DVDpedia : Library : Title : M

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Dreamworks Animated

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 86

Summary: The penguins steal the show. In the sprightly "Madagascar", a mid-life crisis inspires Marty the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock) to escape from his lifelong home, a New York zoo. His equally pampered friends--Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer)--then escape to bring him back. Unfortunately, their attempt at damage control persuades zoo officials that the animals are unhappy, so all four get shipped to an animal preserve in Kenya...only a squad of maniacal penguins change the destination to Antarctica. The quartet end up on an island where, in addition to meeting some hedonistic lemurs, they learn about the food chain--and that Alex is a different link on the chain from the other three. "Madagascar" doesn't achieve the snappy perfection of a Pixar movie, but it tops most other computer-animated efforts; the collision of friendship and predator instincts makes for an unusually gripping conflict. The vocal performances of the central characters is serviceable, but Sacha Baron Cohen ("Da Ali G Show") provides topnotch lunacy as the lemur king, and the penguins--voiced mostly by the animators themselves--are the best thing in the movie. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Dreamworks Animated

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 89

Summary: The sequel to the animated movie "Madagascar" gives more of everything audiences loved in the first movie: More of the penguins; more of Julian, king of the lemurs; more musical bits of classic rock; and many, many more lions, zebras, hippos, and giraffes. In the first film, a quartet of coddled zoo animals found themselves shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar in a misguided effort to return them to the wild. In"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa", a failed attempt to fly back to New York maroons Alex the lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) in an animal preserve on the African continent, accompanied by the four deranged penguins and the lunatic lemur king (deliriously voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat"). By wild coincidence, this is where Alex was born--and where his father is still the alpha lion, and where his malevolent uncle seeks to take over (let's call this an homage to "The Lion King"). The other beasts have their own story arcs, but really it's all an excuse for daffy comic bits. Though the result is disposable, it's also entirely entertaining. The action sequences pop with dizzying spectacle; though some jokes are mainstream fodder, more often they're surprisingly quirky and engagingly oddball. This is the best kind of cotton candy filmmaking--it dissolves into nothing, but it's oh-so-sweet to the taste. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 95

Summary: Progressing beyond their indie hit "Swingers", Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughan return with "Made", playing (respectively) Bobby and Ricky, long-time pals in Los Angeles. Failing as amateur boxers, they're recruited by their mob-connected boss (Peter Falk) to make what should be an easy delivery to an East Coast kingpin named Ruiz (Sean "P. Diddy" Combs). By the time they reach New York, Bobby's no-nonsense approach has been bulldozed by Ricky's hopelessly false bravado, which he's blithely absorbed from too many mobster movies. While Ricky invites disaster with reckless ambition, Bobby just wants a happier, legitimate future for his stripper girlfriend (Famke Janssen) and her neglected young daughter.
"Made" is an urban comedy that's sharper than its popular predecessor if not quite as appealing. Favreau and Vaughn make a hilarious odd couple of the underworld, and Vaughan's bullish performance--even as it grows redundant and deliberately irritating--is a raucous blend of stupidity and baseless braggadocio. Even more surprising is Combs, playing a thinly veiled variant of himself and providing some of the film's funniest, most authentic confrontations. As Favreau mines danger, humor, and pathos from carefully modulated scenes, the movie gains unexpected depth that sustains it through lulls of inspiration. And while Sam Rockwell, Bud Cort, and others pop in to spin gold in walk-on roles, "Made" continues to work its subtle charms, even with a tacked-on happy ending that arguably doesn't belong. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1995

Studio: Gramercy Pictures (I)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Duration: 94

Summary: Brodie Bruce, a Sega and comic book obsessed college student, and his best friend, TS Quint, are both dumped by their girlfriends on the same day, and to deal with their loss, they both go to the local mall. Along the way, they meet up with some friends, including Willam, a guy who stares at Magic Eye pictures, desprately trying to see the hidden image; Gwen, one of TS's ex-girlfriends; and Jay & Silent Bob, of Clerks fame. Eventually, they decide to try and win back their significant others, and take care of their respective nemesises (TS's girlfriend's father, and a store clerk who hates the two for not having any shopping agenda).

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 83

Summary: Eugene Levy is the quintessential milquetoast white guy and Samuel L. Jackson is the definitive badass black dude. The producers of "The Man" calculated that the collision of their innate racial qualities would produce the kind of comic sparks that Levy and Queen Latifah set off in "Bringing Down the House". When ATF agent Derrick Vann (Jackson, "Pulp Fiction") learns that his partner is dead and a cache of guns has been stolen, he sets up a sting to get the weapons back. But into the middle of his scheme stumbles Andy Fiddler (Levy, "A Mighty Wind", "American Pie"), a dental supplies salesman from Wisconsin. From there unspools some formulaic buddy-movie pap: Vann gives Fiddler a dose of excitement and Fiddler teaches Vann a little compassion and trust as they improbably track down the bad guys. To a degree, the producers were right--the interplay between Levy's Groucho eyebrows and Jackson's burning scowl provides the only juice this movie has. "The Man" doesn't deserve actors as talented as Levy and Jackson, but there's no denying they apply themselves diligently and squeeze out a few laughs. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 100

Summary: Let's face it, sometimes you just want to watch some fluff. The ever-expanding subgenre of cheerleader cinema offers dependable fluff, of which "Man of the House" is a shiny, frivolous example. After a multiethnic cheerleading squad witnesses a mob execution, Texas Ranger Roland Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones, "The Fugitive", "Men in Black") is assigned to protect them. That's all you need to know--a formulaic plot follows, but the filmmakers recognizes that the formula is known by all so they doesn't waste time with unnecessary exposition. Instead, we go straight to amusing scenes of Sharp teaching the unruly (and scantily clad) girls some discipline and the girls teaching Sharp to loosen up and forge a better relationship with his estranged daughter. It's a one-joke movie, but thanks to Jones' leathery hound-dog face and cowpoke gravitas, the contrast between the girls and Sharp keeps being funny. Of its kind, "Man of the House" isn't in the same league as "Bring It On" (pretty much the "ne plus ultra" of cheerleader movies), but it's head and shoulders over the likes of "Sugar & Spice". Also featuring Cedric the Entertainer ("Barbershop"), Anne Archer ("Fatal Attraction"), and R. Lee Ermey("Full Metal Jacket"). "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 115

Summary: A comedy with serious intentions, "Man of the Year" attempts to challenge the audience's notions of what is and isn't real when it comes to politics. Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a popular political talk show host. As a lark, he runs for president and wins. The thing is, he's not any more unqualified than the other candidates, so his victory doesn't seem quite so outrageous. But when it turns out that the computer ballot firm responsible for tallying all the votes may have had a glitch--and that a recount would negate his win--mayhem ensues and the film segues from comedy, to drama, and back to comedy (sort of) again. Directed by Barry Levinson ("Diner", "Wag the Dog"), the film doesn't take advantage of Williams' natural humor or charm. He at times appears to be chomping at the bit to unleash a comedic tirade or two, only to be held back by stiff lines. Williams only truly appears to be enjoying himself when trading lines with Laura Linney, who portrays the hapless do-gooder at the ballot firm who's being set up to appear unreliable. With some fine performances by a supporting cast that includes Jeff Goldblum, Lewis Black, and the inimitable Christopher Walken, "Man of the Year" occasionally hints at greatness. But at best, it's a lukewarm comedy with a diluted message. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 146

Summary: Style trumps substance in "Man on Fire", a slick, brooding reunion of "Crimson Tide" star Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott. The ominous, crime-ridden setting is Mexico City, where a dour, alcoholic warrior with a mysterious Black Ops past (Washington) seeks redemption as the devoted bodyguard of a lovable 9-year-old girl (the precociously gifted Dakota Fanning), then responds with predictable fury when she is kidnapped. Prolific screenwriter Brian Helgeland ("Mystic River", "L.A. Confidential") sets a solid emotional foundation for Washington's tormented character, and Scott's stylistic excess compensates for a distended plot that's both repellently violent and viscerally absorbing. Among Scott's more distracting techniques is the use of free-roaming, comic-bookish subtitles... "even when they're unnecessary"! Adapted from a novel by A.J. Quinnell and previously filmed as a 1987 vehicle for Scott Glenn, "Man on Fire" is roughly on par with Scott's similar 1990 film "Revenge", efficiently satisfying Washington's incendiary bloodlust under a heavy blanket of humid, doom-laden atmosphere. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 92

Summary: Adapted from a popular French comedy-thriller, "The Man with One Red Shoe" follows a concert violinist (Tom Hanks) used as a patsy in a conflict between two rival factions of the CIA. Singled out at the airport solely because he's wearing mismatched shoes, Hanks is henceforth believed to be a mole with important information; a rogue crew of agents follows him, searches his apartment, and even seduces him in order to find out what he knows. At the same time, loyal agents--who also believe he's a mole--follow and protect him from predation by the rogues. Lori Singer plays a beautiful blonde spy with a conscience and an astonishing backless dress; Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, and Edward Herrmann are agents trying to second-guess each other; Jim Belushi plays Hanks's best friend, a jealous percussionist, and Carrie Fisher plays Belushi's wife, a flautist who's infatuated with Hanks and wants him to make some jungle love. Hanks plays it straight and is reliably pleasant. In the hands of Hitchcock, this might have generated some real suspense; as it is, it's amusing with some good twists, some weak gags, and one remarkable bicycle stunt. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1987

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: "Mannequin" is notionally a romantic comedy in which Andrew McCarthy plays a luckless department-store employee and Kim Cattrall ("Sex and the City") is an Egyptian princess reincarnated as a shop-window dummy, who comes to life when she encounters McCarthy, only to revert to mannequin status when anyone else is watching her. With her encouragement, he becomes emboldened in his career as a window decorator as well as falling in love with the princess. James Spader's oily, stammering executive is just one of the many examples of a film that tries way too hard to be funny, the sort of characterization that would be barely adequate for a TV commercial, let alone a 90-minute movie. Still, for fans of "Sex and the City" who might want to feast upon the spectacle of a younger Kim Cattrall, "Mannequin" might offer a measure of relief. "--David Stubbs"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: New Line Cinema

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 101

Summary: Sometimes it's hard to tell if "The Mask" (or Jim Carrey's in-your-face mugging in general) is actually funny, or just bizarre and grotesque. And sometimes it just doesn't matter. Carrey plays a shy, Jerry Lewis-like nerd who discovers an ancient mask that magically transforms him into a green-faced, zoot-suited Tex Avery cartoon character with no inhibitions. As Roger Ebert said of Carrey in "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", the actor performs "as if he's being clocked on an Energy-O-Meter, and paid by the calorie expended." If that's your kind of humor, you'll love "The Mask"; if not, you may need a valium or two to sit through this one. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 136

Summary: A lusty and rousing adventure, this calls to mind those glorious costume dramas produced so capably by the old Hollywood studio system--hardly surprising, in that its title character, a de facto Robin Hood in Old California, provided starring vehicles for Douglas Fairbanks and Tyrone Power, the '50s TV hit, and dozens of serials and features. Zorro, a pop-fiction creation invented by Johnston McCulley in 1918, is given new blood in this fast-moving and engaging version, which actually works as a sequel to the story line in the Fairbanks-Power saga, "The Mark of Zorro". A self-assured Anthony Hopkins is Don Diego de la Vega, a Mexican freedom fighter captured and imprisoned just as Spain concedes California to Santa Ana. Twenty years later, he escapes from prison to face down his mortal enemy, a land grabbing governor played with slimy spitefulness by Stuart Wilson. Too old to save the local peasants on his own, he trains bandito Antonio Banderas to take his place. Much swashbuckling ensues as Banderas woos Catherine Zeta-Jones, becomes a better human being, and saves the disenfranchised rabble. Director Martin Campbell wisely instills a measure of frivolity into the deftly choreographed action sequences, while letting a serious tone creep in when appropriate. This covers much ground under the banner of romantic-action-adventure, and it does so most excellently. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 138

Summary: In the capable hands of director Peter Weir, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" is a seafaring adventure like no other, impeccably authentic, dynamically cast, and thrilling enough to give any classic swashbuckler a run for its money. In adapting two of Patrick O'Brian's enormously popular novels about British naval hero Capt. Jack Aubrey, Weir and cowriter John Collee have changed the timeframe from the British/American war of 1812 to the British/French opposition of 1805, where the "HMS Surprise", under Aubrey's confident command, is patrolling the South Atlantic in pursuit of the "Acheron", a French warship with the strategic advantage of greater size, speed, and artillery. Russell Crowe is outstanding as Aubrey, firm and fiercely loyal, focused on his prey even if it means locking horns with his friend and ship's surgeon, played by Crowe's "A Beautiful Mind" costar Paul Bettany. Employing a seamless combination of carefully matched ocean footage, detailed models, full-scale ships, and CGI enhancements, Weir pays exacting attention to every nautical detail, while maintaining a very human story of honor, warfare, and survival under wretched conditions. Raging storms and hull-shattering battles provide pulse-pounding action, and a visit to the Galapagos Islands lends a note of otherworldly wonder, adding yet another layer of historical perspective to this splendidly epic adventure. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1994

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 127

Summary: Inspired by the 1960s TV series that starred James Garner in the title role, this lightweight Western from 1994 proved to be a surprising box-office hit. Well, maybe not such a big surprise, since it's from the star and director of the "Lethal Weapon" movies, and operates with a similar combination of mainstream plotting and easygoing humor. Mel Gibson stars as card-playing gunslinger Brett Maverick, who meets up with wily gambler Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster) and a marshal named Zane Cooper (James Garner, trading his old role to Gibson) on his way to the World Series of poker in St. Louis. Maverick's trying to raise the $5,000 needed to join the high-stakes contest, but that's easier said than done due to a lot of unscrupulous competition and a twisting plot of tricks and deceptions. It's all played for laughs and action, so the movie never wears out its welcome, despite a running time that could've used a good trimming. It's also fun to see the rapport between Gibson and Garner, as if the present and former Mavericks were a kind of surrogate son and father, bonded by their mutual skill in charming and conning their way through tight spots. Director Richard Donner also pays tribute to old Westerns by casting veterans of the genre in cameo roles (including Bert Remsen, Dub Taylor, and Denver Pyle), and Gibson's "Lethal Weapon" costar Danny Glover pops in for a surprise appearance. None of this really adds up to much since the movie makes no pretense about taking itself seriously, but that's precisely why audiences found it so entertaining. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 103

Summary: Any film based on a first-person shooter video game should, as a rule of thumb, be full of epic shootouts on a level equal to Sergio Leone or the Wachowski Brothers, and in that regard, Max Payne is an unqualified success. Mark Wahlberg also lives up to the game's pedigree by brooding mightily as the title hero, a big city detective mourning the murder of his wife and child. Revenge is, of course, Payne's ultimate goal, and with the assistance of slinky Russian hitwoman Mila Kunis, he dishes it out in elaborate set pieces overflowing with gymnastic gun play. Viewers seeking just that and nothing more will get their money's worth from John Moore's film adaptation, and most likely be impressed by its fashionably gloomy art direction and cinematography. Those seeking a bit more than gunpowder and gristle will find Max Payne utterly derivative of a half-dozen better films (Christopher Nolan's Batman films, most notably) and violent to the point of cartoon absurdity. They may find some refuge in appealing supporting turns by Donal Logue and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as diametrically opposed cops and Beau Bridges, who offers his usual roguish charm as Payne's former superior. --Paul Gaita


Beyond Max Payne on DVD
Babylon A.D.
Boondock Saints
Donnie Darko


Stills from Max Payne (Click for larger image)

 
 

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 116

Summary: In "Me, Myself & Irene", Jim Carrey plays Charlie Baileygates, a cop for the best police force in the world (Rhode Island). In denial about his wife's affair, he's a nice guy who goes around trying to do the right thing but is taken advantage of every step of the way. Instead of confronting people, he takes the abuse, balls it up, and hides it in the pit of his stomach. His psyche can only take so much, though, and soon his alter-ego Hank pops out to do every libidinous thing Charlie would never do. It's a great premise for a Jim Carrey film. Unfortunately, it's not a great Jim Carrey film. Famous for the lowbrow, shock comedies like "Dumb and Dumber", "Kingpin", and "There's Something About Mary", here the Farrelly brothers get lost in a series of lazy gags and an even lazier plot about some evil golf development and the woman, Irene (Renée Zellweger), who needs to be protected because she knows something about it. Some of the jokes hit (there's a bathroom scene that's 10 times funnier than the hair-gel gag in "There's Something About Mary"), but many more miss. There are some great concepts (his three sons are hip-hop geniuses) that don't go anywhere (they swear a lot). It's like the movie itself has a split personality--funny ideas trapped in a less-than-funny film. "--Andy Spletzer"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 88

Summary: The inspired pairing of Jackie Chan and British comedian Lee Evans ("Funny Bones") gives "The Medallion" some extra oomph. Hong Kong agent Eddie Yang (Chan) flies to Ireland to track down a very bad guy named Snakehead (Julian Sands, "Warlock", exuding his dependable oily menace) who has kidnapped a young boy with the power of life and death. When Eddie dies protecting the boy, the boy resurrects him with a magical medallion--and when Eddie comes back, he's got supernatural powers, much to the befuddlement of his former partner, Arthur (Evans). Along for the ride is Eddie's old flame, Nicole (Claire Forlani, "Mystery Men"), wearing tight outfits and delivering high kicks. Chan has lost the astonishing elasticity of his youth, but he's still spry enough pull some dazzling moves, and Evans is just amazingly funny. Between the two, "The Medallion" is far more entertaining than you might expect. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 106

Summary: Director John McTiernan ("Die Hard") does an underwhelming job with this potentially interesting story of a research scientist (Sean Connery) who discovers a cure for cancer in the Brazilian rain forest, but then can't retrace his steps in creating the potion. Added pressure on his work is coming from developers burning down the forest, while an American bureaucrat (Lorraine Bracco), who holds the purse strings on the grant, has arrived to give him a bad time. The crucial chemistry between the stars just isn't there (Bracco can be hard to take at times), and, despite the added exotica of local witch doctors and seeing Connery swing through the trees, the elements just don't come together in this well-meaning but disappointing movie. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 115

Summary: "Meet the Parents" found such tremendous success in the chemistry produced by the contrasting personalities of stars Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller that the film's creators went for broke with the same formula again in "Meet the Fockers". This time around, Jack and Dina Byrnes (De Niro and Blythe Danner) climb into Jack's new kevlar-lined RV with daughter Pam (Teri Polo), soon-to-be son-in-law Gaylord (Stiller), and Jack's infant grandson from his other daughter for the trip to Florida to meet Gaylord's parents, Bernie and Roz Focker (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand in a casting coup). The potential in-laws are, of course, the opposite of Jack, a pair of randy, touchy-feely fun-lovers. The rest of the movie is pretty much a sitcom: put Bernie and Roz together with Jack, and watch the in-laws clash as Gaylord squirms. As with the original, there is a sense of joy in watching these actors take on their roles with obvious relish, and the Hoffman-Streisand-Stiller triumvirate is likeable enough to draw you in. But the formula doesn't work as well in "Fockers" mostly because much of the humor is based on two obvious gimmicks: Gaylord Focker's name, and the fact that Streisand's character is a sex therapist. As a result, the movie itself is more contrived and predictable, and a lot less fun than the original. The casting is grand, but one wishes more thought was put into the script."--Dan Vancini"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 108

Summary: Randy Newman's opening song, "A Fool in Love," perfectly sets up the movie that follows. The lyrics begin, "Show me a man who is gentle and kind, and I'll show you a loser," before praising the man who takes what he wants. Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is the fool in love in "Meet the Parents". Just as he's about to propose to his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo), he learns that her sister's fiancé asked their father, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro), for permission to marry. Now he feels the need to do the same thing. When Greg meets Jack, he is so desperate to be liked that he makes up stories and kisses ass rather than having the courage of his convictions. It doesn't take an elite member of the CIA to see right through Greg, but that's precisely what Jack is. Directed by Jay Roach (the "Austin Powers" movies), "Meet the Parents" is an incredibly well-crafted comedy that stands in nice opposition to, say, the sloppy extremes of the Farrelly brothers. Stiller is great at playing up the uncomfortable comedy of errors, balancing just the right amount of selfishness and self-deprecating humor, while De Niro's Jack is funny as the hard-ass father who just wants a few straight answers from the kid. What makes the Jack character all the funnier is Blythe Danner as his wife, the Gracie to his George Burns, who is the true heart of the movie. Oh, and Owen Wilson turns in yet another terrific comic performance as Pam's ex-fiancé. "--Andy Spletzer"

Theatrical:

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 871

Summary: Stills of The Mel Brooks Collection [Blu-ray] packaging (Click for larger image)


 
 
 

Theatrical: 1981

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 92

Summary: Mel Brooks's 1981, three-part comedy--set in the Stone Age, the Roman Empire, and the French Revolution--is pure guilty pleasure. Narrated by Orson Welles and featuring a lot of famous faces in guest appearances (beyond the official cast), the film opens well with Sid Caesar playing a caveman, then moves along to the unlikely but somehow hilarious juxtaposition of Caesar's soldiers (the other Caesar, not Sid) with pot humor, and ends on a dumb-funny note in the French bloodbath. This is a take-it-or-leave-it movie, and it works best if you're in a take-it-or-leave-it mood. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 113

Summary: Guy Pearce ("L.A. Confidential") and Joe Pantoliano ("The Matrix") shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. "Memento" combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where "Memento" gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out "why" it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. "Memento" has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. "--Ali Davis"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 99

Summary: Chevy Chase and Darryl Hannah star in and John (Halloween) Carpenter directs a lighthearted adventure: a Wall Street analyst becomes invisible after a lab accident, leading to complications both comic and romantic. Year: 1992 Director: John Carpenter Starring: Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 107

Summary: If you've never seen an aviation movie before in your entire life, you'll be blissfully ignorant of the fact that "Memphis Belle" shamelessly (and yet gloriously) incorporates just about every cliché in the flight-movie handbook. If you're a big fan of aviation movies--especially movies about World War II bomber crews--you'll be glad that the genre's clichés have been handled with such professional flair. As it follows the crew of a B-17 bomber on its final and most dangerous mission over Germany, "Memphis Belle" may be little more than a slick and highly authentic presentation of familiar thrills and characters, but it's a rousing piece of entertainment. Featuring an ensemble cast of fresh faces who've since enjoyed thriving careers (including Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Eric Stoltz, D.B. Sweeney, and Harry Connick Jr.), the movie exists as a fitting tribute to the men who fought and often died in the air over hostile territory. It's the Hollywood version of a 1944 wartime documentary made by legendary director William Wyler (whose daughter served as one of this film's producers), and as such it's a bit contrived and melodramatic. And yet, this exciting movie is almost certain to grab and hold your attention, offering an honorable reminder of the bravery and integrity that were crucial ingredients of any bomber's crew. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 88

Summary: More remake than sequel, "Men in Black II" safely repeats everything that made "Men in Black" the blockbuster hit of 1997. That's fine if you loved the original's fresh humor, weird aliens, and loopy ingenuity, but as sequels go, it's pure déjà vu. Makeup wizard Rick Baker is the only "MIB" alumnus who's trying anything new, while director Barry Sonnenfeld and costars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (as alien-fighting agents Jay and Kay, respectively) are on autopilot with an uninspired screenplay. The quest of a multitentacled alien--on Earth in the form of Lara Flynn Boyle--for the light of Zartha requires Jay to deneuralize Kay, whose restored memory contains the key to saving the planet. The tissue-thin premise allows all varieties of special effects--mostly familiar, with some oddly hilarious new stuff tossed in for good measure. Certainly enjoyable as a popcorn distraction, but the "MIB" magic has worn a bit thin. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 98

Summary: This imaginative summer comedy from director Barry Sonnenfeld ("Get Shorty") is a lot of fun, largely on the strength of Will Smith's engaging performance as the rookie partner of a secret agent (Tommy Lee Jones) assigned to keep tabs on Earth-dwelling extraterrestrials. There's lots of comedy to spare in this bright film, some of the funniest stuff found in the margins of the major action. (A scene with Smith's character being trounced in the distance by a huge alien while Jones questions a witness is a riot.) The inventiveness never lets up, and the cast--including Vincent D'Onofrio doing frighteningly convincing work as an alien occupying a decaying human--hold up their end splendidly. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 111

Summary: Take off your thinking caps and toss 'em in a corner, 'cuz you won't need 'em when you're watching this deliriously dumb thriller from 1997. Bruce Willis stars as a demoted FBI agent who comes to the aid of an autistic boy whose mind holds a potentially deadly secret. It seems that by gazing on a puzzle magazine and making order out of a hidden system of numbers, the 9-year-old autistic boy (Miko Hughes) has accidentally deciphered a sophisticated top-secret government code. This makes him the prime target of the ruthless bureaucrat (Alec Baldwin, in one of his silliest roles), and Willis comes to the rescue. This formulaic thriller sets up this plot with a lot of entertaining urgency, but you can't give any thought to "Mercury Rising" or the whole movie collapses under the weight of its own illogic and nonsense. The redeeming values are the performances of Willis, young Hughes, and newcomer Kim Dickens as a woman who agrees (perhaps too easily, it seems) to aid Willis in his plot to outmaneuver the bad guys. "Mercury Rising" is not a waste of time compared to other formulaic thrillers, but its entertainment value depends on how much you enjoy being smarter than the movie. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 148

Summary: 1999 may be remembered as the year of Joan of Arc: NBC created a miniseries in her honor, Carl Dreyer's long-lost "The Passion of Joan of Arc" was discovered in a mental hospital, and Facets re-released Jacques Rivette's "Joan the Maid". Luc Besson rounds out the corpus with his stylistic and vaguely heretical grand-scale feature, "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc".
Besson ("La Femme Nikita", "The Fifth Element") challenges established notions about the Maid of Orleans as he creates a decidedly more human heroine than have previous biopics. The story line is the same--a young, illiterate peasant girl convinces the dauphin of France to give her an army, and she leads them to victory in Orleans, only to be burned at the stake for heresy--but Milla Jovovich, in the title role, is a woman possessed. Her influences are less than heavenly; as a child she witnesses the murder of her sister by the English, a death caused by the sister's giving her hiding place to young Joan, which causes an intense desire for revenge. Yes, God still speaks to Joan, but even this is undermined, as Dustin Hoffman, playing The Conscience, questions her motives.
Cinematically, "The Messenger" is stunning, with fantastical sequences of Joan in communication with higher powers. Yet the graphic violence (scenes include random decapitation and a dog gnawing on a body); the uneven accents, which make it difficult to tell who is fighting on which side; and the rewriting of lore may make this version of Joan of Arc appeal only to Besson fans. Jovovich is convincing, and while at times the film may drag (at times you wish they'd hurry up and burn her), it is a remarkable and insightful retelling of a well-known piece of history. "--Jenny Brown"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 123

Summary: Part road movie, part romantic comedy, part thriller, and a whole lotta fun, "The Mexican" could get by on star power alone, but it offers Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, "and" a clever plot full of delightful surprises. It's a thoroughly enjoyable shaggy-dog story in which the downtrodden Jerry Welbach (Pitt) copes with a dual dilemma: his girlfriend Samantha (Roberts) has just dumped him to pursue solo ambitions in Las Vegas, and a manipulative mobster has ordered Jerry to Mexico to retrieve a coveted antique pistol (the "Mexican" of the title) that carries a legacy of legend, death, and danger. Jerry soon has his hands full with bandits, bloodshed, and a grizzly hound dog that vanishes and reappears with amusing regularity. En route to Vegas, Samantha's taken hostage by a burly assassin (James Gandolfini) who's attached to the gun-fetching scheme and is, in more ways than one, not who he seems to be.
Like a good magic act, J.H. Wyman's original screenplay distracts you from its gaps of logic, using unexpected revelations to fuel its strategic vitality. It also provides a wealth of character development, and director Gore Verbinski ("Mouse Hunt") gives his stellar cast equal time to shine. It hardly matters that Pitt and Roberts spend most of the film apart; their time together is worth waiting for, and the machinations that separate them play out like a cross between vintage Peckinpah and "Romancing the Stone". And why is the accursed "pistola" so valuable? That's just another surprise, setting the stage for the arrival of yet another big-name star, whose motivations are pure in a film full of double-crosses and darkly shaded humor. With a giddy plot like this, star power is just icing on the cake. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: BBC

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 360

Summary: John Le Carre for the Internet generation, the BBC's "MI-5" is a smart combination of TV cop show and George Smiley-esque espionage shenanigans that pulls no punches in its depiction of an MI-5 (the British CIA) team fighting a covert war on the streets of London. This is adult, post-watershed drama clearly inspired by the hard-hitting style of shows as "24" and "The Sopranos". The strong ensemble cast is led by charismatic Matthew MacFadyen as Tom Quinn, star spy of "Section B," the counterterrorism branch headed by Harry Pearce (Peter Firth). Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, and tough-cookie Jenny Agutter make up the team. And as with its British predecessors, "Cracker" and "Prime Suspect", "MI-5" (titled "Spooks" originally) also delves fearlessly into the characters' turbulent personal lives, here given an added twist by their constant need to deceive even those they love. The six episodes of the BAFTA Award-winning first season tackle a variety of tough issues, including religious fanaticism, racism, governmental cover-ups, and, naturally enough, the lingering shadow of Irish terrorism. Throughout, the show strikes a fine balance between a James Bond-ian techno-obsession with spy gadgets and more character-based action, with crisp writing and direction that ratchets up the tension a notch further with every episode. The final cliffhanger is an unforgettable TV moment, and one that leaves viewers agog for next season. "--Mark Walker"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: BBC Warner

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 600

Summary: When it comes to delivering exciting "and" dramatic espionage stories, few do it as well as the British, as evidenced by the BBC's high-tech spy series "MI-5" (known to U.K. audiences as "Spooks"). And the hit show's second season, which is compiled and well-annotated in this five-disc set, serves up more international intrigue while ratcheting up the drama in the lives of its main characters, most notably team leader Tom Quinn (Matthew MacFayden). Season 2 opens quite literally with a bang, with Tom's girlfriend and young daughter are trapped inside their house with a booby-trapped laptop set to explode ("Legitimate Targets"). From there, the tension escalates in each episode, with the MI-5 team facing extremists ("Nest of Angels"), computer espionage ("Hackers"), and illegal arms trading ("Clean Skin"). But the series' most intriguing wrinkle comes in its final episodes, starting with a visit by the U.S. President, and concluding with a cliffhanger season closer that calls Tom's loyalty into question. Solid performances by the program's cast and intelligent scripting should help boost "MI-5"'s rapidly growing and rabidly loyal viewership, who should also appreciate the extensive supplemental features in this boxed set. As with the previous "MI-5" set, all 10 episodes are uncut and presented in widescreen format, with commentary by cast and crew, nine behind-the-scenes featurettes, and two hours of deleted scenes chief among the bonus material. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: BBC Warner

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 600

Summary: Craving some spy action? There are just 10 episodes in this third season of the U.K.'s popular and acclaimed espionage series "MI-5" (known as "Spooks" in its country of origin), but there's more intrigue on hand than most TV action/dramas (or feature films, for that matter), and the sheer volume of extra features will definitely please devotees of this excellent program. If volume 3 is your introduction to "MI-5", the opening episode, "Project Friendly Fire," is a solid crash course on the heights of suspense and plot twists the show undertakes on a regular basis: agent Tom Quinn (Matthew Macfayden from "Pride and Prejudice") has disappeared after shooting his superior (Peter Firth), and his teammates must not only clear his name but save MI-5 itself from a government investigation. From there, "MI-5" ratchets up the tension and action in each episode: the team tackles an extremist faction that has disrupted Middle East peace talks and now threatens British officials ("A Prayer for My Daughter"), a hacker bent on destroying Britain from the inside ("Outsiders"), and a kidnapping plot that forces new agent Adam (Rupert Penry-Jones) to make a terrible decision. In short, it's superior action-adventure television that certainly gives Stateside series like "24" a run for its money.
For series fans, volume 3 offers a staggering amount of supplemental features on the season, its performers, and the creative forces behind the show. Featurettes on the directors of each episode are included, as are interviews with cast members on their careers and characters, and series creator David Wolstencroft, who discusses the program with other writers from the program. Ten minutes of deleted scenes, a gallery of images from the season, and commentary on each episode (from producer Andrew Woodhead, director Johnny Campbell, executive producer Simon Crawford Collins, and cast member David Oyelowo, among others) round out the extras. Oh, and if you can't wait to find out what happens in season 4, there's five minutes of speculation from the cast and crew. And like all good spy stories, you'll just have to wait and see who's telling the truth. "-- Paul Gaita"

Theatrical:

Studio: HCW Films, LLC

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 93

Summary: The controversial documentary by Michael Wilson examines the filmmaking methods of Director Michael Moore ("Fahrenheit 9/11", "Bowling for Columbine", "Roger & Me") and finds that not all is as it seems in the world of Hollywood documentaries. With the goal of getting an interview with the increasingly embittered and elusive Moore, Michael Wilson travels the country to tell the inspiring story of a nation and its everyday people, resulting in a film so honest and surprisingly self-critical that it will never win the top prize at Cannes.
Incorporating interviews with well-known cultural figures such as Albert Maysles, Andrew Breitbart, David Hardy, Dinesh D'Souza, Penn Jillette, J.C. Watts, David Horowitz and others, "Michael Moore Hates America" examines the present cultural dialogue in the United States, highlighting the often shrill and misleading style of Moore's documentaries in particular. See the film that Variety writes is "far more jocular, good-natured and thoughtful than Moore partisans might expect" and that Ebert and Roeper give Two Thumbs Up!

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Turner Home Ent

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 102

Summary: "Mickey Blue Eyes" was crafted as a vehicle for the stammering British charm of Hugh Grant (star of "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Nine Months"), so whether or not you like the movie will depend heavily on your affection for Grant. He plays an art auctioneer who falls in love with schoolteacher Jeanne Tripplehorn ("Basic Instinct", "Very Bad Things"), who just happens to be the daughter of mobster James Caan ("The Godfather", "Misery"). To protect Grant, Tripplehorn tries to fend off his proposal of marriage, but some miscommunications lead to Grant being embraced by the "family." After the mob decides to launder money through Grant's auction house, an accidental killing results in Grant pretending to be Mickey Blue Eyes out of Kansas City (the sight and sound of Grant trying to say "fuggedaboudit" was undoubtedly what sold the movie in the first place). The plot isn't as well executed as it could be, but the leads are all well cast and there are some excellent supporting performances, particularly Burt Young ("Rocky") as a myopic mob boss and Scott Thompson (from the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall) as a sprightly FBI agent. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 155

Summary: Readers of John Berendt's bestselling novel were bound to be at least somewhat disappointed by this big-screen adaptation, but despite mixed reaction from critics and audiences, there's still plenty to admire about director Clint Eastwood's take on the material. Readers will surely miss the rich atmosphere and societal detail that Berendt brought to his "Savannah story," and the movie can only scratch the surface of Georgian history, tradition, and wealthy decadence underlying Berendt's fact-based murder mystery. Still, Eastwood maintains an assured focus on the wonderful eccentrics of Savannah, most notably a gay Savannah antiques dealer (superbly played by Kevin Spacey), who may or may not have killed his friend and alleged lover (Jude Law). John Cusack plays the "Town & Country" journalist who arrives in Savannah to find much more than he bargained for--including the city's legendary drag queen Lady Chablis (playing "herself")--and John Lee Hancock's smoothly adapted screenplay succeeds in bringing Berendt's characters vividly to life with plenty of flavorful dialogue. In similar fashion to Warner's acclaimed DVD of "L.A. Confidential", this classy DVD includes a behind-the-scenes documentary titled "The Real People in the Garden" and an interactive map tour of Savannah and its most celebrated (or notorious) citizens. The original theatrical trailer is also included. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1980

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 112

Summary: Nothing dates a movie quite as much as a roller-skating blonde in white shorts and a tube top. "Midnight Madness" opens with exactly that and quickly follows with a scene in which a student counselor reassures a romantically nervous freshman with the line, "Flynch, you could be a real Burt Reynolds, I know you could." Ah, nostalgia. Made on the cusp of the '80s, after "Animal House" but before "Porky's", Disney's college comedy gained a considerable following, thanks to countless screenings on HBO during the Reagan administration. Like all the best cult movies, it's awful, but compelling nonetheless. This is a film in which all the nerds look alike, the jocks have names such as Armpit, and you get to see fat twins shake their abundant disco booties. The plot revolves around an all-night scavenger hunt, with five teams of competing students racing around Los Angeles solving clues and getting into all sorts of amusing scrapes, including a visit to the Pabst brewery that will have you humming ancient advertising songs for days. David Naughton, who went on to star in "An American Werewolf in London", is our hero, but the real fun comes from Stephen Furst as the mean and chubby rich kid and the legendary über-nerd Eddie Deezen as Wesley. Michael J. Fox makes his film debut as Naughton's troubled but feisty kid brother, and the eagle-eyed viewer may even spot Paul Reubens in a tiny role. Being a Disney film that was released before "Porky's" made shower scenes an integral part of campus comedies, this is a curiously innocent movie--just watch how long it takes the teams to decipher the clue, "Look between the two giant melons." Nevertheless, "Midnight Madness" is 112 minutes of undemanding, cheesy fun for anyone who remembers the last days of disco. It makes "Animal House" look like Chekhov, but watch it with a group of friends, and perhaps a little Pabst Blue Ribbon, and you'll have a hoot. "--Simon Leake"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: Director Martin Brest rocketed to the top of Hollywood's A list with the blockbuster success of "Beverly Hills Cop", and this 1988 follow-up is even better. "Midnight Run" is a genuine rarity--an action comedy that's dramatically satisfying--thanks to a sharp script by George Gallo, the superb teaming of Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, and Brest's consummate skill in combining suspense and humor with well-developed characters. De Niro plays a maverick bounty hunter whose latest assignment is Grodin, an accountant accused of embezzling from the Mob. De Niro thinks he's in for an easy job, transporting Grodin (who's afraid to fly) from New York to Los Angeles, but soon discovers that both the FBI and the Mafia are hot on Grodin's trail. Equal parts road trip, action thriller, and a quirky character study, "Midnight Run" moves at a breakneck pace but still gives De Niro and Grodin time to create rich, memorable performances as two men who seem to be opposites, but gradually develop mutual respect and admiration. Mainstream entertainment at its best. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: Live / Artisan

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy

Duration: 108

Summary: Time-hoppers from the future, led by Cheryl Ladd, are abducting airline passengers about to crash, and transporting them a millennium hence in order to reseed a future blighted by environmental disaster. This is a dangerous business, plagued by the specter of accidentally creating time paradoxes, which could throw the future out of whack. Unfortunately, they've lost a couple of the stunners they use to subdue troublesome passengers, and these fall into the hands of a curious physicist (Daniel J. Travanti) and an investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (Kris Kristofferson). Cheryl Ladd must retrieve these devices before a time paradox wipes out her world, but manages to complicate things by developing a romance with Kristofferson. All of which is very intriguing, having come from the short story, "Air Raid," by science fiction luminary John Varley, who also is credited with the screenplay. The part about airline abductions to save the disastrous future is straight from the original story, and the rest is expanded (you wouldn't say extrapolated) from it. The results are not very happy. About a third of the film is maddeningly wasted by repeating action from a different point of view. Seems natural when there are disparate timelines to deal with, but here nothing is added by the conceit. Only Travanti turns in a creditable performance as the physicist, bent on proving his theories about the future. He seems hungry for discovery, which is one of the things you want from a science fiction story, that sense of awe. But here it's just, "Aw, shucks!" "--Jim Gay"

Theatrical: 1990

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 115

Summary: Arguably the best film by Joel and Ethan Coen, the 1990 "Miller's Crossing" stars Gabriel Byrne as Tom, a loyal lieutenant of a crime boss named Leo (Albert Finney) who is in a Prohibition-era turf war with his major rival, Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito). A man of principle, Tom nevertheless is romantically involved with Leo's lover (Marcia Gay Harden), whose screwy brother (John Turturro) escapes a hit ordered by Caspar only to become Tom's problem. Making matters worse, Tom has outstanding gambling debts he can't pay, which keeps him in regular touch with a punishing enforcer. With all the energy the Coens put into their films, and all their focused appreciation of genre conventions and rules, and all their efforts to turn their movies into ironic appreciations of archetypes in American fiction, they never got their formula so right as with "Miller's Crossing". With its Hammett-like dialogue and Byzantine plot and moral chaos mitigated by one hero's personal code, the film so transcends its self-scrutiny as a retro-crime thriller that it is a deserved classic in its own right. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 145

Summary: Set in the chillingly possible future of 2054, Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report" is arguably the most intelligently provocative sci-fi thriller since "Blade Runner". Like Ridley Scott's "future noir" classic, Spielberg's gritty vision was freely adapted from a story by Philip K. Dick, with its central premise of "Precrime" law enforcement, totally reliant on three isolated human "precogs" capable (due to drug-related mutation) of envisioning murders before they're committed. As Precrime's confident captain, Tom Cruise preempts these killings like a true action hero, only to run for his life when he is himself implicated in one of the precogs' visions. Inspired by the brainstorming of expert futurists, Spielberg packs this paranoid chase with potential conspirators (Max Von Sydow, Colin Farrell), domestic tragedy, and a heartbreaking precog pawn (Samantha Morton), while Cruise's performance gains depth and substance with each passing scene. Making judicious use of astonishing special effects, "Minority Report" brilliantly extrapolates a future that's utterly convincing, and too close for comfort. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1989

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 87

Summary: What do you do when you're given the deadline for the end of the world? Steve De Jarnatt's insidiously clever and utterly gripping nuclear thriller begins as a romantic lark--amiable swing trombonist Anthony Edwards meets girl of his dreams Mare Winningham--and turns into a nightmarish vision of society out of control. It all turns on the chance pick-up of a ringing pay phone at 4 a.m. and a panicked voice breathlessly warning Edwards that World War III has been launched. Genuine wake-up call or elaborate prank? De Jarnatt plays his hand close to the chest, which only increases the unnerving tension as word spreads like a contagion. Future "E.R." star Edwards is perfectly cast as the everyman driven to reckless desperation and director De Jarnatt creates wonders on a small budget. His vision of L.A.'s Miracle Mile gripped in the blind panic of a careening traffic jam is both believable and chilling. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 109

Summary: It's a good thing Sandra Bullock knows her strengths and weaknesses, because without Bullock as star and producer, "Miss Congeniality" would be an insufferable mess as opposed to being a mildly enjoyable trifle that is custom-made for Bullock's established screen persona. Only Bullock's fans could really appreciate this fluff (even then they'll wish its ripe premise had been more intelligently handled), but it's not without some highlights to accompany Bullock's reliable charms. Here she plays clumsy, nerdy FBI agent Gracie Hart, who is given the horrific pseudonym Gracie Lou Freebush (one example of the movie's juvenile tendencies) when assigned to infiltrate a beauty pageant to investigate threats of a terrorist attack.
Transforming Bullock from frumpy to stunning is a piece of cake (although she gives pageant coach Michael Caine a run for his money), so the movie's premise is trivial at best. More enjoyable is her character's uncouth disdain for pageant contestants and her mistaken perception that they're all a bunch of bimbos. The movie nicely charts Gracie's realization that her own pageant makeover provides a much-needed ego boost. In addition to Caine's effortless scene-stealing, pageant host William Shatner and organizer Candice Bergen are smart choices for comedic support (Shatner's a perfect Bert Parks wannabe), but the movie desperately needs a credible foundation for its comedy to really pay off. Bullock's bureau boss (Benjamin Bratt) is an unconvincing dimwit, and none of the plotting is as smart as say "Beverly Hills Cop" in combining procedure with laughs. That leaves Bullock to carry the burden of a comedy that just barely works in her favor. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 115

Summary: F.B.I. operative Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) famously went undercover in a beauty pageant a while back, and now she's supposedly so recognizable that her only use to the agency is as a pretty public representative. Dumped by her boyfriend (whom Benjamin Bratt wisely decided not to portray this time around), a gloomy Gracie goes along with the promo biz until her friend, Miss United States (Heather Burns), is kidnapped along with pageant official Stan Fields (William Shatner) in Las Vegas. Bullock still has perk to please her fans, but neither she nor her awkward alter-ego has any purpose in a sequel to a movie released five years prior. The result is a desperately unfunny, feature-length commercial for Las Vegas tourism, with outdated homosexual stereotypes (Diedrich Bader, as Gracie's stylist) and the usually terrific Regina King (of "Ray" and "Jerry Maguire" fame) stuck in a glum role as Bullock's butch bodyguard. Armed? Yes. Fabulous? No. "--Steve Wiecking"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: Roland Joffé ("The Killing Fields") directs this fuzzy effort at a David Lean-like epic without David Lean's sense of emotional proportion. Lean's most important screenwriting collaborator, Robert Bolt, in fact wrote "The Mission", which concerns a Jesuit missionary (Jeremy Irons) who establishes a church in the hostile jungles of Brazil and then finds his work threatened by greed and political forces among his superiors. Robert De Niro is briefly effective as a callous soldier who kills his own brother and then turns to Irons's character to oversee his penance and conversion to the clergy. The narrative and dramatic forces at work in this movie should be more stirring and powerful than they are--the problem being that Joffé is too removed from them to allow us in. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical:

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 358

Summary: Mission Impossible A flashy, splashy summer-movie blockbuster that's fun and exciting without being mindless? That's the impossible mission accomplished by director Brian De Palma, star-coproducer Tom Cruise, and the crack team of "Mission: Impossible". Based on the '60s TV show and an almost impenetrably complex (but nonetheless thrilling) original story by David Koepp ("Jurassic Park") and Steven Zaillian ("Schindler's List"), with a screenplay by Koepp and Robert Towne ("Chinatown, Shampoo"), "Mission: Impossible" begins with veteran agent Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) and his expert crew embarking on a mission that goes horribly, horribly wrong. But nothing is what it seems. The nail-biting set piece--always a signature of director De Palma (Carrie, "The Untouchables")--in which Cruise is lowered from the ceiling to retrieve information from a computer in a high-security vault--is an instant classic. But perhaps even more impressive, at least in retrospect, is a flashback sequence in which two characters attempt to reconstruct a series of events from multiple points of view. It's pretty daring and sophisticated stuff for a big-budget spy movie, but brains were always what put the "Mission: Impossible" team ahead of the competition, anyway, no? "--Jim Emerson" Mission Impossible II Visually stunning, and a likely must for John Woo aficionados, the second "Mission: Impossible" outing from megastar Tom Cruise suffers from an inconsistent tone and tired plot devices--not only recycled from other films, but repeated throughout the film. Despite remarkable cinematography and awe-inspiring, trademark Woo photography, the movie offers a tepid story from legendary screenwriter-director Robert Towne ("Chinatown, Without Limits") and a host of other writers, most uncredited. It is, regrettably, as forgettable as the first big-budget, big box-office "MI "in 1996, and it's clear (as Towne confirms) that the plot was developed around Woo- and Cruise-written action sequences. The film combines equal elements of romance and action, and is best when it features the stunning allure of Thandie Newton as Nyah, a master thief recruited by the sinewy charms of Ethan Hunt (a fit Cruise). Deeply in love after a passionate night, the couple must then combat "MI" nemesis (and Nyah's former lover) Sean Ambrose ("Ever After"'s Dougray Scott). Ambrose holds hostage a virus and its cure, and offers them to the highest bidder. Woo's famed mythic filmmaking is far from subtle, with heroic Hunt frequently slow-motion walking through fire, smoke, or other similar devices, replete with a white dove among pigeons to signal his presence. The emphasis on romance is an attempt to develop character and a more human side to superspy Hunt, but still the dreary story proves a distraction from the exciting action sequences. John Polson (as an "MI" team member) is an Aussie talent to keep an eye on. "--N.F. Mendoza" Mission Impossible III At the time of its release, "Mission: Impossible III"'s box office was plagued by the publicity backlash against couch-jumping star Tom Cruise. It's too bad, because this third installment of the spy thriller franchise deserved a better reception than it got. First-time feature director J.J. Abrams (bigwig TV director/producer of "Lost, Alias, & Felicity") proves more than able-bodied in creating a "Mission: Impossible" that's leaner and less over-stylized than John Woo's sequel and less confusing than Brian De Palma's original. Plot is still a throwaway here (Cruise's Ethan Hunt rescues his kidnapped former trainee and works to steal a device that... well, we don't really know what it does, but it's something about mass destruction that costs $850 million), but the action sequences, particularly one where Ethan faces down a helicopter on a bridge and gets flung hard against the side of a car, are particularly impressive since Cruise, at 44, is still doing most of his own stunts and shows no hint of the weathered look that's struck his action-star peers. (Though no "Mission: Impossible" stunt will ever be quite as simultaneously nail-biting and funny as the first film's wire-dangling break-in of CIA headquarters.) "Mission: Impossible III" boasts a pedigreed cast, particularly Oscar® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote") as baddie arms dealer Owen Davian. Hoffman plays Owen all teeth-clenched and cool, especially when threatening to kill Ethan in front of his lovely new wife (Michelle Monaghan) who has no idea of his spy life. But in his first action-film lead role, Hoffman's almost too calm and collected to really make a memorable villain, especially when the rest of the cast--Ving Rhames (the only other cast member to return for all three films), Asian film star Maggie Q, and an underused Jonathan Rhys-Meyers--are a highlight as Ethan's IMF team. "Mission: Impossible" is still fun popcorn spy fare, and if Cruise chooses to end the franchise here, at least he goes out on a high note. "--Ellen A. Kim"

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Walt Disney Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 114

Summary: If Brian De Palma directed "Mission to Mars" for 10-year-olds who've never seen a science fiction film, he can be credited for crafting a marginally successful adventure. Isolated moments in this film serve the highest purpose of its genre, inspiring a sense of wonder and awe in the context of a fascinating future (specifically, the year 2020). But because most of us have seen a lot of science fiction films, it's impossible to ignore this one's derivative plot, cardboard characters, and drearily dumb dialogue. Despite an awesome and painstakingly authentic display of cool technology and dazzling special effects, "Mission to Mars" is light years away from "2001: A Space Odyssey" on the scale of human intelligence.
After dispensing with a few space-jockey clichés, the movie focuses on a Mars-bound rescue mission commanded by Jim McConnell (Gary Sinise), whose team (Tim Robbins, Connie Nielsen, Jerry O'Connell) has been sent to retrieve the sole survivor (Don Cheadle) of a tragic Mars landing. During the sequence en route to Mars, De Palma's in his element with two suspenseful scenes (including a dramatic--albeit somewhat silly--space walk) that are technically impressive. But when this "Mission" gets to Mars, the movie grows increasingly unconvincing, finally arriving at an alien encounter that more closely resembles an astronomical CGI video game. But this is a $75 million Hollywood movie, and no amount of technical wizardry can lift the burden of a juvenile screenplay. Kudos to Sinise, his costars, and the special effects wizards for making the most of hoary material; shame on just about everyone else involved. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Genius Products (TVN)

Genre: Drama

Duration: 126

Summary: Writer-director Frank Darabont, who showcased the softer side of Stephen King in his film adaptations of "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile", turns to darker material for "The Mist", his latest King adaptation about a group of ordinary townspeople trapped in a supermarket by a mysterious fogbank. Thomas Jane is top-billed as a Maine illustrator who attempts to calm the frightened shoppers, but his job is cut out for him from the get-go, first by the discovery of malevolent creatures lurking in the mist, and then by the mad mutterings of Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), a local eccentric who calls for Old Testament-style sacrifices to appease the supernatural forces. Darabont delivers monster movie thrills and understated social commentary with equal skill, and he's well supported by his cast (which includes Andre Braugher, Toby Jones, William Sadler and Jeffrey DeMunn) and the vivid special effects by KNB EFX, which effectively mix CGI with models and stop-motion animation (the terrific monsters were designed by legendary comic book artist Bernie Wrightson). And for those curious about how the novella's downbeat ending has translated to film, suffice it to say that Darabont's conclusion is at once different and more unsettling than King's. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: V2

Genre: Music Video & Concerts

Duration: 220

Summary: The DVD version of Moby's multiplatinum CD "Play" is an almost perfect audiovisual synthesis of personality and uncompromised creativity, and, best of all, Moby never takes any of it too seriously. It's a given that Moby fans will totally dig the music, but it's Moby's hilarious 20-minute home video ("Give an Idiot a Camcorder") that everyone will be buzzing about, since it's as giddy as a Monty Python highlight reel and almost as inventive, with Moby himself hosting on his 2000 European tour, appearing in multiple guises and voices (Scottish, German, French, and classic dude-speak), and playing a variety of wacky interviewers with himself as their subject. Who knew the guy was this funny?
The included music videos are equally clever in their expression of Moby's benevolent, irreverent worldview, and while the studio recordings from "Play" have spanned the globe, now we also have a cluster of impeccable television performances (from BBC's "Later with Jools Holland") that capture the music's remarkable transformation from one-man show to full-band realization. All of these ingredients can be viewed separately in addition to being combined and transformed in the DVD's "mega-mix" section, offering 90 minutes of mixes and redubs by some of the world's finest mix-masters, accompanied by a hypnotic exhibition of visual art that lends new meaning to the term "eye candy," capable of turning any home into a mind-blowing rave scene. Through it all, the word "play" is explored in all its definitions, gloriously filtered through the psyche of Moby, who embraces his inner geek to become the life of any party. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 91

Summary: Steven Spielberg produced this underwhelming 1986 effort at a slapstick spin on "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House". The pre-Oscar Tom Hanks stars with Shelley Long as a married couple whose efforts to finish construction on their home are sabotaged by costly and sporadically funny accidents. The unfinished domicile becomes a metaphor for their troubled relationship, as evidenced by Long's character's attraction to a madman violinist (Alexander Godunov). Hanks is the only reason at this point to check this film out. Richard Benjamin ("My Favorite Year") directs but with no flair or distinction. "--Tom Keogh".

Theatrical: 1997

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 97

Summary: This formulaic 1997 comedy becomes needlessly complicated at points but feeds off the high energy of Chris Tucker ("The Fifth Element", "Rush Hour"). Tucker plays a two-bit con man, Franklin Hatchett, framed for the prison breakout of a ruthless criminal. Hunted by both the police and the bad guys, Hatchett finds his only hope in a smarmy, self-serving television reporter played by the perfectly cast Charlie Sheen ("Platoon"), who agrees to protect the nervous, hapless patsy only to further his own career. The plot is at times just plain dumb, and the requisite car chases and explosions happen a bit too frequently. But Tucker's manic energy and off-the-wall humor, as he is thrown into situations of mistaken identity and mortal danger, make the movie a frenetic and entertaining romp. "--Robert Lane"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Animation

Duration: 93

Summary: Brendan Fraser plays the best-looking cartoonist you'll ever see in "Monkeybone". Stu (Fraser) has created an animated character named Monkeybone, who sprang from his repressed sexual anxieties. He's just sold his animated series to a cable channel, and is being bombarded with proposals for toys and other marketing extravaganzas, when he and his girlfriend Julie (Bridget Fonda) get into a car wreck and Stu falls into a coma. But comas are much more complicated than you might expect: Stu finds himself in Down Town, where lives a mixture of other people in comas and figments of these people's imaginations. Naturally, Monkeybone himself is there, and he and Stu quickly start fighting like cats and dogs. When Stu realizes that his sister, due to a pact they once made, is preparing to pull the plug on him, Stu makes a deal with Hypnos, the god of sleep, to help him steal a golden ticket from Death himself (or herself, as Death is played by Whoopi Goldberg). Sound complicated? Well, from there it only gets more ornate. "Monkeybone" is a bit of a mess, but it's never boring, and every now and then it roars to amazingly dynamic life. Fraser is excellent, and the strong supporting cast includes Giancarlo Esposito ("Do the Right Thing"), Rose McGowan ("Scream"), Dave Foley ("Brain Candy"), and "Saturday Night Live"'s Chris Kattan as a gymnast with a broken neck who... well, it's a bit complicated to explain. A crazy quilt of a movie, chock-full of delirious ideas and inspired moments. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: New Line Cinema

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 101

Summary: As an esteemed television journalist put out to pasture by the networks and faced with the engagement of her son, Jane Fonda is fierce, funny, and ready to rumble as the title character in "Monster-in-Law" in a way that the rest of the film itself never really is. Jennifer Lopez, the film's other above-the-title star, is set to marry handsome, wealthy Michael Vartan but has one helluva time dealing with his insanely possessive mother. The result is pretty much what you'd expect--lots of snarls and slapstick and an easy, kisses-all-around conclusion, though it is surprising (and maybe a little disheartening) to watch Fonda throw herself into such disposable comedy with such gusto. Director Robert Luketic, who slept while Reese Witherspoon tottered off with his "Legally Blonde", once again relies solely on the assembled talent: He leaves a high-wattage Lopez playing things a little too cute, a reedy Vartan looking visibly disinterested, and canny comedian Wanda Sykes making what she can--which, luckily, is a lot--of her role as Fonda's wisecracking personal assistant (the type of black sidekick role that's an indication of how creakily formulaic the film is). See it for Fonda, if you feel like it, then wish her a better engagement in the future. "--Steve Wiecking"

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Genre: Thrillers

Duration: 94

Summary: The aliens have landed, but not to worry: they've been quarantined in northern Mexico, and the US government has put up a great wall along the border to keep the unwanted visitors out. This infected zone is the setting for "Monsters", a sci-fi parable with a low budget and some high ambitions. As even a one-sentence summary suggests, director Gareth Edwards is working a metaphor that pokes at contemporary fears about immigrants and "the other" encroaching from over the border. Except these aliens aren't illegal, they're extraterrestrial. Taking us into the Zona Infectada are two ill-matched travelers: Kaulder (Scoot McNairy, from "In Search of a Midnight Kiss") is a journalist moving through Mexico in search of photographs of the large, tentacled creatures, while Sam (Whitney Able) just happens to be the daughter of his employer. Because the boss needs his daughter safely escorted back to El Norte, an irritated Kaulder is stuck with the job. This creates a modest amount of friction between the two voyagers, but mostly they're trekking through the zone and dodging dangerous situations. The social metaphor gets thicker as the movie goes on, particularly when we get to the question of whom the border wall is harming more, the outsiders or the builders. But the movie has other problems as well. Neither main character is colorfully drawn, and the usual disaster-movie issue of credible-behavior-in-a-crisis doesn't always feel right. A climactic sequence involving the aliens at night is rightly spooky, even if you're aware the film is doing a bit of reaching at that point. The creatures are all the more impressive given their homemade quality (Edwards is a visual-effects veteran who did his computer effects in a very streamlined way), and indeed they are more impressive than their human counterparts. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: DreamWorks Home Entertainment

Genre: Urban

Duration: 94

Summary: Stills from Monsters vs. Aliens (Click for larger image)

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Disney/Pixar

Genre: Animation

Duration: 93

Summary: The folks at Pixar can do no wrong with "Monsters, Inc.", the studio's fourth feature film, which stretches the computer animation format in terms of both technical complexity and emotional impact. The giant, blue-furred James P. "Sulley" Sullivan (wonderfully voiced by John Goodman) is a scare-monster extraordinaire in the hidden world of Monstropolis, where the scaring of kids is an imperative in order to keep the entire city running. Beyond the competition to be the best at the business, Sullivan and his assistant, the one-eyed Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), discover what happens when the real world interacts with theirs in the form of a 2-year-old baby girl dubbed "Boo," who accidentally sneaks into the monster world with Sulley one night. Director Pete Doctor and codirectors David Silverman and Lee Unkrich follow the Pixar ("Toy Story") blueprint with an imaginative scenario, fun characters, and ace comic timing. By the last heart-tugging shot, kids may never look at monsters the same, nor artists at what computer animation can do in the hands of magicians. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 1975

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 91

Summary: Could this be the funniest movie ever made? By any rational measure of comedy, this medieval romp from the Monty Python troupe certainly belongs on the short list of candidates. According to "Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide", it's "recommended for fans only," but we say hogwash to that--you could be a complete newcomer to the Python phenomenon and still find this send-up of the Arthurian legend to be wet-your-pants hilarious. It's basically a series of sketches woven together as King Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, with Graham Chapman as the King, Terry Gilliam as his simpleton sidekick Patsy, and the rest of the Python gang filling out a variety of outrageous roles. The comedy highlights are too numerous to mention, but once you've seen Arthur's outrageously bloody encounter with the ominous Black Knight (John Cleese), you'll know that nothing's sacred in the Python school of comedy. From holy hand grenades to killer bunnies to the absurdity of the three-headed knights who say "Ni--!," this is the kind of movie that will strike you as fantastically funny or just plain silly, but why stop there? It's all over the map, and the pace lags a bit here and there, but for every throwaway gag the Pythons have invented, there's a bit of subtle business or grand-scale insanity that's utterly inspired. The sum of this madness is a movie that's beloved by anyone with a pulse and an irreverent sense of humor. If this movie doesn't make you laugh, you're almost certainly dead. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1979

Studio: Criterion

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 94

Summary: "Blessed are the cheesemakers," a wise man once said. Or maybe not. But the point is "Monty Python's Life of Brian" is a religious satire that does not target specific religions or religious leaders (like, say, Jesus of Nazareth). Instead, it pokes fun at the mindless and fanatical among their followers--it's an attack on religious zealotry and hypocrisy--things that that fellow from Nazareth didn't particularly care for either. Nevertheless, at the time of its release in 1979, those who hadn't seen it considered it to be quite "controversial." "Life of Brian", you see, is about a chap named Brian (Graham Chapman) born December 25 in a hovel not far from a soon-to-be-famous Bethlehem manger. Brian is mistaken for the messiah and therefore manipulated, abused, and exploited by various religious and political factions. And it's really, really funny. Particularly memorable bits include the brassy Shirley Bassey/James Bond-like title song; the bitter rivalry between the anti-Roman resistance groups, the Judean People's Front and the People's Front of Judea; Michael Palin's turn as a lisping, risible Pontius Pilate; Brian urging a throng of false-idol worshippers to think for themselves--to which they reply en masse "Yes, we must think for ourselves!"; the fact that everything Brian does, including losing his sandal in an attempt to flee these wackos, is interpreted as "a sign." "Life of Brian" is not only one of Monty Python's funniest achievements, it's also the group's sharpest and smartest sustained satire. Blessed are the Pythons. "--Jim Emerson"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 97

Summary: Science fiction can encompass many genres--suspense, horror, action-adventure, romance, even comedy--but director Duncan Jones's "Moon" doesn't fit neatly into any of them. This smart, provocative film has no aliens or cool spaceships, and the effects (mostly consisting of model vehicles lumbering across the lunar surface) aren't all that special; instead, the material is character- and story-driven, centering on an excellent, multilayered performance by Sam Rockwell. The scene is some undetermined point in the future. Rockwell plays Sam Bell, an employee of Lunar Industries, the company responsible for mining a fusion energy source called Helium-3, which is vital to Earth's efforts to reverse a serious energy crisis and can only be found on the far side of the Moon. Sam is all by himself, and as he nears the end of his three-year contract, the solitude is starting to get to him ("Three years is a long haul," he says. "Way, way, way too long. I'm talking to myself on a regular basis"); his only contact with his wife and daughter back home comes through the occasional video messages he exchanges with them, while his sole interaction on the Moon is with GERTY 3000, a computer voiced by Kevin Spacey (and an obvious parallel to "2001: A Space Odyssey"'s HAL 9000). Things start to go seriously sideways when Sam crashes his vehicle while out inspecting one of the giant Helium-3 harvesters. He comes to in the base infirmary, seemingly none the worse for the wear; but an unnerving surprise awaits him when he goes back to check out the accident site, and the resulting complications occupy the rest of the movie. Fans of "2001", "Solaris", and other cerebral sci-fi will enjoy figuring out what's going on; others will find it slow-moving and tedious. Either way, "Moon", which was made quickly and on a relatively low budget, is well worth a look. "--Sam Graham"

Theatrical: 1986

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 117

Summary: A year after his American film debut, Peter Weir reteamed with his "Witness" star (Harrison Ford) for a tricky adaptation of Paul Theroux's novel of a modern man who takes his family into the jungle. The results are mixed, but the film is galvanized by Ford's atypical performance as inventor/madman Allie Fox. Paul Schrader's script sets up Allie as a man who follows his idea: that America is dying and the real "four-in-the-morning courage" is found in returning to the essence of life, here the jungles of a fictional Central American country (it was shot in Belize). With his family in tow (including Helen Mirren and River Phoenix), Allie creates a utopia when his inventions create a local sensation, but seedier elements from bandits to evangelicals (led by Andre Gregory) take their toll. Certainly, it's hard to root for a central character who is unpleasant ("a know-it-all who is sometimes right," as one states), and the film's second half is not as interesting. But Weir's film is logical and true in its progression and, as usual, is beautifully crafted (he also reteams with the cinematographer, editor, and composer of "Witness"). Ford's rawness is reminiscent of many an actor's foray into the meaty role of an independent film--which this film is certainly not--and, unfortunately, it was not the direction he ultimately pursued. "--Doug Thomas"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Drama

Duration: 119

Summary: Described by director Mark Pellington as "a psychological mystery with naturally surreal overtones," "The Mothman Prophecies" begins like an ambitious episode of "The X-Files". Richard Gere brings adequate torment, portent, and ambiguity to his role as a "Washington Post" reporter and grieving widower plagued by a mysterious, unseen urban legend known as the Mothman. Pellington develops subtle doom and gloom that's as effective as the paranoid streak he brought to "Arlington Road". As the Mothman terrifies a West Virginia town, he remains an enigma, glimpsed almost subliminally. This--along with a magnificently creepy soundtrack--amplifies the movie's surreal overtones while keeping everything else (unsettling phone calls, prophesied disasters, suggestions of the afterlife) completely unexplained. With Laura Linney and Debra Messing in underdeveloped roles, "The Mothman Prophecies" feels a bit underdeveloped itself (and ends in desperate need of Mulder and Scully). But if you like your weirdness open-ended, this moody thriller's worth a look. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Crime

Duration: 120

Summary: Released amidst rumors of romance between costars Angelina Jolie and soon-to-be-divorced Brad Pitt, Mr. and Mrs. Smith offers automatic weapons and high explosives as the cure for marital boredom. The premise of this exhausting action-comedy (no relation to the 1941 Alfred Hitchcock comedy starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery) is that the unhappily married Smiths (Pitt and Jolie) will improve their relationship once they discover their mutually-hidden identities as world-class assassins, but things get complicated when their secret-agency bosses order them to rub each other out. There's plenty of amusing banter in the otherwise disposable screenplay by Simon Kinberg (xXx: State of the Union, Fantastic Four), and director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) gives Pitt and Jolie a slick, glossy superstar showcase that's innocuous but certainly never boring. It could've been better, but as an action-packed summer confection, Mr. and Mrs. Smith kills two hours in high style. --Jeff Shannon

Theatrical: 2004

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 104

Summary: Bernie Mac is perfectly cast in "Mr. 3000", a feel-good baseball comedy that capitalizes on Mac's established comedy persona. He plays Stan Ross, veteran first-baseman for the struggling Milwaukee Brewers, who quit the team during a pennant race and, nine years later, discovers that he's actually three hits short of his 3,000 career-hit claim to fame. When he attempts a comeback to correct his record, his selfish past returns to haunt him, along with a former flame (Angela Bassett, who deserves better roles) who's covering Stan's return to baseball for ESPN. It's strictly formula, but the comedy is consistently entertaining, and director Charles Stone III proves that his 2002 sleeper hit "Drumline" was no fluke, injecting observant details into a very predictable plotline. Easily recommended, "Mr. 3000" makes a good double-header with 1989's hit baseball comedy "Major League". "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 109

Summary: No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: SELLECK/HAYSBERT
Title: MR BASEBALL
Street Release Date: 08/01/2006
Domestic
Genre: COMEDY VIDEO

Theatrical:

Studio: Lions Gate

Genre: Animation

Duration: 294

Summary: Calling this set 'The Definitive Collection' couldn't have been more accurate.
Disc 1 (Mr. Bill Classics), holds all the original shorts seen on SNL, remastered and looking better than ever before. There's the occasional film grain from the original super-8 prints from the 70's, but this looks alot better than the current VHS version. As far as bonus features, there's two games, which when beaten allow you to access two different shorts created by Walter Williams. There's also a photo album, yearbook feature, commentary, and G-rated prints (cutting out all 'gore' and 'animal harming' from the shorts.
Disc 2 (Mr. Bill Does Vegas) contains the Mr. Bill Does Vegas special (currently on DVD, but remastered). There's also Mr. Bill Goes Hollywood, which features all of the Mr. Bill shorts featured on the Fox Family channel. No extras on this one.
Disc 3 (Mr. Bill Christmas Special) contains the Christmas special, and Mr. Bill's 20th Anniversary Special (both currently on VHS). The bonus features contain an interview with Walter Williams, SNL promos, bloopers, unseen shorts, scrapbook, and more I haven't even begun to watch!
The only thing not contained in this set (to the best of my knowledge) is the video Mr. Bill Looks Back. This set nonetheless is the definitive collection, taking 30 years of Mr. Bill, and putting them on 3 small discs. A must buy for fans of SNL and Mr. Bill alike!

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: Following the flop of "Little Nicky", Adam Sandler returned to safe territory in "Mr. Deeds"... and made "Nicky" look inspired by comparison. A loose remake of Frank Capra's 1936 classic "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town", this dumbed-down version finds Sandler in the Gary Cooper role, inheriting a vast fortune and a corporate empire, foiling a greedy executive (Peter Gallagher), and winning the heart of an undercover reporter (Winona Ryder) who's been mocking his small-town naiveté in print while falling for his goodhearted sincerity. It's fun enough to satisfy Sandler's loyal fans--and John Turturro's a hoot as Deeds's foot-fetishist butler--but the subtleties of Capra are lost on Sandler, director Steven Brill, and writer Tim Herlihy. While Gary Cooper portrayed a rube who was savvy about big-city cynicism, Sandler's an amiable goofball with a heart of gold and an empty skull. You can admire him, and parts of the movie (including Steve Buscemi's unbilled cameo), but you have to work harder to get there. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: Equal parts whimsical and bittersweet, "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" is a family-friendly movie that will charm youngsters. Dustin Hoffman stars in the titular role of an eccentric 243-year-old owner of a magical toy store. He doesn't appear to be sick, but he has lived a long and happy life and is content to leave his emporium to his employee Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman). A former child prodigy who has grown up unsure of herself, she barely knows who she is, much less what she wants to become. Molly is both frightened that her beloved boss is leaving and that she will be left in charge of a store she doesn't know how to run. "Are you dying?" she asks him. Magorium points out, "Light bulbs die, my dear. I am departing." His take on death is both comforting and matter of fact, things younger viewers may find soothing when dealing with mortality. Though the film has drawn comparisons to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", this G-rated venture is less dark, curious and interesting than the former. Still, it offers dazzling visuals and a premise that who you are isn't equivalent with who you think you are. Adult moviegoers may find the premise cloying and repetitive. But seen from a child's eye, "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" is indeed a magical place for a short visit. --"Jae-Ha Kim"


Beyond "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" Books
"Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" Toys and Games
More Kids & Family titles from Fox

Stills from "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: New Line Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 87

Summary: TV chef Jackie Chan is involuntarily involved in a gang war between stereotypical Italians and punkers right out of "A Clockwork Orange". Most of the cast is in a coma, and the plot is stupid, stupid, stupid. The reason to watch this is for Chan's gravity-defying stunts as he is chased through the streets of Melbourne by Aussie thugs trying to relocate missing cocaine. Chan is so innovative with his tricks that it is a shame he doesn't work with more intelligent material. Still, his fans should enjoy this slight adventure, as Chan's carefully choreographed martial art moves are as awesome as ever. Watch for a stunt involving a horse-drawn carriage, as it almost compensates for the lackluster story line. "--Rochelle O'Gorman"

Theatrical: 1993

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Art House & International

Duration: 111

Summary: Kenneth Branagh's 1993 production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" is a vigorous and imaginative work, cheerful and accessible for everyone. Largely the story of Benedick (Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson)--adversaries who come to believe each is trying to woo the other--the film veers from arched wit to ironic romps, and the two leads don't mind looking a little silly at times. But the plot is also layered with darker matters that concern the ease with which men and women fall into mutual distrust. Branagh has rounded up a mixed cast of stage vets and Hollywood stars, among the latter Denzel Washington and Michael Keaton, the latter playing a rather seedy, Beetlejuice-like version of Dogberry, king of malapropisms. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, Dolby sound, optional Spanish and French soundtracks or subtitles."--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 125

Summary: If you're expecting bandaged-wrapped corpses and a lurching Boris Karloff-type villain, then you've come to the wrong movie. But if outrageous effects, a hunky hero, and some hearty laughs are what you're looking for, the 1999 version of "The Mummy" is spectacularly good fun. Yes, the critics called it "hokey," "cheesy," and "pallid." Well, the critics are unjust. Granted, the plot tends to stray, the acting is a bit of a stretch, and the characters occasionally slip into cliché, but who cares? When that action gets going, hold tight--those two hours just fly by.

The premise of the movie isn't that far off from the original. Egyptologist and general mess Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) discovers a map to the lost city of Hamunaptra, and so she hires rogue Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) to lead her there. Once there, Evelyn accidentally unlocks the tomb of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a man who had been buried alive a couple of millennia ago with flesh-eating bugs as punishment for sleeping with the pharaoh's girlfriend. The ancient mummy is revived, and he is determined to bring his old love back to life, which of course means much mayhem (including the unleashing of the 10 plagues) and human sacrifice. Despite the rather gory premise, this movie is fairly tame in terms of violence; most of the magic and surprise come from the special effects, which are glorious to watch, although Imhotep, before being fully reconstituted, is, as one explorer puts it, rather "juicy." Keep in mind this film is as much comedy as it is adventure--those looking for a straightforward horror pic will be disappointed. But for those who want good old-fashioned eye-candy kind of fun, "The Mummy" ranks as one of choicest flicks of 1999. --"Jenny Brown"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 130

Summary: Proving that bigger is rarely better, "The Mummy Returns" serves up so much action and so many computer-generated effects that it quickly grows exhausting. In his zeal to establish a lucrative franchise, writer-director Stephen Sommers dispenses with such trivial matters as character development and plot logic, and charges headlong into an almost random buffet of minimum story and maximum mayhem, beginning with a prologue establishing the ominous fate of the Scorpion King (played by World Wrestling Federation star the Rock, in a cameo teaser for his later starring role in--you guessed it--"The Scorpion King"). Dormant for 5,000 years, under control of the Egyptian god Anubis, the Scorpion King will rise again in 1933, which is where we find "The Mummy's" returning heroes Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, now married and scouring Egyptian ruins with their 8-year-old son, Alex (Freddie Boath). John Hannah (as Weisz's brother) and Oded Fehr (as mystical warrior Ardeth Bay) also return from "The Mummy", and trouble begins when Alex dons the Scorpion King's ancient bracelet, coveted by the evil mummy Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), who's been revived by... oh, but does any of this matter? With a plot so disposable that it's impossible to care about anything that happens, "The Mummy Returns" is best enjoyed as an intermittently amusing and physically impressive monument of Hollywood machinery, with gorgeous sets that scream for a better showcase, and digital trickery that tops its predecessor in ambition, if not in payoff. By the time our heroes encounter a hoard of ravenous pygmy mummies, you'll probably enjoy this movie in spite of itself. --"Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2008

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 112

Summary: The third film in the The Mummy series freshens the franchise up by setting the action in China. There, the discovery of an ancient emperor's elaborate tomb proves a feather in the cap of Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford), a young archaeologist and son of Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello, taking over the role from Rachel Weisz). Unfortunately, a curse that turned the emperor (Jet Li) and his army into terra cotta warriors buried for centuries is lifted, and the old guy prepares for world domination by seeking immortality at Shangri La. The O'Connells barely stay a step ahead of him (climbing through the Himalaya mountains with apparent ease), but the action inevitably leads to a showdown between two armies of mummies in a Chinese desert. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has a lot to offer: a supporting cast that includes the elegant Michelle Yeoh, Russell Wong, and Liam Cunningham, the unexpected appearance of several Yeti, and a climactic battle sequence that is nightmarishly weird but compelling. On the downside, the charm so desperately sought in romantic relationships, as well as comic turns by John Hannah (as Evelyn's rascal brother), is not only absent but often annoying. Rarely have witty asides in the thick of battle been more unwelcome in a movie. Rob Cohen's direction is largely crisp if sometimes curious (a fight between Fraser and Jet Li keeps varying in speed for some reason), but his vision of Shangri La, in the Hollywood tradition, is certainly attractive. --Tom Keoghbr>



Stills from The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Click for larger image)

















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Theatrical: 1976

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 94

Summary: Neil Simon wrote this 1976 spoof in which virtually every famous fictional detective of the 1930s and 1940s congregate at the home of a mysterious fellow (Truman Capote) to try and solve the mystery of who's trying to kill them all. Simon's jokes are mostly obvious, and the film's real appeal is the clever concept matched with fine--sometimes legendary--actors. Peter Falk plays a very Bogart-like Sam Spade equivalent, James Coco is a Hercule Poirot wannabe, Peter Sellers does a Charlie Chan bit, David Niven and Maggie Smith are reflections of Nick and Nora.... You get the picture. Lighthearted and silly, this is cotton-candy comedy for the cast as well as viewers. "--Tom Keogh"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Drama

Duration: 120

Summary: While reinventing Leopold and Loeb for a new and troubled millennium, "Murder by Numbers" probes the disturbing psychology of two teenaged murderers and the cleverness of their crime. Like Hitchcock's "Rope" and other films inspired by the Leopold and Loeb case of the 1920s, the film intensifies as it explores the repressed (and subtly homosexual) tensions between high-school outcasts Richard (Ryan Gosling) and Justin (Michael Pitt), who randomly kill a woman to enact an amoral philosophy--and to tease a savvy homicide detective (Sandra Bullock) with misleading clues. While clashing with the by-the-book procedure of her partner (Ben Chaplin), Bullock gives one of her best performances in a role that comes with its own set of psychological hurdles. It's comfortable territory for "Reversal of Fortune" director Barbet Schroeder, who draws fine work from his cast while proving that there's no such thing as a perfect crime. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2007

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 104

Summary: "Music and Lyrics" is frothy and sweet, like the top of a perfect cappuccino shared "a deux". Hugh Grant is a self-professed "happy has-been," playing his befuddled, adorable persona more spot-on than he has since "Four Weddings and a Funeral". As Alex, former member of an '80s pop band who years later is playing at water parks and high school reunions, he's settled into a life of lesser expectations. Drew Barrymore, quietly radiant, is Sophie, the underachieving girl Friday who arrives to water--make that "overwater"--Alex's plants--and to explode him out of that comfy rut. If the plot's a bit farfetched, it matters not, since the two lead characters are so likable--and make such beautiful music together. Big bonus: the supportive role of Kristen Johnston as Rhonda, Sophie's older sis (and longtime Alex fan) whose hilarious performance threatens to steal the show whenever she's onscreen. (The owner of a chain of successful weight-loss centers, Rhonda tries to comfort a rattled Sophie: "Want to do some stress eating?") The film also marks the remarkable debut of Haley Bennett, who plays a pop star of Britney/Cristina proportions with deadpan sincerity radiating through her skimpy outfits and mega-extensions. As Alex and Sophie work on crafting musical magic, something else is taking hold. It's music to the ears of anyone needing a sweet romantic comedy that hits all the right notes. "--A.T. Hurley"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 98

Summary: The combined charisma of Diane Lane and John Cusack gives a lift to "Must Love Dogs", a romantic comedy built on the comic potential of internet dating. Sarah (Lane, "Under the Tuscan Sun"), a preschool teacher and recent divorcee, has her entire family bugging her to get back in the dating pool. Finally her sister (dependable second banana Elizabeth Perkins, "Big") puts an ad for Sarah online; a host of questionable prospects respond, but Sarah meets one guy--a boat builder named Jake (John Cusack, "High Fidelity", "Say Anything")--who shows promise, though he himself is recently divorced and a little tender. Unfortunately, Sarah also feels sparks with the father (Dermot Mulroney, "My Best Friend's Wedding") of one of her students, and when paths cross, trouble follows. "Must Love Dogs" has some amusing scenes, but the tone and quality is wildly erratic--it's as if the movie was broken into a dozen parts and randomly assigned to different writers and directors, some of whom were making a bad sitcom, some of whom were making a good sitcom, and some of whom were making a movie that blended wry comedy with some deft psychological insight. The great cast (in addition to solid work from those mentioned above, there's also Stockard Channing and Christopher Plummer) keep the story moving, but for every amusing moment there are two that are plastic, forced, or wince-inducing. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Hbo Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 95

Summary: It's not surprising that "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" grew more popular over the course of its theatrical release (whereas most blockbusters open big and then drop precipitously)--not only does it have believable situations and engaging characters, but these characters (particularly our romantic heroine, Toula, played by writer and performer Nia Vardalos) look like actual human beings instead of plastic movie stars. The result is the very accessible tale of Greek-American Toula (whose family sees her as over the hill at 30), who falls for a WASPy guy named Ian (John Corbett) and then has to endure the outrage, doubt, and ultimate acceptance of her deeply ethnically centered family. The actors invest their wildly stereotypical portrayals with sincerity and compassion, giving the movie an honest warmth instead of Hollywood schmaltz. But "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" ultimately succeeds because of Vardalos; her intelligent, down-to-earth presence and charm carry the film. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Dimension Home Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 86

Summary: Heartthrob Ashton Kutcher lends his mix of leading-man looks and goofball personality to the cascading disaster farce of "My Boss's Daughter". Tom Stansfield (Kutcher, "Just Married") thinks he's going out on a date with Lisa (Tara Reid, "American Pie"), the daughter of his tyrannical boss, Mr. Taylor (Terence Stamp, "The Limey")--but in fact, he's unknowingly agreed to house-sit the boss's house, which is loaded with antiques, a cash-filled safe, and a depressed owl. Of course, everything goes awry, starting with the owl escaping and culminating in a drug-dealing thug being buried in the back yard while Tom drives Mr. Taylor's car through the front of the house. The supporting cast is bizarrely star-studded, including Molly Shannon, Andy Richter, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Madsen, Dave Foley, and Carmen Electra. Directed by David Zucker ("Airplane!", the "Naked Gun" series); it must have all looked good on paper. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1992

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 120

Summary: When two Italian-American boys from New York are falsely accused of murder in a small Alabama town, they call for a lawyer--but the only lawyer they know is their cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), who made six attempts before he passed his bar exam. "My Cousin Vinny" is a classic fish-out-of-water comedy; the flimsy plot about clearing the two boys and solving the murder is just a hook to support a lot of culture-clash humor. Thanks to the strong cast of character actors like Fred Gwynne, Austin Pendleton, and Lane Smith, it's pretty funny--even old-hat jokes about Brooklyn versus Southern accents come to life. Pesci has played a few too many schticky characters, but this time it works. There's just enough humanity in his caricature to make Vinny likable and entertaining. When the movie was released, there was controversy about whether Marisa Tomei, playing Vinny's big-haired and black-leather-wearing fiancée, deserved to win the best supporting actress Oscar (she beat out Judy Davis, Joan Plowright, Miranda Richardson, and Vanessa Redgrave); but seeing her performance on its own, it's a comic marvel and worthy of honor. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 95

Summary: The combination of the appealing Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and the breathtaking location shooting in Greece make My Life in Ruins the perfect film escape. The film works as a feather-light romantic comedy, with Vardalos's character, Georgia, facing burnout in her job with a cut-rate tour company in Greece. Georgia knows there's magic in the Greek countryside and history, yet the grind of her job has drained her. Happily for Georgia, her latest group of semi-challenging tourists will help her shed some of her hard-built personal armor, guiding her to cut loose as the tour progresses (a journey mirrored in Vardalos's hairstyle, which starts out prim, and ends up attractively tousled). The strong supporting cast includes Richard Dreyfus--seeming very comfortable playing an old coot--Rachel Dratch, Rita Wilson, and the dreamy Greek actor Alexis Georgoulis, a bus driver with the soul of a poet. And possibly a secret crush on the oblivious Georgia. But the true star of the film is Greece itself, from the coastline to the mountains, from the Acropolis to the Parthenon. That so few American films are shot on location makes this summer treat even more appealing--as sweet as fresh baklava. --A.T. Hurley

Stills from My Life in Ruins (Click for larger image)



   

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 94

Summary: Faced with not graduating unless he completes his science project, a high school gear-head sneaks into a nearby Air Force base, looking for some gizmo he can pass off as his own invention. What he finds is an alien energy device that rips holes in both time and space, infesting the school with everything from dinosaurs to the Viet Cong. Writer-director Jonathan Betuel tries to mine some of the same veins as "Weird Science" and "Real Genius" (all three films were released in 1985) but with less success--mostly due to a slapdash script. The film veers from being "The Breakfast Club" to "WarGames" to "Rambo", leaping over plot holes all the way. As the hero, John Stockwell is too low-key for his own good, but Danielle Von Zerneck is appealing as his emerging love interest, and Fisher Stevens and Raphael Sbarge do their best to inject some life into the material. Dennis Hopper (as a hippie-dippie science teacher) chews the scenary with gusto--and at one point shows up wearing the costume he wore in "Easy Rider". "--Geof Miller"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 96

Borrowed By: Alberto Aldrete

Summary: Girl power (or if you prefer, woman power) gets a goofy boost in "My Super Ex-Girlfriend", a breezy rom-com that's as fun as it is forgettable. As devised by former "Simpsons" writer Don Payne and directed by comedy veteran Ivan ("Ghostbusters") Reitman, the premise is certainly promising, and much of that promise is gamely fulfilled. When a New York building designer named Matt (Luke Wilson) discovers that his new girlfriend Jenny (Uma Thurman) is actually a crime-fighting, disaster-solving superhero named G-Girl who's also needy, neurotic, and unpredictably volatile, he realizes he's got to dump her as politely as possible or face the potentially deadly consequences. Since he's really in love with a cute colleague (Anna Faris), and since the arch-villain Professor Bedlam (Eddie Izzard) has been in love with G-Girl since they were outcast pals in high school, you can easily figure out where the comedy is going. But getting there is surprisingly enjoyable, given the rather flat execution of a pretty good idea. The shark-tossing scene is a highlight, and other memorable scenes compensate for Reitman's embrace of a bitchy female stereotype that's either insulting or truthful, depending on your own romantic experience as the dumper or dumpee. Rainn Wilson (from the American version of TV's "The Office") performs the obligatory sidekick duties, and comedian Wanda Sykes is just plain annoying in a shrill and unnecessary role. Silly? You bet. Go in expecting that, and you won't be disappointed. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1991

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 98

Summary: A "Risky Business" clone with loftier ambitions, "Mystery Date" holds up surprisingly well despite its '80s teen-flick trappings. This was Ethan Hawke's follow-up to the successful family adventure "White Fang", and it's fun to watch the fresh-faced future Mr. Uma Thurman playing a shy guy named Tom who's obsessed with his dishy neighbor Geena (then-newcomer Teri Polo, in '80s big-hair splendor). When Tom's criminally entangled brother (Brian McNamara) manipulates Tom into a mistaken-identity date with Geena, they soon find themselves chased by a crazed delivery driver (Fisher Stevens), a hot-headed L.A. detective (SCTV alumnus Tony Rosato), and a Chinese mob kingpin (B.D. Wong) whose henchmen are named Ben and Jerry (giving some indication of this movie's dim sense of humor). Plot twists proliferate, and Polo (who had to wait until 2000's "Meet the Parents" for another decent movie role) manages to flatten her funniest line of dialogue. All of which makes "Mystery Date" a hit or miss affair, but mostly it hits. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 121

Summary: Ever wonder if there was a class system in the world of superheroes? After all the big names like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc., who were the supporting players? The folks assigned to the less-than-stellar gigs of saving only a small part of the world? According to this intermittently successful send-up of comic book heroism, there are indeed masked heroes who struggle and toil for their moment in the super sun. Based on the Dark Horse comic book series, "Mystery Men" follows the travails of three B-list avengers--Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), the Shoveler (William H. Macy), and the Blue Raja (Hank Azaria)--as they fight to make themselves known to the citizens of Champion City, quite difficult to do when the flashy Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear, never better) takes all the cool gigs "and" has product endorsements up the ying-yang. According to them, it's all a matter of timing--never mind that Mr. Furious never rises above a snit, or that the Blue Raja wears green. Their big break comes when Captain Amazing is abducted by the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), and it's up to this motley crew to save Champion City.
Blessed with a wondrously gifted comic cast and full of droll details, "Mystery Men" struggles in fits and spurts towards its climax. Transcendently witty in parts, it's also woefully sophomoric in others. Literally, this is the kind of movie in which someone gets off a brilliant line and then sits on a fork. Still, when this movie is rolling, it's gleefully on target, thanks primarily to the mordantly cocky Stiller and Janeane Garofalo as a latecomer to the superhero gang; her secret weapon is a bowling ball in which her dead father's head is encased. The comic chemistry between these two is fierce, and when you add the dryly funny Macy and the endearing Azaria (who finally gets a chance to let loose with his comic gifts), it's a hilarious joyride. Too bad that the gas tank is only half-full; this stunning cast deserves a first-rate vehicle. With Tom Waits as a weapons expert, Claire Forlani as the requisite babe, and Paul Reubens as the Spleen, the world's most flatulent superhero. "--Mark Englehart"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Rhino Theatrical

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 92

Summary: If Coleman Francis had never existed, he would have been invented by the writers of "MST3K" just for the perverse enjoyment of ridiculing him. Here the director of the jaw-droppingly inept "The Beast of Yucca Flats" tries his hand at a jailbreak film, which takes a surreal veer into an American invasion of Cuba apparently hampered by military budget cuts ("Once all seven of them are in place, the invasion really begins") before ending up in an American tungsten mine. Why? Who knows, but the bots have a ball skewering the film with some of their funniest comments ("I want to hurt this movie but I can never hurt it the way it hurt me") and Mike Nelson becomes so disturbed he turns into Carol Channing. Believe it or not, costar John Carradine rasps out the theme song "Night Train to Mundo Fine" (which was the film's original title). "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Rhino Theatrical

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 190

Summary: Join Joel and his "robot friends" as they're forced to endure two of the worst movies ever made. To maintain their sanity, they hilariously skewer the films' performaces, special effects and dialogue.

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Rhino Theatrical

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 675

Summary: This four-disc set, bundled together in an appropriately cheesy but charming package that sports pop-up-book-styled artwork, compiles four episodes of the Peabody Award-winning comedy series. The "experiments" in question ("Bloodlust", "Catalina Caper", "The Creeping Terror", and "The Skydivers") aren't necessarily "MST3K"'s finest hours--they don't hold a candle to the show's takes on "The Magic Sword", "The Atomic Brain", and "The Brain That Wouldn't Die". But the barrage of verbal zingers and pop-culture references slung by hosts Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson and their puppet pals Crow and Tom Servo are still quite funny, and should please both longtime fans and science fiction aficionados who don't take too much umbrage at having their beloved movies heckled.
The "Collection" is decidedly Mike-centric, with "The Creeping Terror", "Bloodlust", and "The Skydivers" all culled from his reign during the sixth season. Series creator Joel Hodgson's participation is relegated to season 2's "Catalina Caper", a fan favorite that at one time was pulled from circulation over rights issues. As with most of Rhino's "MST3K" DVDs, each disc is dual-sided, with one side devoted to the original, uncut version of each film, and the other given over to the "MSTied" version. Theatrical trailers for each movie round out the remainder of the supplemental features. Given the size of this presentation, it might have been interesting to include some interviews with the show's writers and performers (Comedy Central once ran a passable special about the series), but fans will still appreciate having these four episodes together, each providing a wealth of laugh-out-loud moments. "--Paul Gaita"

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Rhino Theatrical

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 380

Summary: Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 11/18/2003 Run time: 500 minutes Rating: Nr

Theatrical: 1988

Studio: Rhino Theatrical

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 362

Summary: Studio: Wea-des Moines Video Release Date: 03/09/2004 Run time: 450 minutes Rating: Nr

Theatrical:

Studio: Shout Factory

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 480

Summary: It's hard to believe that two decades have passed since Mystery Science Theater 3000 made it not only safe but hip to poke fun at cornball science fiction movies, but the episodes contained in this limited-edition set prove that the Peabody Award-winning program has lost none of its irreverent edge over the passage of time. The majority of the four episodes featured in the set come from the show's later incarnation; series creator Joel Hodgson is featured in an early effort, First Spaceship to Venus from Season 2, while head writer turned host Mike Nelson commands the Satellite of Love for Season 7's Laserblast (which brought MST3K's tenure on Comedy Central to an end) as well as Werewolf and Future War from its ninth and tenth season, respectively. Fans will undoubtedly debate the merits of this quartet as opposed to other episodes, but the pop culture references and machine-gun quips still feel fresh, and the low-tech charm of the skits (Joel's junk drawer in Venus; Mike in atrocious drag leading the 'bots in a girl-group tune inspired by Werewolf) remain inspired and even radical compared to most TV sitcoms. It's a rarity to find a comedy program that hasn't lost a few touches since its departure from the airwaves, but MST3K retains virtually all of the elements that made it a favorite for comedy and cult movie fans alike. In addition to the four complete episodes, the chief appeal of the 20th Anniversary edition--aside from the fun, lunchbox-style metal case--is a four-part history of the show told by its key players. Everyone from Hodgson and Nelson to J. Elvis Weinstein (Dr. Forrester's early sidekick and composer of the show's theme song) contributes their recollections of the show's inception, its tenures with Comedy Central and The Sci-Fi Channel, and the debacle surrounding its big-screen effort. Rare clips from its earliest days as a late-night cable offering in Minnesota, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, make this a must-have for series devotees, though one wonders why no mention of the participants' subsequent, MST3K-like projects (Nelson with Rifftrax and The Film Crew, and Hodgson with most of the core creative team on Cinematic Titanic) is included. A short featurette devoted to all six versions of the theme song is a fun touch, as are colorful new lobby cards for each feature, and even a Crow T. Robot figurine, suitable for riffing duty on your next bad movie night. --Paul Gaita

Theatrical: 1996

Studio: Image Entertainment

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 74

Summary: The cult television show (in which a hapless space explorer and his robot pals are forced to watch and deliver a hilarious running commentary on bad movies) makes a successful transition to the big screen as Mike and the 'bots lay waste to the '50s sci-fi yarn "This Island Earth" (a painfully stiff would-be epic that's actually a cut above the usual "MST3K" fare). While ardent fans may be a little miffed that more advantage isn't taken of the expanded theatrical venue (aside from a tad more scatological humor than usual, the content here would fit in comfortably as a regular episode of the series), the nonstop, hyper-literate salvo of comedy riffs that run the gamut from references to Tommy Chong's backyard to Yes album covers more than make up for any conceptual complacency. Be prepared to laugh till it aches. --"Andrew Wright"