Without a Paddle **
Cast: Matthew Lillard, Seth Green, Dax Shepard, Ethan Suplee, Abraham Benrubi, Burt Reynolds, Bart the Bear
Director: Steven Brill
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When a childhood friend dies, Jerry (Lillard), Dan (Green), and Tom (Shepard) are reunited at the funeral. While reminiscing about old times, they remember a treasure hunt that they were all going to go on. Discovering maps and plans in their now-dead friend's treehouse, they decide to embark upon a quest for the treasure in the deep woods. These city boys are way out of place and soon find themselves facing a bear, and two rednecks that are up to no good.

After seeing this, it seems that they movie is trying to capture the sweetness/grossness of the "American Pie" movies. The problem is that with a PG-13 rating, the grossness does not reach the hilarity that was in "American Pie", and the sweetness comes off as cheesy. These "serious" scenes just do not work. My recommendation is to wait for DVD. You will get some good laughs out of this movie, bu not enough.

Alien Vs. Predator ***
Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewan Bremner, Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan, Joseph Rye
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

AVP is a movie that has been in the making for a long time. Ever since an alien head showed up in "Predator 2", fans have been craving this match up. Now it is finally here, but do fans get what they have been waiting for? Yes, and no.

The discovery of pyramid in Antarctica prompts Charles Bishop Weyland (Henriksen) to mount an expidition there. When his team enters the pyramid, they set off sensors that seal off the pyramid and set the wall into motion. Quickly they discover alien eggs that begin to open and predators that are looking for some aliens to hunt. It seems that this temple is used every 100 years as a rite of passage for the predators. Now, the humans are caught in the middle and must choose a side if they want to have any hope of getting out alive.

AVP does deliver some good battles between the aliens and the predators, but even the best of them suffer from what is my biggest complaint with this movie. The director and producers have taken two R-rated franchises and joined them up into a PG-13 battle royale. The only possible reason to deliver a PG-13 movie is to get a lot of teenagers into the audience, and it is a shame that this movie is watered down because of it. The mythology of the two creatures is changed a bit for the movie, but that did not bother me. The actors did serviceable jobs, but they are not why you would go see AVP. Better than last year's "Freddy Vs. Jason", AVP is worth checking out for those seeking a good monster match up.

Collateral ***1/2
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, Irma P. Hall
Director: Michael Mann
Running Length: 1:55
MPAA Classification: R

It started out like any other night. Cab driver Max (Foxx) picks up Vincent (Cruise) who tells him that he has a few stops to make, and offers him $600 to get him to agree. When a body falls out of the first stop and lands on his cab, Max realizes he is in for more than he bargained for. As it turns out, Vincent is a killer for hire who has arrived in Los Angeles to wipe out five people that are causing some trouble for his employer. Max has just become his personal chauffeur for the evening. Vincent's domineering, confident attitude is enough for the most part to keep Max in line. Gradually dragging Max into the "action" also serves to make Max an accomplice of sorts. Vincent also serves as a mentor of sorts, telling him that he needs to get off his butt and take action in his life. In the end, this could be Vincent's downfall, if Max can get it together and make a stand.

I was pleasantly surprised by "Collateral". While not action-heavy, the action scenes are very effective. The more pervasive interactions between Max and Vincent are gripping at times, as a strange relationship forms between the two. Cruise's Vincent is a bit of a departure for him, but he fills Vincent's shoes convincingly. Foxx as Max is equally effective as his character gradually develops some strength of character.

This is not your typical action movie, but if you like a some thought in your movies, you will not be disappointed. This is a gem in the doldrums of the August box office. Check it out.

The Manchurian Candidate ***1/2
Cast: Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep, Jon Voight , Kimbery Elise, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Director: Jonathan Demme
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: R

In an election year, a political thriller like "The Manchurian Candidate" packs an extra punch and delivers enough plausible story points to make one wonder if the events in the movie could really occur. In pre-Desert Storm Kuwait, Captain Ben Marco (Washington) and his convoy are attacked and captured. Three days later, they are found alive - supposedly rescued by Raymond Shaw (Shreiber), a member of the convoy. He is awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor, and thirteen years later his is running for vice-president. But Marco is having nightmares about those three days; days that are blurry in his memory. He comes to believe that Shaw may not be the hero that everyone believes he is (himself included), and begins an investigation into matters. When he finds others in the convoy are also suffering from nightmares, his paranoia increases.

I have never seen the original, but this remake, from director Jonathan Demme, delivers a sufficient amount of mystery and intrigue to keep you on the edge of your seat almost until the credits roll. My only complaint is that they attempted to deliver a type of "happy ending" to the film. To some extent, it takes away from what has happened just before it. That is all I can say without giving it away, but if you have seen the movie, you know what I mean. Denzel Washington gives another excellent performance as the tormented Ben Marco. Meryl Streep offers up the right amount of bitchiness and creepiness as Raymond's Hillary Clinton-like mother, Eleanor. This movie was definately better than I anticipated, and I would highly recommend it.

The Village **1/2
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Brendan Gleeson, Judy Greer
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Running Length: 1:48
MPAA Classification: PG-13

M. Night Shyamalan's latest movie takes us to the late-19th century town of Covington. A town surrounded by woods that have creatures prowling in them. It seems that the townspeople have an understanding with these creatures: if the townspeople stay out of their woods, they will stay out of their town. And so, this community has thrived safely for many years. But, there are younger folk in the village that think they can safely pass through the woods into the outer towns if their intentions are pure. They reason that the creatures will see this pureness and let them pass. This is the argument that Lucius (Phoenix) presents to the elders. Of course, the elders forbid it, fearing for not only his safety, but the villagers' as well. When Those We Don't Speak Of enter the village one night, the elders take this as a sign that they must stay out of the woods. Soon it becomes a matter of life or death that the blind girl Ivy (Howard) pass throught the woods on a quest to the towns, and she must muster up her courage to deal with the beings in the woods.

If you have seen the trailer for this movie, and thing you know what the movie is about, you are wrong. There are few scary moments in this movie, but they are very effective. Instead, the movie focuses on the love triangle (of sorts) between Lucious, Ivy, and the town idiot Noah (Brody). Their relationship drives the events of the movie, and all three do an excellent job with their characters. The biggest role of the three, surprisingly, is Ivy's. Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter), in her first starring role is what makes this movie work. As for the expected Shuamalan twists, there are two. One did not surprise me and one sort of did. There is no revelation here along the lines of "The Sixth Sense", and that is probably what everyone will be waiting for. Despite the good acting, there really is not too much here. It is not a bad film, but it is not great either. Instead, it falls somewhere in the OK range. Unfortunate, but at least it gives Howard a platform to show that she has what it takes to be a great actress.

Here are some cool movie posters for "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie" coming only to theaters in November 2004. Personally, I can't wait!

Big Action

Big Drama

Big Twists

Big Romance

Big Evil