The success of “Underworld” in 2003 prompted this 2006 sequel; the first was a multi-national production, shot in Europe; the sequel was entirely US-financed, and shot in British Columbia. It’s a more elaborate film than the original—more sets, more effects, more action—but it’s just another sequel that falls below the quality level of the original—and that, lord knows, wasn’t very high to begin with. This continues the centuries-old battle between vampires and werewolves (in these movies, unaccountably called “Lycans”), though this movie doesn’t bother even vaguely hinting at the issues behind the war. Which is taking place on a fairly small scale, having boiled down to a battle between Markus (Tony Curran), the second vampire of all time, and Selene (Kate Beckinsale), also a vampire. She’s assisted by her lover Michael (Scott Speedman) who, in the first film, was initially just another human being like me and probably you, but who became a ...

  Will Ferrell has his own distinct audience. Most of the films he makes are geared for that audience. However, in “Talladega Nights” he strips all those gears and tears the knob off. Ferrell plays NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby, the outrageous blue collar hero of the high-octane sport of stock car racing. The name alone, as American as apple pie, is worth the price of admission. “Ricky Bobby” has got to be the most Southern name of any driver in NASCAR! It’s As usual, Ferrell turns in a Will Ferrell acting job, part script , part ad-lib. When he starts chewing through a scene, it’s sometimes hard to tell where the scripted stuff ends and the improvisation starts. As Ricky Bobby, Ferrell turns out to be full-on American, stupidly redneck, impossible heroic, impossibly dumb, and vulnerable. Few actors could achieve that range within a single movie. And few critics would acknowledge Ferrell’s ambiguous ...

  “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider”, stands as one of the most iconic heroes in the world after only a few short years as a video game heroine. Emerging on the videogame scene in 1996, Lara Croft was recognized as the “Most Successful Human Videogame Heroine” in Guinness Book of World Records. Core Design, the development company, initiated a style of gameplay that mixed shooters and problem-solving with a deeper characterization than had ever caught the public’s eye. Almost overnight, Lara Croft became a sensation. Five years later, Angelina Jolie brought her to life on the big screen. In the video games, Lara always charges from one adventure to another, seeking and finding clues that lead her to the ultimate objective in that scenario. Game players get the opportunity to understand what’s at stake, take an active part, and a shot at solving the puzzles for themselves. In “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” the movie, though, ...

  Uninvolved onlookers probably found it hard to distinguish between “Ultraviolet” and “Æon Flux;” both were action pictures with a beautiful, tough and sleek heroine as the lead character; both were set in oppressive futures; both were wide screen and color; both were filled with effects; both took advantage of real buildings in the cities where they were shot. And neither was much good, though “Æon Flux” is somewhat better than “Ultraviolet.” But that shouldn’t be taken as high praise. “Æon Flux” is based on a series of short cartoons created by Peter Chung, telecast on MTV. The cartoons are tough and wry; the movie takes a tough stance but never really reaches that point—and it’s anything but wry. Chung’s little cartoons were not intended to be taken very seriously, but the movie definitely wants to be regarded as a serious work, to the point where it’s totally avoid of humor. At least “Ultraviolet,” which ...

  Known in part for their music and Bono’s haunting vocals, and for their political stance and humanitarian aid, U2 has had amazing longevity for a band that almost never got out of their native Dublin, Ireland. But after they got started there was simply no holding them back as they rushed to well-deserved fame and success. In 1976, fourteen-year-old Larry Mullen, Jr. announced that he was forming a band, and he attracted fellow high school students that ended up becoming U2. There were more at first, but they dwindled down to the four core members that became U2. They had different names at first, briefly the Larry Mullen Band, then quickly progressing to Feedback and The Hype. By 1978, they were on the road to at least a semi-successful music career. The name U2 is believed to have been gotten from the spy planes Gary Powers and other American pilots used to fly ...