Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The (2005)

Comedy Rated PG

An angry letter to a faceless utility company in the guise of science-fiction, Douglas Adams’ 1979 novel channeled all his frustrations at the inanities and bureaucracies that govern society into a tongue-in-cheek guide to extraterrestrial life – which is revealed to be just as bogged down in inanity and bureaucracy as our own. This adaptation

Bride of Chucky (1998)

Horror Rated R

New levels of horror lunacy are achieved with this jokey entry in the Child’s Play series about a killer doll. Jennifer Tilly jiggles and squeaks as the doll’s lover – even after she becomes a doll herself – while the gonzo murders pile up (at one point Chucky proposes with a recently dismembered ring finger).

Keeping the Faith (2000)

Romantic Comedy Rated PG-13

What sounds like a bad bar joke – a priest (Edward Norton) and a rabbi (Ben Stiller) fall in love with the same woman (Jenna Elfman) – is actually an endearing romantic comedy that’s respectful of religion and a riot all at once. There are some inherent theological questions that remain unanswered, but those looking

Constantine (2005)

Action/Adventure Rated R

Talk about a tortured hero. The freelance exorcist of the title (Keanu Reeves) knows he’s going to hell, and so he runs around Los Angeles hoping to vanquish enough demons to earn his way into heaven. But is that the way it works? These and other knotty theological issues – as well as a stoic

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Comedy Rated PG

This often-amusing exercise in geek chic garnered a cult following, especially among teens, possibly because they found its portrait of a high-school nerd (Jon Heder) reassuring: they could never be as cluelessly dorky as the title character. Heder’s commitment to the role – he makes being a loser a form of rebellion – goes a

Dreamer (2005)

Family Rated PG

Writer-director John Gatins is no Carroll Ballard – the animal-movie specialist behind The Black Stallion – but he still manages to grace this tale of a girl (Dakota Fanning) who cares for an injured horse with a few quietly effective moments. There also are some nice scenes between Fanning and Kurt Russell as her workaholic,

Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005)

Family Rated G

When Pooh’s Heffalump Movie was released – at a time when even Pixar Animation Studios had ventured into PG-rated territory with The Incredibles – it was nearly impossible to find big-screen fare for the smallest ones in the house. Winnie the Pooh filled the void. This third feature based on A.A. Milne’s classic characters enfolds

Fantastic Four (2005)

Action/Adventure Rated PG-13

Fantastic Four faced an uphill battle in making its mark amid the renaissance of superhero movies during the 2000s. The Marvel comic, about a team of astronauts (Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, Ioan Gruffudd and Chris Evans) who obtain extraordinary powers after a freak accident in space, has never had the cachet of big-name properties such

Solaris (2002)

Drama Rated PG-13

“If you feel it, Solaris covers it.”

Gangs of New York (2002)

Drama Rated R

“Martin Scorsese’s Les Miserables.”