Shorter Film Reviews

Cars (G, 116 minutes) Pixar blows us away yet again with an animated story of a NASCAR hotrod (voiced by Owen Wilson) who needs to take the “I” out of “TEAM.” Only by the amazingly high standards set by Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles does the movie come up a little short. (K.W.) Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Clerks II (NR) After a brief, fruitless foray into mainstream romantic comedy (Jersey Girl), Kevin Smith returns to his roots: shooting a foul-mouthed low-budget comedy with a few of his friends.
It’s been a few years since we last saw Dante and Randall. Their older now, but not necessarily wiser, having landed jobs at the local fast-food establishment. Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Ethan Suplee, Jason Lee and other longtime Smith compatriots return for more ensemble fun. There’s actually a bit of story this time around, but the emphasis is on blistering pop culture humor. (It’s Lord of the Rings versus Star Wars now.) (Devin O’Leary) Coming Friday; check local listings

Click (PG-13, 86 minutes) Adam Sandler is a harried family man (welcome to the realm of Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin, Mr. Sandler) who finds a magical remote control. Get this: With it, he can pause stuff and fast forward it and mute it. Why he could fast-forward a fight with his wife or slo-mo that jogging girl with the big boobies. My god, that plot is clever enough to be a light beer commercial! (D.O.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Da Vinci Code (PG-13, 149 minutes) Ron Howard’s movie version of Dan Brown’s religious-mystery novel, in which a Harvard professor (Tom Hanks) and a Parisian cryptographer (Audrey Tautou) try to track down the Holy Grail while being pursued by a crazed albino monk (Paul
Bettany), fails to get a decent spook going, à la The Exorcist or The Omen. Howard has illustrated the book beautifully, but he hasn’t wrestled with it, made it his own. (K.W.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Devil Wears Prada (PG-13, 106 minutes) This fashion-industry comedy stars Anne Hathaway as an aspiring journalist who winds up as a gopher for Meryl Streep’s boss-from-hell, but the two of them aren’t allowed to get much going, Streep’s ice-cold performance getting stranded on the runway. The movie could have been an enjoyable romp; instead, it’s as earnest as Wall Street, only with frocks instead of stocks. (K.W.) Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (PG-13, 104 minutes) Vin Diesel, having long lost any level of relevance to this fast-moving film franchise, is here replaced by Lucas Black, the kid from Sling Blade. But, really, who cares which humans are involved so long as you’ve got a tricked-out Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX to ogle? Black plays a troubled teen who heads to Tokyo to live with his military uncle officer. There, he falls into the world of underground street racing. The film is rated PG-13 for “reckless and illegal behavior involving teens.” In other words, it’s gonna be a huge hit with high schoolers. (D.O.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

An Inconvenient Truth (PG) Reviewed on page 50. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Lady in the Water (PG-13) At this point you either love or hate writer/director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village). In this dark, twist-laden (of course) fantasy, the
superintendent (Paul Giamatti) of a run-down apartment complex discovers a mysterious woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the apartment’s pool. Turns out she’s actually a fairy tale character
who has escaped from a bedtime story. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one who has escaped from the story. Interesting, but definitely not as scary as you’re thinking. (Didn’t you learn your lesson with The Village?) (D.O.) Coming Friday; check local listings

The Lake House (PG, 99 minutes) Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock emote up a storm in this supernatural weepie. It slowly accumulates power and gets extra points for holding on to its dour mood even after the romantic leads have discovered that they’re communicating via snail mail across time. (K.W.) Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Little Man (PG-13) God help us, the Wayanses are back in town! Keenan Ivory Wayans directs brother Shawn Wayans as a wannabe dad who mistakes a vertically challenged, cigar-chomping criminal (Marlon Wayans) as his newly adopted son. While the sight of a digitally reduced Marlon Wayans is arguably scarier than the sight of Marlon Wayans dressed as a white chick, what’s most disturbing about this film is how it so blatantly rips off the old Warner Brothers cartoon
“Baby Buggy Bunny” starring midget criminal Baby Face Finster. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Monster House (PG, 91 minutes) It’s the day before Halloween and puberty-addled DJ has been left at home with a babysitter. Which wouldn’t be so bad if our young hero weren’t convinced that the creepy house across the street is eating people. This CGI toon takes a slightly different approach than some. Rather than going for a totally realistic style, the film tries to replicate the almost stop-motion look of old holiday specials. Combined with the film’s retro-’80s setting, it makes for a pleasing flashback. The story, in which DJ and two pals do battle with a (literally) monstrous house, is a bit too scary for very young kids, but it’s loads of fun for those who can’t wait for Halloween. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve Buscemi and Jason Lee are among the voice cast. (D.O.) Coming Friday; check local listings

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (PG-13) Luke Wilson stars as an ordinary dude who breaks up with his plain-Jane girlfriend (Uma Thurman) because of her neediness. Big mistake. Turns out that she’s actually the alter-ego of G-Girl, the city’s most powerful superheroine, and she proceeds to make his life a living hell. From director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters). (D.O.) Coming Friday; check local listings

Nacho Libre (PG) Jack Black has his moments as a friar/cook who longs to be a Mexican wrestler, but the shtick seems a little forced. Black being pummeled by his opponents is pretty much all there is to the plot, but the movie nevertheless has a pleasantly strange vibe. (K.W.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man’s Chest (PG-13, 150 minutes)
Reviewed on page 50. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Superman Returns (PG-13, 157 minutes) America’s favorite Boy Scout is back, and the most enjoyable moments in this $363-million behemoth are when Brandon Routh’s Superman flies through the air with the greatest of ease. Despite Routh’s lackluster performance and Kevin
Spacey’s refusal to ham up Lex Luthor, the movie often soars, but it never comes up with a sufficient reason why the Man of Steel is still relevant in post-industrial . (K.W.) Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Waist Deep (R, 97 minutes) In this inner-city thriller, an ex-con (Tyrese Gibson, 2 Fast 2 Furious) gets tangled up with a gang after his car is jacked with his young son inside. When a nasty criminal kingpin (rap star The Game) demands a ransom for the boy’s release, our anti-hero teams up with a street-smart hustler (Meagan Good of You Got Served) for some hip-hop Bonnie and Clyde action. From the director of Glitter. (D.O.) Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6