12A - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, September 2, 2003 ARTS By Zach Mabee Daily Arts Writer SUMMER MoVE RECAP Well, the box office boys of summer are gone, and honestly, I can't say my love for many of them remains strong. The months of summer delivered, among other things, a surfeit of sub- par sequels, many of which followed equally crummy predecessors. It's dif- ficult to imagine who would choose to perpetuate the "Tomb Raider" "Legal- ly Blonde," "The Fast and the Furi- ous" or Freddy and Jason series, but they indeed lived on in their purest forms. "Bad Boys" returned but did lit- tle more than one-up itself with more grotesque violence and cheesier humor. The makers of "Spy Kids" even opted for a three-dimensional third installment, which apparently back- fired royally "American Wedding" proved to be a more tasteful and palatable experience than the first two "American Pie(s)," and that deserves praise - but not very much. "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" was an even more com- mendable sequel with a remarkable freshman female Terminator (Kristanna Loken) and a strong performance by Arnold; yet, as an action film, it paled in comparison to its older siblings. "The Matrix Reloaded" made colos- sal strides in special effects and still maintained a reasonably strong story- line, but the dichotomous goals of rev- olutionizing cinematic action and hammering home philosophical truths butted heads all too often. Indeed, "X2" was the one man amidst these boyish sequels. Relatable characters, entertaining action sequences and all the necessary comic book grandeur make this the definite highlight of the bunch. "X2" reigned supreme in the sum- mer's comic book category, too. "Hulk" was arguably the most styl- ized comic book recreation, rivaled only by "Spider-man," but Ang Lee's work was overkill at times. "Hulk" had a very slow, reflective rise to cli- max that became tiresome after sever- al hours. This trend really typified the entire movie: excessive ponderous buildup punctuated by moments of 4 Ellen DeGeneres ... do I smell comeback of the century? 4 intensity and vigor. "The League of Extraordinary Gen- tlemen" was not only a less widely cir- culated comic than "Hulk" - the movie was also less widely viewed and basically declared a failure. The concept of an all-star lineup of 19th- century historic heroes is interesting, and the film's effects and cinematog- raphy were strong, but alas, a weak plot proved to be the proverbial wrench in its gears. All this talk paints a rather dismal portrait of what premiered this summer, and although that would be the most accurate generalization, there were some standouts that deserve mention. As always, independents and docu- mentaries that flew well below the radars of most garnered critical praise and relative box office success. French director Francois Ozon's "Swimming Pool" was a sensual, daring thriller that impressed American audiences across the board. "Trainspotting" director Danny Boyle thrilled horror audiences with the basement-budget "28 Days Later," one of the genre's more lauded releases of the past several years. Those who kept things light and inspirational also scored victories among summer viewers. Undemanding comedies like "Bruce Almighty" - to which I think my first utterance was, "cute" - and "Freaky Friday," which proved to be the surprise comedy hit of the season, drew audiences and, at least in the case of the latter, strong critical praise. Similarly, those tales of triumph and glory in spite of trial and hardship struck a familiar chord with American viewers. "Seabiscuit" rode to victory on the loins of a stellar cast including Chris Cooper, Jeff Bridges and Toby Maguire. It rekindled the flame in peo- ple's hearts that has shone gloriously because of similar films of past like "Rudy." "Whale Rider" proved itself a comparably uplifting and stirring tale - with a much lower budget and less reputable names - that captivated audiences with its breathtaking New Zealand landscapes and touching per- formances. Transcending any individual film with its diversified release portfolio and wildly successful summer, Disney's production studio took the sea- son's cake. Sure, it had a misfire or two, "The Lizzie Maguire Movie" probably Courtesy of Warner Bros. being the most obvi- ous. After all was said and done, though, whoever played the cards at Disney played them right. As men- tioned, "Freaky Friday" was a well- done, enjoyable family comedy and - surely a rarity amidst its competition - and the most surprising film to surface in the months past. Mickey's big guns, however, sailed the seven seas. Johnny Depp, playing the role of the notorious and grisly Captain Jack Sparrow, navigated "Pirates of the Caribbean," a theme- park-ride-turned-adventure-film, to success. There was nothing heavy or contemplative about the film; simply, it was fun, thrilling entertainment that woke the pirate genre from its restful slumber. The king of the sea was no gun-tot-t ing, bearded plunderer, though; on the contrary, it was a little fish named Nemo. Disney's collaboration with the animation gurus at Pixar resulted in the fabulously lovable (and I mean for all ages) "Finding Nemo," a stunning blend of submarine CGI, a heartwarm- ing relationship and quest for unity between an over-protective father and his son and some deftly wry humor and pop-cultural allusions. This film. was the best to emerge from the pre, autumn months, and as such is indica- tive of one of two things: Most of the, summer harvest were terribly mediocre, or in most cases just plain bad; or, good animation can reach lev- els of nearly incomprehensible great- ness and appeal ... I'm going to say safely it's a little bit of both. -aa ---- - - --U0 - L-a-e"uu "u rCourtesy of Columbia Courtesy of Warner Bros. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Razzlin-dazzlin 'Chicago' loses all that jazz on sparse DVD By Katie Marie Gates Daily TV/New Media Editor DVD REVIEW The sexy, star-studded musical tale of murder and jazz that took home six little gold men last March is now available to the masses on DVD. "Chicago" defines the modern movie musical with its rich tones and unique splicing of Chicago "real life" and Miramax musical numbers. Director Rob Marshall seeks to tell the classic musical satire through the eyes of Roxie Hart (Renee Zell- weger), a wannabe vaudeville star arrested for murdering her lover. Luckily, murder is a form of enter- tainment in Chicago, leading Roxie to stardom with the help of a corrupt jail warden (Queen Latifah) and an undefeated lawyer (Richard Gere). Crisp widescreen presentation and DTS 5.1 Digital Surround Sound allow viewers to dive into intense screen adaptations of stage musical sequences. This quality picture and sound is a necessi- ty for such a film which often seems bet- ter in the theater. While the film itself is seemingly flawless, the menu provided on this disc is. mediocre and awkward, as the back- ground music stops every 30 seconds and then restarts. One would expect a seamless montage of songs on a menu for a musical film. The disc includes a behind-the- scenes special containing interviews with the actors, director, production 4 Did you know my next door neighbor has three rabbits? designer, costume designer and other important contributors to the film. Much of the documentary is redun- dant, showing long scenes from the movie as cast members retell the story. Short clips of dance practice and filming are reminis- cent of "Making the Video" as the camera rolls and actors dance and sing to songs over a loud speaker. The docu- mentary actually con- cludes with a music video for "All that Jazz," once again pro- moting the movie while leaving many insider questions unanswered. For those interested in more detail, the audio commentary by director Rob Marshall and screenwriter Bill Condon is more extensive. The men discuss their vision for the film and the intricacies of adaptation for the screen. However, the low tones of their voices are often difficult to hear and can make the viewer drowsy as the dialogue wears on for the full 113 minutes of the film. Finally, a deleted musical number with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah entitled "Class" is included with optional audio commentary by the director and screenwriter again. The number is worth watching, but the only one of its kind. For audi- ences longing to get inside the world of "Chicago" this disc only pulls back the curtain for a quick peak. By leaving out other deleted scenes, bloopers and more in-depth behind- the-scenes coverage, the DVD does not do justice to the award-winning film it presents. Film: ****I Picture/Sound: **** Features: **I a ALIEN ANT FARM TRUANT nFl1AAWORKSZ RE~CORDS good for something after all. Maybe it wasn't a lifeless mass of absurdly menacing guitar riffs and over-the-top vocals. A ATF'sfollowurn album. tru4AT zprovesuwhat I sunntePA m