Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
PG-13
2 stars
Directed By Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sally Fields
Elle Woods is a rising star in her law firm, until she discovers
that one of the firm’s clients is using her dog Bruiser’s relatives
as cosmetic test subjects. When she objects, she’s fired and
decides to take the fight to the nation’s capitol, where she finds
an ally in Congresswoman Victoria Rudd (Sally Fields).
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
PG-13
2 stars
Directed By Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Sally Fields
Elle Woods is a rising star in her law firm, until she discovers that one of the firm’s clients is using her dog Bruiser’s relatives as cosmetic test subjects. When she objects, she’s fired and decides to take the fight to the nation’s capitol, where she finds an ally in Congresswoman Victoria Rudd (Sally Fields).
Audiences that haven’t seen the original Legally Blonde may be at an advantage, as this sequel plays out so similarly to the first. Perhaps too similarly, as we don’t get to see Elle progress from where her character is at in the first film. Though not with out its funny moments, Blonde runs too much like a TV sitcom to really compete with either its predecessor, or your moviegoing dollars.
From Justin to Kelly
PG
1 star
Directed by Robert Iscove
Starring Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson
Kelly’s friends rescue her to head for spring break in Miami while Justin is headed that way with a group of friends from Pennsylvania to search for a girl he met on the Internet. When Justin and Kelly meet, it’s love at first sight, but Justin loses her number and one of her friends is gunning for him.
Completely awful. Not just boring and insipid, the makers of FJTK also ar e a day late and a dollar short, as last year’s “American Idols” are also yesterday’s news.
Swimming Pool
R
3 stars
Directed By Francois Orzon
Starring Charlotte Rampling, Ludivine Sagnier
Sarah is a famous English mystery writer with a bad case of writer’s block. When her publisher offers to let her stay at his summer house in the South of France, she takes him up on it. When his sexually charged teenaged daughter shows up unexpectedly, tensions between her and the priggish Sarah mount.
That may be a bit weighed down Although overly dependent upon French and English stereotypes, director Orzon has created a tense psychological thriller that is deliberately paced. His accomplished use of silence is a nice respite from the latest over-the-top offerings.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
PG-13
3 stars
Directed by McG
Starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu
When two wedding bands containing the database of participants in the Witness Protection Program are stolen, the angels are called in to kick ass and look cute. In the process, they meet up with their deadliest foe yet: a former angel gone bad.
More action, more cameos, more outfits, more EVERYTHING. Full Throttle’s only problem is that it might have too much of a good thing, leaving the viewer a little tuckered out after it’s over. That being said, it would be very difficult for anyone to see this film and feel like they didn’t get 10 bucks worth of fun out of it.
28 Days Later
R
4 stars
Directed By Danny Boyle
Starring Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris
Animal rights activists unleash a mysterious virus on London which quickly sweeps across the country, infecting its victims with a murderous rage. A young man awakes from a coma 28 days after the epidemic begins and heads to what he believes is safety with a small group of survivors.
A well-scripted and stylish conceptual thriller that belongs in a league with The Ring and Night of the Living Dead for its creativity. The gore is effective, not gratuitous, giving 28 Days plenty to offer viewers who aren’t fans of the traditional horror genre. It’s lo-fi feel is a nice break from the more bombastic summer offerings.
Alex and Emma
1 star
Directed by Rob Reiner
Starring Kate Hudson, Luke Wilson
With only 30 days to pay off his gambling debts to ruthless loan sharks, a romance novelist hires a stenographer to help him finish his manuscript. Life imitates art as a romance between them develops.
Alex and Emma represents a watershed moment in the history of romantic comedies in that it is the first of its kind to contain neither romance nor comedy. Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, audience loses interest, but not necessarily in that order.
The Hulk
PG-13
2 stars
Directed by Ang Lee
Starring Eric Bana, Nick Nolte
An unwitting subject of his father’s genetic experimentation, Dr. Bruce Banner’s inner demons manifest themselves outwardly after he is transformed by a massive dose of gamma radiation into The Hulk.
Perhaps the most ambitious comic book adaptation to date. Lee’s take on the origins of the Marvel character may not be completely faithful to the source material, but he has created a deeper and more human story then we’ve come to expect from this genre. Action fans may find the first third of the film a little draggy, but should rest assure that they’ll get what they came for before it ends.
Hollywood Homicide
PG-13
3 stars
Directed By Ron Shelton
Starring Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett
Two LAPD detectives are trying to get to the bottom of the gangland-style slaying of a rap group, but find their case complicated by corrupt cops, illicit affairs and their side jobs in real estate and yoga instruction.
The slow pacing and quirky humor of ‘Homicide’ leaves it feeling a lot more like a TV show than the summer comedy action blockbuster it could have been. That being said, Ford and Hartnett actually have decent chemistry, and the last 20 minutes of the movie should make viewers forget about the lack of judicious editing preceding them.
Dumb and Dumberer
PG-13
3 stars
Starring Eric Christian Olsen, Derek Richardson
Harry and Lloyd seem to have met their ideal match in each other. As they bumble through high school and life in general, they unwittingly unravel a plot by their principal to fleece the school district out of $100,000.
Audiences not impressed by the first installment won’t find this sequel any more entertaining, and fans of the original will probably weigh themselves down in needless comparison. Everyone else can probably sit back, turn off their brain and soak up the big dumb fun.
