Queen Latifah

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Spike Lee's longtime cinematographer, Ernest R. Dickerson, made his directorial debut with this violent story about four Harlem teens whose lives are changed when a store robbery goes wrong. The film has been likened to an urban The Wild Bunch, but it is far too artificial for that. With Dickerson's eye, Juice understandably looks great, but at the end of the day it is only a slightly better version of the heavily clichéd crime movies that have artificially dominated perceptions of black cinema in the U.S. in the '90s. Rap fans might enjoy seeing some familiar stars on board, including Queen Latifah and Tupac Shakur. --Tom Keogh

A powerful look at contemporary life in Harlem, focusing on an aspiring disc jockey and his teenage friends who have to make a difficult decision: Walk the straight and narrow or lead a life of crime. Eventually, they decide to rob a liquor store in response to an acquaintance's death. Omar Epps, Khalil Kain, Tupac Shakur star; Ernest R. Dickerson, Spike Lee's cinematographer, directs. 94 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English.

Rod "the Mod" is back! Dim the lights, open the bubbly and cuddle up with someone special as the legendary rock 'n' roll Hall of Famer adds his soulful touch to a selection of 55 unforgettable hits.

Often as people age, they grow more interested in ancestry. Rod Stewart's musical family tree certainly includes the great crooners of the past--those who took the pop songs included in his Great American Songbook series and turned them into standards. It's fitting, that he should find a late middle-age career revival by paying homage to the music that paved the way for rock clubs, discothèques, and screaming groupies the world over. Stewart's series has only grown stronger since it debuted with It Had to Be You. Most vocalists could spend sleepless nights trying to figure out how to make "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" their own. It's no problem for Rod. His jetsetter barring coupled with that unmistakable, husky voice is more than enough for him to leave his own stamp on the songs. And with the addition of guest stars from Cher to Chaka Kahn, well, there's a little something for everyone… especially those who remember when "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" was haunting the charts. For fans who sampled and loved a portion of this collection, the box set is a handsome addition to their library. It contains not only the four American Songbook CDs, but a DVD sampler of concert footage. (The set says "Big Band Era." The saxophonist in the mini skirt says it's a Rod Stewart show.) There's also a booklet of glamour shots featuring Rod and one or more leggy blondes, and notes on Stewart's musical career. Rod doesn't quite convey the ease performing these tunes on stage that he does on the CDs, and the bio is far from unbiased, but who can help but love this music? Especially for sentimental reasons. --Leah Weathersby

The original title of Living Out Loud was The Kiss, which also happens to be the title of one of the two Anton Chekhov stories the movie is loosely based on. (For those Russian lit mavens out there, the other story is "Misery.") The actual kiss in Living Out Loud is a somewhat mysterious affair: newly single Judith (Holly Hunter) suddenly finds herself laying a wet 'n' sloppy one on a total stranger (Elias Koteas, Hunter's Crash costar) in the back room of a cool jazz club, and then parting ways with the man. For good. Like so much of this exceptionally smart, generous movie, no explanation is given--or necessary. Screenwriter Richard LaGravenese (The Fisher King), making his directing debut, charts Judith's struggles in the wake of being dumped by her doctor husband (Martin Donovan). It turns out life has its ups and downs, some of which come courtesy of the elevator operator (Danny DeVito) in her swanky Upper East Side apartment building. DeVito's character is a nice guy in need of a little human touch, and the actor soft-pedals his usual sleaze in favor of a warm, directly emotional approach. It's the kind of turn that garners Oscar nominations, except that this movie didn't attract the box office it deserved. His performance, like the film, keeps surprising you--a fantasy sequence here, an ensemble dance there, plus a couple of smoky jazz tunes contributed by Queen Latifah. This unpredictable movie has the kiss of class. --Robert Horton

Even when it misses a dramatic opportunity in favor of generic action, Set It Off benefits from a sharp understanding of its well-drawn central characters. They're a quartet of young African American women in Los Angeles (Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise), all struggling against a system that seems designed to prevent them from realizing their dreams. The movie establishes their plight with credible attention to emotional detail, making their decision to rob banks believable enough to give the ensuing plot its inevitably tragic momentum. Cowritten by the screenwriter of What's Love Got to Do With It?, the film conveys genuine compassion for its characters, and the ensemble cast is uniformly strong--especially Queen Latifah as a brash lesbian whose fate is as certain as her forceful attitude. Set It Off expresses a real sense that these women have been close friends for years, and that gives the film additional impact, even when their transition to crime and violence feels somewhat forced and superficial. A romantic subplot involving Pinkett and a social-climbing banker (Blair Underwood) is too contrived to be convincing, and director F. Gary Gray (Friday) tries too hard to combine hard-hitting action with social relevance (a weakness shared by Gray's following film, The Negotiator). Still, Set It Off effectively avoids passing judgment; its emotional complexity transcends simple notions of right and wrong, injecting vitality--and a kind of renegade integrity--into the traditions of a familiar plot. --Jeff Shannon

One of 2002's most underrated films, Brown Sugar offers more than you'd expect from a conventional romantic comedy. The love story between Dre (Taye Diggs) and Sidney (Sanaa Lathan) is the least interesting part of the movie; the costars have delightful chemistry, but their hookup is a given. What's refreshing is the way the story draws a parallel between Dre and Sidney's longtime friendship (they meet as kids in a 1984 flashback) and the evolution of hip-hop music from urban roots to dubious mainstream acceptance. Dre's a disillusioned producer at pop-fueled Millennium Records, married to a beauty (Nicole Ari Parker) who cheats while embracing her coveted status quo. Editor of an influential music magazine, Sidney's tentatively engaged to a basketball star (Boris Kodjoe), but these loves are obstacles, and Dre and Sidney are meant for each other. In bringing them together, Brown Sugar allows for human mistakes, intelligent solutions, and the kind of three-dimensional behavior that romantic comedies typically don't provide. --Jeff Shannon

The larger-than-life personalities of Oscar nominees Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah help to buoy Joyful Noise, a lightweight comedy-musical about two strong-minded women who clash over the direction of a small-town church choir. The friction is set in motion by a surprisingly callous bit of business, in which Parton is informed by her pastor (Courtney B. Vance) that the church board has planned to deny her the position of church choir director, recently vacated by the death of her husband (Kris Kristofferson), in favor of Latifah. Never mind that the announcement is made at Kristofferson's funeral service, where one might assume that even a woman with such inordinate spunk as Parton might be in a state of grief; it's one of never-mind-the-details-let's-get-to-the-singing decision that writer-director Todd Graff (Bandslam) makes throughout the picture, which renders much of the film's many dramatic elements somewhat facile. And there are quite a few elements from which to choose, including a romance between Parton's cocky grandson (Jeremy Jordan) and Latifah's daughter (Keke Palmer), Latifah's Asperger's-afflicted son, or any of the genuinely silly issues involving the choir members. Joyful Noise is ultimately a mess of loosely connected elements that viewers are asked to accept in a particularly haphazard arrangement, but for many, the storyline will be a tolerable bridge between musical numbers, which admittedly are the film's strongest selling point. Thankfully, these are in good hands, with veteran producer-composer Mervyn Warren (The Preacher's Wife) handling the score and gospel powerhouse Kirk Franklin in the cast, and both Parton and Latifah get to display their formidable vocal talents. But it's a long and largely tiresome slog to these moments, which may have viewers making frequent use of their player's fast-forward button. Extras on the Joyful Noise Blu-ray are also fairly slim, with talking-head interviews with Graff and his stars balanced by extended musical numbers and a live clip of the cast and singers at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. --Paul Gaita

In a small Georgia town, the newly appointed church choir director (Queen Latifah) clashes with her late predecessor's feisty widow (Dolly Parton). Adding fuel to their fiery feud is the budding romance between Latifah's daughter (Keke Palmer) and Parton's grandson (Jeremy Jordan). Can these two strong-willed women work together in order to get the choir ready for a national competition? Spirited musical comedy also stars Courtney B. Vance and Kris Kristofferson. 118 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), French, Spanish; featurettes.

Grade 4-8-This anthology highlights the use of rhythm and vernacular in hip-hop, rap, and African-American poetry. The 51 pieces-which also include a passage from Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech-use gospel rhythms, "hambone" rhythms (which Giovanni explains in her informative introduction), jazz and blues rhythms, and language from the fields and the city streets. Artists range from Langston Hughes to Kanye West, from Eloise Greenfield to Queen Latifah. Much of the subject matter focuses on hope, self-esteem, respect for the past, and determination to make a better future. A few selections are more playful, like an excerpt from "Principal's Office" by Young MC. The accompanying CD enables readers to hear many of the pieces spoken or performed by the artists. Meanwhile, a team of five illustrators provides colorful, lively pictures that add atmosphere and personality (without a lot of depth, however). This volume is much denser than it first appears, and will provide classroom teachers with a substantial amount of material. The fact that an important historical writer like James Weldon Johnson appears in the same book as contemporary musician Lauryn Hill may help some kids see the older writers with a fresh eye, and may also introduce today's artists to teachers and librarians. Granted, not all of the rap and/or hip-hop verses have the concise nature of what has been considered "real" poetry, and, in this context, some of them work better in audio than on the printed page. Still, this is an interesting, worthwhile collection.-Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL

Modeled after Maria Shriver's Just Who Will You Be, Queen Latifah's goal with Put On Your Crown is to help young women build a strong sense of self-esteem. A US Dept. of Justice survey found that females ages 16-24 are more vulnerable to partner violence than any other group, almost triple the national average. Cases like Chris Brown's assault on pop star Rihanna showed an ugly side of adolescent life. However, Queen Latifah has always been a shining example of a woman happy with herself and unwilling to compromise to fit into the "hollywood ideal" of what a confident beautiful woman should look like. The result: She's one of the biggest A-list celebrities in Hollywood.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs the Video Game is a multiplayer platforming adventure in which players are reunited with Scrat and Sid as they explore new lands and make new friends in this age of dinosaurs. The unlikely herd stumbles upon a whole new world teeming with jungles, mysterious plants, wild new adventures, and of course, fierce dinosaurs. Players must master the unique abilities and combat skills of each character through a wide variety of gameplay, including combat and action-platforming challenges. .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: -15px; } table.callout { font-family: verdana; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1. 3em; } td.vgoverview { height: 125px; background: #9DC4D8 url(http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/callout-bg.png) repeat-x; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid #999999; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-bottom: 10px; width: 250px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 12px; } Avoid hungry dinos. View larger. 3D platforming fun. View larger. Multiplayer action. View larger. Multiple playable characters. View larger. The Story Based on the 2009 major animated feature of the same name, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs features the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah and Josh Peck as members of an unlikely herd of prehistoric pals on a rescue mission across the tundra and beyond. Along the way they meet new friends and discover a mysterious world even older, right below their own feet that is teeming with lush vegetation and fierce dinosaurs. Relive the Movie In Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs the Video Game players revisit the humor, characters and prehistoric environments from the movie. Players relive adventures from the film and beyond with all their favorite characters -- earnest but goofy Sid the Sloth, big-hearted Manny the Mammoth, courageous Diego the Saber-toothed Tiger and inadvertent troublemaker Scrat -- as they all return and join new friends on a wild quest across the frozen ice age to the lush Dinosaur World. More Characters For the first time in an Ice Age game, player have their choice of multiple characters. Offering more than six playable characters, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs allows players to master the unique abilities and combat skills of each through a wide variety of gameplay, including action-platforming challenges, side-scrolling missions and puzzle solving. Multiplayer Options In another first for the Ice Age game franchise Ice age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs features multiplayer mini-games. In these players will go head-to-head with up to three friends or family members in the all-new competitive multiplayer mini-games bound to keep the prehistoric fun going long after the summer movie season has passed. Varied Game Levels Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs keeps the action fresh with continuously changing gameplay through more than 15 levels. Every level presents new and exciting challenges as players learn and master each character's abilities in order to defeat enemies, traverse dangerous landscapes, avoid obstacles and escape from perilous situations. Key Features For the first time ever in an Ice Age video game, play as Manny, Sid, Diego, Scrat, and all new jungle adventurer Buck. Use each character's unique abilities to brave the new dangers they’ll discover. Play your way through the rich habitats of the third Ice Age movie, including the perilous new Dinosaur World. Go tusk-to-tusk with family and friends in local competitive multiplayer mini-games, a first for the Ice Age game franchise. Experience thrilling gameplay in an immersive, new jungle environment. Games for Windows support. More than 15 levels of varied gameplay. System Requirements: Minimum OS: Windows XP SP2 / Vista SP1 Processor: 1.8GHz or faster RAM: 512 MB Win XP / 1024 MB Vista Disc Drive: 8x DVD ROM or faster Hard Drive: 3.5 GB free hard drive space Video Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® 6800 GT 256 MB RAM or ATI Radeon™ x850 256 MB RAM

Join Ice Age?s unlikely herd of prehistoric pals for their wildest, wackiest, most exciting adventure yet! For the first time, play as six beloved Ice Age characters as they embark on a rescue mission across melting snow to the mysterious Dinosaur World ? an all-new, fur-raising jungle of carnivorous plants, lush foliage and fierce dinosaurs. Based on the highly anticipated Fox film Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, it?s a rollicking ride of mammoth proportions!Features include: