What other critics are saying .
. .
Edited by Imran Siddiquee
American Wedding A comic weekend wedding, complete with bachelor party. “The grossest, least
funny–and, here’s hoping, the last–installment in the American Pie series.”
(Manhola Dargis, Los Angeles Times) “Awkward and mythic in its humor,
the American Pie movies have accomplished a unique position in Hollywood
stature–that of a successful comedic trilogy.” (Millicent Mayfield, San Francisco
Examiner)
Bad Boys II Two cops in Miami uncover some funny business. “Could
be the most vile creation to come out of Hollywood since Patch Adams.”
(Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine) Chuck Koplinski’s grade: F.
Bend it like Beckham Jess, a teenage Punjabi girl, bucks family traditions
by joining an English soccer team. “A smart, lively and altogether warmhearted
dramatic comedy.” (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) “Coming after Monsoon
Wedding and My Son the Fanatic, Bend It Like Beckham seems
like a step backward.” (A.O. Scott, New York Times).
Bruce Almighty Jim Carrey is granted sovereignty over his hometown
by God. “A smart, surprisingly thought-through blockbuster, with a decent grasp
of the theological implications of its idea.” (Nev Pierce, BBCi) “A fable overwhelmed
by special effects and outsized spectacle.” (Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times)
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle The crime-fighting trio returns. “One
of the most exhausting good-time movies ever made. As insistent as it is skillful–and
it is very skillful–it does all it can to pound you into enjoying yourself.”
(Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) “Angels is so much like a feature-length
cartoon that you may find yourself sitting through the end credits waiting to
see who provided the voices for the, if you’ll pardon the expression, characters.”
(Elvis Mitchell, New York Times) Chuck’s grade: F.
Daddy Day Care Eddie Murphy runs an off-the-wall day-care center. “A
film so wrong-headed audiences will be more appalled than amused.” (Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times) Chuck’s grade: C.
Finding Nemo Animated underwater tale. “An upbeat, sentimental
fable about a fearful father fish and a rebellious son who recklessly breaks
away from the school. . . Visual imagination and sophisticated wit raise Finding
Nemo to a level just below the peaks of Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ movies.” (Stephen
Holden, New York Times) “After the first 10 minutes or so, it’s exhausting.”
(Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com) Chuck’s grade: A.
Freaky Friday Remake of 1976 comedy in which a mother and daughter
switch identities. “A funny, shrewd, no-bull family comedy.” (Lisa Schwarzbaum,
Entertainment Weekly)
Gigli Romance staring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. “A recent episode
of South Park suggested that a fourth-grader’s hand puppet could turn
in a better performance than Ms. Lopez, and in the case of Gigli, it’s
hard to argue.” (Luke Thompson, New Times newspapers).
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life “Emerges as just one more formulaic
action film as the title character bounces around the globe in a deadly treasure
hunt.” (Dave Kehr, New York Times) Marty McKee’s grade: B.
Legally Blonde 2 Lovable brainiac heads to Congress to fight for animal
rights. “Moves at such a brisk, easy clip that there isn’t much time to linger
over its flaws.” (Manhola Dargis, Los Angeles Times) “The first one was
silly fun, amusing and oddly inventive; the second is plodding, unfunny and
almost cringe-worthy.” (Claudia Plug, USA Today) Marty’s grade: D+.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl “In . . . a
movie based on a Disney theme-park ride–the most high-flying, jaw-dropping special
effect of the summer is . . . Johnny Depp.” (Ty Burr, Boston Globe) “Depp
keeps the film delightfully off balance with his unpredictable comic weave.”
(Sean Axmaker, Seattle-Post Intelligencer) Chuck’s grade: B+.
Seabiscuit The horse, its jockey, and the men who made them famous.
“A highly prestigious Hollywood knickknack, hoping for an easy victory by entering
the race among the summer dreck.” (Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner)
“A Depression underdog saga, the movie also is standout alternative programming
to an oft-deadly sequel summer.” (Mike Clark, USA Today) Chuck’s grade:
A.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas Animated feature about the legendary
sailor. “The film is adept and generally enjoyable.” (Ed Park, Village Voice)
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over “Frontrunner for 2003’s most mindless and
physically offensive movie-going experience.” (Nicholas Schager, Slant)
“The Spy Kids movies have allowed [director Robert] Rodriguez to exercise
his playful muscles, and the new one is no exception.” (Mark Caro, Chicago
Tribune) Chuck’s grade: D+.
2 Fast 2 Furious Sequel to The Fast and the Furious sans Vin Diesel. “It’s a terrible movie, stuck in plot idiocies and big, noisy set pieces like a tire mired in mud.” (Charles Taylor, Salon.com) “Among the most lethargic action movies I have ever seen.” (A.O. Scott, New York Times)
This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2003.
