Callum Blue, Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine in
"The Princess Diaries 2"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment
"'Princess Diaries 2' Is A So So Sequel"

If you have been listening to the radio for the past few weeks you have heard Kelly Clarkson's hit song "Breakway" played over and over. Now you can see the movie on DVD in which the song was featured. It is "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement."

Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews return in this sequel to the super-successful "Princess Diaries." This second edition does not have the charm of the first and the story seems too drawn out as it pursues the quest of the "princess" for a husband.

Andrews is still a delight but this time out Hathaway seems annoying and that is deadly for a movie like this one. Still young girls seem to find everything about this movie fascinating so it should do just fine as a marketable DVD.

It is hard to believe forty years have passed since Julie Andrews first said the word "supercalifragilisticexpealidocious" as "Mary Poppins" in the film of the same name. Now there is a 40th Anniversary edition DVD out that not only brings back the film but also gives tons of extras. One of which is a new animated short based on the P L Travers story, "The Cat Who Looked At A King." There is also commentary by Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and musical composer Richard Sherman.

This is one of the most beloved movies ever made. Make sure you get this "new" edition for your kids so they can enjoy all the magic you did when you first saw the film. This is Disney movie-making at its best.

Racing fans still grieve for Dale Earnhardt, the man who became a racing legend. Recently the film "3" which stars Barry Pepper as Earnhardt premiered on ESPN. Now that film is available on DVD with a bunch of extras from the ESPN vaults.

The movie takes the viewer all the way through Earnhardt's life. J K Simmons co-stars with Pepper as Earnhardt's father while Elizabeth Mitchell plays his wife Teresa. Each of the actors in this movie biography makes an impression.

Whether you are a racing fan or not, there is still something to be enjoyed in this outstanding movie about a NASCAR great. Don't miss the chance to watch "3."

Definitely not for kids is the emotional drama "The Door In the Floor." This new to DVD movie stars Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger in award worthy performances. They play a couple who are devastated by the death of their sons in a car accident. In the summer following these deaths the couple's marriage begins to disintegrate, and this movie examines why.

This is a very frank film in its talk of sexual problems and actions, but it is made understandable by the tragedies that Bridges and Basinger are confronting. Mimi Rogers and Jon Foster add power to the film with their performances.

Christian Slater explores his dark side in the film "Pursued." He plays a headhunter for corporate America and he always gets his man, even if he has to go to terrible extremes to do it. Gil Bellows plays the man Slater is after.

In this day of "The Apprentice" when you see how competitive the corporate world is, this movie is particularly relevant. So pick up this film about "headhunters" and how such a pursuit can be carried to terrible extremes.

Piper Perabo made an impact when she starred in the hit film "Coyote Ugly.' She also impressed in the recent remake of "Cheaper By the Dozen." Now she has a romantic film out on VHS/DVD titled "Perfect Opposites" in which she plays a young girl involved in her first love affair.

Martin Henderson plays opposite her as a young man just starting his career and his single life. The two move in together but find that the road of romance is not always a smooth one. As their "opposite" ways grow more evident it is up to the couple to determine if opposites can be attracted to each other for the long haul.

Pick up this movie and spend a romantic evening with your significant other. Perabo and Henderson make this slight "battle of the sexes" a fun and thoughtful movie story.

Finally for those of you who can't get enough of your favorite TV shows, there are tow DVD collections you will not want to miss. The first is "Reba: the 1st Season." This is one of the best comedy shows on television but since it is on the WB it has never had the audience it deserves. So play catch up with this DVD of the first season complete with extras.

Just as good is "Nick and Jessica: The Newlyweds - the 1st Season." This is the show that established Simpson as a "dumb blonde" personified. Still the engaging personalities of Mr and Mrs Lachey come across strong and clear. You will have a ball watching these two "newly marrieds" getting to know each other.

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

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