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# What's Playing: Reviews of The Ring 2, Hostage, and Melinda and Melinda
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/032505-story-20050325/
- Published: 2005-03-25T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T23:44:45.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By What’s playing... By Dan Dunn Special to the Daily Press*

THE RING 2 The only thing remotely frightening about this tension-less sequel is the filmmakers’ arrant disregard for its audience’s intelligence. Starring: Naomi Watts MELINDA AND MELINDA Woody Allen’s new film plays out much like a host of others he’s made over the course of his 40-year-career, but alas it’s not nearly on par with the revered film-maker’s best efforts Starring: Radha Mitchell, Chloe Sevigny, Will Ferrell, Amanda Peet HOSTAGE A stylishly rendered collection of action-flick clichés that casts Willis in a familiar role: Burnt-out cop turned reluctant hero. Starring: Bruce Willis THE UPSIDE OF ANGER A smart, funny, and at times heartbreaking look at one family’s struggle to reinvent itself in the wake of a father’s sudden, unexplained departure. Starring: Joan Allen, Kevin Costner THE JACKET challenges viewers to execute such strenuous mental gymnastics, it is inevitable most will wind up completely spent by the midway point. Starring: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley THE PACIFIER Seeing a bald beefcake like Diesel yukking it might be funny under the right conditions, but here it isn’t. Starring: Vin Diesel CONSTANTINE A visually spectacular yet emotionally barren, at times gratingly inconsistent comic book adaptation. Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz BECAUSE OF WINN DIXIE Some might be put off by the film’s anachronistic unreality and manifest righteousness, while others will no doubt revel in the quixotic Bushiness of it all. Starring: AnnaSophia Robb, Jeff Daniels IMAGINARY HEROES What starts out as a kind of poor man’s “Ordinary People” quickly deteriorates into an unintentional comedy of errors filled with virtually every staple of the afterschool special genre. Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch HITCH Smith and James make a good team and hit all the right comedic notes working with very funny material. Starring: Will Smith, Kevin James, Eva Mendez HIDE AND SEEK What is, for a solid 80 minutes or so, a pretty hair-raising and suspenseful thriller, falls apart more quickly and embarrassingly than a drunken “Real World” cast member. Starring: Robert DeNiro, Dakota Fanning THE AVIATOR The second-best biopic Scorsese has helmed, behind the exalted “Raging Bull.” DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hughes stands out as the finest work of his career. Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett MILLION DOLLAR BABY At its core, this is a heart-wrenching story about overcoming impossible odds and realizing dreams. Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman FINDING NEVERLAND As moving a motion picture as we’re likely to see this year, and — as the movie poster contends — one that is sure to unlock even the most immured imagination. Starring: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 25, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032505.pdf?ref=smdp.com)