Film Clips

The Manchurian Candidate (R) — Faltering in its attempt to recreate some of the nuanced atmosphere of the 1962 original, the saving grace is Meryl Streep’s riveting, ferocious performance. As the ambitious, manipulative mother of a brainwashed vice-presidential candidate, an Oscar nomination isn’t far behind. (Reviewed July 30)

Catwoman (PG-13) — The sight of Halle Berry going into a frenzy over catnip is enough reason to avoid this messy, uninspired wreck of a movie. Bearing little resemblance to the comic book anti-heroine, the movie suffers from the same schizophrenia that Berry’s character seems to initially develop when she’s reborn as Catwoman. Even the special effects aren’t that impressive; it looks as though the CGI artists “borrowed” from Spiderman’s cutting room floor outakes. (Reviewed July 23)

I, Robot (PG-13) — Lately it seems to be the case that movie trailers are often better than the film itself, but this is the first instance in recent memory where the film is actually better than the trailer. The film, suggested by science fiction master Isaac Asimov’s original collection of nine stories titled “I, Robot,” actually attempts a more cerebral examination of the power of technology in — and over — humanity. To its credit, the CGI technology doesn’t often overwhelm the story, which turns out to be a pretty decent murder mystery as well. (Reviewed July 16)

King Arthur (PG-13) — If you’ve been waiting for the definitive cinematic survey of the King Arthur myth, your wait isn’t quite over. The legendary British hero is given a thoroughly mediocre treatment in this film, thanks to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the king of action film hyperbole. Let that be your cinematic compass. At best, the battle sequences are lame — edited so that the film would garner the coveted PG-13 rating. Now your children can endure the flimsy dialogue and contrived situations right along with you. (Reviewed July 9)

Spider-Man 2 (PG-13) — Probably the most fully realized comic book adaptation that’s come to the big screen in recent memory, Tobey Maguire plays Peter Parker as an angst ridden, vulnerable teenager who, unlike most other superheroes, wears his human failings on his sleeve. His experience isn’t so far from that of the viewer’s. It’s that earnestness that makes the character — and the rest of the film — believable. (Reviewed July 2)

Fahrenheit 9/11 (R) — Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore challenges the political and emotional sentiments of movie audiences once again with his new film and in the process conceives his most compelling and articulate work to date. Alternating between pointed humor and stomach-turning horror to make his arguments, there’s no new revelations here that haven’t already been brought to light. What makes the audience sit up and take notice is the way in which he frames these facts, suggesting connections that transform the tedious into the alarming. (Reviewed June 25)