esandor

Whale Rider gets two big canoe paddles up from me for the beautiful, refreshing way it redeems the use of symbolism from the garbage dump of hackneyed cinematic conventions.

Most movies have symbolism--heavy, cloying, we'll-do-the-thinking-for you symbolism in which Meaningful (with a capital M!) looks between characters, Meaningfully slow close-ups on Meaningful objects, repetition of Meaningful phrases or what have you are a dime a dozen--and usually accompanied by overt, Meaningful music.

Whale Rider steers clear of this pap. Yes, it has symbolism. But it's light and skillful: nothing is tediously explained to the audience, then repeated at a "critical" moment. No character utters a line so turgid with Meaning that it makes you groan. When a symbol does appear, it is gently soft-pedaled before it intrudes on the story.

Movie fans should keep a copy of Whale Rider around as a home remedy for cloying, pretentious symbolism. If, say, you have the misfortune to watch part of "Powder", immediately insert this DVD and sit back while it removes the sticky gunk from your mind. Ahhhh. Perfect.

Audrey Hepburn AND Fred Astaire?! Good golly, I was expecting so much more.

My husband and I settled down in front of the tube awaiting a gloriously dance- filled "Roman Holiday", or something like that. Wow, it was going to be full of Gershwin tunes! And the costumes were going to be great, too--all by the legendary Edith Head.

Unfortunately, we were disappointed in every way. From the completely chemistry-free love story (yeah, right) , to the unsuccessful caterpillar-turns butterfly story (um, hello...Audrey is supposed to be a "funny" looking girl, not model material? Gimme a break), to the unmemorable songs (" 'S Wonderful" was the only good one), to the weird leaping-about stylings of Fred's dancing (come on!! You can do SO much better!), to, finally, the awful wedding dress that made even beautiful Audrey Hepburn look dumb (my husband finally burst out, "Jeez!! Lose the gym shoes and tutu!!").

The only good parts were Audrey's beatnik dance and multiple shots of a vintage Constellation airliner (hubby is an airplane buff). If you're thinking of seeing this, do yourself a favor and get "My Fair Lady" and some Fred&Ginger movie instead.

If you just want to laugh and laugh at some of the most joke-packed dialogue on TV today--and you don't care whether any of it makes sense--then you'll love ATHF.

The writers don't waste time explaining why the characters are food or what "Aqua Teen" even means. They don't try to tie up plot threads, illuminate the backstory, or even have the characters leave their neighborhood to fight crimes as depicted in the opening and closing credits. None of that is necessary. Instead, they just bring us a stripped-down, personality-driven yukfest that shows encumbered with the usual baggage simply can't match.

ATHF meets---nay, far exceeds!---my personal gold standard for comedy: that the jokes should not only be funny, but be ones I couldn't possibly have thought up for myself, and that there not be a moment's lag time between them.

Watching it is like eating potato chips (um, guess I mean fries) of pure, mindless laughter. ENJOY!