The Movies

1 American Pie 2

$21.1 million 2 weeks in release $87.3 million to date

PLOT Rehash of the 1999 raunch-fest that reunites the original cast as college students.

MESSAGE Teen hedonism: cheap sex is the greatest thrill in life.

CAUTION R for strong sexual content, crude humor, bad language, and drinking.

$19 million 3 weeks in release $164.7 million to date

PLOT Cops from Hong Kong and L.A. reunite to chase a gangster who bombed an American embassy.

MESSAGE Even the best people need to learn a few new tricks.

CAUTION PG-13 for action violence, bad language, and some sexual material.

$11.7 million 1 week in release $11.7 million to date

PLOT Hopeless rehash of 1963's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World with an all-star cast running from Nevada to New Mexico to capture a $2 million prize.

MESSAGE Some gambles aren't worth the payoff.

CAUTION PG-13 for sexual references, crude humor, partial nudity, and bad language.

$10.9 million 2 weeks in release $32.2 million to date

PLOT Post-World War II ghost story about a woman with two kids and a missing husband living in an old Victorian mansion.

MESSAGE Your own fears can be worse than the actual danger.

CAUTION PG-13 for bad language and frightening moments.

$9.6 million 3 weeks in release $70.2 million to date

PLOT An insecure 15-year-old discovers she is heir to a European throne.

MESSAGE With enough confidence, a girl can find her destiny. Inner and outer beauty are celebrated, rather than ridiculed.

CAUTION Rated G.

Disney gives new life to the fairy tale with The Princess Diaries, a modern-day Cinderella story with a nerdy teenager who transforms into a beautiful princess. Playing the cheerful, larger-than-life role that once was her trademark, Julie Andrews returns to family film as the girl's grandmother, who turns out to be Queen Clarisse of "Genovia." To save her country, Queen Clarisse must turn her gangly descendant Mia into something regal. As the movie moves forward, we see the girl grow prettier with every scene. Anne Hathaway does well as the clumsy character who must take daily "princess lessons" to prepare for her coming-out day. The movie bogs down a bit when it gets away from fantasy: Too much screen time features Mia being picked on at school and confiding her troubles to her best friend (Heather Matarazzo), a whiny vegetarian. But it succeeds as a fairy tale: Mia accepts her responsibility to grow up and matures as she decides to take her place as princess. Her inner transformation isn't fleshed out; it just happens. But at least Princess is a refreshing departure from cynical stuff like Shrek, where anything noble is to be ridiculed and destroyed. Princess allows inner and outer beauty to coexist.