With girls so sexy, such good dancing and catchy tunes, of course it's a sentimental favorite. What's not to love? But at the same time it glosses over the subtleties that other narrative film can provide. It's quite ham handed in only the way that musicals can be. "Here I am! You know I am happy because I am singing a song!"

So it's within that context that I'm having a difficult time getting my thoughts together about this film. Well let's start with the obvious thing, the singing. It's unequivocally great. Surprisingly enough, the entire cast can belt out the tunes like the pros. It's a major accomplishment and only adds to the enjoyment of the film. Had they dubbed in other people singing, this flick would have been an out and out tragedy. Catherine Zeta Jones in particular is well rounded, her dancing skills unmatched and completely fearless.

The plot is simple enough. Roxie Hart (Zellweger) is an aspiring singer / dancer who gets wrapped up in a murder and gets exactly what she wants - fame. You know, it's another strange thing to think about, but the movie runs about two hours and there feels like there's about an episode of Law and Order's worth of plot. Not that I'm faulting it for that, the nature of a musical makes that necessity. But for a guy like me that loves crawling through Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge Over the River Kwai, this movie just feels like it's lacking some meaty substance.

But again, I enjoyed it. It was fun. Unchallenging fun, but fun. This is the kind of movie that you, your grandma and grandpa, your mother and your girlfriend will love. And that's a really rare thing. A movie that crosses all boundries and is just there to provide pure enjoyment. In my mind, it'll never beat more challenging fare, but then again, I'm a cynical prick who likes his flicks obtuse. And if I could enjoy this movie, even a little bit, then chances are you will too.

Movie Grade: A-

Video: 3 out of 5
What the hell?!? An Oscar winning film deserves better (and I'm guessing they're going to drop a two disc set on us in a few months or so.) Most of the times, the film looks great. The black levels are nice and work well with the high contrast of the movie. But there are some scenes that look like they were filmed through a grainy set of Coke bottles. It was noticeable enough for me to pick it up, but not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the film.
Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1