MOVIE REVIEW
'Constantine' worth the cash BY MARK MEYERS Daily Titan Staff
Sony Pictures
Will Smith and Eva Mendes star in the new romantic comedy "Hitch," now playing in theaters.
'Hitch' wins with witty one-liners BY ANNA LOUSTAUNAU For the Daily Titan
Hitch…the cure for the common man. And woman? Columbia Pictures “Hitch” is a sweet success with witty oneliners and comical mishaps longremembered after the ending credits have rolled. The funny flick, starring sizzling Will Smith and sassy Eva Mendes, is one of the most refreshing and truthful stories displaying “every day life” since teen-angst sensation “Mean Girls,” its contents full of raw sentiment and humiliating hilarity. Taking place in New York, “Hitch” starts off with suave professional “date doctor,” Alex Hitchens, helping his latest client, clumsy Albert (James), woo famous actress Allegra Cole (Amber Valleta) through clever conversation and dating games. Intending for his occupation to be legendary, yet anonymous, Hitch lets his guard down when he comes across gossip column sweetie Sara (Eva Mendes), falling hard for her feisty character and literally making a fool of himself. When Sara discovers a smashing story opportunity, Hitch realizes that honesty, not games, can be the best way to a womanʼs heart and vows to be more open-minded about his clientsʼ quirky qualities than he had previously been. With comedic seafood sequences, sappy predictable lines and beautifully talented actors, “Hitch” has all the makings of a winning romantic comedy that teaches a positive message: “When it comes to dating, itʼs always better to just be yourself… your true bad dancing, stuttering, klutzy self. Thatʼs what will win them over in the end.” However, there was one po-
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tentially negative message displayed in “Hitchʼs” dialogue. Resembling past films “Two Can Play that Game” and “How to Be a Player,” “Hitch” first exhibits “game-playing” to be effective in dating, like when men use certain techniques to flirt with women and lure them past first base; but luckily, Smith saves the day in the end, teaching men new knowledge that “games should not define a personʼs character.” As always, Smith is simply charming as “ladies man” bachelor Hitch, giving viewers reminiscences of his “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” days, but adding more sophistication and maturity to his universally flirty role. In fact, itʼs Smith and (Kevin James) James together that are the triumphs of the film, as Smith was perfect for playing the “Date Doctor”, while James added a unique flair of attraction to his character Albert, revealing tenderness through his awkward actions. But Mendes was a wonderfully spicy addition to the cast as well, by her exotic appeal and mischievous mind. There was never a time where one could predict what her next actions would be or whether she would chuckle or sob. Valleta was also unforgettable, with her ability to disclose a secret shy side to her usual spunky onscreen self, perhaps for the first time in her film career. “Hitch” was a vivacious victory for singles, couples, friends and family in its ability to cause viewers to choke with laughter and shed a tear in minutes of each other. Purely, it was the modern fairy tale that we have been seeking since “The Notebook,” complete through humor, love and aptitude all tied up into one big red bow.
Daily Titan February 24, 2005
A wager between God and Lucipher, one “man” against an army of demons and a Gavin Rossdale sighting, what more could you want for $9.50? Putting aside the consensus says that Keanu Reeves has the acting skills of a piece of cardboard; "Constantine" is a movie that at the very least will not make you feel as though you wasted money. Based on the D.C. Comics cult favorite “Hellblazer,” "Constantine" introduces the viewer to John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a demonologist/exorcist who has been stuck in the battle between heaven and hell with his own motives at heart. Enter Angela, played effortlessly by Rachel Weisz, a Los Angeles detective who is investigating the apparent suicide of her identical twin sister Isabelle; a suicide that
doesnʼt sit well. Angela seeks out Constantine because of his reputation for dealing with the supernatural. She starts off as the typical cynic who needs a few meetings with demons and supernatural occurrences to realize what the audience has already known. Constantine is in a world of hurt himself, as he is diagnosed with terminal cancer from a smoking habit that isnʼt deterred by his sickness and fighting constant battles to “win” his way into Godʼs good graces in an attempt to reverse his already guaranteed trip to hell. The story gets interesting as it becomes more apparent that Isabelleʼs suicide has much deeper implications. Apparently, God and Lucipher have placed a wager on who can claim the most souls without any direct action, meaning neither demons nor angels can cross over to the mortal realm to influence the human population. When it becomes obvious that
demons are in fact crossing over, Constantine and Angela try to link Isabelleʼs death to a much bigger plan that involves Lucipherʼs son and an ancient relic called the “Spear of Destiny” that grants its bearer unequaled power. What ensues is a moderately action packed whirl through the demonic underground with notable performances by Djimon Hounsou as Poppa Midnight, Shia LaBeouf as Constantineʼs young book smart sidekick, and a menacing Gavin Rossdale as Balthazar. There are some mildly surprising twists at the end of the movie, with an excellent portrayal of Lucipher by Peter Stormare of Fargo fame. "Constantine" can be classified as a fun movie with heavy religious overtones. So if supernatural thrillers are your thing, you will not be disappointed, if they arenʼt, you will at the very least not feel like a bored spectator.
Flashback Favorite
School was never so cool BY MAHSA KHALILIFAR Daily Titan Staff
When I wake up in the morning and the alarm gives out a warning, I don't think I'll ever make it on time. By the time I grab my books and I give myself a look, I'm at the corner just in time to see the bus fly by. It's all right, cuz I'm Saved By the Bell. Come on admit it, that catchy tune still plays in most of our minds from time to time, and the show that accompanied it gave us many years of laughs and memories that we still recall today. Saturday mornings haven't quite been the same since "Saved By the Bell," a show about six high school students and their principal came on the scene in the early '90s and gave teens something to look forward to each week. Now, I am not talking about the first episodes with Ms. Bliss or "Saved By the Bell: The New Class" (anybody else think that was a horrible decision?) or even "Saved By the Bell: The College Years," (although those were decent), I am talking about the original one where you still remember all the episodes and every cast member's name. Zack, Kelly, Lisa, Slater, Screech, Jessie and Mr. Belding all became a mainstay in many of our lives and for those that had yet to reach what seemed like the fun world of higher education craved walking the hallways of Bayside High with the gang. Each character had their own quirks and common characteristics, so that each viewer found someone to relate to. Zack, the hot guy in school, was the one who was a big class clown, but was charismatic andgave us many laughs (do you remember that cell phone?!). For people who did not prefer the blonde cutie, there was A.C. Slater- the dimple-faced muscular wrestler. Slater's adorable smile and great body made many adolescent girls swoon. Then there was Screech. Are you smiling…even a little? That is because you remember how much we were all annoyed by the nerdy and scrawny guy, yet we still loved him for his good intentions.
Of all the characters Kelly was among the favorites. What girl did not want to be Kelly for her great style and what guy did not want to date the beautiful brunette? She was the popular cheerleader that for some reason you could not help but like. Lisa Turtle, the fashionista of the group (anyone else think her fashion sense was a little bit wacky?) stirred things up as well. It was just cool to see what she would wear next and how her relationship with Screech would falter. Jessie Spano, the intelligent feminist of the group made us yearn for her smarts rather than for her stance on life, yet brought us entertaining moments and her relationship with Slater (although dysfunctional many of times) had a lot of us envious. Although other series spun off from "Saved By the Bell," nothing beat out the chemestry of the original six. Luckily, we never have to say goodbye to them and many of our other "Saved By The Bell" memories. Now, with "Saved By the Bell" DVD's and cable reruns we can take a moment to walk through the halls of Bayside in the comfort of our homes. Many of us are thankful for that and know we're alright, because we're "Saved by the Bell."
