Rated R for language and nudity.Directed by Chris KentisStarring Blanchard Ryan and Daniel TravisLook out . . . shark! I mean . . . look out . . . student film!!!Okay . . . maybe that was a little harsh. The film did have some good elements. So in all fairness, I’ll share with you the...

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, some violence and languageDirected by Howard Deutch (Family Affair, Grumpier Old Men, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink)Starring Bruce Willis, Mathew Perry, Amanda Peet, and Kevin PollakGo ahead and skip this sequel to “The Whole Nine Yards.” Neither Bruce Willis, Mathew Perry, Amanda Peet, Natasha Henstridge, or even the heavily made up...

Directed by Michael Mann (Heat, Ali, The Last of the Mihicans,...) Starring Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise, and Jada Pinkett SmithMichael Mann comes through again. I think Mann has been my favorite director since the movie “Heat.” Not that one film makes a director. He had already impressed me with “The Last of the Mohicans,” and “Manhunter.”...

Rated PGDirected by Jared HessStarring Jon Heder, Aaron Ruell, and Efren RamirezI had heard the hype about this bizarre looking film called “Napoleon Dynamite.” I saw the preview and laughed; I don’t know why, but I did. Then I saw Jon Heder (Napoleon) appear on the Teen Choice awards and challenge Nicole Richie to a game of...

PG-13 (for a scene of violence and frightening situations)Directed by M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable)Starring Juaquin Phoenix, Brendan Gleeson, Adrien Brody, William Hurt and Sigourney WeaverM. Night is the Hitchcock of the 21st Century. He doesn’t rely on special effects, he doesn’t depend on incredible creature effects—you rarely see what’s frightening you. He knows...

Directed by Sam Raimi (Spiderman, A Simple Plan, Army of Darkness)Starring Toby Maguire and Kirsten DunstHow do you justify spending $200 million on a movie?U.S.A. Today answered the question well: “Make most of it back in your first week.” “Spiderman II” made $115 million on its release weekend. Released on a Wednesday, the film made $180 million...

Directed by Alex Proyas Starring Will Smith and James CromwellIt’s always nice to see something new. Most people in a given audience have seen hundreds, if not thousands of films. Why bore them with the same ol’ plot, same characters, same action scenes. Originality scores high in my book. “I, Robot” delivers in originality.Will Smith...