Entertainment

Is the movie fantastic? Naaah. But cute, occasionally funny. And never ever for one brief instant is "Fantastic Four" serious.

"Yoshi Topsy-Turvy" Nintendo for

Questions more blistering than the summer heat: With some 60 federal, state and local investigators working the case for seven weeks, why did it take a Denny's waitress to rescue Shasta Groene from her abductor? Talk about a Grand Slam breakfast.

It's the summer of parties, and we all love a party, except when they're all for couples or babies. Don't get me wrong, I support my friends and attend each. But I have to ask, why aren't there any parties for single people or even couples who aren't married, celebrating their status? The fictional goddess of columnists, Carrie Bradshaw from "Sex in the City," explored this concept one episode. It was a sad day for fans when the show ended last year, but luckily the lessons the characters taught us, namely to embrace where we are and to live in the moment, live on through DVDs.

The Warped Tour has always been more of a punk rock revue than a standard rock 'n' roll tour. The show – now in its 11th installment – has been something of a right of pass into top 40 success, and not just in the punk rock community.

MOVIEWHAT IT'S ABOUTDETAILSTIMES AND LOCATIONSOpening today:Dark WaterA single mother (Jennifer Connelly) moves with her young daughter (Ariel Gade) into a run-down apartment building and attempts to begin a new life. Then they notice the water stain on the ceiling. Adapted from the Japanese horror film by "The Ring" director Hideo Nakata.Running time: 1:45Rating: PG-13 (mature thematic material, frightening sequences, disturbing images, brief language)NorthTown Mall: 12:25, 2:50, 5:20, 7:50, 10:15. River Park Square: 1:10, 1:50, 4, 4:30, 6:55, 7:25, 9:40, 10:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:50, 4:40, 7:40, 10:20. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 11:40 a.m., 2:05, 4:25, 7:40, 10:20. Post Falls: 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7, 9:10.Fantastic Four When five American astronauts are subjected to radioactive waves, they find themselves affected in different super-powered ways. Pretty soon one attempts to take control of the world, and the others team together to stop him.Running time: 1:45Rating: PG-13 (sequences of intense action, suggestive content) NorthTown Mall: 11:45 a.m., 12:15, 2:20, 3, 5, 6:30, 7:35, 9:15, 10:10. River Park Square: 12:20, 12:50, 1:20, 3:05, 3:35, 4:10, 6:20, 6:50, 7:20, 9, 9:30, 10. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:50, 1:20, 3:40, 4:10, 6:40, 7:10, 9:40, 10:10. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 10:25 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:05, 1:45, 4, 4:40, 7, 7:45, 10, 10:30. Post Falls: noon, 2:15, 4:30, 6:50, 9:05. Opening Tuesday: Mad Hot Ballroom•••1/2This documentary follows fifth-graders from New York boroughs as they learn to dance in the style of rumba, merengue, fox trot, tango and swing, then compete to see whose school is the city's best. Marilyn Agrelo's cameras inhabit the world of these children, those from more affluent families and those from the working poor. While the film moves in a familiar arc, the way the spelling-bee documentary "Spellbound" did, "Mad Hot Ballroom" retains its feel for process instead of mere goal.Running time: 1:45Rating: PG (thematic elements, pre-teen sex talk)The Met: Tuesday through July 20, 5:30 and 8 p.m.Continuing: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D••Lost in an imaginary world of superheroes, this Robert Rodriguez film involves a young boy (Cayden Boyd) who gets a chance to set things right in the real world when he is called to action by his favorite characters – Sharkboy (Taylor Lautner) and Lavagirl (Taylor Dooley). "Sharkboy" features mostly bad acting, stunts that feel as phony as they look and the obligatory messaging that makes family problems seems as easily solvable as a kindergartener's riddle. Worst of all is Rodriguez's insistence on his film being shot in 3-D, which makes it at times literally unwatchable.Running time: 1:35Rating: PG (mild action, some rude humor)Coeur d'Alene Discount: 1, 3:15, 5:15, 7:15, 9.Batman Begins•••Tortured by having witnessed his parents' murder, rich and brilliant Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) takes off on a quest only to return to become the Dark Knight – a determined vigilante bent on cleaning Gotham City of the criminals who are making it a cesspool of lawlessness. This Christopher Nolan-directed film is a more muted "Batman," one that shows not only how Wayne became obsessed with bats but also how the young heir becomes obsessed with his lifelong hatred of crime and those who cause it to happen.Running time: 2:20Rating: PG-13 (intense action violence, disturbing images, thematic elements) NorthTown Mall: 12:30, 3:45, 7, 10:05. River Park Square: 12:20, 12:50, 3:25, 3:55, 6:30, 7, 9:35, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:30, 3:45, 6:50, 9:55. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): noon, 3:30, 6:45, 9:55.Bewitched••1/2When a former movie star (Will Ferrell) gets a chance at a comeback by starring in a television remake of "Bewitched," he recruits a co-star (Nicole Kidman) without knowing that she's a real witch. So when she discovers that he and his agent (Jason Schwartzman) are merely using her, he's shocked when she begins casting spells on him.Running time: 1:40Rating: PG-13 (language, sex and drug references, partial nudity)NorthTown Mall: 12:05, 2:25, 4:45, 7:20, 9:45. River Park Square: 12:55, 3:30, 6:35, 9:10. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:10, 3:55, 6:30, 9:20. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 10:50 a.m., 1:30, 4:15, 6:55, 9:35.Big•••1/2This 1988 film is one of the first that showed Tom Hanks the actor. Here he plays a 12-year-old boy who wishes to be "big" and then, magically, wakes up one day as an adult – but still with his preadolescent emotions and life experience.Running time: 1:44Rating: PGLiberty Lake Pavillion: Free outdoor show Saturday at dusk.Cinderella Man•••In the midst of the Great Depression, veteran fighter Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) caught the attention of the nation when he fought heavily favored Max Baer (Craig Bierko) for the heavyweight championship. Director Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind") has given us the boxing equivalent of "Seabiscuit," portraying Braddock as someone who inspired a nation.Running time: 2:24Rating: PG-13 (intense boxing violence, language) River Park Square: 12:15, 3:20, 6:25, 9:35.Fighter Pilot: Operation Red FlagThis IMAX film follows the exploits of an Air Force officer as he strives to survive Red Flag, an elite training exercise aimed at giving fighter pilots the skills they need to survive air-to-air combat.Running time: :48Rating: Not Rated IMAX (Riverfront Park): noon, 2, 4, 6, 8.George A. Romero's Land of the Dead••With the living dead having taken over the world, the last few humans live in a walled city. But threats within, as well as without, put everyone in danger. How many times can George Romero make the same film? What's next? "The Really Early Morning of the Living Dead"?Running time: 1:33Rating: R (pervasive strong violence and gore, language, brief sexuality, some drug use)River Park Square: 2:20, 4:45, 7:35, 9:55.Grand Canyon: The Hidden SecretsA re-release of the 1984 IMAX film re-creating the exploration of the canyon by the earliest settlers to the 1869 trip by American explorer John Wesley Powell.Running time: :35Rating: Not RatedIMAX (Riverfront Park): 3, 7, 9.Herbie: Fully Loaded•••When racing owner dad (Michael Keaton) loses his top driver (Breckin Meyer), daughter Maggie (Lindsay Lohan) finds our old friend, the magic Volkswagen of the film's title, to save the day. The film, which has been designed as a vehicle for the popular Lohan ("Freaky Friday"), owes more to classic Disney than any sense of the contemporary. But that's not bad. The standard messages come across – truth, loyalty, doing the right thing, etc. – but they do so in a manner that is cut with just enough humor to entertain the wee ones among us.Running time: 1:41Rating: GNorthTown Mall: 11:50 a.m., 2:40, 4:55, 7:30, 10. River Park Square: 2:05, 4:35, 7:20, 9:45. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:35, 4:15, 6:45, 9:30. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 11:35 a.m., 2:10, 4:50, 7:20, 9:45. Post Falls: 12:35, 2:40, 4:55, 7, 9:05.The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy••1/2Based on the best-selling series of novels written by the late Douglas Adams, "The Hitchhiker's Guide" tells the story of an average Briton named Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) who, one day, is whisked away by his best friend Ford Prefect (Mos Def) on a trip that takes them through the wonders, and dangers, of the universe. The problem with this Garth Jennings' adaptation is that it lets special effects overwhelm the plot. The late Douglas Adams wrote most of the script, and he's even given a producer's credit, but the spirit of his inspired lunacy deserved better.Running time: 1:50Rating: PG (thematic elements, action, mild language) Garland: 12:20, 5. Coeur d'Alene Discount: 12:35, 2:45, 4:50, 7, 9:10.Interpreter••1/2After being told by a United Nations interpreter (Nicole Kidman) that she's overheard the plans of an assassination plot, a Secret Service agent (Sean Penn) and his partner (Catherine Keener) have to decide whether the plot is for real. Director Sydney Pollack keeps the level of suspense going long after the story has petered out, which is the film's biggest problem.Running time: 2:08Rating: PG-13 (sexual content, brief strong language)Garland: 9:35.Kicking & Screaming••1/2Will Ferrell stars as Phil Weston, a vitamin salesman who is still intimidated by his winning-is-everything father Buck (Robert Duvall). Things begin to change when Phil agrees to coach his son's youth-league soccer team, though not necessarily for the better. Phil develops something resembling a spine, but he loses all that distinguishes him from his dad.Running time: 1:35Rating: PG (thematic elements, language, some crude humor)Garland: 2:45. Coeur d'Alene Discount: 12:45, 3:05, 5:10, 7:20, 9:20.Lewis and Clark: Great Journey WestThis IMAX movie condenses the three-year Lewis and Clark expedition to 42 minutes, but what the film does, it does beautifully. Historical fact takes precedence in the National Geographic production; while actors play the members of the party, thankfully they mostly keep their mouths shut as Jeff Bridges narrates the bulk of the story. Director Bruce Neibaur does an exceptional job of capturing the glory and scope of the West, making us feel as if we are part of the expedition, seeing this vast country for the first time. - Jim Kershner, The Spokesman-ReviewRunning time: :42Rating: Not Rated IMAX (Riverfront Park): 11 a.m.Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events•••Based on the series of books by Daniel Handler, this Brad Silberling movie tells the tale of the orphaned Baudelaire children (Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Kara Hoffman) who have to endure the guardianship of their distant relative, Count Orlaf (Jim Carrey). If you can accept Carry in his various roles, then the movie may strike you as an inventive, if dark, look at the problems facing most children. If you can't, then this is going to be a long hour and 40 minutes.Running time: 1:40Rating: PGFree movie at Spokane Valley Mall: 10 a.m. Tuesday and WednesdayThe Longest YardWhen an ex-football star (Adam Sandler) gets arrested and thrown into federal prison, his warden (James Cromwell) gives him a choice: play football or do hard time.Running time: 1:54Rating: PG-13 (crude and sexual humor, violence, language, drug references)River Park Square: 1:15, 3:50, 6:45, 9:20. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:45, 4:25, 7:25, 10:05. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 10:40 a.m., 1:25, 4:10, 7:15, 10:15.Madagascar•••When a group of animals, spoiled while living in the New York Zoo, decide to have a night on the town, they earn themselves a trip back to the wild – and they end up in Madagascar. The latest animated effort by the folks at DreamWorks, "Madagascar" plays both to children and adults. And with "Ali G" Sacha Baron Cohen taking the role that Robin Williams typically plays, the film doesn't miss a beat.Running time: 1:20Rating: PG (mild language, crude humor, some thematic elements)NorthTown Mall: 12:10, 2:15, 4:20, 7:10, 9:25. River Park Square: 2, 4:40, 6:50, 9:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 2, 4:35, 6:55, 9:25. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 11:20 a.m., 1:55, 4:35, 7:25, 9:40.Monster-in-LawJennifer Lopez meets the perfect man (Michael Vartan), but does not get along with his mother (Jane Fonda).Running time: 1:42Rating: PG-13 (sex references, language)Garland: 7:15. Coeur d'Alene Discount: 12:55, 3, 5:05, 7:10, 9:15.Mr. & Mrs. Smith••1/2John (Brad Pitt) and Jane (Angelina Jolie) Smith live humdrum lives on the surface. But each one holds a secret from his/her spouse: He/she is an assassin. Problems arise because each is working for a competing governmental agency, and life gets particularly exciting when they are assigned to kill each other. The good parts of this film almost outweigh the bad. It's during the final reel, when the violence becomes a bit too Peckinpahish, that the humor fades, and the film just doesn't recover.Running time: 1:35Rating: PG-13 (sequences of violence, intense action, sexual content, brief strong language)NorthTown Mall: 12:45, 4, 7:05, 9:55. River Park Square: 1:05, 4:05, 7:10, 10:05. Spokane Valley Mall: 12:40, 4:20, 7:20, 10:15. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 12:05, 3:55, 7:10, 10:10. Post Falls: noon, 2:15, 4:30, 6:45. 9. Mystery of the NileA team of explorers takes us on a 114-day expedition to navigate the Nile, "from source to sea," in this IMAX production directed by first-time filmmaker Jordi Llompart.Running time: :45Rating: Not RatedIMAX (Riverfront Park): 1, 5.The Perfect Man•Hilary Duff plays a teen who, tired of her mother (Heather Locklear) moving them around in her search for a man, concocts a fictional perfect man. Trouble arises when mom wants to meet the real guy (who is based on a character played by Chris Noth). It's hard to imagine a movie that could possibly send so many wrong messages to young women. But, then, the title here isn't "The Perfect Movie." That, at least, would indicate that the filmmakers understood irony.Running time: 1:38Rating: PG (mildly suggestive content)Coeur d'Alene Discount: 12:40, 2:55, 5, 7:05, 9:05.Rebound•1/2After a temper tantrum gets him fired from his college coaching job, Roy McCormick (Martin Lawrence) manages to get a job working at his old middle school, where he ends up coaching a team of hopeless losers. This one adds nothing new to the, uh, genre, and in fact it's a poor use of Lawrence's talents.Running time: 1:51Rating: PG (mild language, thematic elements)NorthTown Mall: noon. River Park Square: 1:45, 4, 7:15, 9:25. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 11:30 a.m., 2:20, 5:10, 7:50, 10:40.Sahara••1/2Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn play buddies in search of a Civil War ironclad that, so the legend goes, went down bearing a cargo of Confederate gold. There are lots of bangs and booms, the locations (Morocco and Spain) look great, Penelope Cruz joins McConaughey as the obligatory eye candy and Zahn has a number of funny one-liners. It's no "Indiana Jones," but that doesn't mean "Sahara" won't help you forget your troubles for a couple of hours.Running time: 2:07Rating: PG-13 (action violence)Coeur d'Alene Discount: 12:50, 3:25, 6:15, 8:50.Shark Tale••1/2Oscar (voice by Will Smith) becomes an accidental shark killer, but to keep the deception alive he has to partner with a shark (Jack Black) whose manners are milder than his vegetarian diet. Average in all respects, this DreamWorks production is a decent enough view for children. But the animated films that work best are those that work on two levels. This one, folks, is just for kids.Running time: 1:30Rating: PG (mild language, crude humor)Free movie at Garland: 9:30 a.m. Monday-Thursday.The SpongeBob SquarePants MovieOur hero, SpongeBob SquarePants, leaves the town of Bikini Bottom to look for King Neptune's stolen crown.Running time: 1:22Rating: PG (mild crude humor)Free movie at Garland: 9:30 a.m. today only.Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith•••1/2"Revenge of the Sith" tells the story of Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) who succumbs to emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), betrays his love Padme (Natalie Portman) and helps hunt down the remaining Jedi Knights. The first half of the film drags, but the film picks up speed in the second half, the special effects are state-of-the-art and Christensen has developed into the kind of deadly presence that makes a believable Darth Vader.Running time: 2:20Rating: PG-13 (sci-fi violence, intense images)NorthTown Mall: 11:55 a.m., 3:40, 6:40, 9:35. River Park Square: 12:25, 3:35, 6:40, 9:50. Spokane Valley Mall: 1:40, 4:50, 8. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 11:50 a.m., 3:20, 6:40, 10:05.Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope•••1/2This is an opportunity to see the three movies (the two sequels will follow in coming weeks) the way that Lucas first planned: in bigger-than-life format. Revised and revamped with the latest visual and sound equipment, they should be better than ever – taking us once again into a world of Death Stars, the Force, Jedi Knights and young men (and one royal woman) gloriously fighting against the tyranny of the Empire.Running time: 2:01Rating: PG (sci-fi violence, brief language)Liberty Lake Pavillion: Free outdoor show today at dusk.Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before ChristmasTim Burton, who specializes in such stories ("Edward Scissorhands"), dreamed up the idea of this stop-action animated effort that dramatizes what would happen if the king of Halloween, Jack Pumpkin, were to displace Santa Claus.Running time: 1:16Rating: PGGarland: midnight.Trumpet of the SwanJason Alexander, Reese Witherspoon and Carol Burnett are among the celebrities providing voices for this animated adaptation of the E.B. White children's story.Running time: 1:15Rating: GFree movie at Spokane Valley Mall: 10 a.m. Tuesday and WednesdayWar of the Worlds••••Every horror movie, including – and sometimes especially – those with their roots planted firmly in science fiction, asks you to suspend your disbelief. If you can do that with this Steven Spielberg adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel about aliens invading the Earth, you're likely to enjoy yourself. Tom Cruise plays Ray Ferrier, a self-absorbed crane operator who, while babysitting his two resentful children over the weekend, must protect them as best he can against tripod-walking killing machines. "War of the Worlds" may be the kind of fun summer thriller that many of us crave, but it boasts a darkness that forces you to rate it higher than mere escapism.Running time: 1:56Rating: PG-13 (frightening sequences of sci-fi violence, disturbing images) NorthTown Mall: 12:20, 12:50, 2:35, 3:30, 4:40, 5:10, 6:45, 7:15, 7:45, 9:20, 9:50, 10:20. River Park Square: 12:15, 1, 1:30, 2:15, 3, 3:45, 4:15, 4:50, 5:45, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 8:30, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15. Spokane Valley Mall: 1, 1:30, 4, 4:30, 7, 7:30, 10, 10:30. Riverstone Stadium (Coeur d'Alene): 10:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 1:20, 1:40, 3:50, 4:05, 4:30, 6:50, 7:05, 7:30, 9:50, 10:25, 10:35. Post Falls: 12:05, 12:45, 2:30, 3:30, 4:55, 6:10, 7:20, 8:40.

Q: When is it appropriate for a man to speak to a woman co-worker about what she's wearing? If he finds it too revealing, can he say something? If he likes it, can he pay a compliment without it being harassment? Steve: Unless you thought the woman was revealing something she didn't intend to, I'd avoid mentioning that subject. As for paying a compliment, that's OK as long as it's done tastefully. Right way: "That's an attractive skirt you're wearing." Wrong way: "Baby, that tight skirt makes your booty look fine."

And now comes another chapter from the ongoing saga "What Movies Can Teach Us." Today's series of lessons comes thanks to an area video store that sells a wide array of DVDs and videotapes – new and used, just-released and reissued, contemporary and classic – along with CDs and the occasional book.

Ever wonder what would happen if the power went out and stayed out? Maybe the streets would be filled with mayhem and panicking automatons who wished they'd taken the blue pill. In a more optimistic dream, maybe the streets would be filled with dancing and people would see themselves as freed from the shackles of technology, returning to a more natural existence.

"Dark Water" is one classy fright flick. It dares to leave things to the viewer's imagination. Some may say it leaves too much to the imagination. By design, neither the central character nor the viewer can easily separate reality from fantasy. The film will add to this summer's growing reputation as a season that polarizes audiences.

In last week's issue of 7 I went on about this phenomenal show I saw combining Belt of Vapor and Weight. But I neglected to explain what made it so great.

In honor of Gummi Worm Day (July 15), find out how much you know about the squishy sweet and its gummi relatives: 1. What is the most popular color of gummi candy?

There's nothing more charming than watching children cope with adult situations. Truth is they often handle them as well, and as gracefully, as their elders do. Grace is a fitting word when it comes to the documentary "Mad Hot Ballroom," a film conceived and written by Amy Sewell and directed by Marilyn Agrelo, because it involves dancing. And the very best of the film's 11-year-old dancers boast a grace that most will never possess.

What it is: Oceanic-air.com is a Web site put together by the good folks at Touchstone Television. It's meant to look like a booking site for the fictitious Oceanic Airlines featured in the hit ABC series "Lost." What it's all about: At a glance, this site looks like merely a clever placeholder for those folks curious enough to try out the URL. There's a message from the company president explaining how the airline has shut down in the wake of the tragedy of Flight 815 (the ill-fated flight carrying our favorite castaways). There are nonfunctional flight-booking links. And several pages appear to be broken or removed.

Carrot Top's dad is a retired rocket scientist. Bet that smacked you awake faster than a quad-shot soy latte.

Those of us who caught the Belt of Vapor show last weekend are still woozy from the high-powered math-rock rage. It was the type of sock-you-in-the-face-for-standing- still show any rock fan would be happy to see twice.

At what point did the cool new dance become standing still with your arms folded and mean- mugging the performers onstage? When I go to shows – save for the mosh pits at metal shows – that's mostly what I see on the dance floor.

Q: My girlfriend and I dated for three years in high school, then went to different colleges. The first year was good, but the second year, she was always out when I called. She said she was studying, but at the end of the year, she told me we needed to take a break. Later, I found out that she was dating someone at school. Now she wants me back. I still have feelings for her. What should I do? Steve: Take her back if you wish, but be more cautious. She should've told you up front that she wanted to date at college instead of sneaking around. Tell her she's on double-secret probation.

I hear that Ashton Kutcher's reality show "Beauty and the Geek" (WB, Wednesdays) has been picked up for another season. For those of you who are counting, that's three shows for Mr. Kutcher.