Amusement [Blu-ray]

• Tabitha. Shelby. Lisa. They're longtime friends on separate life paths. But they share a horrific destination when a seemingly innocent incident from their school days comes back to terrify them. Something - someone - wants payback: warped vengeance. mind-games vengeance.taunting, shredding, slashing vengeance. Inside a stone-walled chamber of prison cells and mechanisms of doom, the three women

Tabitha. Shelby. Lisa. Theyre longtime friends on separate life paths. But they share a horrific destination when a seemingly innocent incident from their school days comes back to terrify them. Something someone wants payback: warped vengeance…mind-games vengeance…taunting, shredding, slashing vengeance. Inside a stonewalled chamber of prison cells and mechanisms of doom, the three women and other victims face a fierce fight to survive. Who lives? Who dies? Its all for someones Amusement. From sc! reenwriter Jake Wade Wall (The Hitcher) and director John Simpson (Freeze Frame) comes a new film foray into horror. Turn down the lights. Turn up the fear.Amusement opens with a too-long scene involving a girl named Shelby’s (Laura Breckenridge) reluctance to join a trucking convoy that her boyfriend behind the wheel is for some reason totally dedicated to. One can guess if they ever return from this fateful road trip. From here, the film splinters into three more parts, focusing on Shelby’s childhood friends, Lisa (Jessica Lucas) and Tabitha (Katheryn Winnick), and finally, a serial killer who aims to ensnare them all because they didn’t laugh at his animal-torturing diorama in grade school. The killer, a brainiac who sports rubber apron, gloves, and goggles for his sick enterprises, operates on the premise that his killings are funny, and cackles ring throughout the film. There is not a tremendous amount of gore in Amusement, as it focuses on what lit! tle suspense it manages, as citizens and FBI agents alike fail! to catc h the crafty villain. Perhaps the most notable aspect to this film is the mysterious criminal ringleader, a clown doll, who appears midway through as Tabitha tries to babysit. Furthering Stephen King’s It tradition, this movie gets slightly better when the girls enter this evil clown’s territory, a bedroom packed with clown toys. However, the clown and his clown posse are a bit non sequitur, and the entire film feels confused and patched together. Return to Child’s Play if you really want to delve into evil toys and the young boys who play with them. --Trinie DaltonTabitha. Shelby. Lisa. They're longtime friends on separate life paths. But they share a horrific destination when a seemingly innocent incident from their school days comes back to terrify them. Something, someone wants payback: warped vengeance.mind-games vengeance.taunting, shredding, slashing vengeance. Inside a stonewalled chamber of prison cells and mechanisms of doom, the three wo! men and other victims face a fierce fight to survive. Who lives? Who dies? Its all for someone's Amusement. From screenwriter Jake Wade Wall (The Hitcher) and director John Simpson (Freeze Frame) comes a new film foray into horror. Turn down the lights. Turn up the fear.Amusement opens with a too-long scene involving a girl named Shelby’s (Laura Breckenridge) reluctance to join a trucking convoy that her boyfriend behind the wheel is for some reason totally dedicated to. One can guess if they ever return from this fateful road trip. From here, the film splinters into three more parts, focusing on Shelby’s childhood friends, Lisa (Jessica Lucas) and Tabitha (Katheryn Winnick), and finally, a serial killer who aims to ensnare them all because they didn’t laugh at his animal-torturing diorama in grade school. The killer, a brainiac who sports rubber apron, gloves, and goggles for his sick enterprises, operates on the premise that his killings are funny, and cackle! s ring throughout the film. There is not a tremendous amount o! f gore i n Amusement, as it focuses on what little suspense it manages, as citizens and FBI agents alike fail to catch the crafty villain. Perhaps the most notable aspect to this film is the mysterious criminal ringleader, a clown doll, who appears midway through as Tabitha tries to babysit. Furthering Stephen King’s It tradition, this movie gets slightly better when the girls enter this evil clown’s territory, a bedroom packed with clown toys. However, the clown and his clown posse are a bit non sequitur, and the entire film feels confused and patched together. Return to Child’s Play if you really want to delve into evil toys and the young boys who play with them. --Trinie Dalton

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Funny People (Two-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition)

• Actors: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman.
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC.
• Language: English. Subtitles: English, French, Spanish.
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
• Run Time: 146 minutes. Not Rated.

Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann star in this seriously funny film from writer-director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up). When famous comedian George Simmons (Sandler) is given a second chance at a new beginning, he and his assistant, a struggling comedian, Ira (Rogen), return to the places and people that matter most…including the stand-up spots that gave him his start and the girl that got away (Mann). Co-starring Jonah Hill, Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman, it’s the film critics cheer is “uproariously funny!” (Sonny Bunch, The! Washington Times)Funny People pulls off quite a feat: it examines the sources of comedy and manages to be knockout funny. Adam Sandler plays George Simmons, a successful comedian of Adam Sandler proportions who is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease. Faced with impending death, he recognizes that he has no friends and decides to make a best friend out of an aspiring young comedian named Ira (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up). This lopsided relationship gradually takes on aspects of true friendship as Ira forces George to try to reconnect with the people in his life, including his ex-girlfriend Laura (Leslie Mann, 17 Again). But forging real relationships conflicts with all the impulses that feed George’s comedy: can he truly re-create his life? Funny People has enough raw, no-inhibitions comedy to satisfy Sandler fans, but the core of the movie is far more complex and compelling--and significantly, Sandler rises to it. He, Rogen, and Mann all de! liver superb performances, as does the supporting cast (includ! ing Jona h Hill, Superbad; Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore; and Eric Bana, Munich). Funny People fits into the ranks of such classics as Hannah and Her Sisters andTerms of Endearment: movies that blend sadness and joy into a vibrant picture of life. --Bret FetzerAdam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann star in this seriously funny film from writer-director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up). When famous comedian George Simmons (Sandler) is given a second chance at a new beginning, he and his assistant, a struggling comedian, Ira (Rogen), return to the places and people that matter most…including the stand-up spots that gave him his start and the girl that got away (Mann). Co-starring Jonah Hill, Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman, it’s the film critics cheer is “uproariously funny!” (Sonny Bunch, The Washington Times)Funny People pulls off quite a feat: it examines the sources of comedy and manages to b! e knockout funny. Adam Sandler plays George Simmons, a successful comedian of Adam Sandler proportions who is diagnosed with a fatal blood disease. Faced with impending death, he recognizes that he has no friends and decides to make a best friend out of an aspiring young comedian named Ira (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up). This lopsided relationship gradually takes on aspects of true friendship as Ira forces George to try to reconnect with the people in his life, including his ex-girlfriend Laura (Leslie Mann, 17 Again). But forging real relationships conflicts with all the impulses that feed George’s comedy: can he truly re-create his life? Funny People has enough raw, no-inhibitions comedy to satisfy Sandler fans, but the core of the movie is far more complex and compelling--and significantly, Sandler rises to it. He, Rogen, and Mann all deliver superb performances, as does the supporting cast (including Jonah Hill, Superbad; Jason Schwartzman, Ru! shmore; and Eric Bana, Munich). Funny People! fits i nto the ranks of such classics as Hannah and Her Sisters andTerms of Endearment: movies that blend sadness and joy into a vibrant picture of life. --Bret FetzerAdam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann star in this seriously funny film from writer-director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up). When famous comedian George Simmons (Sandler) is given a second chance at a new beginning, he and his assistant, a struggling comedian, Ira (Rogen), return to the places and people that matter most…including the stand-up spots that gave him his start and the girl that got away (Mann). Co-starring Jonah Hill, Eric Bana and Jason Schwartzman, it’s the film critics cheer is “uproariously funny!” (Sonny Bunch, The Washington Times)Funny People pulls off quite a feat: it examines the sources of comedy and manages to be knockout funny. Adam Sandler plays George Simmons, a successful comedian of Adam Sandler proportions who is diagnosed! with a fatal blood disease. Faced with impending death, he recognizes that he has no friends and decides to make a best friend out of an aspiring young comedian named Ira (Seth Rogen, Knocked Up). This lopsided relationship gradually takes on aspects of true friendship as Ira forces George to try to reconnect with the people in his life, including his ex-girlfriend Laura (Leslie Mann, 17 Again). But forging real relationships conflicts with all the impulses that feed George’s comedy: can he truly re-create his life? Funny People has enough raw, no-inhibitions comedy to satisfy Sandler fans, but the core of the movie is far more complex and compelling--and significantly, Sandler rises to it. He, Rogen, and Mann all deliver superb performances, as does the supporting cast (including Jonah Hill, Superbad; Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore; and Eric Bana, Munich). Funny People fits into the ranks of such classics as Hannah and H! er Sisters andTerms of Endearment: movies that blen! d sadnes s and joy into a vibrant picture of life. --Bret Fetzer

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Frost/Nixon [Blu-ray]

• Condition: New
• Format: Blu-ray
• AC-3; Color; Dolby; DTS Surround Sound; Dubbed; Subtitled; Widescreen

From Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard comes the electrifying, untold story behind one of the most unforgettable moments in history. When disgraced President Richard Nixon agreed to an interview with jet-setting television personality, David Frost, he thought he’d found the key to saving his tarnished legacy. But, with a name to make and a reputation to overcome, Frost became one of Nixon’s most formidable adversaries and engaged the leader in a charged battle of wits that changed the face of politics forever. Featuring brilliant portrayals by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon is the fascinating and suspenseful story of truth, accountability, secrets and lies.Sounds like a good match: a historical drama from the author of The Queen, but! with an American subject in the generational wheelhouse of director Ron Howard. And so Peter Morgan's Tony-winning play morphs into a Hollywood movie under the wing of the Apollo 13 guy. Morgan's subject is a curious moment of post-Watergate shakeout: British TV host David Frost's long-form interviews with ex-President Richard Nixon, conducted in 1977. It was a big ratings success at the time, justifying the somewhat controversial decision to cut an enormous check for Nixon's services. The movie adds a mockumentary note to the otherwise straightforward style, having direct-to-camera addresses from various aides to Frost and Nixon (played by the likes of Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, and Kevin Bacon); these basically tell us things we already glean from the rest of the movie, adding unnecessary melodrama and upping the stakes. In this curious scheme, the success of Frost's career, which could bellyflop if he doesn't get something worthwhile out of the cagey, long-win! ded Nixon, is given somewhat more weight than the actual revel! ations o f the interviews. Even with these questionable storytelling decisions, there's still the spectacle of two actors going at it hammer and tongs, and on that level the movie offers some heat. Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair not only in The Queen but also in another Morgan-scripted project, The Deal, is adept at catching David Frost's blow-dried charm, as well as the determination beneath it. Frank Langella's physical performance as Nixon is superb, and he certainly can be a commanding actor, though veteran Nixon-watchers might find that he misses a certain depth of self-pity in the man. Both actors were retained from the original stage production, a rare thing in Hollywood--and probably Howard's best decision of the project. --Robert HortonFrom Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard comes the electrifying, untold story behind one of the most unforgettable moments in history. When disgraced President Richard Nixon agreed to an interview with j! et-setting television personality, David Frost, he thought he’d found the key to saving his tarnished legacy. But, with a name to make and a reputation to overcome, Frost became one of Nixon’s most formidable adversaries and engaged the leader in a charged battle of wits that changed the face of politics forever. Featuring brilliant portrayals by Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon is the fascinating and suspenseful story of truth, accountability, secrets and lies.Sounds like a good match: a historical drama from the author of The Queen, but with an American subject in the generational wheelhouse of director Ron Howard. And so Peter Morgan's Tony-winning play morphs into a Hollywood movie under the wing of the Apollo 13 guy. Morgan's subject is a curious moment of post-Watergate shakeout: British TV host David Frost's long-form interviews with ex-President Richard Nixon, conducted in 1977. It was a big ratings success at the time, justifyin! g the somewhat controversial decision to cut an enormous check! for Nix on's services. The movie adds a mockumentary note to the otherwise straightforward style, having direct-to-camera addresses from various aides to Frost and Nixon (played by the likes of Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, and Kevin Bacon); these basically tell us things we already glean from the rest of the movie, adding unnecessary melodrama and upping the stakes. In this curious scheme, the success of Frost's career, which could bellyflop if he doesn't get something worthwhile out of the cagey, long-winded Nixon, is given somewhat more weight than the actual revelations of the interviews. Even with these questionable storytelling decisions, there's still the spectacle of two actors going at it hammer and tongs, and on that level the movie offers some heat. Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair not only in The Queen but also in another Morgan-scripted project, The Deal, is adept at catching David Frost's blow-dried charm, as well as the determination beneath it. Fr! ank Langella's physical performance as Nixon is superb, and he certainly can be a commanding actor, though veteran Nixon-watchers might find that he misses a certain depth of self-pity in the man. Both actors were retained from the original stage production, a rare thing in Hollywood--and probably Howard's best decision of the project. --Robert Horton

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Gort Wacky Wobbler

• Oodles of Bobbling Action
• Add to your collection
• Iconic Character
• Fun for the whole family
• Great Gift

This The Day the Earth Stood Still Classic Gort Bobble Head stands approximately 6-inches tall, shiny arms outstretched and green eye glowing when his head bobbles. Order yours today

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Air Force One

• TESTED

DVDYou know that old dramatic principle of suspension of disbelief? You'll have to rely on it for this box-office smash, but you won't be disappointed. Harrison Ford plays a U.S. president who single-handedly employs his rigid antiterrorism policy when a band of Russian thugs hatch a mid-flight takeover of Air Force One. Gary Oldman, who chews the scenery as the lead terrorist, will shoot a hostage at the slightest provocation. Glenn Close plays the sternly pragmatic vice president who negotiates with Oldman from her Washington seat of power. If you can believe that the aircraft's pressurized cabin can sustain hundreds of rounds of machine-gun fire, you'll buy anything in this entertaining potboiler, especially thanks to Ford's stalwart heroics and some nifty special effects. Director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) keeps the action moving so fast you won't be sweating the details.! Don't forget your parachute! --Jeff Shannon

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Before Sunrise

• BEFORE SUNRISE (DVD MOVIE)

A heartbroken young Texas journalist meets a beautiful French student on a train bound for Paris, and invites her to share his last night in Vienna.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-NOV-2001
Media Type: DVDThis romantic, witty, and ultimately poignant glimpse at two strangers (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who share thoughts, affections, and past experiences during one 14-hour tryst in Vienna somehow remains writer/director Richard Linklater's (Dazed and Confused, Slacker) most overlooked gem. Delpy, a stunning, low-key Parisian, meets the stammering American Hawke, as the two share a Eurorail seat--she's starting school in Paris, he's finishing a vacation. Their mutual attraction leads to an awkward meeting (beautifully played by each performer), and Hawke suggests that Delpy spend his remaini! ng 14 hours in Vienna with him.

Typically, this skeleton is as much plot as Linklater provides; as usual, he's more interested in concentrating his talents on observing the casual, playful conversations between his leads. His tight time frame allows the characters to say anything to one another, and topics ranging from politics to past romances to fears of the future flow with subtle finesse. The short time frame is also cruel, however, because beneath this love affair lies the painful reality that the two most likely will never see each other again and will be left only with memories--an idea Linklater drives home with an effective snapshot conclusion.

Hardly the trite Gen-X bitch session that many '90s films using this approach become, the film feels more like a Bresson or Rohmer piece, containing sharp perceptions--and flawed humans rather than stereotypes. The protagonists' frank revelations and heated exchanges flow in a stream-of-consciousness style, and its n! o accident that Linklater set the film in Vienna, where Freud ! invented and practiced psychotherapy. --Dave McCoyBEFORE SUNSET - DVD MovieIn 1994, director Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Waking Life) made Before Sunrise, a gorgeous poem of a movie about two strangers (played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) wandering around Vienna, talking, and falling in love. Ten years later, Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy have returned with Before Sunset, which reunites the same characters after Hawke has written a book about that night. Delpy appears at the final book reading of his European tour; they have less than two hours before Hawke has to catch a flight to New York...and in that time, they walk around Paris, talk, and fall in love all over again. It sounds simple, perhaps dull, but it's written with such skill and care and acted with such richness that it's a miracle of filmmaking. On its own, Before Sunset is moving and wonderful; seen right after Before Sunrise, it will break your heart. --B! ret FetzerStudio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/09/2010This romantic, witty, and ultimately poignant glimpse at two strangers (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) who share thoughts, affections, and past experiences during one 14-hour tryst in Vienna somehow remains writer/director Richard Linklater's (Dazed and Confused, Slacker) most overlooked gem. Delpy, a stunning, low-key Parisian, meets the stammering American Hawke, as the two share a Eurorail seat--she's starting school in Paris, he's finishing a vacation. Their mutual attraction leads to an awkward meeting (beautifully played by each performer), and Hawke suggests that Delpy spend his remaining 14 hours in Vienna with him.

Typically, this skeleton is as much plot as Linklater provides; as usual, he's more interested in concentrating his talents on observing the casual, playful conversations between his leads. His tight time frame allows the characters to say anything to one another, and topic! s ranging from politics to past romances to fears of the futur! e flow w ith subtle finesse. The short time frame is also cruel, however, because beneath this love affair lies the painful reality that the two most likely will never see each other again and will be left only with memories--an idea Linklater drives home with an effective snapshot conclusion.

Hardly the trite Gen-X bitch session that many '90s films using this approach become, the film feels more like a Bresson or Rohmer piece, containing sharp perceptions--and flawed humans rather than stereotypes. The protagonists' frank revelations and heated exchanges flow in a stream-of-consciousness style, and its no accident that Linklater set the film in Vienna, where Freud invented and practiced psychotherapy. --Dave McCoy

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Becoming Jane [Blu-ray]

• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Actors: Guy Carleton, Philip Culhane, Joe Anderson (VI), Michael James Ford, Jessica Ashworth

Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries) gives a radiant performance as a young, love-struck Jane Austen in the witty and engaging romantic comedy Becoming Jane from Miramax Films. It s the untold romance that inspired the novels of one of the world s most celebrated authors. When the dashing Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King Of Scotland), a reckless and penniless lawyer-to-be, enters Jane s life, he offends the emerging writer s sense and sensibility. Soon their clashing egos set off sparks that ignite a passionate romance and fuel ! Jane s dream of doing the unthinkable marrying for love. Becoming Jane, also starring the acclaimed Maggie Smith, James Cromwell and Julie Walters, is an enchanting and imaginative film you ll fall head over heels forLike Molière, which was released in theaters around the same time, Becoming Jane isn't a conventional biopic. Instead, Julian Jarrold (White Teeth) expands on events from Jane Austen's life that may have shaped her fiction. To his credit, he doesn't stray too far from the facts. In 1795, 20-year-old Jane (Anne Hathaway with believable British accent) is an aspiring author. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) married for love, and money is tight. They hope to see their youngest daughter make a more lucrative match, and there's a besotted local, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), who would be happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Jane isn't interested. Then, she meets brash law student Tom (The Last King of Scotland's! James McAvoy), while he's staying with relatives in rural! Hampshi re. As in many Austen novels, it isn't love at first sight--but rather irritation. Just as affection begins to bloom, Tom has to return to London, and Wisley, whose financial prospects are superior, proposes. To complicate matters, Tom's uncle (Ian Richardson in his final performance) disapproves of the outspoken young lady just as much as Wisley's aunt (Maggie Smith, lending the proceedings some subtle humor). Had Austen penned the script, Tom and Wisley would be combined into one person, but life doesn't work that way--and nor does Becoming Jane. Though Jarrold's effort may not be as swoon-worthy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, it remains true to the spirit of the author's work. --Kathleen C. FennessyStudio: Echo Bridge Home Ent Release Date: 04/12/2011 Run time: 120 minutes Rating: PgLike Molière, which was released in theaters around the same time, Becoming Jane isn't a conventional biopic. Instead, Julian Jarrold (White Tee! th) expands on events from Jane Austen's life that may have shaped her fiction. To his credit, he doesn't stray too far from the facts. In 1795, 20-year-old Jane (Anne Hathaway with believable British accent) is an aspiring author. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) married for love, and money is tight. They hope to see their youngest daughter make a more lucrative match, and there's a besotted local, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), who would be happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Jane isn't interested. Then, she meets brash law student Tom (The Last King of Scotland's James McAvoy), while he's staying with relatives in rural Hampshire. As in many Austen novels, it isn't love at first sight--but rather irritation. Just as affection begins to bloom, Tom has to return to London, and Wisley, whose financial prospects are superior, proposes. To complicate matters, Tom's uncle (Ian Richardson in his final performance) disapproves of the outs! poken young lady just as much as Wisley's aunt (Maggie Smith, ! lending the proceedings some subtle humor). Had Austen penned the script, Tom and Wisley would be combined into one person, but life doesn't work that way--and nor does Becoming Jane. Though Jarrold's effort may not be as swoon-worthy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, it remains true to the spirit of the author's work. --Kathleen C. FennessyAnne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries) gives a radiant performance as a young, love-struck Jane Austen in the witty and engaging romantic comedy Becoming Jane from Miramax Films. It s the untold romance that inspired the novels of one of the world s most celebrated authors. When the dashing Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King Of Scotland), a reckless and penniless lawyer-to-be, enters Jane s life, he offends the emerging writer s sense and sensibility. Soon their clashing egos set off sparks that ignite a passionate romance and fuel Jane s dream of doing the unthinkable marrying for love. Becoming ! Jane, also starring the acclaimed Maggie Smith, James Cromwell and Julie Walters, is an enchanting and imaginative film you ll fall head over heels forLike Molière, which was released in theaters around the same time, Becoming Jane isn't a conventional biopic. Instead, Julian Jarrold (White Teeth) expands on events from Jane Austen's life that may have shaped her fiction. To his credit, he doesn't stray too far from the facts. In 1795, 20-year-old Jane (Anne Hathaway with believable British accent) is an aspiring author. Her parents (Julie Walters and James Cromwell) married for love, and money is tight. They hope to see their youngest daughter make a more lucrative match, and there's a besotted local, Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox, son of actor James Fox), who would be happy to oblige. Unfortunately, Jane isn't interested. Then, she meets brash law student Tom (The Last King of Scotland's James McAvoy), while he's staying with relatives in rural Ham! pshire. As in many Austen novels, it isn't love at first sight! --but ra ther irritation. Just as affection begins to bloom, Tom has to return to London, and Wisley, whose financial prospects are superior, proposes. To complicate matters, Tom's uncle (Ian Richardson in his final performance) disapproves of the outspoken young lady just as much as Wisley's aunt (Maggie Smith, lending the proceedings some subtle humor). Had Austen penned the script, Tom and Wisley would be combined into one person, but life doesn't work that way--and nor does Becoming Jane. Though Jarrold's effort may not be as swoon-worthy as Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, it remains true to the spirit of the author's work. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Forces of Nature

• TESTED

FORCES OF NATURE - DVD MoviePlane crashes, pickpockets, hurricanes--heaven and hell is moving to prevent our able hero Ben (Ben Affleck) from marrying his sweetie (Maura Tierney) in Savannah. At every turn he runs into someone else despairing about the woes of married life. And of course, temptation proves overwhelming in the face of traveling companion Sarah (Sandra Bullock), the wild woman whom he can't seem--or doesn't want--to lose.

After a wayward bird flies into the engine of his airplane, Ben is forced to find another way to his wedding. He finds himself stuck with Sarah, whom he carried from the plane after she was whacked in the noggin by his laptop. The heat between them is unmistakable, and the drama in the film comes from the "will he or won't he," both in terms of sleeping with Sarah and meeting up with his bride. Forces of Nature is a fun and sentimental road-! trip film, but Ben is such a strait-laced noodge, you can't help but want him to fall flat on his face just a little. Bullock is the life of this film, although her free-spirited ways get a bit tired (responsibility is not all bad). The highlight of this movie, though, is definitely the cinematography. The beautiful rain shots and the colors of the scenes lend to the unsettling mood. While the jokes are not rip-roaring, Forces is to be reckoned with for those times when a lighthearted film is what you need. --Jenny Brown

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