There's probably no better actor to reprise Don Adams' bumbling secret-agent role in the big-screen version of the TV spoof Get Smart (Warner Bros.) than the affable Steve Carell, but it says something about this misbegotten undertaking that he seems miscast anyway. Losing the clunky analog charm of the original series, this kid-friendly digital redo often feels less like a spoof than like a third-rate James Bond film with pratfalls…
Apparently there was no room for Reaper (Lionsgate) on The CW's fall schedule, but it sure was fun while it lasted. Only championed by critics and a handful of loyalists, the show should find a minor cult appreciation on DVD, where its silly, darkly funny supernatural hijinks can get some distance from the network responsible for Farmer Wants A Wife. While the season leans too much on monster-of-the-week episodes, the premise of a young man doing the devil's bidding is a juicy one, especially when that devil is played by a gleefully sinister Ray Wise…
It's a shame that Brad Anderson's thriller Transsiberian (First Look) couldn't find a wider appreciation for its mix of white-knuckle suspense and cross-cultural misunderstandings. The action takes place on the rails from Beijing to Moscow, and as half (with Woody Harrelson) of an American couple that gets into trouble, Emily Mortimer digs into a complicated character who seems decent and trustworthy, but often acts out of ruthless self-interest when the pressure's on…
When Waterworld bombed in 1995, industry insiders blamed its brevity: The film's unconscionably short 136-minute running time afforded far too little time for the pee-drinking and skulking that made Kevin Costner's man-fish into cinema's most beloved hero. Thankfully, Universal has finally responded to Waterworld fans' angry demands with the Waterworld: 2-Disc Extended Edition (Universal), which includes both the original cut and a 177-minute director's cut that promises far more urine-drinking action.
