Jet Li stars in 'Fearless,' the story of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia. ROGUE PICTURES View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

latest reviews by rob hedelt

Latest movie reviews

Date published: 9/28/2006

HH all the king's men (PG-13)

An oddly unaffecting script and the horrible miscasting of Brit Jude Law as a Louisiana native undoes an amazing performance by Sean Penn in this film of the Robert Penn Warren novel that's based loosely on the life of Louisiana Gov. Huey Long.

When Penn is onscreen, which doesn't happen nearly enough, the film is electric. Though he flirts with overdoing the Southern drawl and hick lingo, the actor makes rising politician Willie Stark one of the most impressive characters to hit the big screen in years.

As the journalist who discovers Stark and then goes to work for him, Law doesn't embarrass himself.

The problem goes deeper than that, as Law seems such an unlikely Southerner that it loses any momentum Penn creates.

A romantic side plot that wastes the talents of Kate Winslet is a distraction that takes away from the main thrust of the film, even if it does factor into an ending that doesn't feel very well developed.

Anthony Hopkins is interesting in a small role as a judge, though his talents are wasted, as are those of James Gandolfini as a sleazy politico.

Rated PG-13 for an intense sequence of violence, sexual content and partial nudity. [RF]

HH flyboys (PG-13)

This tale of Americans who volunteer to join the fledgling French biplane air force during World War I is fun to watch, but it doesn't have the actors or dramatic weight to make it much more than a curiosity.

That's largely because of the film's lead, James Franco, who flees trouble on the ranch at home to find adventure and fulfillment as one of the world's first pilots.

Though World War I is ravaging the countryside and pilots are going down at a ferocious rate, this tale has a jaunty, "Cool! They're flying!" feel to it that undercuts any real attempt at making a serious statement about the war.

Jean Reno does his normal solid duty as the officer who oversees a group of American flyboys, but the action they take part in feels more like something on the Disney Channel than real warfare.

Rated PG-13 for war-action violence and some sexual content. [RF, RA, M]

HH jackass: number two (R)

Follow us on

Date published: 9/28/2006