Library

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: A blend of live-action and animation, this film centers on a fearful young boy (Macaulay Culkin) afraid to experience life because he's calculated the odds of an accident for every known activity. Chased by bullies, he winds up at the local library, where a bump on the head sends him into an animated universe, where his best friends are walking, talking books voiced by, among others, Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg. The Pagemaster (Christopher Lloyd) points the way to the exit, but the boy must first traverse the adventures of literary history, encountering everyone from Dr. Jekyll to Captain Ahab to Long John Silver. The animation is middling, but a worthy message makes this better children's entertainment than you'd expect. How can you fault a movie that encourages kids to pick up a book? "--Marshall Fine"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: After a nine-year break from the genre that made him an international star (the Western just before this one was "The Outlaw Josey Wales", from 1976), Clint Eastwood returned in this gritty Western, crafted in the tradition of "Shane" and "High Noon". Eastwood directed and stars as the nameless stranger known only as "Preacher," because he rides into a beleaguered mining town wearing a clerical collar. He's either an agent of death or an angel of mercy, and the echoes of "Shane" ring loud and clear when he comes to the aid of independent miners who are being terrorized by a local tycoon (Richard Dysart) and his ruthless band of hired guns. Befriended by a miner (Michael Moriarty) and idolized by the miner's wife and daughter (played by Carrie Snodgress and Sydney Penny, respectively), the "Pale Rider" sparks the defiant spirit of the underdog miners and takes after the bad guys with single-minded purpose. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Jorge Luis Borges, and Guillermo del Toro's own unlimited imagination, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a fairytale for adults. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) may only be 12, but the worlds she inhabits, both above and below ground, are dark as anything del Toro has conjured. Set in rural Spain, circa 1944, Ofelia and her widowed mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil, "Belle Epoque"), have just moved into an abandoned mill with Carmen's new husband, Captain Vidal (Sergi López, "With a Friend like Harry"). Carmen is pregnant with his son. Other than her sickly mother and kindly housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú, "Y Tu Mamá También"), the dreamy Ofelia is on her own. Vidal, an exceedingly cruel man, couldn't be bothered. He has informers to torture. Ofelia soon finds that an entire universe exists below the mill. Her guide is the persuasive Faun (Doug Jones, "Mimic"). As her mother grows weaker, Ofelia spends more and more time in the satyr's labyrinth. He offers to help her out of her predicament if she'll complete three treacherous tasks. Ofelia is willing to try, but does this alternate reality really exist or is it all in her head? Del Toro leaves that up to the viewer to decide in a beautiful, yet brutal twin to "The Devil's Backbone", which was also haunted by the ghost of Franco. Though it lacks the humor of "Hellboy", "Pan's Labyrinth" represents Guillermo Del Toro at the top of his considerable game. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Summary: Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Jorge Luis Borges, and Guillermo del Toro's own unlimited imagination, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a fairytale for adults. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) may only be 12, but the worlds she inhabits, both above and below ground, are dark as anything del Toro has conjured. Set in rural Spain, circa 1944, Ofelia and her widowed mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil, "Belle Epoque"), have just moved into an abandoned mill with Carmen's new husband, Captain Vidal (Sergi López, "With a Friend like Harry"). Carmen is pregnant with his son. Other than her sickly mother and kindly housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú, "Y Tu Mamá También"), the dreamy Ofelia is on her own. Vidal, an exceedingly cruel man, couldn't be bothered. He has informers to torture. Ofelia soon finds that an entire universe exists below the mill. Her guide is the persuasive Faun (Doug Jones, "Mimic"). As her mother grows weaker, Ofelia spends more and more time in the satyr's labyrinth. He offers to help her out of her predicament if she'll complete three treacherous tasks. Ofelia is willing to try, but does this alternate reality really exist or is it all in her head? Del Toro leaves that up to the viewer to decide in a beautiful, yet brutal twin to "The Devil's Backbone", which was also haunted by the ghost of Franco. Though it lacks the humor of "Hellboy", "Pan's Labyrinth" represents Guillermo Del Toro at the top of his considerable game. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: An effective exercise in "confined cinema," "Panic Room" is a finely crafted thriller that ultimately transcends the thinness of its premise. David Koepp's screenplay is basically "Wait Until Dark" on steroids, so director David Fincher ("Seven", "The Game") compensates with elaborate CGI-assisted camera moves, jazzing up his visuals while a relocated New York divorcée (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) fight for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars (Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam) in their new Manhattan townhouse. They're safe in a customized, impenetrable "panic room," but the burglars want what's in the room's safe, so mother and daughter (and Koepp and Fincher) must find clever ways to turn the tables and persevere. Suspense and intelligence are admirably maintained, with Foster (who replaced the then-injured Nicole Kidman) riffing on her "Silence of the Lambs" resourcefulness. It's not as viscerally satisfying as Fincher's previous thrillers, but "Panic Room" definitely holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: An effective exercise in "confined cinema," "Panic Room" is a finely crafted thriller that ultimately transcends the thinness of its premise. David Koepp's screenplay is basically "Wait Until Dark" on steroids, so director David Fincher ("Seven", "The Game") compensates with elaborate CGI-assisted camera moves, jazzing up his visuals while a relocated New York divorcée (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) fight for their lives against a trio of tenacious burglars (Jared Leto, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam) in their new Manhattan townhouse. They're safe in a customized, impenetrable "panic room," but the burglars want what's in the room's safe, so mother and daughter (and Koepp and Fincher) must find clever ways to turn the tables and persevere. Suspense and intelligence are admirably maintained, with Foster (who replaced the then-injured Nicole Kidman) riffing on her "Silence of the Lambs" resourcefulness. It's not as viscerally satisfying as Fincher's previous thrillers, but "Panic Room" definitely holds your attention. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Like "The Blair Witch Project", "Paranormal Activity" is an impressive and harrowing indie chiller that derives much of its terror--and there is quite a bit of that in its brief running time--by playing on the most basic of human fears: that which cannot be seen. Though one might assume that the point-of-view aesthetic had been worn out thanks to "Cloverfield" and "Quarantine" (and, lest one forgets, "Blair Witch"), "Paranormal" makes excellent use of the single-camera technique, which helps to not only preserve the film's central conceit--a new-minted couple records the increasingly threatening supernatural phenomena that have invaded their home on a camcorder--but underscore the realism needed to drive home the low-fi (if completely persuasive) special effects. The approach is also crucial to the film's suspense, which unfolds in long, largely broken takes to nerve-rattling effect. Not every horror fan--or moviegoer--will fall for the film's spook-show approach. Those that found "Blair Witch"'s less-is-more approach aggravating will feel the same way about "Paranormal", but the sleight of hand exhibited by first-time director Oren Peli, and assisted by his two leads, relative newcomers Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, should provide adventurous viewers with fresher and stronger scares than anything from Hollywood in recent years. "--Paul Gaita"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Ron Howard's 1989 hit, written by fellow family men Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel ("Splash", "A League of Their Own"), is an original comedy about contemporary life and the eternal responsibilities of raising children. Steve Martin has never been better than as a dedicated husband and father trying (and inevitably failing, as do most of us) to balance the demands of his kids and his job. The actor, like his character, throws himself into the part quite touchingly, never more so than in a scene where a hired clown fails to show up at a children's party and Martin's character unabashedly provides the entertainment. Good as Martin is, this is actually an ensemble piece with numerous actors playing members of the same family, with cross-generational joys and disappointments in the air--and parents in conflict, children in love, and so on. Jason Robards is very good as a patriarch who finally accepts the reality that the son he adores (Tom Hulce) is a major screwup. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: Hebrew

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: After all the controversy and rigorous debate has subsided, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" will remain a force to be reckoned with. In the final analysis, "Gibson's Folly" is an act of personal bravery and commitment on the part of its director, who self-financed this $25-30 million production to preserve his artistic goal of creating the Passion of Christ ("Passion" in this context meaning "suffering") as a quite literal, in-your-face interpretation of the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus, scripted almost directly from the gospels (and spoken in Aramaic and Latin with a relative minimum of subtitles) and presented as a relentless, 126-minute ordeal of torture and crucifixion. For Christians and non-Christians alike, this film does not "entertain," and it's not a film that one can "like" or "dislike" in any conventional sense. (It is also emphatically not a film for children or the weak of heart.) Rather, "The Passion" is a cinematic experience that serves an almost singular purpose: to show the scourging and death of Jesus Christ in such horrifically graphic detail (with Gibson's own hand pounding the nails in the cross) that even non-believers may feel a twinge of sorrow and culpability in witnessing the final moments of the Son of God, played by Jim Caviezel in a performance that's not so much acting as a willful act of submission, so intense that some will weep not only for Christ, but for Caviezel's unparalleled test of endurance.
Leave it to the intelligentsia to debate the film's alleged anti-Semitic slant; if one judges what is on the screen (so gloriously served by John Debney's score and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography), there is fuel for debate but no obvious malice aforethought; the Jews under Caiaphas are just as guilty as the barbaric Romans who carry out the execution, especially after Gibson excised (from the subtitles, if not the soundtrack) the film's most controversial line of dialogue. If one accepts that Gibson's intentions are sincere, "The Passion" can be accepted for what it is: a grueling, straightforward (some might say unimaginative) and extremely violent depiction of the Passion, guaranteed to render devout Christians speechless while it intensifies their faith. Non-believers are likely to take a more dispassionate view, and some may resort to ridicule. But one thing remains undebatable: with "The Passion of the Christ", Gibson put his money where his mouth is. You can praise or damn him all you want, but you've got to admire his chutzpah. --"Jeff Shannon"

Languages: Hebrew, Latin

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: After all the controversy and rigorous debate has subsided, Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" will remain a force to be reckoned with. In the final analysis, "Gibson's Folly" is an act of personal bravery and commitment on the part of its director, who self-financed this $25-30 million production to preserve his artistic goal of creating the Passion of Christ ("Passion" in this context meaning "suffering") as a quite literal, in-your-face interpretation of the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus, scripted almost directly from the gospels (and spoken in Aramaic and Latin with a relative minimum of subtitles) and presented as a relentless, 126-minute ordeal of torture and crucifixion. For Christians and non-Christians alike, this film does not "entertain," and it's not a film that one can "like" or "dislike" in any conventional sense. (It is also emphatically not a film for children or the weak of heart.) Rather, "The Passion" is a cinematic experience that serves an almost singular purpose: to show the scourging and death of Jesus Christ in such horrifically graphic detail (with Gibson's own hand pounding the nails in the cross) that even non-believers may feel a twinge of sorrow and culpability in witnessing the final moments of the Son of God, played by Jim Caviezel in a performance that's not so much acting as a willful act of submission, so intense that some will weep not only for Christ, but for Caviezel's unparalleled test of endurance.
Leave it to the intelligentsia to debate the film's alleged anti-Semitic slant; if one judges what is on the screen (so gloriously served by John Debney's score and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography), there is fuel for debate but no obvious malice aforethought; the Jews under Caiaphas are just as guilty as the barbaric Romans who carry out the execution, especially after Gibson excised (from the subtitles, if not the soundtrack) the film's most controversial line of dialogue. If one accepts that Gibson's intentions are sincere, "The Passion" can be accepted for what it is: a grueling, straightforward (some might say unimaginative) and extremely violent depiction of the Passion, guaranteed to render devout Christians speechless while it intensifies their faith. Non-believers are likely to take a more dispassionate view, and some may resort to ridicule. But one thing remains undebatable: with "The Passion of the Christ", Gibson put his money where his mouth is. You can praise or damn him all you want, but you've got to admire his chutzpah. --"Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Patch Adams" raises two schools of thought: There are those who are inspired by the true story of a troubled man who finds happiness in helping others--a man set on changing the world and who may well accomplish the task. And then there are those who feel manipulated by this feel-good story, who want to smack the young medical student every time he begins his silly antics.
Staving off suicidal thoughts, Hunter Adams commits himself into a psychiatric ward, where he not only garners the nickname "Patch," but learns the joy in helping others. To this end, he decides to go to medical school, where he clashes with the staid conventions of the establishment as he attempts to inject humor and humanity into his treatment of the patients ("We need to start treating the patient as well as the disease," he declares throughout the film). Robin Williams, in the title role, is as charming as ever, although someone should tell him to broaden his range--the ever-cheerful do-gooder à la "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poets Society" is getting a little old. His sidekick Truman (Daniel London) steals the show with his gawky allure and eyebrows that threaten to overtake his lean face--he seems more real, which is odd considering that Patch Adams does exist and this film is based on his life. Monica Potter is the coolly reluctant love interest, and she makes the most of her one-dimensional part. While moments of true heartfelt emotion do come through, the major flaw of this film is that the good guys are just so gosh-darn good and the bad ones are just big meanies with no character development. "Patch Adams", though, does provide the tears, the giggles, and the kooky folks who will keep you smiling at the end. "--Jenny Brown"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Pathfinder" is a curious, cross-genre movie with elements of horror, sword-clanging fantasy, historical fiction, and Native American mysticism. A classic story of an outsider-hero, "Pathfinder" is set approximately five centuries before Columbus’ arrival in the New World, a time when Vikings were claiming real estate in Greenland and eastern North America. A young Norse boy is abandoned by his disapproving, conqueror-father and adopted by an aboriginal tribe. He grows up to become Ghost (Karl Urban), almost-but-not-entirely accepted by natives, yet a fierce swordsman and defender of Indians after a terrible assault on those whom he loves best. Clancy Brown ("The Shawshank Redemption") plays the fiercest of the invaders, a merciless leader who tangles with Ghost’s inherent prowess as a fighter, and engages in a psychological as well as physical struggle with him in the film’s final third, which involves a harrowing journey through an avalanche-prone mountain path. Russell Means ("The Last of the Mohicans") is a typically comforting presence as the all-wise Pathfinder, leader of a tribal nation and Ghost’s supporter, while Moon Bloodgood (Eight Below) is outstanding as a love interest with nerves of steel. Marcus Nispel (who directed the 2003 remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") guides the brutal if often exhilarating action as if it were amplified history. He makes the point for a contemporary audience that Vikings were as terrifying a danger to those whom they conquered as, say, Klingons are in Star Trek--precisely by making his Vikings seem so reminiscent of Klingons. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, Icelandic, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Pathfinder" is a curious, cross-genre movie with elements of horror, sword-clanging fantasy, historical fiction, and Native American mysticism. A classic story of an outsider-hero, "Pathfinder" is set approximately five centuries before Columbus’ arrival in the New World, a time when Vikings were claiming real estate in Greenland and eastern North America. A young Norse boy is abandoned by his disapproving, conqueror-father and adopted by an aboriginal tribe. He grows up to become Ghost (Karl Urban), almost-but-not-entirely accepted by natives, yet a fierce swordsman and defender of Indians after a terrible assault on those whom he loves best. Clancy Brown ("The Shawshank Redemption") plays the fiercest of the invaders, a merciless leader who tangles with Ghost’s inherent prowess as a fighter, and engages in a psychological as well as physical struggle with him in the film’s final third, which involves a harrowing journey through an avalanche-prone mountain path. Russell Means ("The Last of the Mohicans") is a typically comforting presence as the all-wise Pathfinder, leader of a tribal nation and Ghost’s supporter, while Moon Bloodgood ("Eight Below") is outstanding as a love interest with nerves of steel. Marcus Nispel (who directed the 2003 remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") guides the brutal if often exhilarating action as if it were amplified history. He makes the point for a contemporary audience that Vikings were as terrifying a danger to those whom they conquered as, say, Klingons are in "Star Trek"--precisely by making his Vikings seem so reminiscent of Klingons. --"Tom Keogh"

Beyond "Pathfinder"
"Pathfinder" (Paperback)
"Pathfinder" Soundtrack
Norse Mythology Products


Stills from "Pathfinder"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Aimed directly at a mainstream audience, "The Patriot" qualifies as respectable entertainment, but anyone expecting a definitive drama about the American Revolution should look elsewhere. Rising above the blatant crowd pleasing of "Stargate", "Independence Day", and "Godzilla", director Roland Emmerich crafts a marvelous re-creation of South Carolina in the late 1770s (aided immeasurably by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel), and Robert Rodat's screenplay offers the same balance of epic scale and emotional urgency that elevated his earlier script for "Saving Private Ryan". Unfortunately, Emmerich embraces clichés and hackneyed melodrama that a more gifted director would have avoided. Instead of attempting a truly great film about the most pivotal years of American history, Emmerich settles for a standard revenge plot with the Revolutionary War as an incidental backdrop.
On those terms, the film is engrossing and sufficiently intelligent, especially when militia leader Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) cagily negotiates with British General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) in one of the most rewarding scenes. For the most part, the story concerns Martin's anguished quest for revenge against ruthless redcoat Colonel Tavington (played with snide relish by Jason Isaacs), and the rise to manhood of Martin's eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), whose battlefield honor exceeds even that of his brutally volatile father. At its best, "The Patriot" conveys the horror of war among innocent civilians, and the epic battle scenes, while by no means masterful, are graphically intense and impressive. And although Ledger's love interest (Lisa Brenner) is too bland to register much emotion, the focus on family (which frequently relegates the war to background history) provides a suitable vehicle for Gibson, who matches his achievement in "Braveheart" with an effectively brooding performance. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Czech, Polish, German

Subtitles: Czech, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Aimed directly at a mainstream audience, "The Patriot" qualifies as respectable entertainment, but anyone expecting a definitive drama about the American Revolution should look elsewhere. Rising above the blatant crowd pleasing of "Stargate, Independence Day", and "Godzilla", director Roland Emmerich crafts a marvelous re-creation of South Carolina in the late 1770s (aided immeasurably by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel), and Robert Rodat's screenplay offers the same balance of epic scale and emotional urgency that elevated his earlier script for "Saving Private Ryan". Unfortunately, Emmerich embraces clichés and hackneyed melodrama that a more gifted director would have avoided. Instead of attempting a truly great film about the most pivotal years of American history, Emmerich settles for a standard revenge plot with the Revolutionary War as an incidental backdrop.
On those terms, the film is engrossing and sufficiently intelligent, especially when militia leader Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) cagily negotiates with British General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) in one of the most rewarding scenes. For the most part, the story concerns Martin's anguished quest for revenge against ruthless redcoat Colonel Tavington (played with snide relish by Jason Isaacs), and the rise to manhood of Martin's eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), whose battlefield honor exceeds even that of his brutally volatile father. At its best, "The Patriot" conveys the horror of war among innocent civilians, and the epic battle scenes, while by no means masterful, are graphically intense and impressive. And although Ledger's love interest (Lisa Brenner) is too bland to register much emotion, the focus on family (which frequently relegates the war to background history) provides a suitable vehicle for Gibson, who matches his achievement in "Braveheart" with an effectively brooding performance. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Russian

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.1

Summary: One of the greatest screen biographies ever produced, this monumental film runs nearly three hours, won seven Academy Awards, and gave George C. Scott the greatest role of his career. It was released in 1970 when protest against the Vietnam War still raged at home and abroad, and many critics and moviegoers struggled to reconcile current events with the movie's glorification of Gen. George S. Patton as a crazy-brave genius of World War II.
How could a movie so huge in scope and so fascinated by its subject be considered an anti-war film? The simple truth is that it's not--Patton is less about World War II than about the rise and fall of a man whose life was literally defined by war, and who felt lost and lonely without the grand-scale pursuit of an enemy. George C. Scott embodies his role so fully, so convincingly, that we can't help but be drawn to and fascinated by Patton as a man who is simultaneously bound for hell and glory. The film's opening monologue alone is a masterful display of acting and character analysis, and everything that follows is sheer brilliance on the part of Scott and director Franklin J. Schaffner.
Filmed on an epic scale at literally dozens of European locations, Patton does not embrace war as a noble pursuit, nor does it deny the reality of war as a breeding ground for heroes. Through the awesome achievement of Scott's performance and the film's grand ambition, Patton shows all the complexities of a man who accepted his role in life and (like Scott) played it to the hilt. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: One of the greatest screen biographies ever produced, this monumental film runs nearly three hours, won seven Academy Awards, and gave George C. Scott the greatest role of his career. It was released in 1970 when protest against the Vietnam War still raged at home and abroad, and many critics and moviegoers struggled to reconcile current events with the movie's glorification of Gen. George S. Patton as a crazy-brave genius of World War II.
How could a movie so huge in scope and so fascinated by its subject be considered an anti-war film? The simple truth is that it's not--Patton is less about World War II than about the rise and fall of a man whose life was literally defined by war, and who felt lost and lonely without the grand-scale pursuit of an enemy. George C. Scott embodies his role so fully, so convincingly, that we can't help but be drawn to and fascinated by Patton as a man who is simultaneously bound for hell and glory. The film's opening monologue alone is a masterful display of acting and character analysis, and everything that follows is sheer brilliance on the part of Scott and director Franklin J. Schaffner.
Filmed on an epic scale at literally dozens of European locations, Patton does not embrace war as a noble pursuit, nor does it deny the reality of war as a breeding ground for heroes. Through the awesome achievement of Scott's performance and the film's grand ambition, Patton shows all the complexities of a man who accepted his role in life and (like Scott) played it to the hilt. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: One of the greatest screen biographies ever produced, this monumental film runs nearly three hours, won seven Academy Awards, and gave George C. Scott the greatest role of his career. It was released in 1970 when protest against the Vietnam War still raged at home and abroad, and many critics and moviegoers struggled to reconcile current events with the movie's glorification of Gen. George S. Patton as a crazy-brave genius of World War II.
How could a movie so huge in scope and so fascinated by its subject be considered an anti-war film? The simple truth is that it's not--Patton is less about World War II than about the rise and fall of a man whose life was literally defined by war, and who felt lost and lonely without the grand-scale pursuit of an enemy. George C. Scott embodies his role so fully, so convincingly, that we can't help but be drawn to and fascinated by Patton as a man who is simultaneously bound for hell and glory. The film's opening monologue alone is a masterful display of acting and character analysis, and everything that follows is sheer brilliance on the part of Scott and director Franklin J. Schaffner.
Filmed on an epic scale at literally dozens of European locations, Patton does not embrace war as a noble pursuit, nor does it deny the reality of war as a breeding ground for heroes. Through the awesome achievement of Scott's performance and the film's grand ambition, Patton shows all the complexities of a man who accepted his role in life and (like Scott) played it to the hilt. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: The human beings are almost as interesting as the title character in this surprisingly subtle and engaging film about the cross-country adventures of a smart-mouthed parrot. As director John Roberts deploys the footage, the bird becomes a vivid personality; every quizzical twist of his head is oddly expressive. The people who interact with Paulie are a quirky and interesting bunch as well, and the casting is topnotch: Tony Shalhoub ("The Siege") as a Russian immigrant janitor, Cheech Marin as an open-hearted mariachi musician, and Gena Rowlands as a widowed painter in a footloose Winnebago--all are vividly eccentric individuals, memorable in their own right. There are some tired swipes at the cold-blooded meanies of Big Science (beady-eyed researcher Bruce Davison has Paulie clapped in irons), but for the most part the film respects the complexity of everyone's motivations, and that's virtually unheard of in today's Hollywood, even in films supposedly designed for grownups. "--David Chute"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Pay It Forward" is a multi-level marketing scheme of the heart. Beginning as a seventh-grade class assignment to put into action an idea that could change the world, young Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with a plan to do good deeds for three people who then by way of payment each must do good turns for three other people. These nine people also must pay it forward and so on, ad infinitum. If successful, the resulting network of do-gooders ought to comprise the entire world. Trevor's attempts to get the ball rolling include befriending a junkie (James Caviezel) and trying to set up his recovering-alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt) with his burn-victim teacher (Kevin Spacey), who posed the assignment.
While this could have turned into unmitigated schmaltz, the acting elevates this film to mitigated schmaltz. By turns powerful and measured, the performances of Spacey, Hunt, and Osment can't make up for the many missteps in a screenplay that sanitizes the look of the lower-middle class and expects us to believe that homeless alcoholics and junkies speak in the elevated manner of grad students. (Can that really be Angie Dickinson as Hunt's dispossessed mother? Yes, it is!) The germ of the story is a good one, though, and one may wonder how it would have been handled by the likes of Frank Capra, who could balance sentiment with humor. But clearly Capra would never have let the ending of his version to take the nosedive into cliché and pathos that director Mimi Leder has allowed in this film. More than a few viewers will also recognize that Leder has blatantly borrowed her final image from "Field of Dreams", where its intended effect was more keenly and honestly felt. "--Jim Gay"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: The brainy, paranoid science fiction of writer Philip K. Dick has inspired one visionary classic ("Blade Runner") and two above-average action movies ("Total Recall" and "Minority Report"). "Paycheck" aspires to follow in their footsteps: An engineer (Ben Affleck, "Chasing Amy") routinely agrees to have his memory erased after every job so that he doesn't know what he's done. But after the biggest job of his life, he discovers that not only has he refused a $90 million paycheck, he's sent himself an envelope full of things he doesn't recognize--and he doesn't remember doing any of this. As he unravels the plot, he discovers he's also fallen in love (with Uma Thurman, "Kill Bill") and invented a dangerous device for his former boss (Aaron Eckhart, "Erin Brockovich"). Affleck is bland, the script ruins a cunning idea, and the direction--from the normally dynamic John Woo ("Face/Off")--plods along, aimless and bored. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: It seems that thrillers these days--even good ones--are all about scene-chewing bad guys, cute retorts fit for the Dennis Miller show, and one big special effect to end the movie. Well, something like "The Peacemaker", the first feature film from DreamWorks, puts the record straight. Here is an expertly paced thriller with a sensible villain, smart instead of cute dialogue, and a focus on action instead of special effects. It's not original, just solid. It's the second of these energetic and effective thrillers that writer Michael Schiffer ("Crimson Tide") has penned. The White House Nuclear Smuggling Group tracks down 10 stolen nuclear bombs after a suspicious train wreck in Russia. The acting head of the department (Nicole Kidman) and her military field officer (George Clooney) are off to Europe to track down the bombs. Instead of a Gary Oldman-Bruce Dern madman, "The Peacemaker"'s heavy is an unknown Romanian actor (Marcul Iures) playing a Bosnian rebel who works passionately and quietly. This may be a popcorn movie, but it uses the ripe emotions of the Bosnian War to create tension. This is the best film vehicle yet for the overwhelming charisma of George Clooney as a quick witted, generally warm Oliver North type who will seek deadly vengeance without pause. He's matched very well by the professional polish of Nicole Kidman who is showing great flexibility in dividing her roles between serious and fun fare. "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: An eight-part series from 1988, "This Is America, Charlie Brown" sets the familiar "Peanuts" characters into scenes of American history: on the "Mayflower", at the signing of the Constitution, at Kitty Hawk with the Wright Brothers, on the NASA space station, etc. Mostly written by Charles M. Schulz and produced by the team of Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, it's a mix of cartoon humor (Lucy will pull the football away in any era, and Ben Franklin can actually get Charlie Brown's kite in the air to discover electricity) and history lessons that are sort of like "Schoolhouse Rock" but longer and drier. Vince Guaraldi's famous music is now performed by jazz veterans Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, and David Benoit, plus pianist George Winston. A few episodes are structured a little differently, giving overviews of inventors (Alexander Graham Bell's telephone, Edison's phonograph), the Smithsonian and the presidency (Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt), and musicians (Stephen Foster, Scott Joplin). In the dullest episode, Charlie Brown narrates the building of the Transcontinental Railroad action in the form of a school report, and it feels like one. Endless recycled footage of people driving spikes alternated with vintage photographs splashed with pastel colors is somewhat rescued by the nice use of American classic songs performed by the Winans. "This Is America, Charlie Brown" isn't the most entertaining "Peanuts" you'll ever watch, but it's not bad as a sneaky way to teach history to kids. (One installment, "The Mayflower Voyagers," was previously released on the "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" DVD.) "--David Horiuchi"

Languages: English, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: To call "Pearl Harbor" a throwback to old-time war movies is something of an understatement. Director Michael Bay's epic take on the bombing that brought the United States into World War II hijacks every war movie situation and cliché (some affectionate, some stale) you've ever seen and gives them a shiny, glossy spin until the whole movie practically gleams. Planes glisten, water sparkles, trees beckon--and Bay's re-creation of the bombing itself, a 30-minute sequence that's tightly choreographed and amazingly photographed, sets the action movie bar up quite a few notches. And in updating the classic war film, Bay and screenwriter Randall Wallace ("Braveheart") use that old plot standby, the love triangle--this time, it's between two pilots (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett) and a nurse (Kate Beckinsale) who find themselves stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, during what they thought would be a nice, sunny tour of duty. Then, of course, history intervened. br/> For the first 90 minutes of the movie, Affleck and Beckinsale find a nice, appealing chemistry that plays on his strengths as a movie star and hers as a serious actress--he gives her glamour, she gives him smarts. Their truncated romance--the beginning of which is told in flashback so we can get right to the point where he has to leave her to go to England--works, thanks to their charm. They're no Kate and Leo from "Titanic" (a strategy the film strives hard toward), but they're pretty darn adorable in their own right. Hartnett, as the not entirely unwelcome third wheel, squints bravely but makes only a slight dent in the film. Everyone else in Pearl Harbor--from Cuba Gooding Jr.'s brave navy seaman to Jon Voight's able impersonation of FDR--is pretty much a glorified walk-on, taking a backseat to the pyrotechnics and action sequences that keep the three-hour film in fairly constant motion. But when that action does take hold, "Pearl Harbor" is quite a thrilling ride. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Sometimes bigger "is" actually better. Nearly matching the size of director Michael Bay's ego, this massive four-disc set is a veritable "Pearl Harbor" archive, and ironically, Bay's film remains the least interesting component. It's a purely conventional Hollywood take on the tragedy, using a clichéd love triangle between two ace pilots (Josh Hartnett, Ben Affleck) and a Pearl Harbor nurse (Kate Beckinsale) as an "intimate" means of spectacularly re-creating the attack that thrust America into World War II. The director's cut adds little to the previous DVD release, apart from authentic R-rated carnage during the Japanese raid, and minor expansion of the Hartnett-Beckinsale romance. Commentaries range from superfluous (Bay and film historian Jeanine Basinger) to highly entertaining (Ben Affleck and costars) and technically informative (primary production team), and a spirited examination of visual effects (with Bay and ILM supervisor Eric Brevig) is guaranteed to fascinate anyone interested in physical effects and CGI. A broad "making of" documentary is noteworthy for one-time viewing, while abundant historical records make this a valuable compilation of definitive materials.
The History Channel's "One Hour over Tokyo" and "Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor" provide depth that Bay's movie lacks, and Charles Kiselyak's interactive timeline is arguably the finest feature included, providing an in-depth historical perspective on U.S.-Japan relations. Even a brief reenactment of a Pearl Harbor nurse's journal is moving in a way that Bay's film can only try to be, while the "Interactive Attack Sequence" provides a multifaceted exploration of the entire production process (a highly educational feature for aspiring filmmakers). All in all, these four discs offer an admirable balance between Bay's technically impressive but ill-conceived epic and a thorough, fitting tribute to those who endured hell on that fateful Sunday in 1941. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 1.0

Summary: "The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show" is an animated, 1971 Hanna-Barbera spin-off of "The Flintstones " television series that follows Fred's and Wilma's daughter Pebbles (Sally Struthers) and Barney's and Betty's son Bamm-Bamm (Jay North) through their high-school days in Bedrock. The bubbly Pebbles is always enthusiastic and can be counted upon to convince Bamm-Bamm and their friends Wiggy, Penny, and Moonrock to join her in one crazy scheme after another, whether it's catching a widely-feared snorkosaurus for the local Sea Rock World, testing a super fuel in the Grand Prix, safeguarding Bamm-Bamm's dogosaurus Snoots from the clutches of the local dog catcher, training to become an artist or witch, or saving Fred's job at the gravel pit. While Pebbles' intentions are always good, her definite knack for misinterpreting a situation often renders her efforts a major hindrance. Pebbles' "Archie"-inspired friends are more than a little unique and include astrologically obsessed Wiggy, down-to-earth Penny, and brainy Moonrock. The Bronto gang (Bronto, Noodles, Stub, and Zonk) alternates between functioning as a bothersome motorcycle gang and much needed allies while Cindy fills the role of Pebbles' snooty rival and Schleprock is the consistent harbinger of bad luck. Comedy reigns throughout all 16 episodes--from simple word play to slapstick and satire. Four 8-minute bonus episodes from the 1972 "Flintstone Comedy Hour" round out this two-disc set. (Ages 6 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Former animator Tim Burton ("Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood", "Batman", "Mars Attacks!") made his feature directorial debut with this delightful comedy, coscripted by the late Phil Hartman (who also appears briefly as a reporter). Wisely, they keep the story simple so as to concentrate on the characters: Pee-wee's most prized possession, his shiny new bicycle, is stolen, and he sets off on an obsessive cross-country journey, determined to recover it. Pee-wee's awkward and childish attempts to be cool and mature ("I meant to do that!!") are hysterical, as when he tells his girlfriend (Elizabeth Daly): "There's things about me you don't know, Dottie. Things you wouldn't understand. Things you couldn't understand. Things you shouldn't understand.... I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel." Look for "Saturday Night Live" vet Jan Hooks in a hilarious bit as a tour guide at the Alamo. And beware of Large Marge! "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Wes Craven, the director of The Serpent and the Rainbow and Shocker, locks you inside the most terrifying house on the street. Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare. The boy quickly learns the true nature of the house's homicidal inhabitants and the secret creatures hidden deep within the house. Stunning visuals highlight this inventive film that the San Francisco Chronicle calls "Wes Craven's most satisfying movie."

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Thai

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Leave it to Czech director Milos Forman ("One Flew Over to Cuckoo's Nest") to make the most entertaining and offbeat celebration of the American Constitution that the movies have ever given us. You think the First Amendment was designed to protect you "from" offensive speech? Think again. The real glory of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights--as brought to life in this splendidly quirky and alternately reverent and irreverent comedy--is that it ensures everyone's freedom by protecting a whole range of expression, from the banal to the outrageous. Scripted by the writers of "Ed Wood" (another affectionately twisted biography of a disreputably eccentric entertainment figure), "The People vs. Larry Flynt" applies a similar sort of exaggerated and telescoped editorial-cartoon sensibility to the wild life and times of "Hustler" skin-magazine publisher Larry Flynt. It's the great (and fictionalized-but-true) American story of how smut-peddler Flynt--the poor man's redneck Hugh Hefner--ended up appealing a libel case (brought by televangelist Jerry Falwell) to the Supreme Court and winning a major legal victory that affects us all. Terrific performances by Woody Harrelson as Flynt, grunge-star-turned-glamour-puss Courtney Love as his wife Althea, and Edward Norton as their lawyer (a composite character). "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Mythology and the modern world collide in this epic quest for justice by Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), your basic below-average, misfit student whose family life is a mess and who's misunderstood by everyone except his best friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson). A voice warns that everything is about to change as Percy enters the New Roman and Greek Art Gallery on a school field trip, and, indeed, it does. Percy's substitute teacher morphs into a mythical beast and tries to attack him, and it's revealed that Percy is the son of Poseidon, and a true demigod. Percy also discovers that Grover is really a satyr--half-human, half-goat--and his sworn protector, and that one of his teachers is a centaur--half-horse, half-man--who's more committed to Percy's education than he could ever have imagined. On top of it all, Percy is the prime suspect in the recent theft of Zeus's lightning bolt and is being hunted by the gods. Following these shocking revelations, Percy is taken to a special training camp to learn to control and use his exceptional powers, and in the process, his mother is imprisoned by Hades. Against all advice, Percy, his protector Grover, and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), daughter of Athena, leave camp to rescue Percy's mother from the underworld. Their quest is extremely dangerous and puts them squarely in the path of Medusa (Uma Thurman), with her venomous hair and gaze that turns people to stone. The three also battle a five-headed, fire-breathing beast and visit a Las Vegas casino patrons never leave, and finally they find themselves deep in the underworld, at the mercy of the unpredictable Persephone, wife of Hades. Somehow, Percy must both convince the gods he did not steal Zeus's lightning and prevent a war of the gods that could potentially destroy the entire world. Based on the books by Rick Riordan, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" is an exciting action film rich with ancient mythology, yet set squarely in the 21st century. Enriched by strong special effects and some potently disturbing images, it is a powerful story about family, trust, determination, and love. (Ages 11 and older) "--Tami Horiuchi"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: This curiously overlooked drama from Clint Eastwood, released just after his Oscar triumph with "Unforgiven", concerns a prisoner (Kevin Costner) on the lam with a kidnapped young boy as protection and the Texas Ranger (Eastwood) and federal agent (Laura Dern) on his tail. Eastwood manages a number of nice touches--the boy's innocence is nicely contrasted with Costner's soft-spoken desperado by the Casper Halloween costume he wears, and the law-enforcement officials look vaguely foolish, tooling around the countryside with a high-tech camper in tow. Eastwood gives a grizzled performance that, despite its seen-it-all surface, still feels fresh after all these years, and he coaxes surprisingly sensitive work out of Costner. But it's the sheer, modest scale of this piece that makes it so disarming--no planet lies in jeopardy, there are no cosmic make-or-break consequences here, just committed people doing their job and a well-meaning bad guy hoping things don't get too out of hand while he prevents them from doing it. "--David Kronke"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Summary: Pretty Penelope finds peril at every pit stop, pursued by Sylvester Sneakly (alias The Hooded Claw and also alias the incomparable voice of peerless Paul Lynde) until the notorious Ant Hill Mob somehow bumble to her rescue. But don't let Penelope's girly Southern belle drawl fool you. This damsel in distress can fight back, aided by her stylish retro-chic go-go boots! If you loved Wacky Races, you'll love this spoofy spinoff with Penelope Pitstop, the girl with beauty and brains (other than her inability to figure out Sneakly's dual identity). Enjoy all 17 fun-packed adventures in one racy package with a marvelous mob of DVD extras!

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Fine casting, genuinely "special" effects, and a keen combination of whimsy and danger make this "Peter Pan" the one to beat among all previous adaptations of J.M. Barrie's classic children's fantasy. The technical advances of CGI make the magic of Barrie's tale come alive, and the spectacular effects combined with luminous live action create an action-packed Neverland that's both believable and breathtakingly artificial, like a Maxfield Parrish landscape springing vividly to life before your eyes. More important, however, is the fact that director P.J. Hogan (whose splendid films include "Muriel's Wedding" and "My Best Friend's Wedding") has taken care to develop a substantial, pre-adolescent affection between the boyish sprite Peter (Jeremy Sumpter) and resourceful London girl Wendy, played by Rachel Hurd-Wood in a marvelous screen debut. This emotional bond--and the mixed blessing of Peter's eternal childhood--is what gives Hogan's "Peter Pan" its rich emotional subtext, added to an already bountiful adventure that's equal parts delightful and menacing, especially when the villainous pirate Captain Hook (Jason Isaacs, doubling as Wendy's father) threatens to spoil the fun. With a mischievously dazzling Tinker Bell (played by "Swimming Pool"'s Ludivine Sagnier) and no expense spared on its lavish Australian production, this "Peter Pan" gets it entirely right by presenting childhood as fun "and" frightening, in all its wondrous joys and sorrows. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Peter Pan" has a special place in the realm of classic animated Disney films: it instills an element of childlike wonder. The 1953 version of James M. Barrie's story is colorfully told and keeps on the straight and narrow of the book. Barrie's wondrous focus on child's play is the key to its longevity: kids who don't grow up, shadows that run away from their owners, pirates, a fairy, and the magic ability to fly. In short, you can't help wishing the adventure would happen to you. Fueled by a few memorable songs (the stunner being "You Can Fly") and the strong impression of the pixie fairy Tinkerbell and the goofy Captain Hook, Disney's version of this story neither supplants nor lessens the Broadway version with Mary Martin that was produced for television the same decade. Unlike some classics, "Peter Pan" never ages along the way. "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling "Chicago", "The Phantom of the Opera" continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).
Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

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Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, "The Phantom of the Opera" is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.
DVD Features
The special edition of "The Phantom of the Opera" has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of "The Phantom of the Opera"" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.
The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --"David Horiuchi"
More on "The Phantom of the Opera" "

"The Phantom of the Opera" (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)

" The Phantom of the Opera" (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)

"The Phantom of the Opera" (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)

"Evita" (DVD)

"Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration " (DVD)

More Broadway DVDs

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Daniel Barnz’s directorial debut, "Phoebe in Wonderland", is an important film in regards to teaching children not to fear psychological challenges. Of course, this is also the key effort in about half of all children’s films. But what sets "Phoebe in Wonderland" apart from other more saccharine examples is the accurate portrayal of protagonist Phoebe’s onset of Tourette’s syndrome, and the fantasy scenes that hedge her tragic reality against an "Alice in Wonderland" escapism. "Phoebe in Wonderland" is a family drama about Phoebe Lichten (Elle Fanning), who lives with two author-parents, Hillary (Felicity Huffman) and Peter (Bill Pullman), who encourage her imagination. Phoebe yearns to participate in the school’s "Alice in Wonderland" performance, headed by the mysteriously alluring drama teacher, Miss Dodger (Patricia Clarkson), who also champions Phoebe’s strange digressions. The film traces Phoebe’s imagination as it becomes increasingly obsessive, and the viewer is privy to both Phoebe’s internalized interpretation of what is happening to her and her behaviors from an exterior perspective. This is smart, and makes for some interesting scenes, such as when Phoebe sits in the principal’s office being reprimanded, hearing both his comments and those from Wonderland, warning her about the future. Another layer of story enriches the symbolic significance of Wonderland, when one learns that Phoebe’s mother is writing a novel inspired by Carroll’s. From here, the mother-daughter evolves in complex ways, and the mother’s defense of her child is an integral part of the narrative. Like "Juno", Phoebe is a bright, witty girl whose eccentricities make the movie a charmer. Though there is an unfortunately facile ending attached to "Phoebe in Wonderland", it feels tacked on to a movie that provides wonderful insight into cultivating children’s tolerance of atypical behaviors, which is much needed. --"Trinie Dalton"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: By some lucky quirk of fate, "Phone Booth" landed on Hollywood's A-list, but this thriller should've been a straight-to-video potboiler directed by its screenwriter, veteran schlockmeister Larry Cohen, who's riffing on his own 1976 thriller "God Told Me To". Instead it's a pointless reunion for fast-rising star Colin Farrell and his "Tigerland" director, Joel Schumacher, who employs a multiple-image technique similar to TV's "24" to energize Cohen's pulpy plot about an unseen sniper (maliciously voiced by "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland) who pins his chosen victim (a philandering celebrity publicist played by Farrell) in a Manhattan phone booth, threatening murder if Farrell doesn't confess his sins (including a potential mistress played by Katie Holmes in a thankless role). In a role originally slated for Jim Carrey, Farrell brings vulnerable intensity to his predicament, but Cohen's irresistible premise is too thin for even 81 brisk minutes, which is how long Schumacher takes to reach his morally repugnant conclusion. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Winner of the prestigious Golden Palm award at the 2002 Cannes film festival, "The Pianist" is the film that Roman Polanski was born to direct. A childhood survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland, Polanski was uniquely suited to tell the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew and concert pianist (played by Adrien Brody) who witnessed the Nazi invasion of Warsaw, miraculously eluded the Nazi death camps, and survived throughout World War II by hiding among the ruins of the Warsaw ghetto. Unlike any previous dramatization of the Nazi holocaust, The Pianist steadfastly maintains its protagonist's singular point of view, allowing Polanski to create an intimate odyssey on an epic wartime scale, drawing a direct parallel between Szpilman's tenacious, primitive existence and the wholesale destruction of the city he refuses to abandon. Uncompromising in its physical and emotional authenticity, "The Pianist" strikes an ultimate note of hope and soulful purity. As with "Schindler's List", it's one of the greatest films ever made about humanity's darkest chapter. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: Hosted by rapper Xzibit, "Pimp My Ride" is not your mother's car improvement program. It's more like a hip-hop "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"--with autos and automotive experts--than, say, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". Or as the theme song puts it, "So you wanna be a playa / But ya wheels ain't fly / Ya gotta hit us up / To get a pimped out ride." In each installment, Xzibit, aka "X to the Z," hooks up with the crew at L.A.'s West Coast Customs: Ryan (owner), Q (manager), Mad Mike (electronics), Big Dane (accessories), Aren (paint and body), Ish (interiors), and Alex (wheels and tires). The California-based car owners selected as subjects range in age from 18-24 and most are students on a limited budget. All have rides in need of some serious pimping.

Take the ride featured in the first episode: Wyatt's 1988 Daihatsu Hi-Jet. The musician's "micro-van" is held together with duct tape, sheet metal, and calking. Friend Nathan describes it as "a toaster rolling on donuts." You won't recognize it when the West Coast crew gets finished with it. Now it's tricked out with silver flames, big rim tires, video monitors, a wraparound couch, a refrigerator, a DVD changer, an MP3 player, and a boomin' stereo system. It's the same for every ride they pimp: Mary's 1967 Ford Mustang, Jared's 1985 Ford Ranger, Danelle's 1981 Pontiac Trans Am, Neil's 1974 Chevy "Luv" Truck, Krissy's 1969 Volkswagen Baja Bug, etc.

The first season of "Pimp My Ride" features 15 rides, all transformed from pathetic hunks of junk into slammin' wheels with crazy extras like turntables, ping pong tables, espresso makers, chandeliers, and lava lamps. The show quickly became MTV's most popular next to "The Real World" and was renewed for several more seasons. "--Kathleen C. Fennessy"

Languages: English, Portuguese

Subtitles: Spanish, French, Portuguese

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Are you pondering what I'm pondering, animation fans? "Yes! " Pinky and the Brain have finally arrived on DVD, and they're going to take over the world! Well, at the very least, these genetically engineered lab mice are going to prove, once and for all, that they're the best comedy duo ever created for an animated series aimed at children.... but, why limit their appeal to kids? As executive producer Steven Spielberg said to the show's creators, he wanted this brilliant, Emmy®-winning half-hour cartoon series to lure adults into watching it with their kids, and like the classic Warner Brothers cartoons of the past, it's likely the grown-ups will enjoy it even more! This is largely due to the fact that "Pinky and the Brain" was produced under the radar, almost as if nobody was watching, so while this delightfully inventive spin-off from "Animaniacs" is purely entertaining for kids, it also includes a wide variety of in-jokes, movie spoofs, and outrageous dialogue that only older viewers can truly appreciate. It's all innocent fun, but if you watch and listen closely, you'll quickly realize that the writers and first-rate voice cast were having the time of their lives, inventing absurd plots and one-liners purely for their own creative pleasure. How else can you explain Pinky's bizarrely suggestive responses when The Brain asks "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?" or the hilarious send-ups of classic movies like "The Third Man" (spoofed here as "The Third Mouse"), "The Manchurian Candidate" ("The Pink Candidate"), and the tearjerking TV classic "Brian's Song" (satirized, of course, as "Brain's Song")?
Better yet, these 22 episodes culled from "P&TB"'s four-season run (1995-98) demonstrate how the show's basic concept--two talking lab mice ("one is a genius, the other's insane") and their nightly attempts at global domination--lent itself to a broad spectrum of hilariously ingenious plots, with no restrictions of timeframe. So you've got episodes in ancient Egypt, Napoleonic France, and 1940s Vienna, along with contemporary schemes and shorter, time-filler episodes (like "Cheese Roll Call") that qualify as mini-masterpieces of educational comedy. "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" is a bona-fide sentimental classic (offering proof that the Brain's got a soft heart, after all), and the polar-opposite pairing of Pinky and the Brain is just about perfect, largely due to the voice talents of Maurice LaMarche (expertly channeling Orson Welles as the Brain) and Emmy-winner Rob Paulsen as Pinky (both seen, to splendid effect, in disc 2's behind-the-scenes featurette). Additional voice talents include Roddy MacDowall (as the Brain's nemesis, Snowball) and Ernest Borgnine, but the show's primary strength is its go-for-broke writing, brilliant animation (a flawless homage to Warner Bros. tradition, yet uniquely styled to match the material), and music scores (mostly by Richard Stone) that pay tribute to the late, great WB cartoon composer Carl Stalling while incorporating frequent passages from the classical repertoire. All in all, "Pinky and the Brain" is perfect entertainment for the young and young-at-heart, destined for cult-favorite status as one of the best overlooked TV series of the 1990s. As Pinky might say, "Poit! Narf! Oh, this is SO much fun!" "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Two lab mice, ("One is a genius, the other insane") living in the Acme labs seek to formulate a plan for the duo, led by Brain, to take over the world. Watch each episode as Pinky and the Brain take on each attempt with a dry wit and humor and likely a parody of other media. 22 Episodes from the Emmy Nominated Series for the first time on DVD.

Languages: English

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Two lab mice, ("One is a genius, the other insane") living in the Acme labs seek to formulate a plan for the duo, led by Brain, to take over the world. Watch each episode as Pinky and the Brain take on each attempt with a dry wit and humor and likely a parody of other media. 22 Episodes from the Emmy® Award Winning Series for the first time on DVD.

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English

Sound: THX

Summary: This Disney masterpiece from 1940 will hold up forever precisely because it doesn't restrain or temper the most elementalemotions and themes germane to its story. Based on the Collodi tale about a wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy, "Pinocchio" is among the most magical, mythical, and frightening films to come from the studio in its long history. A number of scenes make permanent impressions on young minds (just ask Steven Spielberg, who quoted the film more than once in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), and the songs ("When You Wish upon a Star") can't be beat. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: This Disney masterpiece from 1940 will hold up forever precisely because it doesn't restrain or temper the most elementalemotions and themes germane to its story. Based on the Collodi tale about a wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy, Pinocchio is among the most magical, mythical, and frightening films to come from the studio in its long history. A number of scenes make permanent impressions on young minds (just ask Steven Spielberg, who quoted the film more than once in Close Encounters of the Third Kind), and the songs ("When You Wish upon a Star") can't be beat. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Pinocchio (click for larger image)

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is a rollicking voyage in the same spirit of the two earlier "Pirates" films, yet far darker in spots (and nearly three hours to boot). The action, largely revolving around a pirate alliance against the ruthless East India Trading Company, doesn't disappoint, though the violence is probably too harsh for young children. Through it all, the plucky cast (Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush) are buffeted by battle, maelstroms, betrayal, treachery, a ferocious Caribbean weather goddess, and that gnarly voyage back from the world's end--but with their wit intact. As always, Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow tosses off great lines ; he chastises "a woman scorned, like which hell hath no fury than!" He insults an opponent with a string of epithets, ending in "yeasty codpiece."!
In the previous "The Curse of the Black Pearl", Sparrow was killed--sent to Davy Jones' Locker. In the opening scenes, the viewer sees that death has not been kind to Sparrow--but that's not to say he hasn't found endless ways to amuse himself, cavorting with dozens of hallucinated versions of himself on the deck of the Black Pearl. But Sparrow is needed in this world, so a daring rescue brings him back. Keith Richards' much ballyhooed appearance as Jack's dad is little more than a cameo, though he does play a wistful guitar. But the action, as always, is more than satisfying, held together by Depp, who, outsmarting the far-better-armed British yet again, causes a bewigged commander to muse: "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?" As far as fans are concerned, it matters not. "--A.T. Hurley"
On the DVD
Here's something you can't say about just any DVD extras: There appears to be "more" of Keith Richards in the outtakes, interviews, and other special features on the "At World's End" disc than in the actual film. For those scenes alone, this special edition is well worth the price. Richards looks as woozy and gamey as all the rumors suggested, and answers questions he's not asked, with Johnny Depp sitting next to him, almost acting as a translator. Richards offers pithy comments like, "Everything I do is original, you better believe," and smiles when other cast members call him "Two-Take Richards" for supposedly nailing his scenes.
The packed second disc also includes a terrific mini-doc on how the filmmakers created the famous maelstrom, in an enormous hanger in Palmdale, California, with the ships floating 30 feet off the ground. "Just moving the "Black Pearl" was an enormous undertaking," says producer Jerry Bruckheimer with serious understatement. Other cool extras include "Tale of the Many Jacks," deleted scenes with great commentary, "The World of Chow Yun-Fat," a bio of composer Hans Zimmer, features on the set designers, a look at the impressive Brethren Court, and some hilarious bloopers. "You can't curse in a Disney film," deadpans Depp when a costar blurts out something blue. "See? I told him." The extras are truly as much of a rollicking adventure as the film. "--A.T. Hurley"
Beyond "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End"
Our "Pirates of the Caribbean " Store
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" Soundtrack
Why We Love… Bill Nighy
Johnny Depp Essential DVDs Stills from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" (click for larger image)

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Take the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film, add a dash of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and a lot more rum. Shake well and you'll have something resembling "Dead Man's Chest", a bombastic sequel that's enjoyable as long as you don't think too hard about it. The film opens with the interrupted wedding of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), both of whom are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the first film. Their freedom can only be obtained by getting Captain Jack's compass, which is linked to a key that's linked to a chest belonging to Davy Jones, an undead pirate with a tentacle face and in possession of a lot of people's souls. If you're already confused, don't worry--plot is definitely not the strong suit of the franchise, as the film excels during its stunt pieces, which are impressively extravagant (in particular a three-way swordfight atop a mill wheel). It may help to know that "Dead Man's Chest" was filmed simultaneously with some of "Pirates 3", so don't expect a complete resolution (think more "The Empire Strikes Back") or the movie will feel a "lot" longer than it really is.
Bloom shows a tad bit more brawn this time around, but he's still every bit as pretty as the tomboyish Knightley. (Seriously, sometimes you think they could swap roles.) Bill Nighy ("Love, Actually") weighs in as Davy Jones and Stellan Skarsgård appears as Will's undead father. But the film still belongs wholly to Depp, who in a reprise of his Oscar-nominated role gets all the belly laughs with a single widened eyeliner-ed gaze. He still runs like a cartoon hen and slurs like Keith Richards--and he's still one of the most fascinating movie characters in recent history. "--Ellen A. Kim"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: You won't need a bottle of rum to enjoy "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl", especially if you've experienced the Disneyland theme-park ride that inspired it. There's a galleon's worth of fun in watching Johnny Depp's androgynous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, a roguish pirate who could pass for the illegitimate spawn of rockers Keith Richards and Chrissie Hynde. Depp gets all the good lines and steals the show, recruiting Orlando Bloom (a blacksmith and expert swordsman) and Keira Knightley (a lovely governor's daughter) on an adventurous quest to recapture the notorious Black Pearl, a ghost ship commandeered by Jack's nemesis Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), a mutineer desperate to reverse the curse that left him and his (literally) skeleton crew in a state of eternal, undead damnation. Director Gore Verbinski ("The Ring") repeats the redundant mayhem that marred his debut film Mouse Hunt, but with the writers of "Shrek" he's made "Pirates" into a special-effects thrill-ride that plays like a Halloween party on the open seas. Aye, matey, we've come a long way since "Jason and the Argonauts"! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Being a hero is a lot to live up to and for Elliot (Larry the Cucumber), Sedgewick (Mr. Lunt), and George (Pa Grape), working as cabin boys in the local dinner theater's pirate show looks like it may be as close to heroic as any of them ever get. Back in the 17th century, heir to the throne Prince Alexander has been captured by his evil uncle Robert and his sister Princess Eloise is determined to rescue him. A magical ball bequeathed by Eloise's father magically transports Elliot, Sedgewick, and George back in time via rowboat in answer to the Princess's request for heroes, but their timidity, laziness, and lack of self confidence looks like it will prevent the trio from fulfilling their heroic mission. As the three friends struggle with their own shortcomings, they eventually discover that being heroic may be as simple as just doing what is right. Still, can they possibly live up to the expectations of the Princess and fulfill their apparent heroic destiny? This is a captivating pirate movie full of adventure, cute characters, funny moments, and catchy music that imparts a wholesome message without being either preachy or overtly religious. Best of all, this swashbuckling film won't scare even the most sensitive young viewer. (Ages 2 and older) --"Tami Horiuchi"


Beyond "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tales Movie" on DVD
More "Veggie Tales" on DVD
More Kids and Family DVDs
Veggie Tales Books


Stills from "Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: Veggie Tales Movie " (Click for larger image)

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Pixar's unprecedented string of hit animated features was built on the short films in this collection. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull used these cartoons the way Walt Disney used the "Silly Symphonies" during the 1930s: as a training ground for artists and a way to explore the potential of a new medium. Although it's only 90 seconds long, "Luxo, Jr." (1986) ranks as the "Steamboat Willie" of computer animation: For the first time, audiences believed CG characters could think and feel. (It was also the first CG film to make audiences laugh.) When the artists began work on "Toy Story", they had learned so much from the shorts, they were ready to undertake that landmark creation. In the later shorts, the viewer can see the artists continuing to experiment: with a more realistic human figure in "Geri's Game" and with new ways of suggesting atmospheric effects in "Boundin'." Some of the more recent shorts continue the adventures of the characters from the features. "Jack-Jack Attack" reveals what happened to the hapless baby-sitter while the "Incredibles" were off fighting Syndrome, while "Mater and the Ghost Light" shows that life goes on for the inhabitants of Radiator Springs. When Sully from "Monsters, Inc." tries to adjust his seat in "Mike's New Car," the animators prolong the moment to wring every drop of humor from the situation--just as an earlier generation of animators milked Wile E. Coyote's antics for all they were worth. The long-unseen films for Sesame Street are an unexpected bonus. A delightful collection of entertaining shorts, and a significant chronicle of the growth of computer animation. (Rated G: suitable for all ages: cartoon violence) "--Charles Solomon"

Languages: English, Vietnamese, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: "Platoon" put writer-turned-director Oliver Stone on the Hollywood map; it is still his most acclaimed and effective film, probably because it is based on Stone's firsthand experience as an American soldier in Vietnam. Chris (Charlie Sheen) is an infantryman whose loyalty is tested by two superior officers: Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), a former hippie humanist who really cares about his men (this was a few years before he played Jesus in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ"), and Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), a moody, macho soldier who may have gone over to the dark side. The personalities of the two sergeants correspond to their combat drugs of choice--pot for Elias and booze for Barnes. Stone has become known for his sledgehammer visual style, but in this film it seems perfectly appropriate. His violent and disorienting images have a terrifying immediacy, a you-are-there quality that gives you a sense of how things may have felt to an infantryman in the jungles of Vietnam. "Platoon" won Oscars for best picture and director. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Disney's take on this historical confrontation between European settlers and Native Americans follows the paths of two future lovers. One is British adventurer John Smith, who travels the Atlantic with the Virginia Company to establish Jamestown. On the shore is Pocahontas, a typical Disney heroine: bright, beautiful, mischievous, and motherless. The two meet in the untamed wilds of America (the first meeting is quite divine), fall in love, and try to ward off the warring factions. It's Disney's version of a Native American "West Side Story". Two Disney trademarks do not quite muster up: the villain isn't hissable and the score's only high point is the Oscar-winning "Colors of the Wind." Calling it "historical" is a stretch, but Disney created a very natural look at the two cultures. The Native American characters are handled especially well, and kids should be intrigued by their world; the movie is a far different lesson from the one their parents and grandparents learned. Disney has discovered a few things, though: you don't have to kill to solve your problems, and you can end the film without a happily-ever-after, illustrated by a touching final visual. (Ages 5 and older) "--Doug Thomas"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin Chinese

Sound: AC-3

Summary: An unbelievable movie, and deliriously better for it. Keanu Reeves is a hotshot law enforcement dude--Johnny Utah by name--investigating a series of bank robberies in L.A. Four gunmen, disguised in rubber masks of ex-U.S. presidents, have never come close to being caught, but veteran agent Gary Busey has a theory: The bandits are surfers. This prompts the superb line, "The ex-presidents rip off banks to finance the endless summer!" This movie's full of dialogue like that, but instead of sounding ridiculous it creates its own infectious comic-book energy--ride the crest of it and you'll find the film's giddy zone. Patrick Swayze plays Bodhi, zen-master leader of the surfing clan, humming serenely with the wisdom of the waves. (Alarmingly, Swayze also did his own skydiving stunts.) Director Kathryn Bigelow ("Strange Days") stages the action sequences with a visceral snap, and clearly has a gift for orchestrating pulp fiction. Though not a huge hit when was first released, "Point Break" has a well-deserved cult reputation thanks to its video afterlife. The film's executive producer is James Cameron, Bigelow's husband at the time. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: DTS Surround Sound

Summary: An unbelievable movie, and deliriously better for it. Keanu Reeves is a hotshot law enforcement dude--Johnny Utah by name--investigating a series of bank robberies in L.A. Four gunmen, disguised in rubber masks of ex-U.S. presidents, have never come close to being caught, but veteran agent Gary Busey has a theory: The bandits are surfers. This prompts the superb line, "The ex-presidents rip off banks to finance the endless summer!" This movie's full of dialogue like that, but instead of sounding ridiculous it creates its own infectious comic-book energy--ride the crest of it and you'll find the film's giddy zone. Patrick Swayze plays Bodhi, zen-master leader of the surfing clan, humming serenely with the wisdom of the waves. (Alarmingly, Swayze also did his own skydiving stunts.) Director Kathryn Bigelow ("Strange Days") stages the action sequences with a visceral snap, and clearly has a gift for orchestrating pulp fiction. Though not a huge hit when was first released, "Point Break" has a well-deserved cult reputation thanks to its video afterlife. The film's executive producer is James Cameron, Bigelow's husband at the time. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Destined to become a holiday perennial, "The Polar Express" also heralded a brave new world of all-digital filmmaking. Critics and audiences were divided between those who hailed it as an instant classic that captures the visual splendor and evocative innocence of Chris Van Allsburg's popular children's book, and those who felt that the innovative use of "performance capture"--to accurately translate live performances into all-digital characters--was an eerie and not-quite-lifelike distraction from the story's epic-scale North Pole adventure. In any case it's a benign, kind-hearted celebration of the yuletide spirit, especially for kids who have almost grown out of their need to believe in Santa Claus. Tom Hanks is the nominal "star" who performs five different computer-generated characters, but it's the visuals that steal this show, as director Robert Zemeckis indulges his tireless pursuit of technological innovation. No matter how you respond to the many wonders on display, it's clear that The Polar Express represents a significant milestone in the digital revolution of cinema. If it also fills you with the joy of Christmas (in spite of its Nuremberg-like rally of frantic elves), so much the better. "--Jeff Shannon"
DVD features
The most intriguing feature on the two-disc DVD is probably the six-minute sequence featuring a new song performed by the two engine-room characters, Smokey and Steamer. The animation is crude and the song is nothing special, but it does preserve the dual performances of Michael Jeter (he played both characters), who passed away during filming. One of the striking aspects of "The Polar Express" is its use of motion-capture technology to turn real actors into animated characters, and that is examined in a significant portion of the five-part 11-minute featurette, in the "look at" Tom Hanks's multiple performances, and in an Easter egg that offers a side-by-side comparison of the actors in their motion-capture suits with the finished film in the "Hot Chocolate" number. There's also a live performance of Josh Groban singing "Believe" followed by an interview segment with him and composer Alan Silvestri, author Chris Van Allsburg providing a five-minute capsulization of his career, a PC game demo, and a kids' set-top game. The version of the film on DVD is the standard theatrical version, not the 3-D version seen in IMAX theaters. "--David Horiuchi"

The World of "The Polar Express"
The book by Chris Van Allsburg
The Soundtrack
"The Magic Journey (Polar Express the Movie)" (book)
Stills from "Polar Express" (click for larger image)

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Destined to become a holiday perennial, "The Polar Express" also heralded a brave new world of all-digital filmmaking. Critics and audiences were divided between those who hailed it as an instant classic that captures the visual splendor and evocative innocence of Chris Van Allsburg's popular children's book, and those who felt that the innovative use of "performance capture"--to accurately translate live performances into all-digital characters--was an eerie and not-quite-lifelike distraction from the story's epic-scale North Pole adventure. In any case it's a benign, kind-hearted celebration of the yuletide spirit, especially for kids who have almost grown out of their need to believe in Santa Claus. Tom Hanks is the nominal "star" who performs five different computer-generated characters, but it's the visuals that steal this show, as director Robert Zemeckis indulges his tireless pursuit of technological innovation. No matter how you respond to the many wonders on display, it's clear that The Polar Express represents a significant milestone in the digital revolution of cinema. If it also fills you with the joy of Christmas (in spite of its Nuremberg-like rally of frantic elves), so much the better. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 1.0

Summary: Astoundingly silly but incredibly popular, "Police Academy" is the first film in a seemingly endless franchise that takes aim at the men in blue. After a police academy drops all of its entrance requirements, all manner of misfits flood in, hoping to make it onto the force. One of these misfits, a lazy, aimless cadet played by Steve Guttenberg ("Cocoon", "Three Men and a Baby"), was forced to enlist and tries whatever he can to get kicked out. But once he decides to stay, he tries anything and everything to finish his training, even as his drill instructor tries to shove him out. Featuring a wild bunch of strange supporting characters, from a female trainee who speaks below a whisper to a dominatrix instructor to a human sound-effects machine, "Police Academy" is mindless but fun. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: The cadets head to Moscow to help the Russians deal with the Mafia.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: A much inferior sequel to the first hit film, "Police Academy 2" nevertheless manages to keep a free-spirited, juvenile tone. Steve Guttenberg ("Cocoon", "Three Men and a Baby") returns as the charming goof-off, now graduated from the academy. He and the usual batch of misfits are let loose on the streets as rookie cops, wreaking havoc everywhere they go as they do battle with terrorists threatening the city. Some choice moments from the likes of Michael Winslow, as the man whose voice can imitate any sound, barely compensate for this being a pale imitation of the original movie. "--Robert Lane"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: The graduates of the police academy are now in competition between the two police academies to see which one will survive a state-decreed budget cut.
DVD Features:
Featurette:"All Washed Up: Floating Memories"
Theatrical Trailer

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: A new batch of civilian volunteers joins the new Citizens on Patrol program, but Captain Harris is determined to see it fail.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: All hell breaks loose when captain Harris crashes old captain Lassard's award celebration in Miami.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Summary: Those bumbling cadets take to the streets when three inept goons successfully orchestrate a metropolitan crime wave. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 04/05/2005 Starring: Bubba Smith David Graf Run time: 84 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Peter Bonerz

Languages: English

Sound: AC-3

Summary: In addition to spawning the popular "Naked Gun" movie franchise, "Police Squad!" had a lasting impact on TV comedy, and it's still a guilty pleasure. Hot from the success of "Airplane!" two years earlier, the ZAZ team (brothers David and Jerry Zucker and writing partner Jim Abrahams) decided to spoof TV cop shows, using the late '50s Lee Marvin series "M Squad" and the popular series format of Quinn Martin Productions (e.g., "The Streets of San Francisco") as their template for supremely silly, gag-laden satire. With "Airplane!" star Leslie Nielsen as straight-faced detective Frank Drebin and Alan North as Drebin's befuddled boss, Capt. Ed Hocken, this half-hour series quickly established an irresistible combination of nonstop sight gags, non sequiturs, and repeated routines ("Cigarette?" "Yes, it is") that dared viewers to pay close attention or miss the laughs if they didn't. Ironically, this very quality--you had to actually "watch" the show instead of casually listening for punchlines--is what ultimately sealed the series' fate. After only six poorly rated episodes, "Police Squad!" was canceled without fanfare, and six years passed before Drebin returned as the bumbling hero of "The Naked Gun".
Will all six episodes on one DVD, ZAZ fans can get reacquainted with a series that was arguably ahead of its time. In addition to the rib-tickling disparity between onscreen episode titles and narrated titles, and "special guest stars" (including William Shatner, Robert Goulet, Lorne Greene, and others) who get killed in the opening credits, loyal viewers could count on a weekly dose of hilarity from Nielsen, North, and their supporting players. Character actor William Duell appeared each week as shoeshine boy "Johnny the Snitch," capable of answering literally "any" question if you repeatedly greased his palm (a gag that led to info-seeking cameo appearances by Dick Clark, Dr. Joyce Brothers, baseball manager Tommy Lasorda, and others). And while original "Mission: Impossible" costar Peter Lupus poked fun at himself as the dim-witted Det. Norberg (later played by O.J. Simpson in the "Naked Gun" movies), Ed Williams--an actual high school science teacher--is hilarious as "Mr. Wizard"-like lab technician Ted Olson, who dispenses dubious science lessons to unsuspecting children. The fast-paced barrage of humor guaranteed that every episode would deliver as many hits as misses, and while some of the jokes have lost their punch, "Police Squad!" still delivers the belly-laughs... and always will, as long as humans have an appetite for shameless stupidity. "--Jeff Shannon"
On the DVD
Two episode commentaries by the Zucker brothers, Jim Abrahams, and producer Robert K. Weiss are good for a laugh, as the ZAZ team laughs at their own material and recalls the rigors of a 5-day shooting schedule, battles with network censors (also outlined in the revealing "Production Memo Highlights" feature), and the never-shown "celebrity guest death" of John Belushi, who actually died shortly after the gag was filmed. Comedian and writer Robert Wuhl's commentary is more autobiographical and somewhat perfunctory (he barely remembers the episode he wrote), but contains a few nuts-and-bolts details about the show's production. The 10-minute Leslie Nielsen interview shows the gracefully aging star in fine form as he recalls his affinity for the ZAZ brand of humor; the brief gag reel offers about a dozen on-set bloopers (several from crude workprint sources); "Behind the Freeze Frames" is an extended outtake to illustrate the elaborately faked "freeze frame" gag that ended each episode; and "Celebrity Death Shots" is a list of guest-star death gags proposed (and mostly used) for the series. Also included are casting tests for Alan North and Ed Williams, and an animated producers' photo gallery of "Police Squad!" sets, props, and scenery. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: What a combo! Tobe Hooper, the director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", teamed up with family-oriented producer Steven Spielberg to make "Poltergeist". The film is about a haunted suburban tract home in a development very much like the Arizona one in which Spielberg was raised. (Because it came out the same summer as Spielberg's "E.T.", it was tempting to see both movies as representing Spielberg's ambivalent feelings about childhood in suburbia. One was a fantasy, the other a nightmare.) Spielberg also cowrote the screenplay, which taps into primal, childlike fears of monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, sinister clown faces, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. At first, some of the odd happenings in the house are kind of funny and amusing, but they grow gradually creepier until the film climaxes in a terrifying special-effects extravaganza when 5-year-old Carole Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is kidnapped by the spooks and held hostage in another dimension. Though not nearly as frightening as Hooper's magnum opus, or the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street", which came along two years later, "Poltergeist" is one of the smartest and most entertaining horror pictures of its time. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: What a combo! Tobe Hooper, the director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", teamed up with family-oriented producer Steven Spielberg to make "Poltergeist". The film is about a haunted suburban tract home in a development very much like the Arizona one in which Spielberg was raised. (Because it came out the same summer as Spielberg's "E.T.", it was tempting to see both movies as representing Spielberg's ambivalent feelings about childhood in suburbia. One was a fantasy, the other a nightmare.) Spielberg also cowrote the screenplay, which taps into primal, childlike fears of monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, sinister clown faces, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. At first, some of the odd happenings in the house are kind of funny and amusing, but they grow gradually creepier until the film climaxes in a terrifying special-effects extravaganza when 5-year-old Carole Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is kidnapped by the spooks and held hostage in another dimension. Though not nearly as frightening as Hooper's magnum opus, or the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street", which came along two years later, "Poltergeist" is one of the smartest and most entertaining horror pictures of its time. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French, Castillian, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Castillian, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: What a combo! Tobe Hooper, the director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", teamed up with family-oriented producer Steven Spielberg to make "Poltergeist". The film is about a haunted suburban tract home in a development very much like the Arizona one in which Spielberg was raised. (Because it came out the same summer as Spielberg's "E.T.", it was tempting to see both movies as representing Spielberg's ambivalent feelings about childhood in suburbia. One was a fantasy, the other a nightmare.) Spielberg also cowrote the screenplay, which taps into primal, childlike fears of monsters under the bed, monsters in the closet, sinister clown faces, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. At first, some of the odd happenings in the house are kind of funny and amusing, but they grow gradually creepier until the film climaxes in a terrifying special-effects extravaganza when 5-year-old Carole Anne (Heather O'Rourke) is kidnapped by the spooks and held hostage in another dimension. Though not nearly as frightening as Hooper's magnum opus, or the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street", which came along two years later, "Poltergeist" is one of the smartest and most entertaining horror pictures of its time. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Nothing interests filmmaker Robert Altman more than a contained culture that mixes bare humanity with local eccentricity (think of his "M*A*S*H" and "Nashville"). So Altman's "Popeye" (1980), based on the old comic strip, works best as a portrait of a busy, cluttered, cartoonish town called Sweethaven. But it is much less successful as a comprehensible story about the famous sailor with massive forearms and a relationship with Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall). Robin Williams plays Popeye with his usual brilliance for mimicry, Paul Dooley makes a credible Wimpy, and Paul L. Smith makes an impression as the oversized bully, Bluto. But this strange, disastrous film never becomes more than an expensive workshop airing out Altmanesque themes. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English

Summary: In 1933, a squint-eyed sailor with outsized forearms danced a hula with Betty Boop--and began one of the great series in American cartoon history. Popeye had made his debut in Elzie Segar's comic strip "Thimble Theater" four years earlier, and the jump to animation only increased his popularity: by 1938, he rivaled Mickey Mouse. During the '30s, when Disney was creating lushly colored, realistic animation, the Fleischer Studio presented a gritty black-and-white world that was ideally suited to the bizarre misadventures of Popeye, Olive, and Bluto. The animators ignored anatomy, with hilarious results: Olive Oyl's rubbery arms wrap around her body like twin anacondas, and her legs often end up in knots. Exactly what Popeye and Bluto saw in this scrawny, capricious inamorata was never clear, but they fought over her endlessly. As the series progressed, the artists grew more sophisticated: in "Blow Me Down" (1933), Olive does some clumsy steps to "The Mexican Hat Dance;" one year later, in "The Dance Contest," she and Popeye perform deft spoofs of tango, tap, and apache steps. The stories are little more than strings of gags linked by a theme: Popeye and Bluto as rival artists; Popeye and Olive as nightclub dancers or café owners. But the minimal stories allow the artists to fill the screen with jokes, over-the-top fights, and muttered asides from the characters. Cartoon fans have waited for years for the "Popeye" shorts to appear on disc, and the "Popeye the Sailor 1933-1938" was worth waiting for. The transfers were made from beautifully clear prints with only minimal dust and scratches. The set is loaded with extras, including eight "Popumentaries," numerous commentaries, and 16 silent cartoons. It's a set to treasure. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older: violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) "--Charles Solomon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: The 1972 disaster hit "The Poseidon Adventure" was ripe for a big-budget CGI remake, and who better to helm it than thriller expert Wolfgang Petersen, director of "Das Boot" and "The Perfect Storm"? It hardly matters that a TV movie remake (also based on Paul Gallico's original 1969 source novel) was made less than a year before, because Petersen's version is far more spectacular, with shocking digital effects, massive sets, amazing stunt-work and enough fire and water to fill five movies with challenging worst-case scenarios. Once again, the plot concerns the capsizing (by a massive "rogue wave") of a state-of-the-art luxury liner, and the struggle of a small group of survivors (including Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum, and Richard Dreyfuss) to climb upwards, to the ship's hull, in their treacherous quest for a safe exit. Unfortunately, most of these characters are two-dimensional and under-developed (especially when compared to the 1972 film's all-star cast), and the unimaginative screenplay by Mark Protosevich (reportedly worked on by several uncredited writers) subjects them to a rote series of obstacles that grow increasingly routine and repetitious, not to mention contrived and illogical. Again, it hardly matters, because Petersen's handling of non-stop action is so slick and professional that "Poseidon" gets by on sheer adrenaline. The capsizing scenes are nothing less than awesome, with some effects so real (and so horrifying) that younger and more sensitive viewers may need to look away. And while it lacks the engaging humanity of the 1972 version, "Poseidon" is certainly never boring. Faint praise, perhaps, but you'll get your popcorn's worth of mindless entertainment. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Hebrew

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: Hands down, this is the best movie (and was one of the first) to come out of the seemingly endless cycle of disaster movies that dominated box offices during the 1970s. It could even be argued that "Titanic" owes some of its success to the precedent set by this 1972 blockbuster starring Gene Hackman as a priest who leads a small group of survivors to safety from the bowels of a capsized luxury liner. From its stellar cast to its cheesy, Oscar-winning theme song, "The Morning After", the movie has all the ingredients of a popular classic, beginning with a New Year's Eve celebration aboard the ill-fated "Poseidon" and ending as a pop allegory when the Hackman character becomes a Christ-like martyr. Filmed on spectacular sets where everything down is up and the ship's thick hull points in the direction of salvation, this is "a waterlogged "Grand Hotel"" (in the words of "New Yorker" film critic Pauline Kael) that is as entertaining as it is unabashedly brainless. "The Poseidon Adventure" is filled with performances that rise above the limits of the screenplay. It's also the only movie--unless you count her underwater corpse in "Night of the Hunter"--that lets Shelley Winters strut her stuff as an aquatic heroine. Who could ask for anything more? "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: The prologue to every "Powerpuff Girls" show explains how the perky threesome were created in Professor Utonium's lab--by a combination of sugar, spice, and everything nice, along with an accidental dash of Chemical X--but how is it that they started fighting crime? Why didn't they just take their superpowers to the playground and use them for fun? And what's behind evil monkey MoJo JoJo's never-ending quest for Powerpuff vengeance? All questions are answered in "The Powerpuff Girls Movie", which details the creation of Blossom (the commander and leader), Bubbles (the joy and laughter), and Buttercup (the toughest fighter) in more depth than ever before, and the result is a speedy, fun joy ride through the girls' early days. At first, the girls are happy-go-lucky, fitting in nicely at Pokey Oaks kindergarten, until a game of tag gets riotously out of hand (destroying the city of Townsville in the process) and they're shunned by the town populace. Alone, they find their only ally in MoJo, a monkey with a peculiarly large brain and a sympathetic nature, but is MoJo really on their side? The 87-minute length doesn't offer the breakneck momentum that regular episodes do, but it's still riotously funny and filled with tons of Powerpuff fighting. Fans may miss the other super villains featured in the show (MoJo's the only bad guy in town, for now), but with the jokes and action coming fast, you'll be pleasantly enraptured by the perky threesome. (Ages 7 and up) "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Rambo" meets "Alien" in this terrific science-fiction thriller from 1987, directed by John McTiernan just a year before "Die Hard" made him Hollywood's most sought-after director of action-packed blockbusters. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite squad of U.S. Army commandos to a remote region of South American jungle, where they've been assigned to search for South American officials who've been kidnapped by terrorists. Instead they find a bunch of skinned corpses hanging from the trees and realize that they're now facing a mysterious and much deadlier threat. As the squad is picked off one by one, Arnold finds himself pitted against a hideous alien creature that's heavily armed and wearing a spacesuit enabling the creature to render itself invisible. The title says it all in describing the relentless, escalating action that follows, maintained by McTiernan with an abundance of visual flair. The film's special effects are still impressive, and stunning locations in the Mexican jungles create a combined atmosphere of verdant beauty and imminent danger. The plot doesn't hold up to much scrutiny, but the movie's so exciting and tightly paced that its weaknesses seem irrelevant. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "Predator" wreaked havoc in the jungle and struck box-office gold, so Hollywood logic dictated that "Predator 2" should raise hell in the big, bad city. Los Angeles, to be specific, and this near-future L.A. (circa 1997) is an ultra-violent playground for the invisibility-cloaked alien that hunted Arnold Schwarzenegger in the previous film. Scant explanation is given for the creature's return, and because Ah-nuld was busy making "Total Recall", Danny Glover was awkwardly installed as the maverick cop (is there any other kind?) who defies a government goon (Gary Busey) to curtail the alien's inner-city killing spree. But why bother, when the victims are scummy Colombian drug lords? Don't look for intelligent answers; director Stephen Hopkins favors wall-to-wall action over sensible plotting, allowing Stan Winston's more prominently featured Predator to join the ranks of iconic movie monsters. And anticipating "Alien vs. Predator" in comic books and in theaters, there's a familiar-looking skull in the Predator's trophy case! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: "Predator" wreaked havoc in the jungle and struck box-office gold, so Hollywood logic dictated that "Predator 2" should raise hell in the big, bad city. Los Angeles, to be specific, and this near-future L.A. (circa 1997) is an ultra-violent playground for the invisibility-cloaked alien that hunted Arnold Schwarzenegger in the previous film. Scant explanation is given for the creature's return, and because Ah-nuld was busy making "Total Recall", Danny Glover was awkwardly installed as the maverick cop (is there any other kind?) who defies a government goon (Gary Busey) to curtail the alien's inner-city killing spree. But why bother, when the victims are scummy Colombian drug lords? Don't look for intelligent answers; director Stephen Hopkins favors wall-to-wall action over sensible plotting, allowing Stan Winston's more prominently featured Predator to join the ranks of iconic movie monsters. And anticipating "Alien vs. Predator" in comic books and in theaters, there's a familiar-looking skull in the Predator's trophy case! "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: In "Premonition", Linda Hanson (Sandra Bullock) is living in the Twilight Zone as she experiences recurring dreams of her husband's car crash, mediated by days in which the tragedy hasn't yet happened. By the time Linda does see her husband Jim's (Julian McMahon) death, one feels relieved instead of grievous. Though Premonition mines fascinating material, investigating the ways women in particular have uncanny psychic abilities to predict impending family dangers, Linda's premonitions are so convoluted, even to her, that it is difficult to determine their reality. Unrealistic scenes involving a sadistic psychiatrist and an unwarranted lithium prescription would lead one to question Linda's sanity, but instead add falseness to the story. Irritating sequences in which Linda confides in a priest at the local church, who tells her that faith will heal all, seem like Christian propaganda that completely eradicates any real witchcraft in the story. For a truly scary film about clairvoyance, see Dario Argento's "Phenomena". "Premonition" is a bogus take on psychic prediction, as tearjerking as "Ghost" was during Patrick Swayze's heyday. --"Trinie Dalton"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: "The Prestige" attempts a hat trick by combining a ridiculously good-looking cast, a highly regarded new director, and more than one sleight of hand. Does it pull it off? Sort of. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival magicians who were once friends before an on-stage tragedy drove a wedge between them. While Bale's Alfred Borden is a more skilled illusionist, Jackman's Rufus Angier is the better showman; much of the film's interesting first half is their attempts to sabotage--and simultaneously, top--each other's tricks. Even with the help of a prop inventor (Michael Caine) and a comely assistant (Scarlett Johansson), Angier can't match Borden's ultimate illusion: The Transporting Man. Angier's obsession with learning Borden's trick leads him to an encounter with an eccentric inventor (David Bowie) in a second half that gets bogged down in plot loops and theatrics. Director Christopher Nolan, reuniting with his "Batman Begins" star Bale, demonstrates the same dark touch that hued that film, but some plot elements--without giving anything away--seem out of place with the rest of the movie. It's better to sit back and let the sometimes-clunky turns steer themselves than try to draw back the black curtain. That said, "The Prestige" still manages to entertain long after the magician has left the stage--a feat in itself. --"Ellen A. Kim"

Languages: English, Japanese

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Like a pumpkin that transforms into a carriage, some very shrewd casting (and the charisma of Julia Roberts, in particular) morphed this story of a Hollywood whore into a Disneyfied "Cinderella" story--and a mainstream megahit. This is the movie that made Roberts a star; the charm of her personality helping tremendously to carry viewers over the rough spots in the script (which was originally a cynical tale about prostitution called "3000"--after the amount of money Richard Gere's character pays the prostitute to stay with him for the week). Gere is the silver-haired Wall Street knight who sweeps streetwalker Roberts into a fantasy world of room service at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel and fashion boutique shopping on Rodeo Drive. The supporting cast is also appealing, including Laura San Giacomo as Roberts's hooker pal, Hector Elizondo as the hotel manager, Jason Alexander, Ralph Bellamy, and Hank Azaria. Now, is this something you want your sons and daughters to see? That's entirely up to you. "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1

Summary: Like a forgotten, one-and-only season of a 1980s television show about an Irish-American family of cops, "Pride and Glory" is full of ambition but lacks the storytelling instinct to realize the goal. Edward Norton stars as Ray Tierney, a New York City police detective whose father, Francis Sr. (Jon Voight), boss of all Manhattan detectives, pressures him into investigating the murder of four officers. Ray's efforts uncover a corruption scandal centered around his brother-in-law, Jimmy (Colin Farrell), a beat cop whose commander happens to be, of course, Ray's brother, Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich). As Ray pushes forward, Jimmy's self-protective instinct goes savage, and the rest of the Tierney males shift to cover-up mode. Co-writers Joe Carnahan ("Narc") and Gavin O'Connor ("Miracle"), who also directs this film, make a fatal mistake by forcing every element in a long story to further a prefabricated narrative shape, leading to the conclusion they want. But they can't pull it off without awkward transitions and bridges, including the perfunctory inclusion of an intrepid reporter who conveniently breezes in and out of the movie long enough to explain Ray's back story aloud. A monstrous scene involving Farrell holding a steaming iron (prop or not) over a baby's face is inexcusable. "--Tom Keogh"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Clever twists and a bona fide surprise ending make this an above-average courtroom thriller, tapping into the post-O.J. scrutiny of our legal system in the case of a hotshot Chicago defense attorney (Richard Gere) whose latest client is an altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering a Catholic archbishop. The film uses its own manipulation to tell a story about manipulation, and when we finally discover who's been pulling the strings, the payoff is both convincing and pertinent to the ongoing debate over what constitutes truth in the American system of justice. Making an impressive screen debut that has since led to a stellar career, Norton gives a performance that rides on a razor's edge of schizophrenic pathology--his role is an actor's showcase, and without crossing over the line of credibility, Norton milks it for all it's worth. Gere is equally effective in a role that capitalizes on his shifty screen persona, and Laura Linney and Frances McDormand give memorable performances in their intelligently written supporting roles. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese

Sound: AC-3

Summary: A high-profile slaying becomes the case of an ambitious attorney's career in this legal thriller based on the novel by William Diehl. Richard Gere stars as Martin Vail, a famed defense lawyer who volunteers his services to Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton), a Kentucky teenager charged with the murder of a Chicago archbishop. Covered with blood, Aaron was captured after a foot chase broadcast live on TV, making a gleeful Vail certain that he could raise his profile by defending the obviously guilty suspect. Assigned to prosecute is Assistant District Attorney Janet Venable (Laura Linney), who is Vail's ex-girlfriend. Vail's case becomes more complicated than he expected when a psychologist, Dr. Molly Arrington (Frances McDormand) concludes that Stampler suffers from multiple personality disorder. Vail also uncovers evidence that the archbishop was involved in a corrupt land scheme and may have molested young parishioners. Now the cynical, opportunistic attorney is faced with a daunting prospect, a client who may actually deserve his best defense. Its shocking, twist ending made "Primal Fear" (1996) a big box office hit and earned Norton, in his screen debut, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Who would have thought that "Primeval", a movie about a giant man-eating crocodile, would turn out to be closer in spirit to "Hotel Rwanda" and "Blood Diamond" than to the average slasher-movie horror flick? Perhaps it doesn't aim at the social-issue heights of those more prestigious films, and the acting is uneven to say the least, but give this monster movie credit for trying to get in the smart, edgy vein of some of John Sayles's early scripts for Roger Corman. A cable-TV news crew travels to Burundi to capture footage of (and, if possible, just plain capture) the enormous crocodile that's been terrorizing the local landscape. Making things more complicated: the local landscape is also being terrorized by a civil war. The film does a clever job of weaving the two scourges together, and the script by John Brancato and Michael Ferris pays surprisingly explicit attention to the way the West has been slow to acknowledge human-rights disasters in Africa, calling out Rwanda and Darfur by name. Now if only the characters were more than cardboard-thin; only Orlando Jones, doing the standard-issue wisecracking black sidekick, makes any particular impression. (Poor Jurgen Prochnow, glowering about in the Great White Hunter role--you'd think the guy who commanded "Das Boot" could knock off a giant reptile, no problem.) Pedestrian direction doesn't bring the human element to life, but give it up for a fine crocodile--his name is Gustave--who exists in a nifty, hungry computer-generated frenzy for most of his performance. And the script even provides Gustave some behavioral motivation that recalls the it's-not-their-fault-it's-man's-fault spirit of 1950s monster movies. Not a bad effort at all. "--Robert Horton"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Jake Gyllenhaal's doe eyes and bulging biceps will make some hearts flutter in "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time". Dastan (Gyllenhaal), adopted prince of the Persian empire, must flee into the desert when accused of murdering his royal father--but a glass-handled dagger he found as loot from a captured city turns out to hold powerful time-manipulating magic. Not only is he pursued by his vengeful brothers, his scheming uncle (Ben Kingsley, "Sexy Beast"), and a strange cabal of assassins, but a princess/priestess named Tamina (Gemma Arterton, "Quantum of Solace") wants the dagger back and will kill Dastan if she has to. "Prince of Persia" wants to be a rollicking adventure along the lines of "Pirates of the Caribbean". Unfortunately, it's hampered by clumsy dialogue and hard-to-follow action sequences, with choppy editing that wrecks the flow of the parkour-inspired stunts. But the production design is extravagant and every time Alfred Molina ("Spiderman 2") appears as a greedy sheik the movie gets a delightful jolt of energy. Gyllenhaal doesn't have much to work with--Dastan is a fairly generic hero--and whoever designed his hair should have been fired on the first day, but his lazy charm comes through and carries him through the movie. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: After the visual bombast of many contemporary CG and motion-capture features, the drawn characters in The Princess and the Frog, the Walt Disney Studio's eagerly awaited return to traditional animation, feel doubly welcome. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), The Princess and the Frog moves the classic fairy tale to a snazzy version of 1920s New Orleans. Tiana (voice by Anika Noni Rose), the first African-American Disney heroine, is not a princess, but a young woman who hopes to fulfill her father's dream of opening a restaurant to serve food that will bring together people from all walks of life. Tiana may wish upon a star, but she believes that hard work is the way to fulfill your aspirations. Her dedication clashes with the cheerful idleness of the visiting prince Naveen (Bruno Campos). A voodoo spell cast by Dr. Facilier (Keith David) in a showstopping number by composer Randy Newman initiates the events that will bring the mismatched hero and heroine together. However, the animation of three supporting characters--Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a jazz-playing alligator; Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly; and 197-year-old voodoo priestess Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis)--is so outstanding, it nearly steals the film. Alternately funny, touching, and dramatic, The Princess and the Frog is an all-too-rare example of a holiday entertainment a family can enjoy together, with the most and least sophisticated members appreciating different elements. The film is also a welcome sign that the beleaguered Disney Feature Animation Studio has turned away from such disasters as Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons and is once again moving in the right direction. Rated G: General Audiences, suitable for ages 6 and older: violence, some scary imagery, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

Stills from Princess and the Frog (Click for larger image)

Languages: English, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Screenwriter William Goldman's novel "The Princess Bride" earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story.
And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity...
The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. "--Sam Sutherland"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Screenwriter William Goldman's novel "The Princess Bride" earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book's joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely intact: using a storytelling framework, avuncular Grandpa (Peter Falk) gradually seduces his skeptical grandson (Fred Savage) into the absurd, irresistible melodrama of the title story.
And what a story: a lowly stable boy, Westley (Cary Elwes), pledges his love to the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright), only to be abducted and reportedly killed by pirates while Buttercup is betrothed to the evil Prince Humperdinck. Even as Buttercup herself is kidnapped by a giant, a scheming criminal mastermind, and a master Spanish swordsman, a mysterious masked pirate (could it be Westley?) follows in pursuit. As they sail toward the Cliffs of Insanity...
The wild and woolly arcs of the story, the sudden twists of fate, and, above all, the cartoon-scaled characters all work because of Goldman's very funny script, Reiner's confident direction, and a terrific cast. Elwes and Wright, both sporting their best English accents, juggle romantic fervor and physical slapstick effortlessly, while supporting roles boast Mandy Patinkin (the swordsman Inigo Montoya), Wallace Shawn (the incredulous schemer Vizzini), and Christopher Guest (evil Count Rugen) with brief but funny cameos from Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Peter Cook. "--Sam Sutherland"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: A thoroughly engaging fairy tale that's family friendly without being condescending, "The Princess Diaries" is your basic Cinderella makeover story given a fresh, affectionate twist courtesy of a game, energetic cast and a screenplay that skirts schmaltz in favor of gentle, effective comedy. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing 15-year-old girl whose two highest ambitions are to become invisible and to get a few smooches from the slickly attractive school heartthrob. As a girl who can't stand being the center of attention so much that she throws up during debate class, she's stunned and horrified when her coolly continental grandmother (Julie Andrews) shows up and informs her that she's the crown princess of the European principality Genovia. Soon enough, Mia has to undertake "princess lessons" (and a makeover) from her queenly grandmother, and eventually she blossoms into a confident, radiant girl--despite the worries and pressure that her newfound status brings. What makes "The Princess Diaries" work is director Garry Marshall's guileless, irony-free approach to the material (based on Meg Cabot's novel). In comparison to most snarky, ultra-hip teen comedies, "The Princess Diaries" is refreshingly and enjoyably square, content to win you over on charm alone and not a slick bag of tricks. Hathaway is a charismatic, appealing role model with a sharp sense of comic timing, and Andrews--who came to stardom as the object of a makeover supreme in "My Fair Lady" on Broadway--is at her regal best whether teaching Mia the proper royal wave or learning how to eat a corndog. Both leading ladies are complemented by a finely tuned cast, including Hector Elizondo as Genovia's head of security (and romantic counterpart to Andrews), Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best pal, and Robert Schwartzman as the good guy who ultimately wins Mia's heart. All in all, a royal pleasure. "--Mark Englehart"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: If you're a ten-year-old girl, this sequel to Disney's 2001 hit will completely transfix you. How could it not? Bubbly Mia (Anne Hathaway), the American teenager who in the first film learned she was actually European royalty, finishes college and--whoosh!--heads off to Genovia, where he's given a closet full of fabulous clothes and jewelry in preparation to rule the kingdom under the tutelage of grandmother Julie Andrews. Throw in a horse and a volatile but innocent romantic attraction to the dreamy young stud (Chris Pine) who's also vying for the throne, and you have the kind of stuff that prepubescent girls rhapsodize about at slumber parties. Oh--and there's a slumber party here, too, featuring a bevy of cute, international young princesses mattress-surfing down a giant slide. Resistance is futile. For the rest of us, though, director Garry Marshall has managed to make his "Laverne & Shirley" days seem positively Shakespearean in comparison. The movie is precious, padded (two hours!), and pandering twaddle; Andrews, in her role as Queen Mother, is even shoehorned into a faux-hip-hop duet with Disney Channel favorite Raven (one of many, many grueling moments intended to sell the soundtrack). Then the film takes a maddening left turn three-quarters of the way into the plot and decides that, despite all the preceding consumption and connubial fantasies to the contrary, it's really about feminine emancipation. But don’t worry--what causes you to smack your forehead in frustration will go right over the heads of its hypnotized target market. "--Steve Wiecking"

Languages: English, Japanese, French

Summary: This epic, animated 1997 fantasy has already made history as the top-grossing domestic feature ever released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and ravishing visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxieties. For international animation and "anime" fans, "Princess Mononoke" represents an auspicious next step for its revered creator, Hayao Miyazaki ("My Neighbor Totoro", "Kiki's Delivery Service"), an acknowledged "anime" pioneer, whose painterly style, vivid character design, and stylized approach to storytelling take ambitious, evolutionary steps here.
Set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki's original story envisions a struggle between nature and man. The march of technology, embodied in the dark iron forges of the ambitious Tatara clan, threatens the natural forces explicit in the benevolent Great God of the Forest and the wide-eyed, spectral spirits he protects. When Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote, and endangered, village clan, kills a ravenous, boar-like monster, he discovers the beast is in fact an infectious "demon god," transformed by human anger. Ashitaka's quest to solve the beast's fatal curse brings him into the midst of human political intrigues as well as the more crucial battle between man and nature.
Miyazaki's convoluted fable is clearly not the stuff of kiddie matinees, nor is the often graphic violence depicted during the battles that ensue. If some younger viewers (or less attentive older ones) will wish for a diagram to sort out the players, Miyazaki's atmospheric world and its lush visual design are reasons enough to watch. For the English-language version, Miramax assembled an impressive vocal cast including Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup (as Ashitaka), Claire Danes (as San), Minnie Driver (as Lady Eboshi), Billy Bob Thornton, and Jada Pinkett Smith. They bring added nuance to a very different kind of magic kingdom. Recommended for ages 12 and older. "--Sam Sutherland"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Give credit to director Betty Thomas for making the notorious Howard Stern, self-proclaimed "king of all media," into a nerdish but appealing media rebel who loves his wife and family. Even if you hate Stern's rude radio show, you may discover that the underdog charm of this warm, whimsical film (based on Stern's autobiography) turns you into a fan--for the length of the film at least. Stern delivers a winning performance as the clumsy college kid and aspiring disc-jockey-turned-demon-shock-jock, who becomes an unlikely hero as he battles station managers, network executives, and conservative "arbiters of decency" in the name of unfettered bad taste. Mary McCormack is fine as his understanding wife, Alison, and longtime Stern sidekicks Robin Quivers and Fred Norris acquit themselves nicely appearing as themselves. By the end of this smart, funny little film, don't be surprised if you find yourself cheering for the slob. "--Sean Axmaker"

Languages: English

Subtitles: Spanish, French

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.1

Summary: This sexy and addictive hit show will draw you in with its irresistible combination of creativity and intensity inside the glamorous industry of high fashion! Starring beautiful international supermodel Heidi Klum -- you'll go behind the scenes and take an unguarded look at what it takes for some hip young designers to make it in the highly competitive world of fashion! Featuring every entertaining episode of the acclaimed first season, this must-have DVD collection also includes a wealth of never-before-seen outtakes and reams of bonus material!

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0

Summary: Fabulous from head to toe, "Project Runway" differs from many of its reality-show peers in that 1) its contestants are actually skilled at a difficult trade (in this case, fashion design) and 2) it boasts the most engaging hosts (supermodel Heidi Klum and Parsons Fashion chair Tim Gunn, who's become a breakout star himself). Season Two benefits from a more streamlined process--gone is the model-picking cattle call every episode--and a cast twice as memorable as Season One. Compare the ideas of kind fashion teacher Nick vs. wearable-technology geek Diana; the profound commentary of South African boho-chick Kara ("there's a life to the garment") vs. dim-bulb early cast-off Heidi ("I thought it was just, "pretty"… I mean, she looked "pretty""). Revel in the arrogant musings, over-the-top designs, and dead-on Tim Gunn impressions of Santino Rice, who was wrongly mislabeled the villain of "Project Runway". That honor truly goes to bossy witch Zulema, who never met an excuse she didn't like, and broke a gentleman's agreement by swiping Nick's "muse," model Tarah, halfway through the season (In a bittersweet end, Zulema's subsequent ousting forced an early exit for Tarah as well). There's even a surprise return of Season One's Daniel Franco, whose quivering voice and shuffle added even more spice to the pot.
This season's challenges included designing for Barbie, heiress Nicky Hilton, figure skater Sasha Cohen, and supermodel Iman; creating outfits from the clothes off their back; and designing a garden-party dress out of flowers and plants. Watching their creations (which are, in many cases, impressive) criticized by grumpy judges Michael Kors and Elle fashion director Nina Garcia makes for some of the best drama on television.
The DVD includes the full, uncut versions of Santino's runway argument with Nina and flamboyant contestant Andre's weepy breakdown in front of the judges (9 minutes, 53 seconds); more musical numbers invented by Santino and Nick ("No one's gonna sew no mooooore"); footage of the cast's audition tapes, and a Where Are They Now? featurette with Season One's contestants. A must-have accessory for fans of the show. "--Ellen A. Kim"

Languages: English

Summary: The third season of Bravo's reality hit boasted the most evenly matched upper roster of aspiring designers thus far in the series, and maintained the show's reign as one of the best in reality television (it's been nominated for an Emmy every year). It also featured not just one clichéd villain, but several: Keith, the impossibly arrogant menswear designer who believed he was "above" all challenges (and refusing to design the dog outfit mandated as part of that challenge); Jeffrey, the tattooed rock-star designer who was as condescending as he was innovative (yet, because of his bluntness, successful sobriety and impossibly cute son, you couldn't help but like the guy a little); and Vincent, the slightly perverse '80s-era designer who famously cashed out his 401(k) to try the business again and whom always seems two sandwiches short of a picnic. The season's challenges included making a dress out of materials from the contestants' apartments, modernizing the look of a fashion icon (from Audrey Hepburn to Madonna), and designing an evening gown for Miss USA (the later fallen Tara Conner) to wear in the Miss Universe pageant. Later in the season, the remaining finalists were able to jet off to Paris to be judged by designer Catherine Malandrino, whose criticisms were actually harsher than host Heidi Klum's ("You look rideeeculous," she tells one. "You look like a fehk pop stahr." ). Other guest judges during the season included Vera Wang, Kate Spade, Ivanka Trump, and Richard Tyler.
"Project Runway" stands out from many other reality shows in that talent was actually a requisite and there was no audience voting to keep undeserving contestants in. Not to say there weren't any frustrating contenders overstaying their welcome (Take Angela, the farm girl who claimed her dresses were "mistaken for Yves Saint Laurent" back home, but felt the need to smother all her creations with rosettes), but the competition was evenly, satisfyingly matched toward the end. The DVD includes the reunion episode, which features a tense exchange between Keith and Klum and pokes fun at den father/breakout star Tim Gunn's "$3 vocabulary." A couple of bonus features follow the finalists post-show, profiles Gunn, and shows an assortment of outtakes. Not featured on the DVD? The many, many Saturn Sky Roadster promotions that preceded every commercial when it aired on television. And for that, we happily say "Auf Wiedershen". --"Ellen A. Kim"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Summary: The fourth season of "Project Runway" returns with another group of telegenic contestants intent on winning the $100,000 cash prize and the chance to jumpstart their careers as fashion designers. The 15 competitors include sensitive Ricky Lizdale, earth mama Kathleen Vaughn, and impishly adorable Christian Siriano. Thanks to his quirky looks, hip designs, and popular catchphrases ("fierce," "ferosh," "hot tranny mess"), Siriano became such a pop culture sensation that he was parodied by Amy Poehler on "Saturday Night Live". Though it is full of drama and its share of cat fighting, "Project Runway" has always been a step above your run-of-the-mill reality series. Whereas "The Hills" relies on a coterie of frenemies to ramp up its ratings, "Project Runway" actually seems interested in the contestants and how they will succeed in life beyond the series. Hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, who exhibits a wry sense of humor while keeping the show moving at a brisk pace, the series is smartly entertaining. Fan favorite Tim Gunn returns, as does judge Nina Garcia. This season's guest stars include fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker, who helps critique the contestants' creations for her affordable Bitten line. But former football pro Tiki Barber is a scene stealer, appearing in an episode where the competitors have to design an outfit for him to wear on television. (Some of the pieces that the cast comes up with challenge the notion that Barber looks good in anything.) All 13 episodes from the Bravo series are included in this four-disc set. By the time Klum says "auf wiedersehen" to the runner up, most viewers will agree that the right contestant won. "--Jae-Ha Kim"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Summary: Project Runway, the Emmy nominated series starring supermodel and host Heidi Klum.

Stills from Project Runway (Click for larger image)

Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: Supermodel Heidi Klum and fan-favorite fashion guru Tim Gunn host the hit TV series where aspiring fashion designers compete for a chance to break into the industry. Season 6 is loaded with new challenges, amazing designs, trainwreck projects, and celebrity appearances.

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo

Summary: A prime candidate for cult status (it even spawned a sequel), this apocalyptic 1995 horror flick belongs in the darker corners of the comedy-horror sub-genre that includes "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Mimic", and "Phantoms"--and like those movies it's a mixed blessing with some highlights worth savoring.
This one's got Christopher Walken in its favor, starring as the Angel Gabriel, who's really mad at God for allowing humans into heaven (because, you see, humans have souls and angels don't, and God plays favorites). Gabriel takes his anger out on the human race, coming to Earth to capture the soul of the most evil human alive in an effort to defeat the "good" angels that remain in God's good graces. One of the good angels is played by Eric Stoltz, who captures the evil soul before Walken does and transfers it into the body of a little girl. Are you with us so far? Don't worry if you're not, because writer-director Gregory Widen filled "The Prophecy" with so many wild ideas that he didn't bother to connect them to a coherent plot.
Add Viggo Mortensen as the devil and Elias Koteas as a priest-turned detective who's tracking Walken and it's clear that Widen was attempting something ambitious here. He nearly succeeded, since "The Prophecy" jumpstarts its heaven-and-hell rivalry with enough action, humor, and intelligence to make the movie sufficiently entertaining. It was enjoyable enough to entice Walken back for the sequel, so if you're into this kind of thing, this one's a keeper. "--Jeff Shannon"

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Since crime auteur Michael Mann, like his protagonists, plays by his own rules, Public Enemies eschews back story and motivation for a closely-observed, action-packed examination of men at work. FBI supremo J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) kick-starts a nationwide manhunt when he proclaims John Dillinger (Johnny Depp, in top form) Public Enemy #1. Hoover taps Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to bring the Tommy Gun-toting bank robber in by any means necessary (the agency also targets Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson). If Dillinger had split the scene then and there, he might have enjoyed a happier fate, but he falls for beautiful coat-check girl Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard, whose open-hearted performance makes her the most sympathetic character in the film). In the end, though, Dillinger is the captain of his own destiny: his loyalty to his girl and his gang overpowers his desire to live free. Though the director also set his first film, Thief, and third series, Crime Story, in his native Chicago, Public Enemies plays more like Heat in Depression-era garb. In that L.A. policier, Al Pacino's cop develops a grudging respect for Robert De Niro's criminal, but letting a lawbreaker go free isn't an option. In this case, however, the tight-lipped Purvis never develops the same sort of esteem for Dillinger--or Hoover--making him the more tragic figure. If Public Enemies is less overtly commercial than The Untouchables or Bugsy, it's still the best mainstream gangster epic in ages and ranks among Mann's finest works. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Stills from Public Enemies (Click for larger image)

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: With the knockout one-two punch of 1992's "Reservoir Dogs" and 1994's "Pulp Fiction" writer-director Quentin Tarantino stunned the filmmaking world, exploding into prominence as a cinematic heavyweight contender. But "Pulp Fiction" was more than just the follow-up to an impressive first feature, or the winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival, or a script stuffed with the sort of juicy bubblegum dialogue actors just love to chew, or the vehicle that reestablished John Travolta on the A-list, or the relatively low-budget ($8 million) independent showcase for an ultrahip mixture of established marquee names and rising stars from the indie scene (among them Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Julia Sweeney, Kathy Griffin, and Phil Lamar). It was more, even, than an unprecedented $100-million-plus hit for indie distributor Miramax. "Pulp Fiction" was a sensation. No, it was not the Second Coming (I actually think "Reservoir Dogs" is a more substantial film; and P.T. Anderson outdid Tarantino in 1997 by making his directorial debut with two even more mature and accomplished pictures, "Hard Eight" and "Boogie Nights"). But "Pulp Fiction" packs so much energy and invention into telling its nonchronologically interwoven short stories (all about temptation, corruption, and redemption amongst modern criminals, large and small) it leaves viewers both exhilarated and exhausted--hearts racing and knuckles white from the ride. (Oh, and the infectious, surf-guitar-based soundtrack is tastier than a Royale with Cheese.) "--Jim Emerson"

Languages: English, French

Subtitles: English, French

Sound: AC-3

Summary: Adam Sandler takes a shot at critical respectability with "Punch-Drunk Love", a movie by director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Boogie Nights", "Magnolia"). Sandler plays Barry Egan, a lonely small businessman who calls a phone sex line one night, only to find himself the victim of an extortion scheme the next day--the very same day on which he goes out on a date with the woman who may be the love of his life (the utterly delightful Emily Watson). Barry is a lot like Sandler's popular comic characters--socially maladept, prone to violence, always on the brink of embarrassment--but here Sandler plays it real; the result is both off-putting and sympathetic. Anderson's writing skills, unfortunately, are not as strong as his visual sense. "Punch-Drunk Love" has many strengths (including great supporting actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Luis Guzmán), but ultimately fizzles out. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Sound: Dolby

Summary: The impressively muscular chest of Tom Jane is the focal point of "The Punisher", a movie based on a Marvel Comics superhero. Frank Castle (Jane, "Deep Blue Sea") retires from the FBI, which means--as any moviegoer expects--that his family is toast. Howard Saint (John Travolta, "Face/Off"), a shady Florida businessman whose son was killed in Castle's last mission, orders a hit not only on Castle's wife and child, but also on his parents and a whole bunch of aunts, uncles, cousins, and so forth. The killers shoot Castle himself in the chest, but he inexplicably survives and--as any moviegoer expects--sets out to even the score. Implausibly, given his sometimes curious and roundabout methods, he succeeds. Also featuring Will Patton ("Armageddon") as an oily thug, Laura Harring ("Mulholland Drive") as Saint's fleshpot wife, and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ("X-Men") as a waitress with bad taste in men. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby

Summary: The impressively muscular chest of Tom Jane is the focal point of "The Punisher", a movie based on a Marvel Comics superhero. Frank Castle (Jane, "Deep Blue Sea") retires from the FBI, which means--as any moviegoer expects--that his family is toast. Howard Saint (John Travolta, "Face/Off"), a shady Florida businessman whose son was killed in Castle's last mission, orders a hit not only on Castle's wife and child, but also on his parents and a whole bunch of aunts, uncles, cousins, and so forth. The killers shoot Castle himself in the chest, but he inexplicably survives and--as any moviegoer expects--sets out to even the score. Implausibly, given his sometimes curious and roundabout methods, he succeeds. Also featuring Will Patton ("Armageddon") as an oily thug, Laura Harring ("Mulholland Drive") as Saint's fleshpot wife, and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos ("X-Men") as a waitress with bad taste in men. "--Bret Fetzer"

Languages: English

Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround

Summary: First, a few facts. Dolph Lundgren expresses emotions ranging from stoic to, well, really stoic. There are holes in the story large enough to pilot the "Exxon Valdez" through without spilling a drop. And the film is littered with action movie clichés. But none of this matters. "The Punisher" succeeds because it stays true to its origins, the Marvel comic of the same name. Studio-engineered films such as "Batman" never quite capture the mixture of loyalty and betrayal, justice and revenge, moral ambiguity and emotional truth that are the hallmarks of the graphic novel. Films such as "Darkman" do. So does "The Punisher". Lundgren plays Frank Castle, a dedicated policeman whose family was wiped out in a mob hit. He went underground (literally) and, as the Punisher, has been exacting his revenge, killing 125 mobsters in the past five years. But when the yakuza (Japanese Mafia) moves in on the mob's territory and kidnaps their children, it's up to the Punisher to rescue the kids. The action blazes, Lundgren (a former full-contact karate champ) moves with feral grace, the production design is a pleasure to watch, and director Mark Goldblatt (whose credits as editor include such big films as "Starship Troopers" and "True Lies") has a clean, efficient style. "--Geof Miller"