Kill Bill: Volume 2 ***
Cast: Uma Thurman, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Gordon Liu (Pai Mei)
Director: Quentin Tarantino

The Bride (Thurnman) is back, and set to continue her revenge streak in Volume 2. Her targets: Elle (Hannah), Budd (Madsen), and of course, Bill (Carradine). Along the way, we get flashbacks of her training and the wedding massacre that would set her on her course of revenge. This is a better movie than Volume 1, focusing more on characters than action. Volume 2 is also a (marginally) better film than Volume 1. It can stand on its own, and feels more like a Tarantino film, despite being essentially a love story. To me, David Carradine was the scene stealer as the titular Bill. Whereas in Volume 1, he was a mysterious figure, he is probably the most developed character in Volume 2. Tarantino has made two interesting films that really could have been shortened down into one that might have been better than the sum of its parts.

Walking Tall ***
Cast: The Rock, Neal McDonough, Johnny Knoxville, John Beasley, Barbara Tarbuck, Kristen Wilson, Khleo Thomas, Ashley Scott, Michael Bowen
Director: Kevin Bray

Special Ops veteran Chris Vaughn (The Rock) returns home with hopes of working at the local sawmill, but soon discovers that his hometown has changed quite a bit in his absence. The sawmill has closed, and the main business in town is a casino that is run by his old friend Jay Hamilton (McDonough). They quickly become enemies, with Hamilton's casino being trashed, and Vaughn being beaten and left for dead. Vaughn is able to clear himself and then runs for sheriff. His victory over the old sheriff all but ensures another showdown with Hamilton.

"Inspired" by a true story, Walking Tall is a remake of a movie of the same name that fictionalizes the true story more than the original did. This is a movie that really did not need to be made, but The Rock once again steps up and salvages some enjoyment out of it. He has the charisma and presence to be the next big action star. He is really the only reason to see this movie, and one can easilly see this as another stepping stone in the movie career of The Rock.

The Ladykillers ***1/2
Cast: Tom Hanks, Irma P. Hall, Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst, Diane Delano
Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Professor G. H. Dorr (Hanks) arrives in the southern town of Saucier with the intent of robbing a riverboat casino. He makes arrangements to stay with a elderly widow named Marva Munson (Hall), whose house just happens to be close to the casino's vault. Under the guise of practicing their music, his "band" members begin holding practice sessions in the basement. Little does Marva know, they are tunnelling their way to a fortune. The characters alone are pure Coen brothers, each imbued with their own wacky traits. And everything seems to be going well for the team of crooks, but the best laid plains often go awry. This is one of the Coen brothers' funnier efforts, even though it is a remake of a 1955 British film. The are able to make it their own with the character s and the execution. I would highly recommend this movie.

Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed **

Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini, Seth Green, Peter Boyle, Alicia Silverstone
Director: Raja Gosnell

When real monsters start coming to life and terrorizing Coolsville, the Scooby gang must come to the rescue and stop the madman behind the scheme. The mastermind behind this terror is also tarnishing the gang's image as well, making them doubt themselves. All of this in a movie that probably did not need to be made, but was inevitable after the success of the original. The whole cast returns for this sequel, but this series is starting to feel tired already. True, younger audiences will probably enjoy it, but unless adults are big Scooby-Doo fans, there will be some disappointment. If you want to see it, wait for DVD.

Taking Lives ***

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland, Gena Rowlands, Olivier Martinez, Tchéky Karyo, Jean-Hughes Anglade
Director: D. J. Caruso

On special assignment, Special Agent Scott (Jolie) heads to Montreal to help an old friend, who happens to be a police captain, catch a serial killer. Her arrival produces mixed feelings within the department, but she is able to immediately get results. Murder witness James Costa (Hawke) is able to provide her with a picture of the murderer, Martin Asher (Sutherland), a man thought dead for 20 years. Asher's mother has also claimed to see her son in Montreal. And then, the hunt is on. The "twist" near the end of the movie wasn't overly surprising (I had guessed it early on), but that doesn't take away from the movie's effectiveness as a thriller/murder mystery. What does detract from the movie is the tacked on "happy ending" of sorts that was probably only added to provide clusure. There was a shocking scene in these final minutes that drew gasps from the audience though. In the end, this is a good movie that could have been a lot better without the added on ending. Credible performances all around, although some of the actors do not get as much screen time as one might expect.

Hellboy ***

Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, John Hurt, Doug Jones, David Hyde Pierce (voice)
Director: Guillermo del Toro

The latest comic book adaptation to hit theaters is Hellboy, a non-conventional super hero played with gusto by the great Ron Pearlman, best known for his role as Beast in the Beauty and the Beast TV show. This time he is the headliner, thanks to del Toro who only wanted him.

Hellboy came to this world as a result of a Nazi plan that was thwarted by the Allies. Raised by American scientist Professor Bruttenholm (Hurt), Hellboy grows up as an agent of the FBI's Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, bumping back against the things that go bump in the night. When the bad guys return to bring evil gods to Earth and start armageddon, Hellboy and his band of "freaks" jump into action.

Filled with action, humor, and special effects, Hellboy is an entertaining experience, even for those who never heard of him before (like me). Great excapist entertainment.