ELLIOTT SMITH

Some movie genres always worth watching, even if star isn't

ELLIOTT SMITH

Originally published Friday, March 1, 2002

Choosing what to watch can certainly be a difficult task when faced with the thousands of selections at the video store.

Sometimes, a movie choice depends on mood, other times newness and others by force (The Video Gal edict).

But for me, there are a couple of genres or people that catch my eye no matter what perceived notions I have about the movie itself. They're simply guilty pleasures.

I don't think there's a rapper besides Will Smith who has made a smoother transition into movies than Snoop Dogg. He's done well in bit parts in big movies and starring roles in direct-to-video schlockers, which led to his biggest break yet as the titular character in BONES (R) ** 1/2.

Believe it or not, I've seen all of Snoop's movies, as he certainly has the kind of charisma that makes a successful actor.

Here he plays the neighborhood crime boss Jimmy Bones, a 1970s pimp-style player who yes, is bad, but also does hip things like give money to little kids.

When he refuses to introduce crack into the 'hood, he is murdered by a group who swears to keep their dirty deed secret.

Flash forward to the present, where a group of the dumbest kids ever assembled on film decide to clean up Jimmy's old house and turn it into a nightclub. During their extensive renovation efforts they happen to dig up Jimmy's bones. Does it faze them? Hardly.

Neither does all the weird stuff that happens afterward, including devil dogs, maggots and scary voices.

I'm not even going to try and tell you that this a great movie. But in a cheesy way, it delivers the goods. Snoop seems to have fun with his role and there are a couple of genuine scares, which outweighs the bad, including some of the worst special effects in a long time.

Kevin Smith is a director I have followed throughout his career, which certainly has given him a fair amount of critical acclaim and fan devotion.

His response to his large fanbase was JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (R) ** 1/2, featuring the two wacky characters that have appeared in all of his films and just about everyone else from the Kevin Smith universe.

The story revolves around the verbose Jay (Jason Mewes) and silent Bob (Smith) out to foil a movie based on their comic book characters, which were created in "Chasing Amy."

But really the plot is just an excuse to send the pair on a wild road trip where they run across dozens of celebrity cameos.

The best of those involves Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the set of "Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season," where the guys hilariously play off their public personas.

As a stand-alone film, this doesn't really add up to much. But if you're a fan of Smith's movies, all the little in-jokes and movie tie-ins will bring a smile to your face.

I don't know why, but I've always been fond of what I like to term "swashbuckling" movies. You know, movies about pirates or adventures complete with lots of swordplay and floppy hats.

But even I had to draw the line at THE MUSKETEER (PG-13) *, which tries to update Dumas' classic tale of "The Three Musketeers" with Hong Kong-style fight scenes.

When did I know this movie was bad? How about during the credit sequence, when "Superman"-style music blared over portraits of the main characters. Ugh.

The other huge problem is Justin Chambers as The Musketeer. A former Calvin Klein model, Chambers is about as believable as an 18th-century French swordsman as The Video Guy. Coming in a close second is Mena Suvari, who continues her string of terrible performances.

Yeah, the fight scenes are cool, but since there's only three of them, the rest of the time is spent wading through horrible dialogue and stilted character development.

Sympathy has to go out to Tim Roth, a great actor reduced to chewing scenery as the villain. But hey, I guess everybody needs to get paid.

Elliott Smith is a sportswriter for The Olympian by night and The Video Guy even later at night. Readers may send comments or suggestions to esmith@olympia.gannett.com.

Star guide

Superior * * * *

Good * * *

Fair * *

Poor *

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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