have your drums or guitars custom painted by ... - RAG Magazine

By: Crystal Clark
HOME ON THE RANGE
Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, Randy Quaid
Directed by: Will Finn & John Sanford
Walt Disney Pictures, PG
TAKING LIVES
Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke & Olivier Martinez
Directed by: DJ Caruso
Warner Brothers, R
SCOOBY DOO 2
Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard
Directed by: Raja Gosnell
Warner Brothers, PG
44 • RAG MAGAZINE • APRIL 2004
It’s precisely a home on the
range named “Patch of
Heaven,” (a dairy farm) in
which our cast of characters
come to life as they
come to terms with the fact
that they might lose their
homeland. Our three lovable
lead cows (Mrs. Caloway, Grace, and Maggie), a karate-kicking stallion named
Buck, and a host of animals unite in an effort to save the beloved farm. The classic
animation hints at Disney’s old-school stylings, and the glorious colors truly evoke
a western adventure. But this go-round seems to flourish from within its characters’
human personas. So it must be noted that Home on the Range features the
fantastically cast voice talents of Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, Jennifer Tilly, Cuba
Gooding Jr., and many more. The soundtrack is even more impressive, with Academy-Award
winner Alan Menken joining such celebrated stars as Tim McGraw, Bonnie
Raitt, and K.D. Lang. Remember, you too, can “bust a moo!,” beginning April 2, 2004.
Taking Lives is a perfect cinematic
example of Hollywood’s
most intrinsic talent: marketing.
Yes, they’ve created a movie
with a k-i-l-l-e-r title and a c-re-e-p-y
trailer, but then they release
a movie that s-l-o-w-l-y
sucks the life out of you. Well,
it’s really the script that fails to
produce any evidence of suspense, which you’ll find is a surprising factoid once you get a
glimpse of the opening credits electrifying across the screen. Taking Lives starts out with the
potential of the forensic gem, Seven, yet the CSI mode never materializes. Yes, you’ll jump out
of your chair, but you’re never challenged into solving the mystery, only watching it unfold
before you. And even that task proves anticlimatic, since you can tell whom the bad guy is
immediately. Nevertheless, I firmly believe in giving credit where it is due; therefore, Taking Lives
has taken on phenomenal actors to portray its tormented characters. Angelina Jolie is superb as
Special Agent Scott, a criminal profiler that finds herself in the throws of the Montreal Police after
a gruesome crime is unearthed. Agent Scott’s talents are not welcome by all in the police force,
as fellow officer Paquette (Olivier Martinez) feels threatened by her psychological instincts and
flawless interrogations. Ethan Hawke’s Costa is a material witness to one of many related crimes, and he quickly adds mystique and
tension to the chaotic investigation. And in an effort to not be outdone in the suspicion department, creepy-voiced Keifer Sutherland
oozes around in the background, apparently his official job in every movie is to make everyone uncomfortable. Gena Rowlands
tackles the enigmatic role of the mother of the main suspect, except she reports that her son died almost two decades earlier. Ooh, spooky.
So, the plot thickens? No, not really. Yet Jolie and Hawke make the case remotely interesting while you’re there.
Zoinks! Scooby Doo 2 is a dog-gone-treat! The bumbling detectives of Mystery Inc.
are back to embark on a new case, and wow, we surely did miss them! I must admit,
when Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo first reappeared on screen,
I felt a sense of childhood giddiness inside. And trust me, I wasn’t the only one
brimming with Saturday-morning anticipation --from age 2 to 60, the theater was
jam-packed with Scooby Doo enthusiasts. In fact, Scooby Doo 2 is never required
to take-on the dreaded sequel test; because it genuinely feels like another fun-filled
after-school adventure. This time around, the clueless quintet drive their mystery
van smack into a smorgasbord of monsters they’ve caught in the past, that have
now been unceremoniously unleashed (a very potent script idea). Alicia Silverstone,
Seth Green, and Peter Boyle find themselves caught up in the mix and the writers do
an excellent job of juxtaposing who’s really a bad guy versus who’s really a good
guy. There are laughs upon laughs upon laughs and the film’s spectacular colors
are vibrant and intoxicating. As always, Matthew Lillard shines as Shaggy, again
emoting a voice so on-par with Casey Kasem’s Shaggy, it’s outright scary, yet still a
mystery. I say we put Mystery Inc. on the case. I can picture it now: Shaggy
investigating Shaggy. Zoinks! Hey Scooby-Doo? Where are you?