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2 FAST AND 2 FURIOUS (PG-13) --
Actor Vin Diesel and director Rob Cohen are out and actor Tyrese Gibson and director
John Singleton are in for this sequel to the 2001 action hit that returns only
co-star Paul Walker. Vroom, vroom. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC
Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
8 MM FESTIVAL --
The Country Club's poolside screening series continues with part one of 8 mm films.
This week: heterosexual porn from the 1950s to the '80s, including black-and-whites,
silents and grindhouse. 8 p.m. Thursday at the Country Club
28 DAYS LATER (R) -- B Director Danny Boyle brings chaos back to the big screen
with this apocalyptic thriller starring Cillian Murphy and Christopher Eccleston.
A London lab experiment unleashed causes the infected population to turn into
red-eyed, rage-filled zombies. More unsettling than scary, 28 Days Later
is a visceral exercise with a handful of notable moments. (Carlson) (Reviewed
in this issue.) Scheduled to open Friday in wide release
ALEX AND EMMA (PG13) --
Author Luke Wilson falls for stenographer Kate Hudson, who must help him meet
a 30-day deadline for a romance novel in this high-concept romantic comedy from
Rob Reiner (The American President). Co-stars David Paymer, Cloris Leachman,
Sophie Marceau and Rip Taylor. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (PG-13) --
B+ Gurinder Chadha's story of a British girl whose traditional Sikh parents
want her to learn to cook and find a good Indian boy to marry rather than follow
her talent and passion for soccer fails to break new narrative ground. But it
has a big, open heart and well-developed characters and introduces a luminous
new star in Parminder Nagra. (Barton) Canal Place
BRUCE ALMIGHTY (PG-13) -- B+
Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac reteam for this charming cosmic comedy about
a man fed up with what he perceives as God's indifference to his plight. When
he blasphemes once too often, God (in the form of Morgan Freeman) grants him omnipotence
and says, "Here, you do better." Needless to say, all hell breaks loose. Carrey
really sells this one with his peculiar -- and appealing -- mixture of vulnerability
and vulgarity, making a funny film with (considering the sources) a surprisingly
sacred heart. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
BUGS! 3D (NR) --
This latest IMAX offering charts the progression of a praying mantis and a butterfly
in the rain forests of Southeast Asia. Entergy IMAX
DADDY DAY CARE (PG) --
Dot-com bust victim Eddie Murphy tries his hand at a day-care center with his
buddies in this comedy directed by Steve Carr (Dr. Doolittle 2) and co-starring
Anjelica Huston and Louisiana's own Lacey Chabert (The Scoundrel's Wife).
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand
DUMB AND DUMBER: WHEN HARRY MET LLOYD (PG-13) --
Unknowns Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen recreate the roles of Harry
and Lloyd (as teens) popularized by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in the 1994 hit
Dumb and Dumber. Here the two nimwits meet in high school. Do not expect
anyone from the original. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
FINDING NEMO (G) -- A
This Disney/Pixar collaboration about a little fish separated from his father
floats fantastically on the voice talents of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres
and a winning script penned by director Andrew Stanton. Technologically, Nemo
is stunning, but -- more importantly -- this fish tale has heart and humor akin
to its older sibling Toy Story. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY (PG) --
American Idol Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini are two star-crossed
spring break lovers in this love story ripped right out of today's reality-TV.
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE (R) --
Part-time New Orleanian Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) continues his move away
from sports-related films and into L.A. crime stories (Dark Blue) with
this action buddy comedy pairing veteran Harrison Ford and youthful Josh Hartnett
as L.A. homicide detectives sucked into the rap world after a grisly murder. Stellar
L.A.-ish supporting cast includes Martin Landau, Keith David, Lolita Davidovich,
Isaiah Washington, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bruce Greenwood, Eric Idle, Dwight Yoakam,
Gladys Knight, Kurupt, Lena Olin, Robert Wagner and New Orleans' own Master P.
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
HULK (PG-13) -- B
The chameolonic director Ang Lee (The Ice Story, Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon) proves his versatility once again by bringing the temperamental comic-book
behemoth to the big screen. Eric Bana (Chopper, Black Hawk Down)
is pitch-perfect as brooding scientist Bruce Banner, who has serious anger-management
issues; in fact, Bana's economic acting dwarfs a supporting cast that features
no less than Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Nick Nolte and Josh Lucas -- all
of whom seem to overstay their welcome. The Hulk himself, courtesy of CGI, is
appropriately comic book-like -- not too realistic, not too out of place. Yet
Lee also overstays his welcome, seemingly caught between operatic tragedy and
comic-book fun. Still plenty of summer enjoyment. (Simmons) (Reviewed in this
issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
INTO THE DEEP: 3D
-- IMAX dives deep underwater to explore sea life. Entergy IMAX
THE ITALIAN JOB (PG-13) -- B-
Forget stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Edward Norton (and the zinger-free
script, for that matter) and watch one of Hollywood's most shameless moments of
product placement as the Mini Cooper S car scoots all over the screen. Other than
that, it's one predictable-as-hell heist movie during a heat wave of heist movies.
(Simmons) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand, Prytania
JONAH: A VEGGIE TALES MOVIE (G) --
Hollywood Cinemas 9's Summer Kids Movie Camp continues with this inspiring animated
tale from the writing-directing team of Mike Nawrocki and Phil Vischer, putting
a contemporary spin on the biblical tale of Jonah and the whale. 10 a.m. Monday
through Friday at Hollywood Cinemas 9
L'AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE (R) --
It's a clash of cultures and agendas when a group of Euros move into an apartment
together, with friendships, rivalries and romances developing in this film by
Cedric Klapisch (When the Cat's Away). Featuring Audrey Tatou (Amelie).
In French, Catalan, Dutch, English and Spanish with English subtitles. Canal
Place
LEWIS & CLARK: GREAT JOURNEY WEST (NR) --
The adventures of the famous 19th century exporers hits the very big screen. Entergy
IMAX
MATRIX RELOADED (R) --
A The badass Wachowski brothers are back with a sequel that's equal, as
Matrix Reloaded rejoins Neo (Keanu Reeves) on his quest for digital self-fulfillment.
Amazing choreography by Yuen Wo Ping and the ever-ingenious imaginations of the
Wachowskis fuel a film packed with unbelievable action and that now-familiar mystic
sensibility. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Entergy IMAX, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
NOWHERE IN AFRICA (R) -- A
Caroline Link's adaptation of Stefanie Zweig's autobiographical novel about Nazi-era
German-Jewish refugees in Kenya reminds us that the victims of the Holocaust included
the survivors as well as the murdered. Among the many reasons to admire this film
is its wise understanding that among the virtues possessed by our imperfect species,
love transcends. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. (Barton)
Canal Place
RUGRATS GO WILD (PG) --
The two popular Nickelodeon TV cartoons, Rugrats and The Wild Thornberrys,
join forces, starring the voices of Bruce Willis, Lacey Chabert, Jodi Carlisle,
Tim Curry, LL Cool J and Elizabeth Daily. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
SPELLBOUND (NR) -- A
Jeffrey Blitz's Oscar-nominated documentary about eight contestants in the National
Spelling Bee is like a commercial for the Rainbow Coaltion. Children of different
sizes, sexes, colors and regional and socioeconomic backgrounds share a love of
words, an amazing capacity for hard work and a competitive spirit. This picture
will make you ache for each child who loses and thrill to all who compete. (Barton)
(Reviewed in this issue.) Canal Place
WRONG TURN (R) --
Six very attractive young people are stalked by three psychos while roaming lost
in the West Virginia wilderness. Stars Eliza Dushku, Desmond Harrington and Jeremy
Sisto. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand
| AMC Palace 12 734-2020; AMC Palace 16 734-2020; AMC Palace 20 734-2020; Canal Place 581-5400; Chalmette 277-9797; Downtown Joy 522-7575; Entergy IMAX 581-4629; Plaza 245-0102; Prytania 891-2787; Zeitgeist 525-2767
Compiled by David Lee Simmons
Contributors: Rick Barton, Shala Carlson, David Lee Simmons |
Other Stories This Week in Movies:
Balcony Seats
Spellbound
Hulk
28 Days Later
Wrong Men & Notorious Women: Five Hitchcock Thrillers 1935-1946 (The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Rebecca, Spellbound, Notorious)
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