zebraspots Reviews

The Libertine (2004)

Profound, but not very good

[7/10 · 9 October 2006]

"The Libertine" is one of the worst great movies I've ever seen. Allow me to explain more throughly. At first, I was expecting some sort of rotten, more evil "Casanova" to come skirting about the screen, ending with the man acting exactly as he did before the film started. Instead, we got an almost profound look at theatre and leaders in the 17th century.

This is Laurence Dunmore's (the director) first film, and it shows. He is increasingly creative in his camera shots and keeps the movie in a slightly surreal state as you go through. The camera placements, etc. are by no means new ideas, but they are still interesting.

John Wilmot (Johnny Depp) is the Earl of Rochester, and is also the "Libertine". His actions appear to be no worse than those around him, it is his words that set him apart from his fellow man. He is very blunt, if he does not like someone he says so, thus making him cruel. "I don't mean to upset people, but I must speak my mind. For what's in my mind is far more interesting than whats outside my mind." No one really likes him as a result. His wife leaves him, the only ones who mange to stay at his side are servants. One would begin to wonder what the point of the whole movie is. He dies in his thirties and the world seems no better and no worse a place.

However, onward to why such a film should warrant an astonishing three stars. Because the character of Wilcot is so straightforward, he manages to impart some very deep wisdom. For the life of me, I cannot now put that wisdom into words of my own. At one point he does speak of consequences. How life is boring because not everything you do has a consequence, but in the theatre, everything matters. . . "drop a handkerchief, and it comes back to smother you later," referring to "Hamlet". It is also ironic he would say this as such because his lifestyle comes back to kill him.

One more thing. At the beginning of the movie, Wilcot wears a terrible wig. I did no think it possible for anyone or anything to make Johnny Depp look unattractive, but there you have it.

Lady in the Water (2006)

A bedtime story for everyone

[8/10 · 3 September 2006]

"Lady in the Water" begins in a "Watership Down" way. A tale of myths is told with animation to set of events and get the viewer thinking before the movie has launched into its real story. The small animations used immediately catch your attention and imagination.

Cleavland Heep (Paul Giamatti, "The Illusionist") works as the caretaker of a modern, yet small, apartment building. Every tenant knows one another and, for the most part, they get along. Mr. Heep isn't exactly satisfied with his life, but who is? On a late night excursion around the pool, in an attempt to figure out who has been taking midnight swims, Mr. Heep slips and falls into the pool. Story (Bryce Dallas Howard, "Manderlay")rescues him. Who is Story? Who is this mysterious girl who won't say anything of her origins, except "narf"? According to an old bedtime story, a narf is a water nymph which is sent to us for a special purpose. Mr. Heep soon realizes Story's words are true and that there is more to everything than what one first sees. "Lady" produces thought, and, more importantly, laughs. Not only is it a meaningful film, it is a funny film. Many of you might expect a movie based on a children's story to be silly and not worth your money. Others would think an M. Night Shyamalan movie to be scary (or, considering his last two films, bad). "Lady in the Water" is neither. Its weak spot is the "creatures". They are reminiscent of the forest monsters in "The Village", except these are much more clearly CG. But, one should not focus solely on that.

In this movie, not only does Shyamalan improve his story-telling techniques, but he also gets in some serious acting. He is a main character. One can forget he write, produced, and directed the movie, he's now really part of it all. Giamanti's performance was brilliant, no complaint's, and he starred alongside the excellent Bryce Dallas Howard. Howard's last Shyamalan movie was "The Village" playing Ivy Walker, the blind daughter of one of the secret keepers. In "Lady" she emanates a peaceful innocence perfect for her character.

Syriana (2005)

It will put you to sleep

[8/10 · 17 July 2006]

Syriana is a thought-provoking and dramatic tale about political troubles and the oil industry. Quite unfortunately, however, it will put the majority of its viewers to sleep.

Unlike Steven Spielberg's tragic classics, such as Schindler's List, Syriana fails to draw its audience into the film. You seem to get to know some of the characters too well, and others, too little.

But, the film has the redeeming qualities of good acting and a good plot. George Clooney's and Matt Damon's roles (Clooney play a CIA agent and Damon portrays an oil industry worker) do not, however, scream for their presence, but the actors do an excellent job.

Yours, Mine & Ours (2005)

Slapstick Comedy

[4/10 · 17 July 2006]

Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) and Helen North (Rene Russo) are complete opposites. Frank is an admiral in the military. He runs a tight ship, his four year old son habitually calls him "admiral" instead of dad, and calls his family his "crew". Helen, however, allows free expression among all her children; her house is crawling with painters, gardeners, musicians, dogs, cats, and a pig. This movie stresses the old cliché "opposites attract".

The two were old high school sweethearts and meet again at their high school reunion. Then, during and romantic dance on the ballroom floor, they fall in love again, then they reveal their secret: Frank has eight kids, Helen has ten. Chaos erupts when the eighteen children move into a lighthouse together.

They play hilarious, not to mention creative, pranks on each other. One such is when the North kids set of the smoke alarms while the Beardsley children are in the bathrooms. It becomes clearer to their parents that no one is happy with this except them with the situation.

The eighteen soon realize that, in order to be sure they never have to see each other again, they have to break up Mom and Dad. Who better than them to know what best annoys their parents? Now their teamed up against the "greater enemy" and begin focusing their energies towards splitting their folks up and they suddenly forget to hate each other.

A cute comedy with more than it's share of funny and family moments. It's great to bring the kids to, and the adults will like it too; the humor is neither childish or slapstick.

Stay (I) (2005)

Almost reaches a level of confusion of 2001: A Space Odyssey

[8/10 · 17 July 2006]

The majority of the above stars are awarded for originality. To tell you the truth, I, myself, did mot really understand what in the world had happened. I had an idea, but I wasn't sure until I went home. There, I downloaded a trailer and watched it intently, the tag line was the thing that caught my eye. "Between the world of the living and the world of the dead, there is a place you are not supposed to stay." This two line bit of information was the key thing that had me excited about seeing "Stay", yet I had forgotten about it in the movie's insane plot and camera work. Think about it, if you're still confused, skip to the last paragraph; if you want to figure it out on your own (which I highly recommend), skip the last paragraph.

The writer and director could each be described as an artist. Others would go for "genius" or "insane". The real beauty is that you are never sure what is going on. You are kept on the edge for what is really going on until the end, and for most of you, well after.

It begins with a car crash and then travels swiftly into the lives of Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling) and Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor). Henry is a depressed college student seeking the help of a psychiatrist, Sam. Sam quickly discovers Henry is mot a normal patient. A typical setting for a doctor/patient drama, but it soon turns into more. Sam begins to get more interested in Henry and learns that he plans to commit suicide on the date of his twenty-first birthday, as his favorite painter did.

Sam's girlfriend (Naomi Watts), Lila, tries to help Sam. She had once attempted suicide and now wanted to help him understand the true beauty of life. Other people along the way, including two other psychiatrists and a waitress, try to help. However, Sam is now unsure of what is real and what is not. He sees things and has serious deja vu, then starts to ask Henry why he chose him to help. "Because you're the only one who can," is his reply.

Do not think your ears or eyes begin to deceive you, the director loves to play tricks. His jumpy movement from scene to scene helps add to the feeling of a dream, or of a man going crazy.

All of the characters are well-cast. Though "Stay" is destined to become an obscure film, none of the big-money-making actors jump out and say "I don't belong here!". They all work together wonderfully, especially Watts and McGregor. After the catastrophe of "Ring Two", Watts comes up with a terrific performance, which makes up for it. Ewan McGregor, at first, seems misplaced, but soon gets more well-developed lines.

Now, to explain the movie. It is my suggestion that you do not read this if you have not yet seen the movie, it is SO much more fun to be confused. No doubt, a fair few of you will leave the theater, or turn off your TV, scratching your head, saying "What the heck just happened?!". Fear not! The great critic will explain all: The film opens with a car driving down a busy street when a tire blows out, turning the car over. Everything in between that and when Henry (Ryan Gosling) "pulls the trigger" is a dream, or rather, where Henry "stays" between life and death. Everyone he sees around him, including Sam and Lila, he uses in his "story". Henry slips into a world that he creates, a world that no one is supposed to visit, because it is an "in-between" world. No time elapses in the "real" world. Still confused, then I'm sorry. I hop you like the movie anyway, though.

The Shaggy Dog (2006)

Only entertaining if you're under five

[3/10 · 17 July 2006]

Shaggy Dog is a movie well suited for a younger audience, but is a groaner for anyone over fifteen. There are a few good jokes in there that would would spark a chuckle from the 'elders', and some of Tim Allen's dog-ish impressions might make you laugh but it will get old.

The movie starts off like a mysterious Jackie Chan movie, set in Tibet. We are shown a temple where a sheep dog sits praying with the rest of the monks, but a foul plot is afoot: the military has been sent to kidnap this dog, which has been alive for more than 300 years. The evil Dr. Kozak (Robert Downey Jr.) wants to market a "fountain of youth" from the dogs DNA.

Meanwhile, Dave Douglas (Tim Allen), a Washington D.A., is having an average American lifestyle. His kids know that he doesn't get them, and his wife is starting to realize that she is losing her husband to his job. When the 300 year old shaggy dog escapes the test lab and bites Douglas,he transforms into a dog at night, and has many dog-like tendencies throughout the day.

Often, jokes are repeated throughout the movie, yet don't receive a "running-joke" label, but become annoying. However, Tim Allen's thoughts while a dog ("I don't know why I never tried this running on four legs thing before!") are quite cute. All in all, it's like "Good Boy" with a slightly different story.

The Ring Two (2005)

Stay as far away as possible from this

[2/10 · 17 July 2006]

The Ring 2 possesses none of the scare or originality of the first film. One begins to question why the family still owns a television; after all, the evil almost comes directly out of the TV. In Poltergeist, they were smart enough to throw their TV out at the end of the movie. That aside, Ring 2 still leaves you incredibly disappointed and questioning why the backers okay-ed a sequel. Your expectancy for something scary to happen does leave on edge for the first half hour or so, but you soon begin to realize that nothing good will happen.

The story starts off with Rachel Keller(Naomi Watts) and her son, Aiden (David Dorfman), living in a new town, six months after the first movies events. Aiden is becoming sick and his mother begins to fear it has something to do with Samara (the girl who started the evil video tape). She, again, starts to dig up the mystery of Samara and her family. Rachel is able to locate the girl's real mother and is quite unnerved about the fact that the woman (Marilyn McIntyre) is in an insane asylum, put there by her daughter, Samara.

All in all, do not waste your money. Nothing incredibly shocking or interesting is found out and the stupidity of the character's actions makes you want to get up and leave, anyway.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Not as good as the first

[8/10 · 17 July 2006]

A step down from "Curse of the Black Pearl", but fantastic none the less. Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann embark on another voyage of fantasy. Lucky for us, none of the main cast or crew has been changed; unfortunately, some of the jokes are being reused as well.

Captain Jack Sparrow makes another miraculous (and side-splitting) entrance, where he then boards the "Black Pearl" with his crew. They head out in search of a key, which leads to a chest, holding something Jack doesn't say. Complicated, yes; funny, yes. Meanwhile, back at Port Royal, Will and Elizabeth are about to be married when they are arrested for helping Jack escape the gallows. The punishment is death and the only way to escape it is to bring Cutler Beckett (the man who has arrested them) Jack's special compass.

We discover Jack had made a deal with Davy Jones, and it's time to pay up. Jack, in his usual manner, tries to get out of it. Will and Elizabeth soon join him for an adventurous movie.

The beloved theme music and other tunes return, along with a touch of new score. Often, it seems, the director tries to recreate the scenes that made the first "Pirates" so famous. For instance, the "But, why is the rum gone?" line is seen in one of Jack's early declarations "Why is the rum always gone?".

This film is a bit of a dilemma. You should watch the first film before you see this one, in order to get a lot of what goes on, however, if you have, the second is bound to be a bit of a disappointment. Just try your best not to compare them (like anyone could resist).

Over the Hedge (2006)

Good for kids and adults

[8/10 · 17 July 2006]

When the scavenging raccoon, RJ (voiced by Bruce Willis) needs to collect an enormous amount of food to pay back a bear, he needs to get some help. He cons a forest family pf two possums, a turtle, a skunk, a squirrel, and five porcupines to help him. After their long hibernation, the family wakes up to discover human deforestation has taken away most of their home. They also find . . . the hedge. Bruce Willis is almost perfect for RJ after his role as Jimmy in "The Whole Ten Yards". Not only must these animals fight to find food, but they soon must escape from a deranged pest-control man.

Jokes for an older audience are also there. Many inside jokes include references to "Citizen Cane" and "A Streetcar Named Desire".

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Great idea, but too old to be a real horror film

[7/10 · 17 July 2006]

This is a new idea brought to us by Wes Craven. You can't fall asleep, lest your nightmares should attack you. It begins with four teenagers, all of whom had the same nightmare about a man with knives for fingers. They soon find out that he's more than a dream.

This movie leaves you constantly in awe of the ideas behind it. Craven's creativity allows you to see past the outdated special effects. Nightmare is a classic for a reason. The plot itself is what scares most people. Whenever you're scared of something, a person might tell you "Sleep on it, and you'll feel better in the morning.", but here, that's out of the question.

Recommended for anyone who wants to see a good movie, but not be scared senseless.

Gangs of New York (2002)

Worth your while

[7/10 · 17 July 2006]

"Gangs of New York" goes back to 1863 where New York was tough, gangs roamed the streets and you had to pay due to the right person. Okay, maybe that description doesn't sound too different form the New York of today, but it is very different.

The Natives and the Dead Rabbits are two of the gangs. Each fearsome and have good fighters and thinkers on their side. The Dead Rabbits are led by a Priest by the name of Vallon, his son is Amsterdam (older version is played by Leonardo DiCaprio). Dead Rabbits is composed mainly of Irish immigrants. The Natives have Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting as their leader (Daniel Day-Lewis), who despises immigrants, most specifically, the Irish. The two gangs meet and fight over the Five Points, a territory in New York that had yet to be claimed.

The opening battle scene starts out lamely, Vallon has brought his ten-year old son to the battle grounds so he could possibly see history in the making. Unfortunately, all he gets to see is poorly choreographed combat, unworthy to be seen on a low-budget stage company production. As the battle continues, it picks up into a bloody and well

The Producers (2005)

A Little Old and New

[8/10 · 15 June 2006]

"The movie inspired by the play inspired by the movie." "The Producers" has got it all: sining, dancing, a scheme, and Will Ferrell.

Many of the original lines and ideas are kept from the 1968 "Producers" but some new twists are added. Along with a musical score, first performed on Broadway in 2001, the movie has a terrific mix of stars. Matthew Broderick (Leopold Bloom) and Nathan Lane (Max Bialystock) are the main characters who cook up a plot to make two million dollars. "You can make more money with a flop than with a hit,"says Bloom and the movie jumps into the real action, metaphorically speaking.

The songs such as "Along Came Bialy" help move the story along. Excellent dance moves accompany "When you Got it Flaunt it" and "Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop (in which Bloom and Bilaystock try to get the worst play ever written from its author, a Hitler-loving maniac who demands they dance with him to prove they are worthy to produce his play; a more than side-splitting scene)". All the music and singing fits and the dances and lyrics sometimes make you cry with their hilarity.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

An adrenaline rush

[7/10 · 15 June 2006]

It's unusual to get such an adrenaline rush from an action movie these days. It's either the explosions aren't big enough, they talk too much, the characters are too flat, or any number of things. MI3 is not without its faults, but you love to watch it. Granted, the writers have, again come up with unimaginable story lines, but all you have to do is remember this is the IMF team.

J.J. Abrams directs, who also is deeply involved with the TV show "Lost", brings his brilliance to the big screen once again. A die-hard "Lost" fan will be able to recognize certain elements from some of the episodes, such as camera work, or even some of the choreography.

This time Ethan Hunt is engaged, so now the stakes are higher on his missions. As we know from practically every spy movie ever made, the hero's girlfriend can always be used against him.

Another cliché used in the movie comes about one-fourth into the film. The only woman on the IMF team must go under-cover in a party. She proves that even if you wear a barely-there red dress when everyone else is in black, no one pays special attention to you. However, the writers allow the classic "disguise" masks to be used again and some new cool gadgets.

A must-see for action fans.

United 93 (2006)

A Tale of Bravery

[10/10 · 15 June 2006]

Paul Greengrass directs this bold and tragic tale of the flight of United 93. Dozens of passengers were taken hostage when four terrorists hijacked their plane. No person will ever really know what had truly taken place on that plane, but Greengrass and his team piece together a story so majestically, you feel as if you were really there.

It is not only the story, but the way it is told that gives the viewer a "being there" feeling. This movie was shot in documentary style footage: the camera looks for the speaker, sometimes it lingers on one person while we listen to another, and other such moves. Unlike with the desperate attempts Open Water made at a true story, this technique brings out a real beauty of the brave people on the day of September 11.

The cast is also made up of all "no-names". Actors who have gotten a little work here and there, but have never reached the publicity of Charlize Theron or Matt Damon. However, each actors is very good and extremely professional. Their performances blow you away.

When you watch this film, you will be shaken up. In all seriousness of advice, a box of tissues may be in order. Greengrass and his team are geniuses with United 93, but some may not be ready for such a story.

A Sound of Thunder (2005)

Don't waste your money

[2/10 · 29 April 2006]

To quote from the movie itself, "It's got everything; Action, disaster, government corruption . . ." but it lacks a good story, good special effects, or very many reasons to see it at all.

It is the year 2055 and there's a new craze of adventure at Time Safari. Charles Hutton is head of the big corporation and will do anything to make his clients pay money. Travis Ryer works for him with the vision of collecting DNA samples form the past in order to bring the animals back to the future. The entire Time Safari deal is to go back in time to hunt a dinosaur. This, in itself, is dangerous. Only one person, Dr. Sonia Rand (palyed by Catherine McCormack) sees the possibility of changing the past and, thus changing the future.

They story uses the simplest excuse for something to go wrong: neglect mixed with clumsiness. When an employee hurriedly tries to do his job, he does it wrong, which leads to a terrible mishap in their next "time jump". The group brings something from the past back to the future and everything goes from there.

First off, when we originally travel 65 million years into the past, the special effects look worse than on a Playstation 2 game. What with all this wonderful technology, these effects are completely laughable.

Next, the story is not very good. You would think that people would be a bit more careful about time travel than these people, or, at least, explain what they were doing. Rand (the jaunty doctor who believes she is the only one to have ever been cheated by the a big corporation) keeps saying that what Time Safari does is wrong and should be stopped. She continues to rant, not fully explaining what is going on, leaving you wondering whether you missed something or if the director cut out some crucial dialog.

Throughout the movie, whenever more explanation is needed, they simply restate what they had previously said, in an even more complex way. And, in the reverse, when we get the point and we just want them to get on with it, such as in a chase scene, the characters go on and on.

All in all, not very good. It's quite sad that the movie isn't very humorous, either. That is the angle the cast and crew should have gone for. Such as in Eight Legged Freaks the special effects weren't brilliant and the story was overdone, but it was a worthwhile movie because it was funny.

The Constant Gardener (2005)

Mystery and Romance

[8/10 · 26 April 2006]

The Constant Gardener is a dramatic film layered with the element of romance. A husband finds out his wife was brutally murdered and he decides to investigate. Tessa (played by Rachel Weisz) lived with her husband Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes) in Africa. She has a great desire to help people and had been researching a new experimental TB drug called Dyproxy. Her inquiries revealed cover ups and deaths. Justin then discovers all this as he takes up his wife's work.

You can see, as the story progresses, how much Justin becomes like Tessa. He now understands what she had been fighting for and wishes he could do even more to help those he can't.

Ultimately, a story of mystery. Throughout the beginning of the movie, much of the story is told through flashbacks and the director (Fernando Meirelles, "City of God") does the transitions in seamless ways and tells the rest of the story passionately. Fiennes and Weisz make an excellent on-screen couple and never travel away from a normal relationship.

Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

New characters mixed terrifically with the old

[6/10 · 26 April 2006]

Though not as classic or funny as the original Ice Age, Ice Age 2 is something you won't want to miss. Once again, we travel back in time to meet up with Manny, Diego, and Sid. As the title describes, the ice is melting and the whole valley is in danger of being flooded. All the creatures must migrate to a gigantic boat waiting on the other side of the valley to float them safely on the water.

The most popular character, Scrat, is back. The squirrel's muted attempts to retrieve his precious acorn from hilarious situations deserve some sort of award to the creativeness of the animators. The cute creature comes into frame every ten or twenty minutes, and the audience will laugh at his mere presence.

New characters include two possums and another female mammoth who has come under the impression that she herself is a possum. The two real possums work as a team to ensure mischief for the mismatched herd in Ice age 2. Sean William Scott and John Peck voice the two and manage to excellently portray the carelessness and silliness that will make you think back to the class clowns of your own middle school. Queen Latifah is Ellie, the mammoth-believed-too-be-possum, which our beloved Manny develops a crush on.

A few of the scenes are entertaining in that they look like Busby Berkly stepped in to direct them. The dancing and singing is intriguing rather than boring. Ice Age 2, thankfully, does not go the route of musical.

Fever Pitch (2005)

Cute and a great date movie

[6/10 · 17 April 2006]

Fever Pitch is a cute comedy for couples, romantics, and Red Sox fans.

Lindsey Meeks (Drew Barrymore) works constantly, and hasn't had a date in a comically grueling time. Enter Ben Wrightman (Jimmy Fallon). He's cute, has a good sense of humor, and is great with his school students. It is inevitable that these two should date.

Their first date was not pretty. Lindsey is sick and, unlike every other guy in Boston, Ben takes care of her, he even cleans up her bathroom. He is simply the perfect guy for anyone out there. But then Linsey's friends begin to wonder why he is still available.

Ben's tragic flaw is that he is a Boston Red Sox fan; the team hasn't won a world series in almost a century. She soon finds that she is fighting the entire team for his love. Love conquers all, though. Including that for the Red Sox. They win! A happy moment in all of history.

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

Ominous and predictable, but worth the ticket

[5/10 · 17 April 2006]

It is very unusual to walk out of a theater, after having seen a the newest horror flick, and being pleased with what you viewed. I see "scary" movies with a hint of boredom and apprehension these days. A proper horror film has not been made for quite sometime. The Hills have Eyes is a little different.

It begins ominously enough, and is quite predictable, but leads the viewers with a steady hand. The movie starts with a classic run-down gas station, at which an average American family is turned off the road by a seemingly well-meaning man. At this point the audience would be shouting at the screen "Don't do it, it's a trap!". . . . in the old days. Now, it is harder and harder to spook your average teenager, or, in some cases, your average five-year-old.

The characters make the characteristic moves of all horror characters: following the dog into the darkness (the dog, always goes to the trouble), leaving one person alone to hold down the fort, going off alone, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But, Hills has its redeeming qualities in that it gives excellent scare-tactics. The ending, also, ends as a cliff-hanger, allowing you to make up whatever you think would suit such a movie.

The Skeleton Key (2005)

Skeleton Key is nothing new

[4/10 · 4 April 2006]

"Skeleton Key" is nothing new, really. A movie that tries hard to be a physcological thriller, by not using too many special effects, yet simply comes off as badly written. Even worse than "Dark Water" (which, by the way, if you liked that, you would like this). While Kate Hudson ("Raising Helen") performs beautifully alongside a tremendous cast. They appear to have chosen the wrong film to further their career.

The film is not a complete loss, however, you do want to know how it ends, and would therefore, wish to stay throughout the entire movie. The script is an original idea, for which credits must be given.

"Key" does start out beautifully with Hudson's character, Caroline, reading aloud to a hospital patient. It progresses to the swamps of New Orlens where she becomes a helper for the Devereaux family, most specifically, Ben Devereaux, who is dying. Eventually, the suspense of "what's-going-to-happen-next" wears off, and you just want something interesting to happen already, or for it to end.

The Pink Panther (2006)

Wait for the DVD

[5/10 · 4 April 2006]

Steve Martin (Cheaper by the Dozen 2) plays Inspector Jacques Clouseau, who is a fumbling policeman who has had more than his fair share of mistakes. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (played by Kevin Kline, De-Lovely) originally hires Clouseau as a distraction for the media, while he solves the robbery of the Pink Panther.

Late in the movie, Clouseau is thrown off the case and, only then, he is able to solve the mystery (in almost any movie you see, it will come as common knowledge that a detective can solve any crime after he is discharged and, possibly, humiliated). Unfortunately, we are disappointed to find out that the Inspector is a cunning problem-solver, for he does not stumble into an answer (such as lovable characters like Scooby Doo would), but uses intellect to crack the case.

There are memorable lines, that you will love to quote every once in a while ("A woman is like an artichoke, you must work hard to get to her heart). As well as innumerable french accent jokes.

The Pink Panther is funny, yet it is not all that witty. You certainly do not want want to miss out on it, but the DVD would be a better choice.

Hoodwinked! (2005)

The great mystery of Red Riding Hood shall be solved

[7/10 · 26 March 2006]

Hoodwinked is a cute and funny movie and almost measures up to the 2002 blockbuster Ice Age. Based on the children's fairy tale of "Little Red Riding Hood, it begins on a slightly flat note, but picks up within the first few minutes. Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Grandma, and the Woodsman are all questioned about the "day". Of course, each person has his or her own story.

It is very interesting to have all of the events connect and have the story piece together. Its elements are entertaining for adults and children. Though it would be quite obvious to the older audience who the culprit is about halfway through the film.

David Ogden Stiers costars as Flippers, the investigative detective, who holds the role as an understanding and knowledgeable character. Patrck Warburton (who has previously been the voice of Kronk in The Emperor's New Groove and David Puudy in Seinfeld) is perfectly cast for a misunderstood part in the film; the wolf, whom no one ever sides with in the classic fairy tale.

There are certain parts of the film in which it is very obviously focused toward children. The scene where Red Riding Hood is wishing to do more and be more is a classic "be yourself" message to the younger audience. Luckily, those scenes are short lived, so as not to become boring, but it could possibly leave a positive impression on kids under ten.

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)

Better than the original

[4/10 · 26 March 2006]

Cheaper by the Dozen 2

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is even better than the original. Now that we know all of the twelve children, we can get into a more 'into it' plot. The parents (played by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt) now need to learn to say goodbye to a few of their children. One is going off to college, another is leaving for Huston and some of the others are becoming distant teenagers.

The Bakers decide a family vacation is what they really need, so it's off to the lake. There, the father, Tom Baker, meets his old Rival, Jimmy Murtaugh (played by Eugene Levy). The two begin to make their families compete to see who is the better father, and the better family. At times, Levy's character's competitiveness is just plain annoying, but the thickness of this personality flaw lightens as we get closer to the end.

Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, again, play their roles with enthusiasm and Eugene Levy's style is just what his character calls for.

Cheaper provides comedy for kids mostly, but the adults in the audience can get a few good laughs as well. A great family comedy.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Computer graphics aren't spectacular, but it is true to the book

[8/10 · 26 March 2006]

The Chroncles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The great series written by C.S. Lewis were momentous occasions to a first time reader. Anyone could let their imagination run wild to create Aslan, the great lion and King of Narnia, or the humble Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. The movie, however, lays it all out straight for you, and it doesn't do a good job. The visual effects look incredibly fake at times, but, all that aside, it is a movie you should take your kids to.

Mr. Tumnus' character is one of the few I think was depicted perfectly. He is the first Naninian Lucy sees, and they both shriek in fright when they see each other. Aslan, however, fails to emit the great amount of power which the character possesses. The lion looks like what he really is: computer generated.

The screenplay is well written and doesn't leave gaping holes in the plot, nor does it cut out small details to leave room for the big picture (unlike the enormous Harry Potter novels, C.S. Lewis' tales were only about 200 pages long). The movie does have a sense of reality mixed in with all of its fantasy, which makes the length of 2 and ½ hours easy to sit through for most.

When you are watching, a word of caution: do not stop as soon as the credits roll, the movie isn't over yet. There is a short scene between the Proffesur and Lucy that you wouldn't want to miss.

Chicken Little (2005)

Laughter ensues in this film

[7/10 · 26 March 2006]

Chicken Little

Chicken Little puts you right with the characters and is funny for all. The jokes are great because children will still get them, while the adults won't groan aloud. The movie is based on the original tale of Chicken Little, but adds so much more to the story.

The story starts off with Chicken Little proclaiming that "the sky is falling". Sadly, not even his father believes him. Chicken Little feels bad about this, but manages to keep high spirits with the help of three good friends: Runt (a nervous pig), Fish (a mute fish, who goes around with a water filled helmet), and Abby (an "ugly duckling", but it is the nicest girl on the block, and has a crush on Chicken Little).

One year after the "sky is falling" incident, it happens again. A piece of the sky falls right on his head! This time, Chicken Little gets his friends' help. They soon discover that the "sky piece" is really part of and alien space ship. Jokes galore when they find themselves on the ship. You'll laugh until you cry.

Chicken Little is played Scrubs' Zach Braff. He brings a childish innocence to the character, while completely relating to thousands. Steve Zahn lends his voice to Runt, who has a superiority complex, but is a true friend and a karaoke fan. Fish Dan Molina creates Fish's voice. This is a cute role, who is a classic character, such as Scrat in Ice Age. He'll make any situation funny.

Don't miss this!