The whole global warming controversy is a messy one, with both sides calling the other one "uninformed" and such, so this review won't touch base on that. Instead, this review will focus on the presentation of that theory, as offered by former presidential hopeful Al Gore in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The facts and ideas are presented well enough, but it's a boring watch. Here's a shot of Gore on stage, standing next to a monitor. Here's a shot of Gore staring out a car window. Here's a shot of Gore looking at a computer. The documentary bar has been raised considerably in the past few years (mostly by the entertaining theatrics of Michael Moore), and this one just reeks of "vanity project." Sorry, but to capture today's moviegoer, you need more than just a filmed lecture. Louis Fowler
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Beerfest
Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar
Warner Bros.
Have the antics of the Broken Lizard gang finally reached their 16th minute? Super Troopers was all right; Club Dread, a funny horror pastiche; the less said about Dukes of Hazzard, the better. Their latest outing, Beerfest, is about a gaggle of ne'er-do-wells who stumble upon a secret beer-drinking contest held in Germany, and subsequently train for it in the name of America. It's a lot like a tall-boy of Natural Light: You desperately want something better, but if that's all they got, well, then it'll have to do. No one really wants to see Beerfest, but if, say, Clerks II is all rented out, then this'll just have to do the job. You'll watch it once, but you'll probably regret it in the morning. Louis Fowler
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Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Directed by Richard Donner
Warner Bros.
The original Superman II that we've all come to love is actually not the originally intended sequel. After production began, the producers kicked director Richard Donner off the project and replaced him with Richard Lester, who reshot and rewrote most of what Donner had already done. This of course, has left a big question mark in geeky circles: "What would the sequel had been like if Donner stayed on board?" This new cut, released to coincide with the DVD issue of Superman Returns, answers that question to great effect; the tweaks are minor, but obviously noticeable. Scenes happen out of place, storylines differ and the ending is a bizarre rehash of the original's. It's of great interest to Superman completists, but general film fans would do better to stick to the original. Louis Fowler
