Luther (2003)

Drama Rated PG-13

How do you turn historical theology into gripping cinema? According to Luther, haul out the fancy clothes. A biopic about the life of Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes) – the 16th-century monk who split apart the Catholic church by arguing Christians earned salvation by faith, not works – Luther is a staid, somber costume epic whose

First Descent (2005)

Documentary Rated PG-13

This thrilling sports documentary outlines the history of snowboarding through 2005, which comes across as something Icarus might have tried if he had lived in a colder clime. It may seem a stretch to reference Greek mythology when talking about a sport that was once looked upon with scorn by the skiing establishment, but the

National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (2002)

Comedy Rated R

This dreadful piece of dreck, about a perpetual big man on campus (Ryan Reynolds) in his seventh academic year, arrived within two months of fellow collegiate comedies Slackers and Sorority Boys, meaning Hollywood was pumping out lame teen vehicles faster than I could dismiss them. Still, here goes: If you added up the good jokes

Hoodwinked (2005)

Family Rated PG

This Shrek wannabe doesn’t really work for parents or kids, largely because it strains so hard to include Mom and Dad in on the fun. An elaborate reworking of the Little Red Riding Hood fable, the computer-animated venture runs on obvious, self-reflexive humor and aggressive visual gags (the filmmakers fall just short of paying off

Perfect Man, The (2005)

Romantic Comedy Rated PG

Hilary Duff plays a teen who invents a secret admirer for her mother (Heather Locklear), and the sheer desperation of Locklear’s character gives this otherwise unremarkable Duff vehicle an icky atmosphere. The woman badgers her daughter into scanning her photo and posting it on Match.com; she lobbies the school board to form single-parent mixers; and

Longest Yard, The (2005)

Comedy Rated PG-13

The Longest Yard is inexplicably faithful to its inspiration, the buffoonish 1974 Burt Reynolds comedy. It’s pandering, puzzling and downright idiotic. Adam Sandler takes over the Reynolds role of Paul Crewe, a former professional quarterback who is sent to prison, where he leads a team of Neanderthal convicts in a game against their guards (Reynolds,

Red Eye (2005)

Thriller Rated PG-13

Remember that photo of Richard Reid, in which the would-be terrorist looked like he wouldn’t be able to light a cigarette, let alone a shoe bomb? Those are the kind of bad guys who drive the plot of Red Eye, in which a woman on a plane falls victim to an imbecilic hostage/blackmail/assassination scheme. Going

Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, The (2001)

Comedy Rated PG

Shot in black and white, with laborious dialogue and wooden acting, this straight-faced tribute to the sci-fi horror flicks of the 1960s is fun for a while, but it soon turns dull, then stale. These are actors trying to be bad, which is far less entertaining than genuinely bad acting. In the end, Skeleton is

Shark Tale (2004)

Family Rated PG

Shark Tale takes pains to give its cast of fish specific cultural characteristics, so that Will Smith spouts hip-hop lingo and sports a skewed baseball cap as a colorful cleaner wrasse who gets himself into trouble when he claims to have killed a shark. Only the painfully politically correct might complain, but such a narrow

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Action/Adventure Rated R

This twisting, turning con movie is so pleased with its own cleverness that an audience isn’t even necessary. Nobody could like the film as much as it likes itself. That sense of self-satisfaction considerably dampens whatever genuine pleasures the picture holds, including a flirty pair of performances from Lucy Liu and Josh Hartnett. Hartnett has