It would be a mistake to call Kundun a disappointment, or a film that director Martin Scorsese was not equipped to create. Both statements may be true to some viewers, but they ignore the higher purpose of Scorsese's artistic intention and take away from a film that is by any definition unique. In chronicling the life of the 14th Dalai Lama, Kundun defies conventional narrative in favor of an episodic approach, presenting a sequential flow of events from the life of the young leader of Buddhist Tibet. From the moment he is recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1937 to his exile from Tibet in the wake of China's invasion, the Dalai Lama is seen as an enlightened spiritual figurehead.

This gives the film its tone of serenity and reverence but denies us the privilege of admiring the Dalai Lama as a fascinating human character. There's a sense of mild detachment between the film and its audience, but its visual richness offers ample compensation. In close collaboration with cinematographer Roger Deakins, Scorsese filmed Kundun with great pageantry and ritual, and meticulous attention to details of costume, color, and the casting of actual Buddhist monks in the scenes at the Dalai Lama's palace.

Certain images will linger in the memory for a long time, such as the Dalai Lama's nightmarish vision of standing among hundreds of dead monks, their lives sacrificed in pacifist defiance of Chinese aggression. Is this a film you'll want to watch repeatedly? Perhaps not. But as a political drama and an elegant gesture of devotion, Kundun is a film of great value and inspirational beauty--one, after all, that perhaps only Scorsese could have made. --Jeff Shannon

Depressing story of robbery, deceit, murder, and revenge, set in current-day L. A. Keitel seems like a caricature of himself and Hutton is unconvincing as a sleaze, even with that scruffy beard. Elliott Gould appears unbilled. The production allow various Asian / Asian Pacific American actors the opportunity to continue honing their acting craft - some were there just to pay bills! There are some interesting scenes from an Asian Pacific American actress name Lucy Alexis Liu, who now appears in Ally McBeal. I guess her scenes in this movie gave her additional insights into her character "Ling" in the show!?! Who knew?

Someone got the rather inspired (but ultimately misguided) idea to match Hong Kong action director Stanley Tong ("Martial Law" - the television show, " Jackie Chan's First Strike," " Rumble in the Bronx," " Super Cop,") with comedy stalwart Leslie Nielsen in this dimwitted live-action Disney version of the vintage cartoon, in which the very nearsighted tycoon bumbles his way into the heist of a giant, priceless ruby known as the Star of Kuristan. The result is an abundance of slapstick humor related to Mr. Magoo's visual impairment (prompting a brief protest during the film's 1997 release by the National Federation of the Blind), and a tired plot involving a lovely jewel thief (Kelly Lynch) who'll stop at nothing to get her stolen jewel back. Of course, Magoo manages to foil the thieves at every turn, even though he's frequently unaware of his unintentional heroics. This standard family fare from Disney (best suited for kids 12 and under) will probably play better on home video, but you'll have to watch and listen closely for the few gags that really pay off. --Jeff Shannon

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