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Moss Flexes Action Movie Muscles AgainNew In @ The Movies This Week: Reviews Of New Films, VideosCONTEST: Relive 'Memories' With Broadway's 'Cats' On Video .
"I don't have a plan where I go -- 'I have to play these kinds of women' -- I don't know why I've done certain things," Moss told me recently. "Either (filmmakers) come to me or I go to them, and I make my decision based on lots of different things. (It might just) depend on the day."
If there is one thing for certain, Moss took my Weaver comparison as a great compliment. To put it simply, she's a huge fan of the stately actor.
In "Red Planet," Moss struggles with a moral dilemma as the sole inhabitant of a spaceship, while her crew (Val Kilmer, Simon Baker, Tom Sizemore, Benjamin Bratt and Terence Stamp) struggle for survival while stranded on the surface of Mars. Moss is currently in training for her work on the next two " Matrix" sequels, which are filming back to back and which will keep her busy for the next two years.
Reviews: New In Theaters This Week"Unbreakable" (PG-13) There's no question that director M. Night Shyamalan has an uncanny ability to evoke wonderfully subdued performances from action hero Bruce Willis: He did it in 1999's blockbuster supernatural thriller "The Sixth Sense," and he's done it again in the very different, but equally engrossing "Unbreakable."
The acting by both leads is superb, but the true star of this film is writer-director Shyamalan, who weaves a completely original tale and wraps it in a cool, murky atmosphere reminiscent of "The Sixth Sense." Much like that film, "Unbreakable" features a talented young actor, Spencer Treat Williams. Will he be this year's Haley Joel Osment? Guess we'll have to see if "Unbreakable" can even come close to shattering the "Sixth Sense" record box office numbers. --Suzanne Ellis
"102 Dalmatians" (PG) There's no question that an animated classic and a successful live-action adaptation are both tough acts to follow, so thankfully, "102 Dalmatians" isn't for the dogs. In yet another wonderfully over-the-top turn as Cruella De Vil, Glenn Close not only gets a killer wardrobe again, but some complexity in her character to boot. She starts the film as a reformed fashion fur fiend with a passion for sheltering dogs, whose treatment eventually gives way to another pursuit of 102dalmatians (she not only wants a spotted puppy coat this time, but a hood to go with it).
Reviews: Also New In Theaters"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (PG) While it's Anthony Hopkins who richly takes over the narrator's reins from Boris Karloff in this first big-screen adaptation of a Dr. Seuss animated classic, it's Jim Carrey's creature with a small heart who steals Christmas from Whoville -- and effectively steals "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Thanks to makeup maestro Rick Baker, Carrey's face (which you swear is made of rubber in the first place) is a perfect match for the jaw-dropping expressions of the Grinch, and his boundless energy makes the film a great early holiday present. The kids might be frightened at the outset by the Grinch's doglike jowls, but the goofiness of the character will quickly turn the fear into laughter.
"Rugrats In Paris: The Movie" (PG) If you're wondering why it's so wildly popular on cable TV's Nickelodeon, this second big-screen adventure of "The Rugrats" -- Tommy and Angelica Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Phil and Lil DeVille and company -- is another shining example why. In this adventure, the 'rats and families go to France because Dad Pickles' mega-invention (a cybernetic Reptar) has gone awry at Euroreptarland, a Paris theme park. Suddenly, though, the group finds itself caught up in a scheme of the park's manager (deliciously voiced by Susan Sarandon) and her right-hand man (John Lithgow).
"The Sixth Day" (PG-13) As a film about cloning, it shouldn't come as a surprise that "The Sixth Day" is like a clone of another Arnold Schwarzenegger film. In the movie, set in the near future where household appliances are a Microsoft dream, Schwarzenegger plays Adam Gibson, a helicopter pilot who comes home from a shopping trip to find that he has been cloned. In a future world where law prohibits human cloning, Gibson must try to collect his thoughts to get a grip on this drastic change. He must also deal with the clone creator's thugs, who are chasing him down because of a mistaken identity.
New On Video This Week"Gladiator" (R)
While Crowe deservedly generated the greatest amount of attention during the film's theatrical run with his strength and subtlety, it's Phoenix's seething intensity and complex portrayal of Commodus that truly gives the film its edge. It's a masterpiece.
DVD Features: When it comes to battles, "Gladiator's" two-disc set easily slays its competition with a bevy of knockout special features. In addition to a half-hour of deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Scott) that easily could have worked in the already 155-minute film, the disc contains not one, but two documentaries: a "making of" piece that caters to the fans of the film, and The Learning Channel's "The Bloodsport of a Gladiator," an informative companion piece that takes an in-depth look at the brutal history of the deadly "game" through interviews with historians, dramatic recreation of battles and interviews with Scott, Crowe, Phoenix and Harris. Diehards drooling for more will be happy to find commentary tracks that accompany the film itself, with Ridley Scott, editor Pietro Scalia and cinematographer John Mathieson. --Tim Lammers "Chicken Run" (G)
DVD Features: While "making of" documentaries are customary for DVDs, the inclusion of this film's offering, "Poultry in Motion," truly demonstrates the labor of love that went into "Chicken Run" (and you can hear much more about it with a commentary track by Park and Lord). It's an amazing look at the seldom-seen process of claymation: The film was shot on as many as 28 sets simultaneously by 40 animators, taking up to 24 different poses of a character to shoot one second of film. The doc is also accompanied by interviews with the voice cast, where fans can see Gibson and cast getting animated recording dialogue in the studio. And while there are cool interactive DVD-ROM games and a read-along storybook on the disc (and more), perhaps the DVD's best feature is the "Screaming Chicken Panic Button," which alternates between two brief screaming scenes from the film. It's technology's answer to primal scream therapy -- it is a scream. --Tim Lammers
Next Week: An interview with the real "Big Momma," Ella Mitchell, from the new video release of the Martin Lawrence smash "Big Momma's House," plus a review of the summer smash "X-Men," new on home video this week.
Catch up with Tim on these recent one-on-one @ The Movies interviews:
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Although she rose to prominence with "The Matrix" in 1999, the Canadian-born model-turned-actor has alternated between film and television roles since 1991. In fact, becoming a female action hero was never her intention at the start of her career, or even now. She said the thought of playing certain roles has never even entered her mind. 
"I take what you said as a compliment -- to be in the company of Sigourney Weaver," Moss said. "She really impacted me growing up, watching all of her films. She's such a great actress." 
There are so many layers to this remarkable plot and, for once, very little is given away in the trailer, so I definitely won't give away anything here. We do know that Willis plays the sole survivor of a horrific train crash and that a mysterious stranger (Samuel L. Jackson) may hold the key to his unfathomable escape from injury and death. 
Kids will likely revel in the screwball antics of the film, although it may be a bit tiring at times for adult chaperones. But that's not to say that "Dalmatians" entirely barks up the wrong tree. Sure, the plot is predictable, but at least Close and co-stars Gerard Depardieu (as Cruella's fur-loving partner in crime), Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans and 102-plus dogs keep things entertaining. And even if the actors or dogs can't win you over, you're sure to chirp over a wisecracking parrot voiced by "Monty Python" vet Eric Idle. --
Carrey aside, this fantasy world of director Ron Howard harkens back to the golden age of Hollywood, where entire films were made larger than life on soundstages. And while no script can truly match up to the original Seuss storyline, Howard effectively expands the half-hour cartoon to full-blown feature by looking back at the Grinch's beginnings as a prequel of sorts (think Anakin Skywalker becoming Darth Vader) before telling the classic tale that we all know and love. --
Sure, the film is peppered with enough mild-mannered toilet humor to keep the kids rolling in the aisles, but at the heart of "Rugrats in Paris" is a smart script for adults to enjoy (its pop culture menagerie includes howling references to such film classics as "The Godfather," "Lady and the Tramp" and "King Kong"). But for the whole family, there's a deeply affecting storyline (lonesome Rugrat Chuckie and his widowed dad Chas seeking a new mommy and wife) with plenty of heart. It's smart, rollicking fun. --
The film has a storyline close to Schwarzenegger's "Total Recall." Some scenes "recall" elements of that film, even certain props (check out the taxicabs). Thankfully the storyline is also as complex, but loses its focus with too much hyperkinetic action. Even the clones get confusing toward the conclusion of the film, which is too drawn out. Schwarzenegger fans will still want to see a film with the usual action-packed format, but the general public may want to think twice, even if it is a movie about a person with two minds. --
When in Rome, do as the Romans do -- especially if they are in line to pick up this stirring epic. "
It's difficult to find movies that appeal to the intellect of both children and adults, but with the new full-length clay animation feature "
