Dayton Daily News from Dayton, Ohio • 26

4C WEDNESDAY. JULY 17. 1996 DAYTON DAILY NEWS REVIEW 'Multiplicity' plot doesn't add up OH Multiplicity Director: HAROLD RAMIS; Starring: MICHAEL KEATON. ANDIE MACDOWELL; 110 minutes; BEAVERCREEK. CROSS POINTE.

DAYTON MALL, HUBER HEIGHTS. SALEM AVENUE PG 13: Sexual situations Excellent Good Fair Poor erratic behavior. He and Two both turn up at the same restaurant with different women in a scene that recalls the hilarious climax of Mrs. Doubtfire, but pales in comparison. Like Robin Williams' Doubtfire character, Doug puts himself through ridiculous paces for his family, while keeping the truth from his wife.

After repeatedly warning the clones not to sleep with Laura, Doug inexplicably takes off for several days on a sailing cruise, leaving the look-alikes alone with the lovely woman. Insipid sex farce ensues. Given the credentials of those involved, one expects much more than Multiplicity delivers. Then again, Keaton's last comedy was the forgettable Speechless, and Ramis' was the virtually straight-to-video Stuart Saves His Family. Perhaps it's time to repair to the bat lair to reconsider those career moves.

with his wife and kids. But when he's still unable to find time to hit the links, a second clone suddenly appears an obsessive-compulsive homemaker named Three. The seamless split-screen effects, devised by four-time Academy Award-winner Richard Edlund, allow Keaton to comically riff with himself. "What do I feed it?" he asks Leeds, meeting Two for the first time. "What am a hamster?" Two fires back.

Keaton also high-fives himself, blows cigarette smoke in his own face and pours a soda for his mirror image. It's impressive, but nothing that we haven't already seen in a Shaquille O'Neal commercial on television. Keaton is a wonderful physical comedian who excels at stunned double-takes, which he delivers with the arrival of each new clone. Two and Three make an additional model an inferior copy of a copy for no apparent reason other than to let Keaton clown around like an idiot. The Doug character is reminiscent of Keaton's role in Mr.

Mom; Two's crassness recalls his antics By Dave Larson FILM CRITIC hi Michael Keaton abandoned the btX cave for Multiplicity, in which he stars as a harried fain ily and businessman who has himself cloned to allow for lei-inre time. Hard to blame him, given the way he was upstaged pjrthe Joker and Cat Woman, arid the impressive filmmakers behind his latest effort. Here, Keaton competes only against himself, playing four different characters often in the same frame. Multiplicity is based on a short Story by Chris Miller, who co-wrote National Lampoon 's Animal House with Harold Ramis arid the late Doug Kenney, and directed by Ramis, who helmed Caddyshack and Groundhog Day. Miller collaborated on the screenplay with his partner Mary Hale and the team of Lowell Ganz and fiabaloo Mandel, whose credits include City Slickers, Splash and of Their Own.

the whole does not equal sum of its parts. The film is a hackneyed comedy whose contrived premise gels, despite Keaton's laud- Michael Keaton times four in in Beetlejuice; Three is an anal retentive take on Mister Rodgers; and Four is targeted at the Dumb and Dumber crowd. Unfortunately, so is much of Multiplicity's humor. Doug spends much of the movie making belabored explanations to his confused wife and co-workers for his seemingly able efforts. If only they'd been laughable, too.

Keaton is Doug Kinney (named for Kenney, who died in a hiking accident in 1980), a construction supervisor who barely has time for his loving wife Laura (Andie MacDowell), and two young children, let alone himself. Enter Dr. Owen Leeds (Harris Yulin), a geneticist at the Gemini Institute who, as Doug puts it, Xeroxes people. Doug submits to cloning with surprisingly little hesitation in fact, his problem appears to be solved all too easily. Two, as the first clone is called, tackles Doug's office duties with a workaholic's drive, freeing Doug to spend time Your very own caddy for the Nike Tour REVIEW Kazaam' should wish for talent Rolling fairways, fast greens.

and that little man with the "QUIET" paddle. These are all part of the golf tournament experience. Depend on the Dayton Daily News to carry everything you need to enjoy the Miami Valley Nike Open. Laura Dempsey prster led by HALL OF FAME BUICK DEALERS Kazaam Director: Paul M. Glaser; Starring: SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, FRANCIS CAPRA; 93 minutes; BEAVER VALLEY.

CINEMA NORTH, CROSS POINTE. HUBER HEIGHTS PG: Violence, vulgar language Excellent Fair Good Poor Look for the Nike Miami Valley Open special secion, July 21, for a complete list of events, activities, player profiles and course highlights. It's par for the course. The Nike Miami Valley Open special section, Sunday, July 21, in the Dayton Daily News There's more to the story. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Shaquille O'Neal can dunk, and He can smile.

He's got a huge presence and a bigger personality this 7-foot, 2-inch Orlando Magic center gives the impression he can do anything he puts bis mind to. Until he tries to act. tnd rap. And you realize that yen superstar millionaires have their limitations. is the old genie-in-a-bottle story, the bottle in this case being a boom-box in depressing, filthy, dangerous downtown and the genie being a tower-iijf bald basketball star with a bfg gold earring and size 22 shoes.

Who tries to rap. Max Connor (Francis Capra) is your standard troubled 12-year-old, being raised by a single mother (Ally Walker) who wants tJ get on with her life, meaning she needs to formalize her divorce from Max's father, Nick (iames Acheson), before getting engaged to Travis (John Costel-lqe), a decent firefighter who wants to "be there" for Max. tfever mind that Max is never rtSme. He's always out, either rtpming from a gang of lunch-rwjney-stealing thugs or hanging oiftt in a garage he apparently rflpovated himself into a personal meditation arena. Kazaam comes into the picture just as Max is about to be beaten tfc'a pulp by the aforementioned gang, and Max, your typical snot-tjrjskeptical '90s kid, tells him to get lost.

Or conjure up a black Jaguar XKE. Kazaam can't comply his magic is a little rusty but he tries to convince Max to keep making wishes: Kazaam can't rest until he's granted those famous three wishes. The plot thickens into a murky soup nearly impossible to follow. Max's estranged father is involved in music bootlegging, headquartered at an atmosphere-rich nightclub. When Kazaam and Max go to the club, Kazaam is pulled onstage and becomes an overnight sensation as he raps out his story of Genie-hood.

A nefarious foreign type understands Kazaam 's power, and enlists a beautiful woman to dig a little deeper. But all that is secondary: We've come to watch Shaquille smile. And smile he does, especially with Max. The giant and the 12-year-old have an engaging chemistry, and yet this kids' movie is disturbingly edgy. The city is scary; the language sometimes Shaquille O'Neal is a big man with a big smile, but very little acting ability.

questionable; there's lots of scenes of folks being beat up Max's dad, in particular. How it got a PG rating is a mystery, as it's unquestionably PG-13 fare. Sportswriters complain that O'Neal needs to keep his focus on basketball before moving on to other ventures, and they have a point. People are more forgiving of a winner even a winner who can't rap and O'Neal has yet to lead any team anywhere. Free agency beckons, and the word is that O'Neal will head from Florida to Los Angeles, where he can immerse himself more completely in his Hollywood lifestyle.

Wherever he lands, one can only hope that Shaq finds a Genie of his own, and that one of his three wishes includes an all-expense-paid acting coach. We want to save you hi 1 a money The 1996 Street of Dreams xBr You are cordially invited to tour the 1996 Street of Dreams at the 1996 Homearama located at beautiful Sable Ridge in Bellbrook. Homearama will showcase the talent, workmanship, and expertise of many of the area's finest Registered Builders. Homearama visitors will find the latest ideas in home design, decorating, and landscaping. The most modern products and services will be displayed in the exhibit tent as well.

Over 60,000 people will walk the Street of Dreams at the 1 996 Homearama at Sable Ridge. Every Eye-Mart location has a full service lens grinding lab on site. Many prescriptions can be made in 1 hour Most optical retailers have your glasses made at a far away wholesaii lab. This can cost you money. Stop by your neighborhood Eye-Mart to see how we can save your time money.

Homearama Saturday, July 13, 1996 thru Sunday, July 28, 1996; Monday Friday, 4 to 10 pm, Saturday Sunday, 12 noon to 10 pm; no admittance after 9 pm. $6.00 adult admission, children under 12 are admitted free with paid adult admission Sponsored by Dayton Power Light, Cellular One, Dayton Daily News, American Airlines, The Voss Auto Network, and National City Bank. $2 9 mMAffT EYE EXAM mmmmmmMfmi'Mm 18 Bausch Lomb Optima Dally Wear Spherical Soft Lenses 1 pair On Thursday, July 25th Cincinnati Reds player Joe Oliver visits the 1996 Homearama from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Presented by the Home Builders Association of Dayton and the Miami Valley and Cellular One. Doctors Dickey, Lutes, Henn, Neal.

m'35 rniiin Hartman Associates, Optometrists 95 29 Your next purchase storewMe minimum $50 purchase 'excludes doctor lees i.annot or cnmtxnwt with iittun 7 Days A Week exam for glasses additional i fee tor contact lens exam or I daatmi see store loi details wcopuon Prior ules encluded Requires valid CI enam or CL Rx Open 7 days a week Mori Set (Mt Sun Noon-S Pociofi Houri Mori Sat 9-6 Sun Noon 3 discounts pom sates excluded I See stow lor details The 1996 Homearama at beautiful Sable Ridge in Bellbrook. Take I -675 to the Wilmington Pike exit, then north 14 mile to Feedwlre Road. Turn east on Feedwlre to Little Sugarcreek Road. Turn south on Little Sugarcreek, approximately 1 mile to Homearama. Uttto Suqarcrwk fl I Wilmington Dayton Across from Dayton Mall Mad River Station 435-4060 1-800 662-0929 Springfield Near Upper VaUev Mad in Ifont ol Service Merchandise 324-5400 1-800-767-2807 Beavercreek Acrojs from The Mall in Fairlield Crossing 429-4060 1 800-891 7299 Trotwood Across from Salem Mall near Lowe 837-3937 1-800-867-9209 a presentation of the Home Builders Association of Dayton and the Miami Valley.