Jeff is an anguished man, who grieves and misses his young son that was killed by a driver in a car accident. He has become obsessed for revenge against the man and reckless with his wife and daughter. When Dr. Lynn Denlon, who has troubles with her marriage, is abducted by the deranged Jigsaw’s apprentice Amanda, she is brought to a gruesome warehouse to keep John Kramer alive in spite of having a terminal brain tumor. Amanda puts a necklace gadget full of explosives around Dr. Lynn’s neck connected to John Kramer’s life support system, and tells her that if he dies the device will explode. Meanwhile, Jeff is submitted to a sick game of forgiveness with surprising dark consequences. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Bryan Singer’s love of the 1978 Richard Donner Superman film is evident from the very beginning of Superman Returns, a movie which signals the rebirth of yet another comic book superhero film franchise. From the opening scroll of credits to the set design and the film’s borrowed John Williams score, Superman Returns captures the tone of Donner’s work while re-introducing a beloved – and missed – character to movie audiences.

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Rather than a paint-by-the-numbers remake of the 1962 John Frankenheimer film, director Jonathan Demme’s 2004 version of “The Manchurian Candidate” is a re-envisioned, revamped and contemporized take on the classic political thriller. Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington stars in the role Frank Sinatra handled in the original. Liev Schreiber takes on the Laurence Harvey part from the first film. And two-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep chews up the screen as the candidate’s political junkie mother, a role which earned Angela Lansbury an Academy Award nomination in 1963 and which might do the same for Streep.

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[A Totally Spoiler Free Review] Is “Spider-Man 2” the best movie ever made based on a comic book, as some early reviews have proclaimed? I don’t know, that’s a pretty grand statement and one I don’t feel qualified to assess being a non-comic book type of person. I do know the original “Spider-Man” was incredibly fun, a genuine rollercoaster ride of a movie that set the bar tremendously high, much too high for most movies of this subgenre to live up to. I believe this sequel is a better film, though I didn’t find myself feeling as exhilarated during it as I did while watching the original. But that’s not to say this one has a been-there, done-that quality to it. It doesn’t. This sequel stands on its own and in no way feels like recycled material. And judged on its own, I feel safe in declaring it’s one of the best movies we’ll see in theaters this year.

“Spider-Man 2” is darker, more emotionally intense, and features a more serious storyline than the first movie. While the first film had to spend a good portion of its running time introducing the characters and explaining how Spider-Man came to be, this second film of the series doesn’t carry that burden. We know Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) was bitten by a radioactive spider, we know Peter loves MJ (Kirsten Dunst) but will not allow himself to be with her, and we know Peter’s best friend, Harry (James Franco) is out to kill Spider-Man because he believes the webslinger murdered his father. All of this was laid out for us by the end of the first “Spider-Man” movie.

In the second film, we’re allowed more of an opportunity to get to know Peter as a person. We feel his torment as he tries to hide his emotions from MJ. We care about him as he’s pulled between doing the responsible thing as Spider-Man and living a normal life free from the pressure of being a hero. ”Spider-Man 2” lets us look further into the psyche of the boy/man who wears the blue and red suit. And while we’re taken on this emotional journey with Peter, we’re also treated to more time with the central figures of the first “Spider-Man” movie and to a few new characters from world of the “Spider-Man” comic books, foremost of which is this film’s villain, Dr. Otto Octavius (Doc Ock for short). This ultra-cool bad guy is the star of the show when it comes to effects - and acting. Very few movie villains can rival Alfred Molina in character as the man with tentacles (special kudos to Raimi for making sure Doc Ock was played by such a first-rate actor). Doc Ock could have been a campy character, but with Molina in charge, he remains a man tormented by the evil he’s unleashed and overwhelmed by tragic circumstances, rather than a two-dimensional antagonist of the film’s hero.

“Spider-Man 2” has a gentler sense of humor, quirky like the original, yet quieter. Sam Raimi throws in a few recognizable faces in cameo roles who generate a fair share of laughs, and even inserts a scene in which Maguire as Spider-Man injures his back (a nod at Maguire’s real-life back problems, which almost kept him out of this sequel). One of my personal favorite scenes featured Hal Sparks in an elevator with the in-costume Spider-Man. Classic.

We got used to watching Spider-Man fly between buildings and leap from incredible heights in the first movie. The effects which worked so well in “Spider-Man” have been tweaked to such a degree in “Spider-Man 2” it’s nearly impossible to distinguish pure computer-generated graphics from scenes involving actors or stuntmen in front of blue screens. Because all of the effects – from speeding trains to giant fiery orbs – are simply incredible, there’s nothing that jolts you out of the movie, no point in the film where you are jarred from believing your eyes. As far as effects-heavy movies go, “Spider-Man 2” is at the head of the pack.

Comparing the two “Spider-Man” movies is like comparing apples and oranges. They are totally different creations. One’s an exuberant burst of energy contained on film and the other’s a toned down, coming-of-age tale set in the world of superheroes and monstrous villains. Though both movies relied heavily on the CGI effects, Raimi did a terrific job in both films of never forgetting the audience needs to connect with the flesh and blood actors. The reason “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2” work is that both keep that focus in the forefront, with the special effects filling in around the actors and not overwhelming them.

Rebecca Murray
Hollywood Movies Guide

Two hundred years after Mary Shelley’s novel the brilliant but mad Doctor (Thomas Kretschmann) has sustained his creature and himself over two centuries through genetic experimentation. In present-day America Detective O’Connor (Parker Posey) is investigating a series of horrific murders which leads her to the doctor and his creature. What she uncovers reveals the strange evolution the doctor and his creation undergo over the course of two centuries and the divergent paths creator and monster take in pursuing good or evil. Written by dumpster_cakes

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Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay launched a full out attack on moviegoers on May 25th. “Pearl Harbor” exploded onto the big screen with an impressive publicity campaign that had fans, websites, and other media outlets, counting down the days until its Memorial Day Weekend release. “Pearl Harbor’s” approved budget of $145 million made it the biggest movie budget ever to get greenlit. The approved $145 million had to be knocked down to $135 after Joe Roth left Disney to run Revolution Studios. Bay and Bruckheimer waived their front-end salaries to squeeze in under the new budget, and Ben Affleck agreed to work for the low upfront salary of $250,000, and a share of the profits - if there ends up being any. Moviegoers will ultimately determine whether the $135+ million budget was spent wisely, and whether the film is a rip-off of America’s history or a fitting tribute to the men and women who served our country during wartime.

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When somebody’s mother is an angel and his father is the devil, life can be really confusing. For a sweet boy like Little Nicky, it just got a whole lot worse. His two evil brothers Adrian and Cassius have just escaped from Hell and are wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting earth. His dad is disintegrating and it’s up to Nicky to save him and all of a humanity by midnight before one of his brothers becomes the new Satan. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

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It was bound to happen. Each “Harry Potter” movie prior to “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was able to outdo its immediate predecessor, but the odds were stacked against that trend continuing with every film in the series. Unfortunately, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” is a step down from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” in both production and entertainment value.

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During the Napoleonic Wars, a British frigate, HMS Surprise, and a much larger French warship, the Acheron, with greater fire power, stalk each other off of the coast of South America. Russell Crowe brings great intensity to the role of Captain Jack Aubrey. Lucky Jack, as he is referred to by his crew, is well regarded by his men, who trust him implicitly, even after the first devastating battle and an apparent personal vendetta against the French captain. While the naval battle sequences are quite fantastic, the film is successful because director Weir chose to build the story to get to know the men who are locked aboard the tight quarters of a small ship and how they interact everyday. The officers and the mates are well-known by the time the final battle comes. Paul Bettany offers a strong performance as the surgeon and naturalist who balances the violence of his chosen life with the quiet demeanor of the scientist. He is the captain’s friend and confidant, the two frequently playing violin and cello duets together. The horrors of the injuries from the war are frequently implied, but vividly depicted in the reactions of the characters. Written by John Sacksteder {jsackste@bellsouth.net}

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A group of young offenders, sent to an island for some character building exercises, suddenly looses one of their fellow inmates and being hunted by some merciless slayer armed with the crossbow, who keeps a pack of blood-thirsty dogs. Guys should be united in order to survive.