The Devil Wears Prada

Rated PG-13

You gotta see this if: You never miss

Glamour magazine’s Dos and Don’ts section.

final analysis: *** Is there anything more frivolous than couture fashion? It’s wildly overpriced, usually uncomfortable clothing that only looks good on a size 2. And the majority of women like me, who haven’t been a size 2 since grade school, can only afford to flip through the glossy pages of Vogue, wondering how we’d look posed, airbrushed and attired in Mizrahi and Manolo. “The Devil Wears Prada” takes the fashion world and skewers it like a shish kabob. Meryl Streep is perfect as the editor of a Vogue-like magazine who rules her roost like a 17th century despot. Anne Hathaway portrays her assistant, fresh from college, and thrown to the wolves as she tries to please her employer and re-design herself as a fashion maven. As Hathaway’s character is forced to jump through hoop after hoop, her glossy job loses its luster and she begins to question the ethics of her assignments. The plot is thin but worn with style. “The Devil Wears Prada” expertly satirizes the fashion industry and Streep’s performance alone is worth the price of admission. Her comedic skill digs deeper than a pair of stilleto heels on a golf course.

Superman Returns

Rated PG-13

You gotta see this if: Your collection of DC comic books is exceeded only by your collection of mint in-the-box action figures.

final analysis: *** I didn’t really want to like this movie. To me, Christopher Reeve was the ultimate Superman, injecting the perfect amount of boyish humor and sex appeal into the man of steel. I was also irritated with director Bryan Singer, who chose “Superman Returns” over the last X-Men movie, and what a colossal disappointment that turned out to be. However, Singer knows how to make a great superhero movie and “Superman Returns” is no exception. It remains true to the Reeve classics, while looking ahead and creating a story worthy of the franchise. And though Routh (rhymes with south) is no Reeve, he is endearing and believable in the caped crusader’s blue and red digs. In “Superman Returns,” the hero has come back to Earth after a five year absence to once again battle a power-hungry Lex Luther, played maniacally by Kevin Spacey, and his seemingly endless supply of kryptonite. The film’s only big disappointment is Lois Lane. Lois should be a brainy grown woman. Kate Bosworth looks and sounds like a teenager in a high school play.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Starring Rated PG-13

You gotta see this if: You understand the phrase, “Weigh anchor ya scurvy bilge rat!”

final analysis: *** Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirate’s life for me, especially if a pirate’s life

includes Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Now that’s some booty! Yup, “PotC: Dead Man’s Chest” is a frivolous, raucous, over-the-top thrill ride. The plot barely makes sense but like horror movies of the 50s, it’s so campy and fun that you forgive its sins. This time Jack Sparrow, aided by companions Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, battles the long-dead Davy Jones. It has something to do with a bargain Jack made and there’s a treasure involved, but it’s all an excuse for the winsome threesome to swashbuckle with the bad guys against the glorious high seas of the Caribbean. The movie has its faults: it’s a tad too long and confusing, and it’s too gruesome for young children. I wouldn’t want my 4-year-old to see an eyeball being plucked from its socket. But for a mature audience, eye candy doesn’t get more colorful than this. Taken in the spirit of the theme-park ride that inspired it, you may come out of the theater looking for a wench and a bottle of rum.