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noble. Meanwhile. Captain Jack is pur
sued by sea demon Davy Jones (Bill
Nighy). Depp still slurs and swishes
across the screen, but. called upon
to again rescue an entire film, finds
himself a few witty doubloons short
(Georgia Square 5)
THE PRESTIGE (PG-13) Feuding
magicians make for terribly intriguing
drama in Christopher Nolan's follow-up
lo Batman Begins. After his wife dies
on-stage in a trick. Robert Angier (Hugh
Jackman) blames rival magician Albert
The Professor* Borden (Christian Bale)
and begins a personal/ professional ri
valry that can only end in blood. Nolan,
a premier teller of dark, stormy drama,
nails all three parts of this magic trick.
Ends Thursday (Carmike)
THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE
ESCAPE CLAUSE (G) If you’re look
ing to get your holly jollies early, your
cinematic sleigh has arrived. SC3
may use every elfin pun imaginable as
Jack Frost (Martin Short) challenges
the reign of Santa/ Scott Calvin (Tim
Allen), but nothing about the high-con
cept, low-imaginalion flick is terrible
SC3 is just an old-fashioned family
holiday lilm (Beechwood. Carmike)
SAW III (R) After watching the Jigsaw
Killer teach gory life lessons lo the
Hawed and self-absorbed for ihe bone-
crunching. stomach-churning third
(but not final) time. I really think the
Saw franchise—cheap, bloody, inven
tive—is brilliant. On the brink of death.
Jigsaw/John Kramer (Tobin Bell)
stages his final game, having appren
tice Amanda (Shawnee Smith) nab a
depressed doctor (Bahar Soomekh) and
a raircorous father (Angus Macfadyen).
Ends Thursday (Highway 17 Theatres)
STRANGER THAN FICTION (PG-13)
Stranger Than Fiction is a film you
wouldn't mind engaging in cocktail
party convo Touching on philosophy
with a hint of meta. it's quick and witty
without being pretentious. As Harold
Crick, an IRS agent who hears of his
impending death from the English
woman narrating his life. Will Ferrell
does a less showy job of being
dramatic than Jim Carrey did in The
Truman Show Amazingly. Ferrell, with
the most reliable delivery in the busi
ness. is as funny as the straight Crick
as he was the demented Ricky Booby.
If only he were a stronger romantic
lead. The romance between Crick
and pretty baker Ana Pascal (Maggie
Gyllerhaal) feels false Was K2ren Eiffel
(Emma Thompson), the novelist dictat
ing Crick’s life, to write characters so
insincerely motivated, she'd never sell
another book. Marc Forster (Finding
Neverland was great; Monster$ Ball
and Stay, not so much) over-direcls
Fictionwith intense inconsistency. One
minute, we re watching an OCD Fight
Club, the next scene is stagy and theat
rical Fortunately. Zach Helm's screen
play shows the softer side of Being
Charlie Kaufman. Vou can actually see
the end of his just-intricate-enough
maze No matter its imperfections.
Fiction is no stranger, and a lot better,
than your typical congenial diversion
(Beechwood. Carmike)
TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE
BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (PG-
13) Using the basic three-act race
movie structure r vpuianzed by Dap of
Thunder. Ricky (Will Ferrell) goes from
pit crew to victory lane in less than ZOO
frames. Talladega flights is poised lo
take 'his year's Comedy Cup (Georgia
Square 5)
TENACIOUS DIN THE PICK OF
DESTINY (R) Tenacious D rocks The
band, not the movie. The D's movie
suffers the same tale of the bands
HBO series Whenever PoD brings the
rock, the film blasts off the screen (the
speakers were turned up to 11 in the
theater I was in). But once the thrash
ing, Tommy-esqw rock opera opening
number—including Meat Loaf as JB's
religio-tascist daddy—ends. PoD falls
into standard sketchy comedy territory.
Say what you will about Jack Black (I
often say he works up a pretty good
sweat to not be that funny), but he and
fellow D-er Kyle Gass constitute a kick-
ass metal tribute band. I know RJD—
Ronnie James Dio. to those not up on
their metal history—sits on his throne
in some demonic kingdom, listening to
The D in between slaying dragons and
writing new tunes (I know this because
he makes a loving cameo from said
throne) Written by Black, Gass and
director Liam Lynch (Sarah Silverman:
Jesus Is Stegid). PoD further proves
Black is no comedy superstar. Pick of
Destiny mi not rock, but The D most
definitely is the greatest fake rock and
roll band in the world—behind Spinal
Tap. of course. (Beechwood. Carmike)
TURISTAS (R) Or Hostel in a warmer
clime. Josh Duhamel (*tas Vegas’)
heads a group of backpackers trapped
in a Brazilian beach town. Exploitation
flicks lave fared so well at the box
office (Hostel) and with critics (Rob
Zombie's The Devil's Rejects. Wolf
Creek) that director John Stockwell (Ihe
underrated Craiy/Beautiful. Blue Crush.
Into the Blue) has decided to see how
successfully he can torture pretty
young adults. With Melissa George
(‘Alias.* The Amityville Horror). Opens
Friday (Carmike)
VAN WILDER 2: RISE OF THE TAJ
(R) Can Kal Penn (Harold& Kumar Go
to White Castle) be as incorrigible a
coliegiate sex addict as Ryan Reynolds,
wfio reportedly pops up in a cameo?
Probably not, but that didn't stop the
producers from promoting (his sequel
trom direct-to-video to feature film
release Tat Mahal Badalandabad jels
across the Pond to teach Ihe finer
points c! American higher education
to some tweedy Englishmen (and one
busty English lass) From the direc
tor of Boat Trip. Opens Friday (Call
Theatres)
Drew Wheeler
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