Movie Review Archive - K

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Kate And Leopold (PG13)
The Third Duke Of Albany (Jerry Jennings) circa 1876 gets transported from his New York City to present day New York City and falls in love with Kate (Meg Ryan) in the newest date movie Kate And Leopold. Parts of this film were hurriedly re-shot just days before it's release. That's because a previewer realized that there was a slight plot problem concerning incest. Are we that PC now that the love between a woman and her great-great grandson is a problem? This pleasant film breaks no new ground but few popular films do these days. Also starring Jack Human, Bradley Whitford (The Left Wing), Philip Bosco, Liev Schreiber and the knee-slappingly hilarious Breckin Meyer. 118 minutes.

King Kong (PG13)
Action packed re-make (1976) of the re-make (1933). I had vertigo, goose-bumps, a couple of laughs and misty eyes. Though I must say that the romance between actress Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and giant gorilla King Kong (Computer Model) clearly goes against the laws of nature, state laws (except Alabama and parts of West Virginia) and everything that I learned in Sunday School. Also starring Jack Black and Adrien Brody. Directed by Peter Jackson. It's three hours and seven minutes so bring a meal and a change of clothes.

Kingdom Of Heaven (R)
The year: 1184. The place: Europe, The Middle East and points in between. Everyone has good teeth and fresh breath. English is the language of choice and Jerusalem is the place to be. Huge Muslim armies do battle with The Christian Crusaders. Can't we all just get along? Apparently not. Witnessing impalements, burning flesh, hangings and piles of severed heads is not my idea of a great night out. Sorry! Starring hunky Orlando Bloom (The Lord Of The Rings), clunky Eva Green and spunky Liam Neeson. 145 minutes.

Kinky Boots (PG13)
Question: What does a venerable small town shoe store owner do when he realizes that his conservative family business is going bankrupt? Answer: Begin making thigh high stiletto healed boots for transvestites! This pleasant but toothless British gender-bender stars renowned English thespian Chiwetel Ejiofor. Wouldn't it be cool if Q'orianka Kilcher (The New World) and Chiwetel Ejiofor headlined their own film? The poster would look like someone threw up alphabet soup. 106 minutes.

Kinsey (R)
Scientist Alfred Kinsey (Liam Neeson) shook up puritanical America with his 1948 book, Sexual Behavior In The Human Male. This fairly graphic film focuses on Kinsey's effort to take the mystery and social stigma away from what he found to be "normal sexual behavior". Also starring Laura Linney, Peter Sarsgaard (I used to wear one of those when I wrestled in junior high) and John Lithgow. A fabulous date flick. 118 minutes.

Kissing Jessica Stein (R)
Woody Allen with a twist. Like most of Allen's best work, Jessica Stein is populated by neurotic and self-absorbed New Yorkers who all seem to have interesting occupations. Jessica (Jennifer Westfeld) is a lonely newspaper editor who, after countless disastrous dates with men, reluctantly answers a personal ad from a woman seeking a woman. After a slow courtship, they move in together. This relationship takes her on a poignant and often humorous path of self-discovery. Tovah Feldshuh is well cast as Stein's stereotypical "Jewish mother". Also starring Heather Juergensen. 94 minutes.

Knockaround Guys (R)
The son (Barry Pepper) of a Brooklyn crime boss (Dennis Hopper), finding himself unemployable, convinces his dad to let him and his friends perform a mob job. It doesn't go well. Lots of macho dialogue, posing, fisticuffs and gun play. Good cast. There was no need for this film to be made and there is no need for you to go see it. I'd like to find the guys that wrote and directed this turkey and knock them around. Also starring Vin Diesel and Seth Green. 93 minutes.

K-PAX (PG13)
Kevin Spacey stars as Prot (pronounced "prote") and Jeff Bridges as Dr. Mark Powell in K-PAX. No, this film is not about feminine hygiene. This is an adult fantasy. Prot suddenly appears in Grand Central Station and is promptly arrested and taken to The Psychiatric Institute Of Manhattan. Once examined by Dr. Powell, it becomes clear that Prot is either a very intelligent schizophrenic or, as he contends, a visitor from a more highly evolved planet who is Earthbound on a short fact finding mission. There are a few inconsistencies (such as the fact that Prot is very familiar with some of our culture yet seems to be surprised by other objects, customs and words) and a few cliches (for example, the overworked doctor who is himself in need of help, also has an unsupportive wife) but the movie is fairly clever and entertaining. Best yet, we are left with an open-ended finale that makes us think instead of feel good.
 

Kung Fu Hustle (R)
Admittedly, I'm not a huge martial arts film fan (although I do love Jet Dry), but this one is a lot of fun. In Chinese with subtitles, star/writer/producer/director Stephen Chow opens the usual can of butt-whoop with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Which is a good thing because the non-stop fighting can get quite tedious in these kinds of movies. 99 minutes.

Kung Pow: Enter The Fist (PG13)
Kung Pow: Enter The Fist attempts to do to martial arts films what Naked Gun and Airplane did to police and disaster films. That is to say, spoof them in a funny and clever way. Problem is, Kung Pow is not funny or clever. It is quite simply, one of the worst films that I have ever sat through. Don't bother. 89 minutes.