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BAD SANTA (R) -- B Director Terry Zwigoff (Ghost
World) and actor
Billy Bob Thornton hammer away at this one-note song of a movie about the world's
most morally corrupt Santa and his larcenous, diminutive partner. (Simmons) AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas
9
BROTHER BEAR (G) --
Animated film about a Native American who is transformed into a bear. Directed
by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker and starring the voices of Jonathan Winters,
Victoria Jackson and Ben Stein. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Grand
DR. SEUSS' CAT IN THE HAT (PG) --
Mike Myers stars as the mischievous children's-book character in this directing
debut from Bo Welch, featuring makeup by Rick Baker and co-starring Alec Baldwin,
Sean Hayes and Paris Hilton. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
ELF (PG) -- B-
Jon Favreau directs this silly story of a human orphan raised by Santa's elves
who must now find his way (and his biological father) in the big city. Will Ferrell's
big, hilarious heart (and his mustard-color tights) makes the tissue-paper-thin
tale a real charmer. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace
20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
GOTHIKA (R) --
Halle Berry gets her first solo star billing as a criminal psychologist who suddenly
finds herself the primary suspect in the death of husband Charles S. Dutton. AMC
Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas
9
THE HAUNTED MANSION (PG) --
First, there was Pirates of the Caribbean; now comes another film based
on a Disney theme-park ride with Eddie Murphy as a man protecting his family from
ghosts. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand,
Hollywood Cinemas 9
HONEY (PG-13) --
When her career as a music video choreographer is compromised by her lascivious
mentor, Jessica Alba decides to open up an inner-city dance studio. Co-star Mekhi
Pfifer and New Orleans' own Li'l Romeo. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16,
AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
IMAX NUTCRACKER (NR) --
Tchaikovsky's holiday-friendly masterpiece told in 3-D splendor. Entergy IMAX
THE LAST SAMURAI (R) -- A
Tom Cruise's newfound dramatic dignity provides the steady center of this stunning
epic film directed by Edward Zwick. Cruise's physical transformation from an alcoholic
Civil War veteran to a formidable samurai warrior is Oscar-worthy. Co-star Ken
Watanabe's wise warlord Katsumoto represents a shattering English-speaking debut.
(Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place,
Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION (PG) --
Joe Dante directed this mix of live action and animation featuring a who's-who
of classic Warner Brothers cartoon characters. Stars Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton
and Joan Cusack. AMC Palace 20
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (PG-13) --
Peter Jackson concludes the LOTR trilogy with Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Liv
Tyler et al. Opens Wednesday in wide release
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (PG-13) -- A+
Director Peter Jackson presents this spectacular sequel to The Lord of the
Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, presented here in a special edition. (Carlson)
AMC Palace 20
LOVE ACTUALLY (R) --
B Richard Curtis' multi-character romantic comedy gets off to a terrific
start but fades in an overblown conclusion. (Barton) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Prytania
LOVE DON'T COST A THING (PG-13) --
Can't Buy Me Love gets the African-American treatment with nerdy Nick Cannon
(Drumline) offering to repair cheerleader Christina Milian's damaged car
if she'll briefly date him to make him look cool. AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (PG-13) -- B+
Lucky Jack leaps to the big screen in this Peter Weir adaptation of the Patrick
O'Brian novels. A spare script leaves plenty of time for stunning visuals and
fascinating evocations of life aboard a 19th-century British warship. Weir's nearly
flawless directorial eye is aided by the intelligent casting of Russell Crowe
and Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind) as friends Jack Aubrey and Stephen
Maturin. A first-rate action-adventure. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC
Palace 20
THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (R) --
D The utter mediocrity of the final installment in what was going to be
the greatest sci-fi trilogy ever undercuts the brilliance of all that has come
before. (Carlson) Entergy IMAX
THE MISSING (R) --
C- Ron Howard's Western about a mother (Cate Blanchett) and her estranged
father (Tommy Lee Jones) trying to rescue her teenaged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood)
who has been kidnapped by a band of renegade Apaches is long, badly plotted and
not remotely worthy of the talents of the people involved in the project. (Barton)
AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Grand
MORLANG (NR) --
Tjebbo Penning directed this film based on a true story about the compromised
relationship between an artist and his wife tested by infidelity and illness.
Presented by Film Movement. 7:30 p.m. daily through Thursday at Zeitgeist
MYSTERIES OF EGYPT (NR) --
Omar Sharif narrates this IMAX look at the ancient history and culture of Egypt,
sponsored by National Geographic. Entergy IMAX
PARTY MONSTER (R) -- C-
Macaulay Culkin returns to the big screen for the first time in nearly a decade,
jettisoning his cuddly image from Home Alone to embrace the part of a drug-addled
jerk who enjoys fleeting fame as "King of the Club Kids" (whatever that's supposed
to mean) before crashing into a stupor and being jailed for manslaughter. (Barton)
(Reviewed in this issue.) Canal Place
PIECES OF APRIL (PG-13) -- A
Writer-director Peter Hedges' subtly funny and ultimately touching family comedy
about a rebellious daughter trying to reconcile with her judgmental mother offers
note-perfect performances by Katie Holmes and Patricia Clarkson and a spectacularly
affecting celebration of the spirit of Thanksgiving. (Barton) Canal Place
RUNAWAY JURY (PG-13) -- B
Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack and Rachel Weisz are joined by a fine
supporting cast in this sometimes fun but ultimately tepid John Grisham story
set in New Orleans. (Simmons) AMC Palace 20
SANTA VS. THE SNOWMAN (NR) --
Santa Claus squares off against a jealous snowman in a battle for the North Pole
and, by extension, Christmas itself. Entergy IMAX
SCARY MOVIE 3 (PG-13) --
Spoofmeister David Zucker replaces the Wayans brothers in keeping up the yucks
with an ensemble cast featuring Eddie Griffin, Leslie Nielsen, Darrell Hammond,
Charlie Sheen and Queen Latifah. Grand
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE (PG-13) -- B-
Nancy Meyers (Father of the Bride, Baby Boom) reunites with Diane
Keaton and tosses in Jack Nicholson for a weak romantic comedy about a cradle-robbing
womanizer (Nicholson, playing himself?) falling in love with a middle-age playwright
(Keaton). (Simmons) (Reviewed in this issue.) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace
16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
THE STATION AGENT (R) -- B+
Writer-director Tom McCarthy's endearing drama features a loner dwarf (Peter Dinklage)
who seems to attract equally isolated people (Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale)
in a small town. Canal Place
STUCK ON YOU (PG-13) --
Bobby and Peter Farrelly return with a comedy about conjoined twins Matt Damon
and Greg Kinnear whose relationship is challenged when one wants to go Hollywood.
Featuring tons of cameos. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20,
Chalmette, Grand, Hollywood Cinemas 9
TIMELINE (PG-13) --
Richard Donner directed this time-travelling thriller about Yale students trying
to rescue their history professor after he's swept away to 12th century France.
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:
Film Review
Party Monster
Something's Gotta Give
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