 |
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
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, Canal Place, 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
ANTZ (PG) --
Woody Allen's neurotic ant tries to find his thrill -- away from the hill. This
popular 1998 animated offering also features the voices of Sharon Stone, Sylvester
Stallone and Jennifer Lopez. 10 a.m. Monday through Friday at 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, 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, Prytania
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, 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
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. Grand
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 20, Grand
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
INTO THE DEEP (NR) --
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
IMAX FILM FEST --
The annual celebration of all things big screen continues with Ocean Wonderland
in 3D, exploring the Great Barrier Reef and the Bahamas, Tuesday through Sunday.
On Monday, July 14, Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk begins; tag along
with extreme skydivers for a breathtaking, heart-stopping journey. Entergy
IMAX
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. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
LEWIS & CLARK: GREAT JOURNEY WEST (NR) --
The adventures of the famous 19th century explorers hit 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 20, Entergy IMAX
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. AMC Palace 12,
AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
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). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC
Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THERE IS ONLY ONE JIMMY GRIMBLE (NR) --
Zeitgeist's football films series continues with this story of 15-year-old Jimmy
Grimble (Lewis McKenzie), a young football player suffering from performance anxiety
who is bullied by his schoolmates. Costars Robert Carlyle (Full Monty,
Ravenous) and Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast). 8 p.m. Tuesday through
Thursday at Zeitgeist
TROUBLE IN THE TERRACES (NR) --
This Sean Bean-narrated documentary about football hooliganism features interviews
with police, psychologists and hooligans themselves in an attempt to explain the
spread of "English Disease." 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at Zeitgeist
WHALE RIDER (PG-13) -- A
Niki Caro's story of a 12-year-old New Zealand Maori girl's desire to become her
native village's chief is less like a conventional work of fiction and more like
a poem written in light. Young star Keisha Castle-Huges exhibits the luminescence
and prepossession that Natalie Portman showed at the same age. Played out in a
world of magic and myth, the film's shattering climax transcends expression in
words. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue). Canal Place
WINGED MIGRATION (G) --
French actor-director Jacques Perrin's latest documentary hopes to do for birds
what his Microcosmos did for insects. Winged Migration follows migratory
birds in a tour of the seven continents that took three years to film. Canal
Place
| 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
Whale Rider
The Essential Charlie Chaplin (12 discs)
|
|
