Is the 'Lake House' a Hankie-Worthy Romance?

June 16, 2006 — -- Four major studio films open today. You'd think: Four movies, one would be good. One is, but you'll have to wait to find out which.

I couldn't wait to see "Nacho Libre." The advertising was funny. Jack Black in a cap and mask. And I like Jack Black. "The School of Rock" made my ten best a few years ago.

If you love Jack Black you'll love "Nacho Libre." And no one loves Jack Black more than … Jack Black. The only time he's not on screen is when someone else is looking at him.

Black plays a Mexican friar who dreams of being a champion wrestler. Yes, he's funny, and there are laughs. But after the first half hour of physical gags, with another hour to go, I couldn't get the word "flop" out of my mind. The School of Rock" made my ten best a few years ago, but this is a film for teenagers. Grade: C

"Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties" is "The Prince and the Pauper." We meet a feline that looks like Garfield, but his name is Prince. This kitty has just inherited one of the largest castles in England and guess who happens to be in England?

Unfortunately the jokes play as if they were inherited -- a long time ago. The good news, "Garfield 2" is better than the first "Garfield." But so is prickly heat. You'd do lots better with "Over the Hedge" or "Cars." Grade: C-

Speaking of "Cars," in the new Hollywood economics, cars are cheaper than actors.

So, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift"-- the third in the "Fast and the Furious" franchise -- has no stars and 200 car crashes.My three word review for "Fast and Furious": Not fast enough. Grade: D+

There's a magic mailbox at "The Lake House." Keanu Reeves lives there, and so does Sandra Bullock.. But they don't live together. In fact, when we meet them, they've never met each other. What you need in a love story is an impossible obstacle that keeps the two apart. And they found one: Keanu Reeves lives in 2004, Sandra Bullock lives in 2006.

It makes no sense. You've got to suspend an awful lot of disbelief. But it works. Oh, do we want them to fall in love. Some of it is just plain smart. When he finds out where she's going to be living in two years he plants a tree for her. That got to me. We even find they even have the same dog.

But what makes "The Lake House" a perfect place to spend a few hours this summer are Bullock and Reeves. While I'm watching this movie I'm saying, "Come on, this is impossible. What a cheap shot. I don't believe that." And while I'm saying these things I'm crying like a baby. Grade: B

This could be this summer's four-hankie romance. Of course, I love to cry at movies. This week I also cried at "Garfield 2" and "The Fast and the Furious" but for other reasons.