Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe What's happening in the world of home entertainment: MOVIES Advertisement "Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones" -- George Lucas continues his massive sci-fi saga with the fifth entry (middle segment of the second trilogy) and, for much of the way, it works. Crammed with action and extraordinary special effects that make up for wooden dialogue and a somewhat leaden love story, "Clones" dutifully advances the story toward its final, as yet untitled episode that will tie the entire package together. Ten years have passed since the previous episode and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is now an apprentice Jedi, tutored by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), at a time of unrest in the Republic where a separatist political movement leads to the creation of a threatening clone army. They are assigned to protect Sen. Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), a former queen whose fight against secession has her targeted for assassination. While Obi-Wan chases the assassin, Anakin takes Padme home to Naboo where they fall in love -- a forbidden emotion for a Jedi. Later, when they search for his dying mother, Anakin's dark side begins to emerge. There are other hints of things to come that fans of the series will spot. The digitally enhanced action often is spectacular, from the breakneck flying chase scenes to the rousing, all-out battle over the final 40 minutes. There likely will never be another "Star Wars" but this rates well with the earlier sequels and is a marked improvement over the "Phantom Empire." (The DVD version comes in a two-disc layout containing six hours of extras, including commentaries, documentaries, eight deleted scenes and considerable how-we-did-it footage.) 2002. 140 minutes. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Rated PG (sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence). Advertisement "Bad Company" -- Anthony Hopkins is a veteran CIA agent and Chris Rock his reluctant sidekick trying to head off another terrorist plot to detonate a stolen nuclear weapon in an American city. But unlike "The Sum of all Fears," this one is an action-comedy, if you can imagine a lighthearted approach to such a subject at this time. In fact, things become deadly serious one moment, almost a parody the next, making the scenario overall jumbled and unlikely. Rock plays identical twins who never knew the other existed and when one of them, a Harvard-educated CIA agent, is killed trying to buy the aforementioned portable bomb from a Russian mobster, the CIA recruits the other twin, a Jersey City street hustler named Jake Hayes to take his place. (Only the CIA knows the first one died.) Hayes' calm, efficient mentor, Gaylord Oakes (Hopkins), gives his reticent pupil a crash course on how to be a sophisticated spy and then takes him to try again to buy the bomb with the expected results. Rock the comic only gets occasional chances to do his thing while Hopkins is mostly laid-back, a faint look of amusement on his face. 2002. 116 minutes. Touchstone Home Video. Rated PG-13 (intense sequences of violent action, some sensuality and language). Advertisement "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" -- This is an intense, inventive coming-of-age film about rebellious teenage pranksters at a 1970s small town Catholic school who plan the ultimate prank that's sure to make them local legends. In their zeal, they go too far. Key players are Emile (Francis Doyle) and Tim (Kieran Culkin), classmates and close friends who delight in seeing what they can get away with. They have to operate under the watchful eye of the school's strict disciplinarian, Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster), an early target for their mischief in the form of a pornographic comic book (Emile is a budding artist). The movie departs from the norm by making frequent impressive forays into animation -- the boys envision themselves as superheroes on a noble mission, fighting the forces of darkness. "Altar Boys," based on a cult novel by Chris Fuhrman, exceeds its grasp at times but works more often than not. 2002. 105 minutes. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment. Rated R (language, sexual content, youth substance abuse). "The Importance of Being Earnest" -- A bright, new, witty rendition of the 1895 Oscar Wilde play about love, manners and two guys not named Earnest. Colin Firth plays John Worthing who calls himself Earnest in the city and Jack in the country where he lives, enabling him to better move between high society and low life. He has fallen in love with Gwendolyn (Frances O'Connor) and she with him, foolishly insisting she is convinced she must marry a man named Earnest. Jack's best friend, Algy (Rupert Everett), an insolvent man-about-town, is smitten with Jack's ward Cecily (Reese Witherspoon), who lives on the country estate, and has told her his name is Earnest, too. Problems escalate when the two young women meet, thinking they are engaged to the same man. Judi Dench has some funny lines as Gwendolyn's mother. While it could have been better, the cast and lavish settings -- and the Wilde wit -- make the movie a pleasant diversion. 2002. 100 minutes. Miramax Home Entertainment. Rated PG (mild sensuality). Advertisement "Fingers" -- Harvey Keitel stars in this seamy, often explosive gangster tale and cult favorite, making its DVD debut some 24 years after its first appearance on the movie screen. Keitel is Jimmy Fingers, a spaced-out man of two worlds. He's a talented pianist with Carnegie Hall aspirations and he's a brutal collector for his loan shark father. As a man pulled in two directions, Jimmy lets his artistic frustration fuel the violence required in the other half of his life. It's not hard to figure that such a conflicting lifestyle will come crashing down on him. A powerful, disturbing picture, often compared to "Taxi Driver," with strong acting throughout, especially by Keitel, whose virtuoso performance carries the movie, and Jim Brown, in a rare subdued role. 1978. 90 minutes. Warner Home Video. Rated R. VIDBITS Coming up: "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," "Reign of Fire" and "13 Conversations About One Thing"... "Insomnia" is no sleeper. Billboard says the Al Pacino-Robin Williams thriller was the nation's No. 1 video rental this week... "Spider-Man" had plenty of company as he swung among the skyscrapers this past week. The full-throttle action adventure got off to a magnificent video start, selling a record 7 million copies the first day en route to easily topping Columbia TriStar's opening weekend box office take... Advertisement On DVD: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Platinum Series Special Extended Edition" is debuting as a four-disc set with 30 minutes of never-before-seen footage and almost an hour of new music by composer Howard Shore... Returning: "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Deluxe Edition" in a two-disc set featuring a commentary by director Ron Howard, sing-alongs, read-alongs. A Faith Hill music video and a who's who of Whoville... For kids, "The Powerpuff Girls," a full-length animated feature with Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup taking on the mysterious Mojo Jojo and his army of evil monkeys... And "Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year," with holiday carols sung by Carly Simon and a New Year's party countdown plus games and music... Fox plans to break "Ice Age" into two new markets when the movie hits video on Nov. 26. In addition to the usual DVD and VHS releases, the studio will present the CGI-animated hit the same day on high-definition VHS and in a Spanish-dubbed VHS version. .
