The Naked Gun Evokes Belly Laughs

Years ago, the writing and producing talents of brothers Jerry and David Zucker and Jim Abrahams created the classic Police Squad series (only six produced), which introduced straight man actor Leslie Nielsen to the world of comedy. He portrayed Lt. Frank Drebin, a serious police officer who's oblivious to the silly antics and ribald humor happening around him. Somehow Drebin manages to keep a straight face and do his job. That is the genius of casting Nielsen who evokes the belly laughs because he has no clue. Now years later, the team of Zucker and Abrahams return with "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad," and bring it to the big screen. I watched the movie with great expectation. I knew I would laugh and groan at some of the outlandish scenes and off-color jokes. The story is straightforward: Queen Elizabeth is visiting the United States, and Police Squad is responsible for Her Majesty's security. They unwittingly uncover an assassination plot. Lt. Drebin and his colleagues must figure out who is behind it and how to foil the dastardly plot. During the course of his investigation, Drebin falls for the beautiful Jane Spencer, an assistant to evil businessman Victor Ludwig. It is Ludwig's diabolical plan to use a hypnotic device on an innocent baseball player to assassinate the Queen. Along the way we are treated to Leslie Nielsen's deadpan delivery and one-liners, as well as scenes bordering on the tasteless. I don't want to give anything away, but I almost lost it watching one scene when Drebin unknowlingly left a microphone attached to his lapel while he visited the men's room during a televised press conference. Just trust me when I say that you'll leave the theater laughing.

Hairspray is a Fun Time

John Water's cult classic "Hairspray" was remade with budding young star Nikki Blonsky. A young woman who saw injustice and took it upon herself to change her part of the world. This musical was set in segregated Baltimore in 1962. Tracy Turnblad, an idealistic young high school student whose dream is to be one of the "Council Kids" on "Corny Collins Show," happens to be overweight and not part of the "in" crowd. When an opportunity presents itself to audition for the teen dance show, she's summarily dismissed by Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer) who deems Tracy's appearance and views on integration not compatible with WYZT station's views. Once a month, time is dedicated to the black kids to dance with DJ host Motormouth Maybelle, ably portrayed by Queen Latifah. Tracy befriends a group of black kids who teach her some new dance moves and ultimately help her to land a spot on "Corny Collins Show." Tracy becomes the hit of the show much to Velma's disgust. Velma wants to ensure that her daughter Amber is named "Miss Hairspray," the popularity contest to be held that week, and will impress talent agents from Broadway. Tracy sees how unfair segregation is to her black friends and doesn't understand why Baltimore simply can not integrate. She organizes a protest march calling in WYZT to abandon its segregation policy. Tracy gets in trouble and must hide out until the "Miss Hairspray" contest. With the help of her friends and parents, Tracy sneaks into the station and ultimately helps integrate the show. The good guys win and the handsome leading man kisses the plus-sized heroine. While the musical has wonderful song and dance numbers and many touches of comic relief, especially scenes with Edna Turnblad, magnificently played by John Travolta, you never escape the racial undertone of life in segregated Baltimore. Enjoy "Hairspray" for its highly entertaining talented cast, and appreciate the historical significance of its story.

A fun time at the movies with Shrek

I admit freely, with no reservations, that I enjoy watching animated films. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a 45-year-old female with teenage children who will sit in a crowded theater laughing, singing, or crying with young children who are not my own. Something about these films capture my fascination and attention every time, if they're done well. Nowadays film companies like Disney and Dreamworks produce scripts with subtle adult humor (clean, of course) or make references to events which children are not likely to grasp. I appreciate that. I recently attended a screening of Shrek, the latest by DreamWorks. It's just the kind of money I love to watch in the theatre with my giant tub of popcorn and large Coke. The story is based on a children's book by William Steig. A fearsome ogre's quiet sanctuary in the swamp is overrun by fairytale creatures who are banished from Lord Farquaad's kingdom. Shrek the ogre strikes a deal wtih Farquaad. If Shrek brings back Princess Fiona, who will be Farquaad's bride, then he will restore order to Shrek's swamp. Along the way an endearing Donkey joins Shrek's quest and becomes an unlikely companion. Shrek also finds himself falling for the Princess but she's intent upon receiving true love's first kiss. The voices of Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad are Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow, respectively. They're perfectly matched with these characters. The chemistry between Myer's overbearing and self centered Shrek is perfect with the manic personality of Murphy's Donkey. Murphy has played the humorous sidekick in several animated films, and he does it very, very well. Throughout the movie you find yourself rooting for Shrek and Fiona, while you boo and hiss at the evil Lord Farquaad. All the elements of a great animated film are present in "Shrek": romance, humor, the evil ruler, and of course, the happily-ever-after ending. You should willingly accompany your children to this film, which will become a classic over time. Laugh out loud or feel sad for Shrek. Whatever your emotions may be, this film is for the ENTIRE family. I think I enjoyed it more than most children!

Prepare for a Thrilling Adventure in Jurassic Park

"Jurassic Park" the movie is based on Michael Crichton's bestseller of the same name. Jurassic Park is the name of an amusement park in Isla Nublar which showcases cloned dinosaurs. The owner of the project is John Hammond, who is fascinated by dinosaurs, as are we all. His scientists extracted DNA from dinosaur blood found in mosquitos which fed on these creatures millions of years ago. Apparently filling the gap with DNA from frogs (I'm not a scientist, so don't ask me how this works) gives them enough genetic material to clone dinosaurs. Hammond decided to breed velociraptors, T- Rex, triceratops, and many others in order to create a dinosaur world where scientists can study them, but allow the general public a glimpse into their lives. But we all know that trying to create life, whether it's Frankenstein or dinosaurs, can lead to deadly outcomes. Hammond hires a reknowned paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, and two other scientists, Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Ian Malcolm to evaluate the viability of this dinosaur "amusement park." It will be a decision they soon regret. Before you know it, velociraptors, which are highly intelligent, deadly creatures are running amok. Security systems are blown and chaos ensues. There is an amazing chase scene with a T-Rex. The computer-generated images used of the various dinosaurs are so realistic. My heart was in my throat a number of times. It truly appears as if the characters are interacting with dinosaurs. The sounds and movements are so precise. You wonder if the heroes of the movie will survive the cunning of these creatures. It was highly entertaining to watch this edge-of-your-seat thriller. It also makes you realize that no matter how controlled a scientific experiment may be, there is a great risk that nature will take over and you lose control. I'd much rather see stuffed dinosaurs in a museum than one in "Jurassic Park." But for purely entertainment value, I'd highly recommend "Jurassic Park" the fictional movie.