Elf
Just in time for the holidays, here's a comedy about a man raised as an elf at the North Pole who is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity. What makes this film funny is the elf is Saturday Night Live star Will Ferrell, who is about four feet taller than the average elf. Beyond seasonal laughs, this family-friendly movie has a heart. Also stars James Caan and Ed Asner.
The Stepford Wives
This comedy/horror flick stars Nicole Kidman as Joanna, a hard-charging career mom who has a breakdown and moves with her family to the picture-perfect community of Stepford to recover. But all the women seem too perfect, in a 1950s housewife sort of way, raising Joanna's suspicions, and those of her friend, hilariously played by Bette Midler. A campy send-up of the 1975 film, also starring Matthew Broderick and Glenn Close.
Spider-Man 2
Tobey Maguire returns as the web-slinging hero of this comic book tale brought to the big screen. Maguire plays Peter Parker, a mild-mannered student who, after getting bitten by a spider, finds himself with inhuman arachnid powers. In this second installment of the classic Marvel Comics story, Spider-Man finds himself juggling the delicate balance of life as a college student and a superhuman crime-fighter. He must confront a new nemesis, Otto Octavius, who has reincarnated as the multi-tentacled "Doc Ock." Kirsten Dunst returns as love interest Mary Jane Watson, although Peter may lose her forever if he continues to keep his superhero side a secret. Stunning visual effects as Spider-Man battles and acrobatically swings his way around New York City.
Chronicles of Riddick
This sci-fi adventure is a sequel to the 2000 movie Pitch Black, which also starred Vin Diesel as a former prisoner caught between warring forces in an all-galaxy battle led by the Necromongers. Colm Feore plays Lord Marshal, a warrior priest who is the leader of a sect that is waging the tenth and perhaps final crusade 500 years in the future. Judi Dench is Aereon, an ambassador from the Elemental race. She is an ethereal being who helps Riddick unearth his origins. Be prepared for some fantastic battle scenes and computer-generated special effects that transport you to another time and place.
The Bourne Supremacy
In this action-packed sequel to The Bourne Identity, Matt Damon returns as a CIA operative forced out of retirement to clear his name after being framed by a rival agent. This film series is based on Robert Ludlum's spy novel series and the fun comes in watching Damon continually dip into his bag of spy tricks, as he speaks several languages, is a formidable martial artist and has highly trained powers of observation and memory. Lots of action sequences, including an incredible car chase through Moscow.
The Manchurian Candidate
This suspenseful remake of the 1962 political thriller may turn you into a conspiracy theorist. While the original was set in the Korean War era, this update involves Gulf War veterans and the threat of mind control exerted by powerful corporations. Denzel Washington plays a career soldier with a military connection to Raymond Shaw, a young congressman in line for the presidency. But things aren't quite what they seem, and Washington finds himself caught up in a powerful web of deceit, brainwashing and misdirection. Also starring Meryl Streep and Jon Voight.
Van Helsing
Here's a horror flick with a little something for everyone: Count Dracula, the Wolf Man, Igor and Frankenstein's Monster. Hugh Jackman, from the movie X-Men, plays the title role, a vampire hunter in the late 19th century who travels to Transylvania to rid the world of Dracula. There he meets beautiful Anna Valerious, played by Kate Beckinsale, who is committed to ridding the world of evil. Unfortunately, she tops Dracula's hit list. With lots of high-tech weapons, Van Helsing battles an array of creatures, from vampiresses to werewolves, in an action-packed movie heavy on special effects.
