"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" Season Five (2014) Photo Gallery

Below are images from Season Five of HBO's "BOARDWALK EMPIRE". Created by Terence Winter, the series starred Steve Buscemi: 


"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" SEASON FIVE (2014) Photo Gallery

"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" (2009) Review

"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" (2009) Review

While the producers of "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S POIROT" seemed to regard the 1930s as the "golden age" of Hercule Poirot mysteries, I get the feeling that the producers for both "MISS MARPLE" and the recent "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE"regard the 1950s in a similar manner for those stories featuring Miss Jane Marple. As a fervent reader of Christie's novels, I must admit that I believe most of the best Jane Marple mysteries had been published during the 1950s and the first half of the 1960s. One of those mysteries was the 1953 novel, "A Pocket Full of Rye".

The novel was first adapted into a television movie in the mid-1980s, which starred Joan Hickson. Another television adaptation aired on ITV some twenty-four-and-a-half years later, starring Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple. "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" centered around the mysterious death of a London businessman named Rex Fortescue. After drinking his morning tea at his office, the businessman dies suddenly, attracting the attention of the police in the form of Inspector Neele. Neele and his men discover rye grain in the dead man's pocket and that he had died from taxine, an alkaloid poison obtained from the leaves or berries of the yew tree. Neele realizes that Fortescue may have been initially poisoned at home due to presence of yew trees at the latter's country home and the time it took for the poison to work.

Fortescue's second and much younger wife, Adele, becomes the main suspect, due to her affair with a golf instructor at a nearby resort named Vivian Dubois. However, Adele is murdered, while drinking tea laced with cyanide. On the same day, a third victim is found in the garden, all tangled in the clothesline and with a peg on her nose. She was a maid named Gladys, who used to work for Jane Marple. When Gladys and Adele's murders are reported in the media, Miss Marple pays a visit to the Fortescue home to learn what happened to Gladys. Miss Marple informs Inspector Neele that she believes the three murders adhered to the nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence", which may have something to do with one of Rex Fortescue's old dealings - the Blackbird Mine in Kenya, over which he was suspected of having killed his partner, MacKenzie in order to swindle it from the latter's family. However, an investigation of Fortescue's financial holdings and family connections reveal the possibility of other motives, as the following list of suspects would attest:

*Percival Fortescue - Rex's older son, who was worried over the financier's erratic handling of the family business
*Jennifer Fortescue - Percival's wife, who disliked her father-in-law
*Lance Fortescue - Rex's younger son, a former embezzler who had arrived home from overseas on the day of Adele and Gladys' murders
*Patricia Fortescue - Lance's aristocratic wife, who had been unlucky with her past two husbands
*Elaine Fortescue - Rex's only daughter, who resented his opposition to her romance with a schoolteacher
*Gerald Wright - Elaine's fiancé, a schoolteacher who resented Rex's hostile attitude toward him
*Mary Dove - the Fortescues' efficient housekeeper, who harbored a few secrets in her past
*Vivian Dubois - Adele's lover and professional golf instructor
*Mrs. MacKenzie - the slightly senile widow of Rex's former partner, who urged her children to seek revenge against the financier

I honestly did not know how I would view "A POCKET FULL OF RYE". To my surprise, I enjoyed it very much . . . aside from a few scenes that I felt were out of place. The movie turned out to be a well-paced mystery that featured some solid acting from the cast. Although not completely faithful to Christie's novel, the television movie proved to be a little more faithful, thanks to screenwriter Kevin Elyot and director Charlie Palmer. The character of Miss Henderson, Rex's religious sister-in-law from his first marriage, was deleted from this production. And I did not miss her. I am also very grateful that Elyot and Palmer stuck to the novel's original ending and avoided a ridiculous chase sequence that seemed to mar the 1985 adaptation. Although there was nothing really dramatic about the story's final scene, it projected an air of justice finally achieved that I found particularly satisfying, thanks to Julia McKenzie's performance.

I was also impressed by the movie's production values. One, production designer Jeff Tessler and his crew did a top-notch job of re-creating the movie's mid-1950s setting. I should add . . . "as usual". After all, Tessler worked as production designer for the "AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MARPLE" series since it debuted back in 2004. "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" proved to be the first of four episodes for the series, in which she served as costume designer. Her work in this film provided audiences with the color and top-notch skill in which she created costumes for that particular time period. Another veteran of the "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" was cinematographer Cinders Forshaw, whose sharp and colorful photography proved to be one of the hallmarks of the series. One thing I cannot deny about "A POCKET FULL OF RYE", it is damn beautiful to look at.

Did I have any problems with the movie? Well . . . yes. A few. Actually, I have only one major problem with the production . . . namely the addition of sexual situations in at least two or three scenes in the film. I am not a prude. Trust me, I am not. But . . . I found the sexual scenes featured in "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" out of place. Yes, the Christie novels have featured the topic of sex in many variations - including adultery, incest and homosexuality. And I have seen on-screen sex in one other production - namely 1965's "TEN LITTLE INDIANS" and 2004's "DEATH ON THE NILE". I have never seen "TEN LITTLE INDIANS". But the sex featured in "DEATH ON THE NILE" seemed so minimalized. I can say otherwise about "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" and the performers involved were clothed. But the way Palmer shot the scenes seemed so in-your-face. I can tolerate the scene featuring Adele Fortescue and Vivian Dubois. Personally, I thought their sex scene pretty much fit the narrative and confirmed (in a rather ham fisted manner) that the pair was involved in an affair. But the sex scenes featuring Lance and Patricia Fortescue seemed just as ham fisted. Even worse, I could not see how they served the narrative. The scene (or scenes) seemed to come out of no where.

I can certainly state that I had no problems with the performances in this production. Well, I had a problem with one performance. Julia McKenzie was excellent as soft-spoken Jane Marple, who seemed very determined to learn the murderer's identity, due to her past with one of the victims. I can also say the same about Matthew MacFadyen's performance, which struck me as intelligent, yet deliciously sardonic as Inspector Neele. I also enjoyed Helen Baxendale's subtle performance as the quiet, yet observant housekeeper, Mary Dove. On the other hand, Rupert Graves gave an exuberant and very entertaining portrayal of the Fortescue family's black sheep, Lance. And he clicked very well with actress Lucy Cohu, who gave a charming performance as Lance's wife, Patricia. Another interesting performance came from Liz White, who portrayed Rex Fortescue's enigmatic daughter-in-law, Jennifer. Actually, I believe she gave one of the better performances in the movie. Another first-rate performance came from Anna Madeley, who portrayed Rex's shallow and adulterous wife, Adele. 

I really enjoyed Joseph Beattie's portrayal of Adele's sexy, yet desperate lover, Vivian Dubois. And Ben Miles gave a subtle, yet complex performance as Rex's pragmatic older son, Percival. Kenneth Cranham, Laura Haddock and Prunella Scales gave memorable performances as Rex Fortescue, his secretary, Miss Grosvenor and Mrs. MacKenzie. It seemed a pity they were not on the screen long enough for me to truly enjoy their performances. "A POCKET FULL OF RYE" also featured solid performances from Hattie Morahan, Chris Larkin, Ken Campbell, Wendy Richards and Rose Heiney.

"A POCKET FULL OF RYE" proved to be an entertaining movie and a worthy adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1953 novel. Along with a fine cast led by Julia McKenzie, I thought director Charlie Palmer and screenwriter Kevin Elyot handled the adaptation very well, aside from the sex scenes that struck me as unnecessary. Despite that . . . setback, I still managed to enjoy the movie.

TIME MACHINE: Battle of New Orleans

TIME MACHINE: BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

January 8 marked the 200th anniversary of the last of a series of engagements that marked the Battle of New Orleans. This battle marked the last one of the conflict between the United States and Great Britain, known as the War of 1812. 

The Battle of New Orleans consisted of a series of engagements fought between December 24, 1814 and January 8, 1815. The two countries had been at war since June 1812 - for two-and-a-half years. With the end of the Napoleonic War (before it was briefly renewed, thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte's escape in early 1815), Great Britain was finally able to focus its full attention upon the war against the United States. The British military decided to focus its strategy upon capturing the port of New Orleans, Louisiana, which had been under American control for eleven years. Capture of the city would give the British control of the Mississippi River and sever the Americans' vital commerce route to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Capture of the city would also allow full control of the agriculture industries that dominated the lower Mississippi River Valley region - namely sugar and especially cotton.

The British Army began gathering its invasion force in the summer of 1814. The army's defeat at Fort Bowyer prevented it from capturing Mobile, Alabama in September 1814. Alerted, the U.S. government dispatched a frantic message to General Andrew Jackson to immediately proceed to New Orleans and defend it. Jackson marched his army from present-day Alabama to New Orleans and arrived in the city on December 2, 1814. Ten days later, a large British fleet under the command of Sir Alexander Cochrane with more than 8,000 soldiers and sailors aboard, anchored in the Gulf of Mexico to the east of Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne. At Lake Borgne, the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy engaged in a battle on December 14, 1814 that left the British victors, but heavily battered. Although the British won control of the two lakes, the battle gave Jackson enough time to strengthen his defenses around New Orleans.

By December 23, 1814; a British Army vanguard of 1,800 troops under Lieutenant-General John Keane reached the east bank of the Mississippi River, nine miles south of New Orleans. When Jackson learn of Keane's presence, who was awaiting reinforcements at Lacoste's Plantation, he led a brief three-pronged assault on the unsuspecting British troops, who were resting in their camp. Then Jackson pulled his forces back to the Rodriguez Canal, about four miles south of the city. The unexpected attack made Keane even more cautious and he made no effort to advance. As a consequence, the Americans were given time to begin the transformation of the canal into a heavily fortified earthwork. The main body of the British Army under Major-General Edward Pakenham arrived on January 1, 1815. The army attacked the earthworks using their artillery. An exchange of artillery fire lasted for three hours. Several of the American guns were destroyed or knocked out and some damage was done to the earthworks. The British guns ran out of ammunition, which led Pakenham to cancel the attack. Unknown at the moment to Pakenham, the Americans on the left of Line Jackson near the swamp had broken and run from the position. Pakenham decided to wait for his entire force of over 8,000 men to assemble before launching his attack on the city.

Pakenham finally ordered a two-pronged assault against Jackson's position during the early morning hours of January 8, 1814. The attack began under darkness and a heavy fog, but as the British neared the main enemy line the fog lifted, exposing them to withering artillery fire and musket fire. Poor leadership of the British forces, confusion on the battlefield, the swampy terrain and American tenacity combined to create a debacle for the British, as they tried to overcome the parapet that served as the Americans' defense position. Two large assaults on the Americans were made. Only a handful of British troops made it to the top, but they were either killed or captured. The only British success was on the west bank of the Mississippi River, where a brigade under William Thornton, which comprised of the 85th Regiment and detachments from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, attacked and overwhelmed the American line. Since Pakenham was dead and both Keane and Major-General Samuel Gibbs were wounded, command of the British forces fell upon Major-General John Lambert. Lambert decided not to renew the attack and withdrew his forces. 

In the battle's aftermath, the Royal Navy attacked Fort St. Philip on the following day, January 9, 1815. The British laid siege to the fort for ten days before its ships withdrew on January 18, 1815. On February 4, 1815, the British fleet, with troops aboard, set sail toward Mobile Bay, Alabama. The British army then attacked and captured Fort Bowyer at the mouth of Mobile Bay on February 12, 1815. The following day, the British army began making preparations to attack Mobile, when news arrived of the Treaty of Ghent. The treaty, which officially ended the War of 1812, had been signed on December 24, 1814; in the city of Ghent, Belgium. The British abandoned Fort Bowyer and sailed toward the West Indies. Although the Battle of New Orleans had no influence on the terms of the Treaty of Ghent, the defeat at New Orleans did compel Britain to abide by the treaty.

For more detailed information on the Battle of New Orleans, I recommend the following books:

*"Battle of New Orleans, The: 'But for a Piece of Wood'" (1814) by Ron Chapman

*"The War of 1812, Conflict and Deception: The British Attempt to Seize New Orleans and Nullify the Louisiana Purchase" (1814) by Ronald J. Drez

"A VIEW TO A KILL" (1985) Photo Gallery

Below are images from the 1985 James Bond movie, "A VIEW TO A KILL". Its title adapted from Ian Fleming's 1960 novella,"From a View to a Kill" and directed by John Glen, the movie starred Roger Moore as James Bond. 


"A VIEW TO A KILL" (1985) Photo Gallery

"EL DORADO WEST" [PG] - Chapter Seven

The following is Chapter Seven of my story about a pair of free black siblings making the journey to California in 1849:



Chapter Seven – Missouri Plains

April 16, 1849
Traveling through Missouri, I finally received my first glimpse of what a prairie looked like. I had imagined flatter land with no grass . . . not this rolling land filled with long tufts of grass. “You should see this land in full bloom in about a month from now,” Mr. James commented. “The grass becomes just as high as your knees.” 

No wonder most emigrant guides insist that wagon trains depart at least by early May. Judging from the amount of prairie grass that now grows, I could see that it was not enough to sustain teams of oxen and mules during a 2,000-mile trek . . . let alone 200 miles.

Mr. James decided that it would be best for us to follow the Missouri River along the bluffs just north of it. Since it happened to be early spring, the river would be subjected to floods, which could be deadly due to its fast currents. Casting my eyes upon the Missouri below, I spotted a steamboat with a stern wheel churning westward. A brief longing to be aboard that boat rose within me. I still long to reach Independence as soon as possible, and finally begin the journey across the continent. Oh, the impatience of youth!


April 19, 1849
The wagon company experienced a chilling moment, early this afternoon. A group of riders appeared from the south and interrupted our small procession at a crossroads. Judging from their hostile expressions, along with the shackles and ropes they carried; a suspicion came to me that these men might be bounty riders or even worse. Unfortunately, I proved to be right. The riders had turned out to be a group of lawmen and slave catchers searching for a black fugitive. One fellow, a swarthy creature with black whiskers, demanded a search of our wagons. And considering that he and his companions were better armed than us, we had no choice but to comply.

It came to no surprise that the slave catchers had lingered around our wagon longer than the others. That same bewhiskered gentleman who led the bunch demanded to see Alice’s and my papers. Mr. James’ face turned red and insisted that we were free people of color. “And how would you know that for sure, Mister?” our tormentor demanded. “How long have you known these nigras?”

“Almost two weeks,” Mr. James replied. “They happen to be from Ohio.” The whiskered man shot back, “They could have said that. Maybe they’re lying.” This did not bode well for Alice and myself.

Fortunately, Mr. James never relented in his defense of us. “And how would you know?” he replied scathingly. “Can you recognize an Ohio accent when you hear it? And why are you harassing these two? Surely, you know who you’re looking for?”

I saw flashes of anger, resentment and sheer embarrassment in the slaver’s dark eyes. He murmured a quick oath and walked away. The other men continued their search through our wagons with no success. The fugitive could not be found. With no reason to delay us any further, the search party allowed us to continue our journey. However, our caravan had not traveled five miles when Alice noticed a figure in a thicket to our right – a lone rider.

“He looks like one of those slave catchers,” my sister commented. I squinted for a closer look. Sure enough, there was Mr. Whiskers riding by himself. Following our wagon party. If the fellow was so determined to capture this slave, he was surely barking up the wrong tree. Or was he merely determined to prove that we were slave stealers? If so, I pray that his fugitive never seek refuge with our group . . . at least until we manage to put Missouri and slave catchers behind us for good.


End of Chapter Seven

"THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" (1993) Review

"THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" (1993) Review

Looking back, I realized that I have seen very few movie and television adaptations of Mark Twain's novels - especially those that featured his two most famous characters, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I take that back. I have seen a good number of adaptations, but it has been a long time since I have viewed any of them. Realizing this, I decided to review the 1993 Disney adaptation of Twain's 1885 novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".

According to Wikipedia, "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" mainly focused the first half of Twain's novel. After watching the film, I realized that Wikipedia had made an error. The movie focused on four-fifths of the narrative. It ignored the novel's last segment - namely Huck Finn's reunion with his friend, Tom Sawyer, at the Arkansas plantation owned by the latter's uncle. Actually, director/screenwriter Stephen Sommers combined the aspects of both this chapter and the previous one in which Huck meets the two con men - "The Duke" and "The King" - along with the Wilkes sisters into one long segment for the movie's second half. In fact, Sommers named the town in which the Wilkes sisters lived after Tom's Uncle Phelps. I know what many are thinking . . . "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" is not a completely faithful adaptation of Twain's novel. Considering that I have yet to come across a movie or television production that is not completely faithful of a source novel or play, I find such complaints unnecessary. At least for me. Especially since I had very little problems with Sommers' adaptation in the first place.

Anyone familiar with Twain's novel knows what happened. A Missouri boy named Huckleberry Finn (who first appeared in Twain's 1876 novel, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer") is living with a pair of widowed sisters - the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson - when his drunken and violent father, "Pap" Finn, reappears in his life, determined to get his hands on the money left to Huck by his late wife. After Huck spends a terrifying night with a drunken Pap, he decides to fake his death and head for Jackson's Island in the middle of the Mississippi River. There, he discovers Jim, Miss Watson's slave and one of Huck's closest friends, hiding out as well. Jim had escaped after learning Miss Watson's decision to sell him down the river. Huck initially condemns Jim for running away. But due to their friendship, he decides to help Jim escape and join the latter on a trip down the Mississippi to Cairo, Illinois. There, Jim hopes to find river passage up the Ohio River to freedom. Unfortunately, their plans fail fall apart and the two friends end up facing a series of adventures and different characters as they find themselves heading down the Mississippi River.

To be honest, I have never read a review of "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN". In fact, I have never seen the movie in theaters. Which is a shame. Because this film is damn good. I had seen the version that aired on PBS back in 1985. And I never thought any version could top it. Well, this particular version did not top it . . . so to speak. But, I do not regard it as inferior to the 1985 version. I believe that both movies are truly first-rate. I just happen to prefer this version, which was written and directed by Stephen Sommers. I do recall how many critics had initially dismissed the film, believing it had"Disneyfied" what is regarded by many as Mark Twain's masterpiece . . . well, at least in the many years following his death.

Sommers' screenplay had managed to "Disneyfied" Twain's story in one way. It avoided the use of the word "nigger" to describe Jim Watson and other African-American characters. Instead, some characters called Jim "boy" in a very insulting and derogatory manner. But there were other changes made to Twain story. Huck's joke to Jim by pretending he was dead was erased. And as I had stated earlier, the last segment that featured Jim being sold to an Arkansas plantation owned by Tom Sawyer's uncle, along with Huck's reunion with his best friend, had been removed. Personally, I had no problems with the removal of Tom's appearance. Like many literary critics - including those who admired the novel - I have never liked that particular subplot. Instead, Sommers had decided to end the story with a major sequence featuring Huck and Jim's "partnership" with the two con men who posed as the long-lost brothers of a dead rich man named Wilkes. This allowed Sommers to name Wilkes' town after Tom Sawyer's uncle Phelps. Sommers also allowed Huck to experience Tom's fate in the story. By getting rid of Huck and Jim's reunion with Tom, Sommers managed to end the movie on a more exciting note, instead of the anti-climatic one that seemed to mar Twain's story.

But there is one thing that Sommers did not do . . . he did not softened the anti-slavery and anti-racism themes from Twain's novel. Sommers not only retained the strong sense of travel and adventure along the Mississippi River in the story, he did an effective job of maintaining the author's anti-slavery and anti-racism themes. This was apparent in scenes that featured Huck and Jim's debate about the presence of non-English speaking people in the world, the two con men's discovery of Jim's status as a runaway slave and their blackmail of the two friends and finally, Huck and Jim's attempt to make their escape from Phelps' Landing to a northbound steamboat. To reinforce the theme, Sommers even allowed Jim to be caught by the Grangerford family and forced to become one of their field slaves - something that did not happen in Twain's novel. More importantly, Jim's decision to run from Miss Watson would have an impact on their friendship, which had already been established before the story began. This was apparent in Huck's reluctance to help Jim escape and the latter's knowledge of Pap's death . . . something he kept from the boy throughout most of the story. Jim's status as a runaway, along with the two con men's dealings at Phelps' Landing culminated in an exciting conclusion that resulted with a rather scary lynch mob after Huck and Jim's hides.

But it was not just Sommers' adaptation of Twain's story that I found satisfying. "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" is a visually beautiful film. And the producers can thank veteran Hollywood filmmaker Janusz Kaminski for his beautiful photography. His rich and sharp colors, which holds up very well after 22 years, really captured the beauties of the film's Natchez, Mississippi locations. His photography also added to the film's early 19th century Mississippi Valley setting. However, Kaminski's photography was not the only aspect that allowed Sommers to beautifully recapture the film's setting. I was also impressed by Randy Moore's art direction and Michael Warga's set decorations - especially at a riverboat landing in which Huck, Jim and the two con men meet a former resident of Phelps' Landing. I noticed that Betsy Heimann's career in Hollywood mainly consisted of movie projects set in the present day. As far as I know, "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" was her only movie project set in the past. I find this a pity, because I was very impressed by her costumes for the movie. In fact, I found them quite beautiful, especially her costumes for Anne Heche, Renée O'Connor and Dana Ivey.

However, the costumes also brought up a small issue I had with the movie. Exactly when is this movie set? Was it set during the 1820s or the 1830s? During a scene between Huck and young Susan Wilks, the former (who was impersonating the Duke and the King's Cockney valet) pointed out that George IV reigned Great Britain. Which meant the movie could be set anywhere between January 1820 and June 1830. But Heimann's costumes for the women, with its fuller skirts, seemed to indicate that the movie was definitely set in the 1830s. So, I am a little confused. I am also confused as to why Huck had failed to tell Billy Grangerford that the captured Jim was his servant. Why did he pretend that he did not know Jim? The latter could have been spared a brutal beating at the hands of the family's overseer. I congratulate Sommers for using the Grangerford sequence to reveal more on the brutality of 19th century American slavery. But he could have easily done this by allowing both Huck and Jim to witness the whipping of a Grangerford slave. I also had a problem with Bill Conti's score. Well . . . at least half of it. On one hand, Conti's score meshed well with the story and its setting. However . . . I noticed that some parts of his score had not originally been created for this movie. Being a long time fan of John Jakes' "North and South" Trilogy and the three television adaptations, I had no problem realizing that Conti had lifted parts of the score he had written for the 1985 miniseries, "NORTH AND SOUTH" and used it for this movie. 

I might have a few quibbles about "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN". But I certainly had no complaints about the film's cast. The movie was filled with first-rate performances from the movie's supporting cast. Colorful performances included those from Dana Ivey and Mary Louise Wilson as the kind-hearted Widow Douglas and her more acerbic sister Miss Watson; Ron Perlman, who was both scary and funny as Huck's drunken father Pap Finn; Francis Conroy as the verbose shanty woman from Huck tries to steal food; Garette Ratliff Henson as the friendly Billy Grangerford; Tom Aldredge as the suspicious Dr. Robinson, who rightly perceives that the two con men are not his late friend's brothers; Curtis Armstrong as the slightly brainless and naïve former resident of Phelps' Landing, who told the "Duke and King" everything about the Wilks family; and James Gammon as the tough sheriff of Phelps' Landing, who seemed to have a naïve regard for the two con men. Anne Heche, along with Renée O'Connor (Gabrielle from "XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS") and Laura Bundy portrayed the three Wilks sisters - Mary Jane, Julia and young Susan. Both Heche and O'Connor gave charming performances. But I found Bundy rather funny as the suspicious Susan, especially in her interactions with Elijah Wood.

Of all the actors I could have imagined portraying the two con men - the King and the Duke - neither Jason Robards or Robbie Coltrane enter my thoughts. In fact, I could never imagine the gruff-voiced, two-time Oscar winner and the Scottish actor known for portraying Rubeus Hagrid in the "HARRY POTTER" movie franchise as a pair of 19th century Mississippi Valley con artists, let alone an effective screen team. Not only did the pair give great performances, but to my surprise, managed to create a very funny comedy pair. Who knew? But the pair that really carried "THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" turned out to be Elijah Wood as the titled character, Huckleberry Finn and Courtney B. Vance as Jim Watson. Someone once complained that Wood was too young to portray Huck Finn in this movie. How on earth did he come up with this observation? Wood was at least twelve years old when he portrayed Huck. Not only was he not too old, he gave a superb performance as the intelligent, yet pragmatic Missouri boy. More importantly, Wood did an excellent job serving as the film's narrator. Equally superb was Courtney B. Vance, who in my opinion, turned out to be the best cinematic Jim Watson I have ever seen. Vance did an excellent job in conveying the many facets of Jim's nature - his sense of humor, lack of education, pragmatism and intelligence. Vance made sure that audiences knew that Jim was uneducated . . . and at the same time, a very intelligent man. The best aspect of Wood and Vance's performances is that the pair made a superb screen team. I have no idea how they felt about each other in real life. On screen, they sparkled like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

"THE ADVENTURES OF HUCK FINN" may not be a literal adaptation of Mark Twain's novel. It is clear that writer-director made some changes. And I must admit that the movie possessed a few flaws. But in the end, I felt it was a first-rate adaptation of the novel that bridled with energy, color, pathos, suspense, humor and a sense of adventure. And one can thank Stephen Sommers for his excellent script and energetic direction, along with the superb cast led by Elijah Wood and Courtney B. Vance. It is one Twain adaptation I could never get tired of watching over and over again.