Wild Hogs **1/2
Cast: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Ray Liotta, Marisa Tomei, Stephen Tobolowsky
Director: Walt Becker
Running Length: 1:39
MPAA Classification: PG-13

The Wild Hogs is a motorcycle gang made up of four middle-aged men. Doug (Allen) is a dentist. Woody (Travolta) is unemployed. Bobby (Lawrence) is a sewage engineer. Dudley (Macy) is a computer engineer. They embark on a road trip to put some excitement into their lives. Along the way, they run into the Del Fuegos, a real motorcycle gang, and barely manage to survive the encounter. They seek refuge in Madrid, where Dudley meets Maggie (Tomei) and takes a liking to her. Meanwhile, the Del Fuegos find out where the Hogs are, and come looking for them.

“Wild Hogs” is an uneven movie that has some good moments, but they are balanced out by some unfunny ones. Most of the major laughs can be seen in the previews, and that is never a good sign. The four leads have a camaraderie that is believeable, and that is perhaps what saves the movie in the end. This is by no means the best movie for any of them, but there is enough here that many will enjoy it. I recommend waiting for the DVD.

300 ***1/2
Cast: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro
Director: Zack Snyder
Running Length: 1:57
MPAA Classification: R

In 480 B.C., 300 Spartan soldiers led by Kin Leonidas (Butler) defended Sparta from a much larger Persian force led by King Xerxes (Santoro). The story is mostly clouded in legend, and although the Spartans did not win the battle, they dealt Xerxes and his army a blow that would eventually be their downfall. This was the Battle of Thermopylae.

“300” is like nothing before it. If you thought “Sin City” has neat to look at and a great example of comics come to life, “300” will blow you away. This movie has style. It is beautiful to look at and is worth seeing for the visuals alone. The cast of relative unknowns does a good job in bringing life to the characters. None are well known enough to overshadow the story, and that is a plus. “300” is a non-stop action movie that I highly recommend. And even if it is not grounded completely in reality, I think the Spartans would still be proud of it.

Music and Lyrics ***
Cast: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Haley Bennett, Campbell Scott
Director: Marc Lawrence
Running Length: 1:43
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Alex Fletcher (Grant) was a big name back in the 1980’s as a member of the band Pop! At least, he was with teenage girls. 20 years later he is a has-been who works state fairs. Miraculously, his agent Chris (Garrett) hooks him up to with a chance to record a duet with Cora (Bennett), the latest big name pop star. The only condition is that he needs to write a duet in less than a week. Not having written anything new in a long time, this seems like quite the challenge until Sophie (Barrymore), the woman who waters his plants, shows some lyrical skill. She is reluctant to help him, but eventually caves in and soon they are writing a song and falling in love.

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore are no strangers to the romantic comedy, and for the most part, they bring their A game. The video of Grant from his 80’s heyday is almost worth the price of admission itself. The two have good chemistry, and there are some genuine laughs to be had. “Music and Lyrics” is an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Zodiac ***1/2
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Chloë Sevigny, Brian Cox, Dermot Mulroney, John Carroll Lynch
Director: David Fincher
Running Length: 2:43
MPAA Classification: R

In the late 1960’s, the Zodiac killer terrorized Northern California. Investigating the murders were detectives Dave Roschi (Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Edwards). Reporting on the murders in the press were Paul Avery (Downey) and cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal). In fact, the movie is based on Graysmith’s book and the obsession he developd in trying to find the Zodiac’s identity. As such, the “solution” provided has not been proven, but is the belief of Graysmith.

“Zodiac” is an interesting and well made movie. Fincher’s direction is not a showy as his previous efforts, but keeps the tension high when necessary and interjects small moments of humor to lighten the mood when necessary. Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo, Downey, and Edwards are all very good in their roles, and Lynch is suitably creepy for most of his screen time. “Zodiac” may move too slowly for some in its last half, but those that want a peek into the hunt for a serial killer will not be disappointed. I highly recommend “Zodiac”.

The Number 23 **
Cast: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Logan Lerman, Danny Huston, Rhona Mitra
Director: Joel Schumacher
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: R

Walter Sparrow (Carrey) is living a normal life, with a wife and son. One day, his wife Agatha (Madsen) buys him a copy of a book called “The Number 23”. The book details the obsession of a detective named Fingerling with the number 23, and its appearance in everything around him. Walter feels a connection to Fingerling and becomes obsessed with the book, feeling someone wrote it about him. He begins to see the number 23 everywhere, leading him to spiral into madness.

In “The Number 23”, Jim Carrey once again tries “serious mode”, and is somewhat successful given the constraints of the film. It is nothing outstanding, but it gets the job done. The story itself is a bit of a disappointment though, having less to do with the number 23 than you would hope. Seeing 23 in daily life is the most interesting part of the movie, and for that not to have a larger part in the ending is a shame. The film has some interesting visuals when it comes to the reading of the book, but overall, “The Number 23” falls flat.

Ghost Rider **1/2
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, Wes Bentley, Donal Logue, Sam Elliott
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In his youth, Johnny Blaze (Cage) made a deal with the Devil (Fonda) . He gave up his sould to the to save his father’s life. Years later, as the world’s top stuntman, nothing can stop him from the most crazy of stunts. The Devil won’t let him die. When Blackheart (Bentley) comes to Earth to take it over, the Devil makes Johnny into Ghost Rider – a flaming skeleton on a bike – and tasks him to defeat Blackheart and his minions.

“Ghost Rider” is clearly on the B-list of Marvel superheroes, and that is evident in the film. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the movie is enjoyable in its own way. Surprisingly, despite its subject matter, “Ghost Rider” does provide a number of lighter moments that contribute to its enjoyment. The actors are all adequate, none a standout. The effects are nicely done. Hollywood has come a long way in animating digital flames. In the end, “Ghost Rider” is an entertaining, but forgettable, superhero movie.

Hannibal Rising *1/2
Cast: Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li, Rhys Ifans, Dominic West, Kevin McKidd, Richard Brake
Director: Peter Webber
Running Length: 2:00
MPAA Classification: R

In 1944, Hannibal Lecter (Ulliel) sees his parents die in a battle outside the family cabin. He and his sister are captured by some locals, and in the bleak winter eat Hannibal’s sister to survive. Eight years later, Hannibal seeks out his uncle’s widow, Lady Murasaki (Li), and moves in with her. Hannibal’s goal is to locate the guys who ate his sister and kill them. Hot on his trail is a French police inspector (West), who knows what Hannibal is up to but cannot prove anything.

“Hannibal Rising” may as well be titled “Hannibal: Death of a Franchise”. It is completely unnecessary and makes a joke of everything that has gone before. Ulliel is greatly miscast and does not even come close to filling the shoes of Anthony Hopkins (who wisely has steered away from this film). This has to be one of the bigger disappointments in recent years. Stick with “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Red Dragon”, and forget about “Hannibal Rising”.