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.

Dawn of the Dead ***1/2

Cast: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Ty Burrell, Michael Kelly, Kevin Zegers, Lindy Booth
Director: Zack Snyder

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." And that is just the problem facing a handful of the living in the remake of this horror classic. They take refuge in a mall, and baracade themselves in as the world around them becomes more and more zombie-filled. I have not seen the original, so I cannot offer an opion as to which is better, but I do know that I never expected to enjoy a zombie movie as much as I did with this one. The fast moving (and hungry) undead are exceptionally creepy as they strive for just a bite of the survivors. And that is all it takes to set about changing someone from a happy-go-lucky human to flesh-eating zombie. The bigger the bite, the quicker the change. Soon the survivors, led by Ana (Polley) and Kenneth (Rhames), decide they need to make a break for a (hopefully) uninhabited island in the lake. Will they make it? I'm not saying, but be sure to stay through the closing credits where the real end of the story takes place. Filled with horror, action, and even humor, "Dawn of the Dead" is a great escape for those craving a horror-fix.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ***

Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo
Director: Michel Gondry

When introverted Joel (Carrey) meets extroverted Clementine (Winslet), sparks fly and romance blooms quickly. But their differences eventually divide them and the relationship ends abruptly in an explosion of meanness. Clementine decides to have Joel removed from her memory, and seeks the assistance of Dr. Mierzqwiak (Wilkinson) and his less than professional assistants (Wood and Ruffalo). When Joel discovers this, he decides to follow suit and remove Clementine from his mind. But Joel's memory is a tangled place, and soon he discovers that he does not want to lose the memories that he has. What follows is a foreword and backward journey through Joel's mind as he tries to hide his memories of Clementine from the "erasers". As usual, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman has produced an offbeat movie. Those looking for a typical Jim Carrey movie will be sorely disappointed. If you are looking for an off the wall romance in which almost anything can happen (after all, a good portion of the movie takes place in Joel's head), you will walk away with a smile on your face and the realization that all memories are a part of who we are and should never be forgotten.

Spartan ***

Cast: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, Tia Texada, William H. Macy, Ed O'Neill, Kristen Bell
Director: David Mamet

Marine operative Scott (Kilmer) is selected to help find the kidnapped daughter of a politician. He is given 48 hours to do this before the media gets wind of the story and runs with it. Aided by Curtis (Luke), he dives into an investigation that takes new twists and turns with each new bit of data they recover. It seems that the reason for the kidnapping might not be what everyone thinks, but that doesn't mean the the girl is not in danger. And as he draws closer to finding her, other forces begin to work against him to actively prevent him from succeeding. Director David Mamet has constructed an interesting tale with motivations that are sadly believeable in today's age. Spartan is an interesting film that is not afraid to slam the politics of today's world.

Secret Window ***1/2

Cast: Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Maria Bello, Timothy Hutton, Charles S. Dutton
Director: David Koepp

Author Mort Rainey (Depp) is on the brink of a divorce and living a deeply depressed life in his cabin in the woods, trading everyday interaction with people for a comfy sleeping spot on his sofa. Every once and a while he might even write something. One day, his life is disrupted by the appearance of a stranger, John Shooter (Turturro), who claims that Rainey stole his story, and he wants Rainey to "make it right". Initially dismissing this claim, Rainey soon finds that his story and Shooter's story are almost identical, and Shooter will not be ignored. Shooter begins to turn up the heat, and Rainey finds himself racing against time to prove himself. Depp, fresh off of Pirates of the Caribbean, is back in a Johnny Depp-like role in the quirky, unkempt Mort Rainey. Turturro, who is always good playing the weirdo does an excellent job as the mysterious Shooter. Well directed by Koepp, with subtle clues as to the answer of Rainey's delimna, this adaptation of a Stephen King story is very well done. And for those who have read the story, the movie actually improves (in my opinion) on the ending.

Hidalgo ***

Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, Zuleikha Robinson, Adam Alexi-Malle, Louise Lombard, Saïd Taghmaoui, Adoni Maropis
Director: Joe Johnston

Hidalgo is the story of Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen), his horse Hidalgo, and a long distance race across the Arabian desert. Hopkins was known as the world's greatest long distance rider, and when an Arab challenges that title, he finds himselftravelingg halfway around the world to participate in a 3000-mile race across the Arabian desert. Along the way, they will battle the heat, fight some bad guys, and maybe even save a woman in distress. While based on the real life Hopkins' memoirs, he was known as a bit of abraggartd, and the level of truthfulness of the story comes into question. That being said, the story being told is highly entertaing and full of adventure. Mortensen, in his first post-Lord of the Rings role, shows that he can carry a lead role and without the help of Tolkien and Peter Jackson. Hidalgo is an enjoyable movie for the whole family.

Starsky and Hutch ***

Cast: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis, Snoop Dogg, Chris Penn, Terry Crews, Will Ferrell
Director: Todd Phillips

Starsky & Hutch is the latest 70's television show to receive an upgrade to the movie screen. Was this necessary? Probably not, but the result is a really funny movie. Taking the "Brady Bunch" approach, and placing their tongues firmly in cheek, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson assume the roles made popular on the small screen so many years ago. Ben Stiller is the somewhat anal Starsky and Owen Wilson is the laid back Hutch. And while there is a plot somewhere in there, the movie's focus is the relationship between the two. After being teamed together, they are out to bust a drug dealer, played by Vince Vaughn, who has developed cocain that cannot be detected by narcotics dogs. The plot allows them to go undercover, get some girls, and have some action scenes. I firmly believe that there will be a sequel to this, especially if the film does well (which I think it will). Stiller and Wilson have a comroderie that has worked well in previous movies, and is even more evident here. If you are looking for a laugh, check out Starsky & Hutch.

The Passion of the Christ ****

Cast: James Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Hristo Jivkov, Hristo Naumov Shopov, Mattia Sbragia
Director: Mel Gibson

As everyone knows, Mel Gibson's film focuses on the last 12 hours of the life of Jesus. From the Garden of Gethsemenie to turture to crucifixion to resurrection, Mel Gibson's movie is a emotional journey through the heart of Christian belief. Is it bloody? Yes. Is it violent? Yes. Does that diminish its value? Not in the least. This movie is an unflinching view of Jesus' final hours that is powerful and moving. mes Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, and Monica Bellucci give stunning performances as Jesus, Mary, and Mary Magdeline respectively. The emotions that they convey on their faces is heartbeaking. As for the anti-Semitism, I did not see any. I think that you will see what you want to see in this regard, although I do not believe contains any anti-Semitic views. I recommend that everyone (Christian or not) take in a viewing of this amazing film.

Eurotrip **

Cast: Scott Mechlowicz, Jacob Pitts, Michelle Trachtenberg, Travis Wester, Jessica Boehrs
Director: Jeff Schaffer

This predictable but sometimes funny movie finds Scott and some friends heading to Europe for the summer to find his e-mail pal Mieke and to declare his love for her. Oh yeah...he had previously mistook her for a guy and told her off, so there is somewhat of a time factor involved, but that doesn't seem to speed things up too much for the gang. They find themselves travelling pretty much all over Europe, getting into bad situations that include a nude beach, an anal probe, and a brother and sister make-out session. This movie does not work enough for me to recommend seeing in the theaters. It is about middle of the road for road trip-gross out movies.

OSCAR PREDICTIONS RESULTS
WILL WIN -- 6/9 -- Not too bad...I was optimistic about my best actor and best supporting actress picks and went against the favorites. Gotta take a chance sometimes!
SHOULD WIN -- 2/9 -- Clearly the Academy was wrong more often than not.

The show gets pretty boring when all the favorites in all the major categories win. Same goes for LOTR winning every category it was up for. Just remember: the best movie/person does not always win!!!

OSCAR PREDICTIONS REVIEW

Best Picture:
Lost in Translation -- Should win.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- Will win.

Actor:
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation -- Should win and will win.

Actress:
Naomi Watts, 21 Grams -- Should win.
Charlize Theron, Monster -- Will win.

Supporting Actor:
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai -- Should win.
Tim Robbins, Mystic River -- Will win.

Supporting Actress:
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog -- Should win and will win.

Director:
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation -- Should win.
Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- Will win.

Adapted Screenplay:
Brian Helgeland, Mystic River -- Should win and will win.

Original Screenplay:
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation -- Should win and will win.

Animated feature film:
Finding Nemo -- Should win and will win.

Miracle ***1/2

Cast: Kurt Russell, Eddie Cahill, Michael Mantenuto, Patrick O'Brien Demsey, Nathan West, Noah Emmerich, Patricia Clarkson
Director: Gavin O'Connor

Miracle is a straightforward account of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, and how they came to be. The story is told, for the most part, from the perspective of head coach Herb Brooks (Russell) as chooses the team and then shapes them into the champions that they will become. He has many unorthodox ways that rub his players, assistant coaches, and Olympic committee members the wrong way. But, Brooks has a plan. He knows exactly what needs to be done to bring home the gold. He also has a personal stake in the matter: he was cut from the Olympic team just before they won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics.

The hockey games are well choreographed and are able to generate a level of tension despite the fact that the outcome is known to all. Russell gives a fine performance as a coach who has just one goal: to win. This is a good family that is inspiring and will leave you with a warm feeling inside after it is over.

OSCAR PREDICTION:Best Picture:
Lost in Translation -- Should win. Excellent all around.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King -- Will win. LOTR mania will reign supreme at the Oscars this year and ROTK will be rewarded for the entire trilogy even though it is not the best movie of 2003.
Seabiscuit -- Surprise nomination with no real chance of winning.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor:
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation -- Should win and will win. Bill Murray has given the performance of his career with his funny and touching portrayal of a man that seems to be disconnected from everything around him until he makes that one special connection.
Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog -- Great, moving performance, but will probably be ignored because he has won before.
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl -- Could win. Surprise nomination for is humorous portrayal of a pirate in one of the year's biggest surprise hits.
Sean Penn, Mystic River -- Good job, but he was much better in 21 Grams.
Jude Law, Cold Mountain -- No chance. Cold Mountain did not live up to expectations, and he has already said that he should not win.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress:
Naomi Watts, 21 Grams -- Should win. Powerful performance as a happily married mother who has everything torn away from her.
Charlize Theron, Monster -- Will win. She uglied herself up to get into the mind of a serial killer. A good performance, but not the best.
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider -- A pleasant surprise of a nomination, but she probably has little to no chance.
Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give -- I don't really know why she was nominated.
Samantha Morton, In America -- DID NOT SEE

50 First Dates ***

Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Sean Astin, Rob Schneider, Blake Clark
Director: Peter Segal

Veterinarian Henry Roth (Sandler) is a player. He has made a habit of seducing tourists coming to Hawaii, where he lives. That is, until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). After spending a day together, they agree to meet again the next day for breakfast. One problem: when the next day comes, she doesn't remember him! It seems that she was in a car accident that caused her to be unable to retain short term memory. She remembers everything up to the accident, but forgets everything from the previous day. But a funny thing has happened: Henry is genuinely interested in Lucy. He begins to show up for breakfast every day, hoping she will eventually remember him. Sandler and Barrymore have great chemistry together, even better than in their previous effort together, "The Wedding Singer". Sandler's Henry is sweet in his pursuit of the forgetful Lucy. There are some plot holes that can be forgiven for a movie of the type, and the end doesn't cheat the audience with an easy solution. And, of course, this is a good date movie for the Valentine's season.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Supporting Actor:
Ken Watanabe, The Last Samurai -- Should win. Excellect performance as one of the last of the great samurai. Quiet but powerful and thought prevoking.
Alec Baldwin, The Cooler -- Could win. Also playing one of the last of his kind ("old school" casino owners in Las Vegas), he has begun a bit of a resurgence in his career with this role.
Tim Robbins, Mystic River -- Will win. Playing a tormented soul with secrets in his past and present will give him the edge in this category.
Benicio Del Toro, 21 Grams -- He is worthy of the nod, playing a born again ex-convict, but will not win.
Djimon Hounsou, In America -- DID NOT SEE

OSCAR PREDICTION: Supporting Actress:
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog -- Should win and will win. Great subtle performance of the wife behind a proud Iranian immigrant.
Marcia Gay Harden, Mystic River -- Great performance of a wife who is torn between supporting her husband and doing what she thinks is right.
Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain -- Comic relief in a serious Civil War movie. A bit over the top at times.
Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April -- DID NOT SEE
Holly Hunter, thirteen -- DID NOT SEE