all. Matthew l,i|lard as stoned slacker Shaggy. hen the computer generated Scooby himself isn't lacking in charm. But .S'i'oo/iy'-i')mi sadly fails to liye tip to the promise of its opening reel. Admittedly. the film's bold playpen colours are fun and there are some cley er gags that w Ill score with the show 's potliead following. But the jokes soon wear thin. (icneral release.
Spider-Man t |2i O... tSam Raimi. 1S. 2002) 'l'obcy .\laguire. Kirsten Dunst
12 l mm. A big budget blockbuster based on a best-selling superhero comic book you'd be right to expect spectacular effects and bland storytelling in a flashy but ultimately dtill film. (it) see sillut‘k U] the (-IUIHW for that particular c\ercise in hringmg in the ho\ oflicc bucks. Spider-.llun. by contrast. is a delightfully unexpected mix of spectacle and engrossing human drama. It's surprising that Raimi, who made his name with the highly stylised genre pastiche (The [fill Dem/i should focus so tuuch on character. The cast acquit themselyes well. although [)afoe hams tip the \‘illainy. But Raimi's lead. Tobey Maguire. brings just the right amount of knowing humour to l’arker/Spidey. which is emblematic of Raimi's whole. winning approach to the film. (leneral release. Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron (1') 0.. (Kelly Asbury and l.orna ('ook. l'S. 2002) Matt Damon. James ('romw ell. Daniel Studi. 84min. Spirit is an animal fable in which none of the non-human characters speak. We do, how ey er. get inside the heart and head of the mm ie's eponymous equine hero thanks to narration by .\latt Damon tcony cy'ing Spirit's thoughts) and songs by llry an Adams this feelings). Ahoyc all. Spirit. a wild mustang l|\ ing in the Old West. yearns to run free tiiitil a lasso lands him in the hands of the [S cayalry. While some new crs will be roused by Spirit's que~tioning of the 1S myth of Manifest Destiny. others w ill be stirred by the quality of the animation. which seamlessly integrates traditional hand-drawn animation
with computer-generated images. Selected release.
Spy Kids 2 - the Island of Lost Dreams Wt .00 (Roberto Rodrigttcl. l'S. 2002i .-\le\a \"ega. Daryl Sabara. Roberto Rodriguez. ('arla (iugino. .\lin tbc. Taller and considerably more tenacious. (’armen and Juui ('orte/ are feeling pretty damn confident after say ing their super spy parents from peril in the first instalment of what will undoubtedly become a family adyenture series. Now scryiug in an all new Spy Kids sub-di\ision of the ()SS organisation. the plucky prepubcsceiits are all set for their first solo mission to discoy ct" the lost island of liki l.iki where they must locate and destroy a 'l‘ransmookcr dcy ice capable of shutting down all electricity on L‘;ll’lll.:\lll10llgll this sequel does not. could not match the originality of Spy Kit/y. it‘s still great fun to
56th edinburgh
international film festival
" FilmFour
14-25 august 2002
Cate Blanchett’s in Heaven
watch. See reyiew. (ieneral release.
Star Wars Episode 1: the Phantom Menace (U 0.. t(ieorge Lucas. IS. 1090) liwan .\lc(iregor. Liam Neeson. Natalie l’ortman. l32min, ()n the surface. the plot structure isn‘t a million light years away frqu the original Slur Him. ln \ isual terms. The Plum/um .lli'miu' stands alone in the cinematic uniyerse. At times you'd think there was ruore animation than liyc action on screen and maybe it's this toning down of the human element that has left the film lacking soul. Ster ('entury ('inema. lidinburgh.
Stuart Little 2 ll.) .. (Roh .\linkoff. IS. 2002) Michael]. l‘os. (ieena Day is. lltigh l,auric. 77min. The iney itable
money -spinning sequel to the unlikely yarn of
a small. w hite mouse adopted by a middle- class .\'ew York family. A new play tnate for
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Stuart arrives in the shape of a small canary. who falls into the passenger seat of his toy car as Stuart races through the city streets. Stuart invites his new friend back to his house. but an evil falcon is on his tail. It doesn't get any more twee than this. The voices work well enough and the ('(il animation is good. if not adyenturous. The probletn is that it‘s distinctly lacking in humour. for both kids and adults. (icueral release.
0 Sunshine State 1 15).... (John Say les. l'K. 2002i lidie l‘alco. Angela Bassett. Timothy llutton. min. The Sunshine State is Florida. The fictional setting of John Say'les' new lilm is l)elrona Beach. a community upon which change is being forced. l’roperty deyelopers are buying tip land now seen as a prime location for building condominiums and golf courses for the incoming rich. Sayles takes a complicated subject - how little control everyday people have oyer change in their lives and treats it intelligently. opting not for flashy spectacle or cheesy sentiment. btit well-crafted storytelling and solid drama which he infuses with a great deal of wry humour. (il‘T. Glasgow; Cameo. Edinburgh.
Tape t l5) 0.. (Richard l.inklater. 1S. 2002) lithan llawke. l'ma Thurman. Robert Leonard. 86min. A reunion of high school friends Vince tllawke) and Johnny tl.eonardt turns sour when Vince accuses Johnny of raping his childhood sweetheart. The dialogue spices up when the girl in question. Amy t'I‘hurman). turns up and destroys the picture of a rape that the guys have built up. liach \Crsion of that nights ey'ents justifies the protagonists personal standpoint. so it's difficult to know who to belieye. Set entirely in a motel room and played otit in real time. the theatrical roots of 'liipe. adapted from a Stephen Belber play. are accentuated by l.inklater who opts to film in the style of the great (icrman auteur Rainer Werner l‘assbinder (The Years of’l’elru lint Kant. in particular). (il’f 1t l'(i(' Renfrew Street. (ilasgow,
FILM FES‘I’IVAL
a - i 5) Aug poo? THE LIST 1 7