title: Once Upon A Time In Mexico 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(); <br> studio: Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment/Dimension Films MPAA rating: R starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Mickey Rourke release year: 2003 film rating: Three-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture: Three-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein Once upon a time, director/writer/producer/editor/cinematographer/composer/a bunch/a-bunch-of-other-jobs-too’er Robert Rodriguez shot to fame by making the absolutely entertaining and kinetic Spanish-language action flick “El Mariachi” for almost no money. Even if his budget wound up being slightly more than the reported $7.000, as some journalists have claimed, it was still an impressive achievementon its own terms, let alone in terms of bang for buck. “El Mariachi” was so successful that it spawned a studio-backed English language sequel, “Desperado,” which was shot for several million dollars – still very cheap by Hollywood terms, but a fortune for Rodriguez.

title: Out Of Time 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(); <br> studio: MGM Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Denzel Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan, Dean Cain, John Billingsley release year: 2003 film rating: Three Stars sound/picture: Three-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein “Out of Time” follows the pattern of a classic film noir, in which a flawed hero winds up in one hell of a fix because of money and a dame. In this instance, he’s played by Denzel Washington, which means we’re predisposed to root for him, and the mess he’s in is impressively problematic, even if we can see much of what’s coming well before he does.

title: S.W.A.T. 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(); <br> studio: Columbia/TriStar Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Brian Van Holt, Jeremy Renner, Josh Charles, Olivier Martinez release year: 2003 film rating: Three-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture: Four Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein “S.W.A.T.” is a by-the-book yet still enjoyable cop actioner that is so breezily cinematic and uncheesy that it comes as a bit of a surprise to recall that it is in fact based on a ‘70s TV series (with a featurette in the special features section to remind us, no less). About the only holdover camp factors still visible from that era are the names of one or two characters (even the considerable credible toughness of Samuel L. Jackson isn’t entirely enough to justify calling him “Hondo”). Otherwise, this is all straight-ahead stuff with the kind of physicality and strong structure that lets us take it relatively seriously on its own terms.

title: Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (Two-Disc Collector’s 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(); <br> studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Pryce release year: 2003 film rating: Five Stars sound/picture: Five Stars reviewed by: Mel Odom Pirates! Just the mere mention of that word summons images and stories that have been with audiences forever. The idea of a skull and crossbones mounted on a black flag can still make hearts beat faster in expectation of feats of derring-do, swordplay, and tall-masted ships with sails filled with the wind cutting through the rough ocean while in pursuit of a secret and dangerous treasure.

title: X2: X-Men United (Two-Disc 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(); <br> studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment MPAA rating: PG-13 starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romjin-Stamos, Brian Cox, James Marsden, Anna Paquin release year: 2003 film rating: Three-and-a-Half Stars sound/picture: Three-and-a-Half Stars reviewed by: Abbie Bernstein “X-Men,” the original movie adaptation of the Marvel Comics franchise about mutants with various powers and differing attitudes toward their non-superpowered human brethren, was a thoroughly enjoyable science-fiction film that was a big theatrical hit and is currently available in an extras-loaded special edition, “X-Men 1.5,” on DVD. Three years later its sequel, “X2: X-Men United,” was released, likewise did fine at the box office and has now come out on a spiffy two-disc DVD set.