New on DVD: Nov. 4 (2003/11/04)- Tickets to Movies in Theaters, Broadway Shows, London Theatre & More

New DVD’s This Week: Nov. 4

While on his way to the first day of school in the Great Barrier Reef, Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould), a young clownfish, is unexpectedly snared by a fisherman when he strays too far from his father’s protection. After his son’s capture, Nemo’s father, Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks), begins a crusade to bring the young guppy home. Marlin and pal Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a blue coral fish who suffers from severe short-term memory loss, must face the dangers of the reef to free Nemo from a fish tank that overlooks Sydney Harbor. Meanwhile Nemo hatches an escape plan of his own. Willem Dafoe also lends voice talent.

What’s
Cool:

Deleted scenes
Featurettes: “Making of Finding Nemo,” “The Art of Nemo,” “A Tour of Pixar Studios,” “Mr. Ray’s Encyclopedia”
“Turn Your TV Into an Interactive Aquarium” game
Bonus Pixar short: “Knick Knack”
Documentary: “Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau”

	From Our Review:
	Just when you thought they couldn’t possibly do it again, especially after the mega-hit Monsters, Inc., the guys at Pixar bat it out of the park with Finding Nemo. More. . .

Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights

As the grinch in his hometown of Dukesberry, Davey Stone (voiced by Adam Sandler) is determined to ruin everyone’s holiday spirit. His grumpiness comes to a head when, on the first night of Hanukkah, he embarks on a furious rampage that lands him in handcuffs. Davey is spared a 10-year jail term when a kindly old basketball referee named Whitey Duvall (also voiced by Sandler) bails him out and lets him move in with him and his sister, Eleanor (again, Sandler), but despite their compassion Davey is still an ungrateful jerk. If they wish to help their new roommate, Whitey and Eleanor will have to force Davey to confront his troubled past so he can let go of his anger.

What’s
Cool:

HBO “First Look” special
“A Day with the Meatball” featurette
Deleted scenes with optional commentary
Multi-angle animation progression
Music video: “Chanukah Song Part 3”

	From Our Review:
	Adam Sandler has a unique gift for combining jokes that are so funny you nearly pee in your pants with others that are so cringe-inducing you want to walk out of the theater. If you can take slightly more of the latter than the former, Eight Crazy Nights will be an entertaining, if occasionally appalling, moviegoing experience. More. . .

Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde

An up-and-coming lawyer for a big-time firm who is preparing to marry the man of her dreams, blonde and bubbly Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is on top of the world. The pink loving, fashion-savvy attorney is soon detoured, however, when she learns that her beloved Chihuahua’s mother is soon to become a test subject for cosmetic products at a company that happens to be her firm’s client. When Elle speaks up about this animal injustice, she is promptly terminated. Determined not to be silenced, the always upbeat Harvard grad heads for the Capitol to fight for animal rights. In D.C., Elle finds herself up against some of Washington’s biggest and most close-minded heavyweights, but never loses her spirit in the fight to help her animal friends.

What’s
Cool:

Widescreen format
Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
Deleted scenes

	From Our Review:
	Reese Witherspoon’s sincerest, most gallant efforts aside, Legally Blonde 2 is as light and sugary as cotton candy, but the taste it leaves behind is more saccharine than sweet. More. . .

Still Hot

The
Hulk

As a brilliant
scientist working at the leading edge of genetics technology
and research, Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) often escapes in his
work to hide from his dark and mysterious past. Betty Ross (Jennifer
Connelly), Banner’s former girlfriend and colleague, has observed
his eerily quiet lifestyle for some time. When Bruce is caught
in an explosive laboratory mishap, he begins to experience strange
blackouts and an unmistakable presence within himself. What
the scientist doesn’t know–yet–is that during his unexplainable
blackouts, he is transformed into a massive and incredibly powerful
rampaging creature, which leaves nothing but destruction in
his wake. As she attempt to make sense of the madness, Betty
begins to suspect a connection between Banner’s current state
and his mysterious father, David (Nick Nolte). If she is to
discover the truth, Betty must work quickly in order to save
both the man and the creature.

What’s
Cool:

Commentary by director Ang Lee
The making of The Hulk
Featurettes: ""Hulk Cam: Inside the Rage,"
"Superhero Revealed: The Anatomy of the Hulk,"
"Hulkification," "Evolution of the Hulk,"
"The Incredible Ang Lee," "The Dog Fight
Scene," "Ang Lee Editing Style"
X-Box video game demo

	From Our Review:
	Although Ang Lee successfully brings the green giant from the pages of Marvel Comics to life on the big screen, The Hulk loses itself in a heavy-handed story, and the characters’ inner turmoil will make your own head hurt. More. . .

Whale
Rider

On the east
coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence
there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor,
Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding
to shore on the back of a whale. Set in the present, Whale
Rider tells the story of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a feisty
12-year-old girl who lives in the fishing village of Whangara
off the east coast of New Zealand with her stern but loving
grandfather Koro (Rawiri Paratene), who is a direct descendent
of Paikea. Although granddaughter and grandfather have a special
bond, Koro mourns the loss of his grandson, Pai’s twin brother
who died in childbirth along with Pai’s mother and refuses to
see Pai as a rightful heir. But the girl embodies many of the
qualities of a great Maori warrior–courage, determination,
wisdom and an irrepressible spirit. Against all odds, including
the hurtful rejection from her beloved grandfather, she finds
a way to prove herself as the true heir to her rich ancestry

What’s
Cool:

Commentary by director Niki Caro
Featurette: “The Making of Whale Rider”–a
behind-the-scenes look
Deleted scene with optional director’s commentary
Soundtrack showcase

	From Our Review:
	With a powerful as well as personal story of courage, love and ancestral traditions, Whale Rider could be one of those sleeper indies that comes out of nowhere to win major awards. More. . .

Compiled by Owen Iozzio

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