Return to story

Movies that are still playing in the Fredericksburg area

February 22, 2007 12:35 am

HH BECAUSE I SAID SO (PG-13) With Diane Keaton more than a little over the top, this isn't perfect. But luckily for those looking for a fun, light comedy, a less-than-perfect Keaton is still worth seeing. The biggest surprise to many may be the competent, appealing performance given by the young Mandy Moore. She plays one of the three daughters Keaton's character can't help but meddle with, to the point of finding two guys (Tom Everett Scott and Gabriel Macht) for her through a personal ad and rounds of interviews. It all proceeds predictably, especially the part where Keaton's character realizes she kind of likes the dad of one of the guys (Stephen Collins). Rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, some mature thematic material and partial nudity. [RF, RA, M]

H HANNIBAL RISING (R) You have to give this prequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" one thing: It creates some sympathy for the young Hannibal Lecter, pre-monster. We understand why he's driven to revenge after we witness a band of Nazi thugs face starvation and solve the problem by eating his sister. The film starts with that horrible moment, then follows with segments where the young Lecter finds family and trains to be a doctor. His horrible past eventually turns him to the dark side. The revenge killings he engineers get more and more sadistic and pull the movie down with them. Rated R for strong grisly violent content and some language/sexual references. [RF]

H THE MESSENGERS (PG-13) The message you wish you got from the creepy spirits running around in this weak, creaky tale is simple: Run away! Leave the theater now while you can! Otherwise, this is 84 minutes you'll simply wish you could get back at the end of this film that has no real message. It's another one of those "Somebody died badly in this house, and they're not leaving!" flicks that are done to death. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, disturbing violence and terror. [RF, RA]

HH NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (PG) Entertaining in spots, this film gets into its whole supernatural plot way too quickly. A down-on-his-luck guy (Ben Stiller) takes a job at a museum of history, only to find out that all the animals and historical figures come to life each night. It would have been more fun to see this happen in drips and drabs. Rated PG for mild action, language and brief rude humor. [RF, M]

H NORBIT (PG-13) Once upon a time, Eddie Murphy made "The Nutty Professor" and played several different roles, making most of them humorous in a kind-hearted way. But now comes "Norbit," and the only role Murphy plays that's at all decent and funny is the title nerd who gets pushed around. Unfortunately, the horrible and horribly fat woman he portrays, Rasputia, is so coarse, gross and painful to watch that the movie sinks as quickly as she would in a 4-foot rowboat. Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, some nudity and language. [RF, RA, M]