25, 198K North Shore News

the film is a vast improvement over the previous 007 outing, the abysmal A View toa Kill, Welcome back, James.

Wall Street *** (20th Century Fox) Rated Mature (at the Granville, Westminster Cinemas)

Director Oliver Stone creates an energetic study of an ambitious young stockbroker (Charlie Sheen) who latches on to Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a veritable Jaws of Wall Street. He soon leaves behind the hard-working ethics of his blue-collar father (real-life dad, Martin Sheen) as he utilizes insider’s information under Gekko's guidance to surge ahead. The dazzling camera work, re-

Laughs are forced in Murphy sequel

ASA money-maker, Beverly Hills Cop I was a hit, but according to film reviewer Tim Bell the sequel didn’t have the same impact as the original Eddie Murphy flick. Here, Detective Alex Foley lounges in the swimming

N

+. th Eye

Beverly Hills Cop If * (Paramount Video) Rated R

THE FIRST Eddie Murphy megahit was funny, fast and

6S

pool of a mansion he seized.

likeable. That was the sweet and this pointless retread is the

sour.

As in the original, one of Mur- phy’s friends is the victim of a hit, forcing the Detroit cop to solve the case for personal reasons. This time, the friend is his former nem- esis of Beverly Hills Cop I, Ronny Cox, who gets too close to the solution of the Alphabet Rob- beries:

Tim BELL. |

film reviewer

with the aid of old partners, : John Ashton and Judge Reinhold, Murphy-the-Mouth cons his way into and out of situations to nail the bad guys, one of whom is Sylvester Stallone’s ex, the statu- esque Brigitte Nielsen,

- The'story is padded with endless chases and an overused ‘ Jjoke’’. with Reinhold being an erratic

Classical heard in

THE. DEEP “Cove Chamber Soloists String Quartet will join the Capilano. College Chamber Singers in-’song ‘at. Presentation House Gallery at'8 p.m. March 27.

“The third concert in the Music in the Gallery: Series, the performance -will 'feature. music for string quartet “and “voices and a piece commissioned by the quartet and Presentation’: House..-from com- poser. Karl Kobylansky.

Inspired: by the latest gallery show —:Eye of the Mind/Mind of the. Performance features veteran musicians such’ as violinist Vivian Waters... —

Tickets ‘are available only in ad

vance. ‘For . reservation, details: 986-1351."

te we’ Also on ‘the classical music

(S98 Arabi a. fon $776

driver, crashing into cars, parking

meters and fire hydrants while the -

soundtrack pounds away with the “Alex F."" theme.

Murphy can be funny but here he uses the same schtick of fast talk and impersonations with some scenes existing solely as an excuse for his inane put-ons.

For instance, to place him ina Beverly Hills home, the film- makers concoct a scene with Eddic hustling a renovating crew whilc the owners are on vacation, The only reason the workers are there is to be bamboozled and, after they are, they leave, never to enter the storyline again.

This kind of injected humor doesn’t come from the characters naturally but from an almost des- perate bid to force laughs. With one exception, the women are treated with contempt, so much so that when the most negative female character is shot to death, John Ashton snorts derisively,

front, the North Vancouver-based Ramcoff Concert. Society is pres- enting soprano Ingrid Suderman with the Festival. Players Canada March 26 at the West Vancouver Presbyterian Church starting at 8 p.m.

The latest concert in the group’s Fifth Season chamber music series,

the performance is to include ©

101 Lonsdale .- N. Van.

WESTERN FRIED CHICKEN 985-4333 *1.50 Delivery Charge

**Women!"’ The men are cither bullies or dolts. No one comes out smelling too swect in this mean- spirited enterprise.

Somchow, Beverly Hills Cop II became last year's largest grossing

- film. With its video success guar-

anteed, Beverly Hills Cop HI moves into the death and taxes category.

The Living Daylights *** (CBS/ Fox Video) Rated PG

Timothy Dalton takes the reins as the new James Bond, making an impressive debut. A serious 007, reminiscent of early Sean Connery, is on the trail of an American arms dealer (Joe Don Baker) who, with a deadly KGB agent (Jeroen Krabbe), plans ail sorts of global drug and gun-running mayhem.

Maryam d’Abo, a petite model, plays a Czech cellist who falls first

-for the KGB agent and then (sur-

prise, surprise) for the indestruc- table secret agent after being played by the baddies like a

Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock with the society’s.co-founder and well-known. Vancouver-area clari- netist, Gene Ramsbottom.

Tickets will be available at the door of the 29th and Marine Drive church or by calling 986-6338. Students under 18 years old are admitted free.

Stradivarius.

The action hops around Europe, the Iron Curtain and Africa as James tracks down the mad arms dealer.

The breath-taking stunts con- tinue to make the head shake in disbelief. The wit is slyer than the last half-dozen Bond features which teetered on the infantile, but the film does share the overlength common with all the later episodes.

However, Dalton makes a dashing Bond and, for that alone,

PINBALL TOURNAMENT

| MARCH as & ” =

Telethon.

WIN! PRIZES PRIZES PRIZES Be there! |

contestants must be 19 years of age.

lentlessly mobile, creates an intox- icating effect that, coupled with Stewart Copeland’s percussive score, makes stocktrading as ex- citing as a horse race or a prize fight. |

Playing against type, Michael Douglas takes top honors as the man with a.cash register for a heart. With slick-backed hair, he is as menacing and mesmerizing as a cobra poised to strike. His best scene occurs at a stockbrokers’ meeting when he explains his credo of greed as being. good, in fact, ° essential for American progress.

The balance of the characters, while not as dynamic as Gekko, are solid and well-written with Daryl Hannah, as the love interest, the weakest. However, her nightmarish concepts of interior design are good for a loud smile.