John Leguizamo Movies
Colombian-born actor and comedian John Leguizamo has made a career proving that it is possible to be taken seriously both as a raunchy comic performer and a serious dramatic actor. Since 1991, when he won over audiences and critics with his one-man show, the off-Broadway Mambo Mouth, Leguizamo has been working steadily in film, television, and theater. Whether playing lowlife criminals, conflicted womanizers, or flamboyant drag queens, he has impressed viewers with his often sharply satirical characterizations of Latinos, making fun of stereotypes even as he blows them to smithereens.Born in Bogota, Colombia, on July 22, 1964, Leguizamo immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of four. Deciding that he wanted to go into acting, he studied the craft at New York University and with the legendary Lee Strasberg for one day before Strasberg died. Of his teacher's unexpected departure, Leguizamo later quipped, "I have that effect on people." Leguizamo began his career as a standup comedian in various New York clubs, and debuted on television with a 1986 turn on Miami Vice. His film debut followed in 1989 with a small role in De Palma's Casualties of War.
In 1991, Leguizamo appeared in similarly incidental roles in a number of movies, including Die Hard 2 and Regarding Henry, which cast him as the gunman who shoots Harrison Ford in the head. The same year, however, his career advanced, thanks to both a starring role in Hangin' With the Homeboys and the aforementioned Mambo Mouth. This successful production, in which Leguizamo portrayed seven different Latino characters, played to sold-out theaters and won its star and writer Obie and Outer Critics Circle Awards. It was later shown on HBO, where it won a CableACE award. Two years later, Leguizamo returned to the stage, this time with Spic-O-Rama. Another one-man show, it enjoyed a sold-out run in Chicago before relocating to New York, where it won its creator a Drama Desk Award and, when it aired on HBO, four CableACE Awards. That same year, Leguizamo also kept busy in film: A second outing with De Palma, Carlito's Way, resulted in acclaim for his performance as "Benny Blanco from the Bronx," a young punk who brings out the worst in a trying-to-mend-his-ways Al Pacino. The actor then netted additional recognition for his first starring role in a major film, Super Mario Bros. In 1995, Leguizamo created and starred in House of Buggin', a TV comedy-variety show in the style of Fox's In Living Color that was the first show of its kind to feature an all-Latino cast. Despite a number of positive reviews and two Emmy nominations, the show was canceled after a relatively brief run. Meanwhile, Leguizamo's film work was winning him greater recognition: His turn as the flamboyantly trashy Chi Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar netted him a Golden Globe nomination.
Leguizamo continued on a prolific bent, starring in Pest and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet in 1996 and making additional appearances in such films as The Fan (1996), Spawn (1997), and Dr. Dolittle (1998), in which he was cast as the voice of a rat. However, he received his most favorable notices for his continuing stage work, as he made his Broadway debut in 1998 with Freak, a "demi-semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical" one-man show directed by Pest co-creator David Bar Katz. The show was a critical and commercial success, and it won an Emmy when it was shown on TV later that year. In 1999, Leguizamo took on a very different role for Spike Lee's Summer of Sam. Playing a womanizer racked with Catholic guilt for cheating on his wife (Mira Sorvino), Leguizamo combined humor and pathos in his characterization of a deeply conflicted man. 1999 also saw Leguizamo branch out into producing, serving as executive producer (and star) of Frank Whaley's directorial debut, Joe the King. Also starring Ethan Hawke, Camryn Manheim, and Val Kilmer, the crime-drama premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a screenwriting award. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG
- Add Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to QueueAdd Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs to top of Queue
The fun continues as Diego, Manny, and Sid all return for another round of prehistoric fun in this installment of the popular computer-animated children's series. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
- 2009
- R
- Add Gamer to Queue
Reality and video games merge in this high-concept sci-fi action thriller from Crank creators Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. In the not too distant future, mind-control technology allows humans to control the actions and movements of other humans, allowing reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) to create the ultimate video game. It's called "Slayers," and it's a mass-scale, multiplayer online first-person shooter that's as controversial as it is popular. In the world of gamers, Simon (Logan Lerman) is a rock star; miraculously managing to keep his character alive week after week, he racks up frags like Billy Mitchell jumps barrels. But unlike Mitchell's Mario, Simon's video-game avatar is a living, breathing human being named Kable (Gerard Butler). Defying the odds to keep Kable running and gunning though even the most explosive battles, Simon captures the imagination of a global audience. Torn from his family, thrown into prison, and forced to fight against his will, Kable realizes that his only hope of ever seeing his family again is to somehow escape the game, reclaim his identity, and expose Castle's dehumanizing technology on live television. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Amber Valletta, (more)
- 2008
- R
- Add The Ministers to Queue
A New York City Homicide Detective unwittingly becomes involved with one of the men who murdered her father thirteen years prior in this thriller starring John Leguizamo and Harvey Keitel. It's been over a decade since Celeste Santana (Florencia Lozano) lost her father in a violent shooting. The only evidence discovered at the scene of the crime was a pamphlet for a mysterious religious order dubbed "The Ministers." Upon crossing paths with the man she believes responsible for her father's untimely demise, Detective Santana prepares to ensure that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Harvey Keitel, (more)
Jon Avnet's thriller Righteous Kill stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as a pair of Big Apple police officers investigating a series of murders committed by a serial killer. Carla Gugino co-stars as a crime-scene investigator who has romantic ties to De Niro. 50 Cent, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, and John Leguizamo co-star. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, (more)
Freddy Rodriguez, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Alfred Molina, and Elizabeth Peña star in Washington Heights director Alfredo de Villa's earnest family drama about the importance of familial relationships in times of personal crisis. The snow is falling and Christmas has come to Chicago. For the Rodriguez family, there is particular cause to celebrate this year; youngest sibling Jesse (Rodriguez) has recently returned home safe and sound after fighting in the war overseas. But as the members of the Rodriguez family converge on their parent's home, there's a strange sense of tension lingering heavy in the cool winter air. Despite the fact that Jesse is doing his best to get back in the good graces of his old flame, she seems reluctant to forgive him for leaving in the first place. Meanwhile, his older sister, Roxanna, has little to show for time spent chasing her Hollywood dreams, and eldest brother Mauricio (Leguizamo) is married to a high-strung executive who seems more interested in advancing her career than starting a family. But while none of this sits too well with concerned mother Anna (Peña), the bombshell she's about to drop could prove the straw that broke this family's back. When Anna announces to her children that she is planning to divorce their father, Eduardo (Molina), Roxanna, Jesse, and Mauricio instinctively pull together and begin to reevaluate their past while looking at the future in a whole new light. Later, as lingering resentments are let go and weakened bonds are reaffirmed, the Rodriquez family begins to experience the healing power of laughter while discovering that together as a family they are far stronger than they ever could be apart. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Freddy Rodriguez, John Leguizamo, (more)
Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
Spike Lee's World War II film Miracle at St. Anna begins in 1983 with Hector Negron, a veteran of that war, unexpectedly shooting a customer dead. Police discover that the suspect, a quiet postal worker, kept a statue head worth millions of dollars in his apartment. An eager young reporter (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) interviews Negron in his cell about the mysterious artifact. While serving in the all-minority 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division, Negron and three comrades managed to sneak deep into enemy territory in Italy. One of the men, Sam Train (Omar Benson Miller), picked the head up while they were serving in Florence and believes it brings him good luck. Negron (Laz Alonso), Train, and Bishop Cummings (Michael Ealy), along with their sergeant, Aubrey Stamps (Derek Luke), take refuge in the Italian village of St. Anna, harbored by locals who are resisting the Nazis -- who themselves surround the area. Train also protects an injured Italian boy he discovers while investigating a seemingly abandoned dwelling. Eventually, the soldiers make contact with their superiors, and are ordered to capture a German so that he may be interrogated about an upcoming attack. Lee adapted Miracle at St. Anna from a novel by James McBride, who also penned the screenplay. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, (more)
A girl who will risk it all to get into the United States and the boy who will follow her through hell to get into her pants embark on the biggest adventure of their lives in director Simon Brand's adaptation of author Jorge Franco's bestselling novel. Reina and Marlon are both from middle-class neighborhoods in Columbia. While Reina longs for the day she will escape to the United States in search of the American Dream, Marlon bides his time in hopes of winning Reina's heart. When Raina announces that she has discovered a way of getting into the United States illegally, Marlon reluctantly agrees to join her on the journey. Shortly after arriving in New York City and checking into a ramshackle hostel, Reina disappears into the city. Now left to fend for himself on the unfamiliar streets of Queens, Marlon is forced to navigate this shocking new world on his own. During his search for Reina, memories of the pair's harrowing journey into the U.S. come flooding back to Marlon. Just as Marlon is beginning to feel hopelessly lost, however, a stuttering sadomasochist (John Leguizamo) who rules over a dank crash pad takes the frightened boy under his wing. But with every step Marlon takes towards a new life, his old obsession with Reina threatens to drag him down into the abyss. Despite the fact that he once dreamed of building future together with Reina, Marlon is about to discover that sometimes you have to lose what you want in order to discover what you really need. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aldemar Correa, John Leguizamo, (more)
Based on Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez's novel of the same name, director Mike Newell's Love in the Time of Cholera details a passionate love triangle that unfolds in turn-of-the-century South America. Oscar-winning Pianist scribe Ronald Harwood adapts the story of two young lovers who bide their time for years while anxiously awaiting the day they can finally be together. Through marriages, affairs, careers, and deaths, the couple never loses hope that destiny will unite them in the end. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Javier Bardem, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, (more)
After months of living in an inner-city homeless shelter, Frank Diaz (John Leguizamo) receives an opportunity to get an apartment for his family on Christmas Eve. When Frank learns that he must first provide proof of employment before taking occupancy, he and his stepson set out to find the job that could become the first step in a whole new life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Leonor Varela, (more)
When an elaborate bank robbery goes horribly awry and hostage negotiations hit a hitch, two men on opposite sides of the law become locked in a violent collision course in this eight-episode Spike TV series. Created by The Negotiator co-scripter James DeMonaco, The Kill Point opens as the disgruntled Gulf War veteran-turned-bank robber Mr. Wolf (John Leguizamo) attempts to take control of a situation that's fast unraveling. As bullets begin to fly and the robbers retreat deeper into the bank, wealthy Lawrence Beck (Tobin Bell) makes it clear that he's willing to pay a tidy sum to ensure the release of his frightened daughter (Christina Evangelista). Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Police Department Hostage Negotiator Horst Cali (Donnie Wahlberg) attempts to negotiate with the increasingly volatile Mr. Wolf. With each passing minute, it seems as if the stress of dealing with both the police and his own men is fast taking its toll on Mr. Wolf's damaged psyche. Now, as the FBI arrives determined to bring this bitter stand off to an end, steely-cop Cali will find his negotiating skills put to the ultimate test. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg, (more)
A bored suburban husband finds his affair with a high-school babysitter fast snowballing out of control in this black comedy from first-time screenwriter/director David Ross. Shirley (Katherine Waterston) is a brainy honors student who is always thinking about the future, and works part-time as a babysitter in order to save up for college. Among Shirley's regular charges are spirited youngsters Adam and Mikey, the offspring of respected father Michael (John Leguizamo) and his pretty wife, Gail (Cynthia Nixon). Shirley has always had an innocent crush on Michael, but one night after her regular shift, things take a serious turn when the pair sneaks a furtive kiss. Lately Michael has become noticeably depressed by the suburban routine, longing for the days before family responsibility weighed him down and his wife turned into the typical minivan-driving soccer mom. Shirley's kiss makes Michael feel alive again, and as a result he gives her a substantial tip that night. Before long, however, a fleeting kiss has turned into a full-fledged affair, with Michael and Shirley using the babysitting shifts as cover. When Michael's married friends catch wind of his extramarital exploits, they, too, express the want for a babysitter who is willing to earn a healthy tip. Recognizing the potential for profit in such a situation, Shirley soon assumes the role of teenage madam -- matching up her high-school friends with otherwise upstanding men who have grown bored with married life. Of course, Shirley isn't above skimming a bit of the profits for her college fund, but then again it's only a matter of time before their carefully crafted cover is blown. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Katherine Waterston, (more)
Music video director Brad Furman teams with Josh and Jonas Pate, the creators of the NBC series Surface, for this independent drama tracing an armored truck driver's efforts to track down the thief who shot him during a heist, changing his life forever. John Leguizamo stars as the driver who must endure months of rehabilitation before setting out to track down the gunman, and Tyrese Gibson plays the man responsible for pulling the trigger. Rosie Perez and Bobby Cannavale co-star in a thriller that was shot guerrilla-style in the Latino neighborhoods of Los Angeles. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Rosie Perez, (more)
Five longtime friends enjoy a few days of celebratory carousing as they try to forget their adult responsibilities in this slice-of-life comedy drama from director/writer/actor Edward Burns. Paulie (Burns) is a working-class guy from Long Island who has learned that his longtime girlfriend (Brittany Murphy) is pregnant, and he decides he should do the right thing and marry her. Paulie has asked several of his best friends to stand with him at the wedding, and shortly before the big day, they get together at a local watering hole to give Paulie a proper send-off. Over the course of a weekend, the guys knock back a lot of beer, play a little softball, swat some golf balls, head out fishing and share their thoughts, with each man having some unresolved baggage to deal with. While Paulie is excited about his upcoming marriage, he's scared of how parenthood will change his life. His older brother, Jimbo (Donal Logue), has been arguing with his wife and spending his time in topless bars, but inside he's worried about the fact his wife hasn't been able to get pregnant, and he's convinced it's his fault. Des (Matthew Lillard) is a seemingly happy husband and father, but he seems to be more interested in getting his old rock band back together than spending time with his family. Mike (Jay Mohr) wants to settle down and have kids, but he can't imagine doing so with any woman other than the girl who dumped him some time ago. And while T.C. (John Leguizamo) goes out of his way to like one of the guys, he doesn't have the nerve to tell his best friends that he's gay. The Groomsmen received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Burns, Brittany Murphy, (more)
When a reformed grifter currently running a prosperous alibi service for adulterous husbands inadvertently becomes an accessory to murder, he is forced to execute one last, well-timed con as a means of clearing his name in this lightning fast caper comedy starring Steve Coogan, Rebecca Romijin, Selma Blair, and Sam Elliot. Ray (Coogan) is a smooth operator with a special knack for helping his fellow man dodge the proverbial bullet. When a married man simply can't resist the urge to have a bit of fun on the side, Ray is the man they call to ensure that word of their infidelity never gets back to their unsuspecting wives. When the spoiled son of a high-profile client accidentally kills his clandestine lover on the eve of his wedding, Ray is shocked to discover that he has been implicated in the crime. With a small-town cop targeting him on one side and a mysterious assassin known as "The Mormon" locking him into his sights from the other, desperate Ray must now enlist the aid of his beautiful new recruit Lola (Romijin) in carrying out one last con designed to both clear his name, and save his life. The debut feature from co-directors Matt Checkowski and Kurt Mattilda, Lies and Alibis also features performances by James Brolin, Henry Rollins, James Marsden, Debi Mazar, Jerry O'Connell, and John Leguizamo. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Coogan, Rebecca Romijn, (more)
Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), and Diego (Denis Leary) may have made it through the big freeze, but when the ice begins to melt, the heroic trio must warn the other inhabitants of their peaceful valley of the coming flood in directors Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha's sequel to the computer-animated 2002 hit Ice Age. As the ice age winds to an end, the animals of the Earth have taken warmly to the melting paradise that surrounds them. Despite the false comfort of a lush valley teeming with vegetation, however, great danger looms just over the horizon. When Manny, Sid, and Diego realize that the miles of liquefying ice overlooking their valley will soon turn from a gentle trickle to a violent force of nature capable of destroying anything and everything unfortunate enough to be in its path, they quickly set out to spread the word and get their endangered friends out of harm's way. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
George A. Romero, who revolutionized the American horror film in 1968 with the instant classic Night of the Living Dead, returns to his dystopian zombie cycle with this horror thriller. In Land of the Dead, the zombies whose numbers had been slowly but steadily growing through Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead now dominate the streets of most American cities, while urban skyscrapers have been taken over by surviving humans, usually greed-addled opportunists who allow the living to stay in their fortified compounds for a price. Guarding the buildings are rough-and-tumble mercenaries who have learned to do battle with the zombies, making use of powerful weapons to gain advantage. But as the zombie civilization grows, the creatures have begun to slowly evolve, with their dormant thought processes beginning to awaken, and as unrest begins to ferment among the mercenaries and the entrepreneurs who pay them, the ghouls may have found a way to defeat the last stronghold of humanity. Land of the Dead stars Dennis Hopper as arch capitalist Kaufman, and Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Robert Joy, and Asia Argento as some of the mercenaries; Asia Argento's father, Dario Argento, served as a producer on one of the earlier films in the series, Dawn of the Dead. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, (more)
One of television's most beloved sitcoms gets an overhaul for the big screen in this comedy. Ralph Kramden (Cedric the Entertainer) is a New York City bus driver who has great ambitions and plans to make something of himself one day. However, Ralph's big ideas usually take the form of half-baked get-rich-quick schemes which invariably fail, much to the chagrin of his long-suffering wife, Alice (Gabrielle Union). But Ralph always has a loyal ally in his best friend and upstairs neighbor, Ed Norton (Mike Epps), a sewer worker who also has a wife who is weary of his antics, Trixie (Regina Hall). Alice and Trixie have a plan to come up with the down payment for a dream house: a suburban duplex that's being eyed by a shady developer (Eric Stoltz). But when Ralph and Ed decide to spend their savings on training a stray mutt for the New Jersey dog races, they threaten both couples' futures. Based on the classic Jackie Gleason and Art Carney series, The Honeymooners also stars John Leguizamo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, (more)
An aspiring musician looking to break big finds the singer who may finally be able to make his dreams come true in director Renee Chabria's musical drama starring John Leguizamo and Elizabeth Peña. There's nothing that Antonio (Leguizamo) wants more out of life than to be standing on the stage with the spotlight shining down on him. Soon after purchasing a bus ticket to Los Angeles and leaving his Mexican border town behind, Antonio falls for aspiring young doctor Nina (Ana Claudia Talancon). When Antonio discovers that his new neighbor Mirabella is a gifted former singer who has fallen on hard times, he convinces the struggling single mother to put her faith in her abilities and prepare for the upcoming talent contest that may just lead the pair to a future full of prosperity and creative freedom. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Ana Claudia Talancón, (more)
This action-packed remake of the John Carpenter classic tells the tale of an under-manned Detroit police precinct on its last day of operation that finds itself under siege by a ruthless force that will not stop. This time, a notorious cop-killer and mobster Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishbourne) is unexpectedly brought into the precinct during a blizzard on New Year's Eve, much to the dismay of police sergeant Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke). By nightfall, the remaining cops and prisoners find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of rogue cops intent on taking down Bishop before he testifies against them in the courtroom. Now it's up to the officers, secretaries, and inmates on the inside to band together just to survive this one night. Also starring Gabriel Byrne, John Leguizamo, Drea de Matteo, and Brian Dennehy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, (more)
A man with a secret forms an uneasy alliance with an opportunistic reporter in this drama from Mexico. Manolo Bonilla (John Leguizamo) is a broadcast journalist for a Latin-American tabloid television series who has been sent to Ecuador to cover the funeral services of three children who fell victim to a mass murderer known as "the Monster of Babahoyo." Shortly after Bonilla finishes interviewing a young mourner, the child is struck by a car driven by Vinicio Cepeda (Damián Alcázar), a traveling salesman who pedals bibles. The crowd assembled to pay their respects flies into a rage, pulling Cepeda from his car and nearly killing him. Bonilla's intervention ends up saving Cepeda's life, but the reporter is ashamed to admit that he and his cameraman didn't break through the crowd to save the driver, but in hopes of getting a better shot of those beating him. Cepeda is jailed for manslaughter, and when Bonilla visits him behind bars, he shares some unexpected news with the reporter -- he claims to know the identity of "the Monster of Babahoyo," and also knows where the killer has buried other victims. Cepeda is willing to share this information if Bonilla can help get him out of jail, but instead of handing the information to the police, Bonilla decides to investigate himself, certain that another scoop on the case will boost his ratings and his career. Crónicas was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" series at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Leonor Watling, (more)
Lex Vargas (John Leguizamo, who also directed the film) is a promising young boxer living in Jackson Heights, Queens. He works at the family bodega for his older brother, Paulie (David Zayas), but he and his best friend and manager, Loco (Clifton Collins Jr. of The Rules of Attraction), dream of getting out of the neighborhood. Lex wins a PAL championship, and things are looking up, when Paulie is shot by a robber. After Loco convinces him to go on, Lex manages to convince an experienced local trainer, Victor (Nestor Serrano, who starred with Leguizamo in Hangin' with the Homeboys and Empire), to work with him. Before long, Lex has the full attention of Mack (Omar Benson Miller), a shady music promoter who's looking to go into boxing management. Through Mack, he meets Lizette (Vanessa Ferlito), an aspiring singer whose interest in Lex seems tied to his financial fortunes. Before long, Lex finds himself in conflict with Loco and his old friends from the neighborhood, who don't fit in with his lavish new lifestyle. Mack introduces Lex to Seth Green (Robert Forster), a powerful promoter. Before long, Green has Lex fighting for the welterweight title, but the boxer still finds himself torn between his old loyalties and his desire to rise to the top. Undefeated was Leguizamo's directorial debut, and he also worked on the story with screenwriter Frank Pugliese. The film was produced for HBO, and features appearances by HBO boxing commentators Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Clifton Collins, Jr., (more)
A team of "sub-zero heroes" band together to save a human infant in this digitally animated feature from Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge, whose unique lighting software (called "Ray Tracing") sets his visual style apart from earlier CGI efforts. Twenty thousand years ago, the Earth is overrun by freezing temperatures in an Ice Age that is sending all manner of critters scattering in the path of encroaching glaciers. When a lost human infant is discovered, an unlikely quartet of misfits forms to return it to its mother: Manny, a depressed woolly mammoth (Ray Romano); Sid, a fast-talking sloth (John Leguizamo); an acorn-crazed squirrel named Scrat (Wedge); and the devilish saber-toothed tiger named Diego (Denis Leary). Before they can complete their mission, the reluctant compatriots will brave pits of boiling lava, dangerous caverns of ice, and even a traitorous plot within their midst. Ice Age (2002) also features the voices of Jack Black, Jane Krakowski, and Goran Visnjic. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, (more)
Point of Origin, produced by HBO, marks the feature directorial debut of accomplished cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (Three Kings, X-Men). The film is based on an actual serial arson investigation that took place in Glendale, CA, in the late '80s and early '90s. Ray Liotta stars in the film as John Orr, a skilled arson investigator with a sixth sense for finding the "point of origin," the place where a fire was started. Orr also has a knack for locating the devices used to start the fires. Keith Lang (John Leguizamo), his ambitious young protégé, calls Orr "Professor." Orr is stumped by a series of big fires, some fatal, which seem to have been set by the same arsonist. A commission is appointed to investigate the case, headed up by ATF agent Mike Matasso (Colm Feore) and fireman Mike Camello (Cliff Curtis). Orr uses his influence to get Lang appointed to the panel. But Matasso and Orr are immediately at odds with each other, as the ATF man seems to resent Orr's efforts to maintain control of the investigation. Orr is also dealing with his troubled marriage to Wanda (Bai Ling) and is having an affair with the volatile Kate (Illeana Douglas). As he gets deeper into the case, trying to get inside the head of the criminal, Orr begins to worry that the arsonist has some kind of personal involvement with him. Then the commission uncovers a link to an earlier string of fires, and uncovers evidence that the arsonist may actually be a fireman. The actual investigators, Matasso and Camello, have cameos in the film, and Camello also served as one of the film's technical advisors. These events were also the basis for Joseph Wambaugh's book Fire Lover: A True Story. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
