Dates at the end of capsules indicate the film's initial review in the Deseret News.
NEW FILM FRIDAY
HATE - This black-and-white French thriller about racial strife in Paris, focuses on a disenfranchised youth who finds a loaded gun and proceeds to plot revenge against those who have crossed him. "Presented" by Jodie Foster. (Winner of the Best Director Prize at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.) In French, with English subtitles. Reviewed in this section. R (profanity, violence, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Tower.)
NEW FILM WEDNESDAY
HARRIET THE SPY - Based on the popular children's book, this is the story of an 11-year-old girl who spies on her parents, friends and neighbors, scribbling details in a secret notebook. Rosie O'Donnell is featured in the cast. To be reviewed when it opens next week. PG (mild vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century, Cinemas 5, Holladay, Sandy 9.)
KIDS MATINEES
CASPER - * * - This live-action adaptation of the comic books/cartoons has "the friendly ghost" haunting a house occupied by young Christina Ricci ("The Addams Family") and her ghost-therapist father Bill Pullman. High-tech special-effects fun, laced with over-the-top performances from villains Cathy Moriarty and Eric Idle, hindered by a silly story and slow pacing. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Valley Fair, Thursday, 10 a.m.) (May 26, 1995) - C.H. FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME - * * - If you've seen "Free Willy" you've also seen "Free Willy 2," with a few minor adjustments. Most of the original cast is back as the action moves up the Pacific Northwest. Jesse (Jason James Richter) meets his half-brother and our friendly neighborhood killer whale is trapped by an oil spill. OK kids stuff. PG (violence, vulgarity). (Murray, Wednesday, 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.) (July 19, 1995) - C.H. THE LITTLE RASCALS - * * - Mediocre adaptation of the old shorts, modernized and updated (sort of) as nostalgic kiddie fare. Look-alikes impersonate Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Stymie, etc. - and some are better than others. But it's all rather forced and artificial, with a surprising number of recycled gags. Star cameos include Whoopi Goldberg, Mel Brooks, Donald Trump and Daryl Hannah. PG (mild vulgarity, comic violence). (Kaysville, Wednesday, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.) (Aug. 5, 1994) - C.H. THE PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN - * * - Despite some colorful, luminous animation by Don Bluth's team, this animated feature is quite weak in terms of story, character and songs (the latter provided by Barry Manilow), as a stuttering, clumsy penguin in Antarctica tries to get home to his true love before his rival wins her hand. Voices are by Martin Short, James Belushi and Tim Curry. G. (Sugarhouse, Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.) (April 20, 1995) - C.H.
CONTINUING FILMS
ANTONIA'S LINE - * * 1/2 - There are some amusing anecdotes in this loosely structured, episodic Dutch film (winner of the best foreign-language Oscar), about a circle of eccentrics and the nurturing middle-aged woman who takes them under her wing. Set in a small village after World War II, the film revolves around the woman and her progeny, taking a feminist slant and more than a few potshots at the Catholic church. Superficial, but it has its moments. In Dutch, with English subtitles. R (violence, rape, sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Tower.) (June 21, 1996) - C.H. THE ARRIVAL - * * - A NASA astronomer (Charlie Sheen) finds himself at the center of a conspiracy when he receives a transmission from deep space that his superiors (led by Ron Silver) destroy and later deny. It's all paranoia-thriller until the final third, when it turns into "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" crossed with "Invaders from Mars." There are some tense moments and neat aliens, but plot holes abound and logic has been discarded in favor of cheap thrills. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, nudity). (Cinemas 5, Olympus; Redwood, with "Independence Day".) (May 31, 1996) - C.H. THE BIRDCAGE - * * 1/2 - Funny, but artificial Americanized adaptation of the hit French farce "La Cage aux Folles," about a gay couple (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane) posing as straight to fool the prospective, very conservative in-laws (Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest) of the adult son they have raised together. Some wildly funny moments, but it's sluggish and falters in places. Quite faithful to the original film (and a half-hour longer). R (profanity, vulgarity, partial nudity, lewd art). (Family Center; Redwood, with "Striptease"; Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (March 8, 1996) - C.H. BROKEN ARROW - * * * 1/2 - This action-thriller boasts a very high "Wow!"-factor, with plenty of wild stunts and wonderfully choreographed action set-pieces by Chinese director John Woo (who stumbled with his first American film, Jean-Claude Van Damme's "Hard Target"). The high-profile cast includes John Travolta as a crazed Air Force pilot who steals a pair of nuclear bombs to hold America hostage and Christian Slater as his co-pilot, who performs Indiana Jones stunts as he tries to stop him. A real nail-biter. R (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Sugarhouse.) (Feb. 9, 1996) - C.H. THE CABLE GUY - * * - Jim Carrey's back, this time playing the title character, who wants to be friends with an unsuspecting cable subscriber (Matthew Broderick). But when he's rejected, Carrey tries to destroy his life. This very dark comedy, a variation "Fatal Attraction," is too mean-spirited to be funny, but isn't scary enough to be a straight thriller. It's a big disappointment coming from director Ben Stiller ("Reality Bites"). PG-13 (profanity, violence, vulgarity, sex). (Carmike 12, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Mission: Impossible"; Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (June 14, 1996) - J.V. COLD COMFORT FARM - * * * 1/2 - This low-key, but witty, comedy, which was actually made for British television by director John Schlesinger ("Midnight Cowboy," "Marathon Man"), is the perfect cure for this summer's overblown blockbuster season. Kate Beckinsale ("Much Ado About Nothing") plays a pampered young woman in the early '30s who finds herself penniless and moves in with her eccentric, but delightful, relatives on a cursed farm. PG (profanity, sex). (Exclusive, Trolley Square.) (June 14, 1996) - J.V. THE CRAFT - * 1/2 - Four Catholic high school girls experiment with witchcraft, conjure up magic beyond their wildest dreams and exact revenge on their campus enemies. But when one of them gets conscience pangs about the mayhem and killing, she must square off against another who is mad with power. A cross between "Carrie" and "The Witches of Eastwick," which starts off interestingly, but makes no effort to fill in plot holes or give the characters any dimension. R (violence, attempted rape, sex, profanity, vulgarity, racial epithets). (Sugarhouse; Valley Fair.) (May 3, 1996) - C.H. DRAGONHEART - * * 1/2 - Spectacular special effects by the "Jurassic Park" team and a sterling vocal performance by Sean Connery as a dragon save this glorified "buddy picture." Dennis Quaid, with a curious accent, stars as a knight who forms an alliance with a huge dragon named Draco (Connery) to overthrow an evil king in this fantasy-comedy-thriller. PG-13 (violence, gore, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5, Holladay, South Towne, Trolley Square; Valley Vu, with "The Nutty Professor.") (May 31, 1996) - J.V. EDDIE - turkey - Whoopi Goldberg stars as the title character, a limo driver and rabid New York Knicks fan who is chosen to be honorary coach for a night - and then is given the job for real - in this unfunny and sometimes tasteless comedy. Even cameos from Mujibur and Sirajul from "The Late Show With David Letterman" and tons of NBA players (including Utah Jazz rookie center Greg Ostertag as a Knicks player) don't help. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, very brief partial nudity). (Cinemas 5, Murray, Olympus; Redwood, with "The Rock".) (May 31, 1996) - J.V. ERASER - * * - Excessive violence and gore (there are three separate impaling scenes!) rub out most of the fun from the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle. He stars as a federal marshal assigned to erase the identities of witnesses whose testimony puts them in danger, and who is eventually framed as a traitor. There are some exciting, if illogical, action sequences, however. Vanessa Williams, James Caan and James Coburn co-star. R (violence, profanity, gore). (Broadway, Carmike 12, Century, Cottonwood, Midvalley; Redwood, with "Twister"; Reel, Sandy 9, Trolley North.) (June 21, 1996) - J.V. EXECUTIVE DECISION - * * 1/2 - "Die Hard" on a passenger airliner, crossed with "Airport '75," believe it or not, resulting in a mixed bag - it's tense and suspenseful, but it's also pretty dumb. A hijacked 747 is boarded in the air by a special forces team, led by Steven Seagal (whose role is minor) but it's Kurt Russell, as an intelligence analyst, who leads the group in attempting to foil a plot by Middle Eastern terrorists who plan to bomb Washington, D.C. Oliver Platt, Halle Berry, Joe Morton and John Leguizamo co-star. R (violence, profanity). (Kaysville.) (March 15, 1996) - C.H. FLIPPER - * * 1/2 - The intelligent, crime-fighting dolphin gets a new '90s look in this rehash of the familiar story (filmed first as a pair of '60s movies, then two TV series), this time with Elijah Wood as a troubled teen who is sent to live with his fisherman uncle (Paul Hogan) in a tropical paradise. Amusing, if overly familiar family fare. PG (violence, profanity). (Family Center, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (May 17, 1996) - C.H. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME - * * * 1/2 - A light, feel-good take on Victor Hugo's classic, but as Disney adaptations go, it's gorgeously animated, sincerely performed and surprisingly thoughtful - with the usual silly touches for young children. But there are dark moments that may be a bit much for the very young in what is arguably the most adult Disney animated feature yet. Voice talents include Tom Hulce, sweet as Quasimodo; Demi Moore, feisty as voluptuous Gypsy dancer Esmerelda; Kevin Kline, nicely ironic as the reluctant captain of the guard; and Jason Alexander as one of three comic gargoyles. G. (Crossroads, Gateway, Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Phenomenon"; Reel, South Towne, Villa.) (June 21, 1996) - C.H. INDEPENDENCE DAY - * * * 1/2 - This derivative but thrilling "Reader's Digest" mix of every seminal sci-fi thriller you can name has evil aliens systematically destroying the Earth's major cities. Great special effects offer a huge "Wow!" factor but it's the quick pacing and terrific eccentric characters that make it work as resourceful Americans gather in the Nevada desert to try and discover the enemy's weakness. Great performances by Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid and Brent Spiner, plus a lot of good-natured humor, help this summer thrill ride deliver the goods. PG-13 (violence, profanity, profanity). (Carmike 12, Century, Cottonwood, Gateway, Midvalley; Redwood, with "The Arrival"; Reel, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (July 3, 1996) - C.H. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH - * * * 1/2 - Wonderfully realized adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's book, with eye-popping animation and terrific vocal performances (by the likes of Richard Dreyfuss and Susan Sarandon) in the style and by the creators of "The Nightmare Before Christmas." A young boy escapes his unhappy life by sailing away on a giant peach (towed by 100 sea gulls) after being befriended by a spider, ladybug, glow worm, grasshopper and centipede, encountering unexpected adventures on the way to New York City. PG (violence, mild vulgarity). (Family Center, Kaysville, Sandcastle, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (April 12, 1996) - C.H. JANE EYRE - * * * - Lush, well-acted but aloof adaptation by Franco Zeffirelli ("Romeo and Juliet," TV's "Jesus of Nazareth") of Charlotte Bronte's frequently filmed classic, with Oscar-winner Anna Paquin ("The Piano") as young Jane, Charlotte Gainsbourg as the adult Jane and William Hurt as Rochester. Hurt is surprisingly good, Gainsbourg is too stoic, and the film is good but not great. PG (violence). (Avalon.) (April 26, 1996) - C.H. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - * * * - If you're looking for another "Twister"-like wild ride, this Tom Cruise vehicle is your E-ticket - but if you want story and character, look elsewhere. Cruise (who also co-produced) eschews the teamwork of the TV series, becoming a lone-wolf agent early on. (The film also deals a crooked hand to fans of the series with its treatment of a particular character.) But the action set-pieces are certainly worth your summer entertainment buck. PG-13 (violence, profanity). (Carmike 12, Cottonwood, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "The Cable Guy"; Sandy 9.) (May 22, 1996) - C.H. MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS - * * * - Formula, cliched storytelling gets a boost from several inspiring vignettes and a knockout central performance by Richard Dreyfuss as a high school music teacher who takes the job reluctantly, then, over the next three decades, learns the value of sharing his passion for music with others. Essentially a '90s music-oriented update of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips." PG (profanity). (Kaysville, Sandcastle, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Jan. 19, 1996) - C.H. MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND - * * 1/2 - Cute, amusing Disney production reuniting Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang for an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate yarn. And while it's not quite up there with "A Muppet Christmas Carol," it's not bad. Tim Curry is devious pirate Long John Silver - who has a lobster named Polly on his shoulder - and there are some good songs. But it plays like an elongated "Muppet Show" TV skit, with anachronistic asides and inside gags. G. (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Valley Fair.) - C.H.
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR - * 1/2 - Eddie Murphy is very good in this remake of the 1963 Jerry Lewis comedy, a variation on "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde," especially as the title character, a 400-pound lonely science professor. He also plays six other characters, including the result of a potion that makes him a dashing, if obnoxious romantic. But the humor is all fat jokes, flatulence gags and sexual utterances from an elderly woman. A real waste of talent. Jada Pinkett co-stars. PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence, brief nudity). (Broadway, Century, Holladay, Midvalley, Reel, South Towne, Trolley North; Valley Vu, with "Dragonheart".) (June 28, 1996) - C.H.
OLIVER & COMPANY - * * * - Disney's 1988 animated feature, which places Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" in a modern-day urban setting with animal characters, isn't the studio's most artistic effort, but it's still a lot of rip-roaring fun as Dodger the mutt (voiced by Billy Joel) takes Oliver the kitten under his paw and shows him how to live on the streets of Manhattan. Bette Midler and Cheech Marin steal the show as, respectively, a prissy poodle and a feisty chihuahua. G. (Cinemas 5.) (March 29, 1996) - C.H.
THE PHANTOM - * * - This adaptation of Lee Salk's comic strip is actually based on the first two Phantom adventures, but the film is a punchless ripoff of the "Indiana Jones" adventures. This pale shadow of its source material is also nowhere near as campy as it should have been. Billy Zane fills the purple spandex tights well, but Treat Williams and Kristy Swanson (as his nemesis and love interest, respectively) are just awful in supporting roles. PG (violence, profanity, mild vulgarity). (Cinemas 5, Olympus.) (June 7, 1996) - J.V.
PHENOMENON - * * * - Reworking of "Flowers for Algernon" (which was filmed as "Charly") casts John Travolta as an ordinary Joe who finds himself thrust into the limelight when a strange blinding flash leaves him with remarkable "off-the-scale" intelligence and telekinetic abilities. Travolta plays it subtly and he's excellent, as are Robert Duvall, Forest Whitaker and Kyra Sedgwick. The film is too long and the windup is certainly protracted (there are at least three endings), but you'll have a great time. PG (profanity, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Broadway, Carmike 12, Century, Creekside, Crossroads, Gateway, Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"; Reel, Sandy 9.) (July 3, 1996) - C.H.
PRIMAL FEAR - * 1/2 - Dreadful courtroom thriller, with Richard Gere as an arrogant Chicago attorney who courts headlines by defending an altar boy accused of brutally slaying a Catholic archbishop. Great cast (Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, John Mahoney) wasted in ridiculous, salacious story that gets worse as it goes along. R (violence, gore, sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (April 3, 1996) - C.H.
THE QUEST - * * - Suprisingly watchable directing debut by martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme, which returns him to his kickboxing roots for an "Enter the Dragon" variation, as championship fighters from around the world gather in Tibet to do battle for a huge golden dragon. Roger Moore is fun as a pseudo-aristrocratic con artist with a sense of humor, but the film is little more than fights, fights, fights - and more fights. PG-13 (violence, profanity). (Valley Fair.) (April 29, 1996) - C.H.
THE ROCK - * 1/2 - Grotesquely violent, irritatingly directed "Die Hard" clone, set on Alcatraz Island where a disgruntled general (Ed Harris) and his commando team threaten to launch rockets armed with lethal nerve gas into San Francisco. Mild-mannered FBI agent Nicolas Cage and 30-year federal prisoner Sean Connery race to the rescue, though they mostly just gawk at fireballs and shattering glass. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, sex). (Carmike 12, Century, Creekside, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Eddie"; Sandy 9.) (June 7, 1996) - C.H.
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY - * * * * - Emma Thompson delivers a marvelous central performance, and she won an Oscar for her screenplay adaptation of this delightful comic melodrama based on Jane Austen's novel. Thompson is one of two sisters (Kate Winslet plays the other) whose station in life has been reduced, and just when romance seems most likely, their suitors head for London. Charming, witty and unabashedly romantic. Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant co-star. PG (adult themes). (Kaysville.) (Jan. 19, 1996) - C.H.
STRIPTEASE - * 1/2 - Demi Moore's controversial $121/2 million payday is hardly worth it. She plays a stripper at a Miami strip club desperate to regain custody of her daughter from her lunatic husband, who uses the girl in wheelchair-stealing scams. An uneasy mix of broad comedy, dark and violent thriller elements and poignant drama falls flat most of the way. Burt Reynolds is having fun as an unlikable congressman but it's Ving Rhames who steals the show as a sentimental bouncer. R (violence, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Century, Creekside, Midvalley; Redwood, with "The Birdcage"; South Towne, Trolley North, Trolley Square.) (June 28, 1996). - C.H.
TOY STORY - * * * * - Hilarious feature-length Disney cartoon - entirely animated by computers - about two toys, an old-fashioned pull-string cowboy (voiced by Tom Hanks) and a space-age action figure (Tim Allen), who become rivals for the affections of the boy who owns them. Packed with visual gags and witty one-liners, though the toys are treated reverentially. Charming and hysterically funny, and it moves so fast it seems to be half its 70-minute length. G. (Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Nov. 22, 1995) - C.H.
THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS & DOGS - * * - The stars are quite appealing in this attempt at old-fashioned romantic comedy - a variation on "Cyrano de Bergerac" - but the film is only sporadically funny. The story has an insecure radio talk-show host (Janeane Garofalo) asking her model-friend (Uma Thurman) to assume her identity when she's asked out by a caller. Garofalo and Thurman make a terrific team. (Be warned, there's a phone-sex scene seems awfully explicit for the PG-13 rating.) PG-13 (sex, profanity, vulgarity). (Family Center, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (April 26, 1996) - C.H.
TWISTER - * * * - Forget the silly story and just go with the amazing special effects and the thrilling, ridiculously implausible "Indiana Jones"-style narrow escapes. This thriller from Steven Spielberg's production company stars Helen Hunt (at her most charming) and Bill Paxton, who lead a team of on a tornado chase, as they try to catch the biggest storm to hit Oklahoma in more than a half-century. Jan De Bont ("Speed") directed. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Eraser"; South Towne, Trolley Square.) (May 10, 1996) - C.H.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL - * * 1/2 - Although supposedly based the tragic true story of network news anchor Jessica Savitch, this film is merely romantic pap, a fictional, simple-minded tale of a pretty young newscaster (Michelle Pfeiffer) who rises at a local Florida station to network star under the guiding hand of her older lover (Robert Redford), a veteran network newsman whose own star has faded. More like "Pygmalion" than "Broadcast News," but Redford and Pfeiffer prove that movie-star charisma can make an audience forgive the most ridiculous lapses in logic. PG-13 (sex, profanity, violence). (Kaysville, Sandcastle, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (March 1, 1996) - C.H.
*****
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