Movies to watch out for - YOU Magazine, The News International

Movies to watch out for...

Exams are over and now it's your turn to entertain your kids with some fun-filled movies showing at local cinemas

Complied By Waqas Hassan Sharif

DATED: [26- FEBRUARY-2008]

Enchanted

Satires of Disney-style fairy tale movies have become a mini-industry in recent years; examples include 'Ella Enchanted', 'The Princess Diaries', 'Happily N'Ever After' and, of course, the 'Shrek' films. Directed by Kevin Lima, Enchanted is a sweetly irreverent spin on classic Disney-fied fairy tales. An expert blend of comedy, romance and adventure, Enchanted will be just as fun for adults as for children. It will be especially appreciated by those familiar with the history and films of the Disney studio.

The tale follows Giselle (Amy Adams), a beautiful and plucky young lass who is waiting for her Prince Charming - or, in this case, Prince Edward (James Marsden ) - so she can live happily ever after as his princess. Like countless fairy tales, there is a power struggle in a magical kingdom, this one known as Andalasia. Young girls in particular are liable to be, well, enchanted by the movie's heroine, chirpy Giselle, who is exiled to New York by a wicked witch (Susan Sarandon). Masked balls, poison apples, midnight transformations and other familiar fairy-tale ingredients are here; but screenwriter Bill Kelly spices them up with real-world complications.

Enchanted offers plenty of warm and fuzzy feelings - and should get your toes tapping during the original song and dance numbers. In a way, 'Enchanted' repeats in miniature Disney's progress over the decades, from early animation triumphs to the sometimes disappointing live-action films of recent years. Director Kevin Lima's obvious affection for the Disney legacy is just one reason why Enchanted succeeds so well.

Jumper

Based on the novel by Steven Gould, 'Jumper' as a distinct premise, offers tantalising possibilities. The ability to transport yourself from one location to another with simple mind control is a cool rule of the world. The film speaks to some of the far-reaching potential of the power. Director Doug Liman, whose credits include 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' (2005) and 'The Bourne Identity' (2002), has the bongo-staccato beat to give the teleportation in Jumper a rhythm and beauty.

David Rice (Hayden Christensen) is a high school geek in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who desires a lovely lass named Millie (Rachel Bilson). When a present he gives her is thrown by a bully onto a frozen river, David falls through the ice while retrieving it - certain to drown. It's then that he discovers he's a 'jumper' and has the ability in organic form to transport himself to another location just by thinking about it.

The action in the movie is grand and wildly imaginative, shot and edited so adroitly that you wish the movie could have teleported in some genuine human characters. In its essence 'Jumper' simply jumps.

National Treasure 2

In 2004 Jerry Bruckheimer produced 'National Treasure', a nenjoyable adventure best described as 'The Da Vinci Code' but with American history. After three years he came up with the sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

Treasure-hunter Ben Gates (Cage) is horrified when his all-American family name is sullied by allegations that his ancestor planned the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Evidence provided from a mystery man (Harris), leads him to the conclusion that if he solves a series of puzzles, he can find the lost city of gold hidden by native Americans and therefore clear his family name. He's joined in this quest by his bickering ex (Kruger), his goofy sidekick (Bartha), his befuddled father (Voight) and his bickering mother (Mirren).

Book of Secrets has significantly better setpieces than the first film. With this, Bruckheimer proves himself willfully unafraid to spend massive sums of money and to put every dollar of it on-screen. When the heroes find the city of gold, it's a miracle of production design, even if it doesn't really make sense.

Don't go in expecting craftsmanship like you get from a Steven Spielberg; just go in expecting a bit of fun and you'll be pretty much fine. Written by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley and directed by Jon Turtletaub, it continues the whodunit/where-is-it/what-does-it mean formula. It's a picturesque, minor-league Indiana Jones romp, filled with arcane information - and adding spunky Helen Mirren to re-kindle an old flame is a humorous touch. On the whole 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' is a fun-filled historical trivia.