Mouse Hunt

Anyone who's ever had a rodent problem is in for some deep moral pondering with Mouse Hunt. Who do you root for: two down-and-out klutzy brothers just trying to renovate a house to sell, or the ridiculously intelligent, unbelievably cute mouse they're trying to dispose of? That question -- aided by lively, likable performances from Nathan Lane, whose charm and vulnerability turn a would-be mean-spirited character into a sympathetic role, British comedian Lee Evans as his younger, naive brother, and of course the multi-talented mouse -- more than makes up for a plot with as many holes as a slice of Swiss cheese. When first-time director Gore Verbinski keeps the game of man-and-mouse at a subdued Home Alone level (the brothers getting caught in their own mousetraps), the film is amusing and touching. Too bad that the slapstick eventually takes a turn for the gruesome (the brothers having their heads inflamed by gasoline). And Christopher Walken as a maniacal exterminator is surprisingly disappointing. Sarcastic, irreverent moments pop up, to the delight of adults, but a few darker moments misfire badly. There's nothing funny about watching a girl cry as her kitty is taken to the pound -- even if a cat is the arch enemy of our dear little pal. At the Holiday, Showcase, Tri-Boro, and Westerly cinemas.

-- Mark Bazer