'Lucky Number Slevin,' 'Take the Lead,' Phat Girlz' and 'The Benchwarmers'
2:18 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, 2006
"It's a bona fide case of mistaken identity," comments one of the quirky characters in "Lucky Number Slevin," which opened in Topeka theaters last weekend.
That case belongs to Slevin (played by Josh Hartnett), who accidentally lands in the middle of a brutal war waged by rival New York crime bosses - one known as The Rabbi and the other The Boss. Throw in a notorious assassin played by Bruce Willis, and one has the ingredients for a top-rate crime thriller.
Fortunately, the film doesn't struggle with its own identity. What at first appears to be heading into Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie turf steadily finds its own comedic, violent voice. The plot never quite goes where the viewer thinks it will, leading to a twisty conclusion that frames the whole story in a new perspective.
Also opening this week is "Take the Lead," which stars Antonio Banderas as a ballroom dance instructor who uses the tango and waltz to connect with his students. If this sounds a lot like the documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom," then, well, it pretty much is.
The intentionally misspelled comedy "Phat Girlz" gives a mouthpiece to plus-size women. Mo'Nique plays a saucy, aspiring fashion designer who tries to find acceptance in a thin-obsessed culture.
And finally, "The Benchwarmers" finds David Spade, Rob Schneider and Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite" fame as grown nerds who settle childhood scores by forming a three-person baseball squad that takes on Little League teams. What does it say about your movie when Rob Schneider plays "the jock?"
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