VERONICA GUERIN (18)
Director: Joel Schumacher, 2003
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, Ciarán Hinds
THERE IS too much Hollywood syrup in this saintly account of the life and death of the campaigning Dublin journalist. The horror of Guerin’s murder is real and raw enough. What is harder to swallow is the flirty, twinkling charm that Blanchett brings to Schumacher’s sexed-up Victorian melodrama. Here is an impossibly pretty woman on a recklessly romantic mission to name and shame villains. To her family she is an unstoppable force of nature. From the stalls she is simply too good to be true. JC
On general release (Rating: 2/5)
ALL THE REAL GIRLS (15)
Director: David Gordon Green, 2003
Stars: Paul Schneider, Zooey Deschanel, Shea Whigham
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WHEN PAUL (Schneider) confesses to his best friend Tip (Whigham) that he’s madly in love with Tip’s 18-year- old virgin sister (Deschanel), there is a noisy parting of the ways. Tip has spent his life getting trashed with Paul and their attitude to sex is industrial rather than intimate. That’s it as far as credibility, dialogue and plot go. Deschanel then leaps into bed with a stranger for no other reason than to give the lads something else to chew on for the next two reels. JC
On general release (Rating: 2/5)
SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER (U)
Director: Robert Rodriguez, 2003
Stars: Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega, Ricardo Montalban
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THIS SADLY limp finale to the excellent Spy Kids series is far too satisfied by its gimmicky 3-D to bother with the kids-outsmart-the-grown-ups delights of episodes one and two. Referencing the computer thriller Tron, the film has a nigh-on solo Sabara fighting through a virtual computer game, run by an evil Toymaker (a misused Sylvester Stallone) to pollute youthful minds. Any high-paced CGI thrills are smothered by the malfunctioning 3-D delivered — care of goggles — in a horrible smeared rust colour. Ian Nathan
On general release (Rating: 2/5)
LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE AND BLONDE (PG)
Director: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, 2003
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Sally Field, Luke Wilson
SEQUEL TIME for the surprisingly tart adventures of the fluffy-headed sweet-cake Elle Woods. Witherspoon (see profile) gives the bimbo riff plenty of comic gusto, but this is not half the film of its predecessor. Where the first bit back at fusty academia, this is just plain send-up as Elle, now working in Congress, fights to prevent cosmetic testing on animals while planning her impending nuptials to a befuddled Luke Wilson. IN
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On general release (Rating: 2/5)