Animated and funny beats sappy and sweet
Scary Movie***
Don’t be afraid to laugh
When a group of teenagers accidentally kill an old man one summer, a stalker in a ghoulish Halloween mask begins to terrorize them. Scary Movie is a spoof of teen horror flicks produced in the 1990s, including the Scream trilogy, the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies and others that have reached the self-parody level in American pop culture. The Wayans brothers (actors Shawn and Marlon, written and directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans) push the edge of the politically correct envelope with raunchy language and crass jokes, combining a Mel Brooks-type farce with such rapid-fire gags as seen last in The Naked Gun series. The film’s provisional titles refer to the movies it satirizes: Last Summer I Screamed Because Halloween Fell on Friday the 13th and Scream if You Know What I Did Last Halloween (in fact, Scary Movie was the working title for Scream). Many of the jokes are gruesome, obvious, played out and even stupid, but you can’t help laughing. How spooky is that?
Disney’s The Kid**
Cry Hard
Known to all as a “jerk,” Russ Duritz (Bruce Willis) is a self-absorbed image-maker whose life needs a makeover. His routine is thrown off kilter when he is reunited with himself as a pudgy eight-year-old (Spencer Breslin, in his screen debut). His younger self, Rusty, is disappointed to find that his grown-up self is a “loser” who’s too focused on work to have a wife or a dog. The two soon plot to remedy the situation by returning to the past. A dash of romance and pop psychology-induced epiphanies help Rusty teach Russ how to become the adult he’s always wanted to be. As a bland, overly sentimental answer to the question “what if I had a second chance?” Disney’s The Kid doesn’t cut it. Perhaps because its too frightening, or because A Christmas Carol is burned into our collective memory. More likely it’s because director Jon Turteltaub (with Marc Shaiman’s obtrusive score) hammers away at our emotions from start to finish. Lily Tomlin is a pleasant surprise as Russ’ overworked but feisty assistant, who, despite having ten or so lines, is a joy to watch. Disney’s The Kid is ultimately uninspired, containing little of the charm of Charlie Chaplin’s 1921 version that excelled without anything remotely supernatural or Disneyan. I kid you not.
Autumn in New York*
Pretty Dying Woman
In Autumn in New York, Will Keane (Richard Gere) is a wealthy restaurateur and womanizer who falls hard for a virginal 20-something named Charlotte (Winona Ryder). Will is smitten because she’s unpredictable. She’s also the daughter of an old flame. Will sweeps Charlotte off her feet after a glitzy fundraiser and the next thing you know, they’re inseparable. The fun lasts until Charlotte tells Will that she has a terminal illness (a symptom of which makes her prettier as she dies) and she doesn’t have long. Will is so in love that he must find a way to save her life. Yawn. It’s not a good sign when a studio decides not to show a much-hyped movie to critics in advance, suggesting a lack of confidence in the product. Even Battlefield Earth was screened. Frankly, with its overwrought dramatics, no matter what the season, this is one of the year’s worst.
The Road to El Dorado***
Fool’s Gold
In Spain, 1519, con-artist buddies Miguel (Kenneth Branagh) and Tulio (Kevin Kline) try to stay a step ahead of the law and their victims, from whom they have acquired a secret map to the lost city of gold, El Dorado. The pair stowaway on Cortes’ America-bound ship but are caught and thrown in the brig. Escaping on a lifeboat, they ride a wave and hit the shore before Cortes. Landing at the gates of El Dorado, the two are mistaken for gods, cavort with the natives and must decide whether or not to steal the legendary gold. The latest version of the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope road shows, Dreamworks’ The Road to El Dorado, is a colorful, animated tale that’s more fun than it should be. Branagh and Kline have a great time and Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical collaboration is fabulous. The non-violent account of the arrival in the New World may not be historically accurate, but that’s (great) entertainment!
FILMS IN ENGLISH CAN BE VIEWED AT:
Cinema 55 52 55 Nymphenburger Str. 31 (U1 Stiglmaierplatz), sneak preview Friday nights.
IMAX Cinema 21 12 50, in the Forum der Technik. A five-story-high screen.
Lupe 2 34 76 51 Ungererstr. 19 (U3/6 Dietlindenstr.).
Filmmuseum 23 32 41 50, St.-Jakobs-Platz 1 (S & U Marienplatz)
Museum-Lichtspiele 48 24 03, Lilienstr. 2, Ludwigsbrücke (S Rosenheimerplatz).
Neues Arena 260 32 65, Hans-Sachs-Str. 7 (U1/2 Fraunhoferstr.; Tram 18, 20, 25, 27).
Neues Rottmann 52 16 83, Rottmannstr. 15 (U1 Stiglmaierplatz).
Theatiner Filmkunst 22 31 83, Theatinerstr. 32 (U3/6, U4/5 Odeonsplatz).
Türkendolch 28 99 66 99, Türkenstr. 74 (U3/6 Universität).
