The Producers

Starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman. Rated PG-13

You gotta see this if: You’ve already memorized the soundtrack.

final analysis: *** Let’s face it. Most of us never got the chance to see Lane and Broderick strut their stuff on Broadway, even those who could afford the hefty ticket price. I did see “The Producers” touring company when it came to Seattle a few years ago and loved it. The music is fantastic and the characters are hysterical. Still, a chance to see Lane and Broderick in the roles they originated was cause for excitement in my book. Is the film version comparable to the play? Not really. The story, for those who don’t know, is about two Broadway producers scheming to raise millions to produce a sure-to-close-in-one-night flop, so they can make off with the surplus funds. Of course, everything blows up in their faces and that’s what makes it so much fun. The main problem with the movie is that it’s treated too much like the stage version. The sets, the camera angles and the acting all make you feel as if you’re sitting onstage just a few feet from the actor’s faces. However, it’s still Lane, Broderick and “Springtime for Hitler.” A winning combination despite bad choices in direction.

King Kong

Starring Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black, Andy Serkis. Rated PG-13

You gotta see this if: You’ve always had a soft spot for a big ape with a heart of gold.

final analysis: **** Peter Jackson is a master filmmaker. Frankly, the idea of a “King Kong” remake never did anything for me. I remember watching the 1933 version (about 50 years later) with the chest pounding beast and a screaming Fay Wray and finding the special effects interesting in a history of the cinema sort of way, but the story … not so much. However, Jackson is one of those rare directors who understands that even in action movies, plot and character must come first. This is the “monster” movie that hundreds of others have tried and failed to be. The scenes between vaudeville actor Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts) and Kong are brilliantly acted as their relationship develops without the aid of dialogue. It is the quiet discovery of their scenes that balance and give meaning to the violent action sequences. Adrien Brody and Jack Black are excellent as the writer and director fighting a plethora of creatures on Skull Island. Jack Black seems to be channeling Orson Welles. As expected, the special effects are stunning, but it’s the unexpected that makes this movie Oscar-worthy.

Aeon Flux

Starring Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller. Rated PG-13

You gotta see this if: You felt the animated MTV

version was too realistic.

final analysis: ** Here’s what I learned from this movie: In the future everyone will be impeccably dressed in body hugging outfits, human intelligence will devolve to a point unimaginable by either Darwin or Murphy, and if you see a woman in a tight jumpsuit back flipping toward you, duck. “Aeon Flux” can be summed up in one word, silly. It takes place in the 25th century when most of the world’s population has been wiped out by a pandemic. The survivors, about five million, live in a single walled city controlled by two dictators. The movie looks slick. There’s some nifty special effects and, of course, Charlize Theron looks good as she flies, spins, and kicks across the screen in her bondage attire. But as anyone who saw “Catwoman” knows, slick and sexy isn’t enough to make a movie worth watching. The science fiction concepts introduced aren’t even worthy of a “Star Trek” episode and reminded me of those B-movies from the ‘50s. In fact, this movie would have been a lot more fun if Tom Servo and Crow from “Mystery Science Theater 3000” had been there to break up the monotony.