Brett Ratner Movies
The only child to Jewish parents in Miami, FL, Brett Ratner was accepted to N.Y.U. at the age of 16. Attending the Tisch School for the Arts, he received funding from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment for his senior project Whatever Happened to Mason Reese?, a documentary about a child star. After forming a friendship with Def Jam producer Russell Simmons, Ratner began directing music videos for stars such as Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, and Madonna. It was Simmons who helped him get his first big break, directing Money Talks with Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen. Ratner worked with Tucker again for his sophomore effort, Rush Hour, a Jackie Chan comedy that broke box-office records for New Line Cinema. A brief departure into romantic comedy with The Family Man was not very well received, but the wild success of Rush Hour 2 brought him back into the limelight, and he soon landed the director's chair for The Silence of the Lambs prequel Red Dragon. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
A low-level criminal and a struggling newsman become unlikely partners in this comedy. Franklin Hatchett (Chris Tucker) is a fast-talking hustler who runs a small time ticket-scalping business. A TV news story by reporter James Russell (Charlie Sheen) brings Franklin's business to the attention of the police, and he finds himself under arrest. While being transported by police bus from one lock-up to another, Franklin is handcuffed to Raymond Villard (Gerard Ismael), a high-level jewel thief from Europe. Villard's henchmen stage a raid in which they explode the vehicle, killing most of the passengers (including two cops), but freeing their partner. Franklin is able to escape but learns that he's now wanted as a cop killer. Hoping to clear his name, Franklin approaches Russell with a deal -- if he'll hide him from the police and help him prove that he had nothing to do with the deadly explosion, he'll give the reporter an exclusive story, which could help Russell boost his sagging career. Money Talks also features Heather Locklear as Russell's fiancée Grace, and Paul Sorvino as Grace's father, who is quite impressed by Franklin's story that he's related to Vic Damone. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Tucker, Charlie Sheen, (more)
Brett Ratner directed this action-comedy that found box-office success by teaming Chris Tucker with Jackie Chan -- performing his own stunts as per his earlier films. As the story begins, Hong-Kong supercop Lee's (Chan), detective savvy leads to the confiscation of $500 million in weapons, drugs, and Chinese art. When Hong Kong Chinese Consul Han (Tzi Ma), is sent on a diplomatic mission to Los Angeles, his 11-year-old daughter, Soo Young (Julia Hsu), is abducted by an international criminal mastermind. The FBI assures Han they will find the kidnappers and return her safely, yet Han only trusts his longtime friend and ally (also his daughter's beloved martial arts teacher) Inspector Lee, who immediately flies in to help. Unwilling to have an outsider interfere in their investigation, the FBI assigns rogue LAPD detective (and buffoon) James Carter (Chris Tucker) to the case. Hoping to impress the FBI, Carter enthusiastically reports for work but is dismayed to discover his real mission is only to keep Lee away from the case (read b-a-b-y-s-i-t-t-e-r). The arrogant Carter reacts by embarking on a one-man crusade to solve the case, but he must first distract Lee. It doesn't take Carter long before he realizes he has greatly underestimated his Hong Kong counterpart, who sees what's going on and slips away. Impatient FBI agents try to cast off these unwanted misfit cops, but with an assist from LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson (Elizabeth Pena), Carter and Lee eventually confront the bad guys in a full-tilt action sequence. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, (more)
In this whimsical romantic comedy that recalls It's a Wonderful Life, Nicolas Cage plays Jack Campbell, a workaholic bachelor who gets to see what his life might have been like had he stayed with his old sweetheart, Kate (Tea Leoni). Thirteen years before, Jack accepted a brokerage internship that marred his relationship with Kate, under the promise that they would only be separated one year. But much later, Jack has become an urban Wall Street exec with no wife or family of his own, and a mysterious proxy (Don Cheadle) offers him the opportunity to step into the life he left behind. After falling asleep in his posh New York apartment, Jack awakens to find himself in bed with his now-wife Kate, daughter Annie (Makenzie Vega), and a new baby, none of which he has ever experienced in his fast-paced single life. After discovering his "real" life has been eliminated, he begrudgingly tries to fit in with his newly appointed life as a family man. The Family Man also stars Saul Rubinek and Jeremy Piven. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, (more)
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
- Starring:
- Orlando Jones, Eddie Griffin, (more)
A surprise box-office smash spawns this inevitably action-packed buddy comedy follow-up that reunites director Brett Ratner with stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Chan is Chief Inspector Lee of the Royal Hong Kong Police, who travels back to China with his American colleague, Los Angeles detective James Carter (Tucker). The men intend to take some vacation time but are quickly pulled into the case of two murdered U.S. customs agents, who were investigating an illegal counterfeiting scam involving Ricky Tan (John Lone), one of the most powerful Triad gangsters in Asia and an old enemy of Lee's. Lee and Carter are soon embroiled in a dangerous mystery that also involves a sexy secret-service agent (Roselyn Sanchez), a billionaire hotel owner (Alan King), a dangerous femme fatale (Zhang Ziyi) and a finale set in a lavish Las Vegas casino. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, (more)
Paid in Full marks the feature debut of director Charles Stone III, who rose to fame after creating Budweiser's "Wassup" commercials. The urban gangster drama is loosely based on the true story of 1980s Harlem drug kingpins AZ, Rich Porter, and Alpo. (This story was also the basis for a documentary, Game Over (Part 1).) Ace (Wood Harris) works at a laundromat, struggling to get by, while his friend Mitch (Mekhi Phifer) lives the high life selling heroin. His sister's boyfriend, Calvin (Kevin Carroll) also sells drugs, and looks down on Ace for struggling to earn a living. Out delivering laundry one day, Ace meets Lulu (Esai Morales), a big time coke dealer, who lives better than anyone Ace has ever known. When Lulu leaves some coke in the pocket of a coat he's having cleaned, Ace returns it to him, and Lulu rewards him for his honesty by letting him keep the drugs. When Calvin gets busted, Ace hesitantly takes his place in the neighborhood, and starts working for Lulu. As the crack business takes off, Ace finds himself making more money than he knows what to do with. Mitch goes to jail for a short time, where another inmate, Rico (rapper Cam'ron in his acting debut), defends him in a fight. By the time Mitch gets out of prison, Ace is running the neighborhood. Ace makes Mitch his right-hand man, and when Rico gets out of jail, he joins the crew. The drugs and money flow, and Ace tries to keep everyone happy, but there are some who want what's his, and will stop at nothing to get it. Paid in Full was shown at the 2002 Urbanworld Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, (more)
Following the phenomenal success of The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, Anthony Hopkins returns as brilliant madman Hannibal Lecter in this thriller based on the novel in which author Thomas Harris introduced the character. Will Graham (Edward Norton) is an FBI agent with a rare gift for tracking serial killers who brought Hannibal Lecter to justice; however, his confrontation with Lecter proved to be a bloody, near-death experience, and afterward Graham retired from the Bureau, moving to Florida to spend his time with his wife, Molly (Mary-Louise Parker), and their son. However, a particularly grisly killer is on the loose, and Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel), Graham's one-time mentor at the Bureau, asks him to return to duty to find him. The "Tooth Fairy" is a vicious murderer who kills entire families at once, covering the eyes of his victims with bits of a shattered mirror. Graham finds he needs help putting together the pieces of the "Tooth Fairy" case, and he calls upon Lecter looking for advice. Lecter, at once vaguely helpful and self-serving, as usual, offers scraps of information to Graham which help him zero in on the killer. But Lecter knows more than he's telling; the "Tooth Fairy" is actually Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), a troubled and withdrawn man who admires Lecter's violent panache and corresponds with him. Dolarhyde works at a film processing lab, where one of his co-workers, a blind woman named Reba McClane (Emily Watson), seems to be quite attracted to him. As Dolarhyde wrestles with both his murderous impulses and his feelings for McClane, Lecter plays Graham and Dolarhyde against one another so that, as the FBI agent comes closer to catching "the Tooth Fairy," Dolarhyde moves in on his next victim -- Graham's family. Red Dragon marked the second time Harris' novel of the same name had been brought to the screen; five years prior to The Silence of the Lambs, Michael Mann adapted the book for the screen as Manhunter, which starred William Petersen as Graham and Brian Cox as Lecter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, (more)
In this caper movie from director Brett Ratner, two brilliant criminals are lured out of retirement...or are they? Max Burdett (Pierce Brosnan) is a master jewel thief who, with the help of his accomplice and lover Lola Cirillo (Salma Hayek), has stolen two of the three Napoleon diamonds, among the most valuable gems on Earth. Stanley Lloyd (Woody Harrelson) is an FBI agent who has been on Burdett's trail for years and is especially eager to bring him to justice after a humiliating incident in which Max swiped one of the Napoleons out from under Stanley's nose. But word has it that Max and Lola have abandoned their lives of crime, and they've taken up residence on an idyllic island in the Bahamas, where they're living the good life on their ill-gotten fortune. Lloyd is not convinced they're out of the game for good, and when he learns that the third Napoleon diamond will be on display aboard a cruise ship headed in Max's direction, Lloyd joins forces with Sophie (Naomie Harris), a Paradise Island police detective, to catch Max and Lola red handed. Henry Moore (Don Cheadle), an expatriate American gangster who also lives on the island, doesn't believe Max has gone straight either and tries to rope him into stealing the jewel for him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, (more)
Jolly old Saint Nick goes from the nice list to the naughty list when an old wager runs up and his promise to be nice takes a backseat to his murderous impulses in this comic tale of terror from first-time director David Steiman. It turns out that the story of Santa Claus as we know it isn't quite the whole story, and instead of being a kind hearted gift-giver, Santa is actually a devilish life-taker. It was 1000 years ago that the cherubic devil lost a bet with an angel that forced him to play nice for an entire millennium. Though he remained true to his word and spread Christmas cheer for what secretly seemed like an eternity, Santa's patience has run dry with the expiration of the wager, and when this bet runs up the legend of kindly old Kriss Kringle will never be quite the same. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Goldberg, Douglas Smith, (more)
- 2005
Undoubtedly pitched to network executives as "24 Behind Bars," the weekly, hour-long continuing drama Prison Break starred Wentworth Miller as structural engineer Michael Scofield, who when first seen by the audience was somewhat inexplicably in the process of committing a bank robbery -- and then allowing himself to be arrested and convicted. Scofield was sentenced to five years at Fox River Penitentiary, where, by a stunning coincidence, his brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) was spending his last month on Death Row, awaiting execution for the murder of the brother of the U.S. vice president. Convinced that Lincoln was innocent and the victim of a government conspiracy, Scofield had purposely gotten himself incarcerated at Fox River for the express purpose of helping his brother escape -- a task made slightly less formidable by the fact that Scofield had helped design the prison! Our hero's meticulously worked out scheme depended upon the cooperation of several co-conspirators, among them Scofield's likable cellmate Sucre (Amaury Nolasco); well-connected mobster (and fellow prisoner) Abruzzi (Peter Stormare); Charles Westmoreland (Muse Watson), who may or may have not really been the legendary hijacker D.B. Cooper; and sympathetic prison doctor Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), whose dad was the governor of Illinois. Meanwhile, Lincoln's former girlfriend, lawyer Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney), burned the midnight oil to figure out who would want to frame Lincoln and why; and Lincoln's 15-year-old son LJ (Marshall Allman) desperately tried to make sense of the fact that both his dad and his favorite uncle were now beyond his reach (temporarily, anyway). Others in the cast included Stacey Keach as Warden Pope, Robert Knepper as fearsome white-supremacist convict T-Bag, and Wade Williams as highly suspicious senior correctional officer Bellick. Merrily playing fast and loose with such intangibles as logic and common sense, Prison Break was given a major publicity blitz before its Fox network debut on August 29, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The president has been assassinated, and it's now up to the Secret Service agent who failed to act in time to save the Commander in Chief's life to solve the crime and get the gunman in a tense tale of political intrigue starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Burt Reynolds, and James Woods. Alex Thomas (Gooding, Jr.) was the man in charge of protecting the president, but when the time came to fulfill his duties everything just went wrong. His conscience haunted by a bullet and his devotion to his country stronger than ever, Alex teams with seasoned reporter Kate Crawford (Angie Harmon) in navigating a treacherous web of lies, unlocking a dangerous conspiracy, and enter into a deadly world in which skilled assassins and highly-trained ex-special ops lurk in every shadow. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Filmmaker Nicholas Jarecki offers a celluloid portrait of a cinematic mastermind at work in this documentary shot over an eight month period and following director James Toback through each phase of production of his 2004 thriller When Will I be Loved. From pre-production to final cut, Jarecki follows the existential-minded director through the entire process of making a movie as Toback opens up to the camera to discuss a variety of deeply personal matters and explore just how they have manifested themselves in such films as Love and Money, The Big Bang, and Black and White. Candid interviews with such well-known Toback collaborators as Woody Allen, Robert Towne, Harvey Keitel, Roger Ebert, Brett Ratner, show just how much impact the well-respected filmmaker has had in Hollywood despite his stubborn refusal to fit into the commercialized mold so frequently associated with the showbiz mecca. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
As the first episode of FOX's Prison Break begins, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is receiving the last in a series of elaborate tattoos. In the past months Michael has gotten his chest, back, and the entire length of his arms covered in tattoos, and when the artist comments that most folks do this over a matter of years her heavily inked subject replies that he doesn't have quite that much time. Later, after hurrying back to his apartment, Michael pulls the hard drive out of his computer and throws it into the Chicago River from his apartment window. The next day Michael is in a bank, brandishing a gun, and demanding that the teller open the vault. When the police surround the building, the intense robber drops his weapon, throws his arms into the air, and surrenders without incident. When Michael's day in court arrives, his friend and longtime lawyer Veronica Donovan attempts to dissuade him from entering a no contest plea. Regardless, Michael stands his ground and implores his nephew LJ to leave the courtroom. After a short recess, the judge returns and hands down Michael's sentence: five years in the nearby Fox River Penitentiary. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An 18-year old rock & roll fan finds her crafty scheme to have a little fun in the sun with her favorite musician thwarted in this romantic teen comedy starring Amanda Bynes and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Jenny (Bynes) is a wide-eyed teen who has recently been hired to work at a popular tropical resort for the summer. When Jenny learns that handsome rock star Jason (Chris Carmack) will be a guest at the posh resort, her excitement is simply too powerful to contain. Fortunately for Jenny, fate is on her side this summer, and when Jason falls overboard from his cruise ship Jenny reflexively dives in to save him. Upon rafting to the safety of a nearby shore, Jenny convinces the hunky rocker that the pair are castaways on a deserted island paradise. Of course, considering that the luxury resort is just a stone's throw away, this minor deception is a bit of a stretch, but what's a little white lie when the object of her affections is none the wiser? Jenny's brilliant plan for romance is soon complicated, however, when her romantic rival, Alexis (Sigler), washes ashore pretending to be shipwrecked as well. Now, as the pair competes for Jason's affections, Jenny's deception rapidly begins to unravel. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Bynes, Chris Carmack, (more)
The explosive X-Men motion picture trilogy officially draws to a close with this release that finds Rush Hour director Brett Ratner stepping in for Bryan Singer to tell the tale of a newly discovered mutant "cure," and the polarizing effect it has on mutant/man relations. With the pressure on mutants to give up their powers and pledge alliance with the human race reaching a critical turning point, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) urges tolerance and understanding as his nemesis Magneto (Ian McKellen) gathers a powerful resistance in preparation for the ultimate war against humankind. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and James Marsden return to reprise the roles they played in the previous two X-Men films, with Kelsey Grammer and Vinnie Jones joining the cast as Beast and Juggernaut respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, (more)
Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock re-teams with that film's producers Heather Winters and Joe Morley to produce Sara Sackner's documentary concerning the arts education crisis in America. As arts programs continue to disappear at an unprecedented rate across the country, Sackner examines the role that teachers play in ensuring that creativity and education alive and well in the public school curriculum. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay W. Jensen
A minor crook finds himself in major peril when a "hot" weapon goes missing in this violent crime thriller. Joey Gazelle (Paul Walker) is a low-level "mechanic" in the Mafia who hopes to rise through the ranks by doing whatever is needed. One night, a drug deal goes very wrong when police show up and try to close down the operation; shots break out and a battle ensues, with a pair of of cops meeting a particularly violent fate at bad end of a gun barrel. Joey is given the gun that killed the policemen and is told to make it disappear so it can't be used as evidence; however, before he can do that, the weapon is stolen by Oleg (Cameron Bright), a friend of Joey's young son, who takes the pistol and uses it to shoot his abusive stepfather. Now that the gun is implicated in high profile crimes, it's vitally important that Joey find it as soon as possible, but his search for the firearm is complicated by the fact that Oleg's stepdad is affiliated with a rival gang of Russian mobsters, and that Rydell (Chazz Palminteri), a seriously corrupt police detective, is hot on Joey's trail. Joey's search for the gun takes him through the grim criminal netherworld of the city, where he must face off against nearly every sort of crook, con artist, and deviate that has ever walked the earth. Running Scared is from writer-director Wayne Kramer, who made a name for himself with the well-reviewed independent feature The Cooler. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Walker, Cameron Bright, (more)
- 2007
Based on a series of popular mystery novels by James Patterson, the ABC crime show Women's Murder Club received an abudance of pre-release publicity not so much because of its source material, but because it represented the long-overdue return to television of former Law&Order regular Angie Harmon. The actress was cast as San Francisco police homicide detective Lindsay Boxer, a woman whose near-obsessive dedication to her job had caused the breakup of her marriage to Lt. Tom Hogan (Rob Estes), who thanks to the machinations of the scriptwriters was now her boss at the department. Joining forces with three other women in the crimefighting profession, Lindsay specialized in solving allegedly unsolvable murder cases. Her collaborators included medical examiner Claire Washburn (Paula Newsome), who despite her "workaholic" habits was able to approach her job objectively, and to devote ample time to her wheelchair-bound husband Ed (Jonathan Adams) and her sons Derek (Neilan Benvegnu) and Nate (Drew Matthews); assistant DA Jill Bernhardt (Laura Harris), whose mystery-solving activities occasionally took a back seat to her romantic entanglements with defense attorney Hanson North (Kyle Secor) and doctor Luke Bowen (Coby McLaughlin); and newspaper reporter Cindy Thomas (Aubrey Dollar), who was tolerated by her colleagues--albeit just barely--because she possessed a photographic memory (It was Cindy who insisted upon referring to the foursome as the "Women's Murder Club", much to the discomfort of the other three. Other regular characters included Lindsay's steadfast police partner Warren Jacobi (Tyrees Allen), Jill's no-nonsense superior, Deputy DA Linda Park (Denise Kwon), and Tom Hogan's new bride Heather Donnelly (Ever Carradine), a kindergarten teacher. Combining CSI-style procedural drama with Grey's Anatomy-style soap opera, Women's Murder Club" debuted October 12, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angie Harmon, Paula Newsome, (more)
- 2007
As Vince negotiates an indecent proposal with a shady prince interested in financing the production of "Medellin," Drama rides the wave of his recent television success straight to Brett Ratner's backyard pool and Turtle's date with dream girl Kelly turns into a nightmare thanks to the beauty's overbearing parents. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A man who has lost his memory has a new and dangerous life thrust upon him in this comedy thriller. Jake (Cedric the Entertainer) is a janitor who finds himself stricken with a crippling case of amnesia. While Jake struggles to regain his memory and identity, he becomes convinced that he's an undercover spy who is trying to ferret out a ring of underground arms dealers wanted by the FBI and the CIA. As Jake is thrown into the world of international intrigue, he gains an unlikely ally in Gina (Lucy Liu), an actual U.S. intelligence agent who is tracking the same bad guys and develops a liking for the janitor. The Cleaner also stars Nicollette Sheridan, DeRay Davis, and Callum Keith Rennie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cedric the Entertainer, Lucy Liu, (more)
- 2007
Helmut Newton (1920-2004) was one of the most celebrated photographers of his generation, the master of a singular visual style in which the famous and the unfamiliar where made part of Newton's visual netherworld of uneasy glamour, kinky sex and unspoken perversity. While Newton worked regularly for some of the world's best known fashion magazines, his work walked a fine line between art and commerce, and even his simplest images carried an undertow that was both witty and disturbing. Newton frequently worked with supermodels and major entertainment figures, but one of his favorite photographic subjects was his wife of fifty-six years, June Newton, and while he worked his photo shoots, she would often take candid photographs of her husband as he immersed himself in the creative process. June Newton offers viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the work that went into Newton's images and glimpse into the private life of the artist who created them in Helmut by June, a documentary directed by June which features footage of the master photographer at home and on the set. Featuring appearances by Cindy Crawford, Sigourney Weaver, Helena Christiansen, Luciano Pavarotti, Billy Wilder, Claudia Schiffer and many other friends and colleagues, Helmut by June received its world premiere at the 2007 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival; it was produced with the participation of the premium cable network HBO. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Oscar-winning Hollywood visionary Steven Spielberg teams with reality television pioneer Mark Burnett for an unscripted series in which undiscovered filmmakers compete for the opportunity to win a development deal at DreamWorks -- the production company behind such major box-office hits as Dreamgirls and War of the Worlds. Each week the contestants are provided with the best resources that the film industry has to offer, provided with a limited budget, and given the assignment of completing various types of film projects. After completion, each film is screened in a one-hour episode and critiqued by three judges: director Garry Marshall, actress and screenwriter Carrie Fisher, and a special guest judge, such as Brett Ratner, Michael Bay, and D.J. Caruso. Though the professional critiques allow the contestants an opportunity to gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as filmmakers, the final outcome of the competition rests in the hands of the viewing audience -- who are given the opportunity to vote for their favorite film each week. The results of the vote are announced during the next week's episode, and the filmmaker(s) behind the feature with the fewest votes are sent home. In the end, the one director left standing is granted a one-million-dollar development deal at DreamWorks, which could allow the filmmaker the opportunity to realize his or her dream of becoming a major Hollywood director. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In this third installment of the popular action comedy franchise, LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) book a flight for Europe and prepare to clean up the streets of Paris after discovering that Chinese triads have extended their criminal influence to the City of Lights. Chinese Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) is in Los Angeles and about to reveal the details of a clandestine triad conspiracy to the World Criminal Court when an assassin takes aim and pulls the trigger. Though Carter has been demoted to directing traffic at the time of the shooting, Lee is acting as a bodyguard to Han when the bullets begin to fly. Lee quickly gives chase, but hesitates when he realizes that the gunman is Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada), his old friend from the orphanage. When triads steal an envelope containing vital information regarding the conspiracy from Soo Yung's (Zhang Jingchu) Chinatown kung fu studio, Carter and Chief Inspector Lee race to reach Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir), an underground entertainer who could prove the key to bagging the bad guys. During the course of their investigation, however, triads clash with the French police, threatening to turn the romance capitol of Europe into an explosive hotbed of crime and violence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
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Director Robert Luketic adapts Ben Mezrich's best-seller Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions to tell the true-life tale of six genius students who used their brains to beat considerable odds. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) may be shy, but his wallflower reputation betrays his inner brilliance. As smart as Ben may be, however, if he can't pay his tuition he'll be kicked out of M.I.T. Fortunately, the answer to all of Ben's problems is right there in the cards. Recruited to join a team of extremely gifted students who have used their mastery of numbers to beat the odds at blackjack, Ben procures a fake identity in order to join the casino scammers and their brilliant leader -- eccentric math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) -- in some highly profitable weekend excursions to Las Vegas. Counting cards isn't illegal, and by using a complex series of signals, this team has cracked the code. Of course, it doesn't take long for Ben to become seduced by the glamorous Las Vegas lifestyle, and the attention afforded to him by his sexy teammate Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth) finds him pushing his luck to the absolute limits. Laurence Fishburne stars as Cole Williams, the Sin City security chief who catches on to the group and makes it his mission to expose their lucrative blackjack scam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, (more)
- 2008
- R
Some of the world's most-respected directors align forces to pay tribute to the city of the New York in this unconventional omnibus sister film to 2006's Paris, Je T'Aime. Broken into short segments, New York, I Love You is comprised of ten films, most choosing to take a down-to-earth approach to the stories of the countless lives lived in the city on a given day. The segments are as follows, chronologically:
Segment 1 -- Directed by Jiang Wen; written by Hu Hong and Meng Yao; starring Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, and Rachel Bilson.
Segment 2 -- Directed by Mira Nair; written by Suketu Mehta; starring Natalie Portman and Irfan Khan.
Segment 3 -- Written and directed by Shunji Iwai; adaptation by Israel Horovitz. Starring Orlando Bloom and Christina Ricci.
Segment 4 -- Directed by Yvan Attal; written by Olivier Lécot and Yvan Attal; starring Robin Wright Penn, Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q, and Chris Cooper.
Segment 5 -- Directed by Brett Ratner; written by Jeff Nathanson; starring Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby, and Blake Lively
Segment 6 -- Directed by Allen Hughes; written by Xan Cassavetes and Stephen Winter; starring Drea de Matteo and Bradley Cooper.
Segment 7 -- Directed by Shekhar Kapur; written by Anthony Minghella; starring Julie Christie, John Hurt, and Shia LaBeouf.
Segment 8 -- Written and directed by Natalie Portman; starring Taylor Geare, Carlos Acosta, and Jacinda Barrett.
Segment 9 -- Written and directed by Fatih Akin; starring Burt Young, Ugur Yucel, and Shu Qi.
Segment 10 -- Written and directed by Joshua Marston; starring Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman.
Transitions in between segments -- Directed by Randall Balsmeyer; written by Israel Horovitz, James Strouse, and Hall Powell; starring Emilie Ohana, Eva Amurri, and Justin Bartha. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Segment 1 -- Directed by Jiang Wen; written by Hu Hong and Meng Yao; starring Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, and Rachel Bilson.
Segment 2 -- Directed by Mira Nair; written by Suketu Mehta; starring Natalie Portman and Irfan Khan.
Segment 3 -- Written and directed by Shunji Iwai; adaptation by Israel Horovitz. Starring Orlando Bloom and Christina Ricci.
Segment 4 -- Directed by Yvan Attal; written by Olivier Lécot and Yvan Attal; starring Robin Wright Penn, Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q, and Chris Cooper.
Segment 5 -- Directed by Brett Ratner; written by Jeff Nathanson; starring Anton Yelchin, James Caan, Olivia Thirlby, and Blake Lively
Segment 6 -- Directed by Allen Hughes; written by Xan Cassavetes and Stephen Winter; starring Drea de Matteo and Bradley Cooper.
Segment 7 -- Directed by Shekhar Kapur; written by Anthony Minghella; starring Julie Christie, John Hurt, and Shia LaBeouf.
Segment 8 -- Written and directed by Natalie Portman; starring Taylor Geare, Carlos Acosta, and Jacinda Barrett.
Segment 9 -- Written and directed by Fatih Akin; starring Burt Young, Ugur Yucel, and Shu Qi.
Segment 10 -- Written and directed by Joshua Marston; starring Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman.
Transitions in between segments -- Directed by Randall Balsmeyer; written by Israel Horovitz, James Strouse, and Hall Powell; starring Emilie Ohana, Eva Amurri, and Justin Bartha. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hayden Christensen, Andy Garcia, (more)
