Little Man **
Cast: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Tracy Morgan, Kerry Washington, John Witherspoon
Director: Keenan Ivory Wayans
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Upon being released from prison, little man Calvin (Marlon Wayans) hooks up with accomplice Percy (Morgan) to steal a large diamond. When the theft goes awry, Calvin stashed the diamond with Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and Vanessa (Washington). Darryl is desperate to have a kid, and Calvin uses his size to his advantage, posing as a baby. Once inside the house, all he has to do is find the diamond, but that task proves to be more difficult than he originally thought.

“Little Man” is mindless, stupid fun. Fans of the Wayans brothers will not be disappointed, and if the previews make you chuckle even a little, you will probably like this film. The special effects are top notch, as Marlon Wayans’ face is digitally superimposed on body doubles every time Calvin is on the screen. The humor is mostly lowbrow, but like I said, it is mindless fun.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ***
Cast: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Stellan Skarsgård, Jack Davenport, Kevin McNally, Naomie Harris, Jonathan Pryce, Tom Hollander
Director: Gore Verbinski
Running Length: 2:35
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Captain Jack (Depp) is back, and causing trouble for Will Turner (Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Knightley). Their marriage is interrupted when they are arrested for aiding in the escape of Captain Jack. Lord Cutler Beckett (Hollander) does not want to see them die, and wants to make a deal. If they help him get Jack, they will not be put to death. Will finds Jack being worshiped as a god by a bunch of cannibals. After a fashion, they escape to the Black Pearl, where Jacking is looking for a mysterious chest that belongs to Davey Jones (Nighy). Jones is trying to get to the chest before Jack for reasons of his own. Amongst all this, Elizabeth shows up to join the hunt, and finds a new interest in Captain Jack.

“Dead Man’s Chest” delivers all that “Curse of the Black Pearl” delivered, but the difference is that “Black Pearl” was new and fresh, while “Chest” gives off a feeling of “been there, done that.” That is not to say that “Dead Man’s Chest” does not deliver the goods, but it is not as original, and that is a slight drawback. Another negative is the running length. At 155 minutes, it is longer than it needs to be. That being said, it is good to see Captain Jack and the gang back in action again. The action is well done, and the special effects are top notch, especially the squid-faced Davey Jones. A few cliffhangers thrown in at the end assures “Pirates 3” a warm reception come May 2007. If you like the first film, you will like this one. I recommend it, and hope that “Pirates 3” can take it up a notch to end on a high note.

The Lake House ***
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Scott Elias, Dylan Walsh, Christopher Plummer
Director: Alejandro Agresti
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: PG

Alex (Reeves) and Kate (Bullock) are two lonely people. They each live in a fancy glass house on the shore of Lake Michigan. The same house, in fact. He lives there in 2004, she lives there in 2006. The house’s mailbox begins delivering letters through time, and the two are able to communicate, and eventually fall in love. They just have to figure out how to meet.

If you can get over the time traveling mailbox, “The Lake House” is an enjoyable movie. Reeves and Bullock are together again for the first time since “Speed”, and one wonders why they have not teamed up again sooner. They have a chemistry that is believable, and you root for the characters to get together in the end. I recommend this film.

The Devil Wears Prada ***
Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Adrian Grenier, Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, Simon Baker
Director: David Frankel
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Andy Sachs (Hathaway) applies for the job of second assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the editor of “Runway” magazine. “Runway” is THE magazine for the fashion industry, and Andy has no fashion sense. Miranda is revered by all who know her. She has the power to make or break people in the industry, and she is not afraid to use this power. Work for her for a year, and countless doors will open. Of course, others like Emily (Blunt), Miranda’s number one assistant and Nigel (Tucci) have become fixtures at the magazine, while waiting for those doors to open.

Miranda hires Andy on a whim, hoping she has what it takes despite her appearance. Andy dislikes the shallowness of her coworkers, but soon finds herself becoming more like them. Will she get sucked into that lifestyle, or will she me able to resist and remain true to herself?

Meryl Streep makes this movie work, and is the prime reason to see it. She dominates every scene she is in. She is both cruel and funny, sometimes at the same time. Hathaway, Tucci, and Blunt are also very good, especially when playing off of each other. This is definitely a “chick flick”, but is entertaining and really funny at times. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but worth giving a shot.

10 Best Movies I Have Seen in the First Half of 2006
This year has had fewer good movies than last year through the first six months. Hopefully, things will pick up.

1. United 93 ****
2. Capote **** (from 2005)
3. X-Men: The Last Stand ***1/2
4. Mission: Impossible III ***1/2
5. Cars ***1/2
6. The Matador *** (from 2005)
7. Thank You For Smoking ***
8. A Prairie Home Companion ***
9. The Da Vinci Code ***
10. Superman Returns ***

Cars ***1/2

Cast (voices): Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, George Carlin, John Ratzenberger, Michael Keaton, Richard Petty
Director: John Lasseter
Running Length: 1:52
MPAA Classification: G

Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is a rookie in a NASCAR type race called the Piston Cup. When the season ends with him in a tie with his two major rivals, Chick Hicks (Keaton) and The King (Petty), he must head to California for a tie-breaker race. Along the way, he ends up stranded in Radiator Springs, arrested for traffic violations. Doc Hudson (Newman), the town judge, sentences him to repair the road before he can leave. Initially, he just wants to get done and get out, but soon he finds himself making friends with the locals, including Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and Sally (Hunt). Soon, this cocky race car who had no real friends finds he may not want to leave so fast after all.

When I first saw the trailer for “Cars”, I was worried. It did not look good, and I thought Pixar had its first flop on its hands. Bumping the release date back six months did not ease my worry. That being said, “Cars” is an excellent movie. Pixar, I am sorry that I ever doubted you. The voices are perfect, especially Wilson, Newman, and Larry the Cable Guy. The film looks great, with bright colors kids will love. The story is nice, and like many Pixar movies, focuses on friendship. The only drawback I can find is that it runs a little long. Still, it is worth seeing by kids of all ages.

Superman Returns ***
Cast: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey, Frank Langella, Sam Huntington, Eva Marie Saint, Marlon Brando, Tristan Leabu
Director: Bryan Singer
Running Length: 2:37
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Superman (Routh) is back, five years after where “Superman II” left off. He returned to Krypton, hoping to find some life still there, but when he found nothing, he returned to Earth. As Clark Kent, he gets his job back at the Daily Planet, and is reunited with Lois Lane (Bosworth). But, people have moved on. Lois has a five year old son, and a boyfriend (Marsden). She has also won a Pulitzer for an article about how the world does not need Superman. Elsewhere, Lex Luthor (Spacey) is free from prison, and up to no good. It seems that he has found Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, and has devised a plan with what he found there that will wipe out most of the United States. Once again, Superman must try to stop Luthor’s evil scheme, and try to win the girl in the process. But things will be a little more difficult this time.

After almost two decades, Superman is finally back. Bryan Singer takes the helm as director after bowing out of the X-Men franchise. Not the wisest move, but it is the opportunity of a lifetime to bring back the Man of Steel. He does a few things right. First, he uses the backstory established in “Superman” and “Superman II”, wisely ignoring “III” and “IV”, and not having to do a complete reboot. He attempts to have a look of continuity and even uses John Williams’ famous themes from those films. This IS the Superman we grew up with, he has just been away for a while. Kevin Spacey is great as Luthor, bring menace and some humor to the role. He even manages to inflict some pain on the hero. On the weak side, Lex’s plan is dumb. For as smart as he is supposed to be, he has not really thought things through. Kate Bosworth is weak as Lois, and James Marsden has the unenviable role of being the other man. Brandon Routh does not bring much to the table as Superman/Clark Kent except a resemblance to Christopher Reeve. Finally, the running time is way too long to support the story. Some trimming could have improved the story’s flow.

Yet, for the most part, it works. It is good to see Superman back after all these years. The effects are top notch, and the movie is mostly fun. I do recommend this movie, but I hope that the filmmakers are able to tighten things up the next time around. A sequel is planned (duh), and could be better than this restart. For now, we can enjoy what we have.

A Prairie Home Companion ***
Cast: Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Tommy Lee Jones, Virginia Madsen, Lindsay Lohan
Director: Robert Altman
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

“A Prairie Home Companion” is a fictionalized story of the famous radio show’s very last performance. The movie covers the show itself, hosted by Garrison Keillor (playing himself), the goings on backstage, and a little action before and after the show. Besides having to deal with a corporate axeman (Jones) who is there to officially pull the plug, they have to deal with a death mid-show and a mysterious woman (Madsen), who wanders about backstage. On stage, three skit characters from the real radio show come to life: Guy Noir (Kline), and the cowboy singing duo of Dusty (Harrelson) and Lefty (Reilly). Other characters are a combination real and fictional people).

This film is a slightly skewed view into the world of Garrison Keillor (he wrote the screenplay) and his famous radio show. It is a “nice” movie, that will amuse most who see it. Keillor’s and director Robert Altman’s styles seem to be made for each other, and this film works well to give an insight into the radio show. Performances are solid all around, especially Keillor’s. He is the glue that holds this all together. I recommend this film.

The Break-Up **1/2
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Ann-Margret, Vincent D'Onofrio, Cole Hauser, Jon Favreau, Peter Billingsley, Jason Bateman
Director: Peyton Reed
Running Length: 1:45
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Gary (Vaughn) and Brooke (Aniston) are the perfect couple, until one evening when everything falls apart. During the huge fight, we out Brooke thinks Gary is lazy and thoughtless, and Gary thinks Brooke is too controlling and unappreciative. She dumps him, but neither of them want to give up the condo that they own together. They each mark their territory, and set about doing whatever it takes to drive the other out.

Vaughn and Aniston are well cast, and have a chemistry together. Supporting cast, including Jon Favreau and Joey Lauren Adams as their best friends, do good jobs and help keep the movie moving. There are even some really funny scenes. Yet, something is missing. Perhaps the characters are not nasty enough to each other. Anyway, while somewhat entertaining, “The Break-Up” fall a little short of success.

X-Men: The Last Stand ***1/2
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Aaron Stanford, Cameron Bright, Vinnie Jones, Ben Foster, Ellen Page, Josef Sommer
Director: Brett Ratner
Running Length: 1:44
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Scientists have discovered a “cure” for the mutant gene. Now, all mutants can choose to become a “normal” human. Division rises amongst the mutant community. Some see this as an opportunity to be something they always wanted to be. Others, like Magneto (McKellan) see this as an attempt at racial cleansing. While Professor X (Stewart) sits on the sidelines, Magneto rallies the troops to rise up against the cure and those who are pushing it. The X-Men must stop Magneto before he causes too much damage, but a former ally has been raised from the ashes of her former self, and she may be the deciding factor in this war.

This X-Men movie is the best yet. Filled with action and an always timely storyline, it does not disappoint. Story-wise, characters die, return from the dead, lose their powers, and are changed significantly before all is said and done. This shake-up introduces doubt into who will survive the final battle, and ratchets up the stakes. Director Brett Ratner is taking over the reins from Bryan Singer, who left this franchise for another (“Superman”). He proves that he is up to the challenge. I highly recommend this film.

The Da Vinci Code ***
Cast: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellan, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina
Director: Ron Howard
Running Length: 2:29
MPAA Classification: PG-13

Symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) is called to the Louvre to help with a murder investigation. He has been framed for the murder, and with the help of French police officer Sophie Neveu (Tautou), he manages to escape from Captain Fache (Reno), and follow a trail of clues that lead to “the greatest cover-up in human history.” This cover-up involves the Catholic Church, the Holy Grail, Opus Dei, the Knights Templar and more. They seek the help of Grail expert Sir Leigh Teabing (McKellan),, and soon find that they have an albino by the name of Silas (Bettany) on their trail too. And Silas is not working with the police.

Based on the best selling book by Dan Brown, the film manages to remain faithful and give the legions of people that have read it a first class treatment. Hanks, although not the obvious choice for Langdon, fills his shoes well and is believable. The supporting cast are all bigger names, and Ian McKellan stands out among them. He brings humor and wisdom to the role of Teabing. This is an interesting movie that is worth seeing, if only to see what all the controversy is about.

RV **
Cast: Robin Williams, Cheryl Hines, Joanna 'JoJo' Levescue, Josh Hutcherson, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: PG

When work interferes, Bob Munro (Williams) decides to cancel the family vacation to Hawaii and instead rent a RV and take a road trip to Colorado. His wife Jamie (Hines), daughter Cassie (Levesque), and son Carl (Hutcherson) are not thrilled. Unbeknownst to his family, he needs to be in Colorado for a presentation that his boss expects him to be at. Along the way, the Munros meet the Fornickes – Travis (Daniels) and Jo (Chenoweth), and their kids. They are a homeless family living in their RV, and take a liking to the Munros, much to their dismay. The Munros are on the road trip from hell, and it can only get worse.

Robin Williams is a funny man, and yet I do not think he has ever found a good movie to really showcase his comedic talents. Certainly he has done better than “RV”. While funny in parts, there is not enough humor in this movie to sustain its 98 minute running time. I would imagine that those who have ever traveled in an RV will find more humor than I did, but too much more. “RV” is a rather harmless movie, but not really worth seeing either. Wait for the DVD, people.

An American Haunting **1/2
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, James D’Arcy, Matthew Marsh, Thom Fell, Sam Alexander
Director: Courtney Solomon
Running Length: 1:31
MPAA Classification: PG-13

In 1818, when a land deal between John Bell (Sutherland) and his neighbor Kate Batts (Brown) goes bad, she blames John for her problems. She then curses John and his family. When things start happening, especially to John and his daughter Betsy (Hurd-Wood), religious leader James Johnson (Marsh), and schoolteacher Richard Powell decide to help the family.

“An American Haunting” is based on a true story, but how “true” it is has been called into question. As a movie, it works fairly well, with a twist ending that is only somewhat satisfying. The wraparound story that feels tacked on serves no real purpose and should have been left out. Despite some good actors, the acting is nothing exceptional. Sutherland and Hurd-Wood have to carry the most weight as the haunted, but neither gives stand-out performances. “An American Haunting” is a slightly above average ghost story that is better off waiting for on DVD.

Mission: Impossible III ***1/2

Cast: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudip, Michelle Monaghan, Laurence Fishburne, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg
Director: J.J. Abrams
Running Length: 2:08
MPAA Classification: PG-13

When Owen Davian (Hoffman) captures an IMF agent (Russell) who is investigating him, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) comes out of field-retirement to rescue her. This involves some deception on the home front, as his fiancée Julia (Monaghan) does not know what he does for a living. Ethan’s old teammate Luther (Rhames) is back to help him along with Declan (Meyers) and Zhen (Q). Their somewhat successful rescue of the agent reveals that there may be a spy in the leadership of the IMF. To find that spy, they attempt to capture Davian while he is at the Vatican attending a function. Ethan quickly finds out that a job with the IMF is not very contusive to a healthy normal life.

This time around, the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is in the hands of J. J. Abrams, well known for his television shows (Felicity, Lost, Alias), but a rookie when it comes to directing movies. Abrams is up to the challenge, delivering the best M:I movie yet. Filled with the tricks “Alias” fans will recognize from TV, Abrams keeps the movie rolling from action sequence to action sequence, ratcheting up the tension until the showdown between Cruise’s Hunt and Hoffman’s Davian. And Hoffman IS the standout here. Davian is an evil, nasty man who does not make idle threats. Hoffman sinks his teeth into the role, playing his first real bad guy. This movie is worth seeing for him alone. Cruise is good as well. It is a shame that this movie will suffer from his off-screen antics.

This is the first big budget movie of the summer. It is a great popcorn movie that will not disappoint. I highly recommend this film.

American Dreamz **
Cast: Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, Willem Dafoe, Chris Klein, Judy Greer, Sam Golzari, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Jennifer Coolidge
Director: Paul Weitz
Running Length: 1:40
MPAA Classification: PG-13

President Staton (Quaid) has just won a second term in office, and after reading a newspaper, goes into seclusion to catch up on things. When the public begins to question his ability to lead the country, his Chief of Staff (Defoe) gets the president an appearance as a guest judge on the finals of the hit show "American Dreamz".

"American Dreamz" is hosted by Martin Tweed (Grant). He is trapped by the show, hoping for failure just so it will end. Then he sees Sally Kendoo (Moore). In her he sees a like-minded person. He gets her onto the show, and she is easily the best of the bunch. Another notable contestant is Omar (Golzari), a terrorist sent to America to get him out of the more capable terrorist’s way. Of course he is now in a position to do some serious damage, if only he did not like singing so much.

"American Dreamz" has some potential, but never really accomplishes much. Quaid and Grant channel their inner-Bush and inner-Simon Cowell, but it takes more than just two good impersonations to make a movie good. Much of the story falls flat or feels unbelievable. The ending is a prime example of this. I would say that I was disappointed with this movie, but the previews did not exactly get my hopes up. If you must see this movie, wait until it is out on DVD.

United 93 ****
Cast: Cheyenne Jackson, David Alan Basche, Christian Clemenson, JJ Johnson, Polly Adams, Khalid Abdalla, Lewis Alsamari, Omar Berdouni, Jamie Harding, Ben Sliney
Director: Paul Greengrass
Running Length: 1:48
MPAA Classification: R

“United 93” is the first major motion picture to be released since 9/11 to deal with the events of that day. Focusing on the plane that did not reach its target, the film moves in almost real time from take off to the crash landing in Pennsylvania. Writer-Director Paul Greengrass has taken pains to be as accurate as possible, and when the story veers into the unknown, the story told is very plausible.

The actors are mostly unknowns, preventing any one person from distracting the viewer from the story. This was a wise choice by Greengrass, and is successful in keeping the viewer focused on the story. The actors all do good jobs, even though none are developed excessively. This, combined with the hand held camera work gives the film a more intimate feel, as if you are there among them on the plane. Greengrass received 100% support from the families, and a substantial number of the people on the ground play themselves in the movie. That alone should speak of the quality of the film.

“United 93” is a tense, gut-wrenching movie of a group of people and their determination to stop four evil men who wanted to bring America to its knees. Is it too soon? I say no…it is never to soon to remember the heroic things that that the passengers did. They should be remembered and honored as heroes. “United 93” does just that. This is a must see movie.

The Sentinel ***
Cast: Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Martin Donovan, Ritchie Coster, Kim Basinger, David Rasche
Director: Clark Johnson
Running Length: 1:50
MPAA Classification: PG-13

President Ballentine (Rasche) has received serious assassination threats, and there just may be an inside man in the Secret Service. David Breckinridge (Sutherland) and a new partner are chosen to investigate the case. After polygraph tests, all signs point to Pete Garrison (Douglas), but the tests are showing false positives for other reasons. Breckinridge and Garrison also used to be best friends until it seemed Garrison was having an affair with Breckinridge’s wife. Garrison now must go on the run to prove his innocence and convince Breckinridge that he is not the guilty party.

“The Sentinel” is a fun, if predictable ride. Douglas and Sutherland are in good form. (Sutherland is channeling Jack Bauer of “24”, and that is just fine). The mystery surrounding the assassination attempt is interesting, but can be figured out fairly easily. Still, there is enough action to keep things rolling smoothly. “The Sentinel” is a good popcorn movie that will entertain.

Ice Age: The Meltdown **1/2
Cast (voices): Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifa, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG

Manny the Mammoth (Romano), Sid the Sloth (Leguizamo), Diego the Sabertooth Tiger (Leary) and Scrat the sabertooth squirrel are back. The ice is melting, and if they do not get to a “boat” at the other end of the valley, their time will be up. As they mount a trek through the valley, Manny is having trouble accepting the fact that he is the last of his kind. At least until they meet Ellie and her two possum “brothers.” Suddenly, there is hope for mammoths, if Manny can only convince her she is not a possum.

“Ice Age 2” recaptures most of the charm of the original, but falls short mostly due to story. Sure, it is good to see these characters again (especially Scrat), but there is not much to the exodus to higher ground is slow at times. Also, this movie will probably be more popular with kids than adults. 20th Century Fox has not quite mastered the Pixar technique that guarantees enjoyment for all ages. Overall, this film is good but mostly forgettable. That being said, I am sure we will be seeing these characters again in a few years. Hopefully the story will be a little more solid the next time around.

Scary Movie 4 ***
Cast: Anna Faris, Craig Bierko, Regina Hall, Leslie Nielsen, Charlie Sheen, Bill Pullman
Director: David Zucker
Running Length: 1:20
MPAA Classification: PG-13

If you have seen and enjoyed the previous three movies in the “Scary Movie” series, number four will not disappoint. Borrowing heavily from “War of the Worlds”, “The Grudge”, and “The Village”, with other movies and Tom Cruise’s craziness thrown in, “Scary Movie 4” is one of the better installments in the series.

Back again are Anna Faris and Regina Hall, mainstays in the franchise. Death in a previous installment does not even hinder their return. They do what they did before with the safe effectiveness. Added to the mix is Craig Bierko, who channels his inner Tom Cruise to be the leading man. David Zucker (of “Airplane” fame) is back again in the director’s chair, and he continues to throw jokes and gags at the viewer until they cannot help but laugh. There is not much more that can be said about this movie. If you like this type of spoof movie, you will not be disappointed.

Thank You For Smoking ***
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, David Koechner, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Kim Dickens, Rob Lowe
Director: Jason Reitman
Running Length: 1:38
MPAA Classification: R

Nick Naylor (Eckhart) works for the Academy of Tobacco Studies as a spin doctor. He is their primary weapon in defense of Big Tobacco, and that is not an easy job. Bribing the cancer stricken Marlboro Man (Elliot), making smoking sexy in movies, and spinning an expose about him are all on his agenda. Through it all, he has to baby sit his son (Bright) and show him what dad does for a living.

“Thank You For Smoking” is a funny, edgy movie. Aaron Eckhart is perfect as the somewhat soulless Naylor. His reasoning will make you cringe, but he is hard to argue with. The supporting cast is star studded, and all the actors do a solid job. Those on both sides of the smoking issue can enjoy this movie as well, and that is perhaps the most impressive trick that the movie pulls off. If you are looking for a thought provoking, funny movie, this one is for you.