SPOTLIGHT Saturday-Sunday, April 7-8, 2012 | Editor: Eli Pace | 270-887-3235 | [email protected] AT THE MOVIES n ‘Titanic’ stays afloat with help of 3-D BY CHRISTY LEMIRE down after a fateful collision with an money mother (Frances Fisher). AP MOVIE CRITIC iceberg. As writer and director, But so is the poor but resourceful Cameron has stayed true to the con- artist Jack (DiCaprio), who’s made If any film should be redone in 3- tent of his 1997 film, the winner of his way onto the ship with a win- D, it’s “Titanic.” And if any film- 11 Oscars including best picture — ning poker hand. Rose is more free- maker should be the one doing the and that includes his clunky script thinking than she looks, Jack is redoing, it’s James Cameron. filled with hokey dialogue and more charismatic than he looks, and He’s been a pioneer in advancing broad characters. No amount of 3-D in no time he’s sketching her naked this cinematic technology for years wizardry can make Billy Zane’s vil- and they’re doing it in the back seat now, from his underwater docu- lainous millionaire leap off the of a car in the cargo hold. mentaries to the record-breaking screen and seem like a fully fleshed- We’re condensing a bit here. juggernaut that is “Avatar.” And so out human being, but his mustache- Anyway, you know the story by ironically, for a film that hasn’t got twirling machinations are still now, but the 3-D actually makes it an ounce of understatement in its amusing. seem new in some ways. The cos- three-hour-plus running time, “Ti- What also remains intact is the tumes look more refined, the sense tanic” in 3-D is really rather subtle earnestness of “Titanic,” the ab- of vertigo feels more severe, the and finely tuned. There’s nothing sence of snark or irony, and the sen- rushing water feels more immedi- gimmicky about the conversion sation that you’re watching a big, ate. And it’s just fun to see the process; it’s immersive, it actually ambitious, good-old-fashioned spec- buxom, feisty Winslet and boyish, enhances the viewing experience tacle that can withstand the test of charming DiCaprio in the roles that the way a third dimension ideally time. Sure, a lot of the “present-day” made them superstars on the big should. framing device material looks dated screen once more. It’s also gorgeous: crisp and tac- — that’s a sweet mullet and earring That’s another thing: If you’re tile, warm and inviting — until all you’ve got there, Bill Paxton — but going to see “Titanic” in 3-D, see it hell breaks loose, that is. So often the budding, forbidden love affair with people who loved the movie the when 2-D films are transformed into between Leonardo DiCaprio and first time; I have to admit I was not 3-D, they’re done so hastily with re- Kate Winslet is as infectious as ever. one of them back then but found sults that are murky and inaccessi- Let’s recap the plot real quickly: myself surprisingly more engaged ble. Cameron clearly took his time Paxton’s character and his crew are this time around. It’s so familiar, so here — 60 weeks, to be exact, with a exploring the underwater remains full of lines and moments that are team of 300 people working on a of the shipwrecked Titanic looking ingrained in the culture, it’s just frame-by-frame reconstruction to for the rare, priceless Heart of the begging for “Rocky Horror Picture add the illusion of depth. So while Ocean pendant. Its original owner, Show”-style interactions. Take Di- the romantic first half of the film re- Rose (Gloria Stuart), who’s now Caprio’s joyous exclamation “I’m mains more emotionally com- about 100 years old, comes forward the king of the world!” for example. pelling, the disastrous second half to say it belonged to her and share You know it’s coming but it’s just so has become even more visually daz- her story of survival. Flashback to tantalizing, you may feel compelled zling. If you’re going to devote an af- April 1912, and the launch of the to shout it along with him. ternoon to “Titanic” again, you world’s biggest and most expensive “Titanic” in 3-D, a Paramount Pic- want to feel as if you’re on that boat cruise ship, one that’s supposedly tures release, is rated PG-13 for dis- ASSOCIATED PRESS when it snaps in half. And you will. unsinkable. Young, well-bred Rose aster-related peril and violence, In this film image released by Paramount Pictures, Leonardo DiCaprio (left) and No, Cameron didn’t rewrite the (Winslet) is on board with her nudity, sensuality and brief lan- Kate Winslet are shown in a scene from the 3-D version of James Cameron’s ro- ending, or history. The maiden voy- smarmy, controlling fiancé Cal guage. Running time: 195 minutes. mantic epic “Titanic.” age of the R.M.S. Titanic still goes (Zane) and her condescending, old- Three stars out of four. ‘American Reunion’ isn’t even half baked (AP) — You probably haven’t been drama about the rekindling of first who’s still ... Stifler. “Harold & lying awake in bed at night wondering loves. Jim and Michelle (Jason Biggs Kumar” creators Jon Hurwitz and whatever became of Stifler and Oz and Alyson Hannigan) are now mar- Hayden Schlossberg take over as writ- and the rest of the horny kids from ried with a 2-year-old son and zero sex ers and directors, but the sense of un- the original “American Pie” movie. life. predictability that infused that Yet here they are, after 13 years and a But they return to their Michigan franchise never surfaces here. Plus, couple of sequels, and they’re more hometown for a 10-year high school this kind of raunchy, hard-R comedy bland than bawdy these days. reunion that’s being staged three has been done — and done better — That’s part of the joke: that they years late because supposedly no one countless times since “American Pie” (and we) aren’t in high school any- could get their act together. debuted and seemed fresh in 1999. more, that we all have to grow up and It’s a plot contrivance, leave it at R for crude and sexual content function as adults with responsibili- that. There they run into the old gang, throughout, nudity, language, brief ties and whatnot. But that doesn’t including Chris Klein as Oz, who’s drug use and teen drinking. 105 min- ASSOCIATED PRESS make for a very fun or funny movie; now a slick sports anchor; Eddie Kaye utes. One and a half stars out of four. In this image released by Universal Pictures, (from left) Thomas Ian instead, “American Reunion” relies Thomas as the sophisticated Finch; Nicholas, Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott, Chris Klein and Eddie Kaye on cliches about nostalgia and melo- and Seann William Scott as Stifler, — Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic Thomas are shown in a scene from “American Reunion.” SATURDAY DAYTIME APRIL 7, 2012 N - NEW WAVE M - MEDIACOM S1 - DISH NETWORK S2 - DIRECTV N M 6 AM 6:30 7 AM 7:30 8 AM 8:30 9 AM 9:30 10 AM 10:30 11 AM 11:30 12 PM 12:30 1 PM 1:30 2 PM 2:30 3 PM 3:30 S1 S2 (2) (2) WKRN [2] News 2 Weekend Good Morning News 2 Weekend Wild Ocean Born to Sea Chrysler of Paid Paid Paid Paid Paid Ball Boys Ball Boys ESPN Sports Saturday ABC America Saturday Countd. Myst. 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