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by Ivana Redwine

Here's a selection of new movies on DVD for November, 2004.

November 2, 2004

"Around the World in 80 Days"

Starring Jackie Chan and Steve Coogan, this is the 2004 remake of the 1956 film starring David Niven. The story still chronicles the adventures of inventor Phileas Fogg (Coogan) and his valet Passepartout (Chan) as they journey around the world in the latter part of the 19th century, although the new film features some martial-arts sequences and Fogg is given a love interest. There are several cameos, including one by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

November 5, 2004

"Shrek 2"

This animated comedy is the sequel to "Shrek" (2001), and Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are all back. This time around the newlyweds Shrek (Myers) and Fiona (Diaz) take Donkey (Murphy) with them on a visit to the bride's parents (voices of Julie Andrews and John Cleese). There's trouble from Fiona's Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer Saunders) and the feline assassin Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas).

November 9, 2004

"Before Sunset"

Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" (1995), pairing Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, told of a brief romantic encounter between 20-somethings in Vienna. In "Before Sunset," Linklater chronicles a reunion nine years later between the same two characters, and the same actors reprise their roles. The movie consists mainly of the pair wandering around Paris while they talk about themselves and their feelings, but 94% of Rotten Tomatoes reviewers liked the film.

"The Clearing"

Robert Redford, Helen Mirren, and Willem Dafoe star in this drama. Wayne Hayes (Redford) is a wealthy businessman who lives on an estate with Eileen (Mirren), his wife of many years. But one day Arnold Mack (Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and takes him into the woods. As Eileen cooperates with law enforcement, she makes an unpleasant discovery about her husband. Also, Wayne learns some things about himself as he struggles to deal with his kidnapper.

"A Day Without a Mexican"
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This mockumentary uses a light touch to make the point that Latinos play a vital role in California by exploring the following premise: What would happen in the Golden State if all the Hispanics suddenly disappeared? The movie shows that if that occurred, life in the state would be changed almost beyond recognition. The film's title is a sly reference to the fact that many Californians don't even bother to distinguish between Latinos by national origin.

"The Stepford Wives"

The 1975 movie "The Stepford Wives" was a thriller starring Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss, but this 2004 remake, which stars Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick, is played more for comedy. The story still involves a married couple (Kidman and Broderick) moving from Manhattan to the suburb of Stepford, Connecticut. There the wives are perfectly groomed, cheerful, and subservient to their husbands, and something strange is going on.

November 16, 2004

"The Chronicles of Riddick"

Vin Diesel stars in this sci-fi action movie, which is a follow-up to "Pitch Black" (2000). Picking up a few years after the earlier film left off, "The Chronicles" finds macho adventurer Riddick (Diesel) on the lam from bounty hunters. As he heads for a planet to rescue an imprisoned young woman, a huge problem looms: a race known as Necromongers are taking over the universe. But the movie is all about action sequences and dazzling visuals.

"Elf"

This Christmas comedy stars Will Ferrell, and James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, and Bob Newhart also appear in the movie. Buddy (Ferrell) is a human who was raised as an elf at the North Pole by Papa Elf (Newhart). But as an adult, Buddy travels to New York to look up his father (Caan). While there, he gets a job at Gimbels, where he befriends a young woman (Deschanel). When problems arise, it's up to Buddy to save the holiday.

"Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie"

Aimed at children, this is a feature-length Japanese animated film, but the voices are in English. The movie is part of a kids' craze that includes a fantasy card game, a television series, and video games. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a complex game using special playing cards representing creatures with various capabilities. In the film, a boy named Yugi plays Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the creatures come to life. Yugi resurrects Anubis and Pharaoh from 5000 years ago.

November 23, 2004

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

First there was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," then came "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," and now comes this, the third movie in the series. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and almost all the other actors are back, except Michael Gambon replaces the late Richard Harris. This time around Harry Potter (Radcliffe) learns that a murderer named Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped Azkaban prison and is coming after him.

"Sleepover"

This comedy centers around 14-year-old girls who will soon begin high school. The star of the movie is Alexa Vega, who plays Julie, one of the girls. When Julie goes to a sleepover with three girlfriends, they are challenged to a scavenger hunt by a group of more popular girls. The winning group will get to occupy the primo lunch spot at the high school all the girls will be attending. During the hunt, Julie has a number of adventures.

"The Terminal"

Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in this lighthearted movie directed by Steven Spielberg. An Eastern European named Viktor Navorski (Hanks) lives at New York's JFK Airport for months due to a military coup in his home country and bureaucratic regulations. Viktor befriends various airport workers and falls for a flight attendant (Zeta-Jones). But the airport security administrator (Stanley Tucci) tries every way he can to rid himself of Viktor.

November 30, 2004

"Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius"

This is a biopic about golf legend Bobby Jones (1902-1971), who is portrayed by Jim Caviezel. Jones dominated golf in the 1920s, and in 1930 he became the only person in history to win the amateur and open titles in both the U.S. and Britain. The movie chronicles his marriage to Mary (Claire Forlani), his rivalry with golfer Walter Hagen (Jeremy Northam), and his relationship with sportswriter O.B. Keeler (Malcolm McDowell).

"Hero"

Jet Li plays the title character in this Mandarin-language martial-arts action-adventure film directed by Zhang Yimou. During the Warring States period of Chinese history, a nameless warrior (Jet Li) comes before a King who hopes to unify the country. Through flashbacks, Nameless relates multiple versions of how he killed three assassins who sought to slay the King. Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen, and Zhang Ziyi also appear in the movie.

"Luther"

Joseph Fiennes plays the title role in this biopic about Martin Luther (1483-1546), the German leader of the Reformation. The movie covers highlights from Luther's life, including his time as an Augustinian monk, his trip to Rome where he is shocked by the selling of indulgences, his posting of the 95 theses on a church door, and the violence spurred by his actions. Other actors in the movie include Peter Ustinov, Bruno Ganz, and Alfred Molina.

"Spider-Man 2"

This action-adventure movie is the sequel to "Spider-Man" (2002), and Tobey Maguire returns as the title character, while Kirsten Dunst is back as Mary Jane Watson. Peter Parker, the alter ego of superhero Spider-Man, is now a college student, and he seriously considers abandoning crime-fighting to pursue a normal life with his true love Mary Jane. But only Spider-Man can stop the octopus-like menace Doc Ock (Alfred Molina).

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