Rafael Aguilar has created this eternal magnum opus that takes the viewer through a myriad kaleidoscope of emotions. Aphrodisiac dances and sensual music makes this an exhilarating experience.

If you have a hearty appetite for fiery explosions, heavy ordnance and nonsensical mayhem, Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever is just for you. This mindless action flick is so wrong-headed that even its ungainly title is inaccurate: as expert assassins on the fringes of government intelligence, FBI agent Ecks (Antonio Banderas) and Defence Intelligence agent Sever (Lucy Liu) aren't battling each other at all. Instead, he's trying to find his missing ex-wife (the stunning but expressionless Talisa Soto) and young son, while she's pursuing an agency turncoat (Gregg Henry) who's stolen the ultimate micro-technology for clandestine killing. United against a common enemy, Ecks and Sever lay waste to half of Vancouver (the film's budget-conscious location), and it all makes as much sense as meatballs on a vegetarian menu. Banderas and Liu look fabulous as corpses pile up around them, but Thai action director Kaos (aka Wych Kaosayananda) must have confused his nickname with the incomprehensible plot of his movie. --Jeff Shannon

Bamboozled is that rarity in Hollywood cinema, a sharp but subtle satire by Spike Lee, America's most important black director. A TV producer trying to expose the racism of his corporation conceives an idea for a new show. It's back to the Black and White Minstrels, reincarnated in glorious colour. He can't believe it when his ironic suggestion is taken up by the company and becomes a huge hit. Lee manages to show us just what's wrong with stereotypes of blacks, and yet acknowledge just how easily even black people themselves can be seduced by them. It's a pity about the ending, which explodes in a hail of bullets, quite inappropriately for such a film, but up till then there are plenty of laughs and much food for thought.

On the DVD: the many extras include Lee's informative audio commentary on the film and a 50-minute "making of" documentary, plus 10 scenes deleted from the final version, some posters, a couple of music videos and the theatrical trailer. --Ed Buscombe