‘The Recruit’ lacks excitement

An MIT computer student is singled out and hand-picked to become a

CIA operative by one of the agency’s top covert training instructors.

Unlike the other recruits, whose sense of patriotism compels them

to join the CIA, James (Collin Farrell, “Minority Report”) is driven

by personal reasons that his recruiter, Walter (Al Pacino), has

intentionally used as bait to lure him into the organization. First,

however, James has to pass the extreme training exercises all

recruits must endure deep in the woods at the CIA compound known as

“The Farm.” His ability to think and act like a covert operative is

compromised due to his passionate feelings for Layla, a fellow

trainee.

Walter observes his new recruit’s training from a safe and secure

distance, without James being aware he is being observed. Walter is

an elite spy. His knowledge and ability to manipulate and maneuver

people in situations appears flawless and scary -- he knows more

about James then James knows about himself. Once training is

completed James is assigned a mission to capture a mole working in

the organization, a fellow recruit he trained with. For James, it

comes down to choosing between his emotions or fulfilling his

patriotic duty to protect and serve his country. “The Recruit” at

times plays like a reality TV show like “Survivor” or “Big Brother.”

During their training exercises at “The Farm,” the recruits are being

observed by hidden cameras monitored by the staff to assess their

skills and performance. The audience sees the training through a

tunnel vision perspective. Although James is one of about 20

recruits, their presence serves more as wallpaper. Their actions,

thoughts, successes and failures are never voiced, with the exception

of Layla. They all look like interesting characters, but remain in

the shadows only to disappear midway through the film. The training

phase itself it limited to showing only how well they’ve learned how

to be a covert spy without any time spent on preparation or training.

Seeing James out on his mission running about with a loaded pistol,

in public, pointing the gun at everyone and everywhere causes viewers

to conclude that perhaps the training was as shallow as it appeared.

And like a reality TV show, “The Recruit” looks great, everyone’s

handsome and beautiful, trim and fit, but is it going to deliver the

excitement it promises?

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 39, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.

‘Final Destination 2’

a typical sequel

“Final Destination 2” is a prime example of Hollywood packaging.

Here are seven ingredients for success:

1. It’s got a clever premise translated into a serviceable script:

Kimberly (A.J. Cook) has a horrifically vivid premonition of herself

and several others being killed in a terrible traffic pile-up. (That,

of course, includes a truck with a gasoline tank so we’ll have a big

explosion) Armed with this knowledge, she doesn’t turn onto the

highway and thereby saves everyone behind her from dying. You can’t

cheat death, however, so death spends the next hour offing its

fugitive victims.

2. It’s a sequel to a huge hit, so it has a built-in audience,

taking the financial risk away from the studio. It’s a no-brainer.

3. Keep costs down by casting unknowns ... unless, of course, you

recall Cook’s three lines of dialogue as one of Kirsten Dunst’s four

sisters in 1999s “The Virgin Suicides.”

4. Keep the running time at 90 minutes so the movie can be shown

as many times in the theater as possible. This is also beneficial

because it means more money will be made before any bad word-of-mouth

can slow down fiscal momentum.

5. Bring back the one surviving character from the original, Clear

Rivers (Ali Larter), to give the audience a connection to the

original film.

6. Since it’s a sequel, come up with clever twists on the original

premise. In the first film, death claims its victims in the same

order they were supposed to die. In “Final Destination 2,” their

death order is backward. That blew my mind.

7. It’s a date movie, and the thrills give couples a good excuse

to get real cuddly. I saw a girl in the audience who was a better

actor than anyone on screen pretending to be frightened.

“Final Destination 2” is not nearly as harrowing as its superior

predecessor. The suspense is less about fear and more about curiosity

about how each gory death will outdo the last. I was absolutely

entertained, but I felt like I was watching a comedy. It’s silly, not

scary.

* ALLEN MacDONALD, 29, is working toward his master’s in

screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

‘Chicago’ captivates throughout

From the very first note of music that opens the first frame of

the picture, “Chicago” captivates and enthralls.

The musical, based on a 1926 play by Maurine Dallas Watkins,

follows two young women looking for fame of any kind: Roxie Hart

(Renee Zellwegger), a wannabe, and Velma Kelly (Catherine

Zeta-Jones), a fading cabaret star.

Both women end up in jail, each charged with murder, to be

defended at their trials by the flashiest lawyer in the city of

Chicago, Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), a ringmaster and media hog who

knows that winning a case is mostly about entertaining the

“audience,” also known as the jury, as Gere’s character points out.

Oscar-winning screenwriter Bill Condon (“Gods and Monsters”)

delivers punch with his wry take on this Kander, Ebb and Fosse

classic. The difficulty usually encountered with any movie musical is

portraying the abandonment of reality when characters spontaneously

burst into song and dance. In this film, all the musical numbers,

save the first and last, are the imaginings of Roxie’s mind. This

perception adds depth and characterization to the film, while

allowing the average viewer to suspend his or her disbelief with

delight.

Truly, I did not expect the superior performances from Zeta-Jones,

Zellweger and even Gere, who is fabulous in his role. Queen Latifah,

who portrays the jail matron “Mama,” was also a powerful presence. It

should be noted and to their credit that all the actors sang all of

their songs, as well as performed the energetic choreography (as was

pointed out to any doubting audience members toward the end of the

closing credits).

The only weak links were John C. Reilly as Roxie’s husband and

Christine Baranski as reporter Mary Sunshine, who were adequate, but

not ideal.

A veteran director of the stage, first-time film director Rob

Marshall makes his debut outing with sheer perfection. He brings

flash and spectacle to the story’s weaker moments while letting the

natural superiority of the better material stand on its own.

The film is not ridiculously funny nor tragically dramatic, but I

did find myself smiling consistently and, on a few occasions, on the

verge of applause.

The message of the film is as pertinent today as when it was

written. Fame is fleeting, and you are only as good as your last

accomplishment, unless you choose a different path. The film an

excellent promotion for American musical theater, and it may boost a

new trend of movie musicals that started with the successful “Moulin

Rouge.”

Matthew Broderick will be appearing in a TV version of “The Music

Man,” and coming soon to the big screen will be yet another version

of “Bye Bye Birdie.” Maybe successes with those projects will lead to

some screen adaptations of more contemporary musicals like “Les

Miserables,” “Miss Saigon” or the “Scarlet Pimpernel.”

In the meantime, see the jazzy “Chicago” and buy the electric

soundtrack that kept audience members in their seats until the very

end of the credits.

* RAY BUFFER, 33, is a professional singer, actor and voice-over

artist.