Horror Rated NR
“If this works at all it’s because of the sound design…”
Family Rated G
A minimally amusing sequel to 1994’s nominally amusing original, in which Tim Allen reprises his role as a divorced dad who has taken on Santa’s responsibilities after the jolly old soul fell off his roof. I’m all for the spirit of the season, but this is one of those sadistically cheerful holiday movies that have
Drama Rated PG
Hilary Duff once again showcases her considerable screen charm – her specialty is scrunching her eyebrows so that she looks cute even while in distress – but this modern take on the fairy tale consist mostly of high-school movie cliches. It’s hardly the prince of a vehicle she deserves.
Drama Rated R
Even at his best – Lone Star, Limbo, Sunshine State – independent writer-director John Sayles tends to get preachy. Look out, then, when he decides to take the pulpit. This dull yet hectoring political drama, which follows a gubernatorial campaign in Colorado, is so strident and obvious it makes Fahrenheit 9/11 look like a calm
Comedy Rated PG-13
David Spade’s signature trait has always been a smugness that far outweighs any talent he might have to be smug about. You may think the joke is on him as he wades through the likes of Dickie Roberts – a toothless satire about a washed-up actor (Spade) who tries to regain his fame – but
An overwrought adaptation of a Sam Shepard play in which a horse-racing scam from the past comes back to haunt three friends (Jeff Bridges, Nick Nolte and Sharon Stone, each giving showy auditions for an Academy Award).
Drama Rated PG-13
Robin Williams is in serious, simpering mode for this science-fiction drama about a “cutter” who edits footage that a person with a video-recording implant records from the day of his or her birth. The assembled movie, or “rememory,” is then shown at the person’s funeral. Intriguing ethical, technical and even theological questions arise, but writer-director
An easygoing comedy that would have benefited from some more work. To help pay for his niece’s college tuition, an uncle (Jason Lee) and his clueless friend (Tom Green) attempt some petty thefts. Lee makes for an affable hero and Green’s bizarre antics produce a few laughs, but the downtime between gags is long and
Thriller Rated R
If it wasn’t for the sleek, hilltop house in which the hostage situation of Hostage takes place, the movie would be a complete wash. As a thriller, Hostage disappoints, but it makes for a fairly gripping episode of HGTV’s “Dream Homes.” Bruce Willis plays a small-town sheriff negotiating the release of a kidnapped family who
Comedy Rated R
Despite the slight novelty of having women as its main characters, The Sweetest Thing is a redundant exercise in gross-out humor. Cameron Diaz – returning to There’s Something About Mary territory, but without the benefit of an original script and a director with comic timing – stars as a single girl on the dating scene
