Thomas Karnowski Movies

A young outcast from a primitive tribe is forced to defend his people from a brutal onslaught in Independence Day director Roland Emmerich's fast-paced period adventure. Despite the fact that he is low man on the totem pole in his tribe of fearless hunters, a brave young boy (Steven Strait) longs to win the heart of a beautiful princess (Camilla Belle) who is well above his station in life. When an overwhelming horde of powerful invaders forces the hunters into slavery and abducts the princess, the once-aimless boy suddenly finds his destiny taking an unexpected turn. Now, if he has any hope of saving his tribe from certain extinction, this young boy will have to fight for the future to his dying breath. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A supernaturally talented magician attempts to undermine the rigid social structure of turn-of-the-century Vienna by using his powers to win the love of his upper-class, childhood sweetheart in director Neil Burger's cinematic adaptation of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser's short story. Though the ill-fated childhood romance between cabinetmaker's son Eisenheim (Edward Norton) and upper-class Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel) eventually resulted in the heartbroken young man leaving Austria to explore the world, his dreams of one day reuniting with the beautiful duchess never faded. Upon returning to Vienna 15 years later as a talented and renowned illusionist, Eisenheim's hopes of a reunion seem dashed when he learns that Sophie is currently engaged to the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). As the tensions between the Eisenheim and Leopold elevate, urbane Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) finds his sympathy toward Eisenheim growing, despite his formal obligations to the powerful prince. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Written and directed by Alec Berg, David Mandel, and Jeff Schaffer, Eurotrip is a teen comedy from the Montecito Picture Company (makers of similar movies Old School and Road Trip). Mainstream teenager Scott (Scott Mechlowicz) forms an online friendship with German student Mieke in order to get a passing grade in his high school German class. When he finds out Mieke is a buxom blonde girl (Jessica Böhrs), he travels to meet her with his pals Cooper (Jacob Pitts), Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg), and Jamie (Travis Wester). The group of randy teens head to Berlin by way of London, Paris, and Amsterdam. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

In this future-set sci-fi action adventure the post-holocaust world in which mankind was defeated by his own machines is now populated and controlled by cyborgs carrying sharpened sticks and laser boomerangs. Omega Doom (Rutger Hauer) is one such cyborg. He is programmed to destroy everything that moves until a sharp blow to the head causes a short and makes him want to help the planet's few remaining human beings regain control. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this futuristic martial arts drama based on a popular video game, Los Angeles has been transformed into a watery New Angeles after a long-threatened earthquake devastates the West Coast. Billy Lee (Scott Wolf) and his brother Jimmy (Mark Dacascos) are two martial arts experts who were raised by a woman named Satori (Julia Nickson) after the death of their parents. Satori has come into possession of one half of a magic amulet; if joined with the other half, it gives whomever possesses it remarkable powers. However, the other half of the charm is now held by Koga Shuko (Robert Patrick), a martial arts master and business tycoon who is obsessed with ruling New Angeles. Satori gives her half of the amulet to Billy and Jimmy, hoping they can keep it safe while trying to win the other half away from the unscrupulous Koga Shuko. In their adventures, the brothers encounter Marian (Alyssa Milano), the leader of a gang called "The Power Corps," and Linda Lash (Kristina Malandro Wagner), Koga Shuko's beautiful but deadly female bodyguard. George Hamilton and Vanna White appear in cameos as themselves, and Andy Dick has a small role as the Smogcaster. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Andrew Dice Clay trades in dumb yucks for numchucks in Brainsmasher: A Love Story as Ed Molloy, a part-time comic and bouncer who takes on a belligerent gang of ninjas. The story kicks in when supermodel Samantha Crains (Teri Hatcher) receives a red lotus flower from her sister that has to be delivered to Seattle. Samantha makes the delivery only to find that her sister is has been held captive by Shaolin Monks who want the red lotus because it contains "the key to the ultimate power." The two sisters manage to escape the clutches of the mad monks but the Shaolins immediately give chase. Samantha runs into Ed's nightclub, where he prevents her from entering, but when the monks come to get her, Ed holds them off. Impressed by Ed's brawn, she hires him to protect her. The chase continues as Ed and Samantha run from the ever one-step-behind ninjas, climaxing in an extended battle in a go-go bar. During the fight, Ed is captured by the Shaolin monks and Samantha and her sister have to decide whether they should exchange the red lotus flower for Ed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

This sequel to the popular Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle centers on the exploits of David Sloan (Sasha Mitchell) the younger brother of the two fighters (Van Damme and Dennis Alexio) who died in the first installment. As this episode begins, David has given up competition and is running a kickboxing school for underprivileged urban kids. His life changes abruptly when the villainous fight manager who murdered his brother shows up and forces him back into the ring. Fortunately, David's Zen master shows up for spiritual and moral support. The ensuing fight scenes are quite bloody and violent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The polluters on planet Earth pose a significant risk to the rest of the galaxy and for this reason two alien agents from the Intergalactic Environmental Protection Agency are dispatched to destroy the offending world. This erotic sci-fi parody chronicles their adventures that begin with the suicide of a young man who soon after ingesting a fatal glass of bleach finds his body inhabited by one of the aliens who calls himself Bailey. The newly revived fellow begins hitchhiking to Vegas where he is picked up by Wilma, her fiance Hiram, and the luscious Eve who has come to witness their upcoming nuptials. En route, after telling them that he is a sex maniac from outer space, Bailey kills the happy couple and kidnaps Eve to a warehouse where he tries to seduce her, but not before he tells her of his mission. Later Bailey's partner Brick Bardo shows up and corroborates his outlandish story. He too tries to sleep with Eve. Things really get crazy when a re-animated Wilma shows up and reveals herself to be a cosmic cop who has come to arrest the phony alien agents who have stolen a destructive weapon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Who else but a California Valley Girl could stumble down a hole in the ground and end up in the lost city of Atlantis: "Ooooh, and the buildings are sooo spiffy..." The Atlanteans are quite sure she's on their side, so they decide she's gotta' go and send out the death squads. The "Alien" in this film is played by model Kathy Ireland. ~ All Movie Guide