Happy Walters Movies

Life on the streets isn't worth the shot of a bullet when you haven't got a full clip, and when the police are corrupt the only way to take back the neighborhood is to lock, load, and set your sights on the racist powers attempting to quiet the voice of the people. When his father dies, Joshua Pope (Busta Rhymes) returns to his hometown to discover that his formerly quiet neighborhood has been taken over by a thuggish, power-mad police squad. An encounter with his old friend Duncan (Xzibit) reveals that the situation is even more dire than he previously thought, and together the old friends scheme to take down the corrupt lawmen and take back the streets. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Four years after scoring a box-office touchdown with Blade (1998), actor Wesley Snipes returns to portray the Marvel Comics character again in this sequel that teams him with Mexican horror director Guillermo del Toro. A half-vampire, half-human hybrid, Blade (Snipes) is a merciless vampire hunter bent on destroying the bloodsuckers that feed on humanity. The keys to Blade's success are a serum that allows him to resist the urge for blood and an array of inventive, deadly weapons, both of which were once supplied by his mentor, Whistler (Kris Kristofferson). Since Whistler's death, Blade has relocated to Prague and recruited the pot-smoking slacker Scud (Norman Reedus) to take the place of his father figure, but then he discovers that Whistler's not dead after all: He's been infected with the vampire virus. Reunited with Whistler, Blade is dealt an even bigger surprise: His greatest enemy, vampire leader Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann), wants to make peace with him. It seems that the vampires are facing a greater threat than Blade and hope to persuade him to fight the Reapers, a mutated super-race of vampires on a rampage of murder, indiscriminately killing both humans and their fellow bloodsuckers while sucking their victims dry. Blade agrees to a truce and joins the Bloodpack, an elite squad of commandos originally formed to fight Blade himself. Soon, the vampire soldiers discover that the virus responsible for creating their enemies is spreading rapidly and can be traced back to a mysterious "Patient Zero." Blade 2 (2002) co-stars Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Donnie Yen, and Matt Schulze. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Former X-Files writer James Wong makes his sophomore feature as a director at the helm of this science fiction thriller that's reminiscent of Timecop (1994). In the near future, a technology called "quantum tunneling" allows human beings to travel between parallel universes. The abuse of this ability by criminal elements has led to the formation of the Multi-Verse Authorities or "MVA," an agency of quantum traveling cops who apprehend violators of inter-dimensional laws. The MVA faces its greatest crisis when a former agent named Gabriel Yulaw (Jet Li) goes renegade, traveling between one universe and the next, murdering his own parallel selves and gaining enormous power with each slaying. It is believed that when Yulaw has become "the one," the only version of himself to exist, he will be omnipotent, but the final Gabriel Yulaw exists in our plane of existence (the "magna universe") and is also becoming stronger, though he doesn't understand why. Hot on the evil Yulaw's trail are his former partner Harry Roedecker (Delroy Lindo) and Harry's new colleague Evan Funsch (Jason Statham). Created with Wong's longtime writing and producing partner Glen Morgan, The One (2001) co-stars Carla Gugino. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

A man trying to run away from trouble finds it follows him in unexpected ways in this action-packed vehicle for comic actors Eddie Griffin and Orlando Jones. Daryl Chase (Jones) is a successful investment banker who handles international accounts for a major New York firm. Chase discovers to his surprise that one of his biggest clients, a company from Mexico, is actually a front for a cartel of drug smugglers; Chase realizes too late that he's been framed for money laundering, and is now wanted by the FBI. Chase is soon approached by a CIA agent, who thinks Chase's relationship with the Mexican drug kingpins might prove useful, but when his local contact disappears, Chase has to make his way to Mexico in order to save his skin and hopefully clear his name. Needing a new identity to get out of town and across the border, Chase obtains a stolen passport -- and soon learns the man whose name he's using is in even deeper trouble with the law than himself. With nowhere else to turn, Chase asks streetwise hustler Freddie Tiffany (Griffin) to help him get out of town; Chase will pretend to be Freddie, while Tiffany will pose as a businessman like Chase. However, Chase finds out Tiffany isn't the man he thought he was, and that his sticky situation is even more perilous and fraught with secrets than he imagined. Double Take was inspired by the 1957 drama Across The Bridge, which was in turn based on a novel by Graham Greene; the supporting cast includes Edward Herrmann, Gary Grubbs, Garcelle Beauvais, and Daniel Roebuck. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

If you think you've seen a man killing someone, does that mean you shouldn't be dating him? This and other questions about modern relationships are explored in this offbeat romantic comedy. Amanda Pierce (Monica Potter) has found a great job (restoring paintings for the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and a great place to live: a spacious East Side apartment that she shares with four successful models, played by Ivana Milicevic, Shalom Harlow, Sarah O'Hare, and Tomiko Fraser. Amanda is still in the market for a great boyfriend, since most of her previous relationships have ended in broken promises or infidelity. She thinks she may have found the right guy in Jim Winston (Freddie Prinze Jr.), but she has reason to believe that he might be guilty of murder. Since she's not sure he has actually done anything, she decides to find out the truth, and her investigation has unexpectedly comic consequences. Head Over Heels was directed by Mark S. Waters, whose first feature, The House of Yes, also starred Freddie Prinze Jr.. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This action thriller co-written by filmmaker Luc Besson stars Jet Li as Liu Jian, a Chinese intelligence officer in Paris on an assignment that finds him in the midst of an international conspiracy. When Liu's investigation gets too close to uncovering the truth, his life is seriously jeopardized and he's forced to creatively employ his martial arts skills, which includes using a pool ball and the French flag as defensive props. In the meantime, romantic sparks fly between Liu and a sexy witness (Bridget Fonda), while the agent discovers that a trusted French peer (longtime Besson featured player Tcheky Karyo) is actually the double-crossing criminal mastermind he's seeking. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Prakazrel Michel, better known as Pras from the top-selling R&B group The Fugees, stars in this urban drama based on both his solo album Ghetto Superstar and his novel of the same name. Diamond (Pras) is an up-and-coming musician who is trying to use his creative gifts to work his way out of the ghetto after the traumatic death of his mother. But he soon discovers that the music industry is nearly as corrupt and dangerous as the streets he's trying to leave behind, and Diamond is guided into a life of crime by his shady friend Gage (Ja Rule). In addition, Diamond must content with the unexpected pregnancy of his girlfriend Tamara (Tamala Jones), and attempts by his father Cliff (Vondie Curtis-Hall) to mend their contentious relationship. Turn It Up, which was produced under the title Ghetto Superstar, also features Eugene Clark and Patricia Velasquez. Madonna helped to produce the film through her production company, Madguy Films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Best buddies Abbie (Madonna), a heterosexual yoga instructor, and Robert (Rupert Everett), a gay landscaper, cope with failed relationships, the approach of middle age, and the AIDS-related death of a mutual friend by sticking together as a "family of choice." Drunk one night, they have sex, and when Abbie turns up pregnant, they decide to move in together and raise the child as decidedly unconventional co-parents. Flash forward several years and Abbie begins dating Ben (Benjamin Bratt), an investment banker. The new relationship causes tension between Abbie and Robert that ultimately leads to betrayal, courtroom confrontation, and a sudden denouement. Everett, a sometime writer of trashy comic novels such as Hello Darling, Are You Working?, reportedly supplied the film's concept and even additional dialogue, although Tom Ropelewski is the credited screenwriter. This was pop diva Madonna's first film role since the hoopla of Evita; she supplied a highly edited hit cover of Don McLean's "American Pie" and one other song for the soundtrack, which was released on her own Maverick imprint. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

The Farrelly Brothers set this romantic comedy in their home state of Rhode Island. In 1985, when teen-nerd Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) challenges a high-schooler who's bullying retarded Warren Jenson (W. Earl Brown), his concern prompts Warren's sister, the dazzling and desirable Mary Jenson (Cameron Diaz) to choose Ted as her senior prom date, a fact Ted's pals find hard to believe. However, on prom night, Ted gets his penis caught in his zipper, so the much-desired date never happens. Living in Providence and waxing nostalgic 13 years later, Ted hires Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to locate Mary, and the creepy private investigator finds her in Miami, where she lives with her tan-shriveled roommate Magda (Lin Shaye). After Pat develops a stalker-style fixation on the lovely, unattached Mary, he lies to Ted, telling him that she's now an overweight mother confined to a wheelchair. Employing professional eavesdropping equipment, Pat gathers a dossier on Mary's life and future plans, information that forms the basis for more lies when Pat begins dating her. Sure enough, Mary falls for Pat, although her friend Tucker (Lee Evans) is very suspicious of Pat's claim to be a Harvard-educated architect. Meanwhile, Ted learns the truth but continues to encounter offbeat obstacles as he accelerates to Miami in hopes of finding happiness with his true love. Former Modern Lovers singer Jonathan Richman vocalizes a narrative ballad of onscreen commentary in the Cat Ballou (1965) tradition. Most of the cast sings and frolics to Build Me Up, Buttercup by The Foundations during the closing credits. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

A young drifter unexpectedly wanders into a maelstrom of bizarre sex and shameful secrets in this drama. With a mere seven dollars to his name, Clay Hewitt (Vince Vaughn) happens upon a ranch run by Delilah Potts (Kate Capshaw), a hard-as-nails widow who inherited a cattle empire from her late husband but needed no advice on how to keep it financially successful. While Delilah has become a success in business, she's had much less luck in love; to satisfy her ravenous sexual appetites, she often calls upon her various ranch hands to spend the night with her -- and they learn that saying no to the boss will only make trouble for them later on. Clay asks Delilah for a job, and she agrees; she also invites him to her bed and is startled when he turns her down. While Clay is cautiously fascinated by Delilah, his heart goes out to Flyboy (Jeremy Davies), Delilah's disturbed and withdrawn son who appears to need a friend to reach out to. Clay becomes involved with Kitty (Ashley Judd), a sweet local girl, and together they try to help Flyboy break out of his shell, only to discover that his problems -- and Delilah's -- run deeper than they ever expected. Also released under the title A Secret Sin, The Locusts marked the feature debut of writer and director John Patrick Kelley. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide