Let It Snow!

It seems that when it's cold and snowing outside, it's difficult to get motivated for anything more than a DVD rental or a trip to the movies. Luckily, production companies capitalize on this by releasing a barrage of new films over the holiday season. For those who didn't have time to catch these releases over winter break, Weekend has compiled a short list of this season's must-sees, must-hears and must-avoids. MOVIES Meet the Fockers -- PG-13
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro
Directed by: Jay Roach
Showing: Showplace West 12
C Something must be wrong with me. Seriously, I thought "Meet the Parents" was good, but not the best. But you guys loved it. So when its sequel came out I thought this was my chance to be redeemed. I could love "Meet the Fockers" and laugh along with ya'll. No such luck. There's nothing surprising you need to know going in; we meet up with Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) as their parents are about to meet. As you can imagine the first meeting won't go smooth; Greg's parents -- you guessed it -- aren't exactly normal. As I see it the only redeeming factor to the movie was the addition of Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman, who are both fabulous. The movie makers also added a dog and a baby for comedic purposes; both unnecessary. In my opinion, there's so many better movies out right now that you can really love. - Katie Shoenbaechler Ocean's 12 -- PG-13
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Showing: Showplace West 12
B- In the 2001 movie "Ocean's 11," director Steven Soderbergh strived to outdo the classic 1960 version with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Thanks to a cast including Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts and George Clooney, Soderbergh pulled it off. After all, how could any movie with that many talented celebrities turn out bad? Now we have the answer -- "Ocean's 12." The premise behind the film is simple. Danny Ocean's (Clooney) crew stole $160 million from casino tyrant Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) in "Ocean's 11." Now, Benedict wants his money back with interest and has given Ocean two weeks. So the group flies to Europe to steal back Benedict's money and, in turn, save their lives. To outshine his first movie, Soderbergh knew he had to go big in the sequel - more celebrities, more antics and more complicated schemes. The result: a movie with more plot twists than a poorly written "choose your own adventure" novel. By the end of the movie, I didn't feel satisfied. I felt duped. Sure "Ocean's 12" had some clever banter between Pitt (Rusty Ryan) and Clooney. Yes, it had an occasional laugh-out-loud moment. Soderbergh even added Catherine Zeta-Jones (Isabel Lahiri) to the recipe. Regardless, it is clear Soderbergh bit off more than he could ... direct. There is a crucial lesson to learn after watching "Ocean's 12." If you successfully pull off a remake of a classic, stop while you're ahead. - Katie O'Keefe Blade Trinity -- R
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Jessica Biel
Directed by: David S. Goyer
B- If you enjoyed the first two Blade movies then you might as well finish off the trilogy with "Blade Trinity." This time around Blade (Wesley Snipes) fights Dracula himself (Dominic Purcell) and as with the previous outings there are good action scenes and cheesy dialogue aplenty. Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel provide the humor and eye candy. That is if you didn't already find the answer to "Dracula: Ready to die?" "Blade: I was born ready," funny already. Or I guess if you don't find Kris Kristofferson to be eye candy. "Trinity" is entertaining but nothing not seen before. - Paul Straw MUSIC WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Xzibit
Sony
B Xzibit is back! And not just for a new season of "Pimp My Ride." With the release of his fifth album Weapons of Mass Destruction, Xzibit reminds the public that in addition to showing up at people's doorsteps to fix up their cars, he can still rap too. With his west-coast, gangsta rap style and distinctive, powerful voice, Xzibit lays down 16 new tracks on the album. It's not all about money, guns and hos, though. Xzibit mixes it up with songs about problems in the world, and much of the album is suprisingly politically motivated against President Bush and the current administration, providing an entertaining variety to blast out of your dorm all day long. - Mark Perlman-Price DVDS The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Special Extended Edition DVD -- PG-13
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin
Directed by: Peter Jackson
A+ If there are any DVDs that stand as a testament to a film director's true vision then the Extended Editions of "The Lord of the Rings" take the cake. "The Return of the King" extended cut adds on 50 minutes of footage bringing the running time to almost 4 ½ hours. The four-disc set features 4 commentaries, 15 documentaries and so many other goodies that you'll geek out like never before. Winner of 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, "The Return of the King" is hands down the best DVD release of 2004! - Chris Wisner Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story -- PG-13
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
A- "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" is one of the funniest movies of 2004. In the film, Peter La Fleur (Vaughn) must save his gym, Average Joe's, by winning a dodgeball tournament. The competition includes the gym's rival, Globo Gym, led by White Goodman (Ben Stiller). Physical comedy is the main source of humor, as it draws laughs out of finding various ways to pummel the characters with dodgeballs and other assorted items. The writing is excellent as well, with many instances that induce bursts of laughter. There are many excellent cameos in the film and the performances of Christine Taylor (as Kate Veatch) and Justin Long (as Justin) are great. The DVD features deleted scenes, an alternate ending, a commentary and featurettes. The commentary and the featurette of Justin Long are the two best additions to this DVD. Everything else is acceptably decent. "Dodgeball" is one DVD that is worth picking up for anyone that's looking for a funny movie. - Rhett Umphress Napoleon Dynamite -- PG
Starring: Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino
Directed by: Jared Hess
A- You must be a freakin' idiot not to like "Napoleon Dynamite," one of the biggest surprise hits of the year. This story of an oblivious nerd may not have any plot and it might be overly subtle at times, but the first viewing isn't the best. This film has an "Office Space"-like quality where you find yourself unconsciously quoting the characters in social situations. Bonus features are better than average and include the original short-film "Peluca" that inspired the feature-length version. Deleted scenes are also worth a chuckle or two. This may not be a film that is a masterpiece of cinema, but it is surely unlike any other film, which is something worthwhile in this age of unoriginal films like "Meet the Fockers." - Adam Aasen