Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bruce Willis in "The Whole Ten Yards"
courtesy of Warner Home Video
"Ten Yards Is Much Too Much"

"The Whole Nine Yards" was a bright spot in Bruce Willis' quickly dimming movie career. It was funny, exciting and immensely entertaining. Willis played a hit man who bonded with a fussy dentist played by Matthew Perry. Amanda Peet and Natasha Henstridge were the female leads.

Now there is a sequel, "The Whole Ten Yards," and it is out on video. This sequel reunites the entire cast and provides Willis a chance once again to be funny - but this time he isn't. He just seems to be walking through his role as Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski.

As "Oz" the dentist, Matthew Perry isn't much better. He is a little livelier than Willis but his actions are contrived, not spontaneous as they were in the first one. The whole movie just seems rehashed rather than revitalized.

One point though, the movie does play better on the small screen than the big one. It has the look and feel of a sitcom so what better place to watch it than on TV. The few laughs are funnier and the action more excitable. Maybe if they would just adapt the whole thing to series format it would work.

In truth "The Whole Ten Yards" is so flat there is one sure thing. There will not be a movie/video called "The Whole Eleven Yards." That would be too much of a bad thing.

This seems to be the week for sequels and remakes. "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" falls in there somewhere. It isn't a remake of the Patrick Swayze/Jennifer Grey movie but there are a lot of similarities. Swayze even makes a cameo appearance in the film.

The new stars are Romola Garai and Diego Luna. They aren't Swayze and Grey but they do have a certain charm. Still I wish they had had some of those cut loose dance numbers that thrilled us in the earlier film. The dance sequences in this movie all seem abbreviated.

Still any movie that has Sela Ward as "the mother" has something special going for it. And keep an eye out for Mya singing and swaying to a Latin beat. Put all the pieces together and this sequel/remake is better than it should be.

Any movie starring Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Naomi Watts deserves to be watched - even if it did have a miniscule release to the big theaters. "Ned Kelly" is the tale of an Australian bank robber in the 1800's. His exploits were the stuff of legends and he cut a romantic figure.

The movie is just a typical cowboy film, no better and no worse than a hundred others but that cast is first rate. Rent it for that aspect alone. Plus you can see Ledger and real life love Watts on screen together for the first time.

Willem Dafoe and Paul Bettany co-star in the intriguing film "The Reckoning." In this film Bettany plays a priest who is running away from his past. He joins up with a traveling acting troupe headed by Willem Dafoe's character. 

The troupe comes to a town where there has been a murder. They decide to make the circumstances into a play in hopes it might help them solve the mystery. In times it does appear to do just that but it places each and all into jeopardy.

This is an out of the ordinary movie that features two solid performances in the lead roles. Bettany exudes a spiritual otherworldness while Dafoe is strangely mystical. It all makes for an interesting video that will keep you guessing.

At the other end of the entertainment spectrum is "13 Going On 30." This is another take on the "child in an adult's body" theme that was so popular a few years back. Remember "Big"? In this movie Jennifer Garner is the thirteen-year-old girl trapped in a thirty-year-old body.

The transformation came about as a result of a wish to be that age and some magic fairy dust. Poof she is transformed. The only person she can rely on is her childhood friend, played by Mark Ruffalo, who also might be the key to getting her back to her original state.

Garner leaves her character Sydney from "Alias" behind and has a flat out ball in this role. She is cute, sweet and innocent - and totally enjoyable. You will have a great time watching "13 Going On 30."

You can also watch Jennifer Garner in her pre-"Alias" days in "Significant Others." This is a TV series that starred Garner, Michael Weatherly and Elizabeth Mitchell. It concerned the lives and loves of a group of twenty-somethings.

Scott Bairstow also appeared in the series that was created by the people behind "Party of Five." You might remember that Bairstow played the guy who was physically abusive to Neve Campbell's character.

There is some fun in watching "Significant Others." The cast is attractive and the storyline appealing. It's like watching "Thirtysomething" before everyone got serious.

There is a modern day version of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" available on video. It transports the story of one woman torn between two guys to the United States in today's world. 

Kam Heskin and Orlando Seale are the two newcomers who have the leading roles in the film. They are bright, attractive young stars who do a good job of bringing this classic story to life. Rent this one. You will; enjoy seeing how the Austen tale gets modernized.

Finally there is "The Black Hole," a Disney sci-fi movie from 1979. This is a family adventure type film full of rocket ships and space exploration. Maximillian Schell, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins and Joseph Bottoms star.

The film was not a major success for Disney when it was first released but over the years it has found an audience. Now it is ready to be seen on DVD with its story and look totally intact.

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

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