Bubble Boy

Hyperactively enthusiastic Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky) is a great happy-go-lucky goofball in this hilarious comedy about an immune-system-deficient geek who zip-locks himself into a portable, airtight orb of his own design to travel cross-country and stop the girl he loves (Marley Shelton, Sugar & Spice, Valentine) from marrying Mr. Wrong. Not a single opportunity for guffaws or grins goes to waste as Bubble Boy hitches rides from a Partridge family-like busload of halcyon cultists (who worship Fabio); a surly, motorbiking Mexican ex-con (Danny Trejo); and a freight train full of sideshow freaks enslaved by a foul-mouthed dwarf (Verne Troyer, Austin Powers 2). Admittedly, the dumb plot frequently lurches forward because of its lack of focus on anything except the next laugh--but there's enough of those to make this unfairly targeted movie (the Immune Deficiency Foundation urged a boycott, but the film's absolutely un-PC humor ranges--sometimes uncomfortably--much wider) a strong optional purchase. (R. Blackwelder)