Movies

The Mask of Zorro (TriStar Pictures). The latest version of the swashbuckling legend makes critics wax nostalgic for the era "when boyish adventure films still had their innocence" (Janet Maslin, the New York Times). This time an aging Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) passes the mask to Antonio Banderas. Unlike campier predecessors, this movie about the Mexican Robin Hood is said to offer impeccable stunts and a genuinely witty screenplay. But the Village Voice's Michael Atkinson calls the acting "generally lifeless, [with the] contrived feel of a Thanksgiving Day parade." (Here's the official Zorro site.)

Saving Private Ryan (DreamWorks SKG). The hype commences, with critics pronouncing Steven Spielberg's World War II epic "a movie of staggering virtuosity" (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly). Reviews dwell on the gory 25 minute opening battle scene, emblematic of Spielberg's new obsession with verisimilitude: "[O]ne of the greatest, most appalling things ever done in movies" (David Denby, New York). Applause also goes to Spielberg for bucking war movie typecasting with Everyman Tom Hanks and such unmacho hunks as Matt Damon and Edward Burns. Only Variety's Todd McCarthy notes that the premise--the Army expends ridiculous resources on a dubious rescue mission--is "far-fetched." (Join an online chat about Saving Private Ryan.)

There's Something About Mary (20^th Century Fox). The Farrelly brothers' latest slapstick is said to hark back to the screwball romances of the 1940s: The Dumb & Dumber directors temper their repulsive humor--which includes gags about a mangled penis and the mentally retarded--with a touching love story. The plot: A sleazy private eye (Matt Dillon) falls for the woman (Cameron Diaz) he's paid to track down by a nerdy writer (Ben Stiller). Most critics agree with Slate's David Edelstein that the Farrellys' "tenderness [and] joy in all things scatological, rendered outrage spurious." Others are disgusted by the "sophomoric frat-house jokes" (Rex Reed, the New York Observer). (See the official site.)

Music

Hello Nasty, by the Beastie Boys (Grand Royal/Capitol). The wise-ass rappers' first album in four years is taken as evidence of a new sophistication. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne calls the album "a sonic smorgasbord in which the Beasties gorge themselves with reckless abandon," sampling everything from Stravinsky to Tito Puente. Critics also like their combination of high-minded lyrics about Tibet and the environment with highbrow inanities about Postimpressionist painters. (Critics favorite line: "I'm the king of Boggle, there is none higher/ I get 11 points off the word 'quagmire.' ") (Check out the Hello Nasty chat site.)

Book

Lucky Bastard, by Charles McCarry (Random House). An ex-CIA agent's thriller about a skirt-chasing spy's ascent to the presidency is deemed "Primary Colors written with imagination" (Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, the New York Times). Although critics praise McCarry's entertaining prose and quirky characters, they focus more on the similarities between the sexaholic protagonist and Bill Clinton. None other than Dick Morris complains in the Weekly Standard that the book "becomes a porn novel," with its heavy focus on presidential sex. (See what the publisher has to say about Lucky Bastard.)

Theater

Twelfth Night (Vivian Beaumont Theater, New York City). Mixed reviews for Oscar winner Helen Hunt's turn as a Shakespearean: Is she delightfully down-to-earth or simply banal? The London Guardian's Joanna Coles says her presence is "so obvious a gimmick to draw in those who don't normally bother to see the Bard that it's almost insulting." Unanimous praise goes to TheMadness of King George director Nicholas Hytner's staging of the gender bender, which breaks with the recent trend of interjecting gay subtext into the play. The consensus: Twelfth Night is "the greatest of Shakespeare's romantic comedies" (Ben Brantley, the New York Times).