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This is the first of the POTTER films where I read the book before I saw the film. Despite the book being better, the film is still a wonderful treat, keeping up the quality of the series. New director Alfonso Cuaron (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN) replaces Chris Columbus at the helm, moving the franchise in a more mature direction.

The awe-shucks wonder of the magical world is over for teenage Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, TAILOR OF PANAMA). He’s become bitter about the murder of his parents and lashes out against his muggle (non-magic) family for insulting his parents’ name. This time around Voldemort has taken a rest from trying to kill Harry, but it seems that escaped convict Sirius Black (Gary Oldman, THE PROFESSIONAL) is taking up the reigns. Where Ron (Rupert Grint) played a bigger role than Hermione (Emma Watson) in the second film, it’s visa versa in the third. Despite a continuous war between Ron and Hermione over her cat attacking his rat, the film does develop the two teens’ ever growing attraction for each other.

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From master documentary maker Errol Morris comes this intriguing look at the life of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Now in his 80s, McNamara is still vibrant and quite reflective about his role in WWII and Vietnam. How about this for candor, McNamara admits that if the U.S. would have lost WWII he and others would have probably been brought up on war crime charges for the fire bombing and nuclear attack on Japan. This gives you an idea of the overall sentiment of the film, which gives the first hand account of the mechanics of war, which are often paradoxical and seemingly insane.

It’s an interesting irony that while McNamara worked for the Ford Motor Company he was instrumental in making cars safer even introducing seat belts, but participated in the death of hundreds of thousands of people in two wars. It’s quite fascinating to hear what McNamara says and doesn’t say throughout the film. Through the spry 85-year-old, we get a firsthand history lesson of the key military and political events of the past 60 years from WWII to Vietnam. The man who would play such a huge roll in later wars recalls memories from when he was two, watching a WWI victory parade. McNamara scarily relates just how close we were to nuclear war with Russia during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He also candidly talks about his mistakes during Vietnam and the day he realized the war was lost.

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Like the original SCREAM film, the characters know the rules of horror flicks — even the rules of horror sequels. Higher body count and more gore. This “rule” typically ruins other horror sequels and succeeds in doing the same with SCREAM 2.

The film opens with the premiere of “Stab,” which was based on a book about the events of the first film written by news reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox, TV’s FRIENDS). The lead Sidney (Neve Campbell, THE COMPANY), nerdy Randy (Jamie Kennedy, MALIBU’S MOST WANTED) and now crippled police officer Dewey (David Arquette, THE GREY ZONE) all return. Added to the cast is Laurie Metcalf (TV’s ROSEANNE) as a local reporter, Jerry O’Connell (JERRY MAGUIRE) as Sidney’s new boyfriend Derek, Timothy Olyphant (ROCK STAR) as Derek’s best friend, Sarah Michelle Gellar (TV’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) as a sorority chick, Liev Schreiber (A WALK ON THE MOON) as the man Sidney originally fingered as her mother’s killer and Jada Pinkett Smith and Omar Epps as the token black couple.

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