Count of Monte Cristo, The (2002)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

Almost ridiculous enough to be delectable camp, this umpteenth adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel is the kind of overheated historical adventure in which the bad guys sport yellow teeth rather than black hats. While most of the cast seems aware of the inherent silliness – Guy Pearce voraciously chews each line of dialogue as the

Nascar 3D: The Imax Experience (2004)

Documentary Rated PG

Another lightweight Imax documentary that resembles a promotional video more than a movie. I went into it hoping to learn about Nascar racing, but the picture only wanted to tell me how great the sport is. Strategy, driving technique and the rules of racing are barely touched on, leaving unexplained the reason millions of people

Coyote Ugly (2000)

Drama Rated PG-13

In following the adventures of Violet (Piper Perabo), a sweet wanabe songwriter who learns to exploit her looks as a flesh-baring bartender, Coyote Ugly wants to sell itself as a new form of feminism, in which women exercise their right to be thought of as pieces of meat. Too bad this dubious message is muddled

Pay It Forward (2000)

Drama Rated PG-13

Beyond Oscar bait – more like one of those ludicrously bright fishing lures that turn a pond into a glistening discotheque – Pay It Forward shamelessly caters to American cinema’s top award both with its Oscar-friendly cast (Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, Haley Joel Osment) and in its blatant emotional manipulation (there’s a death here that’s

Guy Thing, A (2003)

Comedy Rated PG-13

This dud – about a groom-to-be (Jason Lee) who wakes up after his bachelor party with a strange woman (Julia Stiles) in his bed – misfires on all levels: as a romance, a crude comedy and a quirky character study. The main culprits are stale gags and a cast that’s largely devoid of comedic talent.

Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, The (2001)

Family Rated G

This is a bit less insipid than its predecessor mainly because it’s less of a paean to Britney Spears values than the first film. Sudden princess Mia (Anne Hathaway) prepares to take over the crown from her grandmother (Julie Andrews), but according to Genovian law she must first marry. And so the search for a

Half Past Dead (2002)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

What’s more tired: Die Hard scenarios or Steven Seagal? We get both in Half Past Dead, an endlessly silly shoot-’em-up in which Seagal plays an undercover FBI agent imprisoned on reopened Alcatraz Island. Seagal’s co-star is rapper Ja Rule, and the two make a ludicrous pair. The well-past-his-prime Seagal tries to hide his burgeoning belly

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

Family Rated PG

Sinbad takes time-proven source material and sculpts it into a serviceable animated adventure. Brad Pitt provides the voice of the title hero, the most dashing criminal on the ocean. More nuanced in its depiction of “good guys” and “bad guys” than most adult action films, Sinbad squeezes a surprising amount of thoughtfulness in between the

Jacket, The (2005)

Thriller Rated R

Adrien Brody plays a Gulf War veteran who is accused of murdering a cop and sent to a mental institution for the criminally insane. He may be crazy, he may be innocent, he may, in fact, be dead. The Jacket offers all of these possibilities without following through on any of them. It wants to

Confidence (2003)

Drama Rated R

If a good con man should never be smug – that would reveal he’s up to something – neither should a good con movie. Confidence oozes a sense of self-satisfaction, from its smarmy lead performance by Edward Burns to its overly clever plot. Burns plays the head of a con team whose latest scam involves