The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, July 12, 2001, Image 4

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    Page 4
AGGIELIFE
Thursday. Mi
THE BATTALION
PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS
Cats & Dogs
Starring Tobey Maguire,
Jeff Goldblum
and Elizabeth Perkins
Directed by
Lawrence Guterman
Rated PG
Who will you root for? Cats,
or dogs? Well, it was quite obvi
ous in the recent animal talkie,
Cats & Dogs, that viewers really
do not have a choice at all. Dog
lovers will enjoy seeing cats por
trayed as evil creatures. Howev
er, the director, clearly shows his
bias as a dog-lover, whjle at the
same time, revealing his true
feelings about cats.
Besides not giving the view
ers much choice on who should
\Vin the war between the two
species, the film’s special effects,
prchestrated by Ed Jones, are
Aot that impressive. True, this
movie is for children, and they
iire less likely to notice that the
main character, “Lou the Bea
gle” (voiced by Tobey Maguire),
fs a girl puppy for half of the
movie and a hoy puppy during
the other half. And true, kids are
more interested in what is silly
and goofy as opposed to grown
ups who would rather spend
their six bucks on a flop like Bat-
Meship Earth than watch talking
dogs and cats.
< This movie is not a horrible
movie by any means, but Cats
& Dogs may seem to go over
the deep end. It was entertain
ing, and it did have its funny
parts. However, do not take a
date to see this movie. You
would have a better chance tak
ing a niece, nephew or younger
sibling. They will enjoy it, and
perhaps the sheer satisfaction
of seeing him or her laughing
and smiling will help you to en
joy the movie as well.
The Brody’s, played by Jeff
Goldblum and Elizabeth
Perkins, are the perfect “Dis
ney” couple, and their freckle
faced son is the icing on the
cake. She is a real estate agent,
and he is a scientist trying to
come up with an allergy medi
cine that will make humans free
from dog allergies.
The story begins when the
family’s dog is catnapped by a
band of frisky felines. With the
dog gone, the “cat under
ground” would be able to steal
the allergy research from
Brody’s lab and change the for
mula to make humans allergic to
dogs and not to cats. Thus, giv
ing cats the green light to take
over the world and become
man’s new best friend.
The plotjs imaginative. The
movie does a wonderful" job of
capturing and keeping the
viewers’ attentions. This is not
a bad movie for children. How
ever, if adults want to be enter
tained and need to feel like
their six dollars was not spent
in vain, they should wait until
Cats & Dogs comes out on video
and spend their money on a
movie they truly will enjoy.
(Grade: B-)
— Beth Maldoon
crazy/beautiful
Starring Kirsten Dunst
and Jay Hernandez
Directed by John Stockwell
Rated PG-13
Poised to take over the world
in next summer’s Spidennan,
Dunst presently is on the path to
Oscar gold. As one of Entertain
ment Weekly’s “It” people of en
tertainment, she takes a tremen
dous turn in this raw, high school
drama set in the city of angels.
Nicole (Dunst) and Carlos
(Hernandez) attend Pacific
High School together and par
ticipate in polar opposite school
activities. He is in school to suc
ceed, and she is there because
her father makes her. Fate finds
these two and soon turns their
worlds upside down.
At times, the movie borders
on fairy-tale love, but the great
performances by Dunst and
newcomer Hernandez over
shadow the impossibility that
one can find the love of their life
at the age of 17.
Carlos’ family lives in a tough
neighborhood with a view of the
L.A. skyline. His mother speaks
very little English and wants
nothing more from her son than
to live out his dreams^ Carlos’
family and friends may be
stereotyped, but some of the
film’s funnier moments happen
when words fly out of their
highly accented mouths.
Nicole’s over-the-top, drunk
en best friend Maddy, played by
Taryn Manning, acts crazy and
fun, creating a feeling that it
would be nice to know what it
would be like to be that carefree.
T hroughout the struggles of
Nicole’s family and turmoil of
dating a Mexican-American in
an apparently judgmental socie
ty, this film is truly a diamond in
the rough of this summer’s blow
up action films. (Grade: A-)
—JeffKempf
*•
Final Fantasy:
The Spirits Within
Featuring the voices of
Alec Baldwin,
Donald Southerland
and Steve Buscemi
Directed by
Hironobu Sakaguchi
and Motonori Sakakibara
Rated PG-13
PHOTO COURTESY OF TOUCHSTONE PICTURES
Goodbye Julia. See vou later
Mel.
Well, not exactly.
The full-length, digitally an
imated film by Square Pictures
may confuse the eye, but replac
ing live-action Hollywood he
roes with all computer-animat
ed stars does not seem likely.
In the year 2065, people are
held captive in barrier cities. The
known world is wasteland, and
aliens of all shapes and sizes in
habit the landscape. In order to
free the human race from the
protective, bubble-like cities, the
world is relying on two possible
courses of action to rid the plan
et Earth of phantom creatures.
Translucent and glowing, the
phantoms are simply amazing to
see. They slither, fly and pass
through solid objects with grace
and beauty, but one must re
member they are killers.
The mouth-dropping actions
of the human-like characters are
almost unbelievable, but every
tiny detail that makes up the fu
turistic setting steals the show.
Steel looks like steel, earth looks
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA!
like earth, fire looks likefe
somehow the world offk
tasy becomes a real, live:
Getting lost in the frecklf
l.ishcs, nuiM.!
strands of hair is easy, l>
most difficult thing to as
that in 64 years planet Er
be as technologically advr
we are led to believe. Will
irony, that is the best pan
science fiction extrav;.
I lologram control pads an
itally recordable dreams
one hope that, maybe one
will be possible to espes
these marvels. Unfortur:
when the movie was.over.
to get back into an autoc
and simply drive to wort
With the animators^
ing a beat when it comet
u la ting human movemc;
facial expressions, the os j
d i gi ta 1 anima tors will iw
able to create in a studid
chemistry between tv •
Sure, if you area reallfy
person, this drama r
make you cry, butlif/W
tween the virtual disk's
the warmth and preseffioit
screen teams. But the cm 1
do successfully maketki
characters look and some
move like Jennifer jasonli
and Ben Affleck.
Amazing special effects,d
pled with an original it
makes this nontraditional
mated flick one movie:
should not miss. (GradeB)
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIRAMAX
Scary Movie 2
Starring Anna Paris, Marlon Wayans
and Shawn Wayans
Directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans
Rated R
If Scary Movie did not have enough raunchy
humor or countless parodies for the average
moviegoer, then Scary Movie 2 will quench
the thirst that many conservatives would call
tasteless and vulgar. The movie finds Cindy
Campbell (Faris) and her friends from the last
movie living the college life. In the movie,
Cindy and her friends are tricked into spend
ing the night at a haunted mansion where
they encounter peculiar situations. Of course,
the ghostly encounters have the Wayans
brothers’ humor written all over them.
The movie is definitely gut-busting hilarious.
There is not a moment in the movie when some
one in the audience does not start laughing un
controllably. The sequel takes the same humor
from Scary Movie and adds more lewd and out
landish comedic acts.
The Wayans brothers prove to be the master
of parodies by spoofing many pop culture
movies. From The Exorcist to Dude, Where’s My
Car? and even Charlie’s Angels, Scaiy Movie 2 of
fers side-splitting, bizarre parodies that will have
everyone either laughing out loud or totally dis
gusted. This shows that the Wayans brother:
not make this movie for the whole family.
When one goes to see this movie, do no!
pect to find cinematic value or a deep,®
ingful storyline. People should, however,
pect to laugh for the entire 95 minutes
hope that their soda does not come squi
out of their noses. Scaiy Movie 2 is a mo«
see for a good laugh or to be lewdly er
tained. (Grade: C+)
— D'ml
fvwvmwww'mvm
A = instant classic
: D = don't buy it
—
B = a cut above C = averag
F = burn in effigy
People in the News
Gibson to film Signs at
a Philadelphia college
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Mel
Gibson is playing a farmer in M. Night
Shyamalan's Signs, which will be
filmed outside Philadelphia starting in
September.
After a lengthy search of area
farmland, producers have decided to
film the movie at Doylestown's
Delaware Valley College, a private
4our-year school known for its agri-
jcultural program.
>1 The college has signed an agree-
jtient to rent 100 acres of its cornfields
through the end of the year. Filming is
expected to start in September.
Gibson plays a farmer who discov
ers large circles and other patterns in
-his fields.
** “Our biggest concern is that when
they leave, they leave the fields the way
They found them," said Dr. Thomas
Ueamer, president of the college, which
T^cals call The farm school.' “That's part
w of the agreement.''
Shyamalan, who lives in neighbor
ing Montgomery County, made the
1999 thriller The Sixth Sense, which
earned nearly $300 million, and last
year's Unbreakable, both filmed in
Philadelphia.
Magic Johnson keeping
eye on L.A. mayorial spot
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Magic John
son says he will be watching Mayor
James Hahn over the next four years. If
the former Los Angeles Lakers star does
not like what he sees, he might make
a mayoral bid.
"It's definitely something I would
entertain and really seriously consider
because I love L.A. and I want to see
our city grow," Johnson said in a
phone interview Tuesday. "What you
have now is a lot of businessmen run
ning cities. It's about management
skills and I have those from running my
own company."
Johnson and his office were
swamped with offers of support after
he recently mentioned a possible bid
for elected office.
He campaigned for Hahn, who was
elected last month.
“I am a guy who loves and supports
him, but I'm also a guy that's going to
hold him accountable," he said. “I
know Jim Hahn is going to do a good
job. ... If for some reason it doesn't
happen, I would look at it."
Johnson retired from the Los Ange
les Lakers nearly 1 0 years ago after
learning he tested positive for HIV. He
made two comebacks with the Lakers
and briefly served as their coach before
returning to his business interests.
2 women sue chef Perrier
for sexual harassment
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two women
who worked for famed Philadelphia
chef Georges Perrier are suing him,
saying they were subjected to groping
and lewd comments by Perrier and
others, and, in one case, unfairly de
nied a promotion.
Suzanne Moses of Mount Laurel,
N.J., a former manager at Brasserie Per
rier, and Sharon Patrick of Laurel
Springs, N.J., a former hostess, said
they endured a “hostile work environ
ment" that included unwanted touch
ing, sexual propositions and lewd
comments between late 1996 and
June 200CL
The suits were filed Tuesday in a U.S.
District Court in Philadelphia.
The suits follows reviews of the al
legations by the state Human Rela
tions Commission and the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commis
sion, required before the federal
court filing.
Perrier helped launch the city's
restaurant renaissance three decades
ago with the opening of Le Bee-Fin, his
five-star French restaurant, and now
runs the contemporary bistro Brasserie
Perrier and the informal Le Mas Perrier
in suburban Wayne.
Housing
Continued from Pol
desired. The major differ
between the private res®
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apartment buildings istfo
mosphere surrounding (
According to Wade, ther ;
many freshmen who li f
The Callaway House 1^'
it offers the independent
an apartment but also
more structured lifestyle
younger students may
and parents may prefer, i'
lar apartment buildingsaf
signed with the complete
dom of the tenant in min
they often do not include !
munity kitchens or
halls for the residents. T
fore, it is important tod
exactly what type of l I |
conditions you will be
fortable with and to choo'
apartment accordingly,