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Friday, January 19, 2007
Movie Capsules

text only version

The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Code Name: The Cleaner (New Line)
Forgettable comedy about a janitor (Cedric the Entertainer) who wakes up in a hotel room with total memory loss and, believing he's really a secret agent, sets out to piece together his past with the help of his waitress girlfriend (Lucy Liu). All the while, he's targeted by a siren (Nicollette Sheridan) who claims to be his wife but works for a high tech company whose shady CEO (Mark Dacascos) thinks the amnesiac has proof of his criminal activities. Saddled with such vacuous material, Cedric provides only modest laughs, and director Les Mayfield's unfunny, at times lewd, shenanigans could have been cleaner. Crude and sexual humor, including erotic comic interplay, and recurring crass language. (A-III, PG-13)

Happily N'Ever After (Lionsgate)
Computer-animated adventure set in a storybook realm where a wicked stepmother (voiced by Sigourney Weaver) swipes a wizard's magic staff, which enables her to rewrite classic fairy tales so they have unhappy endings, leaving it up to Cinderella (Sarah Michelle Gellar) -- here called "Ella" -- to set things right, while finding herself torn between her vainglorious Prince Charming (Patrick Warburton) and his beleaguered but brave manservant (Freddie Prinze Jr.). Though produced by John H. Williams, who also produced the "Shrek" movies, director Paul J. Bolger's parody falls well short of those films' sharp wit, superior animation and charm, but its lively tone, colorful look and cute premise nevertheless prove modestly entertaining as family fare. Some mildly crude humor and expressions. (A-I, PG)

Stomp the Yard (Screen Gems)
After his brother's tragic death, a Los Angeles street dancer (Columbus Short) relocates to Atlanta to attend a prestigious black university, where he is recruited by members of a fraternity impressed by his hip-hop moves to help them dethrone their campus rivals as reigning national champs of "stepping," a traditional style of synchronized dance popular among African-American fraternities. He falls for the girlfriend (Meagan Good) of his cocky competition (Darrin Henson) and, complicating the romance further, her protective father (Allan Louis) is the school's president. Directed by Sylvain White, the athleticism of the choreography and Short's charisma energize a flimsy and formulaic script. Some brief violence including a shooting and brawling, sexually suggestive dance moves, a condom reference, sexual innuendo, some crude language and a few instances of profanity. (A-III, PG-13)

Office for Film & Broadcasting classifications: A-I -- general patronage; A-II -- adults and adolescents; A-III -- adults; L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling; O -- morally offensive. MPAA ratings: G -- general audiences. All ages admitted; PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children; PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13; R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian; NC-17 -- no one 17 and under admitted.



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