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10 filler i f'f 411 FILM 5 ance' For Pleasure, Laughs And Romance Miramax Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) teaches John (Richard Gere) how to do the tango in "Shall We Dance?" MOVIE REVIEW Shall We MOVIE BOARD RATING: PG-13 (sexual references, prof anity) STARS: Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci DIRECTOR: Peter Chelsom LOCATION: For locations, see Quick Flicks, Page 11; see Page 13 for movie times. PLOT SUMMARY: Bored lawyer finds secret escape with ballroom lessons. RUNNING TIME: 103 minutes ON THE WEB: www.miramax.comshallwedance By BOB ROSS rrosstampatrib.com When foreign films take the American remake route, we tend to shudder. But "Shall We Dance?" gracefully sidesteps the Hollywood idiocies that can turn delicate stories into leaden losers. Instead, this Chicago-based version of Masayuki Suo's 1996 charmer brings restraint and wit to the original story about a successful man plagued with inexplicable feelings of ennui and inadequacy.

Richard Gere steps nimbly into the role originated by Koji Yakusho, capturing the character's unease despite his lack of real problems. Gere plays John Clark, a successful estate lawyer with an adoring family and no apparent vices. But on his nighdy train ride home to suburbia, John passes a dance instruction studio and looks up at its windows, one of which usually has a sad-eyed beauty gazing wistfully into the dark- be both delirious and dignified as a particularly bouncy teacher. The first half of the film follows the Asian original almost scene for scene, while the second half adds slapstick effervescence before a romantic windup that says, "date movie." English director Peter Chelsom Mighty," "Hear My Song" and the quirky, near-brilliant "Funny enters the mainstream with this pleasing tribute to the notion that finding rhythm can help you lose the blues. Get a free, weekly e-mail newsletter with video movie trailers and Bob Ross' reviews.

Sign up at TBO.com, Keyword: Movies Email And watch Bob Ross Friday mornings on News Channel 8. before tabloids and merchandising took over her public image. We know John will eventually hop off that train and try to loosen up in rumba class. It's also easy to guess that his wife, Beverly (Susan Sarandon, radiant and funny), is going to be just a mite confused by her mate's recent behavior changes. But hiring a detective (Richard Jenkins) raises the comic stakes.

Even better, the stars step aside to let supporting players sparkle. Our favorite is Stanley Tucci as a tango dancer who fancies sequins and long wigs and hides his hobby from co-workers until John shows up. Bobby Cannavale and Omar Benson Miller have their moments as John's pals in the beginner class, and Lisa Ann Walter manages to ness. The young woman is Paulina, a teacher whose disappointing past is both obvious and mysterious. It's a plum return for Jennifer Lopez, reminding us that she was a classy actress long Crude, Crass, Chaotic Team' Earns Laughs The 'R' Way i MOVIE REVIEW Team America: World Police: MOVIE BOARD RATING: (profanity, violence and puppet sex) STARS: Voices of Matt Stone, Trey Parker, Kristen Miller DIRECTOR: Trey Parker LOCATION: For locations, see Quick Flicks, Page 11; see Page 13 for movie times.

PLOT SUMMARY: Actor is recruited to fight terrorists. RUNNING TIME: 98 minutes ON THE WEB: teamamerica.com By BOB ROSS rrosstampatrib.com Equal-opportunity offenders Trey Parker and Matt Stone having broken every taboo they could find in "South Park" have taken their disgusting, crude hilarity worldwide in search of new satiric targets. Boy, do they find them and smash them to wood and plastic bits. In case you've not heard yet, "Team America: World Police" doesn't use human actors. It employs wooden characters with strings, inspired by '60s kiddie shows such as "Thunderbirds." But parents must not make the mistake of thinking this explosive farce is suitable for children.

You have never heard so much puppet profanity, seen so much marionette mayhem, witnessed such shocking, splintering sexual shenanigans. For grown-ups, this is righteous, riotous immaturity at its most gratifying assuming you enjoy crass jokes about terrorists, AIDS, celebrity activists, projectile vomiting and stupid movie cliches. The plot, if you care to call it that, pits the top-secret Team America anti-terror squad against Korean dictator Kim Jong II a dwarfish dude who sounds like one Paramount Pictures Puppets kick wood and take names in "Team America: World Police." erals. Their politics waver between anarchy and total disrespect, and they save their most vicious slams for lefties: Michael Moore, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and Tim Robbins are skewered mercilessly, with George Clooney, Liv Tyler, Helen Hunt and Samuel L. Jackson taking a few hits as well.

Let's hope these famous folks are smart enough to keep cool about being mocked. Sean Penn already has unleashed a hostile memo about his treatment Does he think for a second that this will give the filmmakers anything but glee? of the "South Park" kids doing a bad Asian accent. Heck, all the Parker-Stone accents are awful that's part of their perverse charm. As the film progresses, the jokes become more chaotic. We're not quite sure how they fit in a parody of the "Star Wars" cantina scene, but it works.

So do the parodies of patriotic country music anthems, none of which you'll be hearing on the radio. Butdon'tminkStoneandParkerarehappylittlelib-,.