VIDEO NEWS

Compiled by Kevin Crust. Commentary from Times reviews. Films considered noteworthy are designated with a *.

What’s New

America’s Sweethearts (2001). Clearly, there’s a lot to like here. Reliably directed by Joe Roth, it’s well cast, with an excellent premise and a wicked sense of humor, especially about the movie business. But as enjoyable as this film is in parts, it’s not nearly as successful as a whole. Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Catherine Zeta-Jones and John Cusack star. Columbia: no list price; DVD: $27.96; (CC); PG-13 for language, some crude and sexual humor.

Bride of the Wind (2001). Ponderous, conventional biographical drama about a most unconventional woman, Alma Mahler (Sarah Wynter), lover and muse not only to her husband, Gustav (Jonathan Pryce), but also to painter Oskar Kokoschka, architect Walter Gropius and finally writer Franz Werfel, whom she accompanied to Hollywood. Not nearly as exciting as it sounds. Paramount: no list price; DVD: $29.99; (CC); R, for sexuality and nudity.

Calle 54 (2000). Oscar-winning Spanish director Fernando Trueba aptly calls his film a “musical banquet,” in which he invites us to enjoy the vibrant music of a dozen of his favorite Latin jazz musicians. The result is warm, graceful and irresistible. Miramax: no list price; DVD: $32.99; (CC); G.

crazy/beautiful (2001). A nifty piece of teenage romantic piffle, it combines two strong and attractive performances by Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez with a shameless “they live in two different worlds” plot line to amiably entertaining effect. Buena Vista: no list price; DVD: $32.99; (CC); PG-13, for mature thematic material involving teens, drug and alcohol content, sexuality and language.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). Almost completely lacking in genuine thrills; even the attractive presence of star Angelina Jolie can’t keep this leaden, plodding, completely underwhelming film from playing like “Lara Croft: Yawn Inducer.” Paramount: no list price; DVD: $29.99; (CC); PG-13, for action violence and some sensuality.

Osmosis Jones (2001). Science-fair nerds and physiology-phobes all have something to smile about in this swiftly amusing romp blending animation and live action. Bill Murray contracts a bad virus and is rescued by immunity cop Chris Rock. David Hyde Pierce plays a pill, per usual. Warner: $22.96; DVD: $24.98; (CC); PG for bodily humor.

Under the Sand (2001). Francois Ozon’s astute and penetrating French film features Charlotte Rampling has one of the most challenging roles of her career as an elegant, long-married literature professor whose husband disappears at the beach; she denies his absence as well as his probably dire fate. With Bruno Cremer, Jacques Nolot and Alexandra Stewart. In French, with English subtitles. Prestige Capital: no list price; DVD: $24.98; (CC); unrated. Adult themes, some sexuality.

What’s Hot

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS rentals:

1. Swordfish (2001). A dirty fairy tale of cyber-terrorism in which nasty people inhabit a trash-talking world of fast cars, complaisant women and major explosions, this John Travolta-Halle Berry-Hugh Jackman vehicle is what you’d expect from commercials/video director Dominic Sena and action fan/producer Joel Silver. R, for violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.

2. Shrek (2001). A gleeful piece of wisenheimer computer animation, this new version of William Steig’s fractured fairy tale about an ogre who rescues a princess is all comic attitude, all the time. It especially benefits from its superb voice talent, including Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow and an unstoppable Eddie Murphy as a donkey sidekick named, well, Donkey. PG, for mild language and some crude humor.

3. The Animal (2001). “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo’s” Rob Schneider returns in a raunchy, clever summer comedy as a nerdy small-town police department clerk who when he regains consciousness after a car wreck is a veritable superman with a wide array of amazing abilities and weird traits. With “Survivor’s” Colleen Haskell, John C. McGinley and Ed Asner. PG-13 for some crude and sexual humor.

4. Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001). The new item is an improvement over Eddie Murphy’s first “Dr. D” (not the most difficult feat, perhaps, but true nevertheless) and features an engaging performance by Murphy. But precisely because it is an improvement, “Dr. D 2” is also more depressing than its progenitor. With the application of more intelligence and a different sensibility, this could have been a good film instead of one that’s content with not being a complete waste of time. With Kristen Wilson, Kyla Pratt, Raven-Symone and Jeffrey Jones. PG, for language and crude humor.

5. Cats & Dogs (2001). A very resistible movie made from what sounds like an irresistible premise, it proves one more time that it’s easier to make animals talk than give them anything interesting to say. With the human actors (Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins) marking time, it becomes a series of expensive special effects in search of a scenario worth the price tag. If anyone had doubts about what an extraordinary accomplishment the original “Babe” was, seeing this will put them to rest. PG, for animal action and humor.

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD rentals:

1. Swordfish

2. Shrek

3. The Animal

4. Dr. Dolittle 2

5. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). The film features state-of-the-art computer-generated, pho- to-realistic human beings, and the story combines science-fiction with the ethos of self-sacrifice and ecological consciousness that characterized “Princess Mononoke.” It’s an uneasy fit at best, and one that’s not helped by a clunky, over-complicated script. This latest example of the video-gamization of Hollywood insists on taking this stuff seriously, even though the sight of these characters getting romantic is about as involving as watching two expensive mannequins kissing in a Macy’s window. Voices by Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Donald Sutherland and James Woods. PG-13, for sci-fi action violence.

* Last week’s Top 5 VHS sellers:

1. Shrek

2. Dr. Dolittle 2

3. Cats & Dogs

4. Swordfish

5. Barbie in the Nutcracker

* Last week’s Top 5 DVD sellers:

1. Shrek

2. Swordfish

3. Stars Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (1999). Although this prequel to the original “Star Wars” trilogy is serviceable, it’s noticeably lacking in warmth and humor. Its visual strengths are considerable, but from a dramatic point of view it’s ponderous and plodding. “Episode I” stars Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor as the Jedi knights Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala of Naboo and Jake Lloyd as young Anakin Skywalker. PG, for sci-fi action/violence.

4. The Animal

5. Dr. Dolittle 2

What’s Coming

Wednesday: “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Planet of the Apes.”

Nov. 27: “Made,” “Bread and Roses,” “Pootie Tang.”

Dec. 4: “Pearl Harbor,” “Summer Catch,” “American Outlaws,” “John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars.”

Dec. 11: “The Basket,” “Hedwig & the Angry Inch,” “Jurassic Park III,” “Rush Hour 2,” “The Score.”

Dec. 18: “The Center of the World,” “Princess Diaries,” “Scary Movie 2,” “Series 7.”

Dec. 26: “Dancing at the Blue Iguana,” “Evolution,” “Two Can Play That Game.”

Dec. 29: “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”

Jan. 2: “Brother,” “The Fast and the Furious,” “The Glass House,” “Greenfingers,” “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?”

Jan. 8: “Jeepers Creepers.”

Rental video charts provided by VSDAVidTrac, sales charts by VideoScan Inc.