Unoriginal "Madagascar" Still entertaining and appropriate
Annabelle Robertson - Entertainment Critic

Release Date: May 27, 2005
Rating: PG (for mild language, crude humor and some thematic elements)
Genre: Adventure/Animation
Run Time: 87 min.
Director: Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath
Actors: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer,

Life’s a jungle – and no one knows it better than New Yorkers.

Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippopotamus (Jada Pinkett Smith) are four doggone lucky mammals. Pampered and admired by New Yorkers and tourists, they live a life of luxury at the Central Park Zoo. Alex poses and roars for the crowds, only to be rewarded with steak every night. Marty, his best friend, frolics for zoo visitors, while Melman, an incurable hypochondriac, delights in visit after visit from his doctors. Meanwhile Gloria, the lone female of the foursome, mothers them all. Read More

 

 Spielberg's Sci-Fi Spectacle Overpowers Cruise's Rants
Jeffrey Huston- Contributing Writer

Release Date: June 29, 2005
Rating: PG-13 (for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images)
Genre: Sci-Fi Action Adventure
Run Time: 117 min
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin

People go to popcorn movies to forget about the real world. The freakish antics of Tom Cruise, however, have made that impossible with “War of the Worlds.” Thankfully the master of summer flicks Steven Spielberg is at the helm. With his commanding cinematic prowess, the aged wunderkind makes us forget the Cruise baggage with this stunning and completely engrossing thrill-ride. Read More

 

 Notoriety Evokes Tough Choices in "Fantastic Four"
Lisa Rice- Contributing Writer

Release Date: May 6, 2005
Rating: PG-13 (sequences of intense action, and some suggestive content)
Genre:Action/Sci Fi/Fantasy/Adventure
Run Time: 105 minutes.
Director: Tim Story
Actors: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Julian McMahon, and Kerry Washington

In “Fantastic Four” an experimental space voyage goes awry, and four people are zapped by cosmic rays as they’re momentarily caught in a mysterious, unearthly, swirling, hyper-electrical dimension. After the accident, the handsome Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), inventor and group leader, finds that he suddenly has the ability to stretch his body. His former girlfriend, the gorgeous and brilliant Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), genetic researcher, gains the ability to turn invisible and create force fields. The skeptical pilot, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), is terrified to find that he has become a powerful rock-like creature, and Sue’s cocky brother, Johnny Storm (Chris Evans) is thrilled to see that he can set himself on fire at will. Read More

 

 Justice More Than Revenge in Action-Packed "Batman Begins"
Lisa Rice - Contributing Writer
 

Release Date: June 15, 2005
Rating:PG-13 (intense action violence, disturbing images, thematic elements)
Genre:Action/Adventure
Run Time: 141 minutes.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Ken Watanabe, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer

If you want to see a star-studded, action-packed, dark-and-scary adventure movie this summer, "Batman Begins" is it. Like the latest "Star Wars" film, the producers do an excellent job of taking us to the beginning of the story and creating a fun, semi-realistic back-story to the campy adventure series we’ve come to love. Read More