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Huo Yuan Jia [Fearless] (2006) --> Jet Li stars in this historical martial arts film set in 1900s China during England and Japan's domination of the country. Li plays Huo Yuanjia, a martial arts student and teacher who takes on the best fighters that the foreign powers have to offer. Although dying from a poisonous drink, Li shows the world and the Chinese people that China is not a weak and backward country by winning the contest. Fearless is one of Li's better films and gives fans of such movies as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon another movie to watch.


Full Spectrum Staff

Zoolander (2001) --> Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson star in this comedy that pokes fun at the modeling world. Stiller is a dumb super model (named Derek Zoolander) who must fight for fashion's top spot against a new up-n-comer in the male-model world (Wilson). When he loses Derek is lured into a plot to kill the Malaysian Prime Minister by evil fashion guru Mugatu (Will Ferrell). Brainwashed into the assassination, Derek becomes a pawn in Mugatu's scheme to keep his profits up by the continued use of child labour in Malaysia. The movie is one of Stiller's better films along side Mystery Men for all out buffoonery.


Scott D. Brown

A Prairie Home Companion (2006) --> Centered on the last episode of a long running radio show of which the title is derived, A Prairie Home Companion is an enjoyable way to spend 105 minutes. This film is the last of Robert Altman's directing career before his death in November of 2006 and can be considered among his better works.

The film itself mixes drama and story-telling with musical performances from its main characters. It stars Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep as singing sisters, Linsay Lohan as Streep's daughter, Woody Harrelson and John C. Reilly as cowboy crooners, Kevin Kline as a private detective/security guard and Garrison Keillor as himself. Keillor is also the real host of the actual radio show that the film is based on.


Scott D. Brown

Nacho Libre (2006) --> Jack Black stars as Nacho, a monk who has dreams greater than being a cook for a Mexican monastery. Nacho wants to be a professional wrestler. Clandestinely, he makes himself an outfit and mask and joins up with a local street beggar to become tag team wrestlers. Through loss after loss Nacho perseveres while hiding his identity from the brothers at the monastery and a beautiful nun who both believe wrestling is a sinful pursuit. Nacho eventually triumphs inside and outside the ring when he asks God for help and beats the champion in a final match.

The film wasn't very enjoyable. It is slow paced, character development is lacking, and Black's Mexican accent isn't believable (he lapses into American on numerous occasions). When leaving the theatre, if you ask yourself what the point of a film was, you know it wasn't very good.


Full Spectrum Staff

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