A BEAUTIFUL MIND -- (Grade: A) Russell Crowe's characters have heretofore been manly men. He's played tough men of loyalty who'd rather fight than have their honor questioned. In A Beautiful Mind, Crowe plays troubled John Forbes Nash Jr., a man who wants to be a strong intellect. A Beautiful Mind is a loose biopic that follows Nash's journey from his break-though mathematical discovery and acceptance into top-secret government work to his eventual breakdown. Jennifer Connelly continues her comeback with a fine performance as Nash's unfailing wife. In this Oscar hopeful season, A Beautiful Mind is one film that completely deserves its accolades. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

BEHIND ENEMY LINES -- (Grade: D) Behind Enemy Lines is either a response to the current military crisis or a not-so-clever bit of counter programming in light of Tony Scott's new blond-boys-in-trouble pic Spy Games. Behind Enemy Lines covers a military action to retrieve an American pilot (Owen Wilson) who is shot down during a reconnaissance mission over Bosnia. If a film like Behind Enemy Lines is how Hollywood is going to help bolster our spirits, then maybe its time to ask Hollywood to start by boosting its IQ. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

BLACK HAWK DOWN -- (Grade: A) Mogadishu. October 1993. U.S. Rangers and Deltas embark on what was supposed to be an hour-and-a-half infiltration mission to capture two lieutenants of a renegade warlord. Seventeen hours later, two Black Hawk helicopters have been destroyed and the U.S. forces have lost 18 men in the most intense and sustained firefight since the Vietnam War. Black Hawk Down honors its subject with a sense that's both relentless and direct without being a polemic or a Hollywood version of the events. -- ttc (Rated R.)

BLACK KNIGHT -- (Grade: F) Martin Lawrence needs to figure out a way to turn his performances into something remotely entertaining.In Black Knight, Lawrence doesn't just flip the script -- he throws it out the window. In one almost-funny sequence, Lawrence becomes a bandleader in the James Brown mold and gets medieval to Sly Stone's "Dance to the Music."Lawrence's manic goofiness had a certain charm. But with the limits relaxed on the big screen, he suffers from too much idle time. Maybe Lawrence should stop performing and try acting. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF -- (Grade: B) A mysterious woodland monster meets kung fu heroics in director Christophe Gans rousing update on the Hammer horror film. The Brotherhood of the Wolf follows the adventures of naturalist Grégoire de Fronsac (Samuel Le Bihan) and his Mohawk-Iroquois partner Mani (Marc Decasos) as they search the 18th-century French countryside for a bloodthirsty beast. Along the way, a pretty noblewoman (Emilie Dequenne) and a sultry witch (Monica Bellucci) help Fronsac solve the mystery. Gans has made a moviemade comic book that makes most Hollywood epics look dull by comparison. -- SR (Rated R.)

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO -- (Grade: C) The Count of Monte Cristo is Alexandre Dumas' classic tale of Edmund Dantes, a falsely imprisoned man (James Caviezel) who escapes from captivity and hatches a Machiavellian plan to take vengeance with the assistance of a recovered fortune. In a surprisingly natural twist on the original story, Dantes' main accuser Fernand Mondego (Guy Pearce) happens to be a jealous childhood friend and rival for the affections of Mercedes (Dagmara Dominczyk).But it is character actor Luis Guzman who steals the show as Caviezel's manservant. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE -- (Grade: F) John Travolta is ready for his next comeback. I say "comeback" because, even though he's been here, I wish he hadn't. And that goes double for Vince Vaughn. These two come together for a little Domestic Disturbance, which succeeds only in dumbing down Hitchcock's philosophy of suspense. We see the bad guys (Vaughn and Steve Buscemi) a mile off. We cheer for the good guy (Travolta) as he defeats the bad guy and saves his son (Matthew O'Leary), ex-wife (Teri Polo) and himself. John, why not really go away for a while and then try it for real? -- ttc (Rated R.)

GOSFORD PARK --(Grade: B) On paper, Robert Altman's Gosford Park sounds like an Agatha Christie remake. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his young wife, Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas), have invited family and assorted friends to their country estate for a genteel shooting party. When a murder disrupts the elegant gathering, it's Constance's maid, Mary Maceachran (Kelly Macdonald), who begins to unravel the source of the foul play. Altman's smug and cynical film stands on its own merits. -- SR (Rated PG)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE -- (Grade: D) Little humor, fun or feeling finds its way into director Chris Columbus' adaptation of J.K. Rowling's popular children's book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The story follows an 11-year-old orphan named Harry Potter, who lives with his cruel aunt and uncle. Harry's dreams of escaping his hard-knock life are answered when he is accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.The film's young star, Daniel Radcliffe only succeeds in looking like Potter. Harry Potter is just Hollywood's latest manufactured extravaganza, void of emotional honesty and storytelling. -- SR (Rated PG.)

HOW HIGH -- (Grade: D) As 2001 comes to a close, Harvard University gets another student body makeover. After going Legally Blonde, now it's time to see just How High Method Man and Redman from the Wu Tang Clan can take higher education. The story starts off tight as the dope duo get high off some heavenly stuff, ace their entrance exams and answer the freshman call from Harvard's hallowed halls. But somewhere after their introduction to campus life and its stock characters, How High gets lost in its own smoke. -- ttc (Rated R.)

IMPOSTER -- (Grade: D) Gary Sinise's earnest performance, playing a government scientist accused of being an alien spy, is completely wasted by director Gary Fleder's pulpy sci-fi thriller. Imposter, based on writer Philip K. Dick's 1953 short story, takes its comic book storytelling too seriously. Instead of settling to be a playful update on B-movies like Invaders from Mars and Earth Versus the Flying Saucers, Fleder's Imposter aims to be Franz Kafka circa 2079. Imposter is too silly to be taken seriously as a psychological thriller. Personally, I would have been satisfied with a gooey, alien invaders movie. -- SR (Rated R.)

I AM SAM -- (Grade: D) Michelle Pfeiffer's matter-of-fact performance is the best thing about director Jessie Nelson's trite melodrama. In I Am Sam, Pfeiffer plays Rita Harrison, a high-powered attorney who handles Sam Dawson's (Sean Penn) custody battle for his daughter Lucy (Dakota Fanning). Sam is mentally challenged and a team of social workers want Lucy in foster care. Penn is consistent in maintaining the quirks of a mentally handicapped individual. I Am Sam is the type of clumsy melodrama that hits its audience over the head for the purpose of generating one tear. -- SR (Rated R.)

IN THE BEDROOM -- (Grade: A) In a film that is all about the inability to express emotions, at least actor-turned-first-time director Todd Field was able to find the perfect face. As the grief-stricken mother, Sissy Spacek embodies every possible emotion in Field's melodrama. Spacek watches as her son (Nick Stahl) carries on with an older, separated mother (Marisa Tomei) with two young boys. Spacek seethes as her husband (Tom Wilkinson) admires the son's youthful indiscretion.Fortunately, In The Bedroom all but guarantees there will be other Todd Field films. -- ttc (Rated R.)

JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS -- (Grade: A) Some of 2001's best movies were kids' films, the streak continues with Nickelodeon's animated Boy Genuis. James Isaac Neutron has the big-brained ingenuity of MacGyver and a practical nature for using his inventions to solve the problems of daily life. When he mistakenly brings about the kidnapping of all the parents by hungry, chickenlike aliens, Jimmy leads his pals into space to save the day. I especially enjoyed the campfire scene with frights supplied by a great synopsis of The Blair Witch Project. That scene alone will probably send kids to the video store screaming for the movie. -- TTC (Rated G.)

JOE SOMEBODY -- (Grade: F) It's the holiday season and veteran television director John Pasquin went for the stocking stuffer approach with Joe Somebody. The cast is full of TV performers looking for a big screen break. Tim Allen plays the titular hero who gets abused by the company bully who's TV alter ego is none other than The Tick (Patrick Warburton). Joe Somebody is a Charlie Brown story for adults. Rather than wasting money on movie tickets, stay home and enjoy your remote control, you'll see all of these actors in far better situations. -- TTC (Rated PG.)

KATE & LEOPOLD -- (Grade: B) Hugh Jackman's frothy performance as a 19th century duke transported to 2001 Manhattan is the best thing about co-writer/director James Mangold's likable romantic-fantasy. Clad in period garb, Jackman makes the chivalrous Leopold into the romantic lead of your dreams. The reliably perky Meg Ryan makes a sarcastic target for Jackman's charms. Their on-screen chemistry more than compensates for a script that offers few surprises. By the time Kate & Leopold reaches its sugary climax, it's clear that Mangold has delivered one of the more enjoyable comedies of the year. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST -- (Grade: D) Moronic characters, stupid storytelling and truly adolescent gags are the genuinely good qualities of Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. Steve Oedekerk has decided to bring his unoriginal brand of humor to the kung fu genre. There's a certain level of imagination in Kung Pow, because there are laughs to be had. Oedekerk uses Kung Pow as a means to indulge in his case of arrested development, all while onscreen. As goofy as Kung Pow was, I found myself curious about its next installment, which is previewed as part of the closing credits. --- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

LANTANA -- (Grade: A) Anthony LaPaglia's engaging performance as an adulterous police detective is the emotional force behind director Ray Lawrence's rich thriller. LaPaglia plays Leon Zat, a middle-aged man who's turned cool towards the touch of his wife Sonja (Kerry Armstrong). Zat's investigation into the whereabouts of Dr. Valerie Somers (Barbara Hershey), a well-known psychiatrist who's been missing for days, opens the wounds of his own troubled marriage. Nothing in the film is what it appears to be on the surface. LaPaglia's unhappy police detective is the soul of Lawrence's riveting movie. -- SR (Rated R.)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWHSHIP OF THE RING -- (Grade: A) Director Peter Jackson tackles J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy books set in Middle-earth with a creative force. The results are extraordinary. The film tells the story of hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and the powerful Ruling Ring he inherits from his Uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). There is plenty of showmanship in Fellowship, but there is also substantive storytelling. Fellowship of the Ring is so good that I imagine high-brow audiences who normally avoid these types of films will find themselves having a great time if they give the film a chance. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE -- (Grade: A) As Ed Crane, Billy Bob Thornton digs into a depthless character, out of his element as he initiates a scheme to blackmail his wife's lover (James Gandolfini) into investing in a dry cleaning scam. As the plot twists, Crane never finds himself either one step ahead or behind the action. Thanks to Thornton's understated work, he is firmly rooted in a moment from which he can never escape. Is it a great Coens brothers film? That depends on how you take to Thonton's turn as a man haunting his own life. The Man Who Wasn't There is full of stylistic tricks, but its main treat is that we can't miss the Coens' singular vision. -- ttc (Rated R.)

MONSTERS, INC. -- (Grade: B) The best part of director Peter Docter's witty animated adventure is Billy Crystal's screechy voice. Crystal's sarcasm and dead-on comic timing brings Mike, a bulbous, green, one-eyed manager at the monster-run company to life. Produced by Pixar, Monsters, Inc. trades the humanistic themes of their Toy Story films for something sassier. The monsters' lives are turned upside-down after a small girl named Boo accidentally stumbles into Monstropolis. Crystal's feisty Mike will make every member of the family laugh, and that's an impressive achievement for any family movie. -- SR (Rated G.)

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL REDUX -- (Grade: B) New film prints boosted with a digital soundtrack give Monty Python's 1975 collection of medieval sketches the type of re-release worthy of its cult comedy status. After years of watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail via worn videotapes and old prints shown at college film series, the idea of seeing a sparkling version of the film is somewhat astounding. Monty Python and the Holy Grail can still send an audience into hysterics. For that reason alone, it deserves its time in the re-release spotlight. -- SR (Unrated.)

THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES -- (Grade: B) What if, throughout history, there has been a force, some otherworldly presence, that has tried to alert us to impending tragedy? So asks The Mothman Prophecies, a refreshingly smart spooker directed by Mark Pellington. John Klein (Richard Gere) is haunted by a vision his wife sees before an accident. In his quest to understand the "moth-like" image, he finds himself in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a sleepy burg whose inhabitants are also haunted. If the choice is between an intelligent thriller that doesn't take sides and 13 Ghosts, I'll take Mothman. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

OCEAN'S ELEVEN -- (Grade: C) In as good a description of the film as any, Steven Soderbergh has said that Ocean's 11 is an old-fashioned heist movie with lots of stars. Just released from prison, unreformed thief Danny Ocean (George Clooney) corrals 11 retired criminals for a shot at robbing three Las Vegas casinos, all owned by a Vegas tycoon (Andy Garcia) who's romantically involved with Ocean's ex-wife (Julia Roberts). By the time Ocean and his 11 hoods leave Vegas, their impossible heist no longer seems important. -- SR (Rated PG-13).

THE ONE -- (Grade: F) It's baffling how director Jim Wong manages to make kung-fu legend Jet Li look boring in the pulpy fiasco, The One. A pair of Jet Li dopplegangers battle for power over the multi-universe. Yulaw (Li) is the baddie from another world. Gace (also Li) is the LAPD cop just trying to keep himself from being assassinated by the mysterious superman who looks a lot like himself. Li appears to be having a good time, and it's safe to say that he's the only one. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

ORANGE COUNTY -- (Grade: D) Orange County has a boatload of rising and established talent. Colin Hanks and Schuyler Fisk headline a cast including Jack Black, John Lithgow, Catherine O'Hara, Lily Tomlin and a host of surprise cameos. Shaun (Hanks) is a smart kid who desperately wants to attend Stanford where he can study to become a writer. His path is blocked by the unstable cast of characters in his life, Along the way to solving his issues, Shaun realizes Orange County may inspire him, much how Yoknapatawpha County, Miss., inspired William Faulkner. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

OUT COLD -- (Grade: C) Directed by brothers Brendan and Emmett Malloy, Out Cold has a retro style that harkens back to Porky's and Revenge of the Nerds. The difference is that Out Cold lacks the rated-R nudity that gave those films their illicit edge. A slick ski mogul (Lee Majors) wants to turn an Alaskan ski town into an upscale resort. Rick (Jason London), a young, snow-king-of-the-hill, tries to stop the takeover. After Tomcats and Summer Catch, it would have been refreshing to revisit the joys of being young and dumb. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS -- (Grade: C) Both attuned to the humor and warmth in personal stories, Drew Barrymore and director Penny Marshall should be the perfect match. But Riding in Cars with Boys lacks the uplifting spirit of these two women. Barrymore plays Donofrio in a drama that looks at teen pregnancy, personal sacrifices and the bad decisions that pushed the 15-year-old girl to the verge of adulthood. This hopefully marks a transition for Barrymore. Next time, maybe she won't just settle for playing grown-up. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

THE ROYAL TENEBAUMS -- (Grade: A) Everything comes together perfectly in filmmaker Wes Anderson's playful comedy, The Royal Tenenbaums. The film's story, co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson, is about a family of Upper East Side geniuses reunited after 20 years of betrayals. Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderfully pouty as Margot Tenenbaum, a somber playwright who hasn't written anything in seven years. Gene Hackman gives one of the best performances of his career as cranky Royal Tenenbaum. Tenenbaums is a comic celebration of dysfunctional behavior. They're eccentrics struggling through daily life, and nothing is richer than that. -- SR (Rated R.)

SERENDIPITY -- (Grade: A) Director Peter Chelsom blends a witty script with breezy pacing and a top-notch cast to concoct a please-everyone love story. After a chance encounter, Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) flirtatiously agree that the spark between them exists, but Sara insists that fate be tested. He puts his name on a five-dollar bill and she puts hers in a book. They part and let destiny run its course. Serendipity isn't groundbreaking. But the film manages to find magic during its course. Chalk that up to great chemistry between Beckinsale and Cusack. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

SHALLOW HAL -- (Grade: D) The guys who brought you frozen snot in Dumb and Dumber turn their attentions to the issue of inner beauty. The result isn't pretty. Peter and Bobby Farrelly had a great concept for a comedy: a shallow guy is hypnotized into only seeing a woman based on her inner beauty. Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), in reality is a 300-pound "nice girl." Of course to Hal she looks like a movie star. The guys who thought to show Ben Stiller's privates trapped in a zipper actually go too far the wrong way. -- RP (Rated R.)

THE SHIPPING NEWS -- (Grade: D) Director Lasse Hallström's star vehicle adaptation of Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1993 novel turns out to be the worst of Hollywood's big holiday films. Kevin Spacey is sleepy as Quoyle, a single father who looks to revive his life as a journalist in a Newfoundland town. Julianne Moore offers little chemistry as Wavey, the single mom who befriends Quoyle. Only Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett provide dramatic sparks with their supporting roles. Still, whenever Dench and Blanchett are off camera, The Shipping News dissolves into lulling, sloppy melodrama. -- SR (Rated R.)

SNOW DOGS -- (Grade: D) The closing credits of Snow Dogs reveal that the story was suggested by the book Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. Snow Dogs presents animals manipulated into exhibiting more human characteristics. I'm sure the kids might get something out of the good messages, but Snow Dogs offers far less than animated features like Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and Monsters, Inc. I might have been far more inclined to go along with the "hokey black guy from Florida inherits a dog sled team in Alaska" story if the producers had gone the animated route. -- ttc (Rated PG.)

13 GHOSTS -- (Grade: D) When the original 13 Ghosts appeared in theaters in 1960, audiences were issued "ghost viewer" glasses that revealed the spirits on the screen. And that's what's lacking in this year's take on the story. Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) inherits a house from a strange uncle (F. Murray Abraham), only to find that it is no house, but a machine made to unleash the powers of hell. To operate it, 12 ghosts' souls are sacrificed. There are enough cheap tricks to entertain some, unless you ask a little more of your scary movie. -- RP (Rated R.)

VANILLA SKY -- (Grade: B) A complex and mature performance by the usually lackadaisical Tom Cruise is the highlight of director Cameron Crowe's erotic remake of Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 thriller Abre Los Ojos. Cruise plays David Aames, a wealthy heir to a Manhattan publishing company, who lives the fast car/pretty girlfriend life. Cameron Diaz is Julie Gianni, a flirty actress and Aames' girlfriend of the moment. Co-star Penélope Cruz makes a believable "dream" girl, reinventing the role she played in Amenábar's original film. Crowe brings dramatic tweaks, surrealist flourishes and additional polish to Amenábar's film about a man who loses his chance at true happiness. It's immediately clear that Vanilla Sky is a "star" vehicle for Cruise. -- SR (Rated R.)

A WALK TO REMEMBER --(Grade: B) Adapted from the novel by Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember feels familiar because it follows countless teen love stories. There is the hip high school court that's ruled by a James Dean-style prince named Landon Carter (Shane West). His main admirer is Jaime Sullivan (Mandy Moore), an ugly duckling on the verge of achieving swanlike grace. What makes director Adam Shankman's Walk different is that Moore doesn't quite transform Sullivan into a beautiful swan. Nice to see a teen movie willing to wear its heart on its sleeve. --ttc (Rated PG.)

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