Bruce Willis in "Hostage"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
"Willis Tries Hard"

Bruce Willis tries hard but his new movie on video is no "Die Hard." And that's a shame because the Willis charisma is still there but the gripping plot is not. It comes close but it just falls short. "Hostage" will go down in the record books as being one of Willis' lesser efforts, but it is head and shoulders above "Sin City" and "The Whole Ten Yards."

Willis plays Jeff Talley, a hostage negotiator in Los Angeles. When that job becomes too stressful for him he moves to a small town and becomes the sheriff there. Here he hopes to lead a quieter life, but as luck would have it he gets involved in a hostage situation there also.

Kevin Pollack plays a man whose house is taken over by young punks. His daughter and son are in the house with him so they are at risk too. Adding complications is the fact he is a bookkeeper for the mob and the mob force wants information he has. They could care less about the hostage situation.

The film comes this close to being really good but somehow misses the mark. It is still good entertainment but it is no "Die Hard."

A really, really good movie is "House of Flying Daggers." This Chinese film is so visually beautiful that you won't really care about the story - which is pretty good in its own right. Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Andy Lau are the stars in this story about a blind dancer who is also a warrior.

Once again we see battles in the treetops and through the forest of a beautiful countryside, It is stunning and the commentary on the DVD helps you understand how it is all done. Do not miss the chance to see this breathtaking movie. The acting, the story, the photography, the colors, the everything make it one of the best films available.

Are you in the mood for a classic love story along the lines of "Pride and Prejudice" then you will want to check out the DVD of "The Woodlanders." This romantic movie is based on a book written by Thomas Hardy and concerns a young woman being torn between two men.

It all takes place in England and it is beautifully filmed and wonderfully acted. Emily Woof plays Grace, the young woman with the torn heart. Cal MacAninch and Rufus Sewell play the two men between whom she must choose.

There is nothing like the classical romances written by Hardy and the movies made from them. "The Woodlanders" is a surprise treat at your local video store.

Wes Craven is the director of "Nightmare On Elm Street" so he knows his way around horror flicks. His name above the title almost insures you are going to get scared. Well generally it means that but in his latest flick "Cursed" he misses the boat.

Even the unrated version of this Christina Ricci starrer doesn't scare you as much as it makes you snicker. There is gore but no true horror. Joshua Jackson and the rest of the supporting cast seem silly, and embarrassed to be in this movie.

Wes Craven may have made some great thrillers but this is not one o them. Even super talented and totally bizarre looking Ricci can't save this movie.

Gather round Scooby Doo fans, the dashing dog has a few more fun adventures to share with you in the DVD ""What's New Scooby-Do? Volume 5: Sports Spooktacular." There are four segments in this DVD and each one is a mystery involving a sport. 

In "The Unnatural" Spooky and the gang try to solve a baseball mystery. "The Fast and the Wormious" concerns off road racing. "Wrestle Maniacs" concerns - you guessed it - wrestling. And "Diamonds Are A Ghoul's Best Friend" centers on the sport of hockey.

That's four sports for four great Scooby Doo adventures. Race to get them today!

Hilary Duff is the princess of the big screen these days but before her career went into orbit she was one of the staples on the Disney Channel. She had her series "Lizzie McGuire" and she made movies like "Cadet Kelly."

"Cadet Kelly is a lot of fun because it not only stars Duff but also features Christy Carlson Romano as her co-star. Duff plays a girl whose mother marries the Commandant of a military school and this means Duff ends up going there. All of her adventures and misadventures make up the plot.

Duffy is at her most charming as is Romano. Young girls especially will love this film.

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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