Reviews

No matter what you think of the movie's final act, HIDE AND SEEK is worth watching for the performances alone. I, for one, liked the ending even though I saw it coming a reel away. It's the only way the movie could've ended for me. No one else could've been Charlie. I would've been disappointed if it didn't end the way it did. What makes the ending so effective is that it makes the performances even richer. Despite what its distributor 20th Century Fox would like you to believe, it's not a "twist" movie. HIDE AND SEEK is an acting thriller. The biggest thrill is watching De Niro and Dakota Fanning. The biggest suspense lies in whether a master actor would hold his own against a scene-stealing student. The "twist" for me is that the master still has the chops. De Niro gives a quietly compelling performance. It seems hip nowadays to bash De Niro for choosing projects that aren't worthy of his talent. Hey, he's De Niro. He can do whatever he wants. I think his role in HIDE AND SEEK is a worthy and challenging one. It's a role that requires subtlety and power. De Niro delivers. And there's the challenge of going toe to toe with that kid phenom. The music they create together is beautiful and haunting. They're so good together it's scary.

MEET THE FOCKERS made me laugh a lot. It probably has more laughs than the original, but the laughs aren't as big or as fresh or as subtle. And as sequels go, it contains many scenes that are mere variations of the original: the dinner gone wrong, the sports competition gone wrong, the pet gone wrong, the Owen Wilson cameo, the "focker" puns, etc. But many of the variations are quite inspired. Thanks to the terrific cast. De Niro, Stiller, Hoffman and Streisand all look like they're having a great time. Each is given a scene or two to really shine; De Niro and Hoffman fare the best. A child actor's also been added to the cast, and he's a scene-stealer. I just wish Blythe Danner (Mrs. Byrnes) and Teri Polo (Pam Focker) were given more to do. But, as entertaining as I thought the movie was, expect many critics to be turned off or pretend to be turned off by the numerous toilet jokes. I say, flock 'em!

Anal-ize this!!! Although not as good as the original, ANALYZE THAT is still good enough. In some ways, it improves on the original. De Niro is more relaxed, nastier and funnier. There's less of Billy Crystal, which is always a good thing. But when the two of them are together on screen, the movie's laugh-out loud funny. Yes, the plot is dispensable and most of the jokes are mere variations of the original. It's a sequel, for Christ's sake. Accept it for what it is, a reunion with old friends who make you laugh even if they tell you the same jokes over and over.

SHOWTIME is a mess, but it's an entertaining mess. The plot is forgettable, the satire is lightweight and the action sequences, though well-staged, aren't that exciting. But I laughed. A lot. Credit goes to the inspired pairing of De Niro and Murphy. They have great chemistry. Murphy delivers the one-liners, De Niro cracks us up with a look or grimace. This movie will get a RUSH HOUR-like reception from the critics. Don't listen to them. If you're a fan of De Niro or Murphy, you're going to enjoy this movie.

I have no one to blame but myself for going to see this one. Chris Tucker is the most annoying screen presence since, well, Chris Tucker in the original RUSH HOUR. Constantly hurling racial insults in a loud, high-pitched manner is not my idea of funny. Jackie Chan is a good actor in search of a good script. RUSH HOUR 2's plot, of course, is more of the same, a lame excuse to showcase Chan's stunts and Tucker's verbal assaults. Why Zhang Ziyi chose this vehicle as her follow-up to CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is beyond me. The audience I was with laughed every time Tucker opened his big mouth. I've never felt lonelier in my moviegoing life.

In the past few months, we've seen thrillers that try too hard (MEMENTO), not hard enough (THE TAILOR FROM PANAMA), hardly (ALONG CAME A SPIDER). Now comes THE SCORE, a movie that's so graceful that it doesn't seem to be trying at all. I suppose it's easy to look effortless when you have a cast that includes De Niro, Norton, Bassett and Brando. But there's no denying the supreme effort everyone involved put into every aspect of the film. The camera work, editing, musical score are all first-rate. It is also refreshing to see a summer movie without a talking animal, a Matrix-like action sequence, a two-gun-shooting shootout, an endless car chase, a loud rock score, or a mask-peeling twist ending. Sure it's another one-last-heist movie, but it's never been done with an A+ cast like this. De Niro, Norton and Brando have certainly been better, but they deliver just the right performances here (my only gripe is that Bassett isn't given more to do). And just right is all that this classy, intelligent thriller needs.

As much as I love De Niro, I went into this movie with lower than usual expectations. The 2001 movies so far have ranged from disappointing (HANNIBAL) to horrid (THE MEXICAN), and the advance reviews for 15 MINUTES have been mixed at best. To my surprise, 15 MINUTES turns out to be a fresh, clever and disturbingly important film. Many will compare it to NATURAL BORN KILLERS. I haven't seen that one in a long time, but I remember not really liking it (I'm not a big Oliver Stone fan). But I enjoyed this current take on media, violence and our celebrity-obsessed society. The movie's sometimes brutal but I think the violence is necessary. It shows that violence has ugly consequences rather than glorifying it as fun like most of the current action movies are inclined to do. De Niro can do this kind of role in his sleep, but he always manages to add fresh touches to whatever character he plays. Burns doesn't do much with an underwritten role, but he's a charismatic actor and you can't help but root for him. The two villains they're up against are somewhat overacted, but they're two of the most original villains ever. There are plotholes, but the movie's a satire and is not meant to be totally realistic.

"Inspirational" tales about "triumph of the human spirit" are usually big turn-offs for me. The most surprising thing about MEN OF HONOR is how much I enjoyed it in spite of myself. The movie is as predictable and cliched as it gets, but it works. Much credit goes to the exhilarating performances by both leads. It's a perfect role for Cuba Gooding, Jr., who's wonderfully restrained here. We have come to expect a lot from De Niro, and he doesn't disappoint. He creates a darkly funny portrait. Director George Tillman, Jr. set out to make an old-style flick and comes up with a winner.

With this and ANALYZE THIS and MIDNIGHT RUN, De Niro proves that he's one of our best comic actors. And MEET THE PARENTS is one of the best comedies ever made. Ben Stiller is great, too, but he's on familiar ground here. It's good to see a funny movie that's character-centered rather than one that relies on dumb and gross sight-gags. The airport scene alone at the end of the movie is worth the price of admission.