Film Clips

NASCAR 3D (PG) — The ultimate seat of your pants experience, combining the IMAX film format, cutting edge “3D” technology and a sport where athletes approach 200 miles per hour, it’s hard to find a reason not to like this film. For an all too short 47 minutes the audience is immersed in asphalt, steel, and high octane fuel while surrounded by the roaring of engines and crowds. For racing fans, it’s a dream come true; for the uninitiated, it’s an effective crash course on a technological and commercial phenomenon. (Reviewed March 12)

Spartan (R) — David Mamet’s new political thriller about the kidnapping of a U.S. president’s daughter sets a gritty mood that challenges the audience to read into much of the action on screen. Despite an intriguing set up, the script too infrequently lets loose with the trademark gut-punch dialogue found in other Mamet films like “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “Ronin.” Lacking that distinctive word play, “Spartan” amounts only to a run-of-the-mill drama.

The Passion of the Christ (R) — Simultaneously brutal and beautiful, “The Passion of the Christ” is a gruesome portrayal of the last 12 hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life. It is horrific, disturbing, and merciless; well-intentioned parents should reconsider exposing any children under high school age to the unrelenting brutality and frightening apparitions of evil that drench the film. (Reviewed Feb. 27)

50 First Dates (PG-13) — For all of its absolutely implausible premise, this offbeat romantic comedy is a pleasant surprise. The film works on several levels, beginning with the natural chemistry between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, whose interactions are sweet, genuine and comical. Far from possessing your typical movie star beautiful looks, together they put a believable face to an unlikely love affair. But the film isn’t all romance — we’re still talking about an Adam Sandler movie and there’s still plenty of physical comedy and the occasional gross-out.

Miracle (PG) — Since this is a Disney film, there’s a familiar, sanitized quality to the drama, about the gold-medal winning 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team — this is hockey in PG soft focus. If you’re looking for some old-school hockey in the tradition of “Hockey Night in Canada,” you won’t find it here, but you will find an inspiring, family friendly story, a rare find these days. Mom, dad and the kids will all find something to like in this film. (Reviewed Feb. 6)

Cold Mountain (R) — As an artistic exploration of the suffering humans can inflict on themselves and others, this Civil War epic is a noble effort. But too many Hollywood cliches sprinkled throughout leave the audience feeling more like they’ve watched an R-rated version of “Gone with the Wind” than having been artistically stimulated. It’s the supporting characters, not the anguished separated lovers, that ultimately carry the film along. Academy Award: Best Supporting Actress, Renee Zellweger. (Reviewed Dec. 26)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (PG-13) — This final episode in J.R.R. Tolkien’s saga of good and evil, along with its predecessors, is like nothing that has been put on the screen before. “The Return of the King” is not only is a tremendously fulfilling final chapter, it elevates and accentuates the strengths of the preceding films. Director Peter Jackson’s ultimate accomplishment is in reinvigorating Tolkien’s fable for an entire new generation — and perhaps for those to come. 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay. (Reviewed Dec. 19)

Finding Nemo (G) — “Nemo” continues Pixar’s imaginative, original approach to storytelling. Set in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the characters this time are the creatures of the sea, colorful characters who possess more humanity than the humans who awkwardly bumble in and out of the plot. And the CGI animation itself is breathtaking: the mesmerizing movement of the ocean, the lush reef garden, the deceptive beauty of jellyfish. A strong story and direction make all the difference, too. Academy Award: Best Animated Feature Film. (Reviewed May 30)