This week
Oldboy
Assault on Precinct 13
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Oldboy
Director: Chan-wook Park
This Korean movie is completely wild and crazy. The Grand Prize winner at Cannes last year, "Oldboy" is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable movies of 2004. It's explicitly violent and entertaining at the same time, and gives a cool, new angle to the revenge-movie genre. "Oldboy" also boasts what was surely the best shot from any film last year. Director Chan-wook Park's work really brings something quite excitingly different and fresh to the world of cinema. His feature "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" is also a quite astounding piece. Both films have a curiously dark and menacing humor combined with terribly candid violence. They also boast a staggeringly good cast and immaculate acting. Park has a captivating and individual visual style, which he combines with original and forthright storytelling.
(Julie Vinten)
Wow. Now here's a uniquely unexpected look at life (and death) from director Chan-wook Park. This eloquently odd Korean tale will keep you mystified, absorbed and raptly enthralled from start to finish. Dae-su Oh (Min-sik Choi) is drunk. His best buddy bails him out. It's raining buckets. One moment they're standing together, laughing and talking in a phone booth, next minute Dae-su has vanished into thin air. It turns out he has been abducted, a prisoner in a room for 15 years. He has been released and now it's payback time. So many questions 's will he find the answers? You don't have to be an Einstein to appreciate the twists and turns that garnish this poignant ode of love and vengeance. Don't miss any chance available to see "Oldboy."
(Laimons Juris G)
Assault on Precinct 13
Director: Jean-Francois Richet
Right now everyone is just waiting for the summer blockbusters to come out, and it's no secret that the beginning of the year is the time for crap movies. So it's great to be treated to an engaging mid-winter piece of action such as the remake of "Assault on Precinct 13." John Carpenter's 1976 cult-movie original seems rather dated today. The new version isn't going to blow your socks off, but it's a decent piece of shoot-'em-up entertainment. The narrative has been updated somewhat to suit today's audiences, but whether you have seen the original or not, you can expect some nice surprises along the way. The movie has some plot-problems and a hopelessly one-dimensional villain, but if you can ignore that, you should have an agreeably fun time.
(Julie Vinten)
Make sure to put on your hardhat, fasten your seatbelt and hold onto your popcorn, because you're in for an explosive jolt of unadulterated entertainment. Alas, it's another life-and-death-situation soap opera. However, from Ethan Hawke's enervating, masterfully crafted opening performance, right on through the knock-down-and-drag-out finale, "Assault on Precinct 13" is an intensely enjoyable cinema extravaganza. Nice focus on characters by a highly competent cast gets you involved with the bad guys vs. good guys vs. bad guys. John Leguizamo's violent jailbird junkie is particularly noteworthy. A popular American film critic firmly believes that "There ought to be a law limiting how much hooey a movie serves up." Ready or not, fortunately or unfortunately, here it comes! Isn't it time to enjoy some good old-fashioned "hooey" while you can?
(Laimons Juris G)
Pooh's Heffalump Movie
Director: Frank Nissen
This feature is sweet and funny entertainment for toddlers. A true, old-school animation movie, "Heffalump" looks like its makers have never heard of a revolutionary thing called computer animation or how enormously successful this genre has been. The filmmakers deserve credit for trusting in and standing by the original Winnie the Pooh concept, the personalities of the characters and the whole look of Pooh's world. This and the simple animation will most likely make many in the grown-up audience feel rather nostalgic. The songs could have been better and the narrative less formulaic, but it all works pretty well in the end. It's remarkable these days to see such an innocent and unassuming movie. This highly enjoyable film makes an ideal first-time movie-going experience for the youngest family members.
1/2 (Julie Vinten)
Following in the carefree footsteps of "The Tigger Movie" and "Piglet's Big Movie," Disney continues to create cartoons with the youngest filmgoers in mind. There's something mysterious, strange and different in Christopher Robin's Hundred Acre Wood. The whimsical Pooh critters learn to be brave and discover new friends. A 5-year-old, Kyle Stanger, will melt the hardest heart as the voice of Lumpy, the baby Heffalump. Continuing in his role, 12-year-old Nikita Hopkins is perfect as the pint-sized Roo and two-time Oscar-nominee Brenda Blethyn makes a lively Mama Heffalump. Songwriter Carly Simon once again dispenses some infectious bits of musical charm. This pleasant 68-minute diversion flows by at a clip pace, so kids (and adults) don't have time to be bored. The smallest tykes will just love "Pooh's Heffalump Movie."
(Laimons Juris G)
