Scheduled to Open Friday
THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL (PG) -- Robert Rodriguez, who can seemingly direct anything ( Sin City , Spy Kids , etc.), returns once again with this kid-friendly film about a depressed 10-year-old boy (Cayden Boyd) who becomes inspired when his imaginary friends of the title (Taylor Lautner and Taylor Dooley) come to life while he's alone on summer vacation. Co-stars Kristin Davis, David Arquette and George Lopez.
HIGH TENSION (R) -- A menacing stranger disrupts two girls' attempt at a secluded weekend to cram for their college exams in this thriller directed by Alexandre Aja and starring Cecile De France and Maiwenn Le Besco. In French with English subtitles.
THE HONEYMOONERS (PG-13) -- Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps assume the roles of bus driver Ralph Kramden and his dim-witted sidekick Ed Norton, respectively, with Gabrielle Union and Regina Hall taking on the roles of Alice Kramden and Trixie Norton. Directed by John Schultz ( Like Mike ). Supporting cast includes John Leguizamo, Eric Stoltz and Jon Polito. Warning: Many, many were involved in the writing of this script.
MR. AND MRS. SMITH (PG-13) -- Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie star as a married couple that doesn't realize the other spouse is a contract killer in this tongue-in-cheek action thriller directed by Doug Liman ( Swingers , the Bourne franchise). Co-stars Vince Vaughn, Kerry Washington, Keith David, Angela Bassett and William Fichtner. Not to be confused with Alfred Hitchcock's 1941 attempt at screwball comedy starring Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard.
Now Showing
3-IRON (R) Ð Korean director Kim-duk Kim ( Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring ) made this cinematic poem. Though there is ambient sound and secondary characters speak, there is little dialogue and the film's principals are silent. The story about two lonely people who find each other in a most unusual way has such an unearthly quality, I wonder if we're supposed to deduce that they are figments of each other's imagination. This movie doesn't yield to easy understanding, but it is unlike any other film I've ever seen. In Korean with English subtitles. (Barton) (Reviewed in this issue.) Canal Place
CINDERELLA MAN (PG-13) -- Already considered a heavyweight Oscar contender, Cinderella Man reunites A Beautiful Mind 's Ron Howard and Russell Crowe, the latter of whom portrays Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock in the days leading up to his bout with the lethal Max Baer. Co-stars Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and Craig Bierko. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Grand
CRASH (R) -- The lives of Los Angelenos of almost every racial and ethnic stripe and class continually intersect with sometimes tragic results in this drama featuring the feature-directing debut of Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis. A fine ensemble cast includes Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton, Jennifer Esposito, Larenz Tate and a particularly amusing Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges. Haggis co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Moresco. (Simmons) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Canal Place, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (NR) -- Proceeding from a book by business reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, writer-director Alex Gibney's documentary details the noxious rise and scandalous collapse of the energy conglomerate. (Barton) Canal Place
FORCES OF NATURE (NR) -- George Casey's documentary about the study of such natural phenomena as earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. Narrated by Kevin Bacon. Kenner MegaDome
GUESS WHO (PG-13) -- Extremely loose remake (if at all) of the 1967 message film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner , with gruff father Bernie Mac none too thrilled about his daughter (Zoe Saldana) marrying an impish white guy (Ashton Kutcher), who continually buries himself in a pile of lies in lame attempts to impress his future father-in-law. Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan ( Barbershop 2 ). Movies 8
HEAD-ON (NR) -- Fatih Akin's ragged love story stars Birol Unel and Sibel Kekilli as unlikely Turkish-German lovers who meet in a psychiatric unit and get married for convenience's sake and then must face life on the outside. Akin deservedly won for Best Director and Unel and Kekilli won for Best Actor and Actress, respectively, at the 'Lolas' -- Germany's equivalent of the Academy Awards -- while the movie won the Golden Bear (top prize) at the International Film Festival Berlin. In German and Turkish with English subtitles. (Simmons) Canal Place
THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (PG) -- Douglas Adams' 1979 classic British radio series and novel survives the adaptation to the big screen better than most expected. The sparseness of the radio show and the wittily methodical writing in Adams' books are too often replaced by special effects, but those charms still shine through on occasion. Sam Rockwell plays galaxy president Zaphod Beeblebrox as a younger George W. Bush. (Rawls) Causeway 4, Movies 8
HOUSE OF WAX (R) -- A bunch of friends get trapped in a small town's wax museum only to find two murderous brothers have made wax figures out of visitors -- and are looking for more victims! A perfect vehicle for the queen of 'That's hot!' Paris Hilson. Also stars real actors Elisha Cuthbert, Jared Padalecki, Jon Abrahams and Chad Michael Murray, with Jaume Collet-Serra making his feature-film directing debut. Loose remake of AndrŽ de Toth's 1953 horror classic starring Vincent Price. AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Causeway 4, Chalmette 9, Grand, Movies 8
THE INTERPRETER (PG-13) -- Sidney Pollack's ( Random Hearts ) first film in six years stars Nicole Kidman as a U.N. translator and Sean Penn as the Secret Service agent assigned to protect her when she reports overhearing a death threat made against an African leader. (Barton) AMC Palace 20, Holiday 12, Movies 8
INTO THE DEEP (G) -- IMAX cameras take a journey through the undersea world. Entergy IMAX
KICKING AND SCREAMING (PG-13) -- Will Ferrell defies all laws of comedy by continuing to find yuks doing pretty much the same loveable-overgrown-kid-with-serious-issues bit that he did in Elf and countless SNLs. Here, a combination of macho pride and too much cappuccino render Gentle Dad into Coach Hyde, willing to sacrifice all for a big win for his kid's soccer team. (Tisserand) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (R) -- Director Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven attempts to embrace the bloody birthright that is the struggle for Jerusalem, his crusader's tale a lovely lamentation of the weary fight of faith against fanaticism and of ideals free of ideologies. As a young widower driven to the Holy Land in search of God's forgiveness, Orlando Bloom ably steps into a leading role, supported by the exotic Eva Green, as Sibylla, sister to Jerusalem's king; the elegant Jeremy Irons, as the war-weary counselor Tiberias; and the Syrian actor and director Ghassan Massoud as the enigmatic Saracen general Saladin. (Carlson) AMC Palace 20, Holiday 12
LAYER CAKE (R) -- Matthew Vaughn's British crime film is the story of a nameless real estate broker (Daniel Craig) amassing a fortune as a cocaine distributor. Perhaps more complicated than necessary and with thick accents sometimes hard for the American ear to decipher, this picture, in the end, is a cautionary tale about hubris and the habit smart people too often have of underestimating others. (Barton) Canal Place
THE LONGEST YARD (PG-13) -- Director Peter Segal takes Burt Reynolds' surprisingly good 1974 vehicle about a pro quarterback-turned-prison inmate who assembles a football team out of inmates for a game against the guards and inflates it to near-absurd proportions. There are plenty of sight gags and modestly funny one-liners, but Adam Sandler registers none of Reynolds' electricity and forces Chris Rock (as the beloved Caretaker, previously played by real-life Reynolds sidekick James Hampton) to provide most of the charm. Surprises come from rapper Nelly and retired NFL wide receiver Michael Irvin, though James Cromwell (one of my favorites) doesn't do the late Eddie Albert much justice as the prison warden. Reynolds chews on some scenes as the old NFL veteran Nate Scarborough and all but steals the spotlight from Sandler in the process. (Simmons) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8
LOOK AT ME (PG) -- This romantic comedy from writer-director Agnes Jaoui and writer/co-star Jean-Pierre Bacri traces the love life of seven characters who circulate in and around Paris' book-publishing industry. In French with English subtitles. Canal Place
LORDS OF DOGTOWN (PG-13) -- Catherine Hardwicke ( Thirteen ) continues her passion for California teens with this fictional look at the surfers-turned-skateboarders in the '70s-era Dogtown neighborhood that stretched between Venice Beach and Santa Monica. Stars Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Johnny Knoxville and John Robinson as Stacy Peralta, who directed the critically acclaimed 2001 documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys and wrote the script for this film. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
MADAGASCAR (PG) -- Like sno-balls and swimming pools, summer Dreamworks blockbusters are the stuff of summer vacation -- but this season's offering doesn't match either of the Shrek s or even Shark Tales . Most of the jokes and all the sentiment feel recycled in this tale of Central Park Zoo denizens who suddenly find themselves in the real jungle. Ben Stiller's lion and Chris Rock's zebra are fine, but David Schwimmer's hypochondriac giraffe gives Scrappy-Doo a run for Most Annoying Cartoon Character. The best reason to go are the fringe animals: A trio of penguins and a pair of chimps get the best lines, and Sacha Baron Cohen (AKA Ali G) as King Julian the Lemur steals what's left of the show. (Tisserand) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
MONSTER-IN-LAW (PG-13) -- Professional dog walker Jennifer Lopez (insert joke here) finally finds the perfect man in boyfriend Michael Vartan but runs into a brick wall in his mother (Jane Fonda) in this comedy directed by Robert Luketic ( Legally Blonde ). Marks the first movie role for Jane Fonda since 1990's Stanley and Iris . Co-stars Wanda Sykes, presumably as someone sassy. AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
OCEAN WONDERLAND 3D (G) -- The Great Barrier Reef and the Bahamas are explored, with a focus on the diversity of marine and coral life, in this film using new HD digital 3D 1570 cameras. Entergy IMAX
OLDBOY (R) -- Chan-woo Park directed this thriller about a Seoul businessman who finds himself imprisoned for 15 years after being framed for his wife's murder, and then is unexpectedly released and ultimately confronted with the reason for his imprisonment. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at last year's Cannes Film Festival. In Korean with English subtitles. Chalmette 9
ROBOTS (PG) -- Ice Age director Chris Wedge returns with this CGI tale about a young 'bot (voice of Ewan McGregor) whose idea of creating fellow robots who serve only a higher purpose is thwarted by corporate type (Mel Brooks). Co-stars the voices of Halle Berry, Robin Williams, D.L. Hughley, Paul Giamatti, Jim Broadbent, Drew Carey, Amanda Bynes, Dan Hedaya, Jennifer Coolidge, Dianne Wiest and Stanley Tucci. Causeway 4
SAHARA (PG-13) -- Hunky explorer Matthew McConaughey and witty sidekick Steve Zahn explore the fabled desert looking for a lost battleship and run into comely doctor Penelope Cruz in this adventure film directed by Breck Eisner. Causeway 4
SHARKS 3D (G) -- Jean-Michel Cousteau presents this underwater, 3D look at such famous sharks as the Great White and the Hammerhead. Entergy IMAX
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS (PG) -- Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel co-star in this story about four teen friends looking at their summer apart just as they're all turning 16, bound together by a pair of jeans. Directed by Ken Kwapis ( Dunston Checks In ). AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, North Shore Square
STAR WARS: EPISODE III -- THE REVENGE OF THE SITH (PG-13) -- The darker Sith benefits from the best of what has come before. In this last act, director and writer George Lucas has recaptured the series' swagger and vitality, mostly by pumping up the action quotient and undoubtedly by bringing Darth Vader back to the big screen. Lucas trusts the still-vibrant outlines of his original threads and themes and brings us back to the beginning quite nicely, showing the death of the Republic and the birth of Lord Vader. (Carlson) AMC Palace 12, AMC Palace 16, AMC Palace 20, Chalmette 9, Grand, Holiday 12, Hollywood Cinemas 9, Movies 8, Prytania
UNLEASHED (R) -- Jet Li ( Hero ) tries to balance his acting chops with his karate chops as a man raised as a pet-like killer by mid-level loan shark Bob Hoskins until befriended by blind piano tuner Morgan Freeman and his loveable teen stepdaughter Kerry Condon. Hoskins is at his scene-gnashing best, while Freeman is merely along for the ride here. Louis Leterrier ( The Transporter ) directed. (Simmons) AMC Palace 16, Chalmette 9, Grand
Special Screenings
CLASSIC FILM SERIES -- Henri Schindler's series of pre-Hayes Code films continues. This week: 1933's women's prison classic Ladies They Talk About , directed by Howard Bretherton and William Keighley and starring Barbara Stanwyck, who gets into more than her fair share of catfights behind bars. Co-stars Ruth Donnelly, Dorothy Burgess and Cecil Cunningham. 6:30 p.m. Thursday at NOMA's Stern Auditorium
IRON RAIL COLLECTIVE -- Screenings continue. This week: Sergio Arau's 2004 satire A Day Without A Mexican , in which the entire state of California wakes up one morning to find the entire Chicano population has vanished. 8 p.m. Tuesday at Iron Rail Collective
JAPANESE CONTEMPORARY AND AVANT-GARDE FILMS -- Zeitgeist's series continues. Pirjo Honkasalo's 2004 film, The 3 Rooms of Melancholia , an award-winning documentary about the psychological impact of the Chechen war on the children of both Russia and Chechnya. 8 p.m. daily through Thursday at Zeitgeist
NEW ORLEANS LYCEUM -- Group's summer film series on the development of film continues. This week: D.W. Griffith's epic, historical, groundbreaking and ultimately controversial 1915 film, Birth of a Nation . 7 p.m. Thursday at 1827 Terpsichore St.
PRYTANIA AFTER HOURS -- The Prytania's late-night movie series continues. This week: Stanley Kubrick's 1987 Vietnam War film, Full Metal Jacket , featuring Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood and Arliss Howard. Friday-Saturday at the Prytania
REEL IDENTITIES -- Gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gender film festival featuring a wide range of feature- and short-length films, both fiction and documentary -- including Drag Kings on Tour (reviewed in this issue). For a complete schedule, visit www.reelidentities.org; for more info call 883-8233. Friday-Sunday at Southern Rep
