Archive for April, 2007

“Dreaming Lhasa” is a fine example of how feature films can be used to deliver urgent political messages, but its dramatic elements waver.

“Slow Burn” is a wooden police thriller that is as dull as it is impenetrable and ultimately beyond ludicrous.

The movie “Redline” is all about surfaces, for young men with testosterone to burn.

Thats not to say the acting is all bad. It just isnt very good. Truly talented actors like Tim Matheson and Angus Macfadyen are lost here, playing one-dimensional gamblers. Mathesons gambler always wins, and Macfadyens Michael is just way out there. Neither character is explored very deeply, although thats fine because that would take away from the racing. Eddie Griffin is great at delivering his characters one-liners, but thats because hes Eddie Griffin. Im going to be completely chauvinistic here and state that Nadia Bjorlin is one of the hottest starlets to appear on screen this year.

“Year of the Dog” is funny ha-ha but firmly in touch with its downer side, which means it’s also funny in a kind of existential way.

iPerfect Strangeri is one of those movies that makes a great effort at creating an unexpected ending, but it gets so caught up in trying to shock and awe you with a reality shattering, mind blowing, soda spilling twist that it forgets to make the rest of the story worth watching. In fact, at times it gets so dull and confusing that it threatens to put the audience to sleep, thereby causing them to miss the very ending its trying so desperately to set up.

IPathfinderi is not just a bad movie, its the equivalent of a cinematic abortion. Some of the horrible ideas can be written off due to the tales status as a legend but that doesnt excuse the technically poor work behind the movie. Its safe to say that Karl Urban and Clancy Brown deserve better than a movie like this, and if this is the best Nispel can do hes about to give Uwe Boll some competition in the Worst Director category. At least Boll can excuse away his work as a tax write off. Theres no excuse for IPathfinderI.

RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) Perfect Stranger: Thriller. Starring Halle Berry, Bruce Willis and Giovanni Ribisi. (R. 109 minutes. At Bay Area theaters. For complete movie listings and show times, and to buy tickets for select theaters, go to sfgate.com/...

RATING: (ALERT VIEWER) Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters: Comedy. With the voices of Dave Willis, Matt Maiellaro, Dana Snyder and Neil Peart. Directed by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro. (R. 86 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.)

RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) Black Book: Thriller. Starring Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch and Thom Hoffman. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. (In English and in Dutch, German and Hebrew with English subtitles. 145 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.)

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