Jackie Chan

So normally ebullient is the great Hong Kong martial artist, stuntman and movie star Jackie Chan that the initial 40 minutes of his semi-new film "Supercop" are actually quite disappointing.Chan seems to have put his personality under a bushel basket as what appears to be a wan and badly dubbed comedy wends its lame way along, with only a few action sequences to lighten the load, and then only barely. Perhaps it's that he isn't directing himself, as he usually does, but is instead letting Stanley Tong run things from behind the camera.

Fawcett's cancer spreads to liver Farrah Fawcett is being treated for anal cancer that has spread to her liver and has been hospitalized in Los Angeles for a complication from a routine treatment, a producer who worked with the actress and her doctor said Monday. Confirmation that the cancer had spread to such a distant site was dire news. The actress, 62, was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. She was declared in remission on Feb. 2, 2007, but three months later, scans showed "not only had it recurred, it metastasized to her liver," producer Craig Nevius said.

Kidnappings, shootouts, gun-brandishing women and a rogue hero all wrapped up in one convoluted plot: What more could an action-movie fan ask for? How about a dash of satire? Lethal Force, a 70-minute parody of B action movies, has all of this -- plus an onslaught of ketchup-like blood effects and a power drill scene that would make Tim "The Tool-Man" Allen cringe. "[Lethal Force] is about a guy whose son gets kidnapped, wife is murdered and is forced to betray his best friend," says Kristen Anchor, coordinator of Baltimore's Creative Alliance Movie Makers, which is presenting the film Friday at the Creative Alliance in Highlandtown.

HONG KONG -- Jackie Chan rules -- except in his hometown.The martial-arts master, who defeats the mob in all his movies, is being trounced by the Hong Kong criminal gangs known as "triads." Here in the heart of unregulated capitalism, as video piracy reaches epidemic proportions, everyone in the local film industry -- even power players such as Chan -- is losing money.Chan recently announced that his film "Rush Hour" lost at least $1.25 million last year because of declining attendance at cinemas and reduced home-video sales.

Don't miss The Princess and the Frog . If you don't have kids at home, this probably isn't on your movie to-do list. So grab a pen and jot it down, because this return to the liquid beauty of hand-drawn animation from Disney, with big production numbers, is the best movie musical going. Hit a late-night screening, OK 10 is about as late as it gets, but that's past bedtime for little ones, so you'll find it a mostly adult affair. Settle in and consider these questions: Are you swept up by the brilliant artistry as the story unfolds - starry-eyed dreamer, frog prince, fateful kiss, bad mojo, good mojo?

What are the hot exercise gifts for the holidays? Bill Law and Chris Stallings of Princeton Sports in Baltimore tell us Palmer Honeypro snowboards are selling like crazy in their store. Also, many Princeton Sports customers are asking for Under Armour brand clothing. The company, founded by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, has six lines: heat gear, turf gear, loose gear, all-season gear, cold gear and performance grey. At the Sports Authority in Glen Burnie, three of the hot sellers are the Pro Form 765 Interactive Treadmill, with built-in CD player; Jackie Chan's Cable Flex; and the Ab Swing, according to sales associate Mike Powers.

You have to wonder whose idea it was to bring Mr. Magoo, the lovable, totally unawares cartoon character, to life.In the 1960s animated version, Jim Backus' Mr. Magoo, who didn't realize he was going blind, wasn't dumb, just too good-hearted. His life was so charmed that, no matter the mishap, he always landed safely.Enter veteran actor Leslie Nielsen of "Naked Gun" fame and director Stanley Tong, whose filmography highlights include "Stone Age Warriors" and the Jackie Chan vehicles "Rumble in the Bronx," "Supercop" and "First Strike."

Alex Len's command of English has improved enough that Maryland made the 7-foot-1 Ukrainian center available to the media today for the first time. I will have a full-length story on Len later today with lots more details. In the meantime, here are some highlights: * Len said his game suffered last season because he had so much difficulty with the language that he couldn't always understand what plays were called. “The first three months was the hardest because I didn't know any language.

As the Super Bowl game itself got off to a slow start, so did the commercials. A viewer kept waiting for both to pick up steam. At least the game did. As for the ads, there were a few sparks here and there, but nothing particularly memorable. The wittiest spots came from Diet Pepsi. Jay Mohr, his smarmiest look in place, played the soft drink's agent, making a deal for the soda can to record a big hit for Diddy and to star in an action picture with Jackie Chan. Yes, I chuckled at the scene where Diet Coke serves as Diet Pepsi's stunt double and gets creamed.

Mistaken for a wanted man and unaware that he has blundered into the Imperial Magistrate's house, Jackie Chan ducks under tables, leaps over chairs and juggles a valuable clay pipe as he tries to avoid the sword thrusts of the outraged magistrate.Even though he's unarmed, Chan manages to get the better of his opponent -- until the magistrate's daughter wanders in and thrashes the hapless hero.The scene is from "The Young Master," and it's a classic bit of kung fu comedy, deftly blending dazzling gymnastics with first-rate clowning.