Much like its competitive blockbuster “The Legend of Zorro”, Saw II just seems to fall about ½ inch short of being the cinematic enjoyment that its prequel is. Last year’s mercilessly unpleasant ”Saw” was an unexpected Halloween treat for horror fans fed up with the genre’s recent shift toward tongue-in-cheek. “Saw II,” directed by a newcomer, Darren Lynn Bousman, delivers similar hard-core, practically humorless frights and hair-raising tension, but only after getting past a shaky beginning that plays more like a forensics-themed television show than a scary movie.

What really kills the movie is that the same plot is delivered, which makes for a less surprising storyline. This year’s version of “Saw” relies on gore and blood to make its audiences squirm. When a suspense/ horror movie has to support its weight off of that, the result is a lopsided movie. Somehow, “Saw II” is not disastrous, but has very large holes. “Saw II” gives us a glimpse of what future Halloween thrillers will be like, but a strong hope resides with the fact they can always improve upon it.

Rating: 3 stars

In the day of Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, and Drew Barrymore romantic comedies, the last person you would expect to make a blip on that radar is Uma Thurman. But, then again, Prime is not exactly the normal love story. A plot consisting of a love affair growing between a 37 year old woman (Thurman) and a 23 year old male named Dave (Greenberg) is quite unordinary, but, not what would be called extraordinary for sure. But, if that were not strange enough, the psychiatrist (Streep) of the freshly divorced Rafi (Thurman) happens to be her new found lover’s mother!

Prime just does not hit on all cylinders when it comes to drawing in its audience. Sitting in that theatre, no feeling of emotion, love or hate, surfaces for the characters. When all is said and done, the first thing through your mind is, “I sat through the whole thing without going to sleep?” Much akin to the reaction to this year’s World Series when many people screamed “Finally! It’s over!”, so does one have with Prime. Few scenes are manageable enough to bear, and even fewer than that come without Streep involved. She is the glue to this movie. Without her, the prime time to end this movie is when it started.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

What do you do with a race horse with a broken leg? Any person of age should know that. That is what makes Dreamer the stereotypical go-against-the-flow-and-things-go-better-than-expected movie. Although it has its own feel to it, Dreamer comes off as too “run of the mill.” One huge heartbreak before things get better is normal, but there are two or three for every character, and that is one of the few differences the screen writers actually came up with. The causes for the drama are real enough; however, to spur the movie and it’s actors into a spiral down, and then a shoot-up is an emotional ride.

Heartfelt and even sometimes moving performances by the likes of Russell and Fanning do make this movie enjoyable enough to watch as a family. This is definitely one of Disney’s better attempts at trying to establish non-cartoon family movies. The scenery that surrounds the entire movie is sadly what is best of all. Who can go wrong with horses, rolling hills and Kentucky bluegrass? Although, with the acting talents of Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell, you’d think they would do just a smidge better.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars