Grind (2003)

Comedy Rated PG-13

Forced gross-out gags and sports cliches are in ample supply in this skateboarding comedy, while occasional attempts at absurd humor fall flat. Some of the action scenes are exciting, but seeing this in the theater essentially cost moviegoers twice. They had to pay for their tickets, then pay again by sitting through the rest of

Saving Silverman (2001)

Comedy Rated PG-13

This limp comedy, about three friends whose fun gets disrupted when one of them falls for a demanding psychiatrist, lets a lame script dumb down a bright comedic cast. Steve Zahn and Jack Black play the goofballs while Jason Biggs and Amanda Peet portray the couple, but their occasional flashes of inspired humor cannot save

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Romantic Comedy Rated PG-13

Kate Hudson plays a women’s magazine writer testing out the how-to article of the title, while Matthew McConaughey plays an advertising executive who has bet colleagues he can make any woman fall in love with him in little more than a week. Wry observations about the war of the sexes could be gleaned from such

Replacements, The (2000)

Comedy Rated PG-13

This would-be sports comedy, starring Keanu Reeves as the leader of a group of subpar athletes who get a shot at the big time during a players’ strike, is so predictably lame it repeatedly cuts to shots of cavorting cheerleaders just to keep your attention. By the time it’s over, you’ll feel as if you’ve

K-Pax (2001)

Drama Rated PG-13

After winning his Oscars, Kevin Spacey was offered the corniest roles in Hollywood, and unfortunately he accepted a lot of them. This time Spacey plays Prot, a patient at a psychiatric hospital who claims to be from outer space. Offering otherworldly words of wisdom and even curing his fellow patients, Prot is a shameless showcase

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.