Missing wonder and glory, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is no match to its prequel.

The film is based on a book by the same title from a series of books by C.S. Lewis.

It has been a year since the...
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Missing wonder and glory, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is no match to its prequel.

The film is based on a book by the same title from a series of books by C.S. Lewis.

It has been a year since the Pevensie siblings, Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Peter (William Moseley) and Susan (Anna Popplewell) had their adventures in Narnia. But one year is the equivalent to 1,300 years in Narnian time, and a lot has changed since they've been away.

They find that Narnia has become a savage place now ruled by Miraz, the evil king of the Telmarines.

Everything is in ruins, so they set out to find answers.

After a long and boring journey through the woods of Narnia, they come across Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), who ran away from the castle. He is in search of help to win back the throne, which rightfully belongs to him.

The young yet brave Pevensies agree to help Caspian recover his throne, but the Telmarines are always right behind them, ready to kill.

Rated PG, it's hard to believe any 10-year-old could sit through the entire two hours and 20 minutes; however, adults might enjoy it.

It takes about an hour and a half for the film to get interesting, because most of the film just feels like everyone is still trying to figure things out. Once they do, the real action begins.

Director Andrew Adamson, who also directed the previous film, does not spare those good old sword-fighting scenes.

The action in this film is entertaining, but it just takes a while to get to it.

There are a few new characters in "Prince Caspian," and the old ones remain. The White Witch makes a brief appearance, as does the lion Aslan. As far as the wardrobe closet goes, there's no sign of it in this sequel; the Pevensies find another way to transport themselves to Narnia.

The brothers and sisters work well together on screen. Henley, who plays Lucy, has a great ability to capture the scene but other than that, the acting is mediocre. However, after a spew of romantic comedies released in theaters over the past few months, a traditional adventure flick is a nice change of pace.

The good news is there are seven books in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series, which means there are five more opportunities to bring Narnia back to life on the big screen.

The third installment, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," is set to be released May 7, 2010, and the same main actors are cast.

Interesting enough, talking animals can be fun to watch - as long as you have an open mind about it.

Gentlemen, start your engines. The Mach 5 is back in action. "Speed Racer" was originally an anime series in Japan called "Mach GoGoGo" and gained popularity in America during the late 1960s. But thanks to a green screen and a...
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Gentlemen, start your engines. The Mach 5 is back in action. "Speed Racer" was originally an anime series in Japan called "Mach GoGoGo" and gained popularity in America during the late 1960s. But thanks to a green screen and a load of 21st century technology, it has turned into a film with gloriously vibrant action scenes.

In this PG-rated film, all character names remain the same: Speed Racer, Pops Racer, Mom Racer, Rex Racer, Spritle Racer, Speed's girlfriend, Trixie; and even their pet chimpanzee, Chim Chim. The storyline stayed true to the cartoon with only a few exceptions.

The story begins with Speed and his great passion for wanting to be a professional racecar driver, just like his older brother, Rex. Speed was always distracted in school and all he could think about was car racing.

After Rex dies in a crash at the Casa Cristo cross-country rally, Speed makes it his mission to be the best car racer in the world. With the family business and his girlfriend there to support him, he is fearless behind the wheel of his Mach 5, which was designed by his father.

The owner of Royalton Industries makes Speed a tempting offer after he takes notice of Speed's amazing driving skills. Speed turns down the offer, however, after realizing that Royalton is a cheater and will stop at nothing to fix the races in order to gain profit.

Royalton swears to Speed that he will never win another race again, but Speed is determined to prove him wrong. Speed teams up with his rival, Racer X, to race in the Casa Cristo Classic 5000, the same cross-country rally race that took his brother's life years ago.

Emile Hirsch truly immerses himself in the role of Speed. He does a fantastic job of taking a character that is more than 40 years old into the world of the future.

The film comes from the makers of "The Matrix" trilogy, Andy and Larry Wachowski, and they do everything in their power to utilize that classic bullet-time filming style for "Speed Racer." The colors in this movie are so luminous and beautiful; it's like seeing the first color scenes of "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time.

There is no denying there are some corny aspects to the film, though. Characters use phrases like "jeepers," "holy canoly" and "cool beans." But it's all in good fun; "Speed Racer" is a family film.

Susan Sarandon plays Speed's mom and really contributes a wholesome element to the film. Sarandon has major chemistry with John Goodman, who plays the role of Pops. She's everything you'd expect a mom to be and fully supports her family, not unlike her role in "Stepmom."

The film looks like it takes place in the year 3000, but characters have accents streaming from all over the world: America, England and Australia. It's hard to really tell where the movie actually takes place.

Trixie, played by Christina Ricci, is an enormously cute character, proving Ricci's acting versatility. She makes it look so easy to go from playing in a dark film like "Black Snake Moan" to capturing the hearts of the audience in "Speed Racer."

The idea of transforming the cartoon into a film had been in the air since 1992. However, production kept being postponed because the right combination of actors, writers and a director couldn't be found - until now.

"Speed Racer" is fun for everyone. A blockbuster in the making for 16 years, the film really is the result of hard work.

Hollywood is mad with superhero fever.

Last year, audiences saw the final installment of the "Spiderman" trilogy, possibly the most successful comic book adaptation yet. Hoping to ride off the success of their web-slinger,...
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Hollywood is mad with superhero fever.

Last year, audiences saw the final installment of the "Spiderman" trilogy, possibly the most successful comic book adaptation yet. Hoping to ride off the success of their web-slinger, Marvel has opened the summer movie season with their Swiss Army knife of a superhero: "Iron Man."

The movie is just as flashy as the iron suit it glorifies. Complete with action and an overabundance of computer graphics, "Iron Man" is definitely a summer movie. And it's actually pretty good.

"Iron Man" is the story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a multimillionaire weapons dealer who comes to terms with himself when he transforms into Iron Man.

The movie begins with Stark riding in a convoy of trucks with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Stark is full of wit, and rattles off funny one-liners until insurgents attack the convoy. In a blaze of fire, he is captured and held in a cave deep in the mountains.

His captors demand that he creates a deadly missile, which is the trademark of his company, Stark Industries. His arrogant nature, present in the earlier convoy scene, quickly vanishes as he realizes the potential catastrophes his weapons may fuel in the hands of terrorists.

At this point, the movie breaks away from the generic summer format. The captivity segment is rather long. Instead of injecting random bouts of action, it forces the audience to peer into the character of Tony Stark. While bonding with other prisoners and trying to find a way to escape, the audience watches as Stark evolves into a man bound by principles and conviction.

Building the tin-can version of the Iron Man suit, Stark escapes the caves in a glorious action sequence, filled with plenty of explosions to satisfy the most skeptic prepubescent male.

He returns home with his newly acquired principles and creates the infamous gold-and-red suit. During this time, we see Stark bond with his assistant, Virginia 'Pepper' Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), the movie's token love interest.
Paltrow's character does more than just gawk at Stark; she also stands very well on her own. Some of her lines fall flat, but the awkward relationship between her and Stark is interesting enough to overshadow the lady-in-distress dialogue.

Another supporting role is filled by the character Jim Rhodes (Terrence Howard). Rhodes is the military liaison to Stark Industries, and much more tame than Tony and his playboy antics. Howard plays it safe with the role, while still managing to have fun. The love-hate relationship between these two is always enjoyable.

However, as good as Paltrow and Howard are, the movie is centered on Robert Downey Jr. Backed by a well-written script, Downey delivers excellent humor with a few slapstick moments. He also covers the spectrum of emotions well, and has the audience caring not just for his high-flying suit, but for the character himself.

Let's not forget: This is a film geared toward 20-year-old comic book geeks. As such, there is enough action to go around.

Even though the action sequences are scattered throughout the movie, they are just as excellent as the acting and script. The computer graphics are stunning, and the suit truly takes the spotlight.

A sequence where Iron Man skirmishes with U.S. Air Force jets is impressive and very realistic. These moments serve to remind the audience that this is the kickoff to the summer movie season.

All is not lost to comic book fans, either. The movie manages to fit in many references that comic geeks will appreciate.

This film has set the bar for the summer season and the oncoming avalanche of superhero flicks. Hopefully, "Iron Man" is only a peek into the character of Tony Stark, and he continues to fly through theaters in the coming years.

Even the legendary Tony Montana couldn't save "88 Minutes" from 108 minutes of boredom.

"88 Minutes" plays off the theme of real-time filming. It's often very hard to do, and rarely done well.

Al...
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Even the legendary Tony Montana couldn't save "88 Minutes" from 108 minutes of boredom.

"88 Minutes" plays off the theme of real-time filming. It's often very hard to do, and rarely done well.

Al Pacino plays a forensic psychologist by the name of Jack Gramm, who has given psychological evaluations to high-profile serial murderers like Ted Bundy.

He is now an expert witness giving his views of Jon Forster (Neal McDonough), the accused "Seattle Slayer," who tortures

his female victims by hanging them by the left leg, slicing a vertical laceration down the entire left side of their bodies, and bleeding them out.

After the conviction of Forster, he looks back at Gramm with a claim of revenge and a whispered, "Tick, tock, tick, tock."

Nine years later, the death sentence of Forster approaches, and Gramm celebrates his conviction.

However, there seems to be a copycat pulling off the same murders that Forster was convicted of nine years prior, bringing doubt to the testimony of the expert witness.

After hearing this, Gramm goes to his class to teach his lecture on forensic psychology, when he gets a phone call of a screaming woman.

A man speaks with a distorted voice, saying that Gramm has 88 minutes to live. "Tick tock, doc," says the voice.

The rest of the film is filled with a paranoid Gramm trying to figure out who could possibly be out to kill him, while the main suspect is behind bars.

Who does he trust?

Who does he fear?

It sounds like an excellent movie on paper, but the lackluster acting from the majority of the cast is what brings this movie down.

The problem with this film is that you spend most of the time staring at your cell phone, looking to see if the time is actually taking the real time spans.

Alicia Witt, who plays the teaching assistant of Gramm, doesn't play a convincing role of the background that her character was given.

Leelee Sobieski's performance was lackluster, as her monotonous voice didn't convey any emotion or feeling.

Pacino. It was Al Pacino; excellent as always. But his talents could not save this film.

The plot of "88 Minutes" was amazing and has great potential; unfortunately the execution of the film falls short from decent.

With much better films out there, watching this is something that could wait until it comes out on DVD.

Legendary martial art superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li collide for the first time in one of the greatest modern day kung fu films since "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Shaolin Soccer" - "The Forbidden...
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Legendary martial art superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li collide for the first time in one of the greatest modern day kung fu films since "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Shaolin Soccer" - "The Forbidden Kingdom."

An amazing cinematic adventure consisting of tastefully used wire work (as with most Li and action sequence choreographer Yuen Woo-ping films), the computer graphic fight scenes are limited.

This film is a modern take on the legendary Monkey King (Li) and his imprisonment by the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou), and the prophecy that a traveler from far away is returning the golden staff to free the king.

Following the trailers and Lionsgate logo - Kung Fu starts now.

We first see a gorgeous action sequence with the Monkey King battling an immense army over clouds in the mountains, only to realize it was a dream from a kid from Boston named Jason Tripitkas (Michael Angarano).

He goes to a pawnshop he frequents, and while looking for kung fu DVDs, he stumbles upon a storage room that contains a golden staff resembling the staff he saw in a movie of 13 Shaolin monks defending their temple.

The elderly shopkeeper, "Old Hop" (Chan), tells how his grandfather was given the staff and waited for someone to pick it up more than 100 years ago. Since then, his father and then himself were tasked with waiting.

On the way home, Tripitkas runs into bullies who force him to trick Hop into letting them in.

At this point, the group, except for Tripitkas, attempts to ransack the store, where Hop attacks one of the gang with the golden staff. The leader of the group, Lupo, (Morgan Benoit) shoots him in the chest.

Hop gives Tripitkas the staff and tells him to return it to its owner. He runs with the staff and the gang chases after him until they get into a rooftop, where he is trapped.

The staff, or some other force, slides him across the floor falling off, where we expect him to hit the ground and die.

Yet instead, he falls through it and is transferred to a land similar to ancient China, passed out on a bed.

He awakens in a daze. Confused and not understanding the language, he views the majestic landscape of the countryside, still holding the staff that forced him off of the rooftop.

Raiding soldiers, captured women and the killing those who try to defend themselves disrupt this peace and beauty. The general of the incoming squad recognizes the staff as the legendary staff of the Monkey King. Tripitkas runs until three men on horseback encircle him.

Then Lu Yan (Chan) appears.

Drunk. Lying on his back, on top of a donkey. He defends

Tripitkas using his drunken-style kung fu and is then told the legend of the Monkey King at a tavern, when raiders follow them and demand the staff.

Not until later in the film do we meet the silent monk with no name (Li) stealing the staff in order to find the one charged to deliver it to save the Monkey King.

In one of the greatest fight scenes ever seen since Bruce Lee, the monk and Yan battle in a temple over possession of the staff. Words cannot describe the hilarity, talent and sheer awe given by this fight.

"The Forbidden Kingdom" is a beautiful retelling of Wu Cheng'en's classic novel "Journey to the West" that will hopefully open this great work of art to a new generation.

Other than the poor beginning and ending, the amazing production, skillfully used computer graphics and the big names and talent of Chan and Li gives this movie the potential to be the first blockbuster of the upcoming season. It's well worth the money.

"The Ruins" brought in $7.8 million to the box office since its release on April 4, which seems to be too high of a number - considering its failure to attract any sort of attention from the audience.

The predictable plot of...
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"The Ruins" brought in $7.8 million to the box office since its release on April 4, which seems to be too high of a number - considering its failure to attract any sort of attention from the audience.

The predictable plot of the film, directed by Carter Smith, includes a group of friends on a fun-filled vacation in Mexico. The tables turn when they meet a fellow tourist, who convinces them to join him on a hike to an archaeological site. They soon learn that there is something very peculiar among the ruins.

Surprisingly, the acting was one of the better elements of the movie. The two best friends, Stacy and Amy, are played by Laura Ramsey ("She's the Man") and Jena Malone ("Stepmom").

Amy is more on the quiet and careful side, while Stacy is more adventurous and seeks one last day of thrill in Mexico.

Their boyfriends, Jeff and Eric, are played by Jonathon Tucker ("The Black Donnellys") and Shawn Ashmore ("X-Men" trilogy). Jeff is intelligent and is set to attend medical school, while Eric is more immature.

The entire movie takes place at the ancient site.

This is mainly because there is a group of Mayan villagers on the bottom, waiting for the tourists to take one step off before they fire.

It became extremely tiring, staring at what felt like one scene for 91 minutes.

There wasn't a clear understanding of who the villagers were, why they didn't speak the native language, or why they are waiting at the bottom of the ruin. It left the audience questioning what was going on, rather than anxiously awaiting what would happen next.

The explanation is not revealed until about the last scene of the film, when by this point, no one really cares anymore.

Three words can sum up the movie shortly - flesh-eating plants. The ruins are filled with flesh-eating plants that work themselves through their wounds and infect their bodies.

Obviously, that is not the part that makes the movie predictable. It is far from predictable. It's more like hilariously unrealistic.

One word of advice: If a person is stranded on a deserted island or, in this case, an ancient ruin, there is a very low chance that help is coming. Or, at least, not for a long time.

Overall, I was hoping to finally catch an intense, scary movie in theaters after many years. I was disappointed.

Owen Wilson stars in "Drillbit Taylor," a PG-13 comedy about a homeless guy pretending to be a bodyguard to make some money off of three wimpy kids.

It is the first day of high school, and Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Wade (Nate...
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Owen Wilson stars in "Drillbit Taylor," a PG-13 comedy about a homeless guy pretending to be a bodyguard to make some money off of three wimpy kids.

It is the first day of high school, and Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Wade (Nate Hartley) are positive that they will be popular this year. However, that is immediately hard to believe, considering they show up to school wearing the same shirt.

It all goes downhill from there. When Wade sticks up for the school's biggest nerd, Emmit (David Dorfman), the three of them signed up for hourly beat-downs by the high school bullies.

The two bullies, Filkins (Alex Frost) and Ronnie (Josh Peck), who look like they should be in college, make it their mission to give these three kids the full high school experience.

After visiting the principal and realizing that no one can protect them, they resort to hiring a low-budget bodyguard, Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson). Drillbit assures them that he is watching over them, even when he is nowhere in sight.

Meanwhile, Drillbit is living in a tent off the side of the road and knows absolutely nothing about protecting the helpless kids.

Although the film had its funny scenes, Wilson was basically sitting this one out. He gave an average performance compared to what he has done in the past.

He had a few amusing lines that showed he is still that same old fun-loving guy, but with less passion and force.

Steven Brill, who directed "Mr. Deeds," directed this film, which does not really say much. However, the film was co-written by Seth Rogen, who also co-wrote "Superbad." "Drillbit Taylor" is not nearly as risky and hilarious as Rogen's past projects.

Ryan, the fat kid of the nerdy trio, practically made the movie. He had this undeniable don't-mess-with-me attitude, even though he had no intention of standing up to the bullies.

He insisted on being called "T-Dog" and actually made Filkins look like a fool when they had a rap-off.

The bully roles were well played, but it never made sense how the hallways just happened to be free of teachers every time the kids were getting picked on.

While the kids in this film are played by unknowns, they clearly stole the show. Maybe Wilson can take a few pointers from them.

Michael Pitt stars in "Funny Games," a dark and twisted comedy about two sociopaths who take it upon themselves to terrorize a family at their lake house.

Written and directed by Michael Haneke, "Funny Games" is a...
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Michael Pitt stars in "Funny Games," a dark and twisted comedy about two sociopaths who take it upon themselves to terrorize a family at their lake house.

Written and directed by Michael Haneke, "Funny Games" is a remake of the 1997 Austrian film by the same name written and directed by Haneke, who is known for his disturbing concepts.

Insanely twisted, the movie begins with a family of three driving to their vacation lake house. Paul (Pitt) is introduced to the family as a friend of their neighbors.

While Anne's (Naomi Watts) husband George (Tim Roth) and their son Georgie (Devon Gearhart) are out on their dock fixing their boat, Peter (Brady Corbet) walks to the family's home and proceeds to ask the mother Anne for another set of four drops those and is joined by Pitt in a third attempt to acquire eggs, which Anne refuses.

Peter and Paul take the family hostage and are then asked to place a bet; if they all live until 9 a.m. the next morning, they win. If the family dies, Peter and Paul win.

Pitt breaks the fourth wall (speaking to the camera) by asking the audience their opinion on the outcome of the bet, giving the audience the impression that they are the sadistic accomplices to a well-thought-out murder scheme.

Corbet's performance was cunning, at times outshining Pitt's. Being caught up in the excitement, one would look past the trivial nature of the script.

The acting was impressive.

Pitt and Corbet pulled off being disconnected sociopaths very well.

In every father's life there comes a time when he must let his little girl leave the nest and live her own life in the world.

In the newly released movie "College Road Trip," starring Raven-Symoné and Martin...
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In every father's life there comes a time when he must let his little girl leave the nest and live her own life in the world.

In the newly released movie "College Road Trip," starring Raven-Symoné and Martin Lawrence, a father-daughter relationship gets put to the ultimate test while the daughter chooses her perfect college.

Raven-Symoné, who plays 17-year-old high school senior Melanie Porter, feels misunderstood by her father James Porter, played by Martin Lawrence. Melanie, an accomplished student, wants to go on a road trip across the country to Georgetown University.

Being the overprotective father he is, Porter will pull out all the stops to make sure his Melanie is safe under all circumstances - so he invites himself on the originally all-girl trip.

Porter, a police chief, would rather Melanie go to Northwestern University than a university across the country. To taint her view, he hires actors and actresses from the police squad to make Northwestern seem more appealing.

It can be said that since it was a G-rated movie, the values and relationships portrayed

were positive ones. It showed the importance of a father and daughter relationship

and it also portrayed the importance of a college education, which may be seen as an underlying message to children.

Overall, I found the movie very amusing and it kept my attention. Lawrence was excellent and he carried the movie to its full potential. Some of the characters in the movie already play in shows on the Disney Channel, which added some melodrama to the making of the movie.

In every father's life there comes a time when he must let his little girl leave the nest and live her own life in the world.

In the newly released movie "College Road Trip," starring Raven-Symoné and Martin...
[+] Read Full Review

In every father's life there comes a time when he must let his little girl leave the nest and live her own life in the world.

In the newly released movie "College Road Trip," starring Raven-Symoné and Martin Lawrence, a father-daughter relationship gets put to the ultimate test while the daughter chooses her perfect college.

Raven-Symoné, who plays 17-year-old high school senior Melanie Porter, feels misunderstood by her father James Porter, played by Martin Lawrence. Melanie, an accomplished student, wants to go on a road trip across the country to Georgetown University.

Being the overprotective father he is, Porter will pull out all the stops to make sure his Melanie is safe under all circumstances - so he invites himself on the originally all-girl trip.

Porter, a police chief, would rather Melanie go to Northwestern University than a university across the country. To taint her view, he hires actors and actresses from the police squad to make Northwestern seem more appealing.

It can be said that since it was a G-rated movie, the values and relationships portrayed

were positive ones. It showed the importance of a father and daughter relationship

and it also portrayed the importance of a college education, which may be seen as an underlying message to children.

Overall, I found the movie very amusing and it kept my attention. Lawrence was excellent and he carried the movie to its full potential. Some of the characters in the movie already play in shows on the Disney Channel, which added some melodrama to the making of the movie.

Kent Alterman made his directorial debut with "Semi-Pro," a spoof on 1970s basketball.

"Semi-Pro," starring Will Ferrell, tells the tale of one-hit wonder Jackie Moon (Ferrell), who bought the Flint, Michigan...
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Kent Alterman made his directorial debut with "Semi-Pro," a spoof on 1970s basketball.

"Semi-Pro," starring Will Ferrell, tells the tale of one-hit wonder Jackie Moon (Ferrell), who bought the Flint, Michigan Tropics with the proceeds from his song, "Love Me Sexy."

Before the American Basketball Association (ABA) ended, the National Basketball Association (NBA) planned to add the four best ABA teams to their league. It's up to coach/owner/promoter/star-player Moon to get the Tropics, the worst team in the ABA, up to fourth place.

To help set the bar, Moon trades a washing machine for former NBA bench warmer, Monix (Woody Harrelson). This leads to a brief conflict between Monix and Clarence "Coffee" Black (Andreacute; Benjamin).

After a few words of encouragement, Monix takes over as team manager, leading the Tropics toward their goal of fourth place.

Along with accepting the top four teams, the NBA wants to take the teams that draw the biggest crowds. In an attempt to get up to 2,000 fans at every home game, Moon performs a series of stunts, one of which includes wrestling a bear.

Without spoiling the ending, Moon has a dream that he is in heaven with his deceased mother (Patti LaBelle). The content of the dream helps score the Tropics their fourth place title.

Don't let the afro and short-shorts fool you. "Semi-Pro" isn't Ferrell's best. In fact, I thought he was over sports-related movies. The plot is weak and the acting is mundane. I ran out of my Cherry Icee and I wasn't in the mood to laugh at basketball jokes that I wouldn't get even if Shaquille O'Neal himself explained them to me. Instead of laughing, I kept looking at my watch, counting down the minutes until the movie was over.

Though I had nothing better to do on a Sunday night, I wish I were taking a math class so I could rush home and do work for the course I love so much.

"Semi-Pro" is semi-funny.

Moviegoers will find an almost irresistible gem in "Fool's Gold," a 2008 romance adventure film featuring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.

Fool's Gold tells the tale of Tess (Hudson) and Ben Finnegan (McConaughey), a...
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Moviegoers will find an almost irresistible gem in "Fool's Gold," a 2008 romance adventure film featuring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.

Fool's Gold tells the tale of Tess (Hudson) and Ben Finnegan (McConaughey), a married couple going through a divorce in the Caribbean.

Tess, while trying to forget about Ben, works for billionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland) as a crewmember on his yacht, Precious Gem.

Ben, on the other hand, is a hopeful but penniless treasure hunter with nothing but sand and the clothes on his back to keep him warm.

However, when Ben finds a clue that brings him closer to a lost 400-year-old Spanish treasure, he indirectly uses this chance to bring life back to his relationship with Tess by going on a old-fashioned treasure hunt.

Although the film doesn't bring anything new, there is an unexplained cuteness to the overall story that you can't watch without laughing.

Reminiscing on old treasure-hunting couple Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, "Fool's Gold" does bring back the fondness and intrigue of 1984's "Romancing the Stone."

From scuba diving in the ocean depths to jumping off cliffs on a mo-ped, the stunt work blended well with comedy of the film.

One scene that had intricate stunt work was when Ben, while on a Jet Ski, jumped onto the leg of a runaway seaplane as it began to climb into the sky. That one moment looked so real that it would make you think he would fall into the sea at any second.

Throughout the film, Hudson and McConaughey show great chemistry as you watch them fall in and out of love with one another while they search for clues about the lost treasure.

Veteran actor Sutherland does well for his role as an old man trying to reconcile with his teenage daughter, but he doesn't add much of anything to the film.

Overall, "Fool's Gold" is a popcorn flick that is both funny and adventurous but doesn't do anything new for the romance genre.

"The Greatest Game Ever Played" is a story of courage, passion and one of the greatest unknown American sports heroes of all time.

Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) shocked the golf world during the 1913 US Open, at his side was...
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"The Greatest Game Ever Played" is a story of courage, passion and one of the greatest unknown American sports heroes of all time.

Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) shocked the golf world during the 1913 US Open, at his side was a 10-Year-Old caddie, as he played and defeated his hero, British champion Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane).

An impossible match-up (A David Verses Goliath), and theirs would be the greatest game the sport had ever witnessed.

Caught between the worlds of hardship he knew and the life of privilege he only dreamed of, Ouimet needed to show the world his unshakable will and his ability to make to the tournament.

Eddie Lowery (Josh Flitter) is the Pint-Sized caddie who helps Ouimet find his own way through the fairways and onto victory.

Ouimet's biggest barrier was his father (Elias Koteas) who believed that his son's place in the world had nothing to do with playing a game. This is the true story of a young man who came from nothing, was told he was nothing and went on to be the greatest unsung American hero of 1913.

Movie goers leave the theater with a smile and their heads held high, the film bestows a sense that dreams do come true and you can do anything.

"The Greatest Game Ever Played" is game worth watching more than once.

"Just like Heaven" is a true-to-form "chick flick" starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon.

The story takes place in San Francisco and as predictable as it sounds, a young depressed landscaping architect named...
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"Just like Heaven" is a true-to-form "chick flick" starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon.

The story takes place in San Francisco and as predictable as it sounds, a young depressed landscaping architect named David (Ruffalo) moves into a "diamond in the ruff" apartment with one catch; the previous tenant Elizabeth (Witherspoon) refuses to move on.

David wants nothing to do with the outside world and certainly does not want a controlling roommate who claims the apartment is hers, appears when his slob like habits make her upset and disappears just as easily by walking through a wall.

David thinks she is just a figment of his imagination until she freaks out when she realizes that she is walking through things.

As they try to discover what happened to her, as expected, they fall in love. Toward the end of the movie half of the audience is in tears while the other has their eyes fixated attentively, watching and hoping the two get together.

"Just Like Heaven" is a film full of clichés, but still a very watchable. Not to mention the hilarious performance by Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite" as Darryl, a psychic who guides Elizabeth and David to ask the right questions.

As corny as it sounds, with a few plot points this movie is definitely on my Top Ten list. Not since scenes in the movie "Ghost" with Patrick Swayze and Whoopie Goldberg have I laughed so loud at a "dead person."

"The Greatest Game Ever Played" is a story of courage, passion and one of the greatest unknown American sports heroes of all time.

Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) shocked the golf world during the 1913 US Open, at his side was a 10-Year-Old caddie, as he played and defeated his hero, British champion Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane).

An impossible match-up (A David Verses Goliath), and theirs would be the greatest game the sport had ever witnessed.

Caught between the worlds of hardship he knew and the life of privilege he only dreamed of, Ouimet needed to show the world his unshakable will and his ability to make to the tournament.

Eddie Lowery (Josh Flitter) is the Pint-Sized caddie who helps Ouimet find his own way through the fairways and onto victory.

Ouimet's biggest barrier was his father (Elias Koteas) who believed that his son's place in the world had nothing to do with playing a game. This is the true story of a young man who came from nothing, was told he was nothing and went on to be the greatest unsung American hero of 1913.

Movie goers leave the theater with a smile and their heads held high, the film bestows a sense that dreams do come true and you can do anything.

"The Greatest Game Ever Played" is game worth watching more than once.

Two of the six writers from "Scary Movie" came up with a clever satire yet again, but the film "Date Movie" should have gone straight to DVD.

Although this film was fourth in earnings on opening weekend, it suffers...
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Two of the six writers from "Scary Movie" came up with a clever satire yet again, but the film "Date Movie" should have gone straight to DVD.

Although this film was fourth in earnings on opening weekend, it suffers from overacting, not to mention some scenes which would cause audiences to choke on popcorn.

The film "Date Movie" is similar to "Scary Movie," the first of its installments which was released back in 2000. But three sequels weren't enough.

The fourth sequel is due to release later this year. The compilation of movies begins with the 1997 romance film "My Best Friend's Wedding" to the comedy "Napoleon Dynamite" released two years ago.

The comedy includes scenes from films such as "Shallow Hal," "King Kong," "Hitch," and "Wedding Crashers."

Julia Jones plays off of the character from "Bridget Jones' Diary" tackles events during the film. Jones is played by "American Pie" actor Alyson Hannigan" as the overweight starlet sets out on a quest for romance.

This parody is equally packed with great sexual humor and offensive material, which is sure to have the public laughing, but later. the film can make you wish you waited until it released on DVD.

A few critics have the same horrible opinion, such as Entertainment Weekly and E! Online have said the movie is just not funny and awful, but should've been titled "Date from Hell." Let the critics be the viewers themselves.

Overall, this movie will either make you laugh at the comedic and sarcastic scenes or leave halfway through.

Let's see what the writers will come up with for "Scary Movie 4."

Comedies should stick to comedy, laughs and great acting, not raunchy satires because it just doesn't sell, well to those who are willing to sit through stupidity, you could stay home, pocket $10 and turn on the TV for that.

Muscular warriors, cutting-edge cinematography and 'Matrix' like combat scenes make "300" a movie that both guys and girls will love to watch.

The much anticipated "300", which is based on the epic graphic novel by...
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Muscular warriors, cutting-edge cinematography and 'Matrix' like combat scenes make "300" a movie that both guys and girls will love to watch.

The much anticipated "300", which is based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), depicts the ancient Battle of Thermopylae where 300 Spartans fought bravely against a huge Persian army.

It starts off showing how the Spartans, led by fearless King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), raise there men to be strong, never to give up and never surrender, which gives viewers a sense of why Sparta was so willing to take on the massive Persian army.

The dramatic battle scenes demonstrate the vast regions that the Persian army, led by giant King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), had conquered by their unlimited resources. Soldiers mounted on elephants and rhinos, archers, magicians throwing gun-powdered fire-crackers all where used to attack.

Bare-chested Spartans courageously defended themselves for three days against the well-prepared Persians leaving viewers anticipating how the movie would end.

Surprisingly, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), Leonidas' wife, played a significant role in the movie. Her character was witty, sharp and just as courageous as the Spartan men.

Better than "Sin City," the detailed digital graphics make you feel like you're watching 3D, helping the comic book-inspired movie come to life.

Director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) captured the emotion behind the historical battle by showing the characters as not just warriors but also human.

"I thought it was a beautiful movie, the way movies should be made. Good to look at it. It was a movie done right," said moviegoer Amber, 23, who recently graduated from UCLA film school.

"The music score, sound effects, fight scenes, art direction were all good."

Another moviegoer, Jordan, 22, of Chatsworth, said it was his second time seeing the movie since last Friday.

"This movie has become one of my favorite movies of all time. I would not change anything about it," said Jordan. "One of the first times this year that a movie was worth my 10 dollars."

Both of them said that the opening battle sequence was their favorite part of the movie and would recommend it to others.

For viewers who do not have any prior knowledge about the ancient battle, the movie kind of loses you at the beginning on why the Persian army wanted to take over Sparta and lacks detail about the history.

In the end, the movie comes together leaving you feel like you have seen a great depiction of the Miller's novel.

From the amazing special effects, explicit fight scenes, remarkable story of inspiration to the scantily-clad Spartan men make this movie entertaining to watch.

Spider-Man is back to save the day in this third rendition of the trilogy that has captivated audiences around the world.

Peter Parker, played by the always-enjoyable Tobey Maguire, is planning to ask his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson...
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Spider-Man is back to save the day in this third rendition of the trilogy that has captivated audiences around the world.

Peter Parker, played by the always-enjoyable Tobey Maguire, is planning to ask his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), to be his wife.

But, after a series of unlucky events and miscommunication, the relationship turns sour.

Harry Osborn, played by James Franco, is back with a vengeance. But after getting hit in the head, he loses his memory and reunites with Parker again.

After he gains consciousness, Osborn gets involved in a love triangle between Watson and Parker and later becomes the evil New Goblin once again.

Parker's heartbreak turns him into some sort of rebel after a mysterious virus takes over him.

We not only see Spider-Man's change from good to evil, but Parker himself has a new, bad attitude with a ridiculous haircut that makes him look like a member of The Beatles.

While all of this is happening, Thomas Haden Church accidentally becomes the Sandman after an erroneous test with aggressive molecules.

He rampages all over the city creating chaos and disaster, just like any good villain should do.

It seems like all the characters live in a world of rare coincidences. They seem to run at each other at every corner of the city as if New York was only a small little town with one bar and one restaurant.

The film at some times feels like a soap opera. Intense scenes with Parker and Watson focusing on their tears and feelings, takes away a little of the excitement of the film.

It is usually very good when we see some multi-dimensional characters, but I believe a little less melodrama would have been better for this type of film.

Overall, the cast was enjoyable. Maguire has that dorky personality which makes him really likeable. Dunst was quite good making sure not to overshadow the spotlight from our hero, "Spidey."

Haden Church was amazing as the Sandman, after an apparent body transformation from skinny guy to muscle man. After the film "Sideways" it appears he's been to the gym for some serious time perfecting his image for this role.

But, the black sheep of the film is definitely "That 70s Show's" Topher Grace.

I could've named a million other people to play Venom. Instead, a comic with a scrawny body was selected to portray what was expected to be the most feared villain yet. At the end, his character is a total disappointment; biggest miscast of the film without a doubt.

Failing to meet expectations, "Spider-Man 3" is the worst film of the trilogy.

It is not at the caliber of any of the previous films.

"Spider-Man 3" is not a bad movie, on the contrary, it is quite enjoyable.

But, the anticipation around the world was so intense that we forget that sequels are usually not as good as the original versions.

In the end, this is one of those cases where no matter if a million critics unite and say that the film was terrible, the audiences will still line up by the thousands.

Through the years, "Spider-Man" has become more than just a movie; it has become part of the American culture.

Two words can describe "Georgia Rule": continuous confusion.

The Boston Globe has called it "a bad idea dreadfully executed." The Chicago Tribune says of the movie, "Maybe 'Georgia Rule' should be required...
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Two words can describe "Georgia Rule": continuous confusion.

The Boston Globe has called it "a bad idea dreadfully executed." The Chicago Tribune says of the movie, "Maybe 'Georgia Rule' should be required viewing for Paris Hilton during her term in the slammer. But not for us."

It's very hard to disagree with those reviews. The idea wasn't too bad, but it was badly executed.

The movie is centered on the Wilcox women, more so on Rachel Wilcox, who is dumped on at her grandmother's house for the summer. Rachel, Lilly and Georgia spend the summer together facing their own trials and past problems concerning unresolved issues.

Rachel Wilcox is a troubled teen around 17 years old who constantly has problems with family.

Rachel is played by Lindsay Lohan, as best as it probably could be played.

The performance isn't anywhere near Oscar-worthy, but it gets the job done as to who the character really is, which is flawed. She's supposedly troubled because of all the problems with her mother and her lying.

Thing is, there's a constant flow of lies left and right that not until the end of the movie can you piece everything together and make sense of it all.

Jane Fonda plays Georgia, the grandmother of Rachel and mother of Lilly, who is strict with her rules but caring with her values. Fonda does a relatively good job on her role and convincingly displays what tough love and valued work is.

Felicity Huffman plays Lilly, a mother who wants to avoid her mother's values and rules at all times but feels that her daughter might benefit from them.

It's fairly done and convincing, but again, nothing too special.

Director Garry Marshall has the film moving in different directions all the time, it's hard to concentrate on a single character, or moment, or what is right or wrong.

It has a beginning, it has an end, but the middle is like an accordion.

The movie shifts between the Wilcox women so fluidly and quickly that it's difficult to grasp the essence of the movie.

Just who is the main character? Or is it like "Lord of the Rings" that has a cast of equal characters?

A movie that seemingly doesn't end well, doesn't start well and is structured badly can't really be recommended. "Georgia Rule" should be watched if you're a big fan of one of the actors, maybe Lohan or Fonda.

Most movies usually end well with a happy ending, suspense that'll give way to the next sequel, or a moment of ending satisfaction. This movie ends in a unsatisfactory state. Who knows if the Wilcox women will solve the problem they all face at the end?

It's hard to find the positives of the movie when everything is average or below average.

"The Hoax" tells the story of the man who wrote the false autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

The movie starts with writer Clifford Irving's literary disappointments, which flourish into his scheme of...
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"The Hoax" tells the story of the man who wrote the false autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

The movie starts with writer Clifford Irving's literary disappointments, which flourish into his scheme of writing the book of the decade, an autobiography of Hughes. Based on a true story, the film follows how Irving deceived many people in gathering his information to write the book, which actually was published in 1971.

Richard Gere plays Irving masterfully in a performance that gives all liars a good name. Almost every twist is infused with his lies.

Dick Suskind , played by Alfred Molina, is the sidekick to Irving. His performance of a stumbling, nervy researcher couldn't have been better as time and time again he looked the part of someone who could give anyone a heart attack.

Although the acting in this R-rated movie is very well done by both Gere and Molina, the storyline itself was confusing at times. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. It jumped around so much that at times, I wondered which parts were a dream and which were real?

It's hard to see a person lie as much as this movie's characters. One after the other, it was as though there was a never ending stream which gave a negativity to it and only made me pity the movie and characters even more.

The Hoax is good in that it keeps the audience entertained and consistently keeps their attention. The frequent jumps and constant hoaxes skew my rating of the movie.

Roadside motels are given a whole new meaning as "Vacancy" checks in with bone-rattling horrific thrills in a nice, 85-minute package with enough blood and language to fill an R-rating.

But does the time and rating give the...
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Roadside motels are given a whole new meaning as "Vacancy" checks in with bone-rattling horrific thrills in a nice, 85-minute package with enough blood and language to fill an R-rating.

But does the time and rating give the film an extra punch or is it just limping behind its other scary brethren?

This small tale chronicles the journey of David and Amy Fox (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale), a disgruntled couple who can't seem to get through a conversation without trying to scratch each other's eyes out.

As fate would have it, their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and both are forced to spend the night at a small roadside motel. Trying to calm down, the pair try to find some entertainment in some unnamed low-budget horror films. After watching the videos for a couple of minutes, they make a horrid discovery that the location in the films is their exact room.

Finding hidden cameras shelved away in every part of the room, the frightened couple must put their problems aside and work together to escape this nightmare before they become another one of the snuff director's grand masterpieces.

Being only an hour and 25 minutes long, the film jogs at a steady pace as it delves into the main characters' personal lives and the problems with their relationship. It's more than enough to keep the audience's attention while trying to move the story along with the couple figuring out new ways to disrupt their host's plans to erase them out of existence.

The musical score of the film emphasized the intensity of the story greatly with its use of the quick, strong chords of the violin and the whispered bumps and thumps of electronic synthesizers.

The special effects, however, felt a little short-lived. The use of blood was very realistic but minimal as there were few major scenes that employed it, not to mention the small clips of fictional snuff films. But the infrequent use of blood was made up with intense action and chase scenes including a sequence that dealt with the couple crawling through an underground tunnel infested with rats while trying to escape their predators.

It was interesting to see Wilson and Beckinsale as two frustrated, potty-mouthed civilians forced in a terrifying situation. From experience, Wilson "The Family Stone" was shown as the romantic, funny type while Beckinsale "Underworld" was shown as the strong, courageous, "won't-back-down-from-a-fight" type.

Though the film has its moments of horrific scenery and "edge of your seat" thrills, it should be considered as a quaint beginning to a list of the season's short-lived thriller flicks.

"The Kingdom", directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, is by no means your typical action movie.

The trailers for the film are so full explosions that one would think that's all there was to the film. However, there...
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"The Kingdom", directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, is by no means your typical action movie.

The trailers for the film are so full explosions that one would think that's all there was to the film. However, there is much more than expensive stunts and gunshots to this movie.

"The Kingdom" takes place in Saudi Arabia and immediately begins with an impressive action sequence on an American civilian compound.

Terrorists successfully attack the compound, which looks frighteningly similar to a typical American suburb.

The explosions are intense and the "embedded journalist" viewpoint used in shooting is extremely effective.

This single action scene sets the pace for the whole movie, which rarely has any downtime.

The FBI, in charge of investigating terrorism, forms an elite team to find and capture the terrorists responsible for the bombing. The movie takes a good 30 minutes to actually get the team to the Middle East.

It drags the viewer through fast cuts of dialogue across every conceivable office on Capitol Hill.

While it attests to the quick-tongue world of Washington, D.C., it serves more to confuse the audience than to inform.

Out of this political clout comes the elite FBI team. The four-member squad is led by Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx). Fleury is teamed up with Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner) and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman).

Foxx's character takes center stage as the charismatic leader that has a hard time accepting "no" for an answer.

Foxx delivers a well-rounded performance. His character, though cliché, is delivered in such a way that it makes it seem new and fresh.

The other three actors also do a fine job, but fall victim to their supporting roles, becoming standing pieces intended solely to support Foxx.

What each actor truly does, though, is make each character entirely believable, even in situations that are not.

Sadly, the movie really doesn't become enjoyable until the team leaves for Saudi Arabia.

The viewer is immediately placed in the scene through great camera work that truly makes a person forget they are in a movie theater.

This contrast of cultures is embodied in the conflict between Foxx's character and the Saudi Arabian colonel, Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who has the task of protecting the FBI team.

The movie focuses on the two and how they come to terms with their cultural differences. This makes "The Kingdom" more like a character piece than an action movie.

Foxx and Barhom have such great chemistry that it's easy to forget they are reading from a script. This isn't to say that the movie forgets it's an action blockbuster however.

The action sequences are brutal and realistic. A typical car chase is turned upside down by the amazing directing, almost placing the viewer in the driver's seat as bullets fly by.

The tension builds everywhere the team travels, the camera occasionally breaking from a scene to wander, as if to force the viewer to be cautious.

While the movie gives a small peek into life in the Middle East, whispering moral and ethical questions to the audience, it keeps an overall neutral stance.

Aided by a great script and equally impressive acting, "The Kingdom" delivers more bang than your typical action movie, if only hindered by the small, yet still present, Hollywood formula.

"Things We Lost in the Fire" is a story about life, death and what happens to us when someone we love transitions between the two.

The movie centers around the death of father, husband, son and friend, Brian, played by David...
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"Things We Lost in the Fire" is a story about life, death and what happens to us when someone we love transitions between the two.

The movie centers around the death of father, husband, son and friend, Brian, played by David Duchovny.

Danish director Susanne Bier paints the screen with lucid imagery to draw on the audience's senses. Whether it is the classic rock style sounds emanating from Jerry Sunborne's (Benicio Del Toro) headphones, or the streaming close-ups of tear-filled eyes, Bier creates a strong connection between audiences' emotions and those of her characters.

In Brian's relationship with his childhood best friend, Jerry Sunborne (Benicio Del Toro), we see how the path one takes into adulthood determines the friendships we keep. Against his wife's objections, Brian struggles to remain supportive of Jerry, whose drug addiction has separated him from the rest of the world.

With Brian serving as the family's backbone, the film's central question is what happens when a family unexpectedly loses that backbone. In each character we see how people differ in their approaches to coping with loss.

Through the character of Brian's mother, we see grief in its most raw form, as it literally cripples her. Bedridden, her coping methods serve as polar opposites to Audrey's (Halle Berry) who is forced to maintain composure for the sake of her children.

Wearing a zombie-like expression throughout Brian's funeral, coupled with her inability to sleep for weeks after, Berry taps into the emotional struggle one feels when faced with loss of their one true love.

With a pillar of the family stolen in death, Audrey is forced to remain the only stable support for her children and is unable to fully embrace and deal with the loss of her husband.

However, as she selflessly tries to ignore her own pain she begins to internally fall apart. In an attempt to fill the cold and silent emptiness of a once lively home, Audrey invites Jerry to live in the guest house.

The audience is shown the darkest side of addiction through Jerry's painful heroin withdrawals, as well as the strength one can find in themselves after a traumatic loss.

However slow to take off, what this film lacks in excitement it makes up for in depth.

"Things We Lost in the Fire" is a story about life, death and what happens to us when someone we love transitions between the two.

The movie centers around the death of father, husband, son and friend, Brian, played by David...
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"Things We Lost in the Fire" is a story about life, death and what happens to us whe