The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 94

G6 THF VAXCOl'VFR SUN. THURSDAY, DFCFMHFR 24. l'))8 MOVIE WEEKEND REVIEW WViewing "Kids ahd adults will take to theSe Rugrats like a baby takes to a bottle." too jams, "minute at tw movks" ITV, EDMONTON WJatoiuiiwuUili i.WWW. sit Angelou's directorial debut engaging but poorly paced by the transparent plot Running time: 102 minutes. Babe: Pig in the City (General).

While this sequel comes close to matching the cinematic magic of the orfginal, tfie Ofygets lostin plot traffic, presenting a problem for younger viewers who may not be able to follow its twists and turns. vie (5) wwwflgpatsnovifccoii There's more than one disturbing scene, but nothing that would rival, say, the murder of Bambi's mother. Best of all, Babe is still Babe cute, A weekly guide to current movies and their suitability for kids. To find out where these films are playing, check our At the Movies listings on pageC2. The Prince of Egypt (Parental Guidance).

Despite the lack of a goofy sidekick for Moses, this animated take on the Book of Exodus should be perfect fare for kids. Parents may object to some of the film's more disturbing story elements such as slavery, the murder of infants, the plagues and religious intolerance but this is the same stuff they'd be learning in Sunday school and current-events class anyway. Clever, beautiful and well-acted, this is a great bet for the whole family. Running time: 99 minutes. Star Trek: Insurrection (Parental Guidance).

This one looks, feels and moves like a long TV show, but since that's the whole Star Trek tradition, it doesn't really cuddly and a solid role model for all critters. Running time: 96 minutes. PLAYERS 1 I FAMOUS PLAYEflS 1 i FAMOUS PLAYERS FAMOUS PLAYERS 1 IVERCtTY SILVERCITY 1 1 SILVERCITY000" 1 1 ESPLANADE 6 LANDMARK. MMOL'S PL AVERS 1 FAMOUS PLAYERS 1 i LANDMARi STATION SQv 1 1 EAGLE RIDGE 1 1 CHILUWACK' ABBOTSFORD dftg'sLife(General). Excellent an PRESENTED IN MALI nl IVIUI CHFCK THFATRF niRFCTORIES imation, a good story, tots of action and humour and developed char NU rLHI lINva! forshowtimes DGTOlsonV acters this one's a winner for DOWN IN THE DELTA Starring Alfre Woodard, Wesley Snipes and Al.Freeman Jr.

Subject to classification. KATHERINE MONK SUN MOVIE CRITIC As writerpoetstoryteller Maya Angelou's directorial debut, Down on the Delta ripples with human compassion and emotional strength. A carefully crafted story of a middle-aged woman living in Chicago with her mother, precocious pubescent son and her special-needs daughter, Down on the Delta is a modern family fable that reaches back into history for its ultimate meaning. Loretta (Alfre Woodard), the mother in question, is a woman on the verge of a crack overdose. Loretta has tried to make a life for her kids, but without an education, a job or any prospects other than a life of prostitution, Loretta abandons herself to substance abuse.

Her mother, a feisty survivor played by Mary Alice, decides it's time for an intervention and sends Loretta and her two children back to spend some time with her brother-in-law's family on the Mississippi delta. The voyage turns out to be more than physical, as Loretta must learn to adapt to her uncle's conservative ways and the delta's slow-as-cold-molasses pace. Angelou and Woodard, who hands in yet another spellbinding performance, play the culture clash to the hilt and find some warm, funny moments. Unfortunately, when the time comes for the emotional transformation from crackhead mom to earth mother, Angelou fails to find the delicate touch she exhibited so well in the first 45 minutes and flounders in LKL LKL LKL matter. Limited violence and gore make this suitable for kids who STRENGTH OF CHARACTER: Freeman Snipes and Woodard.

forced sentimentality. Making matters slightly more prob-lematic is a plot device called "Nathan" a sterling silver candelabra that has been a mysterious family heirloom for generations. "Nathan" has a story of its own, but like so many other inanimate objects that take on human proportions in film, it proves to be more of a distraction as it steals energy and screen time from the very human and talented cast of players. While the drain never proves lethal, it does slow an already meandering story right down to a crawl, giving us way too much time to ponder the weakness of the movie instead of the strength of its characters. Nonetheless engaging, touching and beautifully photographed, Down on the Delta suffers from a sense of manufactured soul and crass Hollywood sensibilities things that don't really suit, or sit well, with Angelou's earthy voice.

For a first feature, however, Down on the Delta serves as a good screen introduction to an important American presence. At the Caprice. follow the intergalactic saga of Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew. Running time: 103 minutes. kids of all ages, and adults, too.

The villainous grasshoppers are menacing, but not frightening. Running time: 95 minutes. The Rugrats Movie (General). A good adventure for kids that should keep parents entertained. There are a few innocuous jokes about bodily functions, and a circumcision gag will go right over the heads of the wee ones.

Running time: 78 minutes. Antz (General): The humour is aimed at adults, thanks to Woody Allen's alter-ego playing the hero, but the visuals are so rich and detailed they'll satisfy people of any age. Disturbing sequences include an ant-termite confrontation and the bloody morning after. Running time: 83 minutes. Katherine Monk, Marke Andrews Jack Frost (General).

In this live-action adaptation of the cartoon classic Frosty the Snowman, adult ideas smoulder beneath a Adam Sandler blanket of kiddie humour. Michael Keaton does a good job as the musician who dies in a car crash, only to return the following year as a snowman, but the rest of the cast can't match his intensity. Kids will be frustrated by the ex www.thewaterboy-themovie.com COARSE LANGUAGE, PG Distributed t( BUENA VISTA PICTURES DISTRIBUTION 0 TOUCHSTONE PICTURES cessive running time and kissy- Mflllf Of AVIklfZ I CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY FOR kissy scenes. Adults will be bored LOCATIONS AND SHOWTIMES 1 LIVE THEATRE MUSIC DANCE island Mainstagei jUdiimfimifiSmmd miminuMcsn 0 I a 1687-1644280-3311 STM1EV THEATRE 01 MURIER 687-1644 or 280-3311 METRO'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME MOTHER GOOSE OPENING FRIDAY, DEC. 18 TO JANUARY 2 Evening Shows of 7:00 pm Matinees at 2:00 pm Call Box-Office 2o6-7 191 hr dales and limes Metro Theatre 1370 S.W.

Marine Dr. TO ADVERTISE IN THIS DIRECTORY AT SPECIAL RATES, CALL 605-2703 or 605-2429 MOVIES FOR TALKING ncr YEUOW PAGES DEC. 18 FI299-9000 DEC. 24 ri 3456. llwllii: $2 All Seats for Matinees Midnight Shows Tuesdays.

After 6 p.m. Adults Children Seniors $2,50. SIEGE: (14A) Daily 11 :45. 2:00, 4:35, 7:00. FriJ25 Dec.

4:35, 7:00 FriSat Late Show 11:35. SOMETHING ABOUT MARY: (14A) Daily 12:00, 2:30, 4:50, 7:15. Fri.25 Dec. 4:50, 7:15. FriSat Late Show 12:00.

BABE: PIG IN THE CITY: (G) Daily 12:15, 2:15, 4:10, 6:00. Fn 25 Dec. 4:10. 6:00. RUSH HOUR: (14A) Daily 7:55.

Fri.25 Dec. 7:55. FriSat Late Show 11:55. I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER: (18A) Daily 9:55. Dec.

9:55. $2 All Seats for Matinees Midnight Shows Tuesdays. After 6 p.m. Adults Children Seniors $2.50. A HJ I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: (G) Daily 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 4:10, 6:00.

Fn.25 Dec. 4:00, 6:00 PSYCHO: (14A) Daily 7:45. Fri725 Dec. 7:45. FriSat Late Show 12:05 VERY BAD THINGS: (18A) Daily 9:45.

Fri.25 Dec. 9:45. FriSat Late Show 11:45. BABE: PIG IN THE CITY: (G) Daily 12:00, 2:10, 4:10, 6:20. Fri.25Dec.

4:10. 6:20. MEET JOE BLACK: (PG) PSYCHO: (14A) Daily 7:50. Ffi25 Dec. 7:50.

a vn a HisatLatesrrowiV40 $2 All Seats for Matinees Midnight Shows Tuesdays. After 6 p.m. Adults 14; Children Seniors $2,50. BABE: PIG IN THE CITY: (G) Daily 12:20, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30. Fri.25 Dec.

4:30, 6 30. MEET JOE BLACK: (PG) Daily 8:35. Fri.25 Dec. 8:35. STILL KNOW WHAT YUU DID LAST SUMMER: (1HAI -V 1 A Late Show 11:45.

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS: (G) Daily 12:00, 4:10, 6:00. Fri.25 Dec. 4:10, 6:00 PSYCHO: (14A) Daily 7:50. FriJ25 Dec. 7:50.

FriSat Late Show 12:05 PLEASANTVILLE: (PG) Daly 1:50, 9:55. Fri.25 Dec. 4:45. 7:15, 9:35. SIEGE: (14A) Daily 11:50, 2:10, 4:45.

7:15, 9:35. Fri.25 Dec. 4:45, 7:15, 9:35. FriSat Late Show 11:55. I CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE 8 ATNYMOVIE.COM Will WMIKM HIIIHIC Contest letter 2: ii ess ssbi imnmaiEr-o sceud ansatlD ztAJ tJLJJULL' Look for full contest details in today's paper! THE VANCOUVER SIN a V'.