DVDpedia : Library : Title : O

Theatrical: 2000

Studio: Touchstone

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 106

Summary: Only Joel and Ethan Coen, the fraternal director and producer team behind art-house hits such as "The Big Lebowski" and "Fargo" and masters of quirky and ultra-stylish genre subversion, would dare nick the plot line of Homer's "Odyssey" for a comic picaresque saga about three cons on the run in 1930s Mississippi. Our wandering hero in this case is one Ulysses Everett McGill, a slick-tongued wise guy with a thing about hair pomade (George Clooney, blithely sending up his own dapper image) who talks his chain-gang buddies (Coen-movie regular John Turturro and newcomer Tim Blake Nelson) into lighting out after some buried loot he claims to know of. En route they come up against a prophetic blind man on a railroad truck, a burly, one-eyed baddie (the ever-magnificent John Goodman), a trio of sexy singing ladies, a blues guitarist who's sold his soul to the devil, a brace of crooked politicos on the stump, a manic-depressive bank robber, and--well, you get the idea. Into this, their most relaxed film yet, the Coens have tossed a beguiling ragbag of inconsequential situations, a wealth of looping, left-field dialogue, and a whole stash of gags both verbal and visual. "O Brother" (the title's lifted from Preston Sturges's classic 1941 comedy "Sullivan's Travels") is furthermore graced with glowing, burnished photography from Roger Deakins and a masterly soundtrack from T-Bone Burnett that pays loving homage to American '30s folk styles--blues, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, and more. And just to prove that the brothers haven't lost their knack for bad-taste humor, we get a Ku Klux Klan rally choreographed like a cross between a Nuremberg rally and a Busby Berkeley musical. "--Philip Kemp"

Theatrical: 2009

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 86

Summary: With sublime awkwardness, Seth Rogen throws himself into the role of a deluded, socially inept shopping mall security guard. Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen) protects his little kingdom with a mixture of grandiose passion and borderline incompetence; he can’t catch a flasher in the parking lot or a thief with inside connections because his prejudices and desires cloud his ability to see what’s right in front of him--all he can see is the trashy cosmetics salesgirl Brandi (Anna Faris) who thinks he’s nothing but a creep. Though he resents the intrusion of a police detective (Ray Liotta), Ronnie decides to pursue his true dream: Becoming a cop so he can carry a gun. The plot isn’t what matters in "Observe and Report"--this comedy is about letting talented actors create strange characters with enough roots in reality to make them very, very funny. Even the supporting actors shine with a mixture of weirdness and banality, including Michael Peña ("Crash") as Ronnie’s sidekick who turns out to have a secret life, and Celia Weston ("Junebug") as Ronnie’s boozing and wildly inappropriate mother. Writer/director Jody Hill ("The Fist Foot Way") has a gift for pushing an ordinary moment into comic exaggeration, though he doesn’t always find the right balance; every now and then "Observe and Report" veers into territory that’s funny, but undercuts the movie’s internal reality, and there are several moments of unexpectedly graphic violence that will make some viewers recoil. But when the movie hits the mark--and it does so more often than not--Hill and Rogen tap into a rich vein of humor that stands apart from the usual Hollywood formula gags. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical:

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 363

Summary: No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Comedy
Rating: NR
Release Date: 13-NOV-2007
Media Type: Blu-Ray

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Drama

Duration: 108

Summary: Based on the memoir "Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam Jr., "October Sky" emerged as one of the most delightful sleepers of 1999--a small miracle of good ol' fashioned movie-making in the cynical, often numbingly trendy Hollywood of the late 20th century. Hickam's true story begins in 1957 with Russia's historic launch of the "Sputnik" satellite, and while Homer (played with smart idealism by Jake Gyllenhaal) sees Sputnik as his cue to pursue a fascination with rocketry, his father (Chris Cooper) epitomizes the admirable yet sternly stubborn working-man's ethic of the West Virginia coal miner, casting fear and disdain on Homer's pursuit of science while urging his "errant" son to carry on the family business--a spirit-killing profession that Homer has no intention of joining.
As directed by Joe Johnston ("The Rocketeer"), this wonderful movie is occasionally guilty of overstating its case and sacrificing subtlety for predictable melodrama. But more often the film's tone is just right, and the spirit of adventure and invention is infectiously conveyed through Gyllenhaal and his well-cast fellow rocketeers, whose many failures gradually lead to triumph on their makeshift backwoods launching pad. Capturing time and place with impeccable detail and superbly developed characters (including Laura Dern as an inspiring schoolteacher), "October Sky" is a family film for the ages, encouraging the highest potential of the human spirit while giving viewers a clear view of a bygone era when "the final frontier" beckoned to the explorer in all of us. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1983

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 131

Summary: Roger Moore was nearing the end of his reign as James Bond when he made "Octopussy", and he looks a little worn out. But the movie itself infuses some new blood into the old franchise, with a frisky pace and a pair of sturdy villains. Maud Adams--who'd also been in the Bond outing "The Man with the Golden Gun"--plays the improbably named Octopussy, while old smoothie Louis Jourdan is her crafty partner in crime. There's an island populated only by women, plus a fantastic sequence with a hand-to-hand fight that happens on a plane--and on "top" of a plane. The film even has an extra emotional punch, since this time out 007 is not only following the orders of Her Majesty's Secret Service, but he is also exacting a personal revenge: a fellow double-0 agent has been killed. Two Bond films were actually released in 1983 within a few months of each other, as "Octopussy" was followed by Sean Connery's comeback in "Never Say Never Again". The success of both pictures proved that there was still plenty of mileage left in the old license to kill, though Moore had one more workout--"A View to a Kill"--before hanging it up. And that title? The franchise had already used up the titles to Ian Fleming's novels, so "Octopussy" was taken from a lesser-known Fleming short story. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Drama

Duration: 935

Summary: While flying under the ratings radar on Showtime, "Odyssey 5" drew loyal fans with a premise that could have yielded fascinating developments beyond its 19-episode run. Before taking show-runner jobs on UPN's ill-fated "Star Trek: Enterprise" and Fox's "24", creator-writer-producer Manny Coto dreamed up this provocative pastiche of sci-fi ideas, connecting an end-of-the-world scenario with a time-travel twist and an alien invasion plot with "X-Files" overtones. You could argue that Coto's reach exceeded his grasp, since none of these elements combine to form a fully satisfying whole (especially since the series was cancelled before it reached its intended conclusion), but there's something to be said for the show's entertaining tangents and unexpected complications. It all begins when the five-member crew of the space shuttle "Odyssey" witnesses the shocking implosion of the Earth, leaving them stranded and doomed to suffocate when their air supply is depleted. Instead, they are rescued by the Seeker (John Neville), a crystalline alien in human form, who sends them (or at least, their mental and spiritual essence) five years back in time, reunited with their physical bodies with a mission to discover what went wrong and save Earth from oblivion.
Peter Weller stars as the brash, foul-mouthed Commander Chuck Taggart, a seasoned flyboy whose 22-year-old computer-whiz son Neil (Christopher Gorham) must now cope with being physically 17 again, reliving high-school (including his first serious relationship) while investigating possible causes of Earth's destruction. Along with geneticist Kurt Mendel (Sebastian Roché), shuttle pilot Angela Perry (Tamara Craig Thomas), and TV news reporter Sarah Forbes (Leslie Silva), their quest leads to the discovery of sentient nano-bots, synthetic humans, and a far-reaching conspiracy masterminded by a NASA splinter group secretly known as "the Cadre." In his pilot episode commentary recorded with Weller in 2005, Coto outlines some of the ideas he would've developed had the series run longer, and these 19 episodes serve up plenty of surprises that hint at the series' untapped potential. That makes "Odyssey 5" both fun and frustrating--we're left dangling with an unresolved cliffhanger--but the ensemble cast makes it worthwhile. While the writing skews toward juvenile silliness on some occasions (and veers into full-on comedy with guest star Ted Raimi in the entertaining episode "The Trouble with Harry"), it's clear that "Odyssey 5" was pushing conventional boundaries of TV science fiction. For that reason alone, it's a shame it lacked the audience that would've warranted additional episodes. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 135

Summary: The British sitcom "The Office" has the most devoted following this side of "Monty Python", so an American remake seemed doomed. Amazingly, the remake actually finds its own enjoyable version of the original's uncanny comedy of embarrassment. Office manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell, "The Daily Show", "The 40 Year-Old Virgin") believes he's the beloved leader of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of a paper products company--but his relentless and painfully forced efforts at comedy creep out everyone around him, including paranoid Dwight (Rainn Wilson, who had a memorable recurring role on "Six Feet Under"), nervous receptionist Pam (Jenna Fischer, "LolliLove"), and aimless salesman Jim (John Krasinski, "A New Wave"), who's smitten with the already engaged Pam. The pilot episode suffers from closely replicating the British pilot, but after that "The Office" finds its own footing, turning diversity training, an office birthday party, and a basketball game into excruciating yet hypnotically funny rituals of humiliation. Carell, though clearly talented, can't match Ricky Gervais' unique performance as the aggressively needy British manager (it's hard to imagine that anyone could); as a result, the supporting roles become more prominent, and Wilson, Fischer, and Krasinski quickly create a rapport that matches and may even exceed that of their British counterparts. Be sure to watch the deleted scenes; remarkably, they're as good as the material that made it on the air in this six-episode season. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2005

Studio: National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 477

Summary: Thank goodness for second seasons. While the first season of "The Office" started dubiously with a pilot that was just a poor copy of the original British version, it did manage to provide enough good material to stay on the air and hint that better was yet to come. And here it is. The second season of "The Office" finds its own footing and manages to do the near-impossible by not only breaking free of the gravity of that excellent BBC version to stand solidly on its own, but establishing it as one of the best comedies on TV. Season 2 starts out strong with "The Dundies," where Regional Manager, Michael Scott (Steve Carell, "The 40 Year Old Virgin") hosts the company’s annual office-awards event with his signature less-than-perfect grace. Things seem to only get worse for him this season as he bumbles a potential affair with his boss, Jan (Melora Harding), angers his employees by reading their emails ("Email Surveillance"), cooks his foot ("The Injury"), and accidentally destroys the warehouse with a forklift in "Boys and Girls," one of the season’s highlight episodes. Always at his side is the clueless paranoid Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), the Assistant Regional Manager ("Assistant "to" the Regional Manager," Michael always reminds him in one of the show’s running jokes).
One of the reasons for the show’s improvement in the second season is increased focus on Dwight’s character, who’s becoming something of a pop-culture icon right down to having his own bobblehead. He in turn provides so much good material for Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinsky) to play off of, to their own amusement. But of course, Pam and Jim’s simmering relationship is the real meat of the show, as their compatibility becomes more obvious, Jim’s feelings for her continue to grow, and Pam struggles with the impending marriage to her less-than-caring boyfriend, Roy (David Denman). Things have to come to a head, and they do nicely in the final episode, "Casino Night." As strong as the leading characters are in "The Office", it’s the excellent peripheral characters that really make the show hilarious, especially dimwitted office-slug Kevin (Brian Baumgartner), long-suffering intern Ryan (B.J. Novak), office-ditz Kelly (Mindy Kaling), and ultra-conservative Angela (Angela Kinsey). As with season 1, this season contains excellent bonus features to give you an excuse to spend more time at "The Office", including the fake PSAs, commentaries, Michael’s "The Faces of Scranton" movie, the ten stand-alone webisodes, and deleted scenes. "--Daniel Vancini"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 89

Summary: Stills from Office Space (Click for larger image)



   

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Dreamworks Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 91

Summary: When three thirtysomething friends with woman troubles (Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn) decide to form a fraternity, it's supposedly to save Wilson from losing his house, which the nearby college is trying to claim for academic purposes. But really, Ferrell and Vaughn are desperate to return to the reckless, feckless days of beer bongs and hot chicks, and they drag Wilson along with them as they throw themselves into gathering frat pledges of all ages. "Old School" could have been just another string of bad jokes hanging on a flimsy plot, but the script and the cast have a jovial energy and just enough grounding in reality--at least, up until the obligatory beat-the-system ending, but by that point you'll forgive the excesses of this silly, cheerful, and frequently funny movie. Featuring Jeremy Piven and Juliette Lewis, with cameos by Snoop Dog, Andy Dick, and others. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Good Times Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 100

Summary: When it was released in 1999, "The Omega Code" surprised Hollywood by scoring $2.4 million in its opening weekend, following a promotional blitz on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The Christian televangelical outlet, which funded this chaotic biblical thriller, had built widespread awareness among its viewership, and the film attracted an appreciative Christian audience. While it's true that "The Omega Code" offers a wealth of biblical prophecy that Christians will study for years, it remains a pedestrian, headache-inducing movie that's too busy "decoding" the Bible to make any dramatic sense. With a cast that could populate an Aaron Spelling miniseries, it's too badly written to inspire serious religious discussion, and not terrible enough to qualify as entertaining schlock. It's just painfully, pretentiously bad.
Rife with snippets from the book of Revelation, the convoluted plot finds a famous motivational speaker and "Bible Code" expert (Casper Van Dien) under the influence of an ultra-wealthy philanthropist (played by ultra-hammy Michael York) who schemes to crack the Bible's secret codes and take over the world. He's a vessel for the Antichrist (with snidely Michael Ironside as his henchman), and by the time Van Dien gets a clue from a pair of resurrected prophets, "The Omega Code" has jettisoned any pretense of religious importance. Rather than dare a meaningful examination of faith and the power of evil, the movie opts instead for cheesy pyrotechnics, hackneyed action, and enough bad acting to make Arnold Schwarzenegger's "End of Days" look like a masterpiece. Do you want to feel closer to God? Just read your Bible, forget about the code, and avoid this gawd-awful movie. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1985

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: This is the movie that was supposed to make Jim Carrey a star--in 1985, no less. Perhaps it's no wonder that it took him until the 1990s (and "In Living Color"): this bloodless vampire comedy almost sank his movie career before it began. Carrey plays an innocent L.A. teen, the unlikely object of the affections of slinky Lauren Hutton, a long-lived vampire who needs the blood of a virgin to stay young. So, she woos the unsuspecting, naive young Valley guy. But most of the jokes fall flat, and only when Carrey cuts loose briefly and lets his wild side show do we get a glimpse of the future Ace Ventura. "--Marshall Fine"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 101

Summary: Guns, guns, guns! And a few explosions as bodies fly through the air and crash into tables and fruit stands. "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", like all Robert Rodriguez movies, is all about the kinetic kick of high-velocity action. Johnny Depp, blase and whimsical, plays a CIA agent who's drawn guitar-playing gun-slinger Antonio Banderas (long black hair flopping over his face like the ears of a Labrador puppy) into a ridiculously convoluted plot to overthrow the Mexican government. Along for the ride are a craggy-faced rogue's gallery including Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo, Ruben Blades, and (to balance things out) the smooth, tantalizing complexions of Eva Mendes and Salma Hayek. For sheer trashy fun, "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" is a step down from its predecessor, "Desperado"--but "Desperado" set the bar pretty high. For coherent storytelling, look elsewhere, but for action razzle-dazzle, this is your movie. "--Bret Fetzer"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 87

Summary: "The One" sets a martial arts milestone by pitting action star Jet Li against his greatest enemy: "himself". This sci-fi thriller establishes a "multiverse" consisting of countless parallel universes, each populated by variants of every individual. Li plays a renegade from the Multiverse Agency, illegally traveling through "quantum tunnels" to eliminate all versions of himself until only two remain, each sharing the cumulative strength of their "parallel universe versions." This mumbo-jumbo inspires a variety of dazzling special effects, and director James Wong (with cowriter and fellow "X-Files" alumnus Glen Morgan) injects clever humor into the "Matrix"-derivative premise. Carla Gugino is wasted as the "good" Li's obligatory love interest, but "The One" will appeal to action fans with its fast-paced pursuit between the evil Li and two agents (Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham) assigned to stop his trans-universal killing spree. It's a one-gimmick movie, best enjoyed with your brain in neutral. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Polygram USA Video

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 93

Summary: A giddy attempt to combine a standard film noir plot and a contemporary sex farce about men who (to quote John Hiatt's song) let their little heads do the thinking, "One Night at McCool's" is a promising comedy that never hits full speed, coasting along amiably enough before spiraling into violence that clashes with its trashy sensibility. It's not as polished as "Grosse Pointe Blank", but it's fun enough to recommend, especially for those who drool at the sight of Liv Tyler. The movie begins by suggesting that Liv is sexy, then proceeds to prove it, and then continually insists upon it until you're left with no choice but to wholeheartedly agree. It's an easy choice, but pity the movie's wretched guys for making it.
As bombshell Jewell Valentine, Tyler lures three guys into her criminal scheme of happy homemaking. Bartender Matt Dillon's the first to take the bait; as Dillon's lawyer cousin, Paul Reiser can't resist; and when murder complicates everything, detective John Goodman employs his own love-struck brand of chivalry. Sporting a tacky pompadour, Michael Douglas steals the show as a hit man hired to whack the scheming sexpot--and Andrew Dice Clay is surprisingly funny in a dangerous dual role--but of course Liv can hold her own. It's all quite amusing, but rarely is "McCool's" as funny as you hope it will be; the dialogue by Stan Seidel (who sadly died before filming completed) is zesty enough but lacks the Coenesque punch that would kick it over the top. It hardly matters, though; with a femme fatale like Liv in control, the movie's faults will be easily forgiven. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2006

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 83

Summary: Growing up can be a confusing journey fraught with difficult choices. Boog (Martin Lawrence) is a domesticated Grizzly Bear who leads a perfectly happy life inside of Park Ranger Beth's (Debra Messing) garage, but a chance meeting with an overly energetic mule deer named Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) quickly changes everything and lands Boog high in the forest a few days before the opening of hunting season. Devoid of even the most basic survival skills, Boog and Elliot stumble through the woods and find themselves at the mercy of every forest animal from skunks to chipmunks as well as an evil hunter named Shaw (Gary Sinise). After unintentionally inciting and endangering an entire forest full of clever animals, Boog and Elliot come to the realization that only by banding together do the forest animals stand a chance of outsmarting the hunters and ensuring their own survival.
























This first animated film from Sony Pictures Animation takes its inspiration from cartoonist Steve Moore ("In the Bleachers") and features animals with human-like intelligence, a vibrant color palate, and skilled animation that makes everything from the wind blowing Boo's fur to the animals' wild trip down the falls simply breathtaking. While it doesn't quite live up to "Over the Hedge", " Open Season" is an entertaining production that explores the difficult process of maturation, the universal need for acceptance, and the true value of friendship. Special features include a 15-minute featurette about the animation process at Sony Pictures Animation and Image Works, a 7-minute look at the recording sessions featuring the voices behind the characters, two deleted scenes, three short animated cartoon strips, a short "Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run" that's an extension of the trailer scene in the movie, art gallery, beat boards, humorous commentary from the animals' point of views, and a full length commentary by Producer Michelle Murdocca, Directors Roger Allers and Jill Culton, and others. Activities include a "Voice-A-Rama" where viewers can hear specific lines spoken by alternate voices and a trivia "Wheel of Fortune--Forest Edition" as well as a DVD-ROM link to more online fun. (Ages 3 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"













Meet the Critters of "Open Season" (click for larger image)


Boog (aka Martin Lawrence),
hear Martin Lawrence, "On Boog":
high bandwidth


Elliot (aka Ashton Kutcher),
hear Ashton Kutcher, "On being Elliot":
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Shaw (aka Gary Sinise),
hear Gary Sinise, "On Shaw":
high bandwidth
Stills from "Open Season" (click for larger image)

























































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Meet "The Chubbchubbs! "





























For a limited time, purchase Open Season (Widescreen Edition) on DVD and receive a complimentary copy of the Academy Award winning animated short, The Chubbchubbs!, exclusive to Amazon.com.

Amazon.com Review
When it was briefly shown in theaters with "Men in Black II", the delightful animated cartoon "The Chubb Chubbs" had the awkward distinction of being funnier and more inventive than "MIIB". The six-minute film won the 2003 Oscar for best animated short. --"Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 2002

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 82

Summary: While it invites charges of Hollywood nepotism, "Orange County" overcomes that stigma with a delightful cast of newcomers and veterans alike. It's no better or worse than many teen comedies, but director Jake Kasdan (son of director Lawrence Kasdan) astutely combines teen-flick staples (stoner gags, raucous parties) with a biting undercurrent of southern California absurdity. This comedic texture helps Colin Hanks (son of Tom) and Schuyler Fisk (daughter of Sissy Spacek) to prove their big-screen promise. They play (respectively) an Orange County teen and aspiring writer named Shaun who yearns for admission to Stanford, and his sensible girlfriend who knows just how to nurture his dreams. Much of the comedy arises from the foibles of Shaun's dysfunctional family (played to perfection by Jack Black, Catherine O'Hara, and John Lithgow), while unbilled cameos by Ben Stiller and Kevin Kline add zest to a movie that tries to be different, and mostly succeeds. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 94

Summary: "South Park" cocreator Trey Parker goes straight for the gross-out humor in this live-action farce set in the adult-movie industry. Parker stars as an innocent Mormon kid who gets sucked into the world of pornographic filmmaking and becomes an international sensation as the porno superhero Orgazmo, all the while hiding his secret life from his milk-fed fiancée. It's practically a one-man show for Parker, who directs, writes, stars, and even performs the self-penned theme song as frontman for his rock band, and perhaps he should have spread the responsibilities a little. As an actor he's surprisingly appealing--his dazed grin and bleached white surfer-dude hair give him an engaging air of innocence (he can also be seen, just as innocently endearing, in the sports farce "BASEketball"). Paired with longtime crony Dian Bachar, the diminutive actor who plays his superhero sidekick Chodo Boy, they bring a Hardy Boys naiveté to the rude world of mobbed-up producers and jaded adult film stars. But the film is only fitfully funny, with vulgar jokes that are often more disgusting than humorous and clumsy comic timing sabotaging promising scenes. Only rarely does it reach the heights of his hilarious cutout cartoon series, but when he delivers he does so with the carefully cultivated tasteless excess his fans have come to know and love. Matt Stone costars as a clueless photographer and adult film star; Ron Jeremy appears as a gross gangster henchman. "--Sean Axmaker"

Theatrical: 2001

Studio: Warner Home Video

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 95

Summary: After the stiff attempts at realism in many recent features, it's a treat to see broad cartoon-style animation on the big screen in "Osmosis Jones", a spoof of cop movies set inside the human body. The title character (voice by Chris Rock) is a street-smart white blood cell, working for Frank's immune system. He and Drix (David Hyde Pierce), an over-the-counter cold capsule, are reluctant partners fighting what appears to be a minor infection. Osmosis discovers Frank has really contracted a fatal virus, Thrax (Laurence Fishburne): he battles a corrupt body politic led by a venal mayor (William Shatner) to save Frank's life and win the affection of the mayor's aide, Leah (Brandy Norwood). Rock's motor-mouth delivery can get annoying, but it contrasts nicely with straight arrow Drix (imagine a fussy Buzz Lightyear). Excellent drawing and a powerful vocal performance make Thrax a genuinely frightening villain.
"Osmosis Jones" is about two-thirds animation and one-third live action, which is why two-thirds of the film is entertaining and funny, and one-third is not. The life Osmosis and Drix save belongs to Frank, a slob played in live-action sequences by Bill Murray, who's undercut rather than supported by Chris Elliott and Molly Shannon. Shamelessly over-the-top performances make the human characters seem flatter than the two-dimensional cartoons. The live action was shot by the Farrelly brothers and features lots of gross-out gags about zits, flatulence, vomit, snot, etc. The audience endures these leaden segments, waiting to get back to the animation--and the real comedy. Suitable for ages 9 and up: profanity, violence, bodily function jokes. "--Charles Solomon"

Theatrical: 2010

Studio: Sony Pictures

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 223

Summary: Although the comedy team of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg does not sound like a threat to Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, they conjure up consistent laughs in "The Other Guys", yet another comedy from "Talladega Nights" director Adam McKay. Ferrell plays a mild-mannered police accountant partnered with Wahlberg's hothead (recently demoted to desk-jockey duty after shooting a very famous Yankee player during the World Series), and both men must endure the showboating fame of a pair of supercops (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson) in their New York City precinct house. Along with sending up cop-movie clichés, the movie basically exists to give Ferrell and Wahlberg room to work amusing variations on their characters (with grace notes for Michael Keaton's stereotypical tough captain, too). The loosey-goosey structure works especially well when Wahlberg is needling his partner's squareness or marveling, in wonderfully awestruck tones, at the unbelievable hot-i-tude of Ferrell's wife (Eva Mendes)--a discrepancy made all the more maddening because Ferrell seems indifferent to her charms. Throw in a plot about a billionaire Wall Street crook (Steve Coogan) and the revelation of Ferrell's hilariously dark past, and the movie finds a nice zone of silliness. Of course, any Will Ferrell vehicle must be judged by the opportunities for the star to launch into some borderline-surreal riff--and happily, this film comes through. From the moment Ferrell begins deconstructing Wahlberg's lion versus tuna metaphor, "The Other Guys" manages to find time for such nonsense, and the film--the world in general, for that matter--is the better for it. "--Robert Horton"

Theatrical: 1998

Studio: Universal Studios

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 123

Summary: "Out of Sight" scored critical raves, but its title sums up the theatrical fate of Steven Soderbergh's coolly comic crime caper and misfit romance based on "Elmore Leonard's novel". But this is the sort of buried treasure home video was created to rescue.
George Clooney comes into his own as a leading man in the role of inveterate bank robber Jack Foley. Incarcerated, he uses another inmate's prison break as a cover for his own escape. Waiting for him, according to plan, is his partner, Buddy (Ving Rhames). Also waiting for him, not according to plan, is federal agent Karen Sisco (the ravishing Jennifer Lopez). She finds herself disarmed in more ways than one when she is deposited in the getaway car's trunk with Jack. But that doesn't stop her from joining the task force created to capture him, while he plans "one last heist."
"Out of Sight" is a rich, entertaining film, stylish without being showy, faithful to the integrity of Leonard's potent dialogue and quirky characters, and seamlessly acted by a dream ensemble. Standouts include Albert Brooks as convicted insider trader Richard Ripley, who while in prison brags to the wrong people that he has $5 million in uncut diamonds hidden in his house; Don Cheadle as Maurice (don't call him "Snoopy") Miller, with whom Jack warily teams up to steal said diamonds; Dennis Farina as Karen's protective father (his idea of a birthday gift is a Sig-Hauer .38); and, in unbilled cameos, Michael Keaton, reprising his "Jackie Brown" role as FBI agent Ray Nicolet, and Samuel L. Jackson.
If you liked "Get Shorty" and "Jackie Brown", you'll find this, well, "Out of Sight". "--Donald Liebenson"

Theatrical: 2003

Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Duration: 105

Summary: Partly inspired by 1948's "The Big Clock" and its nominal 1987 remake "No Way Out", the Denzel Washington thriller "Out of Time" is quite enjoyable if you ignore its implausible plotting. Like those earlier films, this reunion of Washington and his "Devil in a Blue Dress" director Carl Franklin is about a man--in this case the police chief (Washington) of sleepy Banyan Key, Florida--who falls into a trap set by others, sinks into legal quicksand of his own making, and must race the clock to extricate himself from a series of incriminating setbacks. The Florida setting adds welcome character to the potboiler plot, and Washington's screen-cred makes it easy to overlook the absurdities of rookie writer David Collard's screenplay. Eva Mendes is sharp and sensible as Washington's estranged wife (do you think they'll reconcile for a happy ending?), and the talented John Billingsley--whose portrayal of "Dr. Phlox" on TV's "Enterprise" is vastly underrated--is a constant delight as Washington's medical examiner, beer buddy and wily co-conspirator. It's hardly a classic, but "Out of Time" goes well with a big tub of popcorn. "--Jeff Shannon"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Paramount

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90

Summary: This remake of Neil Simon's 1970 comedy finds Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin as Ohio yokels cast adrift in Rudy Giuliani's sanitized New York City. With their son recently departed for Britain, the empty-nesters travel to the Big Apple for a job interview and are beset with all kinds of bad luck, starting with their flight being rerouted to Boston. Things only go downhill from there, of course, as they're mugged by an Andrew Lloyd Webber imposter, the high-tech multilingual navigation system on their rented Cadillac goes haywire, and their hotel reservations fall through. Though this movie is marred by some out-of-place slapstick and mawkish romance scenes, it's not without its funny moments. The couple stumbles into a sexual-addiction encounter group and has to try to back out gracefully (not succeeding very well, of course). John Cleese is howlingly funny as he reprises his "Fawlty Towers" role of a cross-dressing hotelier, and Martin has a great drug-delirium scene, in which he's slipped a hit of LSD in jail (thinking it's aspirin). Just try not to think in terms of comparisons to Neil Simon's original and this remake works fairly well. "--Jerry Renshaw"

Theatrical: 1999

Studio: Miramax

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 96

Summary: "Outside Providence" was written by the Farrelly Brothers, known for the outrageous comedies "Dumb and Dumber", "Kingpin", and "There's Something About Mary". On the surface, "Outside Providence" seems to be of the same ilk--there's a three-legged, one-eyed dog, physical humor with a kid in a wheelchair, and a character nicknamed Jiz, among other things. But despite all that, the movie is an almost-gentle coming-of-age comedy, something like a suburban New England "Amarcord" with a lot of unrepentant drug humor. The plot doesn't sound promising: pothead Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy) gets sent to prep school by his father (Alec Baldwin), who wants to keep him out of trouble. But a fair amount of smoking and boozing goes on at that school, too, despite the watchful eye of the administrators. Dunphy also falls for Jane (Amy Smart), a richer and smarter girl whom he wins over. All this could just as easily be the plot of some mediocre "Porky's" rip-off, but the Farrelly Brothers' script has the grit of real experience, while the direction (by Michael Corrente) and acting carefully avoid smirks and easy gags; the movie is funnier for it. Baldwin initially seems miscast, but over the course of the film delivers a solid performance; Hatosy and Smart are sincere and unaffected. The result is a low-key, modest, but genuinely affecting movie about surmounting class differences and coping with loss--that also has a lot of jokes that push the boundaries of political correctness. Quite a balancing act. "--Bret Fetzer"