Arts & Entertainment
 

Disney may ruin Texas legend

By Geronimo Rodriguez
The Daily Cougar

The Alamo is expected to warrant a Texas-sized "bravo," but considering Disney is behind this epic film, John Lee Hancock just might be setting audiences up for the big tease.

Hancock, who wrote Clint Eastwood's A Perfect World, has the help of Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan in telling the true story of the 1836 battle between Texan and Mexican forces. The director is also working with a juicy piece of history and decent cast. So if this baby flops, Hancock has no one to blame but Disney.

Will this film be as controversial as the buzz is making it out to be? Will Billy Bob Thornton come back with a Slingblade-like performance? Will Bambi make a guest appearance?

All eyes might be on Thornton, who has been an underachiever of late, but filmgoers shouldn't rush judgment with Jason Patric co-starring. Although Patric, who stars as James Bowie, hasn't made the best decisions with his career, a handful of his films -- Narc, Your Friends and Neighbors and Rush -- shows he doesn't mind stealing the screen every now and then.

Houston native Dennis Quaid and Amores Perros' Emilio Echevarria also star.

Cedric the Entertainer has the stage to himself for the second time in a row with Johnson Family Vacation. Despite having a full crew in Barbershop 2, Cedric dominated the screen by ad-libbing what initially was an ugly script. Unless Cedric lives up to his name, filmgoers would be better off sitting at home than taking in Johnson Family Vacation.

American Pie eye-candy Shannon Elizabeth and Bow Wow might as well serve as props in Cedric's comedy.

Matthew Perry is coping with the fact that life doesn't go on after Friends by starring in The Whole Ten Yards. If the filmmakers didn't believe the first film had its share of shortcomings, then they might as well join Perry in that river of denial. Bruce Willis seems smarter than this, but he did survive Hudson Hawk. If his Jimmy the Tulip comes out smelling like roses, then the rest of the cast might get a whiff of top 10 success.

The Girl Next Door seems like a subplot from those rotten American Pie flicks, but Elisha Cuthbert has most teens' attention. Oh, those shady promoters -- give them some cleavage, and they can work wonders. Girl Next Door has all the makings of a bust, but what else would teens spend their allowance on this weekend?

 Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu