Ray Liotta and Jason Patric in "Narc"
courtesy of Paramount Home Video
"Ray Liotta Has A Powerful Role"

Ray Liotta has been around Hollywood for quite a while now, and every so often he gets a good role. You might remember him from "Wise Guys" and "Corinna, Corinna", and once you see his face you know who he is. But for the most part he is one of Hollywood's most overlooked actors.

He has a new movie on video called "Narc" and in this film he co-stars with Jason Patric, another overlooked Hollywood actor. These two play cops investigating the death of another cop. There are some twists and surprises in the story and these two actors make them pay off.

The film is shot with a lot of hand held camera angles, and even some split screens are used - not to very good effect. The plot gets muddled and you might lose interest before the final surprises are revealed. Still Liotta and Patric give it their all to make it interesting.

Gabrielle Union has quite a career going in Hollywood these days. She almost stole "Bring It On" away from Kirsten Dunst. She is spicy and sensual in the video "Deliver Us From Eva". And she next stars as Will Smith's girlfriend and Martin Lawrence's sister in "Bad Boys II." 

In "Deliver Us From Eva" she is the eldest sister in a group of four. She watches over her family and their finances with an iron hand. The husbands and boyfriends of her sisters decide she needs to be removed form the picture. They hire a man (LL Cool J) to romance her and get her so head over heels in love with him that she won't have time to rule the family.

This is a fun and funny film that thrives on the star power of Union and LL Cool J. They make a fine pair and mix it up in both the romance and the comedy actions. You won't want to miss this really fun video.

If you liked "Beaches" you might like "Me Without You," another tale of two women who are the best of friends. Michelle Williams plays the more flamboyant friend and Anna Friel is the less outgoing one. The film covers their lives as they have their ups and downs.

Williams of "Dawson's Creek" fame is very good in this movie and she and Friel act well opposite each other. It is a film that will grab your attention and hold it, as it deals with their lives, their loves and their search for happiness.

A beautifully acted film is "Heaven." It stars Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi. Cate plays a woman who commits a criminal act to revenge the death of her husband. Ribisi plays a police officer who arrests her and then helps her escape. The movie deals with their relationship and how doomed it is from start to finish.

The acting in this movie is first rate. Cate Blanchett makes any role an important one, and Ribisi rises to the challenge of acting opposite her. This is a strong movie you will want to see.

You might not be as enthusiastic about seeing "Dracula II: The Ascension." In this movie, by film horror-meister Wes Craven, some medical students find Dracula's body. They also find a way to make money off his blood. The only problem is the Vatican has sent someone to foil their plans.

The above average cast includes Jason Scott Lee, Roy Scheider and Rutger Hauer. If only the movie was as good as the cast, it would be a better than average flick.

Martin Donovan, Mary Louise Parker and Rebecca Gayheart are better than the material they are working with in "Pipe Dreams." Donovan plays a plumber who fakes being a movie director in order to attract women. Parker plays a screenwriter who goes along with the charade in order to get a movie made from her script. It is all fake and sham and seems doomed from the start.

Still these bright stars give it some appeal and make it seem better than it really is. They are solid actors in a not so solid movie.

Finally with all "The Hulk" hype for the big screen version, you can watch an animated movie about "The Hulk" that gives you the story of his origins. This animated film is called "The Invincible Hulk" and features commentaries and interviews which explain "The Hulk" phenomenon.

If after reading this review you are interested in ordering any of these movies,
please click on the provided links.

 

 

 

 

 

©2003 Jackie K. Cooper

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