Mindhunters **1/2
Cast: LL Cool J, Jonny Lee Miller, Kathryn Morris, Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, Patricia Velasquez, Eion Bailey, Will Kemp, Clifton Collins Jr.
Director: Renny Harlin
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: R

Seven serial killer profiler students and one observer are taken to an island by their teacher, Jake Harris (Kilmer). They are given a weekend to solve a fake case, and this will serve as their final exam. They quickly find out that there is a killer amongst them when people start getting killed one by one. As the suspicion shifts from person to person, the team must use their skills to find the killer before it is too late.

"Mindhunters" is a good movie with no outstanding performances. The story is interesting, but when everything is revealed, it seems impossible that the killer could have planned all the killings. This, of course, is a big plot hole. If you can get over this, and not take the movie too seriously, "Mindhunters" is a mostly entertaining, although forgettable experience.

Star Wars: Episode III - Return of the Sith ***1/2
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Jimmy Smits, Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, Christopher Lee, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl-Jones (voice)
Director: George Lucas
Running Length: 2:20
MPAA Classification: PG-13

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

The series started in 1977 is finally completed with "Sith". It is no secret what happens -- Anakin becomes Darth Vader, Darth Sidious becomes Emperor, the Jedi are killed -- the bigger questions are why and how. George Lucas manages to tie up enough loose ends to satisfy, and "Sith" is one of the better films to bear the name "Star Wars".

The movie opens Obi-Wan (McGregor) and Anakin (Christensen) attempting to save the kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine (McDiarmid) from Count Dooku (Lee). Not all is as it seems, and soon the Jedi have their eyes on Palpatine. They fear he will prolong the war to retain power. Meanwhile Anakin is having nightmares of Padme (Portman) dying. Soon, Darth Sidious is taking advantage of both these situations to acquire a new apprentice in Anakin by promising unlimited power.

"Sith" is not a happy movie. The film is darker in tone than every other "Star Wars" movie that has come before it, and the PG-13 rating is well deserved. Fortunately, that is what most fans want. There is loads of action from beginning to end, including the long light saber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan and another battle between Darth Sidious and Yoda.

Unfortunately, the movie is plagued by the poor acting that has been evident in the previous prequels. The only standouts are Ian McDiarmid and Ewan McGregor. McDiarmid is both reserved and dignified, and over the top evil as necessary to the story. He is the glue that has held the prequels together, and has lent some class to the acting. McGregor looks and sounds more like Sir Alec Guiness, and his pain in palpable when his best friend betrays him.

The effects are astounding. Every inch of the screen is filled with something to see, all the time. The story really delivers as well. Filled with lots of tie-ins to the original series, "Sith" really bridges the gap between Episodes I-III and Eposodes IV-VI.

My biggest complaint is the appearance of the dark attired Darth Vader. The whole movie leads up to this point, and what we get is a bit disappointing. Comparisons to Frankenstein are not entirely off, and that is not a good thing.

In the end, it is a heck of a ride, and a fitting conclusion to a series that has captured the imaginations of many for 27 years. Lucas has said that he will not make Episodes VII-IX, but only time will tell. Until then, we have a complete tale of the rise, fall, and redemption of one of the biggest villians of the 20th century. I highly recommend seeing this film and all the "Star Wars" films if for some reason you have not. Thank you Mr. Lucas.

Kicking & Screaming ***
Cast: Will Ferrell, Robert DuVall, Mike Ditka, Musetta Vander
Director: Jesse Dylan
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG

Phil Weston (Farrell) has never lived up to his dad, Buck's (Duvall), expectations. Buck is a man's man, big on toughness. When he trades his own grandson from the soccer team he coaches, Phil is mad. He sees his son being treated like he was as a child.

Circumstances put Phil in the position of coaching his son's new team. They are really bad, and Phil recruits the help of his dad's neighbor and arch-nemesis, Mike Ditka (gleefully playing a caracature of himself). The get a couple of ringers (kids of the local Italian butcher), and soon find themselves on the winning track. Of course, before the season ends, they will cross paths with Buck's team, and that will be Phil's chance to prove himself once and for all.

"Kicking & Screaming" is a good, funny family movie. Farrell, having long since proven he has escaped the SNL curse, is great and believeable as the sone who just wants his dad to be proud of him. Duvall also shines as the tough as nails dad. Mike Ditka also gives a great performance in a role that pokes some fun at himself. Plot-wise, there is nothing new here. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable and funny film, and I recommend it.

Unleashed ***
Cast: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, Kerry Condon
Director: Louis Leterrier
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: R

Danny (Li) is mobster Bart's (Hoskins) enforcer/dog. He is treated like a pet and has been trained to be docile and subservient until his collar is taken off. At that point he unstoppable, beating enemies into a bloody pulp. One day, fate steps in, and Danny finds himself a free man.
Sam (Freeman), a blind piano tuner and his step-daughter Victoria (Condon) take him in and become his friends. Together they give him everything he never had, most notibly, a family. They re-train him to live a normal life. Unfortunately, Danny's past is not yet behind him, and when his past and present meet, anything could happen.

Hoskins and Freeman are standouts in this film. Hoskins steals every scene he is in as the genuinely evil Bart. He plays the part with a delicious glee. Freeman is equally good as the reserved Sam. He is immensely likeable and completely believeable as the piano tuner who gives Danny a real life. Li provides first rate action sequences that are no holds barred pummelling.

Action lovers will definately enjoy "Unleashed". Oddly enough, I think that piano lovers will as well. Either way, "Unleashed" is an entertaining film.

Crash ****
Cast: Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Jennifer Esposito, William Fichtner, Terrence Dashon Howard, Ludacris
Director: Paul Haggis
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: R

Early on in "Crash", Don Cheadle's character makes an observation that people crash into each other just to feel something. He is talking about a car accident, but the deeper meaning is that we crash into each other as individuals. "Crash" is a chronicle of those instances. The film weaves a number of different story lines featuring characters of different races, religions, and wealth together in unexpected ways. You have the opportunity to make a first impression of every character, only to find out later that that impression was completely wrong.

A big name cast makes this a movie that many will see. If the cast contained more lesser-known actors, it still would have been as good, but would probably disappear quickly. First time director Paul Haggis provides the screenplay (he wrote the screenplay for "Million Dollar Baby" as well) to a finely crafted film that makes you think without being too preachy, a common downfall of movies with this subject matter.

The cast is excellent all around. The script is great, providing serious drama as well as some genuine laughs, with revelations about the characters peppered throughout the film. "Crash" is an excellent movie that shows how first impressions are not always correct. I highly recommend this film.

Kingdom of Heaven **1/2
Cast: Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, Jeremy Irons, Eva Green, Brendan Gleeson, Edward Norton, Ghassan Massoud, Marton Csokas, Alexander Siddig, David Thewlis
Director: Ridley Scott
Running Length: 2:25
MPAA Classification: R

In 1184, Balian (Bloom) is mourning the death of his wife. One day Baron Godfrey of Ibelin (Neeson) shows up to tell Bailen that he is his father. Bailen reluctantly agrees to accompany him to Jerusalem to gain forgiveness for his sins and for his wife's sins (she had committed suicide). On the way, Godfrey is mortally injured. He knights Bailen and gives him the title of Baron before he dies.

He arrives in Jerusalem as a friend of King Baldwin IV (Norton) and Tiberias (Irons), but in Guy de Lusignan (Csokas), he finds an enemy. Outside the city, Saladin (Massoud), the Arab leader is amassing an army to take Jersulam back from the Christians.

One thing "Kingdom of Heaven" does well is portray both sides evenly. Niether the Christians nor the Arabs are perfect. The audience can sympathize with both sides. Unfortunately, this leads one to not really favor one side over the other. The Arabs are not being outrageous when they finally do attack, and one could argue that the Christians had it coming. The Christians are just defending themselves, and the acts of the few are causing this war. The film is objective with regards to the two sides, but that takes away from some of the emotion that otherwise could have been developed.

Orlando Bloom is nothing special as the leading man. Riding his "Lord of the Rings" action hero status into this film, it is quickly obvious that he was a supporting figure in those better movies. The rest of the cast is fairly unremarkable, except for Edward Norton, who provides an uncredited performance as the leper king of Jerusalem.

The film is beautifully shot, and while longer in running time, does not feel long. "Kingdom of Heaven" was being looked to to revive the grand epics that suppered with "Troy" and "Alexander". It probably won't help the cause, as the first weekend's gross indicated.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ***
Cast: Martin Freeman, Mos Def , Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, John Malkovich, Bill Nighy, Anna Chancellor, Alan Rickman (voice), Stephen Fry (voice), Helen Mirren (voice)
Director: Garth Jennings
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: PG

In England, Arthur Dent (Freeman) wakes up to a bad day. His house is about to be flattened to make way for an expressway bypass. He finds out his friend Ford Prefect (Def) is an alien. And the Earth is about to be destroyed by the Vogons. Ford gets them off of Earth in time, and soon they find themselves in the company of Zaphod Beeblebrox (Rockwell), the President of the Galaxy; Trillian (Deschanel), the last human woman; and Marvin (voice of Rickman), a depressed robot that makes Eeyore look happy.

"Hitchhiker" is just what fans of the books have been waiting for. While deviating from the source material, the screenplay was co-written by Douglas Adams himself, and a lot of the dialogue is lifted from the novels. The story has existed in different versions before as well, so the changes are nothing to throw the fans off.

Martin Freeman is the perfect Arthur, an ordinary everyman. Mos Def nails Ford Prefect almost perfectly. Sam Rockwell is over the top annoying at times as Zaphod. And there is no one more perfectly suited to give voice to Marvin than the great Alan Rickman. Marvin steals just about every scene he is in.

That being said, this movie is more for fans of the novels than the average moviegoer. It is true to the spirit of Adams's work, and should leave fans satisfied. Others may walk out saying "what was the point?". I think it is worth a viewing though even if you are not a fan on the off chance that you connect with it. And if you don't, don't panic, the summer movie season is just around the corner.