Transporter 2 (2005)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

There is a purity to Transporter 2 that even the most action-averse moviegoer should appreciate. A sequel to the similarly streamlined 2002 picture, the movie pares the action-film structure down to its basic elements – it’s a cinematic energy drink. In the driver’s seat once more is Jason Statham as a transporter of illicit –

Harsh Times (2006)

Drama Rated R

Any actor looking to go berserk on screen should track down filmmaker David Ayer. In the Ayer-scripted Training Day, Denzel Washington ranted and raved as a bad cop all the way to an Oscar. Now Ayer has directed Harsh Times, in which Christian Bale blows his top as an ex-Army Ranger who turns into an

Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, A (2006)

Drama Rated R

This has a lot of standard, Mean Streets stuff, but what makes the movie unique is its framing device. It gives the clichÈs an extra dimension. Writer-director Dito Montiel already covered this territory in his 2003 memoir, which recalled his life as a hell-raising kid in 1980s Queens. For the movie, he’s added his own

Thank You For Smoking (2006)

Comedy Rated R

As it targets Big Tobacco – a soulless cigarette lobbyist (Aaron Eckhart) is its protagonist – this satire indulges in the sort of relentless cynicism that is only born of defeat. Directed by Jason Reitman and based on Christopher Buckley’s novel of the same name, Thank You essentially takes us on a tour through the

Bride and Prejudice (2004)

Musical Rated PG-13

There had to have been an easier way to drag the Bollywood style – that epic, musical method of Indian filmmaking – into Hollywood than this ungainly experiment, which melds Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and musical numbers, all in an Indian setting. As forced as a fake smile, this is multiculturalism at its most

Crush (2001)

Drama Rated R

Starring Andie MacDowell, Crush follows the contrived, melodramatic lives of three middle-aged friends, whose weekly Sex and the City-style drinking sessions devolve into stereotypical obsessing over men. This is supposed to be a glimpse at the secret lives of real women, but it looks suspiciously like a daytime soap opera.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

Comedy Rated R

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo is a living, breathing example of the comedy principle discussed in The Aristocrats. That documentary reveals obscenity can be funny in the right hands – it features nearly 100 comedians telling the same crude joke – but in the wrong hands it’s simply obscene. Suffice it to say Rob Schneider, who

Domino (2005)

Action/Adventure Rated R

Could Hollywood ask for a better true story than that of Domino Harvey? The daughter of actor Laurence Harvey, she briefly followed her model mother’s footsteps before becoming a bounty hunter. It’s sex and violence with a real-world kick, tied up in an exploitative cinematic bow by seizure-inducing director Tony Scott (Man on Fire). What’s

Ice Harvest, The (2005)

Thriller Rated R

The cast, clearly enjoying themselves, makes the most of this nasty little modern noir, an unlikely effort from Groundhog Day director Harold Ramis. John Cusack, once again playing a guy who seems disinterested even in his own lack of interest, stars as a midlevel mob lawyer who rips off his boss on Christmas Eve. Set

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Family Rated PG

This adaptation of the children’s novel by Katherine Paterson follows two young friends who create a fantasy world in a forest as a way to escape from the bullies and chores of real life. For the most part, it’s a joy to be able to escape with them. The scenes of Jess (Josh Hutcherson) and