New On Video: 'From Justin to Kelly,' 'Stitch!'
Also Reviewed: 'Final Destination 2'
POSTED: 7:29 p.m. EDT September 5, 2003
'From Justin to Kelly: A Tale Of Two American Idols' (PG)If it only seems like yesterday that "From Justin to Kelly: A Tale of Two American Idols" played in theaters, well, it almost is. Dead on arrival at theaters in late June, this nearly straight-to-video release was no doubt made for nothing more than a chance for the "America Idol"-makers to squeeze more profits out of their golden children.
Backed by a cast of no-name actors, the film stars Justin and Kelly, but not as in Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson -- the runner-up and winner, respectively, of 2002's first "American Idol" competition. Instead, they're just Justin and Kelly -- two college-age kids who embark on a spring break excursion with their friends to Miami Beach. The film could technically be qualified as a musical, though, as the characters break out in song without a moment's notice.
The all-too-familiar storyline follows the exploits of Justin and Kelly as they try to develop a romantic relationship with one another as seeming coincidences keep them apart. The fly in the ointment is Kelly's jealous friend, Alexa (Katherine Bailess), who wants Justin for herself.
"From Justin to Kelly" has its fine share of musical moments, which turn out to be the most inspired bits of the movie. There's no denying that its leads are both very talented singers, and not surprisingly, are most convincing during the musical vignettes. You have to remember, they're performance artists first, which gives them the wherewithal to get through the numbers like (surprise!) they're shooting a music video.
In between, though, they have to act -- a craft that Justin clearly has the edge in. He's likable in the part, despite having to slog through the dreadfully unoriginal dialogue opposite stereotypical characters (a jock, a nerd and a witch among them).
As for Kelly, it feels at times that she's just reading lines. She's not as bad an actress as, say, Britney Spears in "Crossroads" (easily one of the worst movies in years); she just doesn't seem to care. And that's a huge problem when you're one of the stars of the movie.
DVD Features: An alternate long version of the movie with two new dance numbers; audio commentary by Clarkson, Guarini and director Robert Iscove; behind-the-scenes featurettes; deleted scenes; gag reel and more. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
'Stitch! The Movie' (G) Coming in at just a clip over 60 minutes, the made-for-video "Stitch! The Movie" feels more like a television pilot for its upcoming television series than it does an actual movie -- but it's still playful and funny at that.
The sequel to the 2002 theatrical hit "Lilo & Stitch," "Stitch! The Movie" finds our alien friend Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) -- also known as "Experiment 626" -- and his counterparts Dr. Jumba (David Odgen Stiers) and Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) settling in to being a part of one big happy family in Hawaii with Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and her big sister Nani (Tia Carrere).
But because Stitch is Dr. Jumba's Experiment #626, that means there are 625 more of them. And given the mischief Stitch creates by himself, you can just about imagine what's in store when a few hundred more like him are accidentally unleashed from their intergalactic confines -- and all with different powers, to boot. But the real problem is, the evil Captain Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) wants the experiments for his own purposes.
Like Disney's other made-for-video entries, "Stitch! The Movie" suffers from a distinctive lack of animation quality, making the look of the film far inferior to its original. The animation is two-dimensional and more of the cartoon-series variety, which may be disappointing to enthusiasts of the genre. Younger viewers will not likely notice the difference.
The storyline is clever enough, though, to keep both kids and adults entertained, and the return of the original voice cast from "Lilo & Stitch" (including Ving Rhames as Cobra Bubbles) gives the movie a lot more credibility (plus another song from Elvis Presley is featured!). It's a satisfying sequel.
DVD Features: Trivia challenge; an experiment finder to help Dr. Jumba find his experiments; an experimental gallery where you can meet more aliens and discover their powers; and a music video Jump 5 ("Aloha, E Kmo Mai"). (Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
'Final Destination 2' (R) "Final Destination 2" takes a path familiar to its 2000 predecessor, but if you like straight-up, unapologetic horror movies with a twisted sense of humor, then this film is your ticket.
In the first film, a group of friends cheat death after one of them has a premonition that the plane they are about to get on crashes. But since they were originally a part of death's design, each of them is brutally dispatched in a mysterious manner.
This next chapter of "Final Destination" finds our fated characters in a slightly different set of circumstances, as Kimberly (A.J. Cook) has a vision of a horrible accident on a freeway. But by stopping other motorists in their tracks, she puts another rift in death's design, putting all the seemingly lucky people who avoided the accident at risk for a fate far worse.
But there is a way she can stop it all from happening; the question is whether it can be done before its too late for those cursed. Joining her in her quest is the only survivor from the first film, Clear Rivers (Ali Larter), who has found refuge as a volunteer patient in an insane asylum.
Unless you can stand such sights as a gruesome beheading, impalings by blunt objects and graphic fiery explosions, get ready to hold your cookies down for "Final Destination 2."
What saves the movie from being an all out gore-fest is a quickened pace laced with many suspenseful moments. The thrill ride, naturally, has its share of comic relief, but the movie, unlike "Freddy vs. Jason," is hardly done tongue-in-cheek.
DVD Features: Filmmaker commentary; deleted scenes; movie fact track; behind-the-scenes featurettes and more. (New Line Home Entertainment)
Backed by a cast of no-name actors, the film stars Justin and Kelly, but not as in Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson -- the runner-up and winner, respectively, of 2002's first "American Idol" competition. Instead, they're just Justin and Kelly -- two college-age kids who embark on a spring break excursion with their friends to Miami Beach. The film could technically be qualified as a musical, though, as the characters break out in song without a moment's notice.
The all-too-familiar storyline follows the exploits of Justin and Kelly as they try to develop a romantic relationship with one another as seeming coincidences keep them apart. The fly in the ointment is Kelly's jealous friend, Alexa (Katherine Bailess), who wants Justin for herself.
"From Justin to Kelly" has its fine share of musical moments, which turn out to be the most inspired bits of the movie. There's no denying that its leads are both very talented singers, and not surprisingly, are most convincing during the musical vignettes. You have to remember, they're performance artists first, which gives them the wherewithal to get through the numbers like (surprise!) they're shooting a music video.
In between, though, they have to act -- a craft that Justin clearly has the edge in. He's likable in the part, despite having to slog through the dreadfully unoriginal dialogue opposite stereotypical characters (a jock, a nerd and a witch among them).
As for Kelly, it feels at times that she's just reading lines. She's not as bad an actress as, say, Britney Spears in "Crossroads" (easily one of the worst movies in years); she just doesn't seem to care. And that's a huge problem when you're one of the stars of the movie.
DVD Features: An alternate long version of the movie with two new dance numbers; audio commentary by Clarkson, Guarini and director Robert Iscove; behind-the-scenes featurettes; deleted scenes; gag reel and more. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
'Stitch! The Movie' (G) Coming in at just a clip over 60 minutes, the made-for-video "Stitch! The Movie" feels more like a television pilot for its upcoming television series than it does an actual movie -- but it's still playful and funny at that.
The sequel to the 2002 theatrical hit "Lilo & Stitch," "Stitch! The Movie" finds our alien friend Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders) -- also known as "Experiment 626" -- and his counterparts Dr. Jumba (David Odgen Stiers) and Pleakley (Kevin McDonald) settling in to being a part of one big happy family in Hawaii with Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and her big sister Nani (Tia Carrere).
But because Stitch is Dr. Jumba's Experiment #626, that means there are 625 more of them. And given the mischief Stitch creates by himself, you can just about imagine what's in store when a few hundred more like him are accidentally unleashed from their intergalactic confines -- and all with different powers, to boot. But the real problem is, the evil Captain Gantu (Kevin Michael Richardson) wants the experiments for his own purposes.
Like Disney's other made-for-video entries, "Stitch! The Movie" suffers from a distinctive lack of animation quality, making the look of the film far inferior to its original. The animation is two-dimensional and more of the cartoon-series variety, which may be disappointing to enthusiasts of the genre. Younger viewers will not likely notice the difference.
The storyline is clever enough, though, to keep both kids and adults entertained, and the return of the original voice cast from "Lilo & Stitch" (including Ving Rhames as Cobra Bubbles) gives the movie a lot more credibility (plus another song from Elvis Presley is featured!). It's a satisfying sequel.
DVD Features: Trivia challenge; an experiment finder to help Dr. Jumba find his experiments; an experimental gallery where you can meet more aliens and discover their powers; and a music video Jump 5 ("Aloha, E Kmo Mai"). (Walt Disney Home Entertainment)
'Final Destination 2' (R) "Final Destination 2" takes a path familiar to its 2000 predecessor, but if you like straight-up, unapologetic horror movies with a twisted sense of humor, then this film is your ticket.
In the first film, a group of friends cheat death after one of them has a premonition that the plane they are about to get on crashes. But since they were originally a part of death's design, each of them is brutally dispatched in a mysterious manner.
This next chapter of "Final Destination" finds our fated characters in a slightly different set of circumstances, as Kimberly (A.J. Cook) has a vision of a horrible accident on a freeway. But by stopping other motorists in their tracks, she puts another rift in death's design, putting all the seemingly lucky people who avoided the accident at risk for a fate far worse.
But there is a way she can stop it all from happening; the question is whether it can be done before its too late for those cursed. Joining her in her quest is the only survivor from the first film, Clear Rivers (Ali Larter), who has found refuge as a volunteer patient in an insane asylum.
Unless you can stand such sights as a gruesome beheading, impalings by blunt objects and graphic fiery explosions, get ready to hold your cookies down for "Final Destination 2."
What saves the movie from being an all out gore-fest is a quickened pace laced with many suspenseful moments. The thrill ride, naturally, has its share of comic relief, but the movie, unlike "Freddy vs. Jason," is hardly done tongue-in-cheek.
DVD Features: Filmmaker commentary; deleted scenes; movie fact track; behind-the-scenes featurettes and more. (New Line Home Entertainment)Copyright 2003 by WNBC.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
