Opening Films

by Inlander Staff


Antwone Fisher -- Derek Luke plays the titular hero of this autobiographical film, based on the life of screenwriter/producer Antwone Fisher. Once a troubled sailor whose repeated fistfights land him in the office of Navy psychiatrist Denzel Washington, Fisher turns his life around by finding the family who abandoned him and landing a job as a security guard on the Sony Pictures lot. Rated: PG-13 (Opens Wed., Dec. 25)





Catch Me If You Can -- Spielberg lightens up considerably from recent films in this comedy (with a serious undertone about broken families) inspired by the real-life adventures of teenage con man extraordinaire Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio). Chased for years by a no-nonsense FBI man (Tom Hanks), his life probably wasn't as carefree as the film presents it. But this is one good romp, with terrific support from Christopher Walken and Nathalie Baye as his parents. The opening credits are very cool. (ES) Rated PG-13 (Opens Wed., Dec. 25)





Gangs of New York -- Martin Scorsese and innumerable conspirators have struggled for almost three decades to produce Gangs of New York, and yet it is a terrible movie. A hellish horror of failed ambition, it should freeze the blood of any artist who has held too long to a primal obsession and fears that a life's work will be shown up as a Promethean folly. Leonardo DiCaprio is a puffy cipher as a young man with vengeance on his mind; Daniel Day-Lewis offers epic hamming as the villain. Gangs of New York is history as a fevered dream -- a grandiloquent disaster with no emotional impact. Not even the transcendent ending can save it. (RP) Rated: R





Pinocchio -- You know the story, and the talented Roberto Benigni stars in it, co-wrote it and directed it. The Blue Fairy is played by his wife, Nicoletta Braschi, and Gepetto is done up by popular Italian actor Carlo Guiffre. The only question is whether Benigni will overdo it to the point of annoyance. Rated: G (Opens Wed., Dec. 25)





The Wild Thornberrys Movie -- The animated Nickelodeon TV hit makes a good, if not great, transition to the big screen with a tale of young Eliza (magically able to converse with animals) having a ball with her adventuresome parents in Africa. But things go wrong and she's shipped off to a London boarding school, before things go right and she returns to an adventure of her own. Lots of funny scenes, and a good deal of tense ones, with a strong environmentalist message. (ES) Rated PG





Two Weeks Notice -- Hugh Grant plays the sort of charming, shallow cad he's become so adept at, this time as a billionaire who happily lets his lawyer (Sandra Bullock) handle all the troublesome little details, legal or otherwise. Tired of picking his suits up from the cleaner and tripping over his toys, she gives him two weeks notice, hires her own replacement and waits for the little light bulb of true love to pop up over his head. Rated: PG-13





& lt;i & Capsule reviews are written by Ed Symkus (ES) and Ray Pride (RP), unless otherwise noted. & lt;/i &





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