Recent viewings in brief

The Saint (1997). Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue are attractive and appealing actors in this adaptation of the 1960s television series and the long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris. Unfortunately, that can't save the movie from being slow-moving and ultimately uninvolving. It goes something like this: Dickensian prequel to explain and excuse the hero's behavior. Cold fusion mumbo-jumbo, talktalktalk, pretty people tumbling into bed, more cold fusion mumbo-jumbo, talktalktalk, ugly people shooting at the pretty people. Deathtraps. Exploding cars. Startling last-minute revelations. Meh.

Jason and the Argonauts (2000). Ugh. Pretty people and pretty scenery, but I stopped watching it when it became clear that not only was the acting inept, the actors had not even been coached to pronounce the name of the goddess Hera consistently, let alone correctly. You say Heh-ra, I say Hay-ra, let's turn the movie off.