Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)

Horror Rated R

As a sequel, this horror flick inherently contains the mythical back story that the flimsy first film lacked, but it still skimps on scares. A few good frights – including an opening daylight attack in a cornfield by the scarecrow or gargoyle or whatever the series’ monster is supposed to be – can’t make up

Sky High (2005)

Family Rated PG

The teen son (Michael Angarano) of two superheroes begins his first year at a hero-training high school in this Frankenstein’s mishmash of other, better kids’ films. The movie might as well split its poster into thirds, with one panel devoted to Spy Kids, another to The Incredibles and the third to any one of the

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

Romantic Comedy Rated PG-13

This is a fantasy about many things, but the movie’s greatest delusion is that it is offering audiences something new. Jennifer Lopez stars as a single mother and hard-working maid at an upscale New York hotel who is pursued by a senatorial candidate (Ralph Fiennes) after being seen out of uniform. Everyone involved in this

Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951)

Drama Rated G

A landmark in terms of science-fiction style and influence, The Day the Earth Stood Still boasts a wavering, theremin score (by Hitchcock regular Bernard Herrmann), a shiny, disc-shaped spacecraft and even a robot named Gort. Yet it deals in these sci-fi cliches with an amazing artistry. That score is delicately employed, the special effects still

Rundown, The (2003)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

Dwayne “The Rock” plays Beck, a nice-guy knee breaker who’s sent after an indebted explorer (Seann William Scott) in the Amazon jungle. All of it is mildly amusing and fairly innocuous until the climax, when the previously gun-averse Beck reluctantly grabs a huge weapon in each hand and then rises into the melee like a

Sweet November (2001)

Drama Rated PG-13

It’s hard to say which is worse, this romantic drama’s annoying first half, in which Charlize Theron plays a perpetually perky free spirit who cracks the shell of a selfish advertising executive (Keanu Reeves), or the baldly manipulative, tear-jerking climax. Put together, it’s like watching a manic-depressive crash and burn.

Son of the Mask (2005)

Comedy Rated PG

This Jim Carrey-less sequel to the 1994 comedy about a mask that unleashes the wearer’s id offers not just one, but two entries into the annals of repulsive computer-generated movie characters. Jamie Kennedy’s nightmarish game-show host shtick while wearing the mask is only slightly less unnerving than the antics of his character’s infant son, who

Christmas With the Kranks (2004)

Family Rated PG

This holiday exploitation piece, based on John Grisham’s “Skipping Christmas,” beats a dead reindeer for most of its 99-minute running time. A married couple (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to conduct a “total boycott” of the holiday season, and each time they announce this, their friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. stare at them open-mouthed

Swordfish (2001)

Thriller Rated R

This computer thriller, about a criminal mastermind (John Travolta) and the oh-so-hip hacker he corrupts (Hugh Jackman), showcases Hollywood at its most soulless. Full of nasty, empty attitudes and overblown, callous action, it even manages to drain the charisma from Travolta (who once again overacts while playing the bad guy). Also featuring Halle Berry’s breasts.

Driven (2001)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

Big, loud and dumb in every possible way, Sylvester Stallone’s racing debacle (he wrote the script and stars) can’t even qualify as a car wreck since it’s not interesting enough to look at as you drive by. In trying to capture his past glory, Stallone’s made a movie that seems plucked from some Hollywood time