COMEDY
It's about time that Hollywood stopped turning a blind eye to the plight of former Playboy Bunnies. When Shelley (Faris, playing a charmless version of Legally Blonde's Elle Woods) is booted from Hef's Playboy Mansion after her 27th birthday—"that's 59 in Bunny years," explains an aide—she becomes mom to a nearby sorority house packed with freaks and geeks. In order to attract new pledges and save their sorority, Shelley helps them blossom the old-fashioned way: through makeovers and music montages. The film isn't as vapid as she is, but it comes close.
Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, Joan Allen | R |
ACTION
When a woman calls her husband "a good man" in a stock action film like Death Race, it's no surprise that within minutes he's framed for her murder and tossed into prison. That's what happens to an ex-racer (Statham), who is recruited by the warden (Allen) to compete in an extreme racing competition in which prisoners either win or die trying. The overly edited races, featuring cars tricked out with massive artillery, are relatively engaging, but we've been down this road several times before.
Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough PG-13 |
THRILLER
An atypical look at terrorism, Traitor raises some intriguing notions before succumbing to convention. Two FBI agents (Pearce, right, and McDonough) pursue an enigmatic former Special Ops officer (Cheadle) who is connected to several terrorist incidents around the globe. The film has a few nifty twists, and it's always refreshing to see baddies who skip the speechifying and evil cackling. But while Cheadle tackles his complex role with customary aplomb, he's rarely given a chance to probe his inner turmoil.
There have been lots of hilarious high school comedies, but college-set movies like The House Bunny often don't make the grade. To rekindle that school spirit, watch the two kings of college comedies: the riotous Old School (starring Will Ferrell, left) and Animal House, still B.M.O.C. after 30 years. Prefer your laughs with a little more class? Then check out Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire in the underrated gem Wonder Boys.
• Season 5 alum Kevin Covais, 19, costars in the teen comedy College.
ANY COLLEGE PLANS? I'm enrolled at Hofstra University. I'm taking a leave of absence for acting.
YOU PLAY A NERD. ARE YOU ONE? I can pass as the studious, nerdy [type], but in real life I'm outgoing.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE DOING A SEX SCENE? My parents were with me on-set, but for that scene my mom wasn't watching. I was relieved!
• The Oscar nominee, 43, gets involved with a terrorist cell in Traitor. But what really lights his fuse? Doing homework with his two daughters and poking fun at his famous costars.
HOMEWORK IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Don't act like you know something when you don't. The best thing is when both of you struggle to figure it out together. That's the most fun part.
IF HE WASN'T ACTING, IT WOULD BE A CRIME
I would be robbing people, which would really stink because everybody would be like, "Hey, Don Cheadle just robbed me! He was wearing his costume from Ocean's Eleven!"
HE'S DONE WITH DANNY OCEAN
I think it is a wrap on the Ocean's movies, although I hear that Brad [Pitt] may do an Ocean's movie with just his family.
BUT HE LOVES HIS OCEAN'S COSTARS
People ask me, "So do you guys really sit around talking about Darfur?" Yeah, we actually do. What do you think we talk about? How many cars we have?
AND HE WANTS TO ADOPT ... BRAD'S KIDS!
There will be enough of them pretty soon. I'm calling two through four!
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
