CALENDAR GIRLS Boasts an appealing British sensibility and echoes the uplifting themes that made “Billy Elliott” a surprise hit stateside a few years back.
THE COOLER Wayne Kramer’s lowdown on the desperate lives of lost souls in Las Vegas is easily one of the best bets this year.
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS An emotionally charged, and often hilarious tale about a dying man who reconnects with old friends and his estranged son.
THE RETURN OF THE KING This film, the best of the year, seals the deal: Director Peter Jackson has delivered the most spectacular film trilogy of all-time.
SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE If you enjoy lots of jokes about May- December romances and erectile dysfunction, this is the film for you.
STUCK ON YOU Contains several laugh-out-loud moments and some surprisingly deft comedic performances.
IN AMERICA An inescapably moving elegy about pain and loss and hope and renewal that unabashedly wears its broken heart on its tattered sleeve.
THE LAST SAMURAI An entertaining film, but highly derivative of superior antecedents such as “Dances With Wolves” and “Unforgiven.”
HONEY With Jessica Alba leading the way, it’s only a matter of time before the Crips and the Bloods trade in their colors and guns for tap shoes and ballet slippers.
THE CAT IN THE HAT The cinematic equivalent of a massive flea infestation. For the crime they committed against Seuss’ compact classic, everyone associated with this film should be neutered without anesthesia.
THE HAUNTED MANSION Even the best CGI wizardry cannot compensate for shoddy storytelling, which is precisely what haunts “The Haunted Mansion.”
THE MISSING Ron Howard had the key elements of an extraordinary film at his disposal — great premise, cast — yet, frustratingly, it never quite realizes its potential.
BAD SANTA If you’re game for a little R-rated Christmas fun, this is a great holiday gift, all wrapped up in F-bombs and slaughtered sacred cows.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 24, 2003. Read the original PDF.