Film critic offers brief reviews of new movies to light up silver screen
THE FATHER, THE SON: (NP) City of Brotherly Love actor Sal Mazzotta plays the offspring of a Philadelphia mob boss (Robert Costanzo) who must take drastic measures against his family’s enemies after an attempt is made on his father’s life. Mazzotta also directed the gangster tale, which co-stars Leo Rossi and Johnny Williams. The distributor declined to screen the film in advance for critics. (Unrated) FRIDA: (B-) The life and loves of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was famous for her surreal self-portraits, stormy marriage and fiery affairs, come to the screen in this beautifully mounted but dramatically remote biography about a woman considered a political and sexual revolutionary. Salma Hayek (“Desperado”), who also produced, plays the title role, and Alfred Molina (“Species”) co-stars as her mentor and husband, Diego Rivera. Julie Taymor, whose credits include the Broadway production of “The Lion King” and the striking film “Titus,” directed the tale, based on the book by Hayden Herrera. Very strong sexual elements, nudity, brief violence, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
I SPY: (B-) Superstar Eddie Murphy (“Beverly Hills Cop”) and Owen Wilson (“Behind Enemy Lines”) star in this very loose adaptation of the NBC-TV series (1965-68) with Bill Cosby and Robert Culp who worked as government agents and operated under the cover of professional sports. Murphy plays a champion boxer drafted to help a clumsy government agent (Wilson) locate a stolen state-of-the-art military weapon, which will be sold to the highest bidder by an international arms dealer (Malcolm McDowell of “Gangster No. 1”). The script is weak, but Murphy single-handedly carries the film by improvising funny lines that bring the picture to life. Violence, sexual content, language. (PG-13)
JACKASS THE MOVIE: (B-) for hardcore fans of the show only; D for anyone else): Teen favorite Johnny Knoxville takes the outlandish stunts he developed on the MTV series “Jackass,” which premiered on Oct. 1, 2000, to new levels of grossness. Be prepared to see flesh sliced, private parts pummeled and bones pounded. The no-frills comedy was filmed in Pennsylvania, Japan, Florida and California for less than $4 million by director Jeff Tremaine. Dangerous stunts, graphic toilet humor, nudity, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
NAQOYQATSI: (NP) In this sequel to “Koyaanisqatsi” and “Powaqqatsi,” director Godfrey Reggio provides a visual extravaganza spotlighting imagery designed to show how the world has changed from being organized by nature to being dominated by potentially destructive technology. Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) served as executive producer for the production, which is the third part of Reggio’s “Qatsi” trilogy. Phillip Glass, who also provided the music for the first two installments, created the score. Violence, disturbing images, brief nudity. (PG)
ROGER DODGER: (NP) During this modern morality tale, a cynical Manhattan advertising executive (Campbell Scott of “Dying Young”) agrees to help his 16-year-old nephew (newcomer Jesse Eisenberg) lose his virginity. The misguided adult then encounters two dancers (Jennifer Beals of “Flashdance” and Elizabeth Berkley of “Showgirls”), who prove far too smart for his stale lines, and also discovers that his lover (Isabella Rossellini of “Blue Velvet”) is dumping him for a much younger man. Dylan Kidd made his directing debut with the jaded story about a deeply unhappy guy who believes that all men are becoming irrelevant. Sex, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)
THE SANTA CLAUSE 2: (B for family audiences; C for anyone else) Tim Allen returns as St. Nick in this mild sequel to the 1994 hit. In the happy-go-lucky follow-up, Allen’s character discovers a contract stipulation that requires him to be married by Christmas Eve or stop being Santa forever. (G)
13TH CHILD – LEGEND OF THE JERSEY DEVIL, VOLUME 1: (D) This amateur-night chiller stars Robert Guillaume (TV’s “Benson”) and Cliff Robertson (“Spider-Man”) as two men who know the true identity of a creature responsible for a series of murders in South Jersey’s Pine Barrens. Christopher Atkins (“Blue Lagoon”) and Gano Grills (HBO’s “Oz”) co-star in the disappointing tale.
Grisly violence, nudity, sexual elements, harsh four-letter profanity. (R)