PLANET SICK-BOY MOVIE CAPSULES

You know I must be getting old when a movie like this isn’t the least bit entertaining. Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock star as two attractive non-practicing witches who turn back to the big black cauldron when a family curse forces them to murder Kidman’s psycho boyfriend. Sadly, there is very little sorcery for a film about witches. A picture about their Aunts (Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing) would have been a lot more entertaining. Aidan Quinn has the misfortune of co-starring. (1:54 –

for profanity and violence)

Dreamworks ambitious foray into animated film is a dazzling tale of the story of Moses and his rise to fame as the Big Guy’s right hand man. All of your favorite religious experiences are here: the burning bush, the parting of the Red Sea and the origins of Passover. The songs aren’t too annoying and the voice work (led by Val Kilmer) is fantastic. Sure, the subject matter is a bit heavy for kids, but the animation is second to none (even you, Disney).

– 1:48 for implied violence and persecution

Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times, John Junkerman's incredibly one-sided ass-kissing of the titular 74-year-old left-wing MIT linguistics professor, screens this Friday night at the Dryden Theatre. His fans will be delighted. His enemies should start working on their picket signs. And disinterested third parties will likely be lulled to sleep as the bestselling author of 9-11 waxes poetic on a speaking tour that resembles a rock concert spectacle (selling out auditoriums in hours and pawning more wares than KISS – but there isn't a Chomsky cooler/coffin...yet). He's on par with Ralph Nader in terms of both personal appearance and the ability to deliver an incredibly intelligent message in a truly boring and uncharismatic manner.

Not nearly as long or as balanced as 1992's Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, Power will divide audiences as much as Chomsky's written musings. Like Michael Moore in Bowling For Columbine, he suggests the death toll of 9/11 is a mere drop in the bucket compared to the heap of bodies created by suspect US foreign policy over the last several decades, while reminding us that said strategies have ultimately lead our country to fight the same people we armed 20 years ago. Power may have been more interesting if there were somebody from the Right responding to his views. It doesn't even have to be an equal to Chomsky – anyone will do. (1:24 – )

If you were disappointed by the lack of character development and substance in The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, you'll find a much better portrayal of sisterhood in this film. The mentally retarded Pauline live with sister Martha, who does everything from tying Pauline's shoes to cutting her food. When Martha dies, her estate is divided equally among her three sisters, with the stipulation that Pauline live with either jet-setting Cecile or local shop-owner/wannabe opera star Paulette.

Other than focusing on the elderly, there isn't much new ground covered here, but writer-director Lieven Debrauwer does manage to wrap things up in an ass-pleasing 78 minutes. It's isn't much, but it's a lot more than callous Callie Khouri did with that Ya-Ya crap. Also, there are no irritating hats. (1:27 - for brief language)