Movies

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/07/2003 (8151 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

Garden City, Kildonan Place, Polo Park, St. Vital. PG

This swashbuckling supernatural adventure pits the charming pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) against the considerably less charming, cursed pirate Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) for ownership of the vessel The Black Pearl, while an adventurous young man (Orlando Bloom) races to rescue his childhood friend (Keira Knightley) from Barbossa’s bony clutches.

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THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

Grant Park, Kildonan Place, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne. PG

Based on a comic book series by Alan Moore (From Hell), this adventure is kind of like an X-Men featuring heroes and villains from Victorian-era fiction including Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery), Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng) and Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah).

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The following movies have been previously reviewed by Free Press movie critic Alison Gillmor, unless otherwise noted.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY

Polo Park, Towne. PG

Buffalo TV reporter Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) gets to play God when the regular deity (Morgan Freeman), sick of Bruce’s whining, takes a break. Carrey may be all-powerful, but — stuck awkwardly between his kooky comedy roots and the serious spiritual uplift to which he aspires — he is definitely not divine.

CHARLIE’S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE

Grant Park, Kildonan Place, Odeon Drive-in, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne. 14A

Plotless, mindless — but oh, those costume changes! The most adorable secret operatives ever (Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu) are back to giggle, jiggle and kick ass.

FINDING NEMO

Garden City, Kildonan Place, Polo Park, St. Vital. G

The über-animators of Pixar (Toy Story, A Bug’s Life) go underwater in this adventure in which an ocean-dwelling clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) attempts to save his son Nemo from a dentist’s aquarium. Expect a little initial discomfort at the opening, Bambi-like tragedy. Fortunately, it’s followed by all sorts of beautifully rendered adventure and parent-friendly comedy.

HULK

Grant Park, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne. PG

The unstoppable Marvel Comics’ un-jolly green giant is actually knocked off course by the pretensions of director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) who emphasizes the Freudian implications between scientist Dr. Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) and his twisted dad (played by Nick Nolte, apparently working under the impression he’s starring in Affliction 2). 1/2

— Reviewed by Randall King

THE ITALIAN JOB

Grant Park, Polo Park, St. Vital. 14A

This heist flick features a slick, cyber-assisted safe-cracking job in Venice and an inventive car chase in L.A. Unfortunately, the cars — three saucy little Minis — have more personality than their drivers, with stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Edward Norton remaining completely generic. HH1/2

LEGALLY BLONDE 2

Grant Park, Kildonan Place, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne. PG

Reese Witherspoon is still pretty in pink, but somehow the fun is gone in this lacklustre sequel, as Elle Woods goes to Washington on a one-woman/many-outfits crusade to stop animal testing. 1/2

THE MATRIX RELOADED

Polo Park, Towne. 14A

The first hour of this fervently awaited sci-fi/action sequel is so sluggish and murky and faux-sublime that when everything finally boots up in the second half — with some way-cool fights, chases and (at long last!) a little fun — it’s almost too late. If you really want to free your mind, time your entrance for the 60-minute mark. 1/2

NOWHERE IN AFRICA

Globe. 14A

The Oscar-winning story of a German-Jewish family that flees fascist persecution by emigrating to Kenya in the 1930s. This subtitled film manages to view the sweep of 20th-century European history and the intimacy of one troubled marriage with the same powerful and subtle eye.

RUGRATS GO WILD

Towne. G

The Pickles and their extended family are marooned on an island with the nature documentarians the Wild Thornberrys in this fun, family-friendly Flintstones-meet-the-Jetsons-style crossover cartoon.

SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS

Grant Park, Kildonan Place, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne. G

Despite fast, frantic, almost non-stop action, this cartoon adventure (featuring the voices of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer) never sets sail. Awkward animation, flat characters, an inaccessible storyline and an almost complete lack of fun keep it in dry-dock. 1/2

SPELLBOUND

Globe. G

Not only is this examination of the all-American spelling bee intelligent, funny, gentle and absolutely lovable, as films about oddball obsessions often are. It’s also a white-knuckle roller-coaster ride of suspense, as we watch eight kids go up against head-busting polysyllabic words in the national finals. F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

TERMINATOR 3

Grant Park, Kildonan Place, Odeon Drive-in, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne. 14A

Arnold Schwarzenegger as the unstoppable cyborg is back, just like he said he would be — and he’s funny. This long-awaited sequel extends the Terminator series by playing up the story’s humour and humanity, while keeping the taut action pacing and the destructive machine mayhem. 1/2

28 DAYS LATER

Grant Park, Polo Park. R

The thinking person’s post-apocalyptic zombie movie. Combining grotty-chic digital video style, social comment and understated horror, director Danny Boyle and novelist/screenwriter Alex Garland have created an edgy, smart, scary little film.

2 FAST 2 FURIOUS

Towne. 14A

So it’s missing Vin Diesel. But this boys-and-their-toys sequel also seems to be missing a director, a plot and even the original’s primitive but palpable speed-junkie appeal.

WHALE RIDER

Grant Park. PG

This independent-minded New Zealand film has been winning audience favourite awards at festivals all over the world, and it’s easy to see why. The story of a Maori girl who has everything it takes to be the leader of her community — except that she wasn’t born a boy — this contemporary re-telling of a traditional legend is emotionally accessible, visually beautiful and morally uplifting. 1/2