If attitude and very cool explosions were enough to make a movie worthwhile, then this one would win an Oscar. But movies generally require something along the lines of characters and plot, and there this movie lets us down.

John Travolta plays a mysterious bad guy named Gabriel Shear who will do anything to get what he wants. In this case, he wants the greatest hacker in the world, Stanley Jobson (Hugh Jackman), to help him steal a lot of money from a bank. We first see Gabriel talking about what’s wrong with Hollywood movies and describing his objections to “Dog Day Afternoon” (coincidentally the same movie Travolta quoted in “Saturday Night Fever”). It becomes apparent that this is not just some random conversation over drinks. We are in the middle of a very ugly hostage situation, far more menacing than the one in “Dog Day Afternoon.” He doesn’t just have the hostages strapped up in explosives. He has them strapped up in explosives and ball bearings, so that when one person explodes we will get to see the rain of spheres operating like a mini-minefield.

Then a flashback: Ginger (Halle Berry) finds Stanley working as a maintenance man at an oil rig, under probation that will send him to jail immediately if he touches a computer keyboard. She tells Stanley that her employer will pay $100,000 just to meet him, and Stanley, who wants to regain custody of his plucky daughter from his druggie porn star wife, accepts. They meet in the kind of nightclub/house of decadence that Hollywood types think that non-Hollywood types will think is cool. Gabriel gives Stanley a rather unusual test — 60 seconds to break into a Defense Department computer system while a gun is at his head and a woman is otherwise distracting him under the desk.

Many explosions and shoot-outs and car chases (plus a look at Halle Berry topless) later, we are back at the hostage scene, and ready for some very predictable twists and turns and a bus hanging from a helicopter before the unsurprising ending.

The dialogue is supposed to be hip and sardonic, but it is just third-rate Tarantino. When the Berry character says that her name is Ginger, the best they can do is have Stanley make a “Gilligan’s Island” joke. Generally speaking, when the characters in a movie laugh at a joke, the audience does not. The movie tries for a vibe that is cool, amoral, and ambiguous, but what it gets is a vibe that is manipulative and insincere. Really — they could not figure out a way to make us care about Stanley without making his daughter have a stepfather who makes porn movies and a mother who is too drugged out to pick her up from school on time? They throw in a little Jeremy Bentham-esque dialogue about the greatest good for the greatest number, but are we really supposed to be glad that national security is being carried out by a rogue cop who thinks he is above the rules? It’s like giving the codes to the atom bomb to Leona Helmsley.

Jackman and Berry do their best with criminally underwritten parts, but Travolta never makes us believe that his character has two dimensions, much less three. All that’s left are the explosions and chases which are well handled, but we care so little about the outcome that they barely matter.

Parents should know that this is a true R movie with very strong language, nudity, sexual references and situations (including using a woman like property and ordering her to service Stanley sexually in front of other people), and a lot of violence. Many people are killed and there is an extended close-up of a grisly corpse.

Families who see this movie should talk about the Bentham-esque conundrum posed by Gabriel. If you could wipe out cancer by killing one child, would you do it? Should Stanley have violated his parole and broken the law in order to get his daughter back? How is what he did when Ginger was being threatened make him different from Gabriel?

Families who enjoy this movie will also enjoy “Face-Off” with Travolta and Nicolas Cage and “X-Men” with Jackman and Berry.

Plot: The only one of the popular S.E. Hinton books to be filmed by Disney, this is a bit glossier than the two directed by Francis Ford Coppola (“The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish”), but still a very frank and gritty story about two brothers who have to take care of themselves and each other while their father is on the road. Mason (Jim Metzler) is a senior, a basketball star, dedicated and responsible. Tex (Matt Dillon) is fifteen, unsure of himself, not yet ready to focus on the problems they face. His horse, Rowdy, is the center of his world. As the movie begins, they are out of money, out of food, and the gas has been turned off. It has been four months since they heard from their father, who is traveling with the rodeo. Mason sells their horses to get money for food. Tex is furious, throws things, and wrestles angrily with his brother.

Tex comes home drunk after a party with friends. The next day, his friend’s harsh father, Cole (Ben Johnson), blames Tex, and threatens to call the juvenile authorities to make sure that Mason and Tex have some supervision. Mason tells Tex, “You want to stay off some youth farm somewhere? Start thinking ahead five minutes at a time now and then.”

Mason is under so much pressure that he develops an ulcer. They pick up a hitchhiker on the way back from the hospital, and he turns out to be an escaped prisoner. He points a gun at them and tells them to drive him to the state line. Tex swerves into a ditch, and the hitchhiker is shot by the police.

Pop returns and promises he will stay. He tries to buy Rowdy back, but the people do not want to sell. Tex is angry and bitter. When Mason’s application form for Indiana University arrives, Tex takes it.

Mason is injured in a game. Tex is suspended from school for a prank and overhears Mason say that Pop is not his biological father. Hurt and angry, he gets in the car with a small-time drug dealer friend, on his way to explain a “mix-up” to some tough characters. Tex goes along and gets shot. At the hospital, he fills out Mason’s application, and Mason is accepted. Tex urges Mason to go, knowing that it is best for Mason, and that he can take care of himself.

Discussion: Tex has tougher problems than most kids, but his impulsive approach to dealing with them will seem familiar to many viewers. He knows they have no money to feed the horses, much less themselves, and yet is angry when Mason sells them. When he is angry and hurt, he makes a foolish decision to get in the middle of a fight over a drug deal, saying, “If there is any hassle, they’ll be sorry, because I really feel like making somebody sorry,” one of many incidents of displacement. All around Tex and Mason are the consequences of bad choices — Pop’s, in going to prison and neglecting his sons; Cole’s in being too strict with his children; their own, in picking up the hitchhiker; Lem’s in dealing in drugs to make money; and Lem’s and his girlfriend’s in getting pregnant.

The issue of responsibility is also an important one here. Mason takes on the responsibility of the household, putting enormous pressure on himself. But in “over-parenting,” he keeps too much from Tex, and it is only when Tex has to take some responsibility himself that he can begin to think of other people.Sexual involvement by teenagers is an issue as well. Mason’s advice to Tex (that a boy should keep going until the girl tells him to stop) is worth discussing with both boys and girls. So is Jamie’s ability to make it very clear to Tex that she is not ready to have sex with him.

It is also worth discussing the principal’s comment to Tex: “I hope there’s something you take seriously, because it’s the only thing that’ll save you.”

Questions for Kids:

· Cole and Pop have opposite reactions to the trouble Johnny and Tex get into. Is one more effective? How would you respond?

· Why didn’t Mason apologize for selling the horses?

· Why did Tex take over when Johnny didn’t jump his motorbike over the creek?

· Pop tells Mason to go ahead and explode and clear the air. What do you think about this approach to communication?

· Why did Johnny say it was all right for him to criticize his father, but he didn’t want Tex to do it?

Connections: Matt Dillon also appears in “My Bodyguard.” Older teens will appreciate Francis Ford Coppola’s versions of “The Outsiders” and “Rumble Fish,” both of which feature a number of future stars.

Activities: Read the novels of S.E. Hinton (who has a brief appearance in this movie as Mrs. Barnes).

Fans of the old “Rocky and Bullwinkle” cartoon show fondly remember its wisecracking sensibility and its refusal to take anything seriously, especially itself. And they remember its terrible puns, planted like time-release capsules in the brains of young baby-boomers, who would find themselves years later, sitting in some high school or college class, thinking “I get it! The college was named Wossamotta U!”

The best thing about this live-action update is that it is true to those qualities. It is so unpretentious that it is impossible to dislike.

Rocky and Bullwinkle, living in the animated world of Frostbite Falls since cancellation of their television show, are called back into action to defeat their long-time foes, Pottsylvanian spies Boris and Natasha (“Seinfeld’s” Jason Alexander and “Thomas Crown Affair’s” Rene Russo). The Pottsylvanian bad guys, including boss Fearless Leader (played by co-producer Robert DeNiro), have been brought into the real world and are plotting that perennial bad-guy favorite, total world domination, through television programs that turn everyone into zombies. Young FBI agent Karen Sympathy (Piper Perabo) seeks out her childhood heroes to help her save the world.

I think that in that paragraph I spent more time on the plot than the movie did. It’s really just an excuse for some gentle satire (“Ninety-nine percent of the country is slobbering in front of the television!” “What’s so strange about that?”), lots of jokes and guest appearances, and, of course, some really horrible puns. In fact, there are so many bad puns that some just get thrown away, as when the characters rush by a sign near a stream of water that says “Crimea River.” There are also lots of movie references. Robert DeNiro joshes his most famous line when Fearless Leader asks, “You talkin’ to me?” Jonathan Winters reprises his role from “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World”, and there’s a “Hail Pottsylvania” song lifted from the Marx Brothers’ “Duck Soup.” So many stars show up for brief appearances that Whoopi Goldberg’s character is named “Judge Cameo.” Keenan and Kel, Billy Crystal, Randy Quaid, Janeane Garofolo, John Goodman, and a host of “that guy looks familiar” character actors pop up along the way. There’s even a tribute to Roger Ebert’s favorite movie cliché, the fruit cart in the chase scene.

Kids may miss a lot of the jokes that require a knowledge of old movies or the ability to recognize the guest stars or recognize Simon and Garfunkel’s “America” as Rocky and Bullwinkle drive off. But no one loves puns more than a seven-year-old (that’s why they spend so much time asking you riddles) and they will enjoy the interaction of the live and cartoon actors and the silly humor. Parents will enjoy seeing Rocky and Bullwinkle characters cope with the 21st century, as when Boris has to confront the dreaded “bad command or file name” error message and Bullwinkle discovers a new use for email. The actors all do their best to create an impression in what is really a cartoon environment, but Piper Perabo’s task is particularly thankless. Not only is her character Karen not very interesting, but she has to wear the most hideous clothes seen in a non-1970’s era movie in years, including a denim pantsuit that itself should have been enough to send everyone back to Frostbite Falls.

Parents should know that in order to market this movie to older kids by getting a PG rating, the producers have included brief mild language and cartoon-style violence. Very young children may be scared by the machine that turns people into vegetables (literally).

Families who see this movie should discuss Karen’s “ends justify the means” justification for stealing a truck and other dishonest acts, and Rocky’s reply, “But we’re supposed to be the heroes.” Older kids will enjoy the way that the characters are aware that they are in a movie — what people call “breaking down the fourth wall.” Characters talk back to the narrator. When Karen is asked to explain her behavior, she says, “I didn’t write this movie!”

Kids will also be intrigued by the way that Karen listens to the little girl inside her, and her conclusion that “what you believe in when you are young can still be true when you grow up.” That can lead to a good discussion of how many things change as you grow up, but some essentials remain a part of you forever.

Families who enjoy this movie should watch some of the original Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons, including the Fractured Fairy Tales and “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” episodes. They’ll also enjoy Jay Ward’s other creations, Dudley Do-Right and George of the Jungle.

Rose Sayer and her brother Samuel are English missionaries in 1914 German East Africa. Their rare contact with the outside world is through Charlie Allnut, who delivers their occasional mail on his steam- powered boat, The African Queen. The Germans destroy their village. Samuel is injured and dies, broken-hearted. Charlie offers to take Rose with him.

At first, they are stiffly polite to each other. He respectfully calls her “Miss,” and she calls him “Mr. Allnut.” She decides that they must help fight the Germans by using their explosives to blow up the powerful German gunboat, the Louisa. He becomes angry and frustrated by her insistence on what he sees as a dangerously reckless idea, and she becomes disgusted and furious when he gets drunk. He calls her a “crazy psalm-singing skinny old maid.” She pours all his liquor overboard.

He decides that she will change her mind when she sees how dangerous the river is, and takes her over the rapids. She is thrilled, telling him that she is “filled with admiration” for his skill, and that “I never dreamed any mere physical experience could be so stimulating!” Charmed by her enthusiasm and praise, he still insists that they cannot possibly attack the Louisa. The river is all but impossible to navigate, and a German fort blocks their path. She insists, and as they face challenges together they learn to respect, rely on, and finally love each other. After a tender night together, she asks him, “Mr. Allnut, dear. There’s something I must know. What’s your first name?”

They make it past the fort and survive bugs, rapids, leeches, and the reeds that strangle the river, finally approaching the Louisa. But they are captured and sentenced to death by the captain. Charlie asks for a last request — that they be executed as husband and wife. The captain quickly marries them, and just as they are about to be hung, Charlie’s torpedo strapped to the African Queen hits the Louisa, and Mr. and Mrs. Allnut swim to shore together.

This is one of the finest and most satisfying of the “two diverse characters must take a journey together and learn to like and respect each other along the way” genre. Rose and Charlie are opposites. And yet they are perfectly suited to each other.

We first see Charlie hideously out of place sipping tea with Rose and Samuel and trying to hide his growling stomach. “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we were put in this world to rise above,” she tells him later. And yet, in another sense, Rose and Samuel were out of place in Africa. Ultimately, Rose is not comfortable “rising above” nature, and indeed grows to love it, as she gives up some of the strictures of civilization and appreciates the beauty and “stimulation” of the natural world. Charlie learns to appreciate some of the beauties of civilization; to take the challenge and the responsibility of participating in the fight against the Germans, to have a relationship of trust and tenderness.

Humphrey Bogart won a well-deserved Oscar for this performance. Katharine Hepburn, who was also nominated, said that her performance was based on director John Huston’s suggestion that she play Rose as Eleanor Roosevelt. Compare this performance to her appearance in “Pat and Mike” a year later, in which she played a world-class athlete.

The movie is based on a novel of the same name by C.S. Forester, but the romance was added by screenwriters James Agee and John Huston. Adults who enjoy this movie might like to see “White Hunter, Black Heart,” a backstage look at the making of this film, concentrating on John Huston’s elephant hunting.

Look at a map of Africa to see where this took place.

Not one of Disney’s best, but this is a nice animated story of an elegant cat (voice of Eva Gabor) who must find her way back home with her kittens to protect their inheritance from an evil butler. The plot is sort of “Lady and the Tramp” crossed with “101 Dalmations,” with less memorable characters and songs. The highlight is the jazzy “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” number, with Phil Harris as Thomas O’Malley “The Alley” Cat singing the lead.

NOTE: There is a very odd, but brief, drunken scene when a goose drinks the wine that was supposed to be used to marinate him.