A weekly update of video releases

By , Judy Nichols, and Owen Thomas


* FRENCH KISS - This Hollywood romance, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, runs mostly on autopilot. Meg Ryan stars as Kate, a woman whose fiance, attending a medical convention in Paris, promptly jilts her. Love conquers all, even the most tenacious fear of flying, so off Kate goes to win back her man. She gets a little help, er, hindrance, from a jewel-smuggling Frenchman. Ryan's usually ebullient charm fizzles during the first half of the film, and the chemistry between her and Kevin Kline (who does a credibly comedic job as the light-fingered Luc) never quite gels. The movie's energy picks up during the latter half of the film, however, and the result is an adequate, if predictable, romantic comedy. (PG-13, Fox Home Video, May 5)

- Yvonne Zipp

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* TOMMY BOY - Chris Farley and David Spade of ''Saturday Night Live'' fame scrape through way too many gags in this mindless-entertainment flick. The slapstick mounts when the dim-witted Tommy (Farley) tries to save his family's automotive business by taking a cross-country sales trip with the company wise guy (Spade). Thin plot with lots of rough edges, although a few silly laughs along the way. (PG-13, Paramount Home Video)

- Judy Nichols

* CINDERELLA - Beautiful, virtuous Cinderella is at the mercy of her evil stepmother and sniveling stepsisters until her fairy godmother steps in and sends her to the Prince's ball. This restored version of the 1950 Disney animated fairy tale is an order of magnitude better - deeper colors, more dimensionality - than the pale one our local library has had for years. The plot and the music (including ''Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo'') gallop along. Parents must decide for themselves if the film promotes a 1950s ''helpless female'' stereotype. (G, Walt Disney Home Video)

- Owen Thomas

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