The films of Michel Gondry aren't for everyone, but viewers who vibe to his playful, cerebral, wildly imaginative sensibility might get a kick out of "Be Kind Rewind." It's the story of a New Jersey slacker (Jack Black) who runs afoul of a power plant and becomes magnetized, unwittingly erases every tape in his neighborhood video store, then records over the tapes with condensed, low-tech reenacted versions of the movies. Such a far-fetched shaggy-dog yarn borders on the patronizing. But Gondry's belief in community-based, handmade, DIY culture is infectious, and his cry against big-box homogenization (fewer choices, more copies) is a noble one.

Black delivers a loud, hectoring performance reminiscent of his record store clerk in "High Fidelity," but he has moments of physical comedic brilliance, and Mos Def, as his friend and collaborator, is his usual unflappably cool self. The movie remakes are hilarious (especially a group reinterpretation of "When We Were Kings"), and the film's climactic scene is a lyrically transporting ode to cinema that's straight out of Preston Sturges. Finally, "Be Kind Rewind" represents its own sweetly insurgent call to action: Watchers of the world, unite, and seize the means of cultural production. You have nothing to lose but your chain stores.

-- Ann Hornaday (Feb. 22, 2008)

Contains sexual references.