority Report", and while it's not as smartly conceived as those earlier films, there's no denying that, in many ways, it's Bay's best film to date. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 111

Summary: Though it bears little resemblance to the original 1969 thriller starring Michael Caine, the 2003 remake of "The Italian Job" stands on its own as a caper comedy that's well above average. The title's a misnomer--this time it's actually a Los Angeles job--but the action's just as exciting as it propels a breezy tale of honor and dishonor among competing thieves. Inheriting Caine's role as ace heist-planner Charlie Croker, Mark Wahlberg plays straight-man to a well-cast team of accomplices, including Mos Def, Jason Statham, and scene-stealer Seth Green in a variation of the role originally played by Noel Coward. As the daughter of Croker's ill-fated mentor (Donald Sutherland), Charlize Theron is recruited to double-cross a double-crosser (Edward Norton in oily villain mode), and once again, speedily versatile Mini Coopers play a pivotal role in director F. Gary Gray's exhilarating car-chase climax. It's perhaps the greatest product placement in movie history, and just as fun the second time around. "--Jeff Shannon"