James Ingram Movies

A young schoolboy is spirited away to a magical fantasy land after falling asleep in the school library while writing an essay on children's literature in this family friendly dance musical. Alex always thought fairy tales were for girls, though after befriending the White Rabbit, he discovers that the human imagination knows no boundaries. James Ingram, Diane Louie, and Debbie Allen provide the score for a music-filled fantasy inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Ultimate manly man Arnold Schwarzenegger learns what it's like to be an expectant mother in director Ivan Reitman's high-concept comedy. Schwarzenegger plays Dr. Hess, a medical researcher working on a revolutionary drug to help mothers carry endangered infants to term. When government regulations prevent Dr. Hess from testing the drug through normal channels, his partner Dr. Arbogast (Danny DeVito) develops an unorthodox solution: they will steal a female egg and implant it in Hess, who will carry the child himself. Predictably, much of the subsequent humor centers on the incongruous sight of the muscular Schwarzenegger undergoing the trials and tribulations of pregnancy, from morning sickness to labor pains. Emma Thompson returns to her comic roots and provides romantic interest as an incorrigibly clumsy but intelligent scientist who catches on to Hess' deception. Reitman, Schwarzenegger, and DeVito had previously had a hit with Twins (1988), which revolved around a similarly ludicrous medical premise, but they failed to repeat that film's success here, as audiences largely ignored the film and reviewers criticized the humor as disappointingly obvious. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

The gargantuan St. Bernard finds love in this sequel to the box-office hit. Beethoven happens to meet Missy, another St. Bernard, in the park and the two find they share a certain chemistry. Unfortunately, Missy is being held captive by Regina (Debi Mazar), a spiteful ex-wife attempting to leverage ransom money from her wimpy former husband. Fortunately for the dogs, their visit was long enough for the stork to come calling (no one ever accused Beethoven of having slow paws), and soon Missy berths a litter of adorable pups. Regina decides at first to drown the pups (an apparent attempt by the screenwriters to justify whatever horrible fate befalls her later) but reconsiders when she learns of their monetary value. However, the Newton children (Christopher Castile and Sara Rose Karr) manage to rescue them, and the entire family heads off for a Montana resort, Beethoven and pups in tow. Somehow, Regina and her sleazy boyfriend (Christopher Penn) end up at the resort as well, setting the stage for the final showdown. Less appealing than the original, Beethoven's 2nd is still an innocuous hour and a half of fun for younger kids and hardcore dog lovers. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

John Marley reprises his characterization of movie mogul Lou Woltz -- here renamed Leonard Bernstein (Where did they come up with that one?) -- in tonight's extended spoof of The Godfather. This epic also includes an ersatz guest appearance by Luciano Pavarotti (John Candy), the cast of The Andy Griffith Show, and the executives of NBC, ABC, CBS, and PBS -- all of whom declare a network "turf war" on HBO. "3-D House of Beef," a combination horror flick and restaurant commercial, finds Count Floyd (Joe Flaherty), Dr. Tongue (John Candy), and Bruno (Eugene Levy) persuading musical guest star James Ingram to sing "Just Once." Also: a promo for the SCTV Movie of the Week "The Vikings and the Beekeepers"; and the McKenzies (Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas) reveal the secrets behind long underwear and overcooked back bacon. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi