November 1, 2005

"Aliens of the Deep"
This is a documentary from James Cameron about strange creatures that live at the bottom of the sea. In its theatrical release, it played in IMAX 3-D. Using hi-tech submersibles, the filmmakers photographed miles beneath the surface in places where heat comes up through cracks in the ocean floor. There the life forms operate by chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis. The documentary speculates similar life forms may exist elsewhere in the universe, such as on one of Jupiter's moons.

"Millions"
Set in Britain, this is one of those rare movies that can be enjoyed by both kids and grownups. The story centers around a pair of brothers—one about eight, the other about ten—whose mother has recently died. The boys and their father move to a new suburban community, where the brothers find a bag containing 229,000 pounds in cash only days before the nation is to convert to euros. With good-natured charm, the movie tells the tale of the boys' struggle in dealing with the money.

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith"
Starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman, this is George Lucas's follow-on to "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" (2002) and the prequel to the original 1977 "Star Wars" movie. In "Sith," Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) and Padmé (Portman) have the twins who dominate the 1977-83 trilogy. Also, Anakin transforms into Darth Vader and battles Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor), the Republic becomes the Empire, and Yoda (voice of Frank Oz) is exiled.

November 8, 2005

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Directed by Tim Burton, this whimsical comedy is based on the book by Roald Dahl, as was the 1971 movie "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," which starred Gene Wilder. This time around, Willy Wonka is played by Johnny Depp, and young Charlie Bucket is played by Freddie Highmore. Charlie is one of five lucky kids who are taken by the quirky Wonka on a tour of his visually stunning chocolate factory, where they have wonderful adventures. The film has entertaining musical numbers.

November 15, 2005

No DVD recommendations for this week.

November 22, 2005

"War of the Worlds"
Steven Spielberg directed this sci-fi film, which stars Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. The story originated in an 1898 H.G. Wells novel, induced national panic when it was told in a 1938 Orson Welles radio broadcast, and was made into a 1953 movie starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson (who appear in the 2005 film as the grandparents). In Spielberg's version, a divorced father (Cruise) struggles to save himself and his kids when Earthlings are terrorized by extraterrestrial aliens.

November 29, 2005

"March of the Penguins"
Morgan Freeman narrates this documentary, one of the most popular of all time. Set in Antarctica, it's about the breeding cycle of the emperor penguin, a flightless bird that in adulthood stands some three-and-a-half feet tall and weighs around 75 pounds. To breed, the penguins waddle about 60 miles inland, pair off with a mate, incubate an egg and raise a chick in weather many degrees below zero. In an earlier French version, penguins "talked"—voice-over actors were used—but not in this Americanized version.

"Mr. & Mrs. Smith"
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie bring star power and chemistry to this slick action movie that is darkly comic. Pitt and Jolie play John and Jane Smith, a couple undergoing marital counseling who have never revealed to each other that they are both contract killers. The story is set in motion when John and Jane separately receive instructions to take out the same target. Then as events unfold, they end up battling each other. But will the conflict between the two skilled assassins rekindle their romance?

"Sky High"
In this live-action Disney action-adventure comedy, Sky High is a special high school that trains youngsters to be superheroes. When 14-year-old Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) becomes a freshman there, he is assigned to the sidekick track, which doesn't sit well with his famous superhero parents (Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston). But eventually Will's superpowers begin to emerge, and when a serious threat is posed by super-villains, he does everything he can to rise to the occasion and set things right.