Ali, Artificial Intelligence, Baby Boy, Black Knight, Ghost of Mars, Harry Potter, How High, Jurassic Park 3, Life and Debt, Lumumba, Monster's Ball, One Week, Planet of the Apes, Scary Movie 2, The Score, Tomb Raider, Training Day

Bruce Banner Says: Overall: B-

Will Smith did a great job developing an Ali type body by bulking up and in flashes he physically becomes Ali, but his Ali rendition's are hurt by too many camera shots of Will in the ring. This is where he isn't even close to being like Ali, however in all due respect its almost an impossible act to mimic. Maybe, the Matrix people should have stepped in here and sped up the film to make him more Ali'ish. Will gets a rarity, by having an on screen love tryst with his actual wife Jada Pinkett-Smith. Jamie Foxx did the best acting of his life so far, and helped make the film enjoyable. That may explain why Muhammad Ali’s colorful hype man, Drew "Bundini" Brown reportedly overheard Foxx complaining that Ali is a "love fest" between Will Smith and director Michael Mann. In some cases it is and if you think more about Will's performance than Ali when you leave the film the picture is a failure. The best part of the film is the first 70 minutes after that you might start looking at ya watch but don't break out. This tale of Muhammad Ali's journey is not as entertaining or informative as its predecessor When we were Kings, but it has had more press and notoriety because Hollywood is producing it. That's usually the problem. The paradox is that those who know about Ali will realize the actual events which made him "the greatest" are glossed over and practically ignored and wont be offended by the omission because their memories will fill in the facts. Unfortunately those young people and others not knowing much about Ali will view this film and think they have a good understanding of his story. Ali lost 3 years of his prime because he refused to be drafted for Vietnam BUT Hollywood's right to take artistic license/liberties made it appear as if he lost 3 months. I guess thats why the emphasis is that the film is "BASED" on Ali's life story. Some might see the film and ask "was Ali really a man with a 'color complex' " or is that Hollywood again but they should really ask the question, "was the hype for this film for Muhammad Ali or Will Smith?".

Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards and William Hurt

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, and Bonnie Curtis

Written by Steven Spielberg

Distributed by Warner Brothers

Release Date: June 29, 2001 Nationwide

Synopsis: A.I.- Artificial Intelligence stars Haley Joel Osment as a robotic imitation of an 11-year-old living in a post-apocalyptic world sometime in the future. In his world, because of global warming melting the earth's ice caps, water covers most of the earth. Therefore, a race of robots (Artificial Intelligence) have been constructed to help maintain human life.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: D+

You know your watching a bad movie when you keep wondering when it will be over soon. I got up about twice after the 120 minute mark only to find out that there was more torture to come. I don't know what point or points Steven Spielberg started making changes to Stanley Kubrick's vision but seemingly somewhere around the middle this movie took a serious turn for the worse, quickly transforming from moderately interesting, to a 2 and 1/2 hour, high priced “Pinnachio”. Despite the impression I got from the commercial, A.I. is far less than thought provoking or enthralling....It's just long! Save your loot, Steven Spielberg is rich enough already!

Starring: Tyrese Gibson, Omar Gooding, A.J. Johnson, Snoop Dogg, Ving Rhames, and Taraji P. Henson.

Directed by John Singleton

Produced by John Singleton and Paul Hall

Written by John Singleton

Distributed by Columbia Tristar

Release Date: Release Date: June 27, 2001 Nationwide

Synopsis: From director John Singleton (BOYZ N THE HOOD) comes Baby Boy. The film depicts the daily life, relationships, and conflicts of a young man, Jody(Tyrese Gibson) who refuses to grow up. Jody (Tyrese Gibson) lives with his single mother in a house in South Central L.A. He has two girlfriends, Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) and Peanut (Tamara Bass), each with a baby by him, and has no job and no plans to get one. But things get real deep when his mother, Juanita (A.J. Johnson), gets a new live-in boyfriend, Melvin (Ving Rhames), and when Yvette's old jailbird boyfriend, Rodney (Snoop Dogg), gets back on the streets.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: C+

A little birdie told me that this movie was as good as Boyz'n The Hood, well that little birdie must have been on crack. The performances by Tyrese (Jody) and Ving Rhames (Melvin) are particularly strong but too many of the other characters are overly dramatic. Baby Boy also relies on way too much humor for a movie depicting such serious issues; many of the people who need to see this film the most will end up laughing through important messages. In addition to this many of the sex scenes seem kind of gratuitous. Several times, I found myself thinking damn they bonin' again!? Singleton also fails to tie up several loose ends by the end of the movie. If you examine the lives of the main male characters that start the movie as "Baby Boys" you notice that by the films end they still are "Baby Boys", although the movie ends on a positive note. Maybe Singleton is unable to come to terms with this area of the movie because of his own extensive history of fathering children out of wedlock. Despite its many shortcomings this film still needs to be seen, if for nothing else, because it vividly depicts much of the pathological behavior that is ever-present in much of black America (and many other communities also).

Bruce Banner Says: Overall: C+

I watched this movie on bootleg at my crib. It was aiight but it depends on what type of mood you are in. If you are a Martin Lawrence fan, you will love this even though personally, I'm glad that I waited to see it for free. Martin carries the show, its all about his character and his love interest all the other characters are inconsequential. Originally Chris Tucker was supposed to do this film but he did Rush Hour 2 instead. Its worth checking out just because of Martin but make sure you take the humor in with the historical perspective that Morpheus offers.

Synopsis: Set approximately 175 years in the future, humans have moved to Mars. They have organized a division of labor and they are mining the planet for natural resources. However, when one mining team digs up a long-buried pod full of aliens, and the bodies of the human workers are instantly inhabited by the strange beings, a war ignites. What first seems to be a battle against crime for justice suddenly turns into a human battle for survival against the haunting alien force.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: D+

If your into movies with a lot of shooting and explosions, mediocre acting, dumb plots (Alien ghost!), and pointless endings then this is the movie for you! Seriously though, what did you expect? This movie had Ice Cube and Pam Grier on the bill. I can't get over how Cube keeps getting scripts to play the same character. It seems there are no limits to the travels of "Doughboy". I've seen "Doughboy" goes to college (Higher Learning), "Doughboy" goes to the Jungle (Anaconda), and now "Doughboy" goes to outer space. I'll just chalk this one up as the umpteenth installment in the travels of "Doughboy" series.

Synopsis: Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone is an adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling’s popular children’s novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. He is summoned from his life as an unwanted child to become a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards. There, he meets several friends who become his closest allies and help him discover the truth about his parents’ mysterious deaths at the hands of a powerful adversary.

Bitter Bitch Says: Overall: B

I saw Harry Potter with my 8 & 10 year old son and daughter opening night. To say the least shit was crazy! I don't know who were the bigger enthusiasts - grown folks or the kids. My son is an avid reader of the Harry Potter trilogy and was thrilled with the supernatural effects in the movie. I personally found it funny, in some parts, and entertaining. If I had not read the stories before viewing the movie I would have still found it somewhat enjoyable. Overall, it was a good family movie but I don't think it was worth all of the chaos, massive overcrowding, traffic jams, and parking lot accidents that I saw. For a change it was nice to watch a true family movie with no sexual overtones which is rare even in Disney movies these days. I'm not all that comfortable with children being exposed to witchcraft so I had to break it down to mine about the nature of witchcraft in reference to my religion way before the movie came out. But what can I say my 10 year old son is reading books with over 300 pages each?

Morpheus Says: Overall: A-

I grew up on the best in Euro-fiction, like C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle In Time". So yeah my grown self picked up the Harry Potter book a year ago---and enjoyed it thoroughly. In this movie adaptation the actors playing the main characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron were superb, precisely as I had imagined them. The adults were a veritable who's who of British actors, including Alan Rickman as the mysterious Professer Severus Snape and Robbie Coltrane as the gentle giant Hagrid. The special effects were cutting edge. And the movie script was so well written, that even someone unacquainted with the Potter series can enjoy it. The only flaws of this movie were a slow beginning that followed the book, but should have been modified for the big screen. Also troublesome was the length of the movie, well over 2 hours, which may be a bit much for some children. The multicultural nature of the film was low, though there were minor attempts of inclusion. Though European perhaps the magic of Harry Potter can inspire a few young black minds to create their own fantastical worlds of brown-skinned characters, African derived magical themes, etc. This movie is NOT for: Christian fanatics, the dream-less, and those whose imaginations can't go beyond "bling-bling" fantasies and urban crime-ridden stories. This movie IS for: children, adults with imagination and overall dreamers.

Ooh Papi Says: Overall: F

Yeah I snuck into the theatre to see this comedy but laughed only twice. Redman and Method Man are supposed to be the African American version of Cheek and Chong but its not happening as we say in Spanish mal ... mal. Whoever writes their material must have been high. There is nothing inventive or new about this, and if you are over 21 you wont stay till this finishes unless you are bored. Method man's character has some substance to him but Redman played himself accepting the sidekick role. The only people laughing in the theatre were the 54.11 crowd. Hollywood thinks that to feature a rapper is enough to sell tickets and most rappers are so thirsty that any role will do and the result is How High. Don't get gaffled into seeing this even if you can sneak in like I did, save the 2 hours. Yippie kai yai

Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, and Michael Jeter

Directed by Joe Johnston

Produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Larry Franco

Written by Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, James Taylor and Jim Taylor

Distributed by Universal Pictures

Release Date: Release Date: July 18, 2001 Nationwide

Synopsis: Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) was personally shaken by his encounter with live dinosaurs, but he remains determined to study them. Desperate to fund research for a new theory about velociraptor intelligence, he's particularly vulnerable when the wealthy Kirbys approach him, offering money for his presence on an aerial tour of Isla Sorna, adjacent to Isla Nublar, the site of Grant's nightmarish experiences. Once fate causes them to crash on the island, he learns that it was a scam concocted by the Kirbys to get an experienced guide to help them find and rescue their son, who vanished while vacationing... not realizing that Grant's prior visit was NOT to Isla Sorna. Marooned in a savage land, they have to struggle to escape from all sorts of new creatures with their lives.

Bruce Banner Says: Overall: C-  

JP3 is going to increase the wallet size of a lot of executives at Universal Pictures; Too bad we cant increase its entertainment value. Its one of those films that is all special effects and poorly developed story. When it is over you wont remember a thing that you saw. The most you will remember is that you were yelling at the screen cause white folks were doing that typical fall down when the dinosaur chases them shit. I thought I was watching “Tarzan meets Land of the Lost”. What really pissed me off is that the wealthy Kirby's of the film, bounced a check to Dr.Grant, who apparently is smart enough to earn a PHD yet dumb enough to perform work for strangers before the check clears. Damn idiot, he had no common sense but he can tell you what language dinosaurs speak and where they shop at in the winter. JP3 will probably make over 200 million by summers end. Most people will watch it based on their fascination with the former rulers of the earth but this movie is what needs to be extinct.-Nuff said

Eyecalone Says: Overall: A+

Life and Debt is a powerful and extremely informative documentary. It illustrates in very clear and uncompromising terms many of the issues facing "third world" and "underdeveloped" countries across the globe that have forced peasant and protestor alike, to take to the streets. So if you want to understand what all the protest are about then you have a choice. You can (A) go see this film, (B)read a couple of books on my suggested readings list, (C)all of the above. Click here for Life and Debt listings.

Morpheus Says: Overall: A+

Director Peter Jackson truly brings Tolkien's world of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Wizards, Trolls and more to life on the screen. The movie introduction acquaints the viewer with the storyline and features a visual wonder of armies in battle and the tremendous power of Sauron. Filmed in New Zealond, the backdrop is fitting for Tolkien's Middle Earth of lush forests and mountaineous ranges. Elijah Wood is cast perfectly as the gentle Hobbit Frodo, finding himself faced off against Sauron's minions and the corrupting power of the ring. Ian McKellen makes an excellent Gandalf the wizard, humorous yet powerful all at once. Cate Blanchett makes is fitting as an immortal Elf queen. And the special effects create menacing Ringwraiths, ferocious trolls and the terrifying flaming eye of Sauron. The viewer will see plenty of symbolism in the movie. Tolkien began his writings in the trenches of WWI in France, and finished them following the devastation of WWII. Director Jackson is certain to keep up themes of war, destruction, pollution and good uniting to defeat evil. WARNINGS: (1) Its WHITE. Tolkien's world was based on Norse, Finnish and Celtic mythology. If you're looking for a black elf, forget it. In fact, Nazi Germany wrote him in praise of The Hobbit, inquiring on his Aryan blood. Tolkien, an Englishman with an intense dislike for Nazis and their ideas of racial purity, replied very discourteously. (2) There's enough dark symbolism in Tolkien's work to start up a whole Malcolm X and that dictionary, discussion. (3) Its LONG. We're talking just under 3 hours. (4) The ending is anti-climactic. Remember this is book one in a series. The remaining books/movies will premiere Dec. 2002 and 2003 respectively. If you're impatient, just read ahead. Tolkien's work and Peter Jackson's recreation is a visual masterpiece and proves inspiring. Though European in nature, its basic storyline is universal and has been told before. For any black writers and movie makers out there, remember that all Tolkien did was pull on his European past to tell a story of magic, adventure and going up against the odds. There are thousands of African tales - from the continent and Diaspora - waiting to be told as well. Let's get to it.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: A

Based on more than 10 years of research, Lumumba is an illustration of just one of many lessons that wasn't and won't be covered in your history classes. Peck is able to compact a profound, powerful, and complex history lesson of one of the most important periods in the history of Africa into less than 2 hours in a way that you would have to be a “Jerry's Kid” not to comprehend. Older viewers who can remember the early 60's will also be impressed by the casting of the film which features actors who look incredibly similar to the characters they portray. I can't say enough about this film so I won't say anymore. Just see go see it if you can find it in your city. The following link might help. Click here for Lumumba listings.

Bitter Bitch Says: Overall: B+

Set in rural Georgia, Halle Berry plays Leticia - wife of a convicted cop killer whose life couldn't get any worse. Leticia is chain smoking, poor black trash (only thing missing is the trailer park), within a week her husband is electrocuted and her son is hit and killed. Her character put me in the mind of the semi-slutty Eric Brokovich. One word describes her character - HUNGRY. Hungry for any and everything: money, a break, a good man, a helping hand- well fate is good to ole Leticia cuz she finds all of those in Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) who's the second generation in a family poisoned by racism, centered in violence, and haunted by suicide. It is not until after he sees that his own upbringing cost him the life of his son, Sonny (Heath Ledger - A Knight's Tale, 10 Things I Hate About You), that Hank begins to change. Heath did a hell of a job in this movie and shows us all that some apples do in fact, fall from far from the tree and that either we'd better get busy living or get busy dying. For Hank, Leticia is just what he needs to get busy living. For Leticia, Hank is the answer to all of her prayers until she is confronted with the link that Hank and her share. I personally thought, she was going to go out "ghetto fabulous" but the ending the movie opted for was more thought provoking, and said a lot more than my shallow thinking. Let me give a quick "shout out" to the Mighty Mos Def whose appearance was not all that lengthy - but definitely necessary. His cameos let us know, that this was not rural Georgia 40 years ago, but right here in 2002 - cuz homeboy was taking no shit from Hank's ass. Puff Daddy's character was sorry. Sorry his life and scenes were ending before he thought it was time. I heard a lot of commentary while we were filing out of the movie theatre and most were complaints about the movie's vague ending. But to me, the movie ended and brought it all together. Personally I feel that if Halle Berry, (Hollywood's Black Angel) hadn't played this role - we would not hear all of this hoopla. She is safe for Hollywood because she is black enough to satisfy their quotas, and white enough in their eyes, to be considered beautiful. On the real, the movie was well done and deserves the nominations, and trust me people - this is NOT what I wanted to believe when I first purchased my ticket.

Bruce Banter Says: Overall: A

If you are hitting punane raw diggity style you better see this film. This film is like a combination of the movie Falling Down and Kids all rolled up into one. If you are a dating adult this movie will scare you more than Kids, in fact you probably won't want any punane. It's like a horror film, sure to scare singles into at least one week of abstinence. In fact I cleared my schedule indefinitely. This film will make brothas' want to quit the game and get married. One week felt like a month cause of the subject matter but I am sure glad it was made and not ignored as many of us have been ignoring the HIV scenario (if you see this film you wont ever again). I cant say much else without ruining the film's end but protect ya' self. I did not even care that the acting was mediocre as long as there were no guest appearances by any rap stars. One Week is not a national release so to find out where it's playing in your area you might have to go here One Week.

Bruce Banner Says: Overall: B-

The original POTA was one of my favorite movies of all time, but even with the special effects, this new version can't hang with the old classic. It wasn’t wack, but the dialogue isn’t as memorable as the original movies or series. There are maybe 2 lines that I can remember from this movie and for me the end was predictable. Michael D. Clarke was aiight as the top gorilla but he was no Urko (from original POTA). Urko was a mean ass gorilla who used to say classic shit like 'The only good human is a dead human!' however Duncan, wasn’t much meaner than the gentle giant he played in 'Green Mile'. We needed some more human Vs ape hate. Another thing I found annoying was in this new POTA, the Humans and Apes talk to each like its no big deal, while in the original Humans talking was unheard of. If you understand the subtle messages and symbolism in the film then you will still see a few of the parallels of today’s society that the original series INTENDED to highlight, but much of POTA's original significance is gone.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: F

In a nutshell this movie was just bad! "Scary Movie 2" resorts to cheap, dumb, and predictable stuff like people falling down stairs to try and get laughs. Even if you liked the first one I don't think you'll like this crap. If I said that all the funny parts were in the commercial then I would be lying, because even the parts in the commercial weren't funny. Remind me to pimp slap one or all of the Wayans brothers next time I see them or maybe I'll just slap their parents.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: C+

If your one of those people who need an explosion, car chase, or shootout every 3 minutes and 27 seconds then you might want to pass on this one. Overall the movie was decent but the 1st 90 minutes is like watching flies phuck at times. If you are a fan of Dinero or Ed Norton then you'll definitely want to see this. Dinero plays the roll he usually plays and Ed Norton is solid as usual, even as a mentally handicapped guy. If you can handle an Action/Adventure/Drama with a little action/adventure and a lot of drama then you might want to check this out.

Eyecalone Says: Overall: C-

Eyecalone Says: Overall: B-

How bad can a first day of work be? Well apparently it can be extremely bad, and possibly deadly, if you're partnered with Sgt. Alonzo Harris. It goes without saying that Denzel is 'The Man' when it comes to acting but his role in this movie is something far different from anything to which we have become accustomed. Denzel plays an acid-tongued, brutal, and dangerous rogue 'Cop' who is effectively a 'Cop' in title only. The are some issues with the plot- I found it hard to believe that Denzel's character wood have exposed a rookie cop that he hardly knew to so much of his questionable or down right illegal activities- but the script was fast moving, enthralling, and pretty entertaining. Training Day probably won't put itself at the top of your 'favorite Denzel movie' list but I doubt you will regret purchasing the ticket, even if it's only to see Denzel Washington play a real creep. BTW- Why can't real actors get any phuckin' work? I understand sometimes when rappers are used to market movies but what the hell were Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre doing in this movie? Neither of them were bad but they were not on the bill so why not use real actors?