Black Snake Moan

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: March 2, 2007

DVD Release Date: June 26, 2007

Plot 411: When a deeply religious man finds a young woman beaten and unconscious in the road, he takes her into his home to heal her body and soul.

Review: Samuel L. Jackson is Lazarus, an isolated but God-fearing man who finds a woman near his home who was left for dead. He takes Rae (Christina Ricci) into his home to help her heal and learns she is addicted to sex and drugs. Rae's boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) has recently been deployed overseas, and she uses sex and drugs to distract her from her loss. Lazarus becomes determined to right this girl and chains her up at his house until she can detox from the drugs and get her head on straight. The movie is an interesting look at the importance of religion and the prominence of race relations, especially in the south where the movie is set. It seems absurd for an older black man to chain a young white woman up (even if his reasons are to ensure her own safety) and is a definite flip in roles. However, the influence he has on Rae is immeasurable to her well being. Ricci gives us an excellent performance in this role as sex-riddled Rae. The movie is raw and gritty and shows us a part of human nature that is not often depicted in glittering Hollywood movies. It allows us to accept our imperfections as long as we are able to acknowledge them in each other.

Watch It: For some really strong performances out of the actors.

Skip It: As it is edgy and may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Coach Carter

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: January 13, 2005

DVD Release Date: June 21, 2005

Plot 411: When a new basketball coach comes to town, he emphasizes both academics and athletics and changes the way his players view their future.

Review: Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) returns to his high school alma mater and takes over the position of basketball coach. When he arrives, his players are undisciplined and barely attend classes. Some players have drama going on in their lives, such as teen pregnancy, that may jeopardize their future despite their abilities. He quickly establishes new rules that the boys must follow in order to remain on the team. Some boys like Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez) decide to leave the team and fall deeper into violence, gangs and drug dealing. When Carter discovers some of the boys aren't holding up their end of the deal, he cancels practices and forfeits games so that his players can study. This riles up the community, which believes that sports are the only way their kids will ever get out of poverty. Tension builds between Carter, the school, parents and the community as his atypical approach makes media headlines. This movie was produced by MTV Films and succeeds in its efforts to market toward a younger demographic in the same way it did with Save The Last Dance. It showcased a lot of young, new talent like Rob Brown, Robert Ri'chard, Channing Tatum and Ashanti. Of the bunch, Tatum has really seen his career skyrocket. The movie comes across as gritty, but somehow I don't find it very believable. It's very polished and seems like it's trying too hard to be ghetto. The cinematography is a lot different than movies such as City Of God, which I think captures the poverty and desperation of the people a lot more realistically.

Watch It: For the Hawaii connections - Denise Dowse plays the school principal and Rob Fukuzaki makes a cameo as a reporter.

Skip It: If you're looking for a realistic portrayal of the human experience. This depiction is dusted with Hollywood and MTV's glamor.

Jumper

Rating: PG-13

Movie Release Date: February 14, 2008

DVD Release Date: June 10, 2008

Plot 411: When a teen falls through a frozen lake, he discovers he has the power to teleport.

Review: I didn't really think this was a good movie. It was a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, action and romance for the teen segment. It felt a little bit like a graphic novel come to life, but it's actually based on a regular novel. David (Hayden Christensen) falls through a lake and in his desperate attempt to save himself teleports to a library. This is his first experience with his special powers. From this point on, he lives a wild life and goes wherever he wants to with his new power. All he needs is a picture and he's there. Along the way he meets a fellow jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell). Griffin tells David about a group called Paladins who hunt and kill jumpers. It is around this time that David experiences them for himself when Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) appears. Of course, there's always gotta be a love interest in these movies. This time it comes in the form of Rachel Bilson. The movie is average at best and doesn't really break any barriers. It feels generic, like your typical Hollywood fare. If you're into this genre or fall into this demographic, you'll probably like it. Otherwise, I think your time is better spent elsewhere.

Watch It: If you enjoyed either Transformers 2 or Wolverine. This is a typical representation of its genre.

Skip It: If you're looking for something the challenge your mind. This is a popcorn fest and a half. No brain power needed.