CLOVERFIELD

Director: Matt Reeves
Stars: Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Odette Yustman, Mike Vogel
Year: 2008
Rating: PG-13

Producer J.J. Abrams' best-kept secret film (for which various fake titles were released, during filming, just to see how fast they'd get around on the internet) is revealed in all its glory at last - in what first seems to be the makings of a riff on a "Gossip Girl" episode ... though soon everything turns very dark indeed.

Michael Stahl-David stars as Rob Hawkins, a New Yorker who's landed a plum executive position in Japan. It's the night before his departure, and Rob's friends are throwing a surprise party for him in a large midtown loft to say goodbye. His brother Jason (Mike Vogel) decides to break out the video camera, to record goodbye messages from all of Rob's loved ones to be watched on lonely nights in Tokyo, and it hardly seems to matter to Mike - or his and Rob's buddy Hud (T.J. Miller), whom he turns videography over to early on - that the very film being recorded over in the camera is one-of-a-kind footage of Rob with his ex-girlfriend Beth (Odette Yustman).

The various dynamics of the relationships between the characters comes out as Rob shows up and the party moves forward -no more so than when Beth herself shows up with another guy on her arm. A visibly-shaken Rob gets into it with her and Beth and her date leave again - and again, it's all very "Gossip Girl" or grown-up "90210" in style ... until, as the guys are on the fire escape discussing it all, a huge explosion goes off in the city - and the games begin.

From here, Cloverfield turns into a legit monster movie, as it becomes quite apparent - quite quickly - that a Godzilla-like creature is stampeding through Manhattan, destroying everything and everyone in its path. As the partygoers run out into the streets, they are thrown into a world of chaos, left on their own as the military charges forward to fight the creature ... but Rob and a handful of his friends end up heading in the other direction, back into town and all that destruction and the monster causing it, to rescue Beth after Rob learns she's back at her apartment - alone and injured.

The entire film is shot through the eyes (and camera) of Hud, who keeps things going even as they flee the monster, so that some record of what happened may remain in case no humans do. For awhile things are kind of like The Blair Witch Meets Godzilla, between the monster movie plotline and the jarring, jangling bounce of the camera throughout the film - but the action never lets up, and director Matt Reeves only gives you the barest glimpses of the creature throughout the early part of the film, spiking your curiosity BIG-time (and yes, eventually you do get to see it, and it IS worth the wait). The videography does, indeed, give the entire film an immediacy and urgency that makes things very real ... while at the same time, sort of drawing a line that never really makes you connect fully with the characters, or even the film itself.

The actors aboard are all excellent - those mentioned, plus especially Lizzy Caplan as a crush of Hud's sort of dragged along for the ride. Visually, the film is stunning, believable, and very well made; I mean, who wouldn't react to the Statue of Liberty's head rolling down the middle of the street like a bowling ball? The monster is also much more believable and threatening than expected, and both action and suspense will keep you going right up to the film's end. The clips of Beth and Rob's relationship that you also get through the camera, in between the recording stopping, starting or glitching, is also a nice touch - providing at least some backstory for those two characters.

So while not emotionally connecting as it could be, this is still a great monster movie with a lot going for it - including a good cast and one kick-butt monster. For that reason alone, worth seeing ... though, personally, I would buy it instead of just renting. Even the behind-the-scenes extras are way-cool; a real compliment to a damned good monster movie. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM

Director: Rob Minkoff

Stars: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou, Yifei Liu, Bingbing Li

Year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

Wow - a colorful, action-packed martial arts film starring kung fu Jedi Knights Jackie Chan and Jet Li ... that also happens to be engaging, quite funny (though dangerously close to being "cutesy" at times) in parts, and even family friendly?

Yep, that's The Forbidden Kingdom - the first-ever pairing of martial arts masters Jackie Chan and Jet Li on screen. Michael Angarano stars Jason, a young American teen in a suburb of Boston whose obsession is kung fu movies. Jason makes frequent trips to Chinatown, to visit the pawn shop of Old Hop (Jackie Chan, in a ton of makeup), who keeps the teenager well-stocked in bootleg copies of nearly every chop-socky movie you can imagine. It's on one of these trips to Old Hop's store that Jason discovers the old man possesses a carved, very ornate and rare staff - one that Jason has never seen before in person, much less expected to see in the hands of an elderly man in Chinatown. When Jason is forced by local gangbangers to help them gain access to and rob Old Hop's store, Hop is injured and places the care of the staff into Jason's hands, telling him it is he (Jason) who is now in charge of getting it into the hands of its rightful owner. A chase on foot with the gang members leads to Jason's falling off a roof ...

And waking up in ancient China - in a dark, magic-filled world run by the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou; an actor yet to be given the credit due him for his talent) where only the corrupt prosper - even survive. Thrown out of his own time and place, Jason soon meets the constantly-drunk Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), who informs Jason that he must get the staff back to its owner - the Monkey King - before the Jade Warlord learns of its whereabouts and seeks the power of the staff himself.

A tall order, considering that the Monkey King - an immortal, like the Jade Warlord and even Lu Yan - was tricked in a battle with the Jade Warlord, centuries earlier, and forever imprisoned as a statue in the warlord's palace. Only the staff can bring the Monkey King back, to battle the Jade Warlord again in order to save the kingdom - and 21st-century American teenager Jason is the only one who can do it. With Lu Yan trying to teach him the basics of kung fu, so that he can fight (Jason may have been obsessed with the films, but he's no martial artist), Jason and Lu Yan - teaming up along the way with Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu), a young, beautiful female warrior with her own score to settle with the Jade Warlord, and the Silent Monk (Jet Li), whose only mission in life seems to be to free the Monkey King himself - the quartet battle the desert, hostile forces, the White-Haired Witch Ni Chang (Bingbing Li) ... and even each other, all on a quest to free the Monkey King and save the world.

The look and feel of the film are first-rate - actually shot in China (even the Boston scenes), just as eye-candy the film is beautiful to watch and sets the mood for the story perfectly. The actions scenes and fight sequences are equally amazing to watch - the fight scene between Jet Li and Jackie Chan alone, when they first meet, worth the purchase price of the film alone (though the multi-layered fighting that ends the film is just brilliant; do NOT let yourself get interrupted for about the last 20 minutes of this film, at least, if watching it on DVD!). Jackie Chan is both charming and endearing in the role of Lu Yan - Jet Li stoic and all-business, yet just as touching, as the Silent Monk who only wants to free his master. The supporting cast rounds out things nicely, convincing and perfect ... and in fact, the only weak link in the chain is Michael Angarano himself; to me, at least, there were scenes when I had a really hard time buying into his performance.

But for a good, rousing, colorful, funny, and exciting time, you can't beat The Forbidden Kingdom. Sure, it's maybe too "kid-friendly" - Disney-esque, if you will (hardly surprising, as director Mikoff was also behind the camera for Disney's Haunted Mansion and The Lion King). But that doesn't negate the heartfelt performances, spectacular action sequences, or a story that just makes you feel good in the end. Very much worth buying over owning, and even the various behind-the-scenes treats on the DVD extras only add to the enjoyment of the film. Very nicely done. **** - Reel Awesome

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt
Year: 2008
Rating: PG-13

The negative reviews about this movie have been both a surprise, yet also expected. If comparing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to any of the first three films in the series (yes, even to the fairly lame Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), you're bound to be setting yourself up for disappointment. When away from a character and story arc for that long, with filmmakers who've gone on to make many other films and have developed both their style and craft to a different level, you're bound to be unable to recapture the exact same magic you did in the "good old days" (did George Lucas and the Star Wars prequel series teach us nothing?!).

But if you just sit back, chill, and try to enjoy this film as the summer-time popcorn treat of a movie that it's intended to be, there's plenty to enjoy by way of action, humor, and plot (although plot is maybe the weakest of the three Indy elements here).

Harrison Ford - mostly definitely looking older - is back as Henry Jones, Jr. - Indiana Jones, famed archeologist and world explorer. This time, befitting Jones' becoming more curmudgeonly, the setting has jumped ahead to the latter half of the 1950's - where the Cold War was just taking its grip on America and college campuses were often dotted with protestors carrying anti-Communism signs.

The film opens up with a bang, as Indy has been kidnapped by a military Russian group - headed by villainess Col. Dr. Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett, in a performance that ALONE makes the film worth watching) - and is being forced to head to Area 51 in Roswell, New Mexico, to secure for them an artifact called the Crystal Skull. Spalko will stop at nothing to get the skull (and show it throughout the film), which - much like with the Germans in Raiders of the Lost Ark - could eventually help her mother country take over the world.

All of this, while at the same time Indy's being hired by a young greaser kid on a motorcycle named Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf, whose actually pretty great here - contrary to some bitter-sounding reviewers) to find his mother, who's been kidnapped in the Peruvian jungle. When Indy learns his mother is Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) - the woman he's always loved yet can't quite commit to - he has no choice but to help the young Mutt ... and the two storylines collide in some great action sequences that stretch believability (to put it mildly) ... yet never fail to entertain.

Without giving anything away (not really), the reason why Col. Dr. Spalko seeks the Crystal Skull in Area 51 is, yes, for THE obvious reason - and it was a bit of a letdown that Spielberg and Lucas chose to center their main storyline around alien creatures. But that said and done, the film is still a really good action flick, with lots of CGI that remains fun to watch and not overly in the way as special effects. For about the first 20 minutes of so of the film, I thought NO WAY was Ford still going to be young enough to pull off Indy, but soon I was able to settle into the ride, and buy into this 65-year-old man who could still dodge both bullets and boulders (not to mention one hell of a colony of the most evil ants you will ever see in a film!). Cate Blanchett is brilliant in the film, funny and playing her role just over the top enough to fit into the action-film motif, and Karen Allen back along for the ride was a nice revisit to Nostalgia-land, as well.

It's a movie to have fun with, and on that level it scores. And while it might not satisfy the Indiana Jones-of-old lovers who may just be living too much in the past - as a straight-up, old-fashioned action picture, you won't find many better today. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

PROM NIGHT

Director: Nelson McCormick

Stars: Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Johnathon Schaech, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Jessica Stroup, Kelly Blatz, Idris Elba

Year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

One thing that sort of sank this film at the box office was that it was never marketed as not being a remake of the original Prom Night - a low-budget horror classic starring the Scream Queen herself, Jamie Lee Curtis. Even when putting the DVD into the player, I still thought this was at least a partial remake myself - when in reality, instead of a horror remake, it's a suspense/stalker film that just bears the same name.

Brittany Snow stars as high school student Donna Keppel, who two years ago experienced the most traumatic event of her life: the murder of her parents and brother by a stalker intent on having her to himself. The stalker was none other than her biology teacher, Mr. Fenton (Johnathon Schaech), who'd become obsessively in love with her ... and thought that if she had no one but him in her life, she'd go away with him. Witnessing the actual murder of her mother by Fenton, as she laid trembling and unable to utter a sound under her bed, Donna's still on medication and still trying to deal with the tragedy, now living with her uncle and aunt in another part of town. She's begun having nightmares about Mr. Fenton again, seeing him around town in visions that end up not being reality - and when she confesses all of this to her shrink (Ming-Na), Dr. Crowe insists that Donna stay on her meds - and, instead, concentrate on what should be the best night of her life ... the upcoming senior prom.

And as Donna heads off in the limousine with her boyfriend ("Friday Night Lights" star Scott Porter) and other friends in tow, she's determined to forget the past - even if for just that night. But across town, one of the homicide detectives who worked on the Fenton case (Idris Elba), is just learning that Richard Fenton escaped three days ago from his maximum security prison, over 2300 miles away from Donna Keppel. Sure that Fenton is heading her way, Detective Winn heads out to tell her uncle and aunt - and from, he rushes to the prom to keep an eye on Donna, determined to protect her from harm ...

Even as Fenton has learned where the prom is, and is already checking into the hotel where it's being held - on the same floor where Donna and her friends have their suites rented for the night.

From here the film turns into a stalker film, where the thrills and chills are built much more on the tension of where and when and how Fenton is going to strike. Considering you already know who the killer is, and that he's not going to let anyone get in his way of having Donna as his own, you'd think the tension wouldn't be as tight (not in these days or twists and turns and surprise ending in suspense film, where you often don't even know who the bad guy is until the very end) - but, suprisingly, there are a few nailbiting moments when the adrenaline is pretty thick in the air.

That's mostly credited to Johnathon Schaech, who does an outstanding job playing psychotic teacher Richard Fenton. It's a great performance that never goes over the top, and often times with just a look he can get quite chilling here. Brittany Snow, as Donna, is pretty good at conveying the virginal victim, and the rest of the cast of expendable teenaged victims all play their parts well (especially Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, and Kelly Blatz, none of whom ever come off as "acting" - though Blatz, a genuine talent, isn't given enough to do here). The lighting and music and cinematography all go a long way to creating the suspense, and the hotel setting for the prom (no hotel ANY real prom could afford to hire out for the occasional) adds a real gothic feel to the proceedings.

All in all, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Sure, it's kind of cliched and not terribly original in concept. Okay, so the acting is mixed and the ending is kind of a given. But for some reason, it worked for me - largely, I think, due to Johnathon Schaech, who makes a wicked psycho. And hopefully, if you go into knowing it's not a remake, a person could enjoy it better for the fun, semi-cheesy thriller it is. *** - Reel Cool

SHUTTER

Director: Masayuki Ochiai

Stars: Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor, Megumi Okina, David Denman, John Hensley, James Kyson Lee

Year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

This remake of a 2004 horror film from Thailand - complete with the re-setting of the film's story to Tokyo (probably thanks to the executive producers here, who also produced the Americanized versions of The Grudge and The Ring) - centers around a young pair of American newlyweds (Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor) who relocate to Tokyo for his new job, and immediately are thrown into some very weird stuff when a car accident turns into what appears to be some creepy, ghostly revenge.

Photographer Ben Shaw (Jackson) has been hired by a new company in Tokyo that's run by one of his best friends, Bruno (David Denman). His assignment starts immediately, barely giving Ben and his fiancee (Rachael Taylor, doing her Naomi Watts/Ring thing, here) time to get married before they leave America for Japan. After a quick honeymoon with the beautiful Japanese countryside and Mount Fuji as their backdrop, Rachael and Ben are driving to Tokyo on a deserted road, at night - Rachael behind the wheel) - when suddenly a ghostly figure of a woman appears in front of their car. Rachael slams on the brakes, but it's too late; she runs straight over the woman, obviously killing her, then loses control of the car as it veers into a ditch, knocking the newlyweds unconscious.

When they come to, Rachael immediately jumps out to search for the young woman she hit - but of course, there is no body anywhere. Not even a mark on the road that she hit anything, and later even a police search produces not even so much as a scrap of cloth or drop of blood, let alone a body. Ben, who was only half-awake and never saw the figure in the road, is quick to dismiss it as having never happened - but Rachael knows better, and soon she's haunted with visions of the woman figure showing up everywhere. And suddenly, photos that she takes on her digital - or that Ben takes professionally - start to show ghostly wisps of white in their frames; even the occasional presence of someone who, when the photo was taken, wasn't even there. As Ben and Rachael start to get more and more unnerved at the appearances of what appears to be the victim of their road accident, Rachael seeks to investigate the phenomenon of "spirit photography" - and the deaths begin.

Even with a surprise twist at the end that did indeed catch me off-guard, I can't help but call this movie a disappointment. The story is a great one, and the creepy/moody atmosphere of the film - a requirement for Asian horror, which doesn't rely on bloodshed and a high body count to effect its chills - is very well presented by director Ochiai and cinematographer Katsumi Yanagishima. Megumi Okina's performance, as the ghostly victim, is rock-solid.

And yet, the chills never take off beyond the occasional shudder. It's almost as if the film would have been better if made with difference actors in the leading roles - certainly with a better script, as this one carries some of the lamest dialogue and character movtivations ever seen in a film. Joshua Jackson is wooden and not too believable in his performance, and while Rachael Taylor is better ... there's still not something quite right here. As said before, it's like she's doing her version of Naomi Watts in The Ring.

The film's not horrible, it's just not ... great. The revelations at the end are a surprise, but don't make up for the semi-boring journey getting there. While I haven't seen the original, I most definitely now want to; meantime, this one maybe should have been called Shudder instead - because that's about as scary as it gets; it's only worth the occasional shudder, as opposed to being downright scary. ** - Reel Mediocre

BANGKOK LOVE STORY

Director: Poj Arnon

Stars: Rattanaballang Tohssawat, Chaiwat Thongsaeng, Wiradit Srimalai, Chutcha Rujinanon

Year: 2007

Rating: unrated

(in Thai w/English subtitles)

The raw, violent, and seedy side of Thailand's organized crime are the unlikely setting for a love story between two men, in a film that's both deeply disturbing and profoundly moving. Rattanaballang Tohssawat plays Cloud, a hired assassin forced into his line of work in order to be able to take care of his mother and young brother, both of whom are infected with HIV thanks to the total slimeball of a stepfather the mom brought into their home (a man who ran off long ago, after abusing his wife and raping Cloud's younger brother, Fog). Cloud has a lot of anger and a lot of issues - but throughout it all, he's kept one line of respectability: he will not kill a "good" man.

When a crime boss hires Cloud to kidnap a handsome, young, married attorney named Stone (Chaiwat Thongsaeng), Cloud is told that the attorney is corrupt and needs to be taken out. Showing up at the mobster's hideout with Stone handcuffed to his wrist, it's Cloud who realizes he's been fooled - Stone is a good man, set up for death so that he can't testify against crimes he witnessed - and when Cloud refuses to kill this "good" man, the two shackled men, victime and kindapper, are forced to flee for their lives in a pretty hardcore gunfight that leaves Cloud badly wounded.

They make it to the rooftop shack that Cloud lives/hides out in, where Stone (once free of the handcuffs) takes pity on the man who ended up saving his life, and not only gets the bullet out of Cloud but also dresses the wound ... and, over several days, bathes and feeds and nurses his captor back to health. The attraction the two men have for each other grows, both realizing there's something more going on here than either of them are comfortable with - and when that closeness develops into some passionate kissing ... then lovemaking ... Cloud is angry beyond belief afterward, at what he's done, and drives Stone from his place, threatening to shoot him if he doesn't leave. Stone ends up back home, but nothing about his life is the same anymore; withdrawn and distant from his wife, all he can do is think about Cloud - even as his many attempts to contact the man he's now in love with are futile. It's quite obvious that Cloud feels the same way, but these are feelings he cannot bring himself to further act on, as he instead plans his revenge on the crime boss, who've are still trying to kill him in turn.

It's a pretty heavy plotline, and the subplot about young Fog (Wiradit Srimalai) - who still lives with his mother, and is so poor he "rents" himself out to businessmen for sex, even though he knows he's infecting them with HIV - is not exactly uplifting, either. Thongsaeng, as Stone, turns in a brilliant performance as the idealist who believes that, somehow, he and Cloud can make things right if they're together as a couple - and his character counteracts greatly with Tohssawat as Cloud, a man whose known nothing but violence and anger for his entire life and can show no weakness.

While certainly not a happy film by any means, there's no denying the emotional impact - the downright power - that comes from the characters and story. The film is well-acted (especially by the two very handsome, talented leads), nicely written, and beautifully shot to show Thailand's seedier side.

It's also an emotionally draining story that will have your tearducts drained of every bit of moisture by the end - though the film never feels like it's manipulating the viewer for those tears. It's a love story, certainly, but just remember that some love stories end tragically ... although maybe what this movie's message is, in the end, is that love still prevails when all else is said and done. It's a heartbreaker, a massive tearjerker, and a film this reviewer will never forget. **** - Reel Awesome

(NOTE: be sure to watch the deleted scenes/alternate ending on the DVD; scenes cut from the original film, for time, that never should have been edited in the first place.)

30 DAYS OF NIGHT

Director: David Slade
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston, Ben Foster, Manu Bennett
Year: 2007
Rating: R

Seeking the romanticized, beautiful, and often forelorn vampires that populate the novels (and films) of Anne Rice? Or maybe the sleek, sexy, and darkly erotic fangbearers you can find in films like the Underworld or Blade series of films?

Well, throw those ideas out the window, because in 30 Days of Night the vampires are savage, bloodthirsty creatures of the night; animals preying on the slower, dumber and tastier animals known as humans.

Josh Hartnett plays Sheriff Eben Oleson, the keeper of law and order in the tiny Alaskan town of Barstow. Melissa George is his estranged fire-marshall wife Stella, who's going from town to town in the remote Alaskan wilderness on inspections, making Barstow her final stop before flying out of the area for the season (for the upcoming month of darkness, most of the residents leave the town, except those working the pipeline, and their families). As the film opens, a lone figure walks across the snowy wilderness toward Barstow, evidently leaving behind him a ship that's traveled as far as it can go in the icy water. As most of Barstow's citizenry leaves town for the month on this day (this is the last day of sunlight for the next thirty days), this creepy, dirty stranger (an almost unrecognizable Ben Foster) gets closer and closer to Barstow... and you can sense something really bad is going to happen. Sure enough, soon Sheriff Oleson has more work on his hands than he can handle - as all the cell phones in town are stolen and destroyed, the only sled dogs in town are killed off in a bloody massace ... and Barstow's only helicopter - the only mode of transportation the city has, once the nearby airport's shut down - is vandalized and disabled. When the power and internet are also cut off, leaving the town of Barstow completely cut off from the outside world, with their only lights running on generators - the deaths begin and Eben Oleson (as well as Stella, who missed the last flight out) realizes that things are completely out of control - and that they have thirty days of night in which to fight off a band of vampires that seem determined to kill off anyone left in the city ... usually in the bloodiest, most painful way possible.

Danny Huston is the leader of the vampire gang that invades Barstow, and as Marlow he's absolutely chilling. The vampires seem imported directly from Eastern Europe, and their origin or why they've chosen Barstow in particular is never covered in the film. In fact, one issue I do have with the movie is that none of the characters ever really feels fully fleshed-out. You still care about them when the carnage starts ... just probably not as deeply as you should. Hartnett is fine as a small-town sheriff trying to deal with something way beyond his scope or knowledge, and George as Stella keeps up with him just fine. Manu Bennett is great as the sheriff's deputy, and Ben Foster turns in an excellent performance as the creepy, Renfield-like character who comes to Barstow ahead of the vampires, to put the town out of commission for them. The film looks great in every way, from the snowy desolation of the town to the speed and viciousness with which the vampires move and attack. And if you can suspend your disbelief and buy into some of the more unbelievable aspects of the plot ...

It's actually a pretty good vampire flick. Based on a series of graphic novels, 30 Days of Night is frenetic, scary, bloody, and a nice change of pace from the kind of vampires you've seen in films of late. The residents left alive here have to alternate between trying to hide and trying to fight ... but the ultimate challenge is just trying to stay alive for thirty days, until the sun rises again. How they do so (or don't do so) makes for a fun, violent, and pretty spooky film - one that stayed on my mind, creeping along the edges, for a few days after I'd seen it. And to me, that's the sign of a pretty good horror flick. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

Director: David Silverman
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer
Year: 2007
Rating: PG-13

"The Simpsons" - one of the most popular and enduring shows on television - finally gets its due on film. The anticipation for (and success of) the film's theatrical release can be best exemplified by Homer himself, in the first few minutes of the film, when he asks the moviegoer "Why pay for something when you can see it for free?" Well, people did pay - The Simpsons Movie was the biggest hit of 2007's summer movie season, and proof that - nearly 20 years later - the animated sitcom is still loved by all.

Question is - after years of talks, negotiations, and massive script rewrites - does the film live up to the hype? The answer is ... not quite. The Simpsons Movie is a good ride, with many laughs on the way, and the souped-up animation is really, really cool eye candy. But in the end, the whole thing plays out like an extended episode - a good episode, but not a great one.

As usual, Homer causes the disaster here, when he saves a pig from Krusty's slaughterhouse. Naming it Sir Oinks-a-Lot, Homer makes it a family pet - and thus the legend of Spider-Pig (one of the better gags in the film) is born. What Homer forgets, however, is the Springfield has become a toxic hotbed or waste already - so when he dumps the pigs waste silo (don't ask) into the local river, the eco-balance is thrown off at last, forcing the Environmental Protection Agency to seal the entire city under a huge dome, a move that dooms Springfield to extinction ... and has the entire town, complete with torches a la Frankenstein, to turn on Homer and his family. They escape the dome, leaving their beloved hometown forever, and Homer decides to relocate the family to Alaska - where, of course, things don't go so well with Homer in charge. The family decides, instead, to return to Springfield, determined to save the town they love - and, of course, things don't go the way they intended.

There are, of course, plenty of sight gags and one-liners and a few genuinely memorable moments. You WILL laugh in this film, sometimes a lot. But after all these years of finding new plots for episodes of the show, it's no wonder it took the filmmakers awhile to come up with a souped-up idea for a film. What they've created works here, too - if you like the show, you'll like the movie - but it's just ... good, but not great. You'll enjoy it - but afterward will realize it's just not the special, exceptional ride you expected. *** - Reel Cool

SAW IV

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman
Stars: Lyriq Bent, Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell, Scott Patterson, Betsy Russell
Year: 2007
Rating: R

You won't find a bigger fan of the first Saw film than me. I loved it, and felt Saw II was in many ways a worthy sequel. It took awhile to catch up with the other two in the series, but recently I watched parts three and four back to back, with friends, on DVD. Brother, that is WAY too much gore for one evening.

If you aren't familiar with the films, without spoiling anything let's just say it's about a guy who goes only by the name Jigsaw who abducts people he feels aren't appreciating the life they have, for whatever reason. After kidnapping them, Jigsaw then puts each of his victims into a trap of some kind, challenging them to often do sick, self-mutiliating things to themselves in order to stay alive and appreciate that life given to them. Sure, you might lost an eye, have cut off your own foot, or even kill a total stranger to save yourself - but Jigsaw is determined to make sure you never take your life for granted again.

Part four opens after Jigsaw's death, where - during his autopsy - forensics finds a cassette tape in the dead killer's stomach, sealed in wax. Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) listens to the tape, learning to his horror that just because Jigsaw is dead doesn't mean the games are. In fact, this time Jigsaw's main target appears to be yet another of the force's own, a SWAT cop named Rigg (Lyriq Bent, again reprising his role) - and the game has already begun. You never know, with Saw films, if what you're seeing is real or a trick of the filmmakers - but when Hoffman himself is kidnapped, it seems for sure the Jigsaw has yet another minion helping him in his crimes of redemption.

I really didn't care for Saw III at all - in that one, it seemed the puzzles of the game and ingenuity of the traps were thrown aside for pure blood-and-guts horror on a strictly visceral level. Saw IV brings you back to the game again, still with the stomach-turning gore but this time with something for your mind to do, too. Lyriq Bent is great in the film as the good cop forced to play, and the rest of the cast does a good job (complete with a face or two from previous installments of the franchise that you might be surprised to see). You really have to suspend your logic to accept some of what the filmmakers do here, in "tricking" you for the surprise finale - but part four, overall, really does fit well into the series (certainly better than the big letdown of part three), and sets you up a bit for part five (which starts filming this spring). Not a great film - the first remains the best - and the franchise is coming dangerously close to wearing itself out ... but if you like the series, then four should satisfy. Just pay REALLY close attention throughout, otherwise you could end up very, very confused by the end. If you remember two thing - that Jigsaw ALWAYS plays fair, and can prety much ALWAYS be taken literally ... that will certainly help here. *** - Reel Cool

SUPERBAD

Director: Greg Mottola
Stars: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader
Year: 2007
Rating: R

I had heard so much about this movie, it was nice to finally catch it on DVD. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera play, respectively, Seth and Evan - a pair of slacker high school seniors who've been lifelong best friends. It's their final year before going off to college, and the boys are trying to make it their most memorable - particularly because Evan will be leaving town for school, whereas Seth (who couldn't get in) will remain in a city college in town.

Evan just sort of wants to make it through the semester, and maybe actually get to date and/or bed his long-term crush, Becca (Martha MacIsaac). Seth, for his part, is obsessed with banging pretty much every girl he can get his hands on while school is still in session. When an opprtunity comes along for these two school misfits to actually attend a party thrown by the popular crowd, Seth can't jump ath the chance fast enough - of course, bringing Evan along for the ride, as only best friends can.

One problem - they have to bring the liquor (the reason they were invited in the first place). And to do so, Seth's only recourse is to ask yet a third nerd, Fogell (the hilariously funny Christopher Mintz-Plasse) - the only guy he knows with a fake I.D. - to buy the booze for them, in exchange for a golden invite to the party.

Everything, of course, goes horribly wrong from the moment Fogell - complete with his fake I.D., which lists his name simply as "McLovin"- enters the liquor store to buy the booze for the boys. And what happens there is only the beginning of the many disasters that befall the three friends all night long, in their efforts to simply show up at a party with the liquor they were given money to buy. Pretty much everythign that could go wrong does - but not always in ways you expect ...

And that's one of the best things about Superbad - it's not always what you expect. A film typical of its genre, at the same time Superbad is also well-written, well-acted, and ultimately has a heart. Hill, Cera and Mitnz-Plasse are ideally cast in the film, and most of the jokes not only work ... they're often laugh-out-loud funny. There's an intelligent script here, as well as well-rounded characters and a whole lot of belly laughs - all of which make Superbad a very funny ride, and its three leads very deserving breakout stars of the future. **** - Reel Awesome

STRANGE CARGO

Director: Frank Borzage
Stars: Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Ian Hunter, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas, Albert Dekker
Year: 1940
Rating: N/R

This is one strange movie (no pun intended), that at first had me wondering where things were going ... and, ultimately, had me liking the journey indeed. Clark Gable (at his most testosterone-filled) stars as Verne, a convict in a French penal colony in the Canary Islands. Verne's caused a lot of trouble and has tried escaping through the jungles surrounding the prison often enough that he can often be found in either the hospital or solitary confinement. While outside the prison walls working, a chance encounter with saloon gal Julie (Joan Crawford) - who, later, turns him in as an escapee when she finds herself in potential trouble for harboring him - leads Verne to being thrown back into the prison ... where he gets wind of a huge, multi-inmate escape plan that's being planned (and led by) a crazy-eyed inmate named Moll (well-played by Albert Dekker). Verne wants in - and thanks to a spiritually-inclined inmate named Cambreau (Ian Hunter) - when Verne is double-crossed and left behind by Moll, he's able to get out and make his way through the jungle to find them.

The bulk of the rest of the film takes place in the boat the inmates use to escape the island - a five-day trip with little water, no food, and the suns' blistering heat wearing them down. But through it all, there's Cambreau - the quiet, soft-spoken man with a Bible, who seems to know what's going to happen before it happens ... and who, inmate by inmate, brings a peace to his fellow escapees, as they see the light of what life and living are about in the end.

Ian Hunter is just amazing as the messiah-like Cambreau, and Gable & Crawford (in their last film together) ignite their usual high-voltage chemistry on-screen. This film was made a year after Crawford played her first bad girl role in The Women, and she's really perfected the flawed female here in Julie. The film is also populated with some of Hollywood's best character actors (Lorre, Lukas, Dekker, and even Eduardo Ciannelli), who lend as much atmosphere to the film as the fantastic sets and lighting. A weird movie - part love story, part adventure movie, part spiritual allegory, all melodrama - but it still sent a message to me about life and spiritually that I felt hit home. Worth a look, definitely. *** - Reel Cool

WALLACE & GROMIT IN THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT

Director: Steve Box and Nick Park
Stars: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Nicholas Smith
Year: 2005
Rating: G

This Academy Award winner (Best Animated Feature Film - 2006) stars the immensely popular British animated characters, Wallace and Gromit - Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis), a typical Brit villager with an unusually strong penchant for cheese, and his more-than-devoted dog Gromit. Here, the dynamic duo own and operate "Anti-Pesto" - a humane pest control service that rids the local villagers of rabbit infestations that threaten their belovd vegetable gardens.

Never more so are their services needed, as the biggest event of the season - the annual giant vegetable growing competition - is coming up fast, and the last thing the village resdients need are their gardens destroyed! Further, the services of Anti-Pesto guarantee the no harm comes to the animals; indeed, the basement of Wallace & Gromit's flat rather resembles a rabbit sanctuary. Wallace even finds time for a little romantic ambition on the side, as he and Gromit help the beautiful Lady Tottington (a delicate Helena Bonham Carter) rid her rather large estate's grounds of a major herd of rabbits - much to the chagrin of the money-hungry Victor Quartermaine (voiced with just enough brilliance by Ralph Fiennes), who himself hopes to marry both Lady Tottington and her money.

But Victor is the last of Wallace & Gromit's worries when a giant, crazed, vegetable-devouring beast - a giant rabbit - suddenly appears on the scene, and not only threatens the giant vegetable competition ... but also Wallace's romance. Because Lady Tottington has commissioned Wallace & Gromit to rid the village of the beast - even as Victor Quartermaine grabs up his rifle to do the very same, in a bid to win back Lady Tottington's heart (and money).

I truly loved this movie. It's been years since I've seen Wallace & Gromit in anything, and catching this film was a weclomed return to their world. I only WISH I had a dog as devoted as Gromit, for sure - so will you, after seeing what that poor animal goes through to protect Wallace and the village (but mostly Wallace). This film truly deserved its Oscar - it's funny, engaging, well-written and beautifully-voice, with a good storyline that will appeal to both adults and kids alike. The ending is a wild rollercoaster of action that ties up everything well. Brilliant film. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

STRANGERS WITH CANDY

Director: Paul Dinello
Stars: Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Deborah Rush, Joseph Cross
Year: 2005
Rating: R

I absolutely love the television series "Strangers with Candy" - so am surprised it took me over two years to see the film version, at last. This is a prequel to the series, in which we learn how 46-year-old ex-junkie, ex-hooker Jerri Blank (who, in over thirty years, has seen the inside of more prisons than Johnny Cash) came home again to start her life anew.

Amy Sedaris stars as Jerri, who comes home to her beloved mother and father - only to find her mom dead (and in a stainless steel urn, cremated), and her father (Dan Hedaya) in a "grief-induced coma" over the loss of his wife and daughter. Jerri now also has a stepmom, Sara (Deborah Rush, in a hilariously-deadpan performance), as well as a new stepbrother (Joseph Cross) who abhors her as well ... but the ever resilient (and, seemingly, double-jointed) ex-hooker/ex-junkie is determined to make her new start work - especially after learning from her father's doctor (Ian Holm, a loveable loon in the film) that her coming back home might be just what dad needs to come out of his coma.

It's the teenaged daughter Daddy Blank last saw that Jerri yearns to be again - so to help her father, she picks life up right where it left off - by going back to high school. Everyone, of course, loathes her, with the exception of the school misfits - including one of whom (Carlo Alban), in particular, starts to fall in love with her. Meanwhile, all Jerri's trying to do is fit in ... get laid by the hot jock of the school (Chris Pratt) ... resist the old temptations of casual sex and quick highs ... and win the upcoming science fair at school, to show her daddy she's special, and get him out of that coma!

A guest/supporting cast that includes Stephen Colbert, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ian Holm, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kristen Johnston, Justin Theroux, and even "Grey's Anatomy" Emmy-nominee Chandra Wilson as a prison inmate (if you look fast) help to make the film - at times - truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. But overall, the Jerri Blank schtick that works so brilliantly in the televsion series seems a bit stretched too far for a feature-length film. The laughs are uneven, the jokes not always working. But it's still a funny film that's worth watching on cable or as a rental - and if this is your first time seeing Jerri Blank, be forewarned that the "WTF?" expression in your face as you watch this film will soon give way to real laughter ... mostly thanks to Amy Sedaris, who keeps the insane, fugly, burnt-out druggie hooker Jerri Blank alive and well in the hearts of her fans. If you thought YOU were the nerd in high school ... Jerri will make you feel like the valedictorian, prom queen (or king), and class president - all rolled into one. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

TAMARA

Director: Jeremy Haft
Stars: Jenna Dewan, Katie Stuart, Chad Faust, Matthew Marsden
Year: 2005
Rating: R

At first glance this tale of the class joke, coming back to exact her revenge against the fellow high school students who wronged her, might come off as some cheap Carrie knock-off. Happily, it's a heck of a lot more.

Jenna Dewan (who drank WAY too much milk for her own good in The Grudge 2) stars as Tamara, a dowdy and backward high school student with all cards stacked against her. For one, her mother is dead and she lives with a skanky father who gets off on looking at and touching her. Secondly, she's in love with her English teacher (dreamboat Matthew Marsden), who in turn is deeply in love with his wife. And last - but certainly not least, 'cause it's what sets the plot in motion - Tamara has just written a brilliant article about the use of steroids in her school ... which her English teacher, Mr. Natolly (Marsden) gets published in the school paper. This sparks an investigation into the school that gets the biggest jock thrown off the football team ... and into a mindset that has him promising revenge on Tamara.

The revenge goes horribly awry, killing Tamara, and those responsible (directly or indirectly) end up burying her out in the woods, vowing to cover up the crime. A couple of the teens have to be blackmailed to keep their mouths shut, including true hottie Chloe (Katie Stuart), who is maybe Tamara's only friend in school. She had no idea the party she was attending with her boyfirend (true hottie-of-the-male-variety Chad Faust, of "The 4400" fame) included the practical joke on Tamara, and has a real problem being forced to keep her mouth shut by the jock and his cronies.

Turns out this is only the beginning of problem, though, when a totally souped-up Tamara shows up for class the next day - not only looking well, but looking like the cover of an issue of FHM magazine. Seems one thing the other teens don't know is that Tamara's mom was a witch - and Tamara inherited some tricks (along with a spellbook) from her. Tamara's come back to get revenge on those who killed her ... and she does so, in a fairly gory manner when possible, as one by one they fall - and Chloe tries her damnedest to find a way to stop her.

This is actually a very cool horror flick. Jenna Dewan is perfect as Tamara - whether playing vulnerable nerd or sultry seductress - and the rest of the cast keep up with her well. The film is, at time, horrific, gory, suspenseful, and erotic. Well-written and slickly produced, you think this is just another teen horror flick going in ... but it actually ends up, surprisingly, being much better than expected. The ending (which, indeed, sets things up for a sequel) is not only a true surprise - it actually fits perfectly into the plot of the movie, and is one reason I enjoyed the film. Only for suspense/horror fans, probably ... but if you like that kind of film, this one's a surprising treat. *** - Reel Cool

HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS

Director: Ron Underwood
Stars: Melissa Joan Hart, Mario Lopez, Markie Post, Timothy Bottoms, June Lockhart
Year: 2007
Rating: Not Rated (TV-movie)

Okay, I admit it - this movie review might get a bit of fun poked at me. It aired in December 2007, but I TiVo'd it and just watched it the other day. And yes, while the ending of this romantic, made-for-TV (the ABC Family Channel, specifically) holiday comedy has an ending as obvious as Godzilla's attack on Tokyo ... somehow, I still sort of liked it.

Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") stars as Trudi Chandler, a young painter struggling with life, work and love in the big city. Her life, which is pretty much ka-ka (she works as a waitress, she's just blown a job interview set up by her father, and her parents seem to care infinitely more about her brother and sister than they do about her), seems to finally be coming around when Trudi lands not only a handsome, wealthy Ken doll for a boyfriend (Ben Ayres, largely wasted in his tiny role) - but he's also agreed to come home with her for the holidays! It seems Trudi's parents have rented a cozy cottage way out in the middle of nowhere, and amidst the snowbound festivities Trudi - at last - is determined to show her parents that she's getting a toe-hold onlife, at last.

But literally within minutes of leaving work for their trip, Nick - Trudi's boyfriend - enters the diner and tells her he's not going to spend Christmas with her, after all. Trudi - desperate for her family's attention, and love - tried to still get him to go with her, but after Nick reveals that he only dated her in the first place to get her into bed ... suddenly, Trudi's life doesn't seem to be turning around, after all.

Enter handsome (okay, obscenely good-looking) David Martin (Mario Lopez), who just happens to make the rash decision of choosing Trudi's diner as a place to meet his girlfriend Jessica (Gabrielle Miller) for lunch. His plans are to ask her to marry him that very day ... but these plans go horribly awry when Trudi sort of loses it right there in the restaurant, and - when David's on his way to the john - kidnaps him instead, forcing him to go with her to the family's Christmas in the snow-covered hills.

Believe it or not, it's not quite as lame as it sounds. They make it to the mountain retreat for Christmas, where Trudi manages to set things up so that no one believes that David isn't really Nick - that, instead, he's Trudi's kidnap victim. Timothy Bottoms, and Markie Post, as Trudi's parents, do a good job with the one-dimensional roles they're given to play - and Miller, as Jessica, is grea at playing the rich snob determined to get her man back, once David is finally able to sneak a phone call in to her. The humor is typical ABC Family cutesy, but there are a few surprises thrown in for good measure - not the least of which is June Lockhart, who plays Trudi's grandma - a former stage actress who is so bizarre and theatrical, you can almost see how the whacko genes got passed down to Trudi!

But for a one-note plot, the movie still has it charm. Hart is kind of uneven, at first, as Trudi, but is much better the second-half of the film. Mario Lopez, as usual, looks so damned amazing you can't stand it (and yes, there is an obligatory shirtless scene, where Hart has in her face what many viewers will be thinking in their heads: WOW). The supporting cast is good - even Kyle Howard, in a small role as Trudi's brother - and the setting and story are actually more believable than you'd think; the film not without the certain likeability.

So while it won't win any award, I enjoyed Holiday in Handcuffs ... a nice little cozy comedy on a winter night when ya got not too much else to do. **1/2 - Reel Mediocre-Reel Cool

THE GAME PLAN

Director: Andy Fickman
Stars: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madison Pettis, Kyra Sedgwick, Roselyn Sanchez, Morris Chestnut
Year: 2007
Rating: PG

I sat down, on a Sautrday night, to watch this film with my sister and her boyfriend (he'd rented the DVD) - full of trepidation, because I like Dwayne Johnson but knew this was a Disney movie. After seeing what Disney did to Vin Diesel's career and film roles, I was afraid of witnessing the same disaster with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

While no doubt this film has "Disney" stamped all over it - cutesy kid, slapstick visual gags, The Rock ogling for the camera as his life is turned upside down, and even the Disney-patented can-see-it-coming-from-a-mile-away "Awe!" ending ... there's still something about this movie that was kind of nice to watch.

Dwayne Johnson plays Joe Kingman, a pro football player in Denver who is having the best season of his life. His popularity off the field is at its zenith, and on the field he's about to lead his team to their first championship ever, at last. Joe's been wanting his championship ring for a long, long time, and football career IS his life. On the side he leads an ideal bachelorhood, too - amazing apartment, beautiful women, and buddies/teammates who pretty much worship him.

One ring of the doorbell changes everything, for when Joe opens that door he meets 8-year-old Peyton (Madison Pettis) - the daughter he never knew he had. It seems Peyton's mother has just left the country for work, and has dumped Peyton on her father to care for, for one month. Consummate bachelor Joe Kingman denies the responsibility - but ultimately has no choice but to let Peyton stay with him ... which, in true Disney fashion, turns his life and career upside down.

Dwayne Johnson, at first kind of annoying and overacting in the film, warms to both the role and his innate acting talent fairly quickly. Pettis is pure Disney cute-kid, and does a good job as Peyton. The supporting cast is what helps make the film work, though, as well - Kyra Sedgwick is hilarious as Joe Kingman's greedy agent with dollar signs for eyes, Roselyn Sanchez beautiful and warm as Peyton's ballet teacher - and even Morris Chestnut adds warmth as Joe's teammate ... the married man with kids who's been teased for years by Joe, and now gets to help teach Joe, instead, how to be a better dad.

This one is okay. Smarmy, yes. Predictable, yes. Cutesy - GOD, yes. But it works, probably because of Dwayne Johnson, 'cause no matter how hard you try - you just can't dislike him. And that charm is what makes him the movie star he may just become. *** - Reel Cool

GOING IN STYLE

Director: Martin Brest
Stars: George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg
Year: 1979
Rating: PG

Joe, Al, and Willie (George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg, respectively) are three New York City elderly retired friends all alone (except for each other) in the world. Their days are mostly spent on park benches, observing life instead of living it - and one day, Joe (Burns) gets an idea that should certainly perk things up; he decides the three of them should go in together to pull a "stick-up" job, or rob a bank.

Al (Carney) is game right away, though Willie (Strasberg) needs more convincing. For Joe, the idea is simple, and without real threat - if caught, they'll all have free room, board and meals in prison; and if they get away with it, financially they'll be set for whatever life they have left. They take the subway up to Manhattan, not wanting to do the job on their home turf, and find a smallish, elegant bank with only one guard - perfect for their heist. Al is able to smuggle out some guns and ammo from his nephew's private collection, and everything is all set (although Willie still seems nervous with the idea).

To say much more would be to give away too much, probably. They pull the heist (which is, by the way, HUGELY funny), but if you're thinking that's where the film ends - nope. The bank robbery only takes up maybe the first third of the film - the rest deals with its repercussions, both good and bad, that include a spontaneous and bizarre trip to Las Vegas, during which Carney truly shines in the film.

The cast, in fact, is just fantastic - George Burns leads the pack with is usual dry wit, and Carney sheds Ed Norton to play a lovable grandpa-type with a heart. Lee Strasberg and his put-upon, melancholy face alone will win your heart. The supporting cast backs the three stars up nicely.

There's a lot to love about Going in Style, and I am glad I finally saw it after all these years. The performances are top-notch, the comedy as on-target as the more touching moments of the film (this "comedy" definitely has its elements of drama, too). Ultimately, my complaint with the film is that it's just ... well ... sort of depressing. That's the feeling I was left with, after the end, and it's a feeling that sneaks up on me again now, as I write this. It's a great film, beautifully made and very well acted, and it ends with dignity, in probably the only ending possible - even if not the most upbeat. *** - Reel Cool

I AM LEGEND

Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Year: 2007
Rating: PG-13

I read Richard Matheson's classic novel, on which this film is based, maybe a dozen years ago. Back then, I remember enjoying the book but ultimately being disappointed with its ending; a fact that sort of reverberates here, int the third filmed version of his novel.

Will Smith, in an extraordinary performance, plays army scientist caught up in a hellacious and isolated world; it seems that several years ago, Dr. Alice Krippin (Emma Thompson, in a cameo appearance), a New York City physician, actually discovered a cure for cancer. The cure, hailed as the greatest breakthrough in medicine, soon turned into a fate worse than death itself, as those who received the cure began to slowly mutate into rabid, flesh-eating zombies. This new and deadly virus, spreading both through the air and by direct contact, eventually led to the entire island of Manhattan being quarantined - those not yet infected able to leave, those infected doomed to stay.

Just over three years later, Dr. Robert Neville (Smith) - remains in a deserted and lifeless Manhattan. He's stayed voluntarily, in charge of finding a cure for this worldwide epidemic, and is hoping that his natural immunity is the key. Roaming the streets of Manhattan by day with his German shepherd Sam, Neville is a tortured soul whose own past of personal tragedy can't even begin to deal with the hell of being, quite possibly - the last living human being on earth.

And yet, he is not alone. After dark, those who live in the dank office buildings and parking garages by day come out to prowl ... and to feed. These zombie-like flesh-eaters are fast, savage, and seemingly without rational thought. Or ... are they? Neville appears to be perfectly safe, his watch alarm going off when the sun is close to setting, so that he has time to get home - and his home itself has rolling metal shutters and locks to close all doors and windows off at night, so that nothing can get in - and with his lab in the basement, Neville can continue his research in the hopes of curing the very things hunting him.

You can feel Neville's desperation in this film, big time, thanks to Smith's performance. He's haunting and tragic, speaking to mannequins he's set up in a local video rental store as if they were real people. Every day he gets on his radio and puts out the word, to anyone possibly listening, that he's alive and can offer food and shelter in New York City, for anyone who wants to meet him at a designated spot he goes to daily - and for over three years there is no reply, and no one shows up. Smith carries maybe 75% of the movie on his own, on screen; not an easy task, but one his talent is up to. It really is a great performance.

And the scenes of New York's evacuation and devastation are impeccable. I recognized some of the streets Neville drove or walked down in Manhattan - streets that, here, are absolutely chilling; grass growing through the cracks, dead vehicles blocking your path - hell, even wild deer run these dead and desolate streets, dodging in between cars, in a world that's not theirs. At least by day.

The first hour of this film is disturbing and a visual knockout. You grow to care about Robert Neville and his plight - trying to save a society that no longer exists, with all the cards stacked against him. The zombie-like creatures (vampires in the book - and I really think they should have been, here) are horrifying, and the film builds the appropriate suspense by holding off on showing them right away ... but, once seen, it's a bit obvious that they've been computer-enhanced, and that was a disappointment.

Without giving anything away, it's the last half-hour of the film that's sort of a letdown. Smith's character becomes part messiah, part martyr, and less believable than in the earlier part of the film. The ending is satisfactory, if not the most upbeat, and overall there's no denying this film is amazing in what is accomplishes. It's just one of those that, by the end, you wish had been a bit "more" - even if you're not sure what that "more" means. *** - Reel Cool

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Director: Richard Eyre
Stars: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Andrew Simpson
Year: 2006
Rating: R

Even with the A-list talents of Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy along for the ride, this is still Judi Dench's show. She and Blanchett were both nominated for Oscars (deservedly so) for starring in this intense chess game of a film.

Dench plays Barbara Covett (and brother, does the name fit), a high school teacher who's got some extremely strong opinions on everything from the world to her work to her peers to life in general. She's kept a journal for many, MANY years about her life, and lately there hasn't seemed to be much to write in ... until a new, younger, and beautiful new art teacher, Sheba Hart (Blanchett) joins the staff. Right away, Barbara finds herself intrigued by the teacher - who seems ill-equipped to handle her rough and rowdy charges - and, indeed, helps her out in everything from discipline to advice. Sheba's grateful, and she and Barbara become friends - Sheba finally inviting Barbara to her home for lunch. Here, Barbara meets Sheba's much-older husband Richard (Bill Nighy), and learns that Sheba has two children - a teenaged daughter with an attitude problem, as well as an autistic son. Barbara's unspoken (and rather unpleasant) opinions about Sheba's family (heard in voice-over, as if she'd writing in her journal), combined with her surprise at finding that Sheba's family isn't as perfect as she's made Sheba to be in her mind, give the first solid indication that all is not right with Barbara's mind. Indeed, the friendship between these two women becomes an obsession on Barbara's end - and when Barbara learns of an affair that Sheba's entered into with a fifteen-year-old student (Andrew Simpson), Barbara sees this as her opportunity. Instead of going to the headmaster about the illegal affair, she insteads sets into motion a plan to use the information to further bind Sheba to her ... possibly forever.

What an amazing film. The screenplay, by Patrick Marber based on Zoe Heller's novel, crackles - not a single word is wasted, and each one is pure gold when uttered by the amazing Judi Dench, who turns in one hell of an Oscar-worthy performance. Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy are brilliant, as well (Nighy probably would have been nominated, had his role been bigger) - but it's Judi Dench you can't take your eyes off in this film; whose dialogue you dare not miss when she speaks. Even Barbara's last name - Covett - is nothing less than the ideal word to fit her, experly chosen. Basically, this is the story of Barbara, the manipulator of the world around her, and those who get caught up in her path. She's a fascinating, fractured woman (who, even with all she pulls in this film, still garners your sympathy because she is such a lost soul) - and this film is a true gem, as well as an exercise in flawless acting. I loved it. **** - Reel Awesome

OPEN SEASON

Directors: Roger Allers, Jill Culton, Anthony Stacchi
Stars: Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, Patrick Warburton
Year: 2006
Rating: PG

This terrific animated film stars Martin Lawrence, who voices the character of 900-lb. Boog, a domesticated griffly bear who lives in the mountain town of Timberline with his owner Beth (voiced by Debra Messing), who rescued him as a cub. Life is, indeed, GREAT for Boog - with Beth as host, he puts on a show for the local townspeople/tourists, lives in a garage where he sleeps on a big dog bed and eats Fishy Snacks when he's a good boy.

Enter Elliot (Ashton Kutcher, in a frenzied voice performance), a small deer with one antler from the wild, who Boog one day sees strapped to the hood of a pick-up truck driven by local hunting freak Shaw (Gary Sinise). Shaw hit Elliot with his truck (purposefully) the night before, snapping off one of Elliot's antlers, and strapped the unconscious deer to the hood of his vehicle to take him home. Boog, feeling sorry for Elliot, lets the deer free while Shaw's inside a local store - just in time for Shaw to see - and when Elliot becomes Boog's "buddy" ... causing a chain of events that has Beth convinced it's time to return Boog back to the wild ... Boog and Elliot find themselves high up in the mountains above Timberline, miles from home - and with the opening of hunting season just three days away. Boog and Elliot have to work together to get Boog back home, but Boog also has to deal with wildlife for the first time in his life - including surly, tree-hogging squirrels, overworked beavers, a pair of female skunks who take crap from no one, the rather big and stuck-up herd that kicked Elliot out in the first place (led by Ian, who is voiced by a very macho-sounding Patrick Warburton) ... and Shaw, who learns that Boog and Elliot have been returned to the wild, and is desperate to hunt them down.

The first 20-25 minutes of this film were kind of slow-going for me, and I wasn't sure I would warm up to it. The last third blew me away. Boog and Elliot and the other animals of the forest have to get (and work) together to fight the oncoming hunters - and that battle alone is worth watching the entire film for. The animation - which again, at first, didn't impress me so much - turned me around again as the film really got going, and I ended up really entranced by the look of the film (there's a dam burst sequence that is dazzling). Adults and children can equally enjoy this one, and I really ended up loving it, with a tear in my eye at the end, to boot. Just ... lots of fun, and worth catching for sure! Even Georgia Engel has a sweet, funny turn voicing a camper in the woods. Either way, this one ended up a really happy surprise. *** - Reel Cool

RENO 911! MIAMI

Director: Robert Ben Garant
Stars: Carlos Alazraqui, Mary Birdsong, Robert Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Thomas Lennon, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Niecy Nash, Cedric Yarbrough
Year: 2007
Rating: R

Like the show? Then chances are you'll like the movie just as much. Parts are lame, parts are truly hilarious (including the ending) - and it's all completely insane. For those who haven't seen the show, it's basically a "Cops" parody, where cameras follow the lamest cops ever - Reno, Nevada sheriff's department - as they answer 911 calls and deal with crime on Reno's streets.

For the film, the most inept sheriff's department in the world decides to take a break and attend a law enforcement convention they've been "invited" to in Miami. Actually, they haven't been invited - it's open to all law enforcement personnel - but the gang is still surprised when they show up, and no hotel rooms (or hell, even convention badges) have been allotted to their squad for the festivities. Instead, the officers are forced to check into a fleabag motel full of hookers and drug dealers (that, scarily, reminded me a LOT of the first motel I stayed in, on my first trip to Miami!) - and after a night of drunken debauchery/attempted debauchery (and not a little hilarity), the squad shows up at the convention center the next day ... only to learn that a terrorist group has indulged in some biological warfare, and the entire convention center has been quarantined until an antidote can be found. In other words, there is now NO - ZIP - ZERO law enforcement on the streets of Miami ... so the Feds enlist the aid of the Reno sheriff's department (the only law enforcement squad not infected) to keep the peace on one of America's most crime-ridden cities.

God help us all.

The rest of the film follows the various officers as they respond (eventually) to the emergency calls coming into the Miami police station. Deputy Clementine Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey) is also on her own personal mission to discover the identity of the mystery man whose face she had forever tattooed on her left breast that first drunken night in town. Meanwhile, the officers deal with meandering crocodiles, a whiny acting-mayor (Ratatouille's Patton Oswalt, who is nothing short of hilarious here), Suge Knight's birthday party, perverts at the beach - and a Latin drug dealer named Ethan (played by Paul Rudd, whose comic talents I earned a whole new respect for here), among other problems. When they get a lead on Mr. Big, the leader of the terrorists, and blow that lead BIG-TIME, Reno's not-so-finest are relieved of their duties - and become more determined then ever to show they can crack the case and save the city.

Thomas Lennon, as Lt. Dangle (possibly the only law office in the country who got hot pants approved as part of his official uniform), is funnier than ever leading the gang, and (as in the show) Kerri Kenney-Silver, as Deputy Terry Wiegel, is laugh-out-loud funny no matter what she does (Lennon and Kenney-Silver's "sex scene" together - while ... odd - is one of the highlights of the film). The final chase scene, done in golf carts, is funny enough alone to elevate the film from the 2-1/2 reels I was originally thinking of giving it. Probably only for fans of the show - but well worth it, if you are. *** - Reel Cool