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American Morning

Showbiz Today Reports: Weekend Movies Target Specific Audiences

Aired August 03, 2001 - 11:47   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Time now to check on some showbiz news.

LINDA STOUFFER, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. If you've got movies on the agenda this week land -- this weekend, rather, we want to make sure you know what's out there.

Michael Okwu is here with the latest. Hi, Michael.

HARRIS: Hey, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys. A movie sequel with a kick is hitting the big screen this weekend. Here's a peek at "Rush Hour II".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "RUSH HOUR II")

CHRIS TUCKER, ACTOR: I don't know him.

I'm sorry man! All of y'all look alike!

There's 2 million Chinese people here, let one of them be your partner.

Please!

JACKIE CHAN, ACTOR: Don't worry, Chinese bamboo is very strong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: "Rolling Stone" movie critic Peter Travers joins us now. He's the "HE" in CNN's "HE SAID/SHE SAID" film review show that airs on Saturday mornings...

PETER TRAVERS, CO-HOST, "HE SAID/SHE SAID": I am.

OKWU: ... at 10:30.

How did you like that plug, Peter?

TRAVERS: That was very nice.

OKWU: Did you like that?

TRAVERS: Yes, I liked it; yes.

So you know about "Rush Hour II"?

OKWU: I wand to know about Jackie Chan -- yes -- I want to know about Chris Tucker. Are people going to be rushing into the theaters to see it?

TRAVERS: They are going to be. Say good-bye to the apes from last week, because they're not going to be there any more, you know.

This movie is, and doesn't pretend to be anything else but junk. It's like junk food; it's the equivalent of that. Except Jackie Chan, even though he's getting a little older, he's a little slower with the stunts, we still like the guy.

Chris Tucker never stops talking. He just keeps going. Like there's a line in the movie that says, you're like a 7-Eleven, you're open 24 hours a day.

Look, they end it with outtakes, just like they ended the first movie. Everything was just -- let's see what they're doing. We can't tell the movie from the outtakes. Michael, I mean that as a compliment.

There's so much pretension in these summer movies that are out there now, and this movie doesn't have any pretensions about it.

OKWU: But is it junky enough for people to come back after the first weekend? I mean, it's got to be junky enough to keep them coming.

TRAVERS: Yes; I say it gets two weeks. It gets two weeks, and that's saying more than almost anything that's been out there.

OKWU: Julie Andrews.

TRAVERS: Julie Andrews. I know, you're a fan, aren't you?

OKWU: I love Julie Andrews.

TRAVERS: Julie Andrews is out there in a movie called "The Princess Diaries," which is for 10-year-old girls of all ages and sexes -- though I don't know if you're going to include yourself in there.

OKWU: I'm in touch with my sensitive side.

TRAVERS: Well, you should be.

And what does she play in this? She's a queen. And she finds out that her country Genovia will not have a ruler unless she can find her granddaughter -- her granddaughter who lives in San Francisco thinking she's not royal blood, but is in high school. And Anne Hathaway, very sweet little chichi looking girl plays this person.

Look, I could have taken it and really enjoyed it if it were about 30 minutes long. Unfortunately, it's two hours long, so I have to leave that one to the little girls.

But, little girl, you're going to like it. It's OK for you.

OKWU: Now let's talk about an actress whose body parts, specifically her lips, seem to get more print than her ability as an actress...

TRAVERS: Julie Andrews?

OKWU: Not Julie Andrews.

TRAVERS: OK; who might that be?

OKWU: Let's talk about Angelina Jolie. She's in a new film this weekend, coming out, "Original Sin." Is it worth it?

This is sinfully good, or sinfully bad?

TRAVERS: You want me to say that, don't you? And I just won't say it.

OKWU: It's showbiz. I've got to work...

TRAVERS: I know, I can see that you -- "Original Sin," I want you all to know out there, is one of the worst movies ever made -- ever!

OKWU: Don't hold back.

TRAVERS: And it stars Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas. So yes, they're all sexy, they're all heating up the screen. In fact, if you read the newspaper, you'll see me saying that, that they heat up the screen. They don't go on to quote the rest of my review, which says it would take a bonfire or a blowtorch to basically make this movie bearable.

It's been sitting around for over a year. When movies do sit around like that and don't meet their release date, they should figure out something is wrong. Everything is wrong.

It's set in 1880, and you keep watching the movie thinking, will Angelina's Billy Bob tattoos that she has in honor of her husband show through the makeup...

OKWU: Be nice; be nice.

TRAVERS: No, I can't. I'm feeling hostile about "Original Sin." And it's one of those, you know, let the buyer beware weekends where, yes, go to "Rush Hour II," be happy with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker; little girls, go to see Julie Andrews and Anne Hathaway. And everybody, all of you, stay away from "Original Sin."

OKWU: Thanks you Peter, you are a belligerent man.

TRAVERS: I am...

OKWU: And it's always a pleasure...

TRAVERS: ... Mr. hostility.

OKWU: ... going into the weekend chatting with you.

That's it, guys, from here. Back to you guys in Atlanta.

HARRIS: You've got to get Peter off those shy pills he's been taking. He's just too reticent, and he's...

OKWU: You know, I told Peter, you know, they brew decaf.

HARRIS: Exactly, get him some! Wow.

STOUFFER: We have our marching orders.

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