Movie Minis

OPENING

• Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004) (PG) — A biographical drama about the celebrated golfer during his professional ascent in the late 1920s and early 1930s, with Jim Caviezel in the title role. The supporting cast features Claire Forlani, Jeremy Northam, Aidan Quinn and Malcolm McDowell.

• Envy (2004) (PG-13) — A farce about the corrosive effects of the deadly sin on Ben Stiller, whose best friend and neighbor, Jack Black, suddenly strikes it rich with a seemingly preposterous invention. Rachel Weisz is cast as Mr. Stiller’s spouse and Amy Poehler as Mr. Black’s. Christopher Walken plays a kibitzing drifter.

• Godsend (2004) (PG-13) — A sinister domestic and pseudo-scientific thriller starring Robert De Niro as a genetic researcher who persuades bereaved parents Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos that he can clone their son, killed in a freak accident. Eight years later the couple begins to suspect that something isn’t right with their replica.

• Laws of Attraction (2004) (PG-13: Sexual situations, frequent alcohol use and coarse language) — **. Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore are the sole reasons to watch the umpteenth attempt to revive the screwball romantic comedy. The duo star as dueling divorce attorneys who can’t fight the chemistry between them, despite their best legal instincts. The pairing works in fits and starts, but the nonsensical storyline and uneven characters drain the beauty from this power couple. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2003) (No MPAA Rating — adult subject matter) — **. A documentary feature, compiled by George Hickenlooper, about Los Angeles disc jockey Rodney Bingenheimer, a curious fixture of the pop celebrity world for about 40 years. He championed countless performers during his time at the L.A. rock station KROQ. Among those testifying to his devotion are Cher, Nancy Sinatra, David Bowie, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, Alice Cooper, Lance Loud, Gwen Stefani, Chris Martin and Kim Fowley. Exclusively at the Landmark E Street Cinema.

• Mean Girls (2004) (PG-13: Occasional profanity, sexual allusions and comic vulgarity in a high school setting) — **. A hit-and-miss update on high school tribal rites from the Lorne Michaels apparatus. Tina Fey of “Saturday Night Live” has a principal role as a math teacher and wrote the screenplay, derived from a sociological treatise. Tim Meadows and Amy Poehler of “SNL” are conspicuous supporting players. The plot is meant to revolve around Lindsay Lohan as a newcomer to an affluent campus in Evanston, Ill., where she is torn between rival factions. The mockery of adolescent snobberies and insecurities is scattershot at best, but the movie has some farcical highlights.

• Noi (2003) (No MPAA Rating — adult subject matter, with occasional profanity, sexual allusions and fleeting violence) — . A puzzler from the Frozen North, a metaphorical fable about feeling buried alive in an Arctic setting. An teenager named Noi (Tomas Lemarquis) demonstrates misfit symptoms while dwelling with his grandmother in a tiny community at the foot of a majestic ice mountain. The characters, formulated for deadpan absurdist comedy, are far less intriguing than the town, which evidently shelters about a thousand hardy residents. A documentary about the town would be more useful. In Icelandic with English subtitles. Exclusively at the Landmark E Street Cinema.

NOW SHOWING

• The Alamo (2004) (PG-13: intense battle sequences) — **1/2. With screaming cannon fire and a hail of musket balls, this is a war buff’s movie. Even more, it is a movie for Texans, if they can stand the fashionable historical fine-tuning from writer-director John Lee Hancock. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid and Jason Patric. Reviewed by Scott Galupo.

• Bon Voyage (2003) (PG-13: mild sexuality; some violence) — ***. The fall of Paris is turned into high farce in Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s World War II adventure, as socialites, scamps and spies high-tail it to a Bordeaux hotel. Starring Gregori Derangere, Isabelle Adjani and Gerard Depardieu. Reviewed by Scott Galupo.

• Clifford’s Really Big Movie (2004) (G: Mild violence. Some carnival stunts could be scary to toddlers) — **1/2. The late John Ritter gives voice to Clifford, the gargantuan canine enjoying his first big-screen romp. The star of the beloved children’s books by Norman Bridwell runs away from home to compete in a talent contest run by a shady dog-food tycoon (John Goodman). The film’s gentle storytelling and lack of irony is a treat these days, but the film’s anemic animation makes it feel like a direct-to-video effort. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• Close Your Eyes (2004) (R: Sustained ominous and morbid emphasis, with occasional graphic violence and profanity; threats concentrated on a juvenile character) — *1/2. An unsavory occult thriller that begs to be nipped in the bud, lest it spawn a series about another demon child. Goran Visnjic plays a hypnotherapist who has migrated with his pregnant wife (Miranda Otto) and their young daughter from Seattle to London in order to escape a scandalous case. He becomes vulnerable to a cult of ritual killers when pressured by a police officer (Shirley Henderson) to probe for hidden clues in the subconscious of a girl who remains traumatized after escaping an abduction. The longer it lasts, the uglier it gets. Directed by Nick Willing, who doesn’t excel at the willing suspension of disbelief.

• Connie and Carla (2004) (PG-13: Frequent sexual innuendo and vulgarity; systematic allusions to homosexuality; fleeting violence and drug allusions) — *1/2. A motley revamp of “Some Like It Hot,” with Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette as an always dubious and frequently grotesque masquerade act. Lounge singers from contemporary Chicago, they witness a gangland execution and flee to Southern California, catching on instantly as female impersonators at a gay bar in West Hollywood. Shoddy in conception and execution and pitched almost exclusively at a homosexual audience whose credulity would need to be infinite and pathetic.

• Ella Enchanted (2004) (PG: Fleeting comic vulgarity and sexual innuendo) — **. Another facetious, anachronistic romp with fairytale characters and settings. It is far from faithful to the source material, a popular juvenile novel by Gail Carson Levine. The lovely discovery of “The Princess Diaries,” Anne Hathaway, plays the title character, Ella of Frell, a high-minded maiden cursed with a sense of obedience that makes her potential putty in the hands of domineering types. Her romance with a prince (Hugh Dancy) is threatened by this lingering defect, and the movie teems with gauche and chintzy defects of its own. Nevertheless, the young leads generate an appealing sincerity when the director, Tommy O’Haver, can resist being a barrel of yucks. With Cary Elwes as the prince’s villainous uncle and Minnie Driver as the heroine’s bland-voiced aunt, an ineffectual fairy.

• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) (R: Occasional profanity and sexual candor) — *1/2. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, estranged lovers, have had their memories effaced by a dubious Long Island company, where overnight erasure is inexpertly monitored by a staff that includes Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst, all more amusing than the principals. The second collaboration of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry, this trickily muddled heartbreaker proves a solemn letdown compared to their nutty, unjustly neglected “Human Nature” of 2002.

• Good Bye, Lenin! (2004) (R: Brief full frontal nudity, coarse language) — ***. This delightful German import describes the ultimate love between mother and child. It’s East Berlin, circa 1989, and Alex watches in horror as his mother collapses and falls into a coma during a government protest. Alex’s pro-socialism mother sleeps through the Berlin Wall’s collapse, and when she wakes her doctor warns Alex not to expose her to anything that could shock or upset her. So he takes her home and creates a world within their apartment that recreates the government she once held close to her heart. The film’s frothy mix of humor, drama and political commentary almost always hits the mark. In German with English subtitles. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• Hellboy (2004) (PG-13: “Sci-fi action violence and frightening images,” according to the MPAA) — ***. A fun monster film with heart derived from Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse Comics series. Ron Perlman, in red makeup and tail, plays Hellboy, the malign creation of a mad despot who was salvaged in his youth by a virtuous mentor (John Hurt), who operates a clandestine bureau for paranormal research. Hellboy and colleagues lend their super powers to the protection of mere mortals. With its colossal battles fought against the backdrops of forbidding sewer systems, subways and a mechanized castle, the two-hour-plus opus beautifully displays the dark, gritty world of Mr. Mignola. Mr. Perlman delivers an empathic and humorous performance as the demon who never looks ridiculous as he sands his horns and rescues a pair of kittens. Directed by Guillermo del Toro from his own screenplay. Reviewed by Joseph Szadkowski.

• Home on the Range (2004) (PG: Fleeting comic vulgarity) — **. Disney animators attempt to rediscover the West as a backdrop for tall-tale facetiousness. Three heifers, spoken by Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench and Jennifer Tilly, vow to save their dairy farm from foreclosure by capturing a rustler, Alameda Slim, who uses yodeling as a form of mesmerism. The pretext sounds funny enough, and songwriters Alan Menken and Glenn Slater pitch in with some amusing songs. The prevailing illustrative style errs on the schematic, underbudgeted side, and the farcical set pieces accentuate uproar at the expense of cleverness.

• I’m Not Scared (2003) (R: Sustained ominous and morbid emphasis, with occasional graphic violence and profanity; plot revolves around a kidnapped child) — *1/2. A sun-drenched summer landscape in southern Italy is a disarming facade for menace in this repellent Italian import, derived from an acclaimed suspense novel. A 10-year-old boy named Michele, who lives in a small rural community, discovers a concealed bunker near an abandoned villa. It turns out to be the makeshift prison of a kidnapped boy, whom Michele attempts to rescue, unaware that people close to him are implicated in the crime. Director Gabriele Salvatores’ scenic flair is undermined by exceptionally sadistic and hateful material. In Italian with English subtitles.

• Johnson Family Vacation (2004) (PG-13) — At long last, the premise of “National Lampoon’s Vacation” revamped for a “typical” black family, with Cedric the Entertainer as the dad and Vanessa Williams as the mom, motoring across country to a family reunion in Missouri. Their children are played by Bow Wow, Solange Knowles and Gabby Soleil. Not reviewed.

• Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) (R: Bloody violence, sexual content and harsh language) — ***. Quentin Tarantino’s violence-packed ode to his genre influences concludes on a high note as Uma Thurman’s Bride finishes her vengeful journey. This time, the Bride is after her former partners in mayhem, played by Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen and, of course, David Carradine as Bill. “Vol. 2” slows down the pace with occasionally brilliant results, letting the geeky auteur showcase his love of storytelling, not just stylized violence. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• The Ladykillers (2004) (R: Frequent profanity and comic vulgarity; fleeting sexual allusions and racial epithets) — *1/2. A Coen brothers fiasco, derived from Alec Guinness’ great English caper comedy of 1955. The brothers shift the locale to small-town Mississippi, where Tom Hanks as a Southern-fried scoundrel tries to con devout widow Irma P. Hall while hiring a gang to tunnel from the cellar of her home into a neighboring casino. The eccentric battle of wits that elevated the prototype is jawed and bludgeoned out of pleasing proportions; the filmmakers gross out on obscene banter and slapstick while yoking Mr. Hanks to a grandiloquent idiom that deadens the soundtrack. The other felons are played by Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma and Ryan Hurst.

• Man on Fire (2004) (R: Frequent graphic violence, with gruesome illustrative details; occasional profanity and vulgarity; fleeting sexual candor) — **. Retribution redeems Denzel Washington, a burnt-out government agent, in this newly minted monstrosity, derived from an obscure 1987 melodrama with Scott Glenn. Feverishly pumped up by director Tony Scott and screenwriter Brian Helgeland, it could be the most hypertrophic revenge and/or vigilante thriller ever hallucinated across the screen. Hired to protect the endearing Dakota Fanning, living with well-to-do parents in Mexico City, Mr. Washington fails to prevent her kidnapping but exacts generous reprisals in the aftermath. One emerges with the punch-drunk impression that Hollywood has declared war on Mexico.

• Monsieur Ibrahim (2003) (R: sexuality) — ***. French director Francois Dupeyron’s coming-of-age tale about an abandoned Jewish boy in Paris taken under the wing of a Muslim shopkeeper (Omar Sharif). As a fable of spiritual convergence, the movie is a stretch, but its humor and sensitivity work on a basic human level. In French with subtitles. Reviewed by Scott Galupo.

• The Passion of the Christ (2004) (R: Prolonged and graphic violence in a Biblical setting) — **. Mel Gibson places more stock in mortifying the flesh than many of us. Evident as far back as “Mad Max,” this propensity blossomed into a last-act ordeal in his Oscar-winning “Braveheart” in 1995. Now it’s the overwhelming preoccupation and prevailing source of brutal spectacle in “Passion,” Mr. Gibson’s re-enactment of the arrest, abuse and crucifixion of Jesus. There’s not a great deal of Gospel authority for dwelling on depictions of physical torture and suffering on the road to Calvary, but the Gibson emphasis may strike a responsive chord in some believers. Caleb Deschanel’s cinematography and the use of ancient languages give the movie its most haunting evocative aspects. In Aramaic and Latin with English subtitles.

• The Prince & Me (2004) (PG: “Sex-related material and language,” according to the MPAA) — *1/2.An updated romantic comedy about a commoner enamored of a prince, with Julia Stiles as a pre-med student at the University of Wisconsin who falls for a charming exchange student, Luke Mably, before realizing that he’s the crown prince of Denmark. Eventually, she meets his folks, played by James Fox and Miranda Richardson. The cast also includes Ben Miller and Alberta Watson.

• The Punisher (2004) R (Brutal violence, brief nudity and strong language) — *1/2. Marvel Comics’ antihero comes to the big screen with Thomas Jane (“Dreamcatcher”) fleshing out the title role. FBI agent Frank Castle (Mr. Jane) takes the legal system into his own hands when a wealthy Tampa businessman (John Travolta) blames Frank for the death of his son. The Punisher may lack super powers, but “The Punisher” the movie is never at a loss for unintentional guffaws or brutal, numbing violence. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• Shaolin Soccer (2003) (PG-13: action violence) — *1/2. Popular Hong Kong import about a brotherhood of kung fu monks who apply their powers to the game of soccer. Charitably speaking, it’s not quite funny and passably silly. Directed by and starring Stephen Chow. Reviewed by Scott Galupo.

• Starsky & Hutch (2004) (PG-13: Mild profanity, drug humor, sexuality, action violence) — **. Director Todd Phillips, a bepermed Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have their way with the characters of David Starsky and Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson, the Bay City, Calif., blue boys who fought crime in America’s living rooms for a few years in the late ’70s. As schlocky as the TV series, but funnier. Reviewed by Scott Galupo.

• 13 Going on 30 (2004) (PG-13: sexual content; brief drug references) — **1/2. An inspired redo of “Big,” with superbabe Jennifer Garner as a 13-year-old who gets her wish to be “30, flirty and thriving.” Miss Garner and character actor Mark Ruffalo bring a likable, fizzy chemistry to this romantic fable. Directed by Gary Winick. Reviewed by Scott Galupo.

• Walking Tall (2004) (PG:13: Action film violence, sexual situations and alcohol use) — **. The 1973 vigilante hit is recast with a very modern hero (wrestling great Dwayne Johnson, aka the Rock). The erstwhile grappler stars as Chris Vaughn, a former soldier who returns to a home town suddenly rife with corruption. He changes all that with the help of an old pal (Johnny Knoxville) and a trusty hunk of lumber. The film’s populist themes still resonate, but The Rock can’t overcome the film’s aching predictability. Reviewed by Christian Toto.

• The Whole Ten Yards (2004) (PG-13: profanity; sexuality, partial nudity; action violence) — *1/2. Gratuitous sequel to 2000’s “The Whole Nine Yards.” Reunites hitman Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski (Bruce Willis) and dentist Nicholas “Oz” Oseransky (Matthew Perry) for another round of double-dealing and double-crossing. Also starring Amanda Peet and Kevin Pollak. Reviewed by Scott Galupo. MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS