Persall's Top 5

By STEVE PERSALL

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 11, 2000

Recent releases recommended by Times film critic Steve Persall

1 Space Cowboys -- Senior-citizen astronauts save the day. Haven't Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner been doing that for ages?

2 X-Men -- Action-packed screen version of the Marvel Comics superheroes. Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart make classy antagonists amid the sci-fi hardware.

3 Chicken Run -- The Great Escape, starring stop-animation poultry instead of Steve McQueen. Loads of puns and fun from the creators of Wallace and Gromit.

4 The Patriot -- Mel Gibson defends his family and Old Glory from British invasion. Bloody battles make this Saving General Washington.

5 Coyote Ugly -- Energetic movie junk featuring female bartenders who are sexy and assertive. John Goodman's sweet, funny role as a worried father nearly steals the show.