Movie Clips

Cedric the Entertainer takes on his first solo role in 'Johnson Family Vacation,' a family road-trip comedy also starring Vanessa Williams as his semi-estranged wife. It's showing at the Silverdale Cinemas.

Cedric the Entertainer takes on his first solo role in "Johnson Family Vacation," a family road-trip comedy also starring Vanessa Williams as his semi-estranged wife. It's showing at the Silverdale Cinemas.

<strong>'50 FIRST DATES'</strong> -- The meager laughs never justify the elaborate setup of this "Memento"-meets-"Groundhog Day" romantic comedy, which has a puppyish Adam Sandler falling for Drew Barrymore, a cutie who, because of a car accident involving a cow, never remembers anything from the previous day, thus forcing Sandler to woo her over and over. PG-13 (crude sexual humor, drug references). 1:36. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Charleston Cinemas</strong>

<strong>'THE ALAMO'</strong> -- Director John Lee Hancock's take on the famous 1836 battle never makes the case why we should remember it. Although this film supposedly aims for historical accuracy, it feels like Disneyfied history. Billy Bob Thornton is strong as a myth-debunking Davy Crockett, but Dennis Quaid's eye-bulging Sam Houston suggests a man desperate for a lavatory. The progression to the final battle, instead of growing in tension, feels like a compulsory march to the inevitable. <em><strong>See review, page 20.</strong></em> PG-13 (sustained intense battle sequences). 2:17. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Bainbridge, Kitsap 8, Poulsbo, Rodeo Drive-In, South Sound</strong>

<strong>'THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS'</strong> -- Canadian director Denys Arcand's follow up to his 1986 "Decline of the American Empire" can be pretentious, but it's also an emotionally affecting look at a generation that's beginning to die out. Friends gather around the deathbed of a socialist professor whose life may not have amounted to much more than long bouts of womanizing and fiery displays of political convictions more suitable for dinner-party chat than the rough-and-tumble of life. R. 1:39. <strong>** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Lynwood Theatre (Bainbridge)</strong>

<strong>'DAWN OF THE DEAD' </strong>-- Despite a big budget, lots of technical flair and a good cast headed by Sarah Polley and Ving Rhames, this remake of George Romero's 1978 horror classic is a bloody mess. Romero's movie was scary and satiric, but this reprise, directed by British TV-ad wiz Zack Snyder, is neither. It's a blood-spattered zombie of a picture. R (pervasive strong horror violence and gore, language and sexuality). 1:40. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Poulsbo</strong>

<strong>'ELLA ENCHANTED'</strong> -- The winsome Anne Hathaway stars as Ella of Frell, a young maiden whose "gift" from a troublemaking fairy (Vivica A. Fox) compels her to follow orders from anyone. Her new stepmother (Joanna Lumley of "Absolutely Fabulous") and snobby stepsisters (Lucy Punch and Jennifer Higham) hinder Ella's campaign to end the oppression of elves, ogres and giants under Prince Regent Edgar (Cary Elwes). <em><strong>See review, page 25.</strong></em> PG (some crude humor and language). This is a mildly entertaining but overly familiar movie. 1:35. <strong>** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Bainbridge, South Sound</strong>

<strong>'ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND'</strong> -- Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman ("Being John Malkovich," "Adaptation") tosses us another metaphysical curveball. When Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) discovers that his ex-girlfriend (Kate Winslet) has undergone a newfangled procedure to erase him from her memories, Joel decides to retaliate and have her wiped from his mind as well. But as he lies in a state of induced sleep, his mind clings to memories of his ex even as technicians (Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood) attempt to zap them. 1:48. <strong>*** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Bainbridge</strong>

<strong>'THE GIRL NEXT DOOR'</strong> -- A straight-arrow teen (Emile Hirsch) is brought out of his shell by the porn star (Elisha Cuthbert) house-sitting next door. The two leads and some of the supporting actors turn in strong performances, but the porn component makes the movie feel contrived and exploitative. R (strong sexual content, language and some drug/alcohol use). <strong>** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Kitsap 8, Poulsbo, Redwood</strong>

<strong>'HELLBOY' </strong>-- Ron Perlman, best known for starring in TV's long-gone "Beauty and the Beast," plays the title character in a film based on a popular comic series. Hellboy is a big red dude who lives in fear of disappointing the scientist (John Hurt) who raised him after discovering him in the aftermath of a Nazi experiment gone haywire. Hellboy is forced to do battle with a bunch of baddies, and there's a love subplot involving a woman with a fragile temperament (Selma Blair). It's an usual movie that you watch without feeling much of anything. It needs to be funnier or scarier or something. PG-13 (sci-fi action violence, frightening images). 1:52. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Bainbridge, Gig Harbor, Poulsbo, Redwood, South Sound </strong>

<strong>'HOME ON THE RANGE'</strong> -- The latest animated feature from Disney is a comic Western about three cows (voices supplied by Rosanne Barr, Judi Dench and Jennifer Tilly) who attempt to save their owner's property from a ruthless land baron by trying to capture a masked, yodeling cattle rustler and claim the reward money. The plot is absurd, and the movie keeps milking the same gags and throwing the same bull. PG (brief mild rude humor). 1:16. <strong>** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Bainbridge, Redwood, Poulsbo, Silverdale, South Sound</strong>

<strong>'JERSEY GIRL'</strong> -- In director Kevin Smith's latest film, Ben Affleck stars as a PR guy who has to raise his daughter alone after her mother (former Affleck girlfriend Jennifer Lopez) dies during childbirth. His strained single-fatherhood prompts a career-crushing putdown of actor Will Smith, leading to a career in garbage collection and, eventually, a romance with a video-store clerk (Liv Tyler). The story doesn't make much sense. But it also has a warmth that makes it hard to dislike. PG-13 (sex-related material, language). 1:42. <strong>** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Poulsbo</strong>

<strong>'JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION'</strong> -- On the way to the Johnson family reunion, road-trip hilarity most certainly does not ensue. Cedric the Entertainer headlines this unfunny rip-off of "National Lampoon's Vacation," with Vanessa Williams as his semi-estranged wife and Bow Wow, Solange Knowles and Gabby Soleil as their too-well-behaved kids. The jokes fall flat, and opportunities for genuine humor are missed. <em><strong>See review, page 21.</strong></em> PG-13 (some sexual references, crude humor and brief drug material). 1:37. <strong>* 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Silverdale</strong>

<strong>'THE LADYKILLERS' </strong>-- Expert filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen score big with this remake of an obscure but terrific 1955 dark comedy that starred Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. A gang of colorful but mismatched thieves, led by a phony "professor" (Tom Hanks) conduct a heist from the house of their seemingly sweet old landlady (Irma P. Hall). When she discovers what's up, they keep trying -- and failing -- to bump her off. This is another offbeat gem from the Coens, gleaming with verbal and pictorial style, exploding with wit and slapstick. R (language, including sexual references). 1:44. <strong>** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Gig Harbor, Kitsap 8, Rose Theatre (Port Townsend) </strong>

<strong>'THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST'</strong> -- Mel Gibson's often powerful film about the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus is a passionate work but also a gruesomely physical one. This film is so visceral in its depiction of Christ's trials, torment and crucifixion that some audiences may emerge from the experience more drained or enraged than vibrant with Christian love. As Jesus, Jim Caviezel doesn't give us those shattering tensions between humanity and holiness that Willem Dafoe caught for director Martin Scorsese in "The Last Temptation of Christ." R (graphic violence). 2:00. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Kitsap 8, Poulsbo, South Sound, Uptown (Port Townsend)</strong>

<strong>'THE PRINCE &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; ME'</strong> -- A Danish prince (Luke Mably) lured to America by a "Girls of Wisconsin" video falls for a brainy farm girl and pre-med student (Julia Stiles) in this stale romantic comedy. Though one doesn't go to a movie like this looking for kitchen-sink realism, it helps if the makers have some conception of the real world they're trying to romanticize. PG (some sex-related material and language). 1:51. <strong>* 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Gig Harbor, Poulsbo, Silverdale, South Sound</strong>

<strong>'SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED' </strong>-- Having reconciled and reunited since their first cinematic outing, Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sara Michelle Gellar), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Velma (Linda Cardellini) are back as celebrity sleuths with a cowardly pooch. Avoid this lame sequel, which lacks the campy fun of the original.<em> </em>PG (some scary action, rude humor and language). 1:33. <strong>*</strong>

<strong>Showing: Bainbridge, Kitsap 8, Poulsbo, Redwood, Silverdale, South Sound </strong>

<strong>'SECRET WINDOW' -- </strong>Johnny Depp plays a troubled suspense novelist besieged by a scary amateur (John Turturro) who insists he's been plagiarized. Based on Stephen King's "Secret Window, Secret Garden," this well-made thriller from director David Koepp ("Stir of Echoes") is engrossing for a while, but the ending is telegraphed. With Maria Bello and Timothy Hutton. PG-13 (violence/terror, sexual content and language). 1:46.<strong> ** 1/2</strong>

<strong>Showing: Charleston Cinemas</strong>

<strong>'TO BE &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; TO HAVE'</strong> -- (This film) gets its punch from simple scenes and gentle conversations in a one-room country schoolhouse, but this movie -- like any great documentary -- makes us care deeply about its subjects. The appeal is three-fold: the students themselves who all learn in a single room despite being different ages and learning levels; the teacher, an erudite, even-tempered man who's an instructor, judge, policeman, mentor, therapist and friend; and the school setting in a beautiful area of France where nature and farms provide breathtaking vistas. G. 1:44. Subtitled

<strong>Showing: Rose Theatre (Port Townsend)</strong>

<strong>'WALKING TALL' </strong>-- This remake of a popular 1973 film stars actor/pro wrestler The Rock as a Special Forces veteran who returns home only to find that his little town has turned corrupt and violent. After brawling his way into trouble with the law, he eventually becomes sheriff and keeps brawling until the town has been cleaned up. PG-13 (intense violence, sexual content, drug material and language). 1:25. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Kitsap 8, Poulsbo, South Sound</strong>

<strong>'WHAT THE #$*! DO WE KNOW!?' -- </strong>Amanda (Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God), a divorced photographer, finds herself in a fantastic Alice-in-Wonderland experience when her daily, uninspired life literally begins to unravel, revealing the cellular, molecular and even quantum worlds, which lie beneath. Guided by a Greek Chorus of leading scientists and mystics--who, in documentary form, reveal that science and spirituality are not different modes of thought--Amanda finds that if reality itself is not questionable, her notion of it certainly is. (Clip courtesy of Grand Cinema) 1:48. Unrated.

<strong>Showing: Grand Cinema (Tacoma)</strong>

<strong>'THE WHOLE TEN YARDS'</strong> -- Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry reprise their respective roles as a truculent hit man and an excitable dentist in this sequel to the 2000 film "The Whole Nine Yards," trying to elude the same bumbling crime family they outwitted in the original. Despite the stars' chemistry, it's a mostly empty movie, full of artificial energy and jokes that don't quite work. With Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge and Kevin Pollak. PG-13 (sexual content, violence and language). 1:39. <strong>**</strong>

<strong>Showing: Kitsap 8, Poulsbo</strong>


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