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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 FILM FESTIVAL --
The Country Club's poolside screening series continues with the second part of
this 8 mm festival, this time featuring gay porn from the 1950s to the '80s: classics,
silents, black-and-whites, etc. 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) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20, Grand
ALEX AND EMMA (PG-13) --
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
CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE (PG-13) --
Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu return in this sequel to the action
movie based on the cheesy T&A detective series, with Bernie Mac replacing Bill
Murray as Bosley and Demi Moore showing up out of nowhere as a fallen Angel, so
to speak. Also co-starring Crispin Glover and Robert Patrick. AMC Palace 12,
AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
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 DUMBERER: WHEN HARRY MET LLOYD (PG-13) --
Unknowns Derek Richardson and Eric Christian Olsen recreate the roles of Harry
and Lloyd (as teens), characters 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 romantic story ripped right out of today's reality
TV. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood
Cinemas 9
GADABOUT TRAVELING FILM FESTIVAL --
Film festival presented by director Eric Ayotte and featuring 19 award-winning
short films from the United States, Australia, Portugal and Cuba, as well as a
live music performance from the band, The Macaulay Culprits, and other events.
8 p.m. Thursday at Zeitgeist
HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE (R) --
C+ Sometime New Orleanian Ron Shelton presumably made this action
buddy cop comedy for hire. Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett star. Many cars are
crashed; many faces are smashed. Shelton's trademark humor keeps this from being
an utter waste, but the picture offers none of his usual character development
or unconventional narrative daring. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas
9
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (PG) --
Hollywood Cinemas 9 continues its Summer Kids Movie Camp series with this big-screen
version of Dr. Seuss' classic. Ron Howard directs Jim Carrey as the evil Grinch.
Monday through Friday at Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE 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) AMC Palace 12,
AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
IMAX FILM FEST --
The annual celebration of all things big screen kicks off with Tuesday's opening
of Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey, a performance celebration of the percussive
international dance troupe. Continues Monday with Ocean Wonderland in 3D,
which explores the Great Barrier Reef and the Bahamas. Entergy IMAX
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
LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE & BLONDE (PG-13) --
Reese Witherspoon returns as the fashion-savvy and surprisingly intelligent legal
eagle, this time having graduated from law school and taking up the animal-testing
cause in D.C. Opens Wednesday in wide release
LEWIS & CLARK: GREAT JOURNEY WEST (NR) --
The adventures of the famous 19th century exporers hits the very big screen. Entergy
IMAX
THE 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
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE (PG-13) --
Legendary music-documentary directors D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus (Down
From the Mountain) return with this look at the amazing soul singers produced
by Stax Records, featuring Isaac Hayes, Wilson Pickett, Sam Moore, Rufus Thomas,
Carla Thomas and Mary Wilson. Grand
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
SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS (PG) --
Animated version of the legendary adventurer featuring voices from Brad Pitt,
Michelle Pfeiffer, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Haysbert. Opens Wednesday
in wide release
SOCCER SHORTS/FOOTBALL FILMS --
Zeitgeist begins its series with a screening of The Hope, a documentary
about a youth soccer team in Tel Aviv, followed by a program of award-winning
short films about the world's most popular sport 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tuesday
through Wednesday at Zeitgeist
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)
Canal Place
TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES --
Arnold Schwarzenegger returns after a 12-year Terminator hiatus to protect an
older John Connor (this time Nick Stahl) from yet another superior cyborg (Kristanna
Loken) sent from the future to kill him. Directed this time not by James Cameron
but instead Jonathan Mostow (U-571). Opens Wednesday in wide release
WHALE RIDER (PG-13) --
Niki Caro directed this film-festival favorite about a 12-year-old Maori girl
(Keisha Castle-Hughes) in New Zealand who tries to become her village's "whale
rider," preserving an ancient custom that is traditionally for males. Winner of
the AGF People's Choice Award at last fall's Toronto International Film Festival
and the World Cinema Audience Award at this winter's Sundance Film Festival. 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 |
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