STARTING THIS WEEK
NEW FILMS
DOUG'S 1ST MOVIE -- Popular Saturday morning cartoon character Doug Funnie discovers the mythical monster of Lucky Duck Lake and has to cope with his crush on classmate Patti Mayonnaise in this animated adventure-comedy. G (animated violence, vulgarity). (Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, Ritz, South Towne, Trolley Square, Villa.)
EDtv -- Matthew McConaughey stars in director Ron Howard's newest, a comedy about an unambitious video store clerk who agrees to have his life videotaped as part of a 24-hours-a-day television program. Jenna Elfman and Woody Harrelson co-star. PG-13 (sex, partial nudity, profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Carmike 12; Century; Holladay; Midvalley; Redwood, with "She's All That"; Reel; Ritz; Sandy 9; Trolley Corners; Trolley North.)
FIST OF LEGEND -- Action star Jet Li ("Lethal Weapon 4") steps into Bruce Lee's shoes for this remake of the 1972 thriller "The Chinese Connection," about a martial-arts student who has to avenge the death of his mentor. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. Not rated, probable PG-13 (violence, gore, racial epithets). (Exclusive, Tower.)
INSOMNIA -- Atmospheric Norwegian thriller that was a hit at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, which stars Stellan Skarsgard ("Ronin") as a sleep-deprived detective who makes a series of tragic mistakes during a murder investigation. In Norwegian, with English subtitles. Not rated, probable R (violence, nudity, sex, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Tower.)
THE MOD SQUAD -- A '90s big-screen update of the cult television series, starring Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi and Omar Epps as three juvenile delinquents recruited to work as undercover police operatives. R (violence, profanity, vulgarity, sex, nudity, gore, drug use, attempted rape). (Century; Creekside; Crossroads; Gateway; Midvalley; Redwood, with "The Rage: Carrie 2"; Ritz; South Towne.)
20 DATES -- Aspiring filmmaker Myles Berkowitz chronicles his efforts to go on as many dates as possible within a month in this comic documentary, a hit at the 1998 Slamdance Film Festival. Jeff Vice interviews Berkowitz on Page W1; reviewed in this section. R (profanity, vulgarity, nudity, sex, violence). (Exclusive, Broadway.)
SNEAK PREVIEWS
NEVER BEEN KISSED -- Drew Barrymore stars as a shy twentysomething newspaper reporter who becomes popular when she poses as a high school student in this romantic comedy, co-starring David Arquette and Molly Shannon ("Saturday Night Live"). To be reviewed when it opens April 9. PG-13 (vulgarity, sex, drug use, slapstick violence). (Friday: Century, Creekside, Crossroads, Midvalley, Ritz, Sandy 9.)
RE-RELEASES
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN -- **** -- Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg's "war movie to end all war movies" is violent, but it's also enthralling. Tom Hanks stands out in a great ensemble cast as the leader of a U.S. Army Rangers squadron sent on a suicide mission -- to bring back a paratrooper (Matt Damon) lost in the 1944 D-Day invasion. Winner of five Academy Awards. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century, Sandy 9.) (June 4, 1998)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
WORKS FROM ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT -- The monthly open screening program for the Utah Film and Video Center, featuring video and filmed works by local directors, many of whom are having their films shown for the first time. On video. This program is not rated but may contain some R-rated material. (Salt Lake Art Center, Friday only, 8 p.m.)
CONTINUING FILMS
ANALYZE THIS -- ** -- This mob comedy starts well but gets too frantic. Billy Crystal stars as a psychologist who reluctantly treats a panicky crime lord (Robert De Niro). De Niro is great spoofing his earlier roles, but it's too violent and crude. R (profanity, violence, vulgarity, sex, partial nudity, ethnic slurs). (Carmike 12; Century; Gateway; Holladay; Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "True Crime"; Reel; Ritz; Sandy 9; Trolley Corners.) (March 5, 1999)
AT FIRST SIGHT -- ** -- This fact-based drama (inspired by an Oliver Sacks story) has a wonderful first hour, in which a blind masseur (Val Kilmer) romances a stressed-out architect (Mira Sorvino). But in the second half, that storyline takes a back seat to a predictable medical science plot (doctors restore his sight), and the melodrama becomes cliched. PG-13 (profanity, sex, nudity, violence). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Jan. 15, 1999)
BABY GENIUSES -- * 1/2 -- The adult performers (who include Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd and Kim Cattrall) look embarrassed to be in this dumbbell kiddie comedy, about superintelligent toddlers who escape a secret lab. Think "Baby's Day Out," on an even louder, stupider scale. PG (violence, vulgarity, profanity). (Century; Cottonwood; Midvalley; Redwood, with "The King and I"; Ritz; Sandy 9.) (March 12, 1999)
BLAST FROM THE PAST -- ** 1/2 -- Another fish-out-of-water comedy for Brendan Fraser, who stars as a man who emerges from a fallout shelter after 35 years. While the first hour's too slow and the material's pretty thin, Fraser and Alicia Silverstone are appealing together. And the supporting cast is a hoot, especially Dave Foley ("A Bug's Life"). PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Carmike 12, Plaza 5400.) (Feb. 12, 1999)
A BUG'S LIFE -- **** -- Better animated and written than "Antz," this comedy from the "Toy Story" team is a hilarious tale about a klutzy insect who recruits circus performers to help defend his anthill from an invading grasshopper horde. Don't leave early, or you'll miss a series of hysterically funny bug "outtakes." G (animated violence, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5, Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Nov. 25, 1998)
THE CORRUPTOR -- ** -- There's a good premise to this action thriller, which stars Mark Wahlberg as an idealistic NYPD rookie (Mark Wahlberg,) who is partnered with a cop on the take (Chow Yun-Fat, from "The Replacement Killers"). But director James Foley ("The Chamber") has no idea how to direct the action scenes, excepting an exciting shootout/car chase. R (violence, gore, profanity, nudity, racial epithets, sex, vulgarity). (Century, Cottonwood, Crossroads, Midvalley, Ritz, Sandy 9.) (March 12, 1999)
CRUEL INTENTIONS -- * 1/2 -- An exploitative remake of "Dangerous Liaisons" for the teens crowd, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as a pair of manipulative step-siblings. Handsome looking, but the performances are terrible and the film appeals to the lowest common denominator. R (profanity, vulgarity, sex, violence, nudity, drug use). (Century; Creekside; Midvalley; Redwood, with "Payback"; Ritz; South Towne; Trolley Square.) (March 5, 1999)
THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN -- ** -- A surprisingly uninvolving adaptation of Jacquelyn Mitchard's best-seller, about a couple (Michelle Pfeiffer and Treat Williams) reunited with their kidnapped son -- who now has no memory of them. Too superficial, and Pfeiffer's too-aware performance hurts. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Reel, Ritz, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (March 12, 1999)
8MM -- ** -- You can see director Joel Schumacher trying to get at something serious throughout this thriller but he's overwhelmed by the film's tawdry elements. When you roll around in this stuff, it's hard to not look dirty. And Cage plays it so grave and depressive that our attention repeatedly drifts away from him. R (sex, profanity, violence, nudity, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century.) (Feb. 26, 1999) -- Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
ENEMY OF THE STATE -- ** -- A surprising amount of restraint on the part of the filmmakers (director Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who tone down their usual bombast) doesn't really suit this slow-moving thriller, which stars Will Smith as an innocent man running for his life from rogue government agents. The movie finally comes to life when Gene Hackman comes onscreen, but by then it's too late. R (violence, profanity, gore, partial nudity, racial epithets, sex). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Nov. 20, 1998)
FORCES OF NATURE -- ** -- Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock are OK together, playing a nervous groom-to-be and a free spirit thrown together by circumstances. But the plot for this comedy leaves them nowhere to go, and the ending is a downer. PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, drug use, violence, partial nudity). (Century; Gateway; Holladay; Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "October Sky"; Reel; Ritz; South Towne; Trolley Square.) (March 16, 1999)
THE KING AND I -- ** -- Some decent performances of the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, but this animated musical takes too many liberties with the story and even resorts to ugly racial stereotyping. Use it as an introduction for kids to the real thing. G (animated violence, vulgarity). (Century; Cottonwood; Gateway; Midvalley; Redwood, with "Baby Geniuses"; Reel; Ritz; South Towne; Trolley Square.) (March 16, 1999)
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL -- *** 1/2 -- The premise for this film, a comedy set in a concentration camp, is truly odd. But Roberto Benigni pulls it off, thanks to his Oscar-winning performance as an Italian Jew who attempts to conceal death-camp horrors from his son. Winner of three Academy Awards. In Italian, with English subtitles. PG-13 (violence, ethnic slurs, brief nudity). (Broadway, Carmike 12, Century, Cottonwood, Gateway, South Towne.) (Nov. 6, 1998)
LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS -- *** -- Violent, gory and yet refreshing British comedy/thriller about four would-be hustlers who turn to crime in order to pay off a huge gambling debt. A bit slow to start and some of the dialogue is indecipherable, but the humor works and the ending is gripping. R (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity, torture, nudity, drug use). (Exclusive, Broadway.) (March 19, 1999)
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE -- ** -- Aloof star Kevin Costner is all wrong for this weepy romantic melodrama, based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks. Still, Robin Wright Penn is good as a journalist who finds a letter in a bottle and then falls in love with its author. And Paul Newman is terrific as his father. PG-13 (profanity, violence, sex). (Carmike 12, Cottonwood, Midvalley, Sandy 9.) (Feb. 12, 1999)
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG -- * 1/2 -- Overly violent and sure to be frightening for the very young, this remake of the 1949 fantasy/adventure film features great special effects but little else. And Charlize Theron is awful as the companion to the great ape, who gets loose in Los Angeles when scientists bring him to the United States. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 24, 1998)
MY FAVORITE MARTIAN -- * 1/2 -- The 1960s television sitcom gets the "Dr. Dolittle" treatment with this idiotic comedy, which stars Jeff Daniels as an earthling who hides an extraterrestrial (Christopher Lloyd) in his home. Neat special effects, but there are flatulence gags galore and the ending is troublingly violent. PG (violence, vulgarity, nudity, mild profanity). (Creekside, Plaza 5400.) (Feb. 12, 1999)
OCTOBER SKY -- *** -- A genuine family drama, adapted from Homer Hickam Jr.'s autobiographical novel "Rockets Boys." Young star Jake Gyllenhaal is terrific as Hickam, who escaped life in coal country to become a NASA engineer. And Chris Cooper and Laura Dern lend terrific support. PG (profanity, violence, vulgarity). (Century; Holladay; Midvalley; Redwood, with "Forces of Nature"; Ritz; South Towne; Trolley Corners; Trolley North.) (Feb. 19, 1999)
OFFICE SPACE -- ** 1/2 -- "Beavis and Butt-head" creator Mike Judge makes an auspicious live-action moviemaking debut with this comedy about a frustrated computer programmer (Ron Livingston) who takes revenge on his bosses. It does run out of steam about midway through, but it scores with many of its points and the beginning is hilarious. R (profanity, vulgarity, violence, sex, nudity, racial epithets). (Brewvies, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Feb. 19, 1999)
ORGAZMO -- turkey -- Idiotic and tasteless comedy from the creators of TV's "South Park," about an LDS Church missionary (Trey Parker), who becomes an adult-film star and a real-life superhero. What Parker doesn't know about the church could fill volumes, and the whole thing is embarrassingly amateurish. Not worth all the hubbub, frankly. NC-17 (vulgarity, violence, nudity, sex, profanity). (Brewvies.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
THE OTHER SISTER -- ** -- This comedy/drama about two mentally challenged people finding love goes wrong with the casting of two "normal" actors (Juliette Lewis and Giovanni Ribisi) in those parts. Also, the script is too heavy-handed, and the thing runs on much too long. PG-13 (vulgarity, nude drawings, profanity, violence). (Cottonwood, Midvalley, South Towne.) (Feb. 26, 1999)
PATCH ADAMS -- ** -- Too heavy-handed and cliched, but this fact-based comedy/drama still scores points for its messages about health care and a wild-and-wooly performance from Robin Williams, who stars as a student doctor whose unique style of treating patients (with humor) lands him in hot water with his instructors. PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, nudity). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 25, 1998)
PAYBACK -- *** -- It's too violent, but this thriller from "L.A. Confidential" screenwriter Brian Helgeland also features Mel Gibson's best performance in a while. He stars as a thief who seeks vengeance on his former partner and his mob employers. Not for the squeamish. R (violence, profanity, gore, torture, nudity, sex, drug use, racial epithets, vulgarity). (Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Cruel Intentions.") (Feb. 5, 1999)
PLEASANTVILLE -- *** -- Though it's marred by overt sexual material and some dry stretches, this comic fable features marvelous performances and an intriguing premise: Two cynical teens (Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon) find themselves trapped in a black-and-white, 1950s sitcom. In black and white and in color. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, nude artwork, sex, violence, racial epithets). (Sugar House.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
THE PRINCE OF EGYPT -- *** -- Marred by some "Cliff Notes" storytelling, this ambitious, animated retelling of the Book of Exodus is still powerful. The cast of vocal talents, including Val Kilmer as Moses, and Ralph Fiennes as Rameses, helps, as does some dazzling animation (especially the breathtaking "Parting of the Red Sea" scene). PG (animated violence). (Cinemas 5, Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 18, 1998)
THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 -- ** -- This sequel to Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film is an R-rated "Beverly Hills 90210" meets "The X-Files" that relies on the use of gory special effects for shock value. Give us a pig's blood shower any day. R (violence, gore, sex, profanity, vulgarity). (Redwood, with "The Mod Squad.") (March 12, 1999) -- Marla Matzer, Los Angeles Daily News
RAVENOUS -- * -- This gruesome horror-comedy about a cannibalistic marauder who terrorizes a Mexican-American War hero tries to have its cake and eat it, too. But neither the humorous bits or the gory scenes work, and the performances are laughably bad. R (gore, violence, drug use, nudity, vulgarity, profanity). (Century, Crossroads, Holladay, Midvalley, Ritz, South Towne.) (March 19, 1999)
THE RUGRATS MOVIE -- *** -- This animated "adventure for anyone who's ever worn diapers" will probably thrill young fans of the television program. But adults might be bored by this tale about the clever-for-his-age Tommy Pickles, who gets a baby brother and also becomes lost in the woods with his pals Chuckie, Phil and Lil. G (animated violence, vulgarity). (Kaysville.) (Nov. 20, 1998)
RUSHMORE -- **** -- The cinematic year's most pleasant surprise. Try to imagine "The Graduate" in reverse and you might envision this offbeat comedy. Newcomer Jason Schwartzman, playing a private school student, is a real find, and Bill Murray has never been better a the tycoon who becomes his mentor, and later, his romantic rival. R (profanity, violence, vulgarity, nude photos, ethnic slurs). (Broadway.) (Feb. 19, 1999)
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE -- **** -- There's finally a film that "does" Shakespeare right -- this subversively clever comedy follows the romantic misadventures of the famous playwright. Joseph Fiennes stars as the Bard, who is having trouble writing until he finds a muse (Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow). Intelligent writing and the great cast also help. Winner of seven Academy Awards. R (sex, violence, nudity, vulgarity, profanity, torture). (Broadway, Century, Midvalley, Olympus, Ritz, South Towne, Trolley North.) (Dec. 25, 1998)
SHE'S ALL THAT -- * 1/2 -- This bland, ugly-duckling comedy for teens features a mismatched pair of leads -- Freddie Prinze Jr., as high school heartthrob, and Rachael Leigh Cook, as an oddball he makes over on a bet. It also compounds the problem by throwing in some crass gags and awful performances. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, bikini babes, violence, brief sex). (Carmike 12; Cinemas 5; Olympus; Redwood, with "EDtv"; Sandy 9.) (Jan. 29, 1999)
A SIMPLE PLAN -- *** 1/2 -- Chilling both in terms of its storyline and its snowy setting, this dramatic thriller nicely reworks Scott Smith's best-selling novel about brothers (Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton) who turn to murder to protect the stash of money they find in a downed plane. Great performances (especially Thornton's), help add to the extreme tension. R (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity, nudity). (Brewvies.) (Jan. 22, 1999)
STAR TREK: INSURRECTION -- *** -- It's definitely flawed, but the third big-screen adventure for the "Next Generation" Enterprise crew is a surprisingly romantic and musical (!) adventure tale in which Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) defies his superiors to protect a "Fountain of Youth" planet. Some glaring plot holes, but the action moves quickly. PG (violence, gore, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 11, 1998)
STEPMOM -- ** -- Not the cutesy comedy/drama it appears to be in the ads, this drama has two stellar performances from Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts as, respectively, a fortysomething ex-wife and the thirtysomething title character. But the movie is much too downbeat, especially when it strays into the inevitable fatal illness storyline. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, drug use, violence). (Cinemas 5.) (Dec. 24, 1998)
THE THIN RED LINE -- ** 1/2 -- Director Terrence Malick's examination of the nature of war (based on James Joyce's novel) isn't better than "Saving Private Ryan," it's just different. This drama looks at the Battle of Guadalcanal through the eyes of the men in the action (Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Ben Chaplin, Woody Harrelson and newcomer Jim Caviezel). R (violence, profanity, gore, nudity, sex, racial epithets). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Jan. 15, 1999)
TRUE CRIME -- *** -- Some glaringly contrived moments late in the film, but Clint Eastwood's latest is a taut, sober thriller about a journalist trying to save a man from Death Row and in the process rescue himself from life's gutter. R (profanity, violence, sex, nudity). (Broadway; Carmike 12; Century; Gateway; Holladay; Midvalley; Redwood, with "Analyze This"; Ritz; Sandy 9.) (March 16, 1999) -- Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Daily News
WAKING NED DEVINE -- *** -- It's a little too dark in places, but this comedy is a low-key delight, thanks to the superb pairing of David Kelly and Ian Bannen, a sort of British "Odd Couple." The two sixtysomethings play Irish villagers who try to conceal the death of another villager . . . so they can claim the rewards of his winning lottery ticket. PG (profanity, nudity, vulgarity). (Brewvies.) (Jan. 8, 1999)
THE WATERBOY -- * 1/2 -- Adam Sandler reverts to one-note shtick in this gridiron comedy, which reunites him with "The Wedding Singer" director Frank Coraci. But there's no Drew Barrymore to offset his goofy-voiced shenanigans here, and his performance as the picked-upon title character, who discovers he has a talent for tackling, leaves a lot to be desired. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, nudity). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Nov. 6, 1998)
WING COMMANDER -- * 1/2 -- This lackluster, even laughable science-fiction/adventure film for teens pales in comparison to its source material, the popular CD-ROM game of the same name. And frankly, the production values aren't up to the game's standards either. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, nude photos). (Carmike 12, Century, Creekside, Crossroads, Midvalley, Reel, Ritz, Sandy 9.) (March 12, 1999)
YOU'VE GOT MAIL -- *** -- A surprisingly successful reunion for "Sleepless in Seattle" co-stars Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, as well as director Nora Ephron. This romantic comedy stars the two as bitter enemies who unwittingly romance each other via computer e-mail. Smart and funny, and there's no denying the chemistry between the two leads. PG (profanity, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Dec. 18, 1998)