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Army Calling in Discharged Troops With Time Owed to Military for Deployment

Aired June 30, 2004 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Back with the top stories "At This Hour." An attorney hired by Saddam Hussein's family says the courts and judges as well as the war in Iraq are all illegal. The comments came after the Iraqi government took legal custody of the former dictator today. Saddam expected in court tomorrow.
Israeli defense officials say they'll come up with an alternative plan for part of the West Bank security barrier. Israel's high court ruled today a 19-mile section of the barrier must be redrawn because it would infringe on the lives of 35,000 Palestinians.

Secretary of State Colin Powell tours Sudan's western Darfur region, the scene of what's been called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world right now. Human rights groups estimate up to 30,000 civilians have died, more than a million others lost their homes since ethnic fighting last year.

Having a hard time breathing? It could be the soot in the air. The government is targeting 243 counties in 22 states for unhealthy air quality. Power plants, diesel burning trucks, cars and factories are to blame. The states will have to develop plans to cut pollution by the next decade or face stiff sanctions.

The stretching of the U.S. military in Iraq is reflected in the latest troops being called up for duty. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is here with that story. Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Drew. Well, indeed. With the military stretched thin from Iraq to Afghanistan, now the U.S. Army is reaching very deep into its pockets to look for some new troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the Army called up thousands of people to duty who never expected to hear from Uncle Sam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many of you don't with a want to be back here?

STARR: Now, 13 years later, because of the pressures of Iraq and a force stretched thin, it's happening again. The Army shortly will begin notifying 5,600 members of the so-called Individual Ready Reserve that they are headed to Iraq or Afghanistan later this year for up to 18 months of duty -- and it's not voluntary.

This reserve force headed for the combat zone is made up of people who had left the military but still owe the Army some part of their eight years service obligation. Every one is watching closely.

MAJ. GEN ROBERT NESTER (RET.), RESERVE OFFICER ASSOC.: I think it's important to understand that they'll take some special care in feeding, that they'll have family support issues and things like that.

STARR: They will serve as truck drivers, engineers, military police and in other support jobs in National Guard and reserve units headed overseas. Most of the troops are expected to come from California, Texas, New York and Delaware.

The Army has used individuals from the reserve in recent years to fill particular jobs. But this deployment of such a large number indicates a long-term problem, experts say, in finding more troops to fill the rotation requirement overseas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Drew, the Army says it knows that people taken suddenly from their civilian lives and sent to Iraq or Afghanistan are going to be very unhappy about it. But the Army says there simply is no alternative at this time -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: And, Barbara, raising the criticism by some that there just aren't enough forces in the military right now.

STARR: Well, that certainly is a criticism that continues to come from Capitol Hill and other places. The Pentagon's view at this point, they are not ready to expand the size of the military. They say they can still get a lot of efficiencies out of the system.

But again, it has been 13 years since they really had to rely on a large number of people from this very particular organization. There has been the so-called onesies and twosies that have come to active duty over recent years. But nothing like this since 1991.

GRIFFIN: Barbara, before we leave the Pentagon, I want to ask you about Corporal Wassef Hassoun, whether or not he walked away or voluntarily from the base in Iraq or not. Do we have any other information on what happened to this man and now that he's been declared a captive?

STARR: There is not a lot of new information, Drew. The military is still investigating the entire matter as they continue to search for who is holding him.

The working theory indeed is that some time around June 19 or 20, he left his camp in Iraq of his own free will. However, an unauthorized absence. That perhaps there were family problems and he was trying to make his way to see his relatives in Lebanon. That is a working theory.

And at some point after leaving his camp, he somehow fell into the hands of insurgents who now are holding him captive. How this all came about is still not entirely clear to the military. They say they are investigating even as they continue to search for him -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Thank you, Barbara.

It could be Paula Jones versus Bill Clinton. The one-time Arkansas state employee who claims then-Governor Bill Clinton sexually harassed her wants to debate the former president. Paula Jones suit against Clinton was settled in 1998. But in an exclusive interview with CNN's Paula Zahn, Jones says she took exception to Clinton's denial in his book.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA JONES, FRM. PLAINTIFF AGAINST BILL CLINTON: I'm just trying to prove that, you know, look, I'm not afraid of debating him because I know what happened happened. He says it didn't happen, but it did happen.

And I'm just saying that to prove a point, that I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to be out and meet him eye to eye and they will him he knows he did what he did to me. But Bill Clinton would never agree to something like that.

But I'm just putting that out there to let people know that I'm not afraid to debate him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: In the book "My Life" Clinton says he settled the suit to put the scandal behind him.

Senator John Kerry says he has no intention of releasing his divorce records. Kerry was responding to an interview during a campaign stop in Phoenix yesterday. The Democratic presidential candidate calls his divorce "ancient history" and says he and his first wife are terrific friends and have stayed close through the years.

Up next, the anatomy of a bank robbery. In Washington, a news photographer catches some thieves at work in broad daylight. CNN's Gary Tuchman has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A TV news photographer visiting a Washington, D.C. firehouse heard word there was a crime in progress across the street. He positioned his camera in this spot and shot video we rarely see: the aftermath of a bank robbery.

This innocent bystander realized something was wrong and quickly darted out of the way. The photographer then sees a hooded gunman who was in the getaway van, but gets out in an apparent effort to see what happened to his counterparts at this SunTrust bank in northwest Washington.

Seconds later, two bank robbers run out of the bank with the loot. One of their exits not particularly graceful. Jump in the van after firing shots inside the bank. Police believe they are serial bank robbers.

Authorities say these men have robbed at least six banks in Washington and its Maryland suburbs since January. On one occasion, they fired a shot at a police officer, narrowly missing her. At this robbery in May, a bank employee was pistol whipped, and customers were understandably shaken up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did they say, anything?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody get on the floor, and that's exactly what I did.

TUCHMAN: In each of the robberies, the criminals getaway vehicle was stolen. Minutes after they pulled away from this most recent robbery, the vehicle was found ablaze about a mile-and-a-half from the bank. The suspects have torched their getaway vehicles three times in an effort to destroy evidence. But now, police have this unique piece of video to work with, evidence these men did not anticipate.

Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: It was an accident that should have been fatal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All that keeps running through my head is hearing the doctors say six weeks ago that my son was going to die. And here we are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: He didn't die. Now his parents and doctors are amazed. You have to stick around to see this young boy's story of survival against huge odds.

And later, it could be the perfect popcorn movie of the summer. Did Mr. Moviefone get caught up in "Spider-Man"'s web? Find out after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. Kids, please don't try this at home. An 11-year-old California boy rescued by firefighters after being trapped in a chimney. He was there for an hour and a half. The boy was said trying to help a friend get inside his house. Quoting here, the boy says, "I just wasn't Santa Claus." A new $50 bill will start changing hands this fall. Ulysses S. Grant will still be on the front and the U.S. Capitol on the back, but the bill will have touched of red, blue and yellow. It's supposed to be harder to counterfeit.

Lottery players have 280 million good reasons to play Megamillions. That's how many dollars are at stake for the winner of Friday's drawing. The jackpot grew after no one picked last night's winning numbers. The Megamillions game is played in 11 states.

Turning now to a harrowing story of hope and answered prayers, a 13-year-old boy experiences an awful accident then a recovery against what seemed to be all odds. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is here with that story of what many are calling the miracle boy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were small steps on a painful and unlikely journey that defied all medical odds.

DR. DAVID BEYDA, CRITICAL CARE SPECIALIST: There was only one of two things that could happen as a result of that. One was that we were going to lose him and the other was that he would have severe neurological injury and perhaps never walk again.

GUTIERREZ: It is a remarkable recovery even doctors call miraculous. His story began back in April. Thirteen-year-old Ricky Barker was hit by a car, his injuries so severe doctors say he was internally decapitated.

DR. KIM MANWARING, NEUROSURGEON: An internal decapitation is to tear all of the connections that hold the head to the spine.

GUTIERREZ: The injuries should have been fatal. Ricky couldn't breathe on his own and he was paralyzed from the neck down.

STAN BARKER, FATHER: I said a prayer that god would raise my son back up.

GUTIERREZ: A team of doctors at doctors at Children's Hospital in Phoenix placed titanium rods and bolts in Ricky's neck, attaching his skull to his spine. After 36 hours, Ricky began to breathe on his own. He could move his right leg, then his left. Eventually, he began to talk.

RICKY BARKER, ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: It took me a couple minutes to figure it out. And then I'm like wait a minute, I can talk.

MANWARING: If miracle means unusual, unexpected, very rare recovery, this certainly you would appropriately call it a miracle.

GUTIERREZ: Just six weeks later, Ricky's journey took another step forward. Ricky was able to attend his eighth graduate graduation. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All that keeps running through my head is hearing the doctors say six weeks ago that my son was going to die. And here we are.

GUTIERREZ: Amazingly, just 10 weeks after the accident, Ricky was able to walk out of the hospital.

R. BARKER: I had a lot of determination and will. And I think when I got hit, that determination and will to keep living was still there.

GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Muscle versus machine. Your preview of the new "Spider-Man" movie is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOBEY MAGUIRE, "SPIDER-MAN": Where is she?

ALFRED MOLINA, "DOC OCK": She'll be just fine. Let's talk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Who is talking about the "Spider-Man" sequel? Just about everyone, it seems. The movie began spinning its web of intrigue at theaters across the country today. The movie has already snared a host of critics on the web. One even called it the best action movie ever. But what does the man who really knows movies think? He is Mr. Moviefone, also known to us as Russ Leatherman. Here to give us a take, joins from Los Angeles. Russ, how is this movie?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": This movie is fantastic. You know, we've had a string of big budget blockbusters that we thought were going to deliver the goods, everything from "Van Helsing" to "Harry Potter," "Troy," et cetera.

This one really does the job. Not only are critics loving it, moviegoers are going to love this movie, and for a couple of reasons. One, it's better than the first movie. The effects are better, they're more seamless.

But two, the things that makes this thing really cook, is the fact it's got a really great story. It's got a nice love story between Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. A great villain, as you see right there. Dr. Octopus who I think is better than the Green Goblin which was the first one.

So this movie's really got everything going for it as far as what you want to see in a summer blockbuster. I loved it and I think moviegoers are going to love it too. GRIFFIN: So number two better than number one?

LEATHERMAN: Number two is better than number 1, and it's so nice to see. We saw it earlier in the summer with "Shrek 2." Nice to see a sequel that just, you know, they just don't go through the motions and put another movie in theaters. We saw it with "Shrek 2." They did a great job at giving us what I thought was a better movie than the first one. Same here. This movie, like I said, the effect, the romance, the storytelling is actually very funny, too, probably funnier than most comedies in theaters right now. So you do get a little bit of everything with this movie, and at the end of the movie, they set it up very nicely for a "Spider-man 3." So we liked one, we're going to love two, and maybe three will be even better, and wouldn't that be terrific?

GRIFFIN: It's PG-13. You know, a lot of the success of this movie is going to depends on those 10 and 11-year-old boy whose want to go see it. Is it appropriate for them?

LEATHERMAN: Completely appropriate. There's really nothing inappropriate about the movie that I can think of. There is really less action than the first movie. They focus a lot more on the romance and sort of the story of Spider-man. Does he want to be a superhero? Can he have the girl and be the superhero at the same time? So there's really nothing objectionable in the movie, I thought. You could take a kid as young as 7, 8 or nine years old. They're going to love this movie, and that's the great thing about it, you can take a young kid, you can take an older audience. You can take anyone who really doesn't even particularly like superhero movies to this movie, and they're going to enjoy it.

So like I said, I loved it across the board. It's nice that we finally have a big summer blockbusters that delivers the goods.

GRIFFIN: And it will be nice for Sony, they really need a blockbuster. What are they looking in terms of money? What do they need to make this first weekend?

LEATHERMAN: Well, it's debatable what they need to make. The first movie made $114 million in its first three days, which broke box office records. This one opens on a Wednesday instead of Friday, but there is a chance by the end of five days it could be $130 million, maybe as high as $150 million. And the first movie worldwide has gone on to make $800 million. So they're fine with this movie. This is a tent pole movie. It will make their summer. It will make their year. And like you say, they needed one, and they got one with "Spider-man 2."

GRIFFIN: All right, Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone, joining us from L.A., thanks for joining us.

LEATHERMAN: Have a great a weekend.

GRIFFIN: And have fun at the movies.

Fake news makes headlines in Hollywood as well. Comic Will Farrell and the cast of "Anchorman" walk the red carpet Monday night for the movie's premier. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," goes nationwide next week. We'll be watching that.

By the way, Will Farrell will talk live with Daryn Kagan next Wednesday right here on the anchor desk, where the anchorman sits on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Muggles rejoice. Harry Potter's next adventure finally has a name. Author J.K. Rowling says her sixth book about the boy wizard will be called "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Still no word on when the book will be finished or sent out to all the readers.

For more on Spider-man and Harry Potter, point your Internet browser to CNN.com/entertainment, and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 30, 2004 - 10:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DREW GRIFFIN, CNN ANCHOR: Back with the top stories "At This Hour." An attorney hired by Saddam Hussein's family says the courts and judges as well as the war in Iraq are all illegal. The comments came after the Iraqi government took legal custody of the former dictator today. Saddam expected in court tomorrow.
Israeli defense officials say they'll come up with an alternative plan for part of the West Bank security barrier. Israel's high court ruled today a 19-mile section of the barrier must be redrawn because it would infringe on the lives of 35,000 Palestinians.

Secretary of State Colin Powell tours Sudan's western Darfur region, the scene of what's been called the worst humanitarian crisis in the world right now. Human rights groups estimate up to 30,000 civilians have died, more than a million others lost their homes since ethnic fighting last year.

Having a hard time breathing? It could be the soot in the air. The government is targeting 243 counties in 22 states for unhealthy air quality. Power plants, diesel burning trucks, cars and factories are to blame. The states will have to develop plans to cut pollution by the next decade or face stiff sanctions.

The stretching of the U.S. military in Iraq is reflected in the latest troops being called up for duty. CNN's Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is here with that story. Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Drew. Well, indeed. With the military stretched thin from Iraq to Afghanistan, now the U.S. Army is reaching very deep into its pockets to look for some new troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (voice-over): In the 1991 Persian Gulf War, the Army called up thousands of people to duty who never expected to hear from Uncle Sam.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many of you don't with a want to be back here?

STARR: Now, 13 years later, because of the pressures of Iraq and a force stretched thin, it's happening again. The Army shortly will begin notifying 5,600 members of the so-called Individual Ready Reserve that they are headed to Iraq or Afghanistan later this year for up to 18 months of duty -- and it's not voluntary.

This reserve force headed for the combat zone is made up of people who had left the military but still owe the Army some part of their eight years service obligation. Every one is watching closely.

MAJ. GEN ROBERT NESTER (RET.), RESERVE OFFICER ASSOC.: I think it's important to understand that they'll take some special care in feeding, that they'll have family support issues and things like that.

STARR: They will serve as truck drivers, engineers, military police and in other support jobs in National Guard and reserve units headed overseas. Most of the troops are expected to come from California, Texas, New York and Delaware.

The Army has used individuals from the reserve in recent years to fill particular jobs. But this deployment of such a large number indicates a long-term problem, experts say, in finding more troops to fill the rotation requirement overseas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR: Drew, the Army says it knows that people taken suddenly from their civilian lives and sent to Iraq or Afghanistan are going to be very unhappy about it. But the Army says there simply is no alternative at this time -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: And, Barbara, raising the criticism by some that there just aren't enough forces in the military right now.

STARR: Well, that certainly is a criticism that continues to come from Capitol Hill and other places. The Pentagon's view at this point, they are not ready to expand the size of the military. They say they can still get a lot of efficiencies out of the system.

But again, it has been 13 years since they really had to rely on a large number of people from this very particular organization. There has been the so-called onesies and twosies that have come to active duty over recent years. But nothing like this since 1991.

GRIFFIN: Barbara, before we leave the Pentagon, I want to ask you about Corporal Wassef Hassoun, whether or not he walked away or voluntarily from the base in Iraq or not. Do we have any other information on what happened to this man and now that he's been declared a captive?

STARR: There is not a lot of new information, Drew. The military is still investigating the entire matter as they continue to search for who is holding him.

The working theory indeed is that some time around June 19 or 20, he left his camp in Iraq of his own free will. However, an unauthorized absence. That perhaps there were family problems and he was trying to make his way to see his relatives in Lebanon. That is a working theory.

And at some point after leaving his camp, he somehow fell into the hands of insurgents who now are holding him captive. How this all came about is still not entirely clear to the military. They say they are investigating even as they continue to search for him -- Drew.

GRIFFIN: Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Thank you, Barbara.

It could be Paula Jones versus Bill Clinton. The one-time Arkansas state employee who claims then-Governor Bill Clinton sexually harassed her wants to debate the former president. Paula Jones suit against Clinton was settled in 1998. But in an exclusive interview with CNN's Paula Zahn, Jones says she took exception to Clinton's denial in his book.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULA JONES, FRM. PLAINTIFF AGAINST BILL CLINTON: I'm just trying to prove that, you know, look, I'm not afraid of debating him because I know what happened happened. He says it didn't happen, but it did happen.

And I'm just saying that to prove a point, that I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to be out and meet him eye to eye and they will him he knows he did what he did to me. But Bill Clinton would never agree to something like that.

But I'm just putting that out there to let people know that I'm not afraid to debate him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: In the book "My Life" Clinton says he settled the suit to put the scandal behind him.

Senator John Kerry says he has no intention of releasing his divorce records. Kerry was responding to an interview during a campaign stop in Phoenix yesterday. The Democratic presidential candidate calls his divorce "ancient history" and says he and his first wife are terrific friends and have stayed close through the years.

Up next, the anatomy of a bank robbery. In Washington, a news photographer catches some thieves at work in broad daylight. CNN's Gary Tuchman has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A TV news photographer visiting a Washington, D.C. firehouse heard word there was a crime in progress across the street. He positioned his camera in this spot and shot video we rarely see: the aftermath of a bank robbery.

This innocent bystander realized something was wrong and quickly darted out of the way. The photographer then sees a hooded gunman who was in the getaway van, but gets out in an apparent effort to see what happened to his counterparts at this SunTrust bank in northwest Washington.

Seconds later, two bank robbers run out of the bank with the loot. One of their exits not particularly graceful. Jump in the van after firing shots inside the bank. Police believe they are serial bank robbers.

Authorities say these men have robbed at least six banks in Washington and its Maryland suburbs since January. On one occasion, they fired a shot at a police officer, narrowly missing her. At this robbery in May, a bank employee was pistol whipped, and customers were understandably shaken up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did they say, anything?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody get on the floor, and that's exactly what I did.

TUCHMAN: In each of the robberies, the criminals getaway vehicle was stolen. Minutes after they pulled away from this most recent robbery, the vehicle was found ablaze about a mile-and-a-half from the bank. The suspects have torched their getaway vehicles three times in an effort to destroy evidence. But now, police have this unique piece of video to work with, evidence these men did not anticipate.

Gary Tuchman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: It was an accident that should have been fatal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All that keeps running through my head is hearing the doctors say six weeks ago that my son was going to die. And here we are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: He didn't die. Now his parents and doctors are amazed. You have to stick around to see this young boy's story of survival against huge odds.

And later, it could be the perfect popcorn movie of the summer. Did Mr. Moviefone get caught up in "Spider-Man"'s web? Find out after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRIFFIN: Let's take a look at other stories making news coast to coast. Kids, please don't try this at home. An 11-year-old California boy rescued by firefighters after being trapped in a chimney. He was there for an hour and a half. The boy was said trying to help a friend get inside his house. Quoting here, the boy says, "I just wasn't Santa Claus." A new $50 bill will start changing hands this fall. Ulysses S. Grant will still be on the front and the U.S. Capitol on the back, but the bill will have touched of red, blue and yellow. It's supposed to be harder to counterfeit.

Lottery players have 280 million good reasons to play Megamillions. That's how many dollars are at stake for the winner of Friday's drawing. The jackpot grew after no one picked last night's winning numbers. The Megamillions game is played in 11 states.

Turning now to a harrowing story of hope and answered prayers, a 13-year-old boy experiences an awful accident then a recovery against what seemed to be all odds. CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is here with that story of what many are calling the miracle boy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were small steps on a painful and unlikely journey that defied all medical odds.

DR. DAVID BEYDA, CRITICAL CARE SPECIALIST: There was only one of two things that could happen as a result of that. One was that we were going to lose him and the other was that he would have severe neurological injury and perhaps never walk again.

GUTIERREZ: It is a remarkable recovery even doctors call miraculous. His story began back in April. Thirteen-year-old Ricky Barker was hit by a car, his injuries so severe doctors say he was internally decapitated.

DR. KIM MANWARING, NEUROSURGEON: An internal decapitation is to tear all of the connections that hold the head to the spine.

GUTIERREZ: The injuries should have been fatal. Ricky couldn't breathe on his own and he was paralyzed from the neck down.

STAN BARKER, FATHER: I said a prayer that god would raise my son back up.

GUTIERREZ: A team of doctors at doctors at Children's Hospital in Phoenix placed titanium rods and bolts in Ricky's neck, attaching his skull to his spine. After 36 hours, Ricky began to breathe on his own. He could move his right leg, then his left. Eventually, he began to talk.

RICKY BARKER, ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: It took me a couple minutes to figure it out. And then I'm like wait a minute, I can talk.

MANWARING: If miracle means unusual, unexpected, very rare recovery, this certainly you would appropriately call it a miracle.

GUTIERREZ: Just six weeks later, Ricky's journey took another step forward. Ricky was able to attend his eighth graduate graduation. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All that keeps running through my head is hearing the doctors say six weeks ago that my son was going to die. And here we are.

GUTIERREZ: Amazingly, just 10 weeks after the accident, Ricky was able to walk out of the hospital.

R. BARKER: I had a lot of determination and will. And I think when I got hit, that determination and will to keep living was still there.

GUTIERREZ: Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Muscle versus machine. Your preview of the new "Spider-Man" movie is straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOBEY MAGUIRE, "SPIDER-MAN": Where is she?

ALFRED MOLINA, "DOC OCK": She'll be just fine. Let's talk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Who is talking about the "Spider-Man" sequel? Just about everyone, it seems. The movie began spinning its web of intrigue at theaters across the country today. The movie has already snared a host of critics on the web. One even called it the best action movie ever. But what does the man who really knows movies think? He is Mr. Moviefone, also known to us as Russ Leatherman. Here to give us a take, joins from Los Angeles. Russ, how is this movie?

RUSS LEATHERMAN, "MR. MOVIEFONE": This movie is fantastic. You know, we've had a string of big budget blockbusters that we thought were going to deliver the goods, everything from "Van Helsing" to "Harry Potter," "Troy," et cetera.

This one really does the job. Not only are critics loving it, moviegoers are going to love this movie, and for a couple of reasons. One, it's better than the first movie. The effects are better, they're more seamless.

But two, the things that makes this thing really cook, is the fact it's got a really great story. It's got a nice love story between Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. A great villain, as you see right there. Dr. Octopus who I think is better than the Green Goblin which was the first one.

So this movie's really got everything going for it as far as what you want to see in a summer blockbuster. I loved it and I think moviegoers are going to love it too. GRIFFIN: So number two better than number one?

LEATHERMAN: Number two is better than number 1, and it's so nice to see. We saw it earlier in the summer with "Shrek 2." Nice to see a sequel that just, you know, they just don't go through the motions and put another movie in theaters. We saw it with "Shrek 2." They did a great job at giving us what I thought was a better movie than the first one. Same here. This movie, like I said, the effect, the romance, the storytelling is actually very funny, too, probably funnier than most comedies in theaters right now. So you do get a little bit of everything with this movie, and at the end of the movie, they set it up very nicely for a "Spider-man 3." So we liked one, we're going to love two, and maybe three will be even better, and wouldn't that be terrific?

GRIFFIN: It's PG-13. You know, a lot of the success of this movie is going to depends on those 10 and 11-year-old boy whose want to go see it. Is it appropriate for them?

LEATHERMAN: Completely appropriate. There's really nothing inappropriate about the movie that I can think of. There is really less action than the first movie. They focus a lot more on the romance and sort of the story of Spider-man. Does he want to be a superhero? Can he have the girl and be the superhero at the same time? So there's really nothing objectionable in the movie, I thought. You could take a kid as young as 7, 8 or nine years old. They're going to love this movie, and that's the great thing about it, you can take a young kid, you can take an older audience. You can take anyone who really doesn't even particularly like superhero movies to this movie, and they're going to enjoy it.

So like I said, I loved it across the board. It's nice that we finally have a big summer blockbusters that delivers the goods.

GRIFFIN: And it will be nice for Sony, they really need a blockbuster. What are they looking in terms of money? What do they need to make this first weekend?

LEATHERMAN: Well, it's debatable what they need to make. The first movie made $114 million in its first three days, which broke box office records. This one opens on a Wednesday instead of Friday, but there is a chance by the end of five days it could be $130 million, maybe as high as $150 million. And the first movie worldwide has gone on to make $800 million. So they're fine with this movie. This is a tent pole movie. It will make their summer. It will make their year. And like you say, they needed one, and they got one with "Spider-man 2."

GRIFFIN: All right, Russ Leatherman, Mr. Moviefone, joining us from L.A., thanks for joining us.

LEATHERMAN: Have a great a weekend.

GRIFFIN: And have fun at the movies.

Fake news makes headlines in Hollywood as well. Comic Will Farrell and the cast of "Anchorman" walk the red carpet Monday night for the movie's premier. "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," goes nationwide next week. We'll be watching that.

By the way, Will Farrell will talk live with Daryn Kagan next Wednesday right here on the anchor desk, where the anchorman sits on CNN LIVE TODAY.

Muggles rejoice. Harry Potter's next adventure finally has a name. Author J.K. Rowling says her sixth book about the boy wizard will be called "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Still no word on when the book will be finished or sent out to all the readers.

For more on Spider-man and Harry Potter, point your Internet browser to CNN.com/entertainment, and we'll be right back.

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