Mann's Ali follows the 24-year-old Cassius Clay beating heavyweight champ Sonny Liston in 1964, through his conversion to the Nation of Islam and the changing of his name to Muhammad Ali, to his 1974 comeback fight, the "Rumble in the Jungle" against George Foreman in Zaire.

Granted, Ali is not the movie of the new century and Mann never seems to capture Ali's larger-than-life spirit. Still. Mann has made the type of serious drama that you wish Hollywood would make more of. -- SR (Rated R.)

ALL ACCESS -- (Grade: A) This IMAX feature should come with a disclaimer daring audience members to sit through the sonic assault of some of contemporary music's best live performers without engaging in head nodding, foot tapping, clapping, dancing or singing along. All Access is a departure from IMAX's more educational features. It is a backstage pass with interview segments, sound checks, and roadies setting up the shows. It's all the way LIVE. From Al Green with the Dave Matthews Band to Mary J. Blige alongside Parliament-Funkadelic, there's no way to place a value on something like the All Access experience. The price of the ticket guarantees admission into the music. -- ttc (Unrated.)

AMÉLIE-- (Grade: A) The most magical film this year is French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet's playful fantasy Amélie. This eye-popping tale follows the adventures of a pixyish waitress named Amélie (Audrey Tautou) in Paris' Montmartre neighborhood.Amélie watches movies with wide--eyed amazement, oblivious to the packed Parisian theater audience around her. She catches small details that ordinary moviegoers would ordinarily miss.

Dizzy photography and slapstick comedy keep the film moving. Amélie has more than enough trick shots to keep Jeunet's long-time fans happy. Watching Amélie watching movies, I feel a close kinship with Jeunet's pretty heroine. She loves movies as much as I do. -- SR (Rated R.)

A BEAUTIFUL MIND -- (Grade: A) In director Ron Howard's loose biopic, Russell Crowe plays troubled John Forbes Nash Jr., a man who badly wants to be a strong intellect. A Beautiful Mind follows Nash's journey from his break-though mathematical discovery and acceptance into top-secret government work to his eventual breakdown.

Director Ron Howard goes easy on his trademark schmaltz and lets the story unfold. Jennifer Connelly continues her comeback with a fine performance as Nash's unfailing wife. In this Oscar hopeful season, A Beautiful Mind is one film that completely deserves its accolades. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST -- SPECIAL EDITION -- (Grade: A) Disney's last, great animated musical returns in a special giant screen format in honor of its 10th anniversary. Beauty and the Beast, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale's enchanting love story, looks especially stunning thanks to print restoration, a newly mixed score and reformatting. A six-minute musical sequence featuring the song "Human Again" distinguishes this "Special Edition" from its 1991 counterpart. Disney's tale of a beautiful girl (Paige O'Hara) restoring love to a cursed beast (Robby Benson) ranks as a true Disney Classic. Disney has found a format worthy of Beauty and the Beast's larger-than-life fantasy. -- SR (Rated G.)

BEHIND ENEMY LINES -- (Grade: D) Behind Enemy Lines is either a response to the current military crisis or a not-so-clever bit of counter programming in light of Tony Scott's new blond-boys-in-trouble pic Spy Games.

Behind Enemy Lines covers a military action to retrieve an American pilot (Owen Wilson) who is shot down during a reconnaissance mission over Bosnia. Gene Hackman wastes his actor's command as the admiral-in-charge of getting his wayward flyboy back. If a film like Behind Enemy Lines is how Hollywood is going to help bolster our spirits, then maybe its time to ask Hollywood to start by boosting its IQ. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

BLACK HAWK DOWN --(Grade: A) Mogadishu. October 1993. U.S. Rangers and Deltas embark on what was supposed to be an hour-and-a-half infiltration mission to capture two lieutenants of a renegade warlord. Seventeen hours later, two Black Hawk helicopters have been destroyed and the U.S. forces have lost 18 men in the most intense and sustained firefight since the Vietnam War.

Black Hawk Down honors its subject with a sense that's both relentless and direct without being a polemic or a Hollywood version of the events. The film's tagline, "Leave No Man Behind" is not some politically correct mantra -- it's what makes men heroes. It becomes a strong reminder that war is about surviving in the moment; ideals and slogans are the before and after. -- ttc

BLACK KNIGHT-- (Grade: F) Martin Lawrence has the out-sized personality and the opportunities to expose his brand of sass to millions. Now he just needs to figure out a way to turn his performances into something remotely entertaining.

In Black Knight, Lawrence doesn't just flip the script -- he throws it out the window. In one almost-funny sequence, Lawrence becomes a bandleader in the James Brown mold and gets medieval to Sly Stone's "Dance to the Music."

Lawrence's manic goofiness has a certain charm. But with limits relaxed on the big screen, maybe Lawrence should stop performing and try acting. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

CORKY ROMANO -- (Grade: D) The marketing campaign asks, "Who is Corky Romano?" The better question would have been, "Does anyone care who Corky Romano is?"

Upon leaving the film, I sure didn't. But for those of you who might, Corky (Chris Kattan) is the black sheep son of known Mafia boss Pops Romano (Peter Falk), called back to the family to help save his father from FBI charges. Problem is, Corky is not cut out for the dirty undercover work. He wears pastels and gives hugs.

Romano is supposed to be a breakout vehicle for Saturday Night Live star Kattan. But, as the adage goes, he's just not quite ready for prime time. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION -- (Grade: D) Insurance investigator CW Briggs is a typical Woody Allen character complete with nervous tics, stuttering speech and a frumpish appearance. Briggs is a self-declared Romeo, although you wouldn't guess that by the way Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt), a company efficiency expert, bullies him. Allen's jokey banter and redundant performance as Briggs is as outdated as a vaudeville routine. Hunt is painfully stiff as the object of Briggs' obsession.

Like many of Allen's films, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion looks beautiful. But a movie comedy, no matter how stunning its photography, is no good if it can't deliver sufficient laughs. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

FAT GIRL -- (Grade: A) The latest drama from French filmmaker Catherine Breillat is a tale about two adolescent sisters who come of age over a summer holiday. Anais (Anais Reboux), age 12, shares a room with her pretty 15-year-old sister Elena (Roxane Mesquida). After Elena starts secretly dating a law student from Italy, Anais watches her sister have intercourse with the older man. When their parents discover Elena's fling, the affair comes to a stop. So does the family vacation, but on the drive home, a violent and unsetting climax changes Anais' life forever.As a result, our lives are also changed by what we've seen in this riveting film. -- SR (Unrated.)

GOSFORD PARK -- (Grade: B) On screen, director Robert Altman's Gosford Park is a sprawling, ensemble comic-drama that revels in its anglophile details, period costumes and lush country setting. Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his young wife, Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) have invited family and assorted friends to their country estate for a genteel shooting party. Most of the guests' conversations revolve around Sir William's money or their need for some of it. When a murder disrupts the elegant gathering, it's Constance's maid, Mary Maceachran (Kelly Macdonald) who begins to unravel the source of the foul play.

With Gosford Park, Altman proves he's still capable of a few surprises. Once again, I;m excited about what he might do next. Trust me: Very few working directors give me that kind of sweaty-palmed anticipation. I'm glad Altman has a few tricks left. -- SR (Rated R.)

HARDBALL -- (Grade: B) It's time to bury the hatchet, at least partially. Finally, Keanu Reeves' career moves show some forethought.Hardball is a case in point. Reeves begins to shed his surfer dude image to create a flawed protagonist, Conor O'Neill, a gambling junkie whose debt has his life in danger. An old friend proposes to help him if he agrees to coach a Chicago inner-city boys baseball team.

Think Bad News Bears 'n the Hood. Hardball stumbles as it rounds third and heads for home by foregoing plot and character conclusions with over-sentimentality and heavy-handed emotional manipulation. And you can't blame that on Keanu. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE -- (Grade: D) Little humor, fun or feeling finds its way into director Chris Columbus' adaptation of J.K. Rowling's popular children's book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The story follows an 11-year-old orphan named Harry Potter, who lives with his cruel aunt and uncle. Harry's dreams of escaping his hard-knock life are answered when he is accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Despite an entertaining ensemble of supporting roles, the film's young star, Daniel Radcliffe, manages only to succeed in looking like Potter.

Harry Potter is just Hollywood's latest manufactured extravaganza, void of emotional honesty and storytelling. -- SR (Rated PG.)

HEIST -- (Grade: A) With David Mamet at the helm, you can pretty much bank on what you'll get: a talented cast, eager to give Mamet's uber-hip dialogue a try, plot twists galore, con games as a central story device and ridiculously bland camera work. Heist follows a crew of gold thieves out to do "that Swiss thing," a job so unheard of that Mamet gives it a typically bland name. Joe Moore (Gene Hackman) agrees to do one last job for gangster Bergman (Danny DeVito) before setting sail with his wife (Rebecca Pigeon). Heist is a fine adult script that manages to be both challenging and consumer-friendly. -- RP (Rated R.)

HOW HIGH -- (Grade: D) As 2001 comes to a close, Harvard University gets another student body makeover. After going Legally Blonde, now it's time to see just How High Method Man and Redman can take higher education.

The story starts off tight as the dope duo get high off some heavenly stuff, ace their entrance exams and answer the freshman call from Harvard's hallowed halls. But somewhere after their introduction to campus life and its stock characters, How High gets lost in its own smoke. Meth has a natural flow that makes you wish he had been signed on to another story. Redman handles the broad comedy gags, but you don't get the sense that he's ready for anything beyond this. -- ttc (Rated R.)

IMPOSTER -- (Grade: D) Gary Sinise's earnest performance, playing a government scientist accused of being an alien spy, is completely wasted by director Gary Fleder's pulpy sci-fi thriller. Imposter, based on writer Philip K. Dick's 1953 short story, takes its comic book storytelling too seriously. Instead of settling to be a playful update on B-movies like Invaders from Mars and Earth Versus the Flying Saucers, Fleder's Imposter aims to be Franz Kafka circa 2079. Imposter is too silly to be taken seriously as a psychological thriller. Personally, I would have been satisfied with a gooey, alien invaders movie. -- SR (Rated R.)

IN THE BEDROOM -- (Grade: A) In a film that is all about the inability to express emotions, to find the words for anger and grief and love, at least actor-turned-first-time director Todd Field (Eyes Wide Shut) was able to find the perfect face. As the grief-stricken mother, Sissy Spacek embodies every possible emotion in Field's melodrama. Spacek watches as her son (Nick Stahl) carries on with an older, separated mother (Marisa Tomei) with two young boys. In The Bedroom all but guarantees there will be other Todd Field films. I can hardly wait to see where he will take us next and who will be the face that guides us on the way. -- ttc (Rated R.)

JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS -- (Grade: A) Some of 2001's best movies were kids' films. Spy Kids, Shrek, and Monsters, Inc. struck the box office motherlode. To do so, each of them found a balance between entertainment for children and adults. The streak continues with Nickelodeon's animated Boy Genuis. James Isaac Neutron has the big-brained ingenuity of MacGyver and a practical nature for using his inventions to solve the problems of daily life. When he mistakenly brings about the kidnapping of all the parents by hungry, chicken-like aliens, Jimmy leads his pals into space to save the day.

I especially enjoyed the campfire scene with frights supplied by a great synopsis of The Blair Witch Project. That scene alone will probably send kids to the video store screaming for copies of the movie. -- ttc (Rated G.)

JOE SOMEBODY -- (Grade: F) It's the holiday season and obviously veteran television director John Pasquin (Home Improvement, Roseanne) went for the stocking stuffer approach with Joe Somebody. The cast is full of TV performers looking for a big screen break.

Tim Allen plays the titular hero who gets abused by the company bully who's TV alter ego is none other than The Tick (Patrick Warburton).

Joe Somebody is a Charlie Brown story for adults. Rather than wasting money on movie tickets, stay home and enjoy your remote control. If you flip the right channels enough, you'll see all of these actors in far better situations. -- ttc (Rated PG.)

KATE & LEOPOLD -- (Grade: B) Hugh Jackman's frothy performance as a 19th-century duke transported to 2001 Manhattan is the best thing about co-writer/director James Mangold's likable romantic-fantasy. Clad in period garb, Jackman makes the chivalrous Leopold into the romantic lead of your dreams. The reliably perky Meg Ryan makes a sarcastic target for Jackman's charms. Their on-screen chemistry more than compensates for a script that offers few surprises. By the time Kate & Leopold reaches its sugary climax, it is clear that Mangold has delivered one of the more enjoyable comedies of the year. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

KUNG POW: ENTER THE FIST -- Steve Oedekerk, writer of such comedic fare as both Nutty Professor flicks and director of Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, adds acting to his hyphenate resume with Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. Expect old school kung fu hijinks spliced with Matrix parodies played for low level laughs, if the commercials are any indication. Will audiences miss the big names like Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey, or will Oedekerk ascend to the top of the Hollywood food chain? -- ttc

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWHIP OF THE RING -- (Grade: A) Director Peter Jackson tackles J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy books set in Middle-earth with a fresh and creative force. The results are extraordinary.The film tells the story of hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and the powerful Ruling Ring he inherits from his Uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). It is clear that Frodo's task is nothing less than saving the world from evil.

Fellowship of the Ring is so good that I imagine high-brow audiences who normally avoid these types of films will find themselves having a great time if they decide to give the film a chance. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

THE MAJESTIC -- (Grade: B) We've come to expect amazing story-telling from director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile). He does nothing differently this time out, but The Majestic lacks the riveting narrative of his past work.Unapologetically Capra-esque, The Majestic is the type of film our nation began craving after Sept. 11. While the film does suffer at times from over-sentimentality, it also has moments of true joy and sadness.

Credit Jim Carrey for raising the film from mushy to charming. It is a sweet performance. He tucks away the gimmicky performance tricks that made him a household name and just acts. -- RP (Rated PG.)

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE -- (Grade: A) Let the debate begin as to whether or not this rates as a great Coen Brothers film. Better yet, try watching the film without considering the past works of the Coens. Focus on Billy Bob Thornton. As Ed Crane, he digs into a depthless character, who initiates a scheme to blackmail his wife's lover (James Gandolfini) into investing in a dry cleaning scam. As the plot twists, Crane finds himself neither one step ahead nor behind the action.

The Man Who Wasn't There is full of stylistic tricks, but its main treat is that we can't miss the Coens' singular vision. -- ttc (Rated R.)

MAX KEEBLE'S BIG MOVE -- (Grade: D) Attention parents: The first family-friendly movie in two months is a real loser. Director Tim Hill replaces storytelling for a barrage of redundant slapstick in the forgettable Max Keeble's Big Move. Alex D. Linz is likable as the film's title character. He's an average Joey who seeks revenge on his junior high bullies after his dad announces plans to relocate to distant Chicago. But Linz's easygoing manner is overwhelmed by all the goop and gooey gags Hill tries to squeeze into the film. Max Keeble's Big Move is the type of kid's movie that gross-out comic Tom Green might someday make, and that's not a good thing. -- SR (Rated PG.)

MONSTERS, INC. -- (Grade: B) The best part of director Peter Docter's witty animated adventure is Billy Crystal's screechy voice. Crystal's sarcasm and dead-on comic timing brings Mike, a bulbous, green, one-eyed manager at the monster-run company that turns children's screams into electrical power, to life.Produced by Pixar, Monsters, Inc. trades the humanistic themes of their Toy Story films for something sassier. John Goodman brings a jovial spirit to a blue beast named Sulley. Steve Buscemi is annoying as the conniving lizard, Randall.

Crystal will make every member of the family laugh, and that's an impressive achievement for any family movie. -- SR (Rated G.)

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL REDUX -- (Grade: B) New film prints boosted with a digital soundtrack and 24 seconds of additional footage give Monty Python's 1975 collection of medieval sketches the type of splashy re-release worthy of its cult comedy status. It's been awhile since Monty Python has appeared on-screen: 1983's Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. It's been even longer since their BBC comedy show Monty Python's Flying Circus ended its initial run. After years of watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail via worn videotapes and old prints shown at college film series, the idea of seeing a sparkling version of the film is somewhat astounding. Comedy is hard. Good sketch comedy is even harder. Monty Python and the Holy Grail can still send an audience into hysterics. For that reason alone, it deserves its time in the re-release spotlight. -- SR (Unrated.)

MULHOLLAND DRIVE -- (Grade: A) A handgun, a girl, a limousine and a collision are the elements that jump-start David Lynch's mind-blowing mystery. But the magic behind Lynch's storytelling lies in his ability to twist characters, time and space into an unforgettable puzzle. Naomi Watts delivers plenty of wide-eyed optimism as the innocent Betty, who arrives in Los Angeles intent on becoming a famous actress. Laura Elena Harring overflows with sensuality as the dark mystery woman whom Betty befriends.

Out of his girl-comes-to-Hollywood story, Lynch has created something unique and artistic. -- SR (Rated R.)

NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE -- (Grade: F) Are Not Another Teen Movie's targets Freddie Prinze, Jr., Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, Rachel Leigh Cook and Paul Walker the latest edition of the Brat Pack?

If Teen Movie director Joel Gallen and his cracked team of writers put the satirical bulls-eye on John Hughes pictures as classics, how could they not include the granddaddy of them all, Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Are She's All That, Cruel Intentions, Varsity Blues and 10 Things I Hate About You really worth the treatment they get in Teen Movie?

Teen movie characters have no character now, only character traits. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

O -- (Grade: A) Director Tim Blake Nelson and screenwriter Brad Kaaya collaborate for a suspenseful teen-age adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. Mekhi Phifer simmers as Odin James, the film's Othello-like character. With her school uniform and ponytail, Julia Stiles is likable as Odin's girlfriend Desi. But Josh Hartnett's complex performance as Hugo, a character based on Iago, turns out to be the best thing about the riveting O. Purchased and distributed by rival art distributor Lions Gate Films, O finally has its time in theaters. Ironically, it also happens to be one of the best movies in release. -- SR (Rated R.)

OCEAN'S ELEVEN -- (Grade: C) Steven Soderbergh has said that Ocean's 11 is an old-fashioned heist movie with lots of stars.

Soderbergh's remake isn't much of an improvement from the 1960 original. Just released from prison, unreformed thief Danny Ocean (George Clooney) corrals 11 retired criminals to rob three Las Vegas casinos, all owned by a Vegas tycoon (Andy Garcia) who's romantically involved with Ocean's ex-wife (Julia Roberts).

The beginning of Ocean's 11 crisscrosses America as Ocean builds his criminal dream team. The second half shows the heist. But instead of building to an exciting climax, it is content to be an affable, buddy tale. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

THE ONE -- (Grade: F) It's baffling how director Jim Wong manages to make kung-fu legend Jet Li look boring in the pulpy fiasco, The One. An incoherent comic-book plot doesn't help matters. A pair of Jet Li dopplegangers battle for power over the multi-universe. Yulaw (Li) is the baddie from another world. Gace (also Li) is the LAPD cop just trying to keep himself from being assassinated by the mysterious superman who looks a lot like himself.

Carla Gugino is cast aside as Li's veterinarian wife. Delroy Lindo brings little credibility to the multiverse as a futuristic detective on the evil Li's tail. The likable Li does smile throughout the film. He appears to be having a good time, and it's safe to say that he's the only one. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

ORANGE COUNTY -- (Grade: D) Orange County has a boatload of rising and established talent. Colin Hanks and Schuyler Fisk headline a cast including Jack Black, John Lithgow, Catherine O'Hara, Lily Tomlin and a host of surprise cameos. Shaun (Hanks) is a smart kid who desperately wants to attend Stanford where he can study to become a writer. His path is blocked by the unstable cast of characters in his life, not the least of which happens to be his perpetually wasted brother (Black). I suppose the point for both Shaun and Hanks is that Orange County might not be such a bad place to start. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

THE PRINCESS DIARIES -- (Grade: D) Young Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a real princess who just doesn't know about her birthright. Her grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) comes to set her straight and brings along the dutiful Joe (Hector Elizondo) to assist with Mia's grooming. The film even has a real-life young teen queen in co-star Mandy Moore, who plays a popular high schooler getting her comeuppance. I'm exposing myself to charges of redundancy by noting that The Princess Diaries is a rehashing of Pygmalion and not a very good one at that. Such negativity will only show my age. The young girls in the audience will love the movie. -- ttc (Rated G.)

RAT RACE -- (Grade: C) Director Jerry Zucker and writer Andy Breckman update Stanley Kramer's 1963 screwball epic It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World into a slapstick farce about a group of people in a race to Silver City, N.M., for a $2 million prize.

Zucker does his best to keep the sight gags coming in Rat Race. Monty Python alum John Cleese enjoys the biggest laughs as the man behind the goofy scheme. The rest of the comic ensemble -- Cuba Gooding Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson and Jon Lovitz -- enjoy equal shares of comic hits and misses. That's often the case with these types of slapstick comedies: Without credible characters or a substantial story, Rat Race comes to pieces once its gags run out. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS -- (Grade: C) Both attuned to the humor and warmth in personal stories, Drew Barrymore and director Penny Marshall should be the perfect match. But Riding in Cars with Boys lacks the uplifting spirit of these two women. Barrymore plays Donofrio in a drama that looks at teen pregnancy, personal sacrifices and the bad decisions that pushed the teenager to the verge of adulthood. Despite her comedic innocence, Barrymore works best in the dramatic moments between Donofrio and her best friend (Brittany Murphy) and her father (James Woods).

This is by no means a bad film. It hopefully marks a transition for Barrymore. -- ttc (Rated PG-13.)

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS -- (Grade: A) Everything comes together perfectly in filmmaker Wes Anderson's playful comedy, The Royal Tenenbaums. The film's story, co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson, is a smart and sarcastic tale about a family of Upper East Side geniuses reunited after 20 years of betrayals.Gwyneth Paltrow is wonderfully pouty as Margot Tenenbaum, a somber playwright who hasn't written anything in seven years. Gene Hackman, clad in clunky sunglasses and out-of-date suits, gives one of the best performances of his career as cranky Royal Tenenbaum, the family patriarch who walked out years ago. Tenenbaums is a comic celebration of dysfunctional behavior. They're eccentrics struggling through daily life, and nothing is richer than that. -- SR (Rated R.)

RUSH HOUR 2 -- (Grade: C) Like all of Jackie Chan's movies, Rush Hour 2 has plenty of acrobatic kung fu, synchronized fighting and daredevil stunts. Punches are delivered with comic-book gusto. Kicks occur with childlike glee. The action is consistently outrageous. When the bathrobe-clad heroes confront the gang lord's thugs in a massage parlor, it's clear Rush Hour 2 is not to be taken too seriously.

Rush Hour 2 suffers from uninspired storytelling. Chan's gravity-defying stunts have a way of compensating for a film's dramatic shortcomings, but Rush Hour 2 never stops feeling like it was a movie made without a script. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

SERENDIPITY -- (Grade: A) Director Peter Chelsom blends a witty script with breezy pacing and a top-notch cast to concoct a please-everyone love story. After a chance encounter, Sara (Kate Beckinsale) and Jonathan (John Cusack) flirtatiously agree that the spark between them exists, but Sara insists that fate be tested. He puts his name on a five-dollar bill and she puts hers in a book. They part and let destiny run its course.

Serendipity is not ground breaking. But the film does manage to find magic during its course. Chalk that up to great chemistry between Beckinsale and Cusack. -- RP (Rated PG-13.)

SHALLOW HAL -- (Grade: D) The guys who brought you sperm-gelled hair in Something About Mary and frozen snot in Dumb and Dumber turn their attentions to the issue of inner beauty. The result isn't pretty.

A shallow guy is hypnotized into only seeing a woman based on her inner beauty. Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow), in reality is a 300-pound "nice girl," but to Hal she looks like a movie star. The hijinks ensue.

Or should ensue. The fact is, the guys who thought to show Ben Stiller's privates trapped in a zipper actually go too far the wrong way. They try to be touching? -- RP (Rated R.)

THE SHIPPING NEWS -- (Grade: D) Director Lasse Hallström's adaptation of Annie Proulx's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1993 novel turns out to be the worst of Hollywood's big holiday films.

Kevin Spacey is sleepy as Quoyle, a single father who looks to revive his life as a journalist in a Newfoundland town. Julianne Moore offers little chemistry as Wavey, the single mom who befriends Quoyle. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett provide sparks with their supporting roles. Dench is believably crotchety as Quoyle's aunt and Blanchett delivers plenty of sass as Quoyle's absentee wife. Still, whenever Dench and Blanchett are off camera, The Shipping News dissolves into lulling melodrama. -- SR (Rated R.)

SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK -- (Grade: D) Brittany Murphy's giggly performance as a college student having an affair with a married dentist (Stanley Tucci) is the best thing about director/star Ed Burns' ensemble comedy.

Sidewalks of New York follows the lovelorn lives of a number of New Yorkers in a surprisingly straightforward fashion. Heather Graham delivers a low-energy performance as Tucci's unsuspecting wife. Burns steps in front of the camera as a single TV producer who serves as the dramatic link between the film's various characters. Sidewalks of New York is a lukewarm success. Burns has no business casting himself as a comic leading man. -- SR (Rated R.)

SNOW DOGS -- (Grade: D) The closing credits of Snow Dogs reveal that the story was suggested by the book Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. The creative folks at Disney would probably like for us to imagine the book sprouting lips and a cute kid-friendly attitude as it went about a bit of self-promotion to get the greenlight. Snow Dogs is part of the continuing trend in filmmaking that presents animals manipulated into exhibiting more human characteristics. The human talent in Snow Dogs has a rich, but rather questionable, pedigree. Two recent supporting actor Oscar winners, Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire) and James Coburn (Affliction), lead the mushpit for director Brian Levant (Beethoven). I'm sure the kids might get something out of the good messages, but Snow Dogs offers far less than the recent animated features like Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and Monsters, Inc. -- ttc

SPY GAMES -- (Grade: D) Robert Redford's steely performance as a veteran CIA operative is the best thing about director Tony Scott's glossy, espionage thriller. Peel away the tricky camerawork and Techno soundtrack and you'll find a lulling story that fails to take advantage of Redford's iconic presence.

Brad Pitt plays a CIA agent trapped in a Chinese prison. Redford is the mentor who tries to get him out.

Scenes of Mideast violence and Chinese torture try to give Spy Games a ripped-from-the-headlines feeling. Still, it's not long before the film tosses aside any attempts at character-driven storytelling for flashy photography. -- SR (Rated R.)

13 GHOSTS -- (Grade: D) When the original 13 Ghosts appeared in theaters in 1960, audiences were issued "ghost viewer" glasses that revealed the spirits on the screen. And that's what's lacking in this year's take on the story. It's a thriller that doesn't thrill.

Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) inherits a house from a strange uncle (F. Murray Abraham), only to find that it is no house at all, but a machine made to unleash the powers of hell. To operate it, 12 ghosts' souls are sacrificed.

Hipsters Matthew Lillard (Scream) and Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie 2) are on board, but they cannot salvage the film. -- RP (Rated R.)

TRAINING DAY -- (Grade: B) Director Antoine Fuqua follows up his forgettable features The Replacement Killers (1998) and Bait (2000) with the taut police corruption thriller Training Day. Ethan Hawke gives a surprisingly gritty performance as a rookie beat cop assigned to an anti-drug squad. Denzel Washington is the squad's shady leader, Sgt. Alonzo Harris, a cop who fights as dirty as the dealers he's trying to catch. The film's greatest attribute is Washington's high-energy performance as the corrupt Harris. Balancing charm and creepiness with pinpoint agility, he makes Harris into a character too complex to be discarded as a cliché bad guy. When Training Day dissolves into routine car chases and shootouts, it's Washington's exuberant performance that keeps the story believable. -- SR (Rated R.)

VA SAVOIR -- (Grade: B) French director Jacques Rivette unites an ensemble cast into a witty, romantic comedy. For one of the founders of the French New Wave, Va Savoir proves that intelligence and charm can be welcomed elements in film comedy. The laughs slowly build as Va Savoir's leads become entangled during a production of a Pirandello play in Paris. Camille (Jeanne Balibar) is a French actress returning to Paris after a self-imposed exile. Pierre (Jacques Bonaffé) is the former boyfriend Camille is trying to avoid. By the time Va Savoir reaches its farcical climax, Rivette delivers some of the film's best surprises. -- SR (Rated PG-13.)

VANILLA SKY -- (Grade: B) A complex and mature performance by the usually lackadaisical Tom Cruise is the highlight of director Cameron Crowe's erotic remake of Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 thriller Abre Los Ojos. Cruise plays David Aames, a wealthy heir to a Manhattan publishing company, Cameron Diaz plays Julie Gianni, a flirty actress and Aames' girlfriend. The dependable Jason Lee plays Aames' jealous best friend. Co-star Penélope Cruz makes a believable "dream" girl, reinventing the role she played in Amenábar's original film.

Crowe brings dramatic tweaks and surrealist flourishes to Amenábar's film about a man who loses his chance at true happines. -- SR (Rated R.)

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