Bovie Movie

Based on the phenomenally successful role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons 2 takes you deeper into the dark and fantastical world of this fantasy epic. When the evil sorcerer Damodar braves a perilous whirlwind vortex to steal the elemental black orb he declares a sinister plan of vengeance against the kingdom of Ismir. Berek, a decorated warrior, and Melora, an amateur sorceress join four heroes representing Intelligence, Wisdom, Honor and Strength to battle against Damodar’s growing army of gruesome creatures, flying harpies and an ice dragon to reach a vault room holding the orb. Together, they build their own army to retrieve the orb using elemental forces to defeat Damodar before he summons the sleeping black dragon whose omnipotent evil powers could lay waste to the entire kingdom.

One of suspense stylist Brian De Palma’s best over-the-top doodles on the B-movie film noir form, this cool, erotically charged déjà-vu Euro-thriller is a sumptuously elegant treat from its wordless lesbian encounter beginning at the Cannes film festival to its cleverly twisted end. Can reclusive French Ambassador’s wife Rebecca Romijn-Stamos hide her former identity as a jewel thief when secret snaps taken by paparazzi photographer Antonio Banderas alert her former partners in crime into reclaiming stolen diamonds? Complete with a mind-bending last-act shift in reality that many will find a complete cheat, De Palma’s audaciously seductive deception is a bold and imaginative exercise in film-making craft and devious sleight-of-hand audience manipulation, laced with his usual tongue-in-chic trademarks. And Romijn-Stamos makes a perfect, icy, duplicitous blonde heroine in the best Hitchcock tradition. 

It’s quite a feat to have sucked the life out of an attractive comic book-style vampire versus werewolf premise, but debut director Len Wiseman has crafted the most stylistically derivative and monotonously plotted horror film possible. The casting is equally defective, with Kate Beckinsale unconvincing as sullen bloodsucker Selene, a sort of waif-like female version of Blade, and Michael Sheen lacking stature as her “Lycan” enemy. Set against a hackneyed melancholy gothic backdrop, the story piles on scene after scene of portentous, humourless exposition, only stopping occasionally for these centuries-old rival gangs to fire off rounds of ammo. Why such rich potential for teeth-baring conflict is abandoned in favour of sub-Matrix gunplay is one of many questions posed before the film’s faintly enjoyable final battle. Only Bill Nighy, as a fearsome ancient vampire, really makes any sort of fanged impression on this dreary disappointment. 

Christian McIntire's Bermuda Triangle thriller Lost Voyage comes to DVD with a standard full-frame transfer. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Spanish subtitles are accessible, and the soundtrack is closed-captioned. Supplemental materials include the trailer. This is a pedestrian release from First Look that will have interest primarily for genre enthusiasts.

The transfer of successful video games to the big screen has a less than glorious track record, from Super Mario Bros to Street Fighter. Hopes were high for this Tomb Raider adaptation, however, partly because Lara Croft was a natural action-movie icon and partly because the game was known for decent narrative. What a shame then that it’s such a huge dud. Angelina Jolie makes a credible enough Lara — athletic, somewhat top-heavy and with an English accent borrowed from Liz Hurley (rumoured to be an early contender for the role). But not only is the story unsatisfying — a two-act yarn about finding two halves of an artefact in Cambodia and Siberia — the direction from Simon West (so good at the helm of Con Air) does nothing to whip up any momentum as Lara joins forces with the apparent villains (led by Iain Glen) and jumps about a bit, mostly in the dark. The Indiana Jones series did this tomb-raiding schtick so much better; and a few monkey statues coming to life are short change after the full-on Brendan Fraser Mummy films. In short, it’s boring. A half-baked subplot involving Lara’s dead father (played by Jolie’s dad Jon Voight) does little to involve the viewer and fans of the game will be itching to get back to their consoles. 

Elf director Jon Favreau’s action-packed adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s (The Polar Express) book is great family entertainment. In this intergalactic Jumanji, brothers Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson are taught life lessons playing a dusty board game found in the cellar that thrusts them into outer space to face meteor showers, a defective robot and lizard-like aliens. The witty script generates laughs from the cryonic freezing of the boys’ sister, but there are touching moments too, like the revelation of can-do astronaut Dax Shepard’s true identity. Having the entire universe just outside their front door creates huge imaginative scope, while the terrific retro Dan Dare-style design matches the film’s refreshing reliance on old-school special effects. Favreau brings a delightful sense of childlike wonder to this stellar comic-book fantasy adventure that offers fun — and scares — for all age groups. 

Upgrading the motion-capture animation process that Robert Zemeckis pioneered in The Polar Express, first-time director Gil Kenan creates an animated comedy horror with terrific success. Executive produced by Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg, it’s a fun and thrilling ride for kids, full of smart jokes for adults, and with tons of sharp, imaginative detail to delight both. As Halloween approaches, youngsters DJ (Mitchel Musso), Chowder (Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke) must unlock the secret of a creepy haunted house before it swallows the neighbourhood’s trick-or-treaters. The traits of these friends echo the successful formula of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter stories: a boy, his gawky best friend and their studious female companion. But more interesting are the clever visuals that reference horror classics like Freaks and Quatermass and the Pit. With its unique, distinctive storybook-look that utilises new technology, Monster House is an unforgettable and irresistible adventure. 

Under the assumption that everyone has seen The Fellowship of the Ring, director Peter Jackson here jumps straight back into the action, with only a revealing flashback to Gandalf’s plunge into the void from the first film. With the fellowship fractured, the story diverges into three separate strands: Frodo and Sam’s trek to Mordor, on which they are joined by the deranged Gollum; Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn’s attempted allegiance with the imperilled kingdom of Rohan; and Merry and Pippin’s affiliation with the sentient trees of Fangorn Forest. It’s darker and more urgent than the opening segment, and Jackson again displays an unparalleled grasp of storytelling on a grand scale — the siege of Helm’s Deep is as heroic and spectacular as any battle scene committed to film. The performances are uniformly excellent, with the original cast reinforced by strong characterisations from Brad Dourif and Bernard Hill. The most impressive contribution, however, comes from Andy Serkis, who provides the creepy tones and fluid physical movements of the CGI-created Gollum. 

It’s a little puzzling to work out who this live action update of the 1970s cartoon series is actually aimed at. It’s not knowing enough for grown-ups who remember the original, while it’s probably too sugary for today’s savvy youngsters. The original series, created by Bill Cosby (he serves as producer here and also pops up in a cameo), was centred around the feel-good antics of a gang of young black youths. Here the cartoon characters literally climb out of the TV set to help a lonely young teen (Kyla Pratt). Keenan Thompson makes a good fist of the fleshed out Fat Albert but a few nostalgic chuckles aside, this is as much out of step with modern tastes as the cartoon characters are in the real world. 

Despite lacking the wit that distinguished Stuart’s first film outing, this amusing sequel will still appeal to those who were delighted by the original. In this adventure, Stuart (expertly voiced by Michael J Fox) falls for a flighty little bird, Margalo (Melanie Griffith), but doesn’t realise that she’s under the control of a villainous falcon (James Woods) and is actually after Mrs Little’s wedding ring. Directed by Rob Minkoff (who co-directed The Lion King), this blend of live action and animation is technically superb — the scenes of Stuart whizzing through New York on a skateboard or in a tiny bi-plane are both exciting and convincing — but its real charm lies in the balance it maintains between enchantment and the everyday.