Thornton's 'Friday Night Lights' Hits Hard

Now in theaters: Friday Night Lights, Taxi and Raise Your Voice.

Friday Night Lights: This hard-hitting high school football film is B.Y.O.H. — as in "Bring Your Own Helmet." You might want to bring shoulder pads, too.

This is the only high school film I've seen where we never see the kids in a classroom. We never see a classroom. The only part of the school we see is the stadium and the locker room. It's no accident the star of the team can barely read the scholarship offers he's getting from colleges around the country.

Billy Bob Thornton underplays the coach, exactly what he should be doing, as the rest of the small Texas town revolves around football.

Director Peter Berg gives us some great sports action, and a lot to think about. Other high school football films like Hoosiers and Remember the Titans are more uplifting. This one's a good film, though. Grade: B

Taxi: Movies starring Saturday Night Live comics have created some huge stars. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler and now Will Farrell. Then there are SNL films like It's Pat that not even Pat saw. This one's closer to that one.

In Taxi, Saturday Night Live's Jimmy Fallon turns a star vehicle into a car wreck. He's a cop who can't drive, so he takes a cab to a bank robbery and it's driven by Queen Latifah.

I like Queen Latifah. I've been a fan since she was Princess Latifah. But Queen, you're testing me. There are no intentional laughs. Not only is one scene with nitrous oxide not funny, it reminded me that I'd rather be at the dentist's.

Here's what is funny about Taxi: When the cab is stopped, you feel like you're in New York, where the movie is set. But when the cab is rolling, you feel like you're in Los Angeles, where the movie was shot. There are no alleys in Manhattan, guys! No grass-banked freeways, either.

More serious moving violations: A few racist remarks the world could do without. And, the studio didn't send clips — for good reason — but Ann-Margret plays Fallon's mother as an incurable alcoholic for laughs. Earth to Hollywood: Alcoholism isn't funny. Neither is this.