“Wizards of Waverly Place” is one of Disney’s most successful television programs in the past decade.  The shelf of these shows is relatively short, corresponding with the generation currently in the age bracket.  There was nothing wrong with “Lizzie McGuire” and yet that show was canceled after only two seasons and 65 episodes.  That being said, “Wizards of Waverly Place” has already gone its two seasons and is in the midst of its third.  The show has won several awards, which is probably what is keeping it alive. The success of the program has led to a made-for-TV movie starring the whole of the original cast plus a couple newcomers. In the film, the Russo family is preparing for a trip to the Caribbean, one of the most magical places on the planet.  However, ma and pa Russo are heading there to ...

  "Into the Blue" was released in 2005 and became a classic beach action film.  It was not well received in the film critic world.  However, for a simple summer thrill film it was more than adequate.  Plus, who can forget the sight of Jessica Alba tanned and in a skimpy bikini?  Well, it seems as though Hollywood cannot resist making a sultry sequel.  Along the way the film became destined for a direct-to-video release only. Sony made the original film, but it looks like 20th Century Fox has taken the rights for the video sequel.  Unfortunately, the film doesn't live up to the meager expectations set by the original.  The girls are extremely hot but that is about the extent of what the film has to offer. Like most direct-to-video sequels, the film uses the same plot as the original, reversing some ...

title: Johnny Kapahala: Back On Board studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment MPAA rating: TV-G starring: Brandon Baker, Jake T. Austin, Cary-Kiroyuki Tagawa, Robyn Lively, Mary Page Keller, Andrew James Allen, Rose McIver, Phil Brown, Akoni Kama, Thomas Newman. DVD release date: October 9, 2007 A championship surfer and snowboarder tests himself in a new and extreme arena when JOHNNY KAPAHALA: BACK ON BOARD debuts on Disney DVD on October 9, 2007. Brandon Baker (CAMPUS CONFIDENTIAL) reprises his role as Johnny in the sequel to the hit Disney Channel Original Movie JOHNNY TSUNAMI. When Johnny and his parents return to Hawaii for his grandfather’s wedding, he finds himself facing two unfamiliar challenges. As he throws himself into the dangerous sport of dirtboarding he also has to help navigate the tricky terrain of family change.

  Jack Sparrow and his motley crew of scurvy pirates are back in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” The sequel to 2003’s wonderful “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” tries hard to top its predecessor by upping the ante on special effects, subplots, and screen time devoted to the romantic leads. The result is an entertaining film, but a film that seems to miss much of the magic of the first adventure. “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” at 143 minutes in length played like it was only 90 minutes long. “Dead Man’s Chest” at 150 minutes seems to go on forever. The pacing falters mainly because of the time devoted to the elaborate special effects and the added emphasis on the numerous minor characters and subplots of the script. The charm of the original “Pirates” centered mostly on the terrific performances of Johnny ...

title: Enemy of the State (Unrated Extended Edition) function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,'location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10'); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close(); studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment MPAA rating: NR starring: Will Smith, Gene Hackman theatrical release year: 1998 DVD release year: 2006 film rating: Four Stars sound/picture rating: Four Stars reviewed by: Dan MacIntosh “Enemy of the State” explores the loaded question: Does it do more harm than good when a government is enabled to spy on its own citizens? It’s an especially pertinent query right now in our post 9/11 world, because there’s not one American who wants to live through another Twin Towers disaster ever again. Most Americans likely expect their government to “smoke out the enemy,” to borrow a Bush-ism, to thwart terrorists from having their way. It’s an especially urgent issue in light of Gen. Michael Hayden’s CIA directorship hearings. Hayden is the former head of the National Security Agency, which was reported to have collected phone records for tens of millions of Americans. Hayden’s activities, and the public’s alarmed reaction to them, underscore ...