Gary Sinise, who had built a certain following and credibility based on his work with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater (which he cofounded with John Malkovich, among others), nearly used it all up on this ridiculous farm story, starring Richard Gere and Steppenwolf alumnus Kevin Anderson. They play a pair of Midwestern farmers who, thanks to a combination of bad luck, bad weather, and Reaganomics, are about to lose the farm that's been in their family for generations. Rather than give it up to foreclosure, they burn it down in an act of protest, then go on to rob banks and otherwise become hayseed Robin Hoods (even attracting the attention of a Rolling Stone reporter played by Malkovich in one of the film's silliest touches). But Gere overacts and Sinise can't transcend what is essentially a witless and unlikely script by Chris Gerolmo. -Marshall Fine.

Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid are an unlikely couple in this unfortunate attempt at a comedy thriller. They play a pair of married spies who have taken parental leave and are vacationing in New Orleans with their year-old son. But they're called back into action to stop the sale of a shipment of stolen weapons. Ho-hum. Though both the leads have preternaturally cheery dispositions, it can't translate to the soggy script. The action is formulaic and the jokes nonexistent. The film's only bright spot: Stanley Tucci as a bumbling assassin whose wild streak of bad luck enlivens his numerous welcome appearances. -Marshall Fine.

How long will truck tires last on top of molten lava? A surprising amount of time, apparently, according to this wild and wildly improbable disaster movie. Pierce Brosnan stars as a government geologist who shows up in a small Washington town to check out an active volcano, and in doing so gets in the way of the local-development agenda of the mayor (Linda Hamilton). Mother Nature soon levels the playing field, however, quite literally, as the pair and sundry kids and others try to keep ahead of the volcano's many spin-off problems. Roger Donaldson (The Bounty) directed, and if the film is remembered for nothing else, its special effects are unnervingly realistic, no doubt drawn in part from research into the Mount St. Helens disaster. The DVD release has a widescreen presentation, director commentary, behind-the-scenes material, and optional French and Spanish soundtracks, plus optional Spanish subtitles. -Tom Keogh.

Philo Beddoe (Clint Eastwood) is back in this sequel to Every Which Way but Loose, once again brawling to make ends meet and just trying to manage his life with a crazy mother (Ruth Gordon), a dimwitted best friend (Geoffrey Lewis) and, of course, Clyde the Orangutan. He's had enough of this life, but when a mobster (Harry Guardino) comes along to make him an offer he can't refuse, Philo must use his wits as well as his fists to get himself out of yet another jam. The humor is thin and sporadic (though Gordon is in fine form), and Eastwood has since gone on to better things; but a film that features a brawl with a monkey and a motorcycle gang can't be all bad. -Robert Lane.

A Set of 2 Tapes in a Cardboard Slipcase

Ashley Judd stars as Claire Kubik, a high-powered attorney whose perfect life comes down when her husband is charged with high crimes of murder. Enlisting the aid of a shrewd military lawyer (Morgan Freeman), Claire will risk her career and even her life to find the truth in this "head-snapping thriller" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). A welcomed reunion of Kiss the Girls costars Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman makes High Crimes a worthwhile thriller with vivid, likable characters. Efficiently directed by Carl Franklin, this military mystery doesn't have the unpredictable edginess of Franklin's Devil in a Blue Dress, but its twisting plot is sure to hold anyone's attention. Judd plays a successful, happily married lawyer whose husband (Jim Caviezel) is accused of killing innocent citizens during his military service in El Salvador some 13 years earlier. A cover-up implicates a powerful Brigadier General (Bruce Davison), but when Judd hires a maverick attorney (Freeman), Judd is caught in a potentially lethal trap of threats and deception. Attentive viewers will stay ahead of the action, and alleged villains are posed as obvious decoys. Still, Judd and Freeman have an appealing rapport (shared with Amanda Peet, playing Judd's vivacious sister), and Freeman's character flaws add worldly spice to yet another rich performance. -Jeff Shannon.