She's the Man ***
Cast: Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, Laura Ramsey, Vinnie Jones, David Cross, Julie Hagerty, Alex Breckenridge, James Kirk
Director: Andy Fickman
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Soccer-playing Viola (Bynes) is really upset when the girls' soccer team is cut. The boys' team does not want any girls on it, so Viola decides to impersonate her brother Sebastian (Kirk), who conveniently is starting a new school where he is unknown. He is also skipping out of the first weeks of school in order to pursue a musical career in Europe. Being Sebastian, she can play soccer, and maybe even get some revenge on her own school's team.

Everything is going well for Viola until she falls in love with her roommate (Tatum). Of course, he is interested in Olivia (Ramsey), and Olivia has got her eye on Viola. The only thing that could make things more complicated for Viola is if her brother were to come home early. And he does.

"She's the Man" is loosly based on William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", and works pretty well. The majority of this film's success is due to Amanda Bynes as Viola. While never really looking like a guy, she has the enthusiasm and screen presence to make this an enjoyable film. Although aimed primarily at the teen audience, others will find enjoyment in it too.

V for Vendetta ***
Cast: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith
Director: James McTeigue
Running Length: 2:12
MPAA Classification: R

In the England of 2020, dictator Adam Sutler (Hurt) rules with an iron fist. Citizens live in fear of him and his regime. One man who stands against him in a mysterious figure that goes by the name "V" (Weaving). Hidden behind a Guy Fawkes mask, he seeks to inspire the people. Evey (Portman) is saved by V one night when she is backed into a corner by Sutler's men. Then he invites her to a viewing of a "performance" that he has arranged...the blowing up of the Old Bailey. He gives the government one year before he goes after parliament, and asks the citizens to stand up with him.

"V for Vendetta" is an interesting enough movie that is an attempt to not so subtly mirror current events. This is somewhat of a mistake, as it will alienate some of the audience. Also, the hero is a terrorist, who resorts to torture of an innocent to further his goals. Weaving does a good job as V, especially since you do not see his face throughout the entire movie. Portman does a passable job as Evie, but is nothing spectacular. "V" will give the viewer something to think about, and is not your standard comic book movie. This is definately one of the better movies to come out so far this year though, and that may be reason enough to see it.

The Libertine *1/2
Cast: Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Rosamund Pike
Director: Laurence Dunmore
Running Length: 2:10
MPAA Classification: R

"The Libertine" is the story of John Wilmot, the Second Earl of Rochester. He was a one time hero of the British Navy, and an amusement of King Charles II (Malkovich). Wilmot had a tendency to write obscene satires, and that got him exiled from London. Charles says that he can come back if he lays low for a while, but Wilmot is not one to lay low.

Wilmot is a sex addict, and venerial diseases will be his ultimate downfall. His wife Elizabeth Malet (Pike) puts up with it, but is clearly not happy. When Wilmot meets Elizabeth Barry (Morton), he decides to teach her how to act, since she is horrible. This infatuation leads to love, at least on his part. Unfortunately for him, he is not a likeable guy -- let alone loveable, and he has no chance with her.

There is more to the film, but it all revolves around the downward spiral of Wilmot. It is not an enjoyable movie, and it is not a very good movie. This film sat on the shelves for over a year for a reason, and not even Johnny Depp can save it.

Failure to Launch **1/2
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Bartha, Kathy Bates, Terry Bradshaw, Bradley Cooper
Director: Tom Dey
Running Length: 1:37
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Trip (McConaughey) is a 35 year old that still lives with Mom (Bates) and Dad (Bradshaw). They do everything for him, and they are his ticket out of serious relationships. One day, Mom and Dad hire Paula (Parker), an "interventionist" who specializes in getting kids out of their parents homes. Her plan: get Trip to fall in love with her which will make him want to break away from his parents. Of course, things do not go smoothly and Paula finds herself falling in love. When Trip's friends find out what she does for a living, things get even worse for Paula.

"Failure to Launch" is a so-so movie. Fans of the romantic comedy will probably like the film, but there is nothing special about it. There is little chemistry between McConaughey and Parker, and the side stories are a bit too silly. The film has an uneven feel to it, almost as if the B-story was added just to pad the running time. There are some genuine laughs, but they are too few and far bewteen. This is for fans of romantic comedies only.

Ultraviolet *
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Cameron Bright, Nick Chinlund, William Fichtner
Director: Kurt Wimmer
Running Length: 1:25
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Violet (Jovovich) is a Hemophage, infected with a blood sickness. Hemophages are exiled from society and actively hunted down. With the disease though comes extraordinary agility, strength, and dexterity. Violet is the Hemophages' best hope to deal with Daxus (Chinlund), the military leader. Violet's job is to find the doomsday weapon he has created, and destroy it. The doomsday weapon is a child named Six (Bright), and when Violet is unable to kill him, her own people set out to find her too.

"Ultraviolet" is a bad movie. The acting is bad, the special effects are bad, the fight scenes are bad, the dialogue is bad, and even the story itself is less than stellar. These are too many stikes for the film to overcome and whet is left is a laughable mess. Sadly, the opening credits are the most engaging part of the film, and seem to hint at the promise of something good. Do not bother with this movie, even on DVD.

Date Movie **
Cast: Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge, Tony Cox, Fred Willard, Eddie Griffin, Sophie Monk
Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Running Length: 1:23
MPAA Classification: PG-13

"Date Movie" is from two of the six writers of "Scary Movie", and is a spoof of romantic comedies. Apparently, they chose two of the worst writers from "Scary Movie", because the movie falls flat more often than it works. Alyson Hannigan is Julia Jones, the fat girl looking for Mr. Right. Hannigan deserves a better role -- she can be funny, but the material she has to work with is less than stellar. She does what she can, but it is not enough to make "Date Movie" work. The supporting cast of Adam Campbell (the boyfriend), Eddie Griffin (the dad), and Jennifer Coolidge and Fred Willard (the boyfriend's parents do not add much to the film either. "Date Movie" does manage to be pretty gross at times for a PG-13 movie, but that is not really a selling point either. This will be enjoyed by some, but only mildly. It is not awful, but it is far from great. Wait for the DVD if you must see it.

OSCAR WINNERS

Best Picture:
Brokeback Mountain -- WILL WIN
Capote
Crash -- WINNER
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich -- SHOULD WIN

Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- WINNER
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow -- DID NOT SEE
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck

Actress:
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents -- DID NOT SEE
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica -- DID NOT SEE
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- WINNER

Supporting Actor:
George Clooney, Syriana -- SHOULD WIN -- WINNER
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man -- WILL WIN
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Junebug -- DID NOT SEE
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener -- WINNER
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN

Director:
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain -- WILL WIN -- WINNER
Bennett Miller, Capote
Paul Haggis, Crash
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Steven Spielberg, Munich -- SHOULD WIN

Adapted Screenplay:
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain -- WINNER
Dan Futterman, Capote -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN
Jeffrey Caine, The Constant Gardener
Josh Olson, A History of Violence
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, Munich

Original Screenplay:
Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash -- WINNER
George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck
Woody Allen, Match Point -- DID NOT SEE
Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale -- DID NOT SEE
Stephen Gaghan, Syriana -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN

Animated Feature Film:
Howl's Moving Castle -- DID NOT SEE
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- WINNER

OSCAR PREDICTIONS REVIEW

Best Picture:
Brokeback Mountain -- WILL WIN
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich -- SHOULD WIN

Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow -- DID NOT SEE
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck

Actress:
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents -- DID NOT SEE
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica -- DID NOT SEE
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN

Supporting Actor:
George Clooney, Syriana -- SHOULD WIN
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man -- WILL WIN
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Junebug -- DID NOT SEE
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN

Director:
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain -- WILL WIN
Bennett Miller, Capote
Paul Haggis, Crash
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Steven Spielberg, Munich -- SHOULD WIN

Adapted Screenplay:
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain
Dan Futterman, Capote -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN
Jeffrey Caine, The Constant Gardener
Josh Olson, A History of Violence
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, Munich

Original Screenplay:
Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash
George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck
Woody Allen, Match Point -- DID NOT SEE
Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale -- DID NOT SEE
Stephen Gaghan, Syriana -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN

Animated Feature Film:
Howl's Moving Castle -- DID NOT SEE
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN

Nanny McPhee **1/2
Cast: Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Kelly Macdonald, Celia Imrie, Angela Lansbury, Imelda Staunton, Thomas Sangster, Derek Jacobi
Director: Kirk Jones
Running Length: 1:37
MPAA Classification: PG

The Brown children are always misbehaving. They scare away every nanny that their dad, Cedric (Firth), hires. He loves the kids, but does not know what to do. One day, Nanny McPhee (Thompson) shows up at the door, confident that she can restore order to the Brown house. Another problem for Cedric is Great Aunt Adelaide (Lansbury). She supports Cedric's family, and has decided to cut off funds if he does not marry within the month. Despite the obvious choice, Evangeline (Macdonald) - a maid who loves the children, Cedric makes a deal with Selma (Imrie), who will make an excellent Wicked Stepmother.

"Nanny McPhee" is a movie that will be enjoyed by kids. It is mostly harmless and reminiscent of "Mary Poppins." Adults may not be as taken with it, but I do not think they will find it impossible to sit through. I recommend this for DVD viewing.

The Pink Panther **1/2
Cast: Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyoncé Knowles, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Henry Czerny
Director: Shawn Levy
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG

The coach of the French national soccer team is murdered on the field after the game, and someone steals his ring. The ring contains the Pink Panther diamond, a large and valuable pink diamond. Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline) decides to put an idiot in charge of the investigation so he can swoop in and solve the crime and gain all the glory. This idiot is Inspector Clouseau (Martin). Of course, Clouseau may just be dumb enough to solve the case in spite of himself.

This is a movie that probably did not need to be made. The character of Inspector Clouseau is so entwined with Peter Sellers that anyone taking on the role has his work cut out for him. Steve Martin is not up to the task, but he does not completely fail either. He does an ok job filling his predacessor's shoe, and does bring some laughs. Kevin Kline and Jean Reno are also OK in supporting roles.

"The Pink Panther" will be enjoyed by many, but it sat on studio shelves for over a year before release, and that is not surprising. This version has a lot to live up to, and I do not think it is successful overall. Check this one out on DVD.

OSCAR PREDICTION
Best Picture:
Brokeback Mountain -- WILL WIN -- overrated, but the awards favorite
Capote -- a great movie, but Hoffman will get all the attention
Crash -- my #2 pick for last year, would not be disappointed if this won
Good Night, and Good Luck -- well made and interesting, this one has the least chance of winning
Munich -- SHOULD WIN -- my pick for the best movie of last year, hands down

OSCAR PREDICTION
Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote -- SHOULD WIN and WILL WIN -- an amazing performance that made the movie as great as it was
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow -- DID NOT SEE
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain -- a brave choice of roles, but will come up short
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line -- another amazing impersination and great performance
David Strathairn, Good Night, and Good Luck -- solid performance, but does not have the exposure of the other candidates

OSCAR PREDICTION
Actress:
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents -- DID NOT SEE
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica -- DID NOT SEE
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice -- a surprise nomination, will not really have a chance despite her good performance
Charlize Theron, North Country -- solid but nothing special
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- great job acting and singing

Firewall ***
Cast: Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Robert Forster, Alan Arkin, Carly Schroeder, Jimmy Bennett, Robert Patrick
Director: Richard Loncraine
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: R

Jack Stanfield (Ford) is head of bank security at a bank on the brink of a merger. Bill Cox (Bettany) is a businessman that, after a business meeting with JAck, makes Jack an offer. If Jack helps Bill rob the bank of $100 million, Bill will let Jack's family live. He has taken them all hostage, and is pulling Jack's strings to accomplish the task. OF course, Bill is less than trustworthy, and Jack soon finds himself in a no-win situation as the crimes start to point to him.

"Firewall" is an entertaining thriller. Harrison Ford gets the job done as Jack, although the years are starting to show. Paul Bettany is a solid villain, and is believeable for his brains and toughness. Mary Lynn Rajskub and Virginia Madsen are good in supporting roles. This is not a perfect movie, but it will provide a couple hours of solid enjoyment.

OSCAR PREDICTION
Supporting Actor:
George Clooney, Syriana -- SHOULD WIN -- this is the Oscar that he deserves, but will likely be ignored
Matt Dillon, Crash -- great performance
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man -- WILL WIN -- he has been passed over in previous years, and the Oscar voters feel they owe him
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain -- the weakest of the Brokeback Bunch, the honor is in the nomination
William Hurt, A History of Violence -- perfect in his small role, addind some humor to a serious movie

OSCAR PREDICTION
Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Junebug -- DID NOT SEE
Catherine Keener, Capote -- solid performance
Frances McDormand, North Country -- Oscar always loves actors playing the disabled, but she has no chance with this field
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener -- great job with limited screen time
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- great performance in a difficult role

OSCAR PREDICTION
Director:
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain -- WILL WIN -- the momentum for this movie will carry its director to victory
Bennett Miller, Capote
Paul Haggis, Crash
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck
Steven Spielberg, Munich -- SHOULD WIN

OSCAR PREDICTION
Adapted Screenplay:
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain -- first story of its kind
Dan Futterman, Capote -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- great telling of the writing of a classic book
Jeffrey Caine, The Constant Gardener -- well done, but a real downer
Josh Olson, A History of Violence -- great story of a man trying to put his past behind him
Tony Kushner and Eric Roth, Munich -- interesting story of a country's retribution

OSCAR PREDICTION
Original Screenplay:
Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, Crash -- well done script that managed to not be preachy
George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck -- interesting look at McCarthyism
Woody Allen, Match Point -- DID NOT SEE
Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale -- DID NOT SEE
Stephen Gaghan, Syriana -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- complex story that is well put together and challenges the audience

OSCAR PREDICTION
Animated Feature Film:
Howl's Moving Castle -- DID NOT SEE
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride -- well done, but not good enough to beat Wallace & Gromit
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit -- SHOULD WIN AND WILL WIN -- best children's movie of the year, and a favorite of most critics