The Forgotten **1/2
Cast: Julianne Moore, Anthony Edwards, Linus Roache, Gary Sinise, Dominic West, Alfre Woodard, Christopher Kovaleski
Director: Joseph Ruben
Running Length: 1:29
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Telly Paretta (Moore) has been mourning the death of her son for over a year. She has a supportive husband (Edwards) and a capable psychologist (Sinise), and is making progress towards acceptance. Then, suddenly, little things start to happen. Her car is parked in a different space than where she left it. A cup of coffee she is drinking disappears. These events concern her, but it isn't until her son's things start to disappear that she really freaks out. All of a sudden no one seems to remember her son, although the memories are quite clear to her. Teaming up with the father of a girl who was killed in the same accident as her son, Telly sets out to figure out just what is going on. And that is as far as I will go story-wise, because I don't want to give too much away.

Moore does a good job as the grieving mother who is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. In fact, she gives the stand out performance in this movie. The special effects, when used are very effective, especially the "snatching" effect seen in the previews. The story is interesting, but fails somewhere along the way to really make sense. When everything is revealed, it does not entirely support what has gone before, and the "happy ending" that is tacked onto the end really makes no sense at all...it just serves as a giant "reset button" that seems cheap. The point of the story is nice though, and that gives it some points in my book. All in all, I would recommend waiting for DVD on this one.

Vanity Fair **1/2
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Romola Garai, James Purefoy, Rhys Ifans, Gabriel Byrne, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Bob Hoskins, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent
Director: Mira Nair
Running Length: 2:20
MPAA Classification: PG-13

""Vanity Fair" is the story of Becky Sharp (Witherspoon), a social climber, who attempts to rise from poverty to the British high society. This is done through a marriage to Rawdon Crawley (Purefoy). And once his gambling problem threatens their status in society, Becky quickly seeks to maintain here newfound stature.

Based on the classic novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, "Vanity Fair" is definately not my type of movie. That being said, fans of period pieces and classic novels will probably be satidfied. I found it difficult to get into and even more difficult to care for any of the characters. Finally, at 160 minutes, this movie runs far too long. This is not a movie for everyone, but a small few will find it highly entertaining.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow ***
Cast: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Gambon, Bai Ling, Omid Djalili, Sir Laurence Olivier
Director: Kerry Conran
Running Length: 1:47
MPAA Classification: PG

When giant robots invade Manhattan, Joe "Sky Captain" Sullivan (Law) is called in to save the day. After stopping those robots, he is reunited with Polly Perkins (Paltrow), an old love and reporter. Apparently, the robot attack is tied to the disappearance of prominent scientists. Some research by Polly points to the mysterious Dr. Totenkoph (Laurence Olivier, in a computer-aided performance - he has been dead for a while now). Sky Captain embarks on a quest to find Totenkoph, and Polly will not be left behind.

To some extent "Sky Captain" is an exercise in style over substance. That's not to say that there is no story, it is just that the story serves to give the audience all those glorious visuals. The effects are amazing, and provide the movie with a look that I have never seen before. "Sky Captain" plays like a movie from the early twentieth century made with the effects technology of today. It is an original idea, and it is flawlessly executed. The effects are so great to look at that you do not realize the story is not the greatest. Perhaps it just seems a bit hokey in today's movie age...I am not a huge fan of old movies.

Law and Paltrow do good jobs in the lead roles. Angeline Jolie makes an appearance later in the film, but is by no means one of the leads. The most memorable role is Dex Dearborn, Sky Captain's sidekick played with a bit of quirkiness by Giovanni Ribisi. "Sky Captain" is a good "escape" movie, worth checking out, especially on the big screen.

Cellular ***
Cast: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Christian Olsen, William H. Macy, Jason Statham, Adam Taylor Gordon, Rick Hoffman, Richard Burgi, Eddie Driscoll, Jessica Biel
Director: David R. Ellis
Running Length: 1:34
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Like "Phone Booth", "Cellular" was written by Larry Cohen. But, while "Phone Booth" kept the main character trapped in a phone booth for the entire movie, "Cellular" allows the good guy freedom to rove all over the city as long as he has his cell phone with him. Ryan (Evans) receives a phone call on his cellular phone from Jessica (Basinger). She tells him that she has been kidnapped and has managed to get the smashed phone that she has working. She needs his help. She has no idea why she has been kidnapped, bur is worried about her son and husband. When Ryan finally comes to believe her, he sets out to save her and her family.

"Cellular" keeps the tension at a high level throughout its running time, and that is its saving grace. It is not until later, looking back, that you realize that some of what has gone before stretches credibility. And that is ok. Basinger and Evans are very good in the lead roles, and William H. Macy is his usual excellent best in a supporting role as a cop who does not believe Ryan at first. They work well together, and the bond that they form is believeable. The reasons for the kidnapping are also plausible.

"Cellular" is a pleasant find in the doldrums of September cinema. It is 94 minutes well spent, and most people will find something to like in it.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse **1/2
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Thomas Kretschmann, Jared Harris, Sandrine Holt, Raz Adoti, Mike Epps
Director: Alexander Witt
Running Length: 1:33
MPAA Classification: R

"Apocalypse" picks up right where this first "Resident Evil" left off. In fact, it backtracks a bit to explain how the ending of the first came about. And then, we are off, as Alice (Jovovich) hooks up with some others (Guillory, Holt, Fehr) trapped in the city. The city has been locked down because the virus from the first movie has gotten out of the Hive. The group is offered assistance in getting out if they can find and rescue the daughter of an Umbrella Corp. employee. Added incentive comes in the form of a nuclear cleansing of the city that is on its way. Along the way, they will deal with zombies, more of the creatures from the first movie, and the Nemesis (a really big, ugly mutant with a creepy smile).

"Apocalypse" falls short of the confined terror of the first film. The underground nature of the original added to the rising tension, while here the players have the run of the city. Plus, to some extent, there is not much new here. The Nemesis is a creepy adversary, but he introduced fairly early on, and his eventual end is no surprise, given the events of the first film. There is also another cliffhanger of sorts at the end to set up another sequel.

Chances are, if you liked the first film, you will like this one as well. If you did not like the first one or avoided it completely, you would be better off looking elsewhere for entertainment. What you think you will get out of this film is exactly what you will get. I liked it, but only enough to recommend on DVD.

Hero ***
Cast: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Donnie Yen, Chen Daoming
Director: Zhang Yimou
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: PG-13

"Hero" is the apocryphal story of the uniting of warring kingdoms in Asia into the country of China. Three assassins who have sought to murder the king have themselves been murdered by the Nameless warrior (Li). Now, Nameless is brought before that king (Daoming) to be rewarded for his heroic deeds. While there, he recounts the tales of his battles with these assassins, and then the king offers another perspective on things that turns everything that has gone before on its head.

"Hero" is an interesting movie that will not appeal to everyone. It is in many ways reminicent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", but also very different. Filled with vibrancy and color, every frame of this movie is amazing to look at. It is very easy to get lost in the images presented by director Zhang Yimou. The fight scenes are beautifully choreographed and surreal. Utilizing the "Wire-fu" first seen be American audiences in "Crouching Tiger", the characters leap and spin with no regard for gravity or any laws of physics. The story itself seems straightforward, until the king offers a possible alternative for the way things actually happened. Then, the movie takes a number of twists and turns that are mostly satisfying.

"Hero" is not your typical action movie, and I cannot recommend this movie for everyone. That being said, I think that this movie could be a pleasant surprise for some people looking for something a little different.

Suspect Zero **1/2
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Harry J. Lennix, Kevin Chamberlin
Director: E. Elias Merhige
Running Length: 0:99
MPAA Classification: R

FBI agent Thomas Mackelway (Eckhart) is called to New Mexico to investigate a murder that left the dead body in a car on the Arizona-New Mexico border. As the investigation begins, Mackelway soon finds himself being taunted by someone via faxes of drawings of the victim. Soon, there is another murder, seemingly at random. But, the second victim is a serial killer, and it turns out that the killer might be one as well. Could there be a serial murderer going around killing serial murderers? Well, that is where the movie falters a bit. There is no real mystery here, and if you have seen the trailer you know that. Ben Kingsley plays Benjamin O'Ryan, an ex-FBI remote viewer who is plagued by horrible images that are compelling him to act. Kingsley does the best he can with what is given him, and the movie is interesting enough, but one cannot help but wonder if this movie would have been better if the killer's identity had been more of a mystery. Of course, then you would have less screen time for Kingsley, and he carries the movie to some extent. Good movie, but not as good as it could have been.

Exorcist: The Beginning ***
Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Izabella Scorupco, James D'Arcy, Remy Sweeney, Julian Wadham
Director: Renny Harlin
Running Length: 114 min
MPAA Classification: R

The classic movie, "The Exorcist" established a backstory for the older priest, Father Merrin. Now, "Exorcist: The Beginning" looks to provide the full story of Merrin's first exorcism. As the story opens, Merrin (Skarsgård) is a archeologist and has quit the priesthood after World War II. He is tormented by the War and it has caused his faith to falter. Merrin is summoned to Africa by the Catholic Church to investigate the discovery of a church buried in the sand. When it is unearthed, strange things start happening, and Merrin must find his faith to exorcise the demons that threaten to consume himself and the whole excavation team.

This movie does not live up to the original, but there really is no way that it could. Considered a classic by many, "The Exorcist" sets a high bar that the two previous sequels could not surpass. This is better than 3, and I have not seen 2. A lot of the problems with this movie are external to some extent. The original director was fired after he did not give the studio the blood and gore that it wanted, and Renny Harlin came on board to do reshoots and piece together a "scarier" version. Of course, blood and gore are not necessary to make a movie scary, and at times it seems like overkill.

Skarsgård fills the role of Merrin well, and brings to him a haunted quality that is necessary to his character for reasons that become apparent quickly. All in all, this is a good movie that could have been great, but is still highly entertaining and enjoyable for horror fans. I would recommend it, and also recommend looking for it on DVD when it comes out, because the rumor is that both versions will be included on it.

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

The Bourne Supremacy ***
Cast: Matt Damon, Brian Cox , Joan Allen, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Karl Urban, Oksana Akinshina
Director: Paul Greengrass
Running Length: 1:48
MPAA Classification: PG-13

It has been two years since we last saw Jason Bourne (Damon), and in that time he has been trying to live a "normal" life with his girlfriend Marie (Potente) in India. But quickly, two things go wrong for him. First, someone has killed a CIA agent and planted clues that point to Bourne as the murderer. Second, an assassin has arrived in India to kill him.

While dodging the assassin, he attempts to track down the CIA team that is after him. While the team leader, Pamela Landy (Allen) is new to the situation, Bourne's old boss, Ward Abbott (Cox) is also in the mix. What follows is basically a revenge movie filled with action and intense chase scenes. The final chase is expecially edge-of-your-seat cinema.

Almost all the cast and crew are back for the second installment of the Bourne series, and that provides a nice feeling of continuity. Certainly, the third novel in the series will be made into a movie, and hopefully the same continuity will be preserved with that one as well. Matt Damon once again is the surprising action hero, a role that one would not have thought possible of him a few years ago. Brian Cox is his usual delisiously evil self playing a character whose motives are unclear.

If you found "The Bourne Identy" entertaining, you will not be disappointed with "The Bourne Supremacy". It is a good, smart action movie that keeps you involved from beginning to end. Bring on "The Bourne Ultimatum"!

CATWOMAN

While I normally do not post other people's reviews, some of these are just to good to pass up on sharing....

"Catwoman sucks mightily on every level--it has the power to unite audience members in the way any great calamity unites strangers in a common trauma. Tremble before this ambassador of dreadful. It doesn't make you a coward, it just makes you human."
--Walter Chaw

"Halle just hacked a hairball all over the summer boxoffice. And it ain't pretty."
-- David Foucher, EDGE BOSTON

"Catwoman meows, purrs, and hisses, but mostly just sucks."
-- Alex Sandell, JUICY CEREBELLUM

"It's bad enough that not only are careers over, but somebody should be slapped."
-- Walter Chaw, FILM FREAK CENTRAL

"She can do everything a Spider-Man can, but worse. Much, much, much, much worse."
-- Willie Waffle, WAFFLEMOVIES.COM

"As poorly written, ineptly directed, and hideously acted as Catwoman is, its biggest sin is that it's boring. This movie does not offer a single worthwhile, interesting, or exciting scene. The action is dull, predictable, and repetitive. Ever thought a catfight between Sharon Stone and Halle Berry could rival a dose of valium as an effective sleep-inducer? I suppose Pitof deserves a measure of respect for being able to achieve something I would have argued was not possible. "
-- James Berardinelli, REELVIEWS

"The only real redeeming quality of Catwoman is the cheap summer camp value. In fact, Catwoman is so bad that I actually recommend you see it. It's the movie you and your friends will rip on all summer long."
-- James Brundage, FILMCRITIC.COM

"[A] sloppy, dull, brain-dead waste of a movie."
-- Phoebe Flowers, SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL

"If one good thing can come out of this film, it's that this should provide an everlasting blueprint for what not to do with a comic book film."
-- Jeff Otto, IGN FILMFORCE

"I've never cared much for cats anyway, but this clinches it. Next time I see one, I'm going to kick it into the river."
-- Eric D. Snider, ERICDSNIDER.COM

These were found on the great website RottenTomotoes.com.

I, Robot ***1/2
Cast: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell, Bruce Greenwood, Adrian L. Ricard, Chi McBride
Director: Alex Proyas

Knowing that this movie started out as a script entitled "Hardwired", and then only became "I, Robot" after the rights were acquired and the original script had been Asimov-ed, is enough for anyone to expect disaster. But, director Alex Proyas has created a solid movie that provides science fiction, action, humor, and something to think about. This would have been a good movie with or without the "I' Robot" link (the script is "suggested" by it), but the extras that that suggestion provided is enough to make this a thoroughly entertaining and smart movie.

When Dr. Lanning (Cromwell), the head of research ar US Robotics commits suicide, Detective Del Spooner (Smith) is called in to investigate. He quickly comes to believe that the good doctor was murdered by a robot named Sonny (Tudyk), a robot that is much more than he seems. Of course, Spooner has a distrust of robots that may or may not be coloring his judgement. He believes that Sonny has found a way around the Three Laws of Robotics, which would prevent a robot from killing a human. Aided by Dr. Calvin (Moynahan), an employee of USR, they set out to find who or what is behind Sonny's actions.

The action scenes in this movie are an amazing sight, whether they involve a few robots or many. Chicago 2035 is brought vividly and realistically to life without the special effects taking over. Will Smith does anexcellent job as the tormented Spooner. This is a smart movie filled with science fiction action, adventure, and mystery. This is also one of the biggest pleasant surprises movie-wise that I have seen in a long time.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy ***
Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, Chris Parnell, Vince Vaughn
Director: Adam McKay

Will Ferrell's star is on the rise. With hits like "Elf", "Old School", and now "Anchorman" under his belt he seems to have made a life for himself beyond "Saturday Night Live". Ferrell plays Ron Burgundy, the number one news anchor in San Diego in the 1970s, who is somewhat of a living legend in the area. He is the face that everyone looks to for the news. Enter Veronica Corningstone (Applegate), a woman with high aspitations, and a determination that set off a war between herself and Burgundy. She wasnt to be an anchor, and he does not see how a woman can do what he does. When fate steps in, and Bergundy finds himself late for a broadcast, he finds his world turned upside down as Corningstone fills in for him...and does well.

"Anchorman" is a very satirical look at the news world of the 1970s as women are trying to break into a man's game. Will Ferrell disappears into Ron Burgundy, and carries the movie completely. The supporting case (along with a few surprise cameos) lend their own quirkyness to the supporting characters. If the previews looked funny to you, you will enjoy this movie. There are plenty more laughs to be found...and be sure to stay through the credits!

King Arthur **1/2
Cast: Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Ray Winstone, Keira Knightley, Stephan Dillane, Stellan Skarsgård
Director: Antoine Fuqua

Coming off of last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean", Disney's hopes had to be high for Jerry Bruckheimer's supposed factual retelling of the Arthur legend in "King Arthur". Instead, they get something that is hit and miss, no doubt in part to a studio mandated editing that turned a n R-rated violent and bloody movie into a PG-13 family affair.

Arthur (Owen), is presented as Arturius, a commander for the Roman empire. On the brink of gaining freedom for himself and his knights, he rescues Guenivere (Knightley), turns on Rome, and alighns with the Guenivere's people, the Woads. Eventually, this turn will lead to him becoming the ruler of all the Britons.

This movie is filled with action and fighting, but as I mentioned earlier, it has been toned down and sometimes feels choppy. Clive Owen does not have enough screen presence or noteriety to carry the role of Arthur. Kiera Knightley is most likely the only recognizable name in the cast to Americans, and she does not show up until almost halfway through the film. She also seems to be a little too small to be wielding the swords that she does, especially against some very large men. I like the idea of Guenivere being a warrior, but perhaps they should have chosen someone that fits the part.

Perhaps I nitpick too much, but this movie for the most part did little for me. That fault does not lie on any one person's head, and perhaps I will have a different opinion when the R-rated version comes out on DVD, probably this fall.

The Terminal ***1/2
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride, Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana
Director: Steven Spielberg

When Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks work together, you know you are getting a quality product. "The Terminal" is no exception. Inspired by a true story, it tells the tale of Viktor Navorski (Hanks), a native of Krakozhia who finds himself trapped at JFK Airport after a military coup causes his Visa to be revoked. He cannot return home, and he cannot leave the terminal. What follows is a fish out of water story, as Viktor makes a home for himself in a part of the terminal under construction. His exploits are at times funny and sad. He makes some friends, and meets a stewardess named Amelia (Zeta-Jones), who he becomes interested in.

This movie works, in large part, because of Tom Hanks. He carries the movie, and make it entertaining like very few actors can. Spielberg, turning out another lighthearted movie, is gearing up for more serious movies, but makes the humor work in this one, and draws the viewer into Viktor's plight. "The Terminal" is a highly entertaining picture that can be enjoyed by all.