Short Subjectives July 26 2006

Opening Friday

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· THE ANT BULLY 4 stars. (PG) A Watermelon Man for the primary-school set, this delightful animated film illustrates that the high moral standards we teach in our kiddie films are not the ones we honor in the adult world. A bullied kid takes out his aggression on a front yard ant pile until he is magically shrunken down to ant size and forced to learn how the other half lives. In a female-centric colony governed by a smart, insightful Queen Ant (the voice of Meryl Streep), Lucas Nickle (Zach Tyler) finds an ant community founded on cooperation in opposition to his human world of warring individualism run amok. With enough bathroom humor to please children and some real integrity in its right-vs.-might message, the film pleases on many fronts. — Felicia Feaster

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· JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE (PG-13) Three high school girls fall for the same guy, discover that he’s been cheating on them and exact revenge. Sort of like My Super Ex-Girlfriend, only there’s three of them and they don’t have superpowers. Director Betty Thomas also helmed The Brady Bunch Movie, Private Parts and the Dr. Doolittle remake.

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· MIAMI VICE (R) See review.

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· THE MOSTLY UNFABULOUS SOCIAL LIFE OF ETHAN GREEN 2 stars. (NR) See review.

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· SCOOP 2 stars. (PG-13) See review.

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· SHADOWBOXER (R) Cuba Gooding Jr. and Helen Mirren promise to be an unusual screen pair as two trained assassins who chose to redeem themselves when hired to bump off the pregnant wife of a mob boss. The debut film from Lee Daniels, producer of Monster’s Ball and The Woodsman.

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· WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? 3 stars. (PG) Chris Paine’s documentary chronicles the introduction — and subsequent suppression — of battery-powered, exhaust-free cars, notably General Motors’ EV-1, over the past decade in the Southwest. The first half’s chronological recap proves a bit shaky, and frankly, it reeks of celebrity concern. When the film systematically goes through the “suspects” in the murder of the electric car, it makes a compelling case against short-sighted consumers, meddlesome oil interests and half-hearted auto industry planning. When GM recalls the popular EV-1s and destroys them, despite the presence of customers willing to buy them, the documentary confirms any environmentalist’s worst conspiracy theories. — Curt Holman

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Duly Noted

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· BRICK 3 stars. (R) Writer/director Rian Johnson catches fire with a seemingly lame premise: a convoluted mystery in the style of hard-boiled 1940s detective thrillers, set in a contemporary high school. But as brooding loner Brendan (a terrific Joseph Gordon-Levitt) tries to track down his troubled former girlfriend, Brick becomes both a compelling suspense story and an unusual portrait of teen angst from the inside out. The antiquated slang may not be authentic, but given that Brendan no doubt perceives himself as a noble, self-sacrificing hero worthy of Raymond Chandler, the lonely film-noir flourishes aptly fit his point of view. Thurs., July 27. Cinefest, GSU University Center, Suite 211, 66 Courtland St. $5 ($3 until 5 p.m.). 404-651-3565. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft/. — Holman

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· THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) 5 stars. (NR) Even more than the jeweled bird of the title, this classic, genre-defining detective story feels like “the stuff that dreams are made of.” Director John Huston and actor Humphrey Bogart saw their careers take off in this adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s already filmed novel, which works as both a moody noir thriller and a well-acted chamber piece about the power struggle between a handful of sharp characters (played by the likes of Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre). On a double bill with Bogie’s fun but lesser thriller Key Largo. Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival. Thurs., Aug. 3, 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. $7. 404-881-2100. www.foxtheatre.org. — Holman

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· THE PROPOSITION 3 stars. (R) The Australian Outback provides a stark backdrop for this dark Western from Down Under. Guy Pearce’s young outlaw must track down his murderous older brother (Danny Huston) to save the life of his naive younger brother arrested by a brutal lawman (Ray Winstone). Following a stark, explosive introduction, this persistently violent film turns strangely passive, muting the power of its imagery. July 28-Aug. 11. Cinefest, GSU University Center, Suite 211, 66 Courtland St. $5 ($3 until 5 p.m.). 404-651-3565. www2.gsu.edu/~wwwcft/. — Holman

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· THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) (R) The cult classic of cult classics, the musical horror spoof follows an all-American couple (Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick) to the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a drag-queen/mad scientist from another galaxy. It’s all fun and games until Meat Loaf gets killed. Dress as your favorite character and participate in this musical on acid. Midnight Fri. at Lefont Plaza Theatre and Sat. at Peachtree Cinema & Games, Norcross.

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· V FOR VENDETTA 4 stars. (R) Like 1984’s George Orwell taking a stab at a Batman tale, this futuristic thriller depicts a caped crusader called “V” (Hugo Weaving beneath a grinning mask) who targets a totalitarian police state in a near-future England. Although the creators of the Matrix movies adapt the cult comic-book series with fast-paced panache, the film’s radical politics — which, among other things, seem to glamorize terrorism — feel naive in a post-9/11 landscape. Natalie Portman lends a human touch and moral center as a meek young woman gradually radicalized by V’s example. Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival. Mon., July 31, 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. $7. 404-881-2100. www.foxtheatre.org. — Holman

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Continuing

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· CARS 4 stars. (G) In an alternate America populated by talking, thinking automobiles, a racing rookie (voiced by Owen Wilson) gets waylaid in a dying Route 66 tourist trap and gradually learns to appreciate small-town values. The predictable plot keeps Cars from competing in the class of such computer-animated masterpieces as Finding Nemo, but Pixar’s seventh cartoon feature benefits from gorgeous visuals, breezy comedic timing and genuine affection for the roadside attractions and car culture of yesteryear. — Holman

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· CLASSE TOUS RISQUES (1960) 4 stars. (NR) A restored print and new subtitles establish Claude Sautet’s crime thriller as one of France’s effective, character-driven bits of film noir. Lino Ventura plays a weary stick-up man hoping to settle down with his family, but a border crossing gone wrong makes him a French fugitive with two young sons. — Holman

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· CLERKS 2 3 stars. (R) See review.

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· CLICK 2 stars. (PG-13) Venturing into the “Beyond” section of Bed, Bath & Beyond, harried Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) stumbles upon an eccentric employee (Christopher Walken) who gives him a universal remote with the power to control his life. For the first hour, this clever concept leads to some genuine laughs but more often gets buried under the sort of adolescent humor that long ago became the actor’s calling card. The comedy isn’t as pointed as desired and the drama isn’t as maudlin as expected, yielding decidedly mixed results.

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· — Matt Brunson

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· THE DA VINCI CODE 2 stars. (PG-13) In Ron Howard’s sluggish adaptation of the oft-imitated best seller, Tom Hanks plays a symbolism professor who becomes embroiled in a mystery that reaches back to the Last Supper. The original novel used a secondhand Robert Ludlum plot to link some gossipy bits of religious and art history, but the long, draggy film takes the thin characters too seriously and finds no conspiratorial fun in its overheated content. — Holman

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· THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 3 stars. (PG-13) For a time, this film adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s fictionalized tell-all book about working for Vogue Editor Anna Wintour is as much fun as flipping through a glossy mag, full of attitude, supermodels and big-city bitchiness. Anne Hathaway plays the recent grad and aspiring journalist who gets a job at the high fashion Runway magazine where she is tortured by boss-from-hell Meryl Streep, whose wondrously snarky performance steals the show. But director David Frankel can’t leave well enough alone. Burdened by mainstream convention, his film quickly unspools into a tiresome bottom-of-the-barrel teen film instructing us that fashion is shallow and meaningless and we were silly girls to believe otherwise. — Feaster

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· THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT (PG-13) None of the original actors or directors of this racing flick franchise turn up for the third outing, in which Lucas Black and Bow Wow take on Tokyo’s underground culture of “drift racing.”

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· THE HEART OF THE GAME 4 stars. (PG-13) Ward Serrill’s rousing documentary follows six seasons of a Seattle girls high school basketball team and focuses on two fascinating characters: tax professor-turned-draw-blood coach Bill Resler, and troubled star player Darnellia Russell. Compared to the definitive high school basketball documentary Hoop Dreams, Serrill borrows a little more from the Hollywood feel-good playbook, but The Heart of the Game nevertheless offers fascinating insights into the unique challenges of girls’ sports as well as some thrilling, stranger-than-fiction big games. — Holman

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· IMAX THEATER Amazon (NR) This documentary traces the Amazon River from its source in the Andes Mountains to the Amazon river basin and captures the beauty of its diverse wildlife. Through Aug. 18. Dolphins (NR): Pierce Brosnan narrates this slick look at dolphins and the bathing-suited scientists who study them. Fernbank Museum of Natural History IMAX Theater, 767 Clifton Road. 404-929-6300. www.fernbank.edu.

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· AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH 4 stars. (PG) Former Vice President Al Gore lays out the scientific underpinnings of global warming to devastating effect. Essentially a filmed lecture interspersed with biographical material, Davis Guggenheim’s documentary contains some narrative limitations but otherwise presents a profoundly disturbing portrait of an impending global catastrophe, delivered by Gore with unexpected humor and passion. — Holman

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· THE LADY IN THE WATER 1 star. (PG-13) Spooky auteur M. Night Shyamalan may alienate even his core audience of New Agey thrill-seekers with this convoluted bedtime story about a lumpen Philadelphia apartment house maintenance man (Paul Giamatti working the Ziggy sad sack shtick) who enlists his tenants to save a stray water nymph (Bryce Dallas Howard) seeking refuge in his pool to escape the ferocious wolf-creatures who want to prevent her from returning to the “Blue World.” As tortuous to watch as it is to explain, trust me. — Feaster

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· THE LAKE HOUSE 2 stars. (PG-13) Two strangers (Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves) who become pen pals come to the startling realization that they’re actually corresponding over the years — she’s writing and receiving his letters in 2006, he’s doing likewise in 2004 — and that the mailbox at the title property serves as a magic portal. The Lake House has its heart in the right place, but the end result doesn’t even begin to inspire the requisite level of swoony romance on our parts. Director Alejandro Agresti is more interested in the film’s look than its substance, while David Auburn’s script is arid and uninvolving. — Brunson

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· LEONARD COHEN: I’M YOUR MAN (PG-13) This documentary tribute to the life and music of gravelly voiced singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen (who wrote such songs as “Everybody Knows”) features appearances by U2, Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave and others.

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· LITTLE MAN 2 stars. (PG-13) When an unsuspecting couple (Shawn Wayans and Kerry Washington) end up in possession of a stolen diamond, criminal dwarf Calvin Sims (Marlon Wayans) disguises himself as a baby to retrieve the priceless bauble. A robustly performed sequence involving a rectal thermometer is amusing, but the rest is slapdash and bare, despite Marlon’s Herculean efforts to turn Calvin into a notable comic creation. — Brunson

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· LOWER CITY 1 star. (R) This sex-filled love triangle from first-time director Sérgio Machado about two childhood friends (Lázaro Ramos and Wagner Moura) vying for the affections of a Brazilian hooker (Alice Braga) aims for gritty ambiance and passion as an escape from its characters’ impoverished misery. But its canned story line, shoddy writing, paper-thin characters and implausible incidents defy us to care for the threesome or see the film as anything more than a lot of sweaty rutting. — Feaster

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· MONSTER HOUSE 2 stars. (PG) Three sleuthing middle-schoolers suspect that the spooky house across the street possesses supernatural powers and a ravenous appetite for unsuspecting visitors. The haunted house looks great and the kid-characters play well with each other, but Monster House feels like a deliberate throwback to the 1980s’ shrill, silly suburban adventures like The Goonies. Take that as an endorsement or a warning.

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· — Holman

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· MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND (PG-13) Luke Wilson plays a regular guy who breaks up with his girlfriend (Uma Thurman), only to discover that she happens to be a super-powered crime fighter who doesn’t take rejection well. Co-starring Eddie Izzard and “The Office’s” Rainn Wilson.

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· NACHO LIBRE 3 stars. (PG) Jack Black plays Ignacio, an extremely well-fed orphan who works at a monastery while dreaming of becoming one of Mexico’s revered masked wrestlers. The comedy feels like the result of Black watching director Jared Hess’ Napoleon Dynamite with his School of Rock screenwriter Mike White and screaming “Dude, I wanna work with you!” Questionable ethnic stereotyping and a one-joke act by Black nearly keeps the film pinned down for the count. — David Lee Simmons

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· THE OMEN 2 stars. (R) The 1976 version of The Omen still holds up after 30 years. That’s reason enough to Netflix that baby and skip the flat remake that’s currently haunting multiplexes. The devil taking over the world is a terrifying concept, yet here there’s so little urgency to the proceedings that you’d think his master plan extended only to prank phone calls to the Vatican and T-P-ing ministers’ houses. The new film is mostly faithful to its predecessor — an American ambassador (Liev Schreiber) and his wife (Julia Stiles) learn too late that their adopted son is the Antichrist — but the fact that this produces snickers rather than scares suggests that it might find its niche as a camp outing. — Brunson

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· PEACEFUL WARRIOR (PG-13) Scott Mechlowicz plays a young gymnast who finds inner peace amid high-stakes competitions, thanks to the sage advice of Nick Nolte.

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· PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST 3 stars. (PG-13) Like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is to Raiders of the Lost Ark, this follow-up to the unexpectedly clever Curse of the Black Pearl waters down the wit of its predecessor with labored slapstick and spectacle. The middle section, featuring the satanic, half-human Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and the freaky crew of the Flying Dutchman, features such chilling intensity and artful, infernal special effects, it provides the tide that carries this leaky vessel to port, despite the weaknesses of its script and Johnny Depp’s likeable but already familiar performance as slurring, sashaying Captain Jack Sparrow. — Holman

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· A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION 2 stars. (PG-13) “Hee Haw” for the public radio set, renowned director Robert Altman offers a film version of Garrison Keillor’s long-running radio show. An array of stars parade across the screen, from Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin as crooning sisters, to Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as dirty-minded cowboys (and Lindsay Lohan thrown in for some teen bait). But Altman, undoubtedly encumbered by a creaky Keillor script that interweaves a film noir element with the imagined demise under the wrecking bar of the “Prairie” show, has a hard time translating its homespun, quirky Americana so dependent on the imaginative space of radio to the literalism of film. — Feaster

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· A SCANNER DARKLY 3 stars. (R) Richard Linklater’s animated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s autobiographical dystopian 1977 novel of California drug addicts is sci-fi meets Slacker. Keanu Reeves plays an undercover cop trying to penetrate a group of “Substance D” addicts, but gradually loses his own identity in the throes of addiction and deep cover. Linklater’s film tackles a variety of ideas, from Dick’s nightmare world of nefarious corporations and 24-hour surveillance, to Reeves’ existential exploration of his own identity. As a consequence, Linklater’s intelligent but unfocused film can at times buckle under the weight of so many ideas handled in such a rambling, disorderly manner. — Feaster

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· STRANGERS WITH CANDY 2 stars. (NR) In this movie version of Comedy Central’s cult-fave sitcom, middle-aged former sex worker and drug addict Jerri Blank (co-creator Amy Sedaris) re-enrolls in high school to get her life back on track. — Holman

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· SUPERMAN RETURNS 3 stars. (PG-13) After five years in outer space, Superman (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth to discover that Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has a son and Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has a new world-conquering scheme. Bryan Singer, director of the first X-Men movies, spins the film as a nearly obsessive sequel to Christopher Reeve’s initial outings as the Man of Steel — which makes it all the more obvious that Routh, despite his wholesome farm boy qualities, is an amiable blank compared to Reeve’s witty portrayal. The film features spectacular action set-pieces and some delicious villainy by Spacey, but never really gets inside Superman’s head. — Holman

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· X-MEN: THE LAST STAND 2 stars. (PG-13) The last film in the comic-book trilogy trades former director Bryan Singer’s witty approach to despised superheroes for newcomer Brett Ratner’s sloppy, overstuffed story. The invention of a “cure” for super-powered mutants leads to a standoff between the good guys of Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and the tattooed baddies of Magneto (Ian McKellan). Despite some admittedly rousing battle scenes, The Last Stand looks cheap, suffers from too many plot threads and fails to give comic books a good name. — Holman

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· YOU, ME AND DUPREE 1 star. (PG-13) Inflicting pain — both on its characters and hapless audiences — seems to be the play of the day as far as this cesspool of a movie is concerned. Owen Wilson plays Dupree, a slacker who’s invited to stay with his best friend Carl (Matt Dillon) and Carl’s new wife, Molly (Kate Hudson). This torturous comedy serves as the ultimate litmus test when it comes to one’s tolerance of Wilson’s patented surfer-boy routine. A black-comedy specialist like Danny DeVito might have wrung wicked laughs out of this material, but the amateurs in charge here fail to leaven the unpleasantness with any compensating humor. — Brunson