"About Schmidt"
Jack Nicholson steals the show as a man who, upon his wife's death, realizes he's wasted his life. The film manages to be warm, sad and funny at the same time, but can't mask being somewhat dull. Rated R. 3 stars
"Adaptation."
A rare flower poacher, a novelist, a screenwriter and his sweetly moronic twin brother intertwine in this offering from director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. It's strange, clever and quite hilarious - maybe too much for its own good. Rated R. 4 stars
"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"
Sam Rockwell shines in this strange film about charismatic producer Chuck Barris' double life as "The Gong Show" host and a CIA assassin. A great cast and beautiful cinematography bring the story to life. Rated R. 4 stars
"Darkness Falls"
A bad special effect called the Tooth Fairy stalks kids on the day they lose their last tooth. It's actually much worse than it sounds. Rated PG-13. 1 star
"Gangs of New York"
Martin Scorsese's long-awaited historical epic delivers story, beautiful sets and costumes, and great cinematography in a brutal tale of vengeance and civil unrest. It's all encompassed by an unbelievably brilliant performance from Daniel Day-Lewis. Easily one of the year's best. Rated R. 4 stars
"How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days"
A shallow journalist takes an assignment involving getting a guy to break up with her in 10 days. A shallow advertising man takes a bet to make a girl fall in love with him in 10 days. They find each other. The rest is predictable - and extremely obnoxious. Rated PG-13. 2 stars
"Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"
The second installment in Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels manages to surpass the first in story and epic scale. Excellent character and story development and an hourlong battle sequence set this in a class all its own. Rated PG-13. 5 stars
"Narc"
Ray Liotta breathes life into this gritty, familiar good cop-bad cop movie. It's all been done, but Liotta is so good he manages to make it feel fresh. Rated R. 3 stars
"The Recruit"
Al Pacino and Colin Farrell team up in this run-of-the-mill tale of a young man recruited to train for the CIA. A great opening sets up a film that falls on its face in the second half. Rated PG-13. 3 stars
"Shanghai Knights"
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson team up again, this time seeking a diamond in turn-of-the-century England. A few good action sequences and a couple one-liners from Wilson can't hide the poor writing and been-there-done-that feel of this one. Rated PG-13. 2 stars
Opening this weekend:
"Daredevil," Action. Rated PG-13
"The Jungle Book 2," Animated. Rated G
A.P. Kryza is The State News film reporter. Reach him at kryzaand@msu.edu.
