Dennis Dugan

When two testosterone-fueled firemen attempt to register as domestic partners in order to bypass the bureaucratic red tape preventing one of them from naming his own two children as his life-insurance beneficiaries, their low-key ruse turns into headline news in this quirky matrimonial comedy starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Chuck Levine (Sandler) and Larry Valentine (James) are two New York City firefighters whose longtime friendship has endured many a five-alarm fire. All that widower Larry wants is to ensure that his two children will be taken care of if anything should happen to him on the job, and all that single blaze-battler Chuck wants is to carry on with his carefree life of noncommitment. Having once rescued Larry from certain death in a particularly fearsome inferno, beholden Chuck feels forever indebted to his brave friend and has vowed to repay the favor when the time is right. When Larry discovers that the only means of circumventing the civic red tape that could throw his children's futures into jeopardy is to take Chuck as his lawfully wedded husband, his obligated pal reluctantly agrees to step up to the alter with the understanding that the arrangement will be a well-kept secret between themselves and the justice of the peace. A potentially fatal flaw in their presumably foolproof plan is soon revealed, however, when an overzealous bureaucrat decides to question Chuck and Larry's partnership. Subsequently forced to embark on a mandatory honeymoon and pose as starry-eyed newlyweds, Chuck and Larry quickly discover just how important it can be to stick by a friend in his or her time of need. Jessica Biel, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, and Dan Aykroyd co-star in a comedy from The Benchwarmers director Dennis Dugan. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Just before Christmas, idealistic greeting-card writer Allen Karroll (Tom Everett Scott) cooks up a "special moment" wherein he will propose to his sweetheart Carrie (Deanna Milligan) in a public place before thousands of oohing and aahing spectators. Alas, Carrie turns him down flat, so thoroughly humiliating Allen that he ends up hating the Yuletide season. Not long afterward, Allen is visited by four disreputable-looking ghosts, including a very hip Jacob Marley (or is it Bob Marley?) Can it be that our hero has morphed into a latter-day incarnation of Ebenezer Scrooge? Not quite: All of the ghosts have come to the wrong address. Turns out that the real Scrooge of the piece is Alex's nasty next-door neighbor Zeb Rosecog (Wallace Shawn), who'd once been CEO for the company which employs Alex. His curiosity aroused, Allen overcomes his intense dislike for Zeb to investigate the source of the man's misanthropy--and in so doing learns a lot about himself. A clever spin on an all-too-familiar fable, Karroll's Christmas was produced for cable, and was originally telecast December 14, 2004 by the A&E network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This romantic comedy is from director, former actor, and regular Adam Sandler collaborator Dennis Dugan. Darren Silverman (Jason Biggs) is a loser at love, so his best friends J.D. (Jack Black) and Wayne (Steve Zahn) set him up on a date with his dream girl, Judith (Amanda Peet). A serious relationship develops and threatens to become a marriage, but J.D. and Wayne come to the conclusion that Judith is totally wrong for Darren. In an effort to reunite their pal with Sandy (Amanda Detmer), his long-lost love from school, they kidnap Judith. However, the wily bride to be is at least one step ahead of her captors in the wits department. Saving Silverman also stars R. Lee Ermey and Neil Diamond in a cameo role as himself. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The squad must deal with a murder witness (Kathleen Doyle) who obviously is not playing with a full deck -- and who is subsequently kidnapped on orders from the suspect's lawyer. Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Martinez' (Nicholas Turturro) investigation of the latest in a series of cab robberies unearths a dangerous sibling rivalry. Jill (Andrea Thompson) wonders if her close relationship with Cohen (Michael B. Silver) is a good idea when he tries to strike a bargain with a crooked attorney. And, with Gina out on pregnancy leave, the squad tries to adjust to the new temporary PAA, the ambitious Naomi Reynolds (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, in her first series appearance). This is the "Pop Goes the Weasel" episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Chris Farley stars as an unusual ninja fighter in this over-the-top comedy. An elite society of Japanese warriors have prophesied that one day a blonde-haired, fair-skinned child will come to their village and lead them as a fighter of remarkable skill and bravery. So when an American child who fell overboard on an ocean liner washes up on their shores, they adopt him as one of their own and patiently instruct him in the ways of a ninja. Trouble is, the child, whom they name Haru (Chris Farley), grows up to be fat, clumsy, not especially bright, and startlingly inept as a warrior. Undaunted, Haru struggles on with his ninja training, and when Alison (Nicolette Sheridan), a beautiful woman from America, requests a ninja fighter to return with her to the States and protect her from her criminal-minded boyfriend and his Yakuza associates, Haru eagerly accepts the assignment. Haru's minders see trouble brewing, so they secretly send along a fellow ninja, Gobei (Robin Shou), to watch his back, although this hardly prevents Haru from posing a deadly menace to inanimate objects everywhere. Jackie Chan was at one time announced to co-star in this film, which would prove to be the last Chris Farley vehicle released before his death in late 1997, though two other films he completed before his passing were released in 1998. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Investigating the murder of a chiropractor's wife, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Simone (Jimmy Smits) suspect that the victim's husband is the guilty party. Elsewhere, Simone's friend (Isabel Glasser) finds out that her young son is hiding a gun, and while moonlighting as a security guard, Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) is attracted to the person he is protecting, who lives in mortal fear of her father. This is the legendary NYPD Blue episode in which, while sharing a shower with his lady love Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence), Andy Sipowicz unabashedly displays his bare backside (and viewers couldn't say they weren't warned). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this television remake of Disney's zany feature, a teenager under a magic spell keeps turning into a sheepdog, much to his father's chagrin. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Brain Donors is a game attempt to redo the Marx Brothers' A Night at the Opera in a contemporary setting. John Turturro plays the "Groucho" character, a shifty lawyer (he's even given a Grouchoesque three-barrelled moniker). Bob Nelson is the "Harpo" counterpart, a puckish handyman. And Mel Smith completes the trio as a Chico-like cabbie. All three conspire to save a failing ballet company on behalf of dowager Nancy Marchand, who does a film-length impersonation of Margaret Dumont. At times, Pat Proft's script comes off more like a 3 Stooges short than a Marx Brothers romp, but that's not so bad. What hurts the film is its fluctuating pace, which shifts into neutral just when it should go into hyperdrive. Will Vinton's Claymation opening titles supply some of the film's biggest laughs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This final episode of Moonlighting finds Bert (Curtis Armstrong) and Agnes (Allyce Beasley) getting married, just as David (Bruce Willis) is breaking up with Annie (Virginia Madsen), the cousin of his partner and former lover Maddie (Cybill Shepherd). At the same time, the Blue Moon Detective Agency closes its doors, whereupon ABC network executive Walter Whitebread (Mark L. Taylor) solemnly begins dismantling the set. An eleventh-hour effort to save the Agency--and the series--is foiled by the demographic evidence supplied by big-time Hollywood producer Cy (played by Dennis Dugan, billed under his Moonlighting character name of Walter Bishop). Even worse--the Anselmo Case (you remember the Anselmo Case) may never be solved! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this first episode of a two-part story arc, Virginia Madsen guest stars as Maddie's married cousin Annie Charnock. When David (Bruce Willis) goes to great length to help Annie with her problems, Maddie assumes that it is because David is in love--not with Annie, but with Maddie! This episode was cowritten by longtime David Letterman associate Merrill Markoe), and features a very significant cameo appearance in the elevator scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Colleen Dewhurst guest stars as Betty Russell, a famous divorce lawyer better known as "The Barracuda." Exhibiting a hitherto well-hidden conscience, Russell hires Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) and David (Bruce Willis) to reunite Lydia and Nathan Kraft (Jane Hallaren, Lawrence Pressman), whose union Betty may have wrongly rent asunder. A special gift and an unanticipated murder both figure into the story, as does a discussion wherein the two stars ponder the possibility of staging a nude scene to improve Moonlighting's ever-sagging ratings! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide