the film makes a tragic error by going on for too long , trying to mirror every subsequent event in chinese history : war , revolution , communism , etc. .


compelling as it is exotic , fast runner has a plot that rivals shakespeare for intrigue , treachery and murder .


renner 's performance as dahmer is unforgettable , deeply absorbing .


big fat liar is just futile silliness looking to tap into the kiddie sensibilities .


afraid to pitch into farce , yet only half-hearted in its spy mechanics , all the queen 's men is finally just one long drag .


a painfully leaden film destined for pre-dawn cable television slots .


it would be hard to think of a recent movie that has worked this hard to achieve this little fun .


a recipe for cinematic disaster ... part quentin tarantino , part guy ritchie , and part 1960s spy spoof , it 's all bad .


hands down the year 's most thought-provoking film .


the furious coherence that -lrb- deniro -rrb- brings to this part only underscores the fuzzy sentimentality of the movie itself , which feels , as it plods toward the end , less like a movie than like the filmed reading of a script in need of polishing .


you might not buy the ideas .


looks like a high school film project completed the day before it was due .


as shaky as the plot is , kaufman 's script is still memorable for some great one-liners .


not for everyone , but for those with whom it will connect , it 's a nice departure from standard moviegoing fare .


this road movie gives you emotional whiplash , and you 'll be glad you went along for the ride .


too stupid to be satire , too obviously hateful to be classified otherwise , frank novak 's irritating slice of lumpen life is as reliably soul-killing as its title is nearly meaningless .


at times , however , dogtown and z-boys lapses into an insider 's lingo and mindset that the uninitiated may find hard to follow , or care about .


a compelling journey ... and `` his best friend remembers '' is up there with the finest of specials .


a real movie , about real people , that gives us a rare glimpse into a culture most of us do n't know .


after seeing swept away , i feel sorry for madonna .


but buying into sham truths and routine `` indie '' filmmaking , freundlich has made just another safe movie .


a clutchy , indulgent and pretentious travelogue and diatribe against ... well , just stuff .


the vampire thriller blade ii starts off as a wild hoot and then sucks the blood out of its fun -- toward the end , you can feel your veins cringing from the workout .


what makes the movie a comedy is the way it avoids the more serious emotions involved .


it 's not horrible , just horribly mediocre .


the title 's lameness should clue you in on how bad the movie is .


a gimmick in search of a movie : how to get carvey into as many silly costumes and deliver as many silly voices as possible , plot mechanics be damned .


nothing about it fits .


the makers have forsaken the entertaining elements of the original and , instead , rehash old jokes and leave any life at the doorstep .


ordinary melodrama that is heavy on religious symbols but wafer-thin on dramatic substance


it 's a good film -- not a classic , but odd , entertaining and authentic .


a bold and subversive film that cuts across the grain of what is popular and powerful in this high-tech age , speaking its truths with spellbinding imagery and the entrancing music of philip glass .


it 's rather like a lifetime special -- pleasant , sweet and forgettable .


must-see viewing for anyone involved in the high-tech industry .


does what a fine documentary does best : it extends a warm invitation into an unfamiliar world , then illuminates it fully and allows the larger implications of the journey to sink in unobtrusively .


when the first few villians are introduced as `` spider '' and `` snake '' you know you 're in for a real winner , creativity at its peak .


this is n't a `` friday '' worth waiting for .


maybe i found the proceedings a little bit too conventional .


even the unwatchable soapdish is more original .


a wildly funny prison caper .


it 's not exactly a gourmet meal but the fare is fair , even coming from the drive-thru .


obvious politics and rudimentary animation reduce the chances that the appeal of hey arnold !


nair stuffs the film with dancing , henna , ornamentation , and group song , but her narrative clichés and telegraphed episodes smell of old soap opera .


unfortunately , the picture failed to capture me .


its save-the-planet message clashes with its crass marketing .


when a film is created solely because it 's a marketable product , soulless and ugly movies like this are the result .


often hilarious , well-shot and , importantly , entertaining , hell house is a fascinating document of an event that has to be seen to be believed .


there 's enough science to make it count as educational , and enough beauty to make it unforgettable .


it 's also heavy-handed and devotes too much time to bigoted views .


although very much like the first movie based on j.k. rowling 's phenomenal fantasy best sellers , this second go-round possesses a quite pleasing , headlong thrust and a likably delinquent attitude .


merchant effectively translates naipaul 's lively mix of characters from the page to screen .


others may find it migraine-inducing , despite moore 's attempts at whimsy and spoon feeding .


you 've seen them a million times .


the comic performances are all spot on , especially lee ross 's turn as ken .


nothing plot-wise is worth e-mailing home about .


message movie or an action-packed submarine spectacular ?


disney 's live-action division has a history of releasing cinematic flotsam , but this is one occasion when they have unearthed a rare gem .


first good , then bothersome .


adam sandler is to gary cooper what a gnat is to a racehorse .


even by dumb action-movie standards , ballistic : ecks vs. sever is a dumb action movie .


if no one singles out any of these performances as award-worthy , it 's only because we would expect nothing less from this bunch .


... watching this film nearly provoked me to take my own life .


but this time there 's some mold on the gold .


a model of what films like this should be like .


a soggy , cliche-bound epic-horror yarn that ends up being even dumber than its title .


-lrb- t -rrb- hose same extremes prevent us from taking its message seriously , and the stepford wives mentality does n't work in a modern context .


a movie for 11-year-old boys with sports dreams of their own and the preteen girls who worship lil ' bow wow .


aside from being the funniest movie of the year , simone , andrew niccol 's brilliant anti-hollywood satire , has a wickedly eccentric enchantment to it .


a fast-moving and remarkable film that appears destined to become a landmark in japanese animation .


a truly moving experience , and a perfect example of how art -- when done right -- can help heal , clarify , and comfort .


the hours is what movies are supposed to be ...


just another fish-out-of-water story that barely stays afloat .


when it really counts ... bloody sunday connects on a visceral level that transcends language .


... with the candy-like taste of it fading faster than 25-cent bubble gum , i realized this is a throwaway movie that wo n't stand the test of time .


a remarkable 179-minute meditation on the nature of revolution .


nothing more than a mediocre trifle .


full of profound , real-life moments that anyone can relate to , it deserves a wide audience .


you would be better off investing in the worthy emi recording that serves as the soundtrack , or the home video of the 1992 malfitano-domingo production .


audiences can be expected to suspend their disbelief only so far -- and that does not include the 5 o'clock shadow on the tall wooden kid as he skips off to school .


a perverse little truffle , dainty psychological terror on the outside with a creamy filling of familial jealousy and unrepentant domestic psychopathy .


as a randy film about sexy people in gorgeous places being pushed and pulled -lrb- literally and figuratively -rrb- by desire ... -lrb- sex and lucía -rrb- makes for an arousing good time .


a work of intricate elegance , literary lyricism and profound common sense .


solid , lump-in-the-throat family entertainment that derives its power by sticking to the facts .


for all its serious sense of purpose ... -lrb- it -rrb- finds a way to lay bare the tragedies of its setting with a good deal of warmth and humor .


far from perfect , but its heart is in the right place ... innocent and well-meaning .


despite its flaws , secretary stays in your head and makes you question your own firmly held positions .


the film hinges on its performances , and both leads are up to the task .


the irwins emerge unscathed , but the fictional footage is unconvincing and criminally badly acted .


it helps that the central performers are experienced actors , and that they know their roles so well .


the title trapped turns out to be a pretty fair description of how you feel while you 're watching this ultra-manipulative thriller .


the thriller side of this movie is falling flat , as the stalker does n't do much stalking , and no cop or lawyer grasps the concept of actually investigating the case .


as with too many studio pics , plot mechanics get in the way of what should be the lighter-than-air adventure .


it 's an awfully derivative story .


now it 's a bad , embarrassing movie .


fails to bring as much to the table .


sturdy , entertaining period drama ... both caine and fraser have their moments .


focuses on joan 's raging hormones and sledgehammers the audience with spanish inquisitions about her `` madness '' so much that i became mad that i wasted 123 minutes and $ 9.50 on this 21st century torture device .


there are moments in this account of the life of artist frida kahlo that are among cinema 's finest this year .


dark , resonant , inventively detailed and packed with fleet turns of plot and a feast of visual amazement .


narc may not get an ` a ' for originality , but it wears its b-movie heritage like a badge of honor .


the story may not be new , but australian director john polson , making his american feature debut , jazzes it up adroitly .


i admired it , particularly that unexpected downer of an ending .


a tv episode inflated past its natural length .


zany , exuberantly irreverent animated space adventure .


the creaking , rusty ship makes a fine backdrop , but the ghosts ' haunting is routine .


it 's not so much enjoyable to watch as it is enlightening to listen to new sides of a previous reality , and to visit with some of the people who were able to make an impact in the theater world .


celebrated at sundance , this slight comedy of manners has winning performances and a glossy , glib charm that 's hard to beat .


-lrb- davis -rrb- has a bright , chipper style that keeps things moving , while never quite managing to connect her wish-fulfilling characters to the human race .


enough trivializes an important crisis , reduces it to an almost comic embarrassment .


the film is an enjoyable family film -- pretty much aimed at any youngster who loves horses .


watching trouble every day , at least if you do n't know what 's coming , is like biting into what looks like a juicy , delicious plum on a hot summer day and coming away with your mouth full of rotten pulp and living worms .


rarely do films come along that are as intelligent , exuberant , and moving as monsoon wedding .


the laser-projected paintings provide a spell-casting beauty , while russell and dreyfus are a romantic pairing of hearts , preciously exposed as history corners them .


there are a few laughs and clever sight gags scattered about , but not enough to make this anything more than another big-budget bust .


a thoughtful look at a painful incident that made headlines in 1995 .


an intermittently pleasing but mostly routine effort .


the film has a few cute ideas and several modest chuckles but it is n't exactly kiddie-friendly ... alas , santa is more ho-hum than ho-ho-ho and the snowman -lrb- who never gets to play that flute -rrb- has all the charm of a meltdown .


marisa tomei is good , but just a kiss is just a mess .


as teen movies go , `` orange county '' is a refreshing change


attal mixes comedy with a serious exploration of ego and jealousy within a seemingly serene marriage .


with a story inspired by the tumultuous surroundings of los angeles , where feelings of marginalization loom for every dreamer with a burst bubble , the dogwalker has a few characters and ideas , but it never manages to put them on the same path .


a mostly tired retread of several other mob tales .


flaunts its quirky excesses like a new year 's eve drunk sporting a paper party hat .


lame , haphazard teen comedy .


somewhat blurred , but kinnear 's performance is razor sharp .


... fifty minutes of tedious adolescent melodramatics followed by thirty-five minutes of inflated nonsense .


no number of fantastic sets , extras , costumes and spectacular locales can disguise the emptiness at the center of the story .


a slick , skillful little horror film .


there are as many misses as hits , but ultimately , it finds humor in the foibles of human behavior , and it 's a welcome return to the roots of a genre that should depend on surprises .


more a load of enjoyable , conan-esque claptrap than the punishing , special-effects soul assaults the mummy pictures represent .


on the surface , it 's a lovers-on-the-run crime flick , but it has a lot in common with piesiewicz 's and kieslowski 's earlier work , films like the double life of veronique .


in the end , punch-drunk love is one of those films that i wanted to like much more than i actually did .


it helps that lil bow wow ... tones down his pint-sized gangsta act to play someone who resembles a real kid .


finds a way to tell a simple story , perhaps the simplest story of all , in a way that seems compelling and even original .


most of the supporting characters in eastwood films are weak , as are most of the subplots .


began life as a computer game , then morphed into a movie -- a bad one , of course .


it 's a beautifully accomplished lyrical meditation on a bunch of despondent and vulnerable characters living in the renown chelsea hotel ...


much of what is meant to be ` inspirational ' and ` uplifting ' is simply distasteful to audiences not already sharing -lrb- the movie 's -rrb- mindset .


but based on cq , i 'll certainly be keeping an eye out for his next project .


disturbing and brilliant documentary .


chaotic , self-indulgent and remarkably ugly to look at , it 's ... like a series of pretentiously awful student films strung together into one feature-length horror .


windtalkers celebrates the human spirit and packs an emotional wallop .


what it lacks in originality it makes up for in intelligence and b-grade stylishness .


an exciting and involving rock music doc , a smart and satisfying look inside that tumultuous world .


the lack of pace kills it , although , in a movie about cancer , this might be apt .


alas , it 's neither .


... this movie has a glossy coat of action movie excess while remaining heartless at its core .


men in black ii has sequel-itis something fierce .


not too far below the gloss you can still feel director denis villeneuve 's beating heart and the fondness he has for his characters .


it 's astonishing .


a film that takes you inside the rhythms of its subject : you experience it as you watch .


a resonant tale of racism , revenge and retribution .


a mostly intelligent , engrossing and psychologically resonant suspenser .


between bedroom scenes , viewers may find themselves wishing they could roll over and take a nap .


the central story lacks punch .


not every animated film from disney will become a classic , but forgive me if i 've come to expect more from this studio than some 79-minute after-school `` cartoon '' .


a didactic and dull documentary glorifying software anarchy .


a well-made thriller with a certain level of intelligence and non-reactionary morality .


if you 're like me , a sucker for a good old fashion romance and someone who shamelessly loves to eat , then mostly martha offers all the perfect ingredients to more than satisfy your appetite .


all in all , there 's only one thing to root for : expulsion for everyone .


it 's never a good sign when a film 's star spends the entirety of the film in a coma .


we need -lrb- moore 's -rrb- noisy , cocky energy , his passion and class consciousness ; we need his shticks , we need his stones .


roman coppola may never become the filmmaker his dad was , but heck -- few filmmakers will .


gets under the skin of a man who has just lost his wife .


national lampoon 's van wilder could be the worst thing to come out of national lampoon since class reunion


the acting by the over-25s lacks spark , with csokas particularly unconnected .


-lrb- broomfield -rrb- uncovers a story powerful enough to leave the screen sizzling with intrigue .


it 's the kind of pigeonhole-resisting romp that hollywood too rarely provides .


has a plot full of twists upon knots ... and a nonstop parade of mock-tarantino scuzbag types that starts out clever but veers into overkill .


there 's nothing provocative about this film save for the ways in which it studiously avoids provoking thought .


a gentle blend of present day testimonials , surviving footage of burstein and his family performing , historical archives , and telling stills .


-lrb- it 's -rrb- a prison soccer movie starring charismatic tough guy vinnie jones , but it had too much spitting for me to enjoy .


there are slow and repetitive parts , but it has just enough spice to keep it interesting .


rambles on in a disjointed , substandard fashion from one poorly executed action sequence to the next .


if this is satire , it 's the smug and self-congratulatory kind that lets the audience completely off the hook .


here , adrian lyne comes as close to profundity as he is likely to get .


jagger the actor is someone you want to see again .


the level of maturity displayed by this 33-year-old first-time feature director is astonishing , considering her inexperience and her subject matter .


murder by numbers is like a couple of mediocre tv-movie - of-the-week films clumsily stuck together .


but in imax 3-d , the clichés disappear into the vertiginous perspectives opened up by the photography .


there 's more scatological action in 8 crazy nights than a proctologist is apt to encounter in an entire career .


the two leads chomp considerably more scenery with their acting than fire-breathing monsters barbecue with their breath ...


... a roller-coaster ride of a movie


just like hearst 's enormous yacht , it 's slow and unwieldy and takes a long time to reach its destination .


tsai ming-liang has taken his trademark style and refined it to a crystalline point .


god help the poor woman if attal is this insecure in real life : his fictional yvan 's neuroses are aggravating enough to exhaust the patience of even the most understanding spouse .


the film is surprisingly well-directed by brett ratner , who keeps things moving well -- at least until the problematic third act .


the story feels more like a serious read , filled with heavy doses of always enticing sayles dialogue .


the hours makes you examine your own life in much the same way its characters do , and the experience is profound .


hugh grant and sandra bullock are two such likeable actors .


in its ragged , cheap and unassuming way , the movie works .


while the film misfires at every level , the biggest downside is the paucity of laughter in what 's supposed to be a comedy .


i love the way that it took chances and really asks you to take these great leaps of faith and pays off .


lacks heart , depth and , most of all , purpose .


oedekerk wrote patch adams , for which he should not be forgiven .


with a story as bizarre and mysterious as this , you do n't want to be worrying about whether the ineffectual broomfield is going to have the courage to knock on that door .


marries the amateurishness of the blair witch project with the illogic of series 7 : the contenders to create a completely crass and forgettable movie .


the movie 's eventual success should be credited to dennis quaid , in fighting trim shape as an athlete as well as an actor


the actors do n't inhabit their roles -- they 're trapped by them , forced to change behavior in bizarre unjustified fashion and spout dialog that consists mostly of platitudes .


strong setup and ambitious goals fade as the film descends into unsophisticated scare tactics and b-film thuggery .


vile and tacky are the two best adjectives to describe ghost ship .


bow 's best moments are when he 's getting busy on the basketball court because that 's when he really scores .


a movie that tries to fuse the two ` woods ' but winds up a bolly-holly masala mess .


but that 's just the problem with it - the director has n't added enough of his own ingredients .


who knows what exactly godard is on about in this film , but his words and images do n't have to add up to mesmerize you .


it becomes gimmicky instead of compelling .


sets up a nice concept for its fiftysomething leading ladies , but fails loudly in execution .


undone by its overly complicated and derivative screenplay , the glacier-paced direction and the stereotypical characters .


some , like ballistic , arrive stillborn ... looking like the beaten , well-worn video box cover of seven years into the future .


the sort of movie that gives tastelessness a bad rap .


this time out , -lrb- sade -rrb- is an unsettlingly familiar figure -- in turns loyal and deceitful , responsible and reckless , idealistically selfless and coldly self-interested .


a pleasant romantic comedy .


the director 's twitchy sketchbook style and adroit perspective shifts grow wearisome amid leaden pacing and indifferent craftsmanship -lrb- most notably wretched sound design -rrb- .


must be seen to be believed .


... a poignant and powerful narrative that reveals that reading writing and arithmetic are not the only subjects to learn in life .


this is a film brimming with detail and nuance and one that speaks volumes about the ability of the human spirit to find solace in events that could easily crush it forever .


birot is a competent enough filmmaker , but her story has nothing fresh or very exciting about it .


it 's a minor comedy that tries to balance sweetness with coarseness , while it paints a sad picture of the singles scene .


it delivers some chills and sustained unease , but flounders in its quest for deeper meaning .


shot perhaps ` artistically ' with handheld cameras and apparently no movie lights by joaquin baca-asay , the low-budget production swings annoyingly between vertigo and opacity .


it 's painful .


a simple , sometimes maddeningly slow film that has just enough charm and good acting to make it interesting , but is ultimately pulled under by the pacing and lack of creativity within .


as blunt as it is in depicting child abuse , el bola is a movie steeped in an ambiguity that lends its conflicts a symbolic resonance .


morton is , as usual , brilliant .


the picture is a primer on what happens when lack of know-how mixes with lack of give-a-damn .


... a weak , manipulative , pencil-thin story that is miraculously able to entertain anyway .


what could have become just another cautionary fable is allowed to play out as a clever , charming tale -- as pleasantly in its own way as its self-dramatizing characters .


culkin , who 's in virtually every scene , shines as a young man who uses sarcastic lies like a shield .


for anyone who remembers the '60s or is interested in one man 's response to stroke , ram dass : fierce grace is worth seeking out .


falters when it takes itself too seriously and when it depends too heavily on its otherwise talented cast to clown in situations that are n't funny .


it wo n't be long before you 'll spy i spy at a video store near you .


an engaging overview of johnson 's eccentric career .


proof that a thriller can be sleekly shot , expertly cast , paced with crisp professionalism ... and still be a letdown if its twists and turns hold no more surprise than yesterday 's weather report .


the movie stays afloat thanks to its hallucinatory production design .


this goofy gangster yarn never really elevates itself from being yet another earnestly generic crime-busting comic vehicle -- a well-intentioned remake that shows some spunk and promise but fails to register as anything distinctive or daring


sorry , charlie


it 's a hoot and a half , and a great way for the american people to see what a candidate is like when he 's not giving the same 15-cent stump speech .


in scope , ambition and accomplishment , children of the century ... takes kurys ' career to a whole new level .


the sad thing about knockaround guys is its lame aspiration for grasping the coolness vibes when in fact the film is n't as flippant or slick as it thinks it is .


the more kevin costner rests on his pretty-boy laurels , the public is , regrettably , going to have tepid films like dragonfly tossed at them .


... -lrb- a -rrb- strained comedy that jettisons all opportunities for rock to make his mark by serving up the usual chaotic nonsense .


blessed with immense physical prowess he may well be , but ahola is simply not an actor .


another big , dumb action movie in the vein of xxx , the transporter is riddled with plot holes big enough for its titular hero to drive his sleek black bmw through .


nothing denis has made before , like beau travil and nenette et boni , could prepare us for this gory , perverted , sex-soaked riff on the cannibal genre .


led by griffin 's smartly nuanced performance and enthusiasm , the cast has a lot of fun with the material .


it 's frustrating to see these guys -- who are obviously pretty clever -- waste their talent on parodies of things they probably thought were funniest when they were high .


i watched the brainless insanity of no such thing with mounting disbelief .


the angst-ridden , affluent slacker characters are more grating than engaging .


he just wants them to be part of the action , the wallpaper of his chosen reality .


the movie 's ripe , enrapturing beauty will tempt those willing to probe its inscrutable mysteries .


like so many other allegedly scary movies , it gets so tangled up in the twist that it chokes the energy right out of the very audience it seeks to frighten .


is n't it great ?


enormously likable , partly because it is aware of its own grasp of the absurd .


this is as powerful a set of evidence as you 'll ever find of why art matters , and how it can resonate far beyond museum walls and through to the most painfully marginal lives .


guillen rarely gets beneath the surface of things .


the film is exhilarating to watch because sandler , liberated from the constraints of formula , reveals unexpected depths as an actor .


ranging from funny to shattering and featuring some of the year 's best acting , personal velocity gathers plenty of dramatic momentum .


the film is faithful to what one presumes are the book 's twin premises -- that we become who we are on the backs of our parents , but we have no idea who they were at our age ; and that time is a fleeting and precious commodity no matter how old you are .


some decent actors inflict big damage upon their reputations .


human nature talks the talk , but it fails to walk the silly walk that distinguishes the merely quirky from the surreal .


does n't amount to much of anything .


huppert gives erika a persona that is so intriguing that you find yourself staring hypnotically at her , trying to understand her and wondering if she 'll crack .


an exceedingly clever piece of cinema .


lead provocatuers testud and parmentier give superlative performances


apallingly absurd ... the chemistry or lack thereof between newton and wahlberg could turn an imax theater into a 9 '' black and white portable tv .


meandering , sub-aquatic mess : it 's so bad it 's good , but only if you slide in on a freebie .


rather quickly , the film falls into a soothing formula of brotherly conflict and reconciliation .


when the painted backdrops in a movie are more alive than its characters , you know you 're in trouble .


this overproduced and generally disappointing effort is n't likely to rouse the rush hour crowd .


having never been a huge fan of dickens ' 800-page novel , it surprised me how much pleasure i had watching mcgrath 's version .


the noble tradition of men in drag hits an all-time low in sorority boys , whose makers apparently believe that women 's clothing can cover up any deficiency in acting , writing or direction .


if you collected all the moments of coherent dialogue , they still would n't add up to the time required to boil a four - minute egg .


the problem with this film is that it 's forced to make its characters idiots in order to advance the plot .


it 's disappointing when filmmakers throw a few big-name actors and cameos at a hokey script .


the story is naturally poignant , but first-time screenwriter paul pender overloads it with sugary bits of business .


so lazy and slipshod it confuses the mere flashing of kinky soft-core imagery with naughty fun .


a love for films shines through each frame and the era is recreated with obvious affection , scored to perfection with some tasty boogaloo beats .


i tried to read the time on my watch .


writer\/director john mckay ignites some charming chemistry between kate and jed but , when he veers into sodden melodrama , punctuated by violins , it 's disastrous and kate 's jealous female friends become downright despicable .


the movie takes itself too seriously and , as a result , it makes for only intermittent fun .


i like frank the pug , though .


an overstuffed compendium of teen-catholic-movie dogma .


an involving true story of a chinese actor who takes up drugs and winds up in an institution -- acted mostly by the actual people involved .


nearly surreal , dabbling in french , this is no simple movie , and you 'll be taking a risk if you choose to see it .


would seem to have a lock on the title of ugliest movie of the year .


an incendiary , deeply thought-provoking look at one of the most peculiar -lrb- and peculiarly venomous -rrb- bigotries in our increasingly frightening theocracy


lee jeong-hyang tells it so lovingly and films it so beautifully that i could n't help being captivated by it .


the episodic film makes valid points about the depersonalization of modern life .


it 's almost impossible not to be moved by the movie 's depiction of sacrifice and its stirring epilogue in post-soviet russia .


though the film 's scenario is certainly not earthshaking , this depiction of fluctuating female sexuality has two winning lead performances and charm to spare .


kinnear gives a tremendous performance .


perhaps no picture ever made has more literally showed that the road to hell is paved with good intentions .


dull , if not devoid of wit , this shaggy dog longs to frisk through the back alleys of history , but scarcely manages more than a modest , snoozy charm .


... both hokey and super-cool , and definitely not in a hurry , so sit back , relax and have a few laughs while the little ones get a fuzzy treat . '


windtalkers blows this way and that , but there 's no mistaking the filmmaker in the tall grass , true to himself .


an intriguing and entertaining introduction to johnson .


ray liotta and jason patric do some of their best work in their underwritten roles , but do n't be fooled : nobody deserves any prizes here .


sushi for the connoisseurs of the macabre .


it further declares its director , zhang yang of shower , as a boldly experimental , contemporary stylist with a bright future .


the only way this supernatural snore-fest could give anyone a case of the frights is if they were put to sleep by the movie and had a nightmare .


although it bangs a very cliched drum at times , this crowd-pleaser 's fresh dialogue , energetic music , and good-natured spunk are often infectious .


claude miller airs out a tight plot with an easy pace and a focus on character drama over crime-film complications .


to imagine the life of harry potter as a martial arts adventure told by a lobotomized woody allen is to have some idea of the fate that lies in store for moviegoers lured to the mediocrity that is kung pow : enter the fist .


the film is just a big , gorgeous , mind-blowing , breath-taking mess .


daughter from danang is a film that should be seen by all , especially those who are n't aware of , or have forgotten about the unmentioned victims of war .


it 's also the year 's sweetest movie .


this is such a high-energy movie where the drumming and the marching are so excellent , who cares if the story 's a little weak .


a whole lot foul , freaky and funny .


there are a few stabs at absurdist comedy ... but mostly the humor is of the sweet , gentle and occasionally cloying kind that has become an iranian specialty .


for me , this opera is n't a favorite , so it 's a long time before the fat lady sings .


a 93-minute condensation of a 26-episode tv series , with all of the pitfalls of such you 'd expect .


and in truth , cruel as it may sound , he makes arnold schwarzenegger look like spencer tracy .


given that both movies expect us to root for convicted violent felons over those assigned to protect us from same , we need every bit of sympathy the cons can muster ; this time , there is n't much .


`` antwone fisher '' is an earnest , by-the-numbers effort by washington .


succeeds in providing a disquiet world the long-dreaded completion of the police academy series .


if you 're not the target demographic ... this movie is one long chick-flick slog .


the actors are forced to grapple with hazy motivations that never come into focus .


the best you can say about it is it 's so uninspired , it barely gives one pause when considering some of the other dreck out there right now .


by presenting an impossible romance in an impossible world , pumpkin dares us to say why either is impossible -- which forces us to confront what 's possible and what we might do to make it so .


after making several adaptations of other writers ' work , armenian-canadian director atom egoyan broached an original treatment of a deeply personal subject .


all the necessary exposition prevents the picture from rising above your generic sand 'n' sandal adventure .


audiences will find no mention of political prisoners or persecutions that might paint the castro regime in less than saintly tones .


... just a big mess of a movie , full of images and events , but no tension or surprise .


i kept wishing i was watching a documentary about the wartime navajos and what they accomplished instead of all this specious hollywood hoo-ha .


the film delivers not just the full assault of reno 's immense wit and insight , but a time travel back to what it felt like during those unforgettably uncertain days .


one groan-inducing familiarity begets another .


john mctiernan 's botched remake may be subtler than norman jewison 's 1975 ultraviolent futuristic corporate-sports saga .


an earnest , heartrending look at the divide between religious fundamentalists and their gay relatives .


a pleasurably jacked-up piece of action moviemaking .


but an unwillingness to explore beyond the surfaces of her characters prevents nettelbeck 's film from coming together .


too clunky and too busy ribbing itself to be truly entertaining .


the enormous comic potential of an oafish idiot impersonating an aristocrat remains sadly unrealized .


everywhere the camera looks there is something worth seeing .


the best thing the film does is to show us not only what that mind looks like , but how the creative process itself operates .


a modest pleasure that accomplishes its goals with ease and confidence .


one of the best examples of how to treat a subject , you 're not fully aware is being examined , much like a photo of yourself you did n't know was being taken .


mixes likeable personalities , inventive photography and cutting , and wall-to-wall toe-tapping music to paint a picture of a subculture that is at once exhilarating , silly , perverse , hopeful and always fun .


but i was n't .


though of particular interest to students and enthusiast of international dance and world music , the film is designed to make viewers of all ages , cultural backgrounds and rhythmic ability want to get up and dance .


a silly , self-indulgent film about a silly , self-indulgent filmmaker .


most impressive , though , is the film 's open-ended finale that refuses to entirely close its characters ' emotional wounds .


it 's a movie forged in the fires of chick flick hell .


it 's fairly self-aware in its dumbness .


credit must be given to harland williams , michael rosenbaum and barry watson , who inject far more good-natured spirit and talent into this project than it deserves


the piano teacher is the sort of movie that discourages american audiences from ever wanting to see another foreign film .


watching it is rather like viewing a long soap opera in which only the first episode was any good .


a simmering psychological drama in which the bursts of sudden violence are all the more startling for the slow buildup that has preceded them .


there 's a disreputable air about the whole thing , and that 's what makes it irresistible .


a pleasant ramble through the sort of idoosyncratic terrain that errol morris has often dealt with ... it does possess a loose , lackadaisical charm .


this is one of the most visually stunning and thematically moving epics in recent memory , and in spite of numerous minor flaws , scorsese 's best in more than a decade .


for a good chunk of its running time , trapped is an effective and claustrophobic thriller .


full frontal is the antidote for soderbergh fans who think he 's gone too commercial since his two oscar nominated films in 2000


even the imaginative gore ca n't hide the musty scent of todd farmer 's screenplay , which is a simple retread of the 1979 alien , with a plucky heroine battling a monster loose in a spaceship .


as if to prove a female director can make a movie with no soft edges , kathryn bigelow offers no sugar-coating or interludes of lightness .


the filmmakers juggle and juxtapose three story lines but fail to come up with one cogent point , unless it 's that life stinks , especially for sensitive married women who really love other women .


made by jackasses for jackasses .


if melville is creatively a great whale , this film is canned tuna .


pretentious editing ruins a potentially terrific flick .


topkapi this is not .


but he somehow pulls it off .


bartleby is a one-joke movie , and a bad joke at that .


it is risky , intelligent , romantic and rapturous from start to finish .


a worthwhile way to spend two hours .


never again swings between false sentiment and unfunny madcap comedy and , along the way , expects the audience to invest in the central relationship as some kind of marriage of true minds .


two generations within one family test boundaries in this intelligent and restrained coming-of-age drama .


-lrb- gai -rrb- comes closer to any actress i can remember to personifying independence in its purest and , yes , most intimidating form .


a broadly played , lowbrow comedy in which the cast delivers mildly amusing performances and no farm animals were injured by any of the gags .


filmmakers have to dig deep to sink this low .


then lower them a bit more .


i cry for i spy -- or i would if this latest and laziest imaginable of all vintage-tv spinoffs were capable of engendering an emotional response of any kind .


a very bad sign .


well , it does go on forever .


this is n't just the cliffsnotes version of nicholas nickleby , it 's the cliffsnotes with pages missing .


it 's all very cute , though not terribly funny if you 're more than six years old .


fortunately for all involved , this movie is likely to disappear as quickly as an ice cube thrown into a pot of boiling water .


guided more by intellect than heart , his story flattens instead of sharpens .


it 's an old story , but a lively script , sharp acting and partially animated interludes make just a kiss seem minty fresh .


it 's the kind of movie you ca n't quite recommend because it is all windup and not much of a pitch , yet you ca n't bring yourself to dislike it .


an excellent romp that boasts both a heart and a mind .


john leguizamo may be a dramatic actor -- just not in this movie .


tender yet lacerating and darkly funny fable .


this delicately observed story , deeply felt and masterfully stylized , is a triumph for its maverick director .


a generation x artifact , capturing a brief era of insanity in the sports arena that surely can not last .


the film 's center will not hold .


it is far from the worst , thanks to the topical issues it raises , the performances of stewart and hardy , and that essential feature -- a decent full-on space battle .


it 's also stupider .


none of these characters resembles anyone you 've ever met in real life , unless you happen to know annoyingly self-involved people who speak in glib sentences that could have only come from the pen of a screenwriter .


sensitive , insightful and beautifully rendered film .


a bowel-curdling , heart-stopping recipe for terror .


although based on a real-life person , john , in the movie , is a rather dull person to be stuck with for two hours .


` abandon all hope , ye who enter here ' ... you should definitely let dante 's gloomy words be your guide .


an ultra-low-budget indie debut that smacks more of good intentions than talent .


there 's not enough to sustain the comedy .


fairly successful at faking some pretty cool stunts but a complete failure at trying to create some pretty cool characters .


the film is really not so much bad as bland .


schmaltzy and unfunny , adam sandler 's cartoon about hanukkah is numbingly bad , little nicky bad , 10 worst list bad .


a vivid cinematic portrait .


it 's a refreshing change from the self-interest and paranoia that shape most american representations of castro .


the bourne identity is what summer screen escapism used to be in the decades when it was geared more to grownups .


it could change america , not only because it is full of necessary discussion points , but because it is so accessible that it makes complex politics understandable to viewers looking for nothing but energetic entertainment .


frenetic but not really funny .


sandra nettelbeck beautifully orchestrates the transformation of the chilly , neurotic , and self-absorbed martha as her heart begins to open .


it 's a film that hinges on its casting , and glover really does n't fit the part .


ritchie 's treatment of the class reversal is majorly ham-fisted , from the repetitive manifestos that keep getting thrown in people 's faces to the fact amber is such a joke .


this is such a dazzlingly self-assured directorial debut that it 's hard to know what to praise first .


apparently kissing leads to suicide attempts and tragic deaths .


andy garcia enjoys one of his richest roles in years and mick jagger gives his best movie performance since , well , performance .


-lrb- anderson -rrb- uses a hit-or-miss aesthetic that hits often enough to keep the film entertaining even if none of it makes a lick of sense .


this is a startling film that gives you a fascinating , albeit depressing view of iranian rural life close to the iraqi border .


this film looks like it was produced in 1954 , shelved for 48 years , and repackaged for a 2002 audience .


dazzling and sugar-sweet , a blast of shallow magnificence that only sex , scandal , and a chorus line of dangerous damsels can deliver .


from the big giant titles of the opening credits to elmer bernstein 's perfectly melodic score , haynes gets just about everything right .


watching it is rather like an overlong visit from a large group of your relatives .


as the story moves inexorably through its seven day timeframe , the picture becomes increasingly mesmerizing .


working from elliott 's memoir , rohmer fashions the sort of delicate , articulate character - and - relationship study he 's favored for decades .


watching scarlet diva , one is poised for titillation , raw insight or both .


intended to be a comedy about relationships , this wretched work falls flat in just about every conceivable area .


-lrb- a -rrb- rare , beautiful film .


... the film falls back on the same old formula of teen sex , outrageous pranks and scenes designed to push the envelope of bad taste for laughs .


suffocated at conception by its munchausen-by-proxy mum .


while not all transitions to adulthood are so fraught , there 's much truth and no small amount of poetry in girls ca n't swim .


opens as promising as any war\/adventure film you 'll ever see and dissolves into a routine courtroom drama , better suited for a movie titled `` glory : a soldier 's story . ''


it 's -lrb- ricci 's -rrb- best work yet , this girl-woman who sincerely believes she can thwart the world 's misery with blind good will .


this may be the dumbest , sketchiest movie on record about an aspiring writer 's coming-of-age .


evokes a little of the fear that parents have for the possible futures of their children -- and the sometimes bad choices mothers and fathers make in the interests of doing them good .


as expected , sayles ' smart wordplay and clever plot contrivances are as sharp as ever , though they may be overshadowed by some strong performances .


too bad the former murphy brown does n't pop reese back .


it 's predictable , but it jumps through the expected hoops with style and even some depth .


george clooney proves he 's quite a talented director and sam rockwell shows us he 's a world-class actor with confessions of a dangerous mind .


... mesmerizing , an eye-opening tour of modern beijing culture in a journey of rebellion , retreat into oblivion and return .


the film is painfully authentic , and the performances of the young players are utterly convincing .


a potent allegorical love story .


provides an intriguing window into the imagination and hermetic analysis of todd solondz .


it 's endearing to hear madame d. refer to her husband as ` jackie ' -- and he does make for excellent company , not least as a self-conscious performer .


so few movies explore religion that it 's disappointing to see one reduce it to an idea that fits in a sampler .


needless to say , the dramatics that follow are utter hooey .


calling this movie brainless would be paying it a compliment : it 's more like entertainment for trolls .


it is a kickass , dense sci-fi action thriller hybrid that delivers and then some .


it 's a movie -- and an album -- you wo n't want to miss .


now , if it only had a brain .


a budget affair that exposes the generally sad existence of the bedouins while providing a precious twinkle of insight into their lives .


like a south-of-the-border melrose place .


it 's a bittersweet and lyrical mix of elements .


this series should have died long ago , but they keep bringing it back another day as punishment for paying money to see the last james bond movie .


fans of behan 's work and of irish movies in general will be rewarded by borstal boy .


everytime you think undercover brother has run out of steam , it finds a new way to surprise and amuse .


a startling and fresh examination of how the bike still remains an ambiguous icon in chinese society .


although it 's a bit smug and repetitive , this documentary engages your brain in a way few current films do .


watching haneke 's film is , aptly enough , a challenge and a punishment .


once the audience figure out what 's being said , the filmmaker 's relative passivity will make it tough for them to really care .


but like bruce springsteen 's gone-to-pot asbury park , new jersey , this sad-sack waste of a movie is a city of ruins .


stay clear of reminding yourself that it 's a `` true story '' and you 're likely to have one helluva time at the movies .


so routine , familiar and predictable , it raises the possibility that it wrote itself as a newly automated final draft computer program .


in the process , they demonstrate that there 's still a lot of life in hong kong cinema .


though mama takes a bit too long to find its rhythm and a third-act plot development is somewhat melodramatic , its ribald humor and touching nostalgia are sure to please anyone in search of a jules and jim for the new millennium .


it 's absolutely spooky how lillard channels the shagster right down to the original casey kasem-furnished voice .


like those to rome , all roads in the banger sisters inevitably lead to a joke about hawn 's breasts , which constantly threaten to upstage the woman sporting them .


a provocative movie about loss , anger , greed , jealousy , sickness and love .


its scenes and sensibility are all more than familiar , but it exudes a kind of nostalgic spy-movie charm and , at the same time , is so fresh and free of the usual thriller nonsense that it all seems to be happening for the first time .


a soggy , shapeless mess ... just a dumb excuse for a waterlogged equivalent of a haunted-house movie .


there 's an audience for it , but it could have been funnier and more innocent .


achieves a sort of filmic epiphany that revels in the true potential of the medium .


if you sometimes like to go to the movies to have fun , wasabi is a good place to start .


but hard-to-believe plot twists force the movie off track in its final half hour .


... always remains movingly genuine .


maybe it 's the star power of the cast or the redundant messages , but something aboul `` full frontal '' seems , well , contrived .


the situations and jokes are as predictable and as lowbrow as the endless pratfalls the boys take in their high heels .


schindler 's list it ai n't .


a compelling portrait of moral emptiness


let your silly childhood nostalgia slumber unmolested .


-lrb- a -rrb- superbly controlled , passionate adaptation of graham greene 's 1955 novel .


a refreshingly honest and ultimately touching tale of the sort of people usually ignored in contemporary american film .


no , it 's the repetition of said behavior , and so children of the century is more mindless love than mad , more grating and boring than anything else .


a comic gem with some serious sparkles .


desperately unfunny when it tries to makes us laugh and desperately unsuspenseful when it tries to make us jump out of our seats .


the movie is a blast of educational energy , as bouncy animation and catchy songs escort you through the entire 85 minutes .


a bravura exercise in emptiness .


this concoction , so bizarre to the adult mind , is actually a charming triumph where its intended under-12 audience is concerned .


this one 's weaker than most .


a lighthearted , feel-good film that embraces the time-honored truth that the most powerful thing in life is love .


the story bogs down in a mess of purposeless violence .


i spy is an embarrassment , a monotonous , disjointed jumble of borrowed plot points and situations .


a mawkish , implausible platonic romance that makes chaplin 's city lights seem dispassionate by comparison .


rich in detail , gorgeously shot and beautifully acted , les destinees is , in its quiet , epic way , daring , inventive and refreshingly unusual .


an offbeat , sometimes gross and surprisingly appealing animated film about the true meaning of the holidays .


another great ` what you do n't see ' is much more terrifying than what you do see thriller , coupled with some arresting effects , incandescent tones and stupendous performances


if you pitch your expectations at an all time low , you could do worse than this oddly cheerful -- but not particularly funny -- body-switching farce .


feels less like it 's about teenagers , than it was written by teenagers .


going to the website may be just as fun -lrb- and scary -rrb- as going to the film .


is this progress ?


for a shoot - 'em - up , ballistic is oddly lifeless .


one of the best of the year .


there are moments it can be heart-rending in an honest and unaffected -lrb- and gentle -rrb- way .


credibility levels are low and character development a non-starter .


looks awfully like one long tourist spot for a mississippi that may never have existed outside of a scriptwriter 's imagination .


a solidly seaworthy chiller .


when it comes to entertainment , children deserve better than pokemon 4ever .


if this is the resurrection of the halloween franchise , it would have been better off dead .


still , i thought it could have been more .


a recent favourite at sundance , this white-trash satire will inspire the affection of even those unlucky people who never owned a cassette of def leppard 's pyromania .


though it is by no means his best work , laissez-passer is a distinguished and distinctive effort by a bona-fide master , a fascinating film replete with rewards to be had by all willing to make the effort to reap them .


like mike does n't win any points for originality .


ms. fulford-wierzbicki is almost spooky in her sulky , calculating lolita turn .


the movie has a soft , percolating magic , a deadpan suspense .


legendary irish writer brendan behan 's memoir , borstal boy , has been given a loving screen transferral .


at times funny and at other times candidly revealing , it 's an intriguing look at two performers who put themselves out there because they love what they do .


it 's often faintly amusing , but the problems of the characters never become important to us , and the story never takes hold .


it 's amazingly perceptive in its subtle , supportive but unsentimental look at the marks family .


it uses an old-time formula , it 's not terribly original and it 's rather messy -- but you just have to love the big , dumb , happy movie my big fat greek wedding .


if you liked such movies as notting hill , four weddings and a funeral , bridget jones ' diary or high fidelity , then you wo n't want to miss about a boy .


katz uses archival footage , horrifying documents of lynchings , still photographs and charming old reel-to-reel recordings of meeropol entertaining his children to create his song history , but most powerful of all is the song itself


-lrb- it 's -rrb- difficult to get beyond the overall blandness of american chai , despite its likable performances and refreshingly naive point of view .


a worthy tribute to a great humanitarian and her vibrant ` co-stars . '


but as a movie , it 's a humorless , disjointed mess .


what 's next ?


frustratingly , dridi tells us nothing about el gallo other than what emerges through his music .


showtime is closer to slowtime .


tim allen is great in his role but never hogs the scenes from his fellow cast , as there are plenty of laughs and good lines for everyone in this comedy .


britney has been delivered to the big screen safe and sound , the way we like our 20-year-old superstar girls to travel on the fame freeway .


has little on its mind aside from scoring points with drag gags .


an enchanting spectacular for potter fans anxious to ride the hogwarts express toward a new year of magic and mischief .


it 's a nicely detailed world of pawns , bishops and kings , of wagers in dingy backrooms or pristine forests .


a real clunker .


the film seems a dead weight .


the voices are fine as well .


it turns out to be a cut above the norm , thanks to some clever writing and sprightly acting .


an awkward and indigestible movie .


showtime is one of the hapless victims of the arrogant `` if we put together a wry white man and a chatty black man and give them guns , the movie will be funny '' syndrome .


a frisky and fresh romantic comedy exporing sexual politics and the challenges of friendships between women .


but the characters tend to be cliches whose lives are never fully explored .


as your relatives swap one mundane story after another , you begin to wonder if they are ever going to depart .


wasabi is slight fare indeed , with the entire project having the feel of something tossed off quickly -lrb- like one of hubert 's punches -rrb- , but it should go down smoothly enough with popcorn .


the film equivalent of a toy chest whose contents get scattered over the course of 80 minutes .


go see it and enjoy .


her film is unrelentingly claustrophobic and unpleasant .


chicago is sophisticated , brash , sardonic , completely joyful in its execution .


obstacles are too easily overcome and there is n't much in the way of character development in the script .


a hysterical yet humorless disquisition on the thin line between sucking face and literally sucking face .


the cold and dreary weather is a perfect metaphor for the movie itself , which contains few laughs and not much drama .


on its own cinematic terms , it successfully showcases the passions of both the director and novelist byatt .


pryor lite , with half the demons , half the daring , much less talent , many fewer laughs .


this is a terrific character study , a probe into the life of a complex man .


a romantic comedy , yes , but one with characters who think and talk about their goals , and are working on hard decisions .


any film featuring young children threatened by a terrorist bomb can no longer pass as mere entertainment .


what parents will suspect is that they 're watching a 76-minute commercial .


do n't let your festive spirit go this far .


eastwood is an icon of moviemaking , one of the best actors , directors and producers around , responsible for some excellent work .


a historical epic with the courage of its convictions about both scope and detail .


a thinly veiled excuse for wilson to play his self-deprecating act against murphy 's well-honed prima donna shtick .


an epic of grandeur and scale that 's been decades gone from the popcorn pushing sound stages of hollywood .


preposterous and tedious , sonny is spiked with unintentional laughter that , unfortunately , occurs too infrequently to make the film even a guilty pleasure .


it will delight newcomers to the story and those who know it from bygone days .


the saturation bombing of reggio 's images and glass ' evocative music ... ultimately leaves viewers with the task of divining meaning .


as a witness to several greek-american weddings -- but , happily , a victim of none -- i can testify to the comparative accuracy of ms. vardalos ' memories and insights .


a wonderful character-based comedy .


k-19 may not hold a lot of water as a submarine epic , but it holds even less when it turns into an elegiacally soggy saving private ryanovich .


do n't waste your money .


dreary , highly annoying ... ` some body ' will appeal to no one .


just when the movie seems confident enough to handle subtlety , it dives into soapy bathos .


a carefully structured scream of consciousness that is tortured and unsettling -- but unquestionably alive .


punish the vehicle to adore the star .


reign of fire may be little more than another platter of reheated aliens , but it 's still pretty tasty .


thoughtful , even stinging at times , and lots of fun .


it 's a humble effort , but spiced with wry humor and genuine pathos , especially between morgan and redgrave .


the editing is chaotic , the photography grainy and badly focused , the writing unintentionally hilarious , the direction unfocused , the performances as wooden .


the movie feels like it 's going to be great , and it carries on feeling that way for a long time , but takeoff just never happens .


an uneven but intriguing drama that is part homage and part remake of the italian masterpiece .


a sweet-natured reconsideration of one of san francisco 's most vital , if least widely recognized , creative fountainheads .


with spy kids 2 : the island of lost dreams writer\/director\/producer robert rodriguez has cobbled together a film that feels like a sugar high gone awry .


i found it slow , drab , and bordering on melodramatic .


-lrb- sen 's -rrb- soap opera-ish approach undermines his good intentions .


the stories here suffer from the chosen format .


... a cute and sometimes side-splittingly funny blend of legally blonde and drop dead gorgeous , starring piper perabo in what could be her breakthrough role .


offers a breath of the fresh air of true sophistication .


a pro-fat farce that overcomes much of its excessive moral baggage thanks to two appealing lead performances .


there is no entry portal in the rules of attraction , and i spent most of the movie feeling depressed by the shallow , selfish , greedy characters .


at the bottom rung of the series ' entries .


whatever eyre 's failings as a dramatist , he deserves credit for bringing audiences into this hard and bitter place .


the spark of special anime magic here is unmistakable and hard to resist .


despite apparent motives to the contrary , it ends up being , like -lrb- seinfeld 's -rrb- revered tv show , about pretty much nothing .


mr. parker has brilliantly updated his source and grasped its essence , composing a sorrowful and hilarious tone poem about alienated labor , or an absurdist workplace sitcom .


the transporter is as lively and as fun as it is unapologetically dumb


... too dull to enjoy .


this is cool , slick stuff , ready to quench the thirst of an audience that misses the summer blockbusters .


characters wander into predictably treacherous situations even though they should know better .


with a cast that includes some of the top actors working in independent film , lovely & amazing involves us because it is so incisive , so bleakly amusing about how we go about our lives .


... -lrb- like -rrb- channel surfing between the discovery channel and a late-night made-for-cable action movie .


i hated every minute of it .


this is a very fine movie -- go see it .


this is n't my favorite in the series , still i enjoyed it enough to recommend .


a benign but forgettable sci-fi diversion .


a bigger holiday downer than your end-of-year 401 -lrb- k -rrb- statement .


godawful boring slug of a movie .


provide -lrb- s -rrb- nail-biting suspense and credible characters without relying on technology-of-the-moment technique or pretentious dialogue .


but like most rabbits , it seems to lack substance .


once you get into its rhythm ... the movie becomes a heady experience .


it is intensely personal and yet -- unlike quills -- deftly shows us the temper of the times .


just because it really happened to you , honey , does n't mean that it 's interesting to anyone else .


hayek is stunning as frida and ... a star-making project .


about as cutting-edge as pet rock : the movie .


a quietly reflective and melancholy new zealand film about an eventful summer in a 13-year-old girl 's life .


an amazing and incendiary movie that dives straight into the rough waters of contradiction .


benefits from a strong performance from zhao , but it 's dong jie 's face you remember at the end .


it 's a worthwhile tutorial in quantum physics and slash-dash


the acting is stiff , the story lacks all trace of wit , the sets look like they were borrowed from gilligan 's island -- and the cgi scooby might well be the worst special-effects creation of the year .


star wars is back in a major way .


unlike the nauseating fictions peddled by such ` have-yourself-a-happy-little-holocaust ' movies as life is beautiful and jakob the liar , the grey zone is honest enough to deny the possibility of hope in auschwitz .


director nalin pan does n't do much to weigh any arguments one way or the other .


the pivotal narrative point is so ripe the film ca n't help but go soft and stinky .


most of the action setups are incoherent .


compelling revenge thriller , though somewhat weakened by a miscast leading lady .


if you 're not into the pokemon franchise , this fourth animated movie in four years wo n't convert you -- or even keep your eyes open .


in a normal screen process , these bromides would be barely enough to sustain an interstitial program on the discovery channel .


the only thing worse than your substandard , run-of-the-mill hollywood picture is an angst-ridden attempt to be profound .


winds up feeling like lots of other quirky movies that try to score hipness points with young adults .


an instant candidate for worst movie of the year .


a highly intriguing thriller , coupled with some ingenious plot devices and some lavishly built settings . .


director kapur is a filmmaker with a real flair for epic landscapes and adventure , and this is a better film than his earlier english-language movie , the overpraised elizabeth .


good actress .


an overblown clunker full of bad jokes , howling cliches and by-the-numbers action sequences .


i can only imagine one thing worse than kevin spacey trying on an irish accent , and that 's sultry linda fiorentino doing the same thing .


on the right track to something that 's creepy and effective ... it 's just going to take more than a man in a bullwinkle costume to get there .


if myers decides to make another austin powers movie , maybe he should just stick with austin and dr evil .


an atonal estrogen opera that demonizes feminism while gifting the most sympathetic male of the piece with a nice vomit bath at his wedding .


bad beyond belief and ridiculous beyond description .


however , it lacks grandeur and that epic quality often associated with stevenson 's tale as well as with earlier disney efforts .


a classy item by a legend who may have nothing left to prove but still has the chops and drive to show how its done .


it sounds sick and twisted , but the miracle of shainberg 's film is that it truly is romance


what could have been a neat little story about believing in yourself is swamped by heavy-handed melodrama .


a very funny look at how another culture handles the process of courting and marriage .


instead , we just get messy anger , a movie as personal therapy .


like old myths and wonder tales spun afresh .


with danilo donati 's witty designs and dante spinotti 's luscious cinematography , this might have made a decent children 's movie -- if only benigni had n't insisted on casting himself in the title role .


nervy and sensitive , it taps into genuine artistic befuddlement , and at the same time presents a scathing indictment of what drives hollywood .


i regret to report that these ops are just not extreme enough .


i loved looking at this movie .


binoche and magimel are perfect in these roles .


doug liman , the director of bourne , directs the traffic well , gets a nice wintry look from his locations , absorbs us with the movie 's spycraft and uses damon 's ability to be focused and sincere .


the film 's sharp , often mischievous sense of humor will catch some off guard ...


i wish i could say `` thank god it 's friday '' , but the truth of the matter is i was glad when it was over .


lauren ambrose comes alive under the attention from two strangers in town - with honest performances and realistic interaction between the characters , this is a coming-of-age story with a twist .


occasionally , in the course of reviewing art-house obscurities and slam-bam action flicks , a jaded critic smacks into something truly new .


`` men in black ii , '' has all the earmarks of a sequel .


this is a raw and disturbing tale that took five years to make , and the trio 's absorbing narrative is a heart-wrenching showcase indeed .


yeah , these flicks are just that damn good .


a worthy entry into a very difficult genre .


soul is what 's lacking in every character in this movie and , subsequently , the movie itself .


majidi gets uniformly engaging performances from his largely amateur cast .


an impressive if flawed effort that indicates real talent .


the best way to hope for any chance of enjoying this film is by lowering your expectations .


still pretentious and filled with subtext , but entertaining enough at ` face value ' to recommend to anyone looking for something different .


woo 's fights have a distinct flair .


the only thing that could possibly make them less interesting than they already are is for them to get full montied into a scrappy , jovial team .


... has virtually no script at all ...


we are left with a superficial snapshot that , however engaging , is insufficiently enlightening and inviting .


why he was given free reign over this project -- he wrote , directed , starred and produced -- is beyond me .


gloriously goofy -lrb- and gory -rrb- midnight movie stuff .


the film makes a strong case for the importance of the musicians in creating the motown sound .


at its best , the good girl is a refreshingly adult take on adultery ...


nair does capture the complexity of a big family and its trials and tribulations ...


throwing caution to the wind with an invitation to the hedonist in us all , nair has constructed this motion picture in such a way that even the most cynical curmudgeon with find himself or herself smiling at one time or another .


although life or something like it is very much in the mold of feel-good movies , the cast and director stephen herek 's polished direction pour delightfully piquant wine from aged bottles .


at its best early on as it plays the culture clashes between the brothers .


the story ... is moldy and obvious .


scotland , pa. is a strangely drab romp .


better at putting you to sleep than a sound machine .


... one of the most ingenious and entertaining thrillers i 've seen in quite a long time .


denzel washington 's efforts are sunk by all the sanctimony .


despite a powerful portrayal by binoche , it 's a period romance that suffers from an overly deliberate pace and uneven narrative momentum .


she must have a very strong back .


we get some truly unique character studies and a cross-section of americana that hollywood could n't possibly fictionalize and be believed .


the story drifts so inexorably into cliches about tortured -lrb- and torturing -rrb- artists and consuming but impossible love that you ca n't help but become more disappointed as each overwrought new sequence plods on .


an utterly compelling ` who wrote it ' in which the reputation of the most famous author who ever lived comes into question .


this is the kind of movie that used to be right at home at the saturday matinee , and it still is .


not sweet enough to liven up its predictable story and will leave even fans of hip-hop sorely disappointed .


-lrb- drumline -rrb- is entertaining for what it does , and admirable for what it does n't do .


the two leads are almost good enough to camouflage the dopey plot , but so much naturalistic small talk , delivered in almost muffled exchanges , eventually has a lulling effect .


despite a story predictable enough to make the sound of music play like a nail-biting thriller , its heart is so much in the right place it is difficult to get really peeved at it .


noyce 's film is contemplative and mournfully reflective .


despite the premise of a good story ... it wastes all its star power on cliched or meaningless roles .


succumbs to the same kind of maudlin , sentimental mysticism that mars the touched by an angel school of non-god spiritual-uplift movies .


watching beanie and his gang put together his slasher video from spare parts and borrowed materials is as much fun as it must have been for them to make it .


bears is bad .


any movie this boring should be required to have ushers in the theater that hand you a cup of coffee every few minutes .


a film of precious increments artfully camouflaged as everyday activities .


the inherent strength of the material as well as the integrity of the filmmakers gives this coming-of-age story restraint as well as warmth .


i just did n't care as much for the story .


very solid , very watchable first feature for director peter sheridan


while super troopers is above academy standards , its quintet of writers could still use some more schooling .


the overall effect is so completely inane that one would have to be mighty bored to even think of staying with this for more than , say , ten ... make that three minutes .


pumpkin sits in a patch somewhere between mirthless todd solondzian satire and callow student film .


if kaufman kept cameron diaz a prisoner in a cage with her ape , in his latest , he 'd have them mate .


still , it gets the job done -- a sleepy afternoon rental .


consider the title 's clunk-on-the-head that suggests the overtime someone put in to come up with an irritatingly unimaginative retread concept .


leave it to rohmer , now 82 , to find a way to bend current technique to the service of a vision of the past that is faithful to both architectural glories and commanding open spaces of the city as it was more than two centuries ago .


sam jones became a very lucky filmmaker the day wilco got dropped from their record label , proving that one man 's ruin may be another 's fortune .


a minor picture with a major identity crisis -- it 's sort of true and it 's sort of bogus and it 's ho-hum all the way through .


a taut , intelligent psychological drama .


barney has created a tour de force that is weird , wacky and wonderful .


it settles for being merely grim .


a work of astonishing delicacy and force .


dark and disturbing , but also surprisingly funny .


a loving little film of considerable appeal .


watching the film is like reading a times portrait of grief that keeps shifting focus to the journalist who wrote it .


a free-for-all of half-baked thoughts , clumsily used visual tricks and self-indulgent actor moments .


the problem is n't that the movie hits so close to home so much as that it hits close to home while engaging in such silliness as that snake-down-the-throat business and the inevitable shot of schwarzenegger outrunning a fireball .


can see where this dumbed-down concoction is going .


parker holds true to wilde 's own vision of a pure comedy with absolutely no meaning , and no desire to be anything but a polished , sophisticated entertainment that is in love with its own cleverness .


these are names to remember , in order to avoid them in the future .


if somebody was bored and ... decided to make a dull , pretentious version of jesus ' son , they 'd come up with something like bart freundlich 's world traveler .


new best friend should n't have gone straight to video ; it should have gone straight to a mystery science theater 3000 video .


as a revenge thriller , the movie is serviceable , but it does n't really deliver the delicious guilty pleasure of the better film versions .


i was perplexed to watch it unfold with an astonishing lack of passion or uniqueness .


-lrb- director peter -rrb- jackson and his crew have so steeped themselves in the majesty of tolkien 's writing that every frame produces new joys , whether you 're a fan of the books or not .


... ambition is in short supply in the cinema , and egoyan tackles his themes and explores his characters ' crises with seriousness and compassion .


it does n't help that the director and cinematographer stephen kazmierski shoot on grungy video , giving the whole thing a dirty , tasteless feel .


-lrb- two -rrb- fairly dull -- contrasting and interlocking stories about miserable scandinavian settlers in 18th-century canada , and yuppie sailboaters in the here and now .


somewhere short of tremors on the modern b-scene : neither as funny nor as clever , though an agreeably unpretentious way to spend ninety minutes .


their film falters , however , in its adherence to the disney philosophy of required poignancy , a salute that i 'd hoped the movie would avoid .


the latest installment in the pokemon canon , pokemon 4ever is surprising less moldy and trite than the last two , likely because much of the japanese anime is set in a scenic forest where pokemon graze in peace .


it 's still worth a look .


jolie 's performance vanishes somewhere between her hair and her lips .


never engaging , utterly predictable and completely void of anything remotely interesting or suspenseful .


although trying to balance self-referential humor and a normal ol' slasher plot seemed like a decent endeavor , the result does n't fully satisfy either the die-hard jason fans or those who can take a good joke .


a pleasant enough movie , held together by skilled ensemble actors .


intriguing and beautiful film , but those of you who read the book are likely to be disappointed .


too close to phantom menace for comfort .


without heavy-handedness , dong provides perspective with his intelligent grasp of human foibles and contradictions .


somehow we 're meant to buy that this doting mother would shun her kids , travel to one of the most dangerous parts of the world , don fatigues and become g.i. jane .


marvelous , merry and , yes , melancholy film .


reinforces the talents of screenwriter charlie kaufman , creator of adaptation and being john malkovich .


the timing in nearly every scene seems a half beat off .


more than makes up for its mawkish posing by offering rousing spates of genuine feeling .


a woozy , roisterous , exhausting mess , and the off-beat casting of its two leads turns out to be as ill-starred as you might expect .


the story 's so preposterous that i did n't believe it for a second , despite the best efforts of everyone involved .


its underlying mythology is a hodgepodge of inconsistencies that pose the question : since when did dumb entertainment have to be this dumb ?


and forget about any attempt at a plot !


watstein handily directs and edits around his screenplay 's sappier elements ... and sustains off the hook 's buildup with remarkable assuredness for a first-timer .


ice cube holds the film together with an engaging and warm performance ...


all this turns out to be neither funny nor provocative - only dull .


tom green just gives them a bad odor .


it 's obviously struck a responsive chord with many south koreans , and should work its magic in other parts of the world .


it has fun being grown up .


this is a great subject for a movie , but hollywood has squandered the opportunity , using it as a prop for warmed-over melodrama and the kind of choreographed mayhem that director john woo has built his career on .


children may not understand everything that happens -- i 'm not sure even miyazaki himself does -- but they will almost certainly be fascinated , and undoubtedly delighted .


a distant , even sterile , yet compulsively watchable look at the sordid life of hogan 's heroes star bob crane .


this is the type of movie best enjoyed by frat boys and college kids while sucking on the bong and downing one alcoholic beverage after another .


the film is a travesty of the genre and even as spoof takes itself too seriously .


the long-range appeal of `` minority report '' should transcend any awards it bags .


the film starts out as competent but unremarkable ... and gradually grows into something of considerable power .


ihops do n't pile on this much syrup .


a pleasant enough comedy that should have found a summer place .


the unique tug-of-war with viewer expectations is undeniable , if not a pleasure in its own right .


this is a particularly toxic little bonbon , palatable to only a chosen and very jaundiced few .


sound the trumpets : for the first time since desperately seeking susan , madonna does n't suck as an actress .


the truth is that the truth about charlie gets increasingly tiresome .


much-anticipated and ultimately lackluster movie .


disturbingly superficial in its approach to the material .


flat , but with a revelatory performance by michelle williams .


unless you are in dire need of a diesel fix , there is no real reason to see it .


the movie gets muted and routine .


madonna still ca n't act a lick .


if you 're not a prepubescent girl , you 'll be laughing at britney spears ' movie-starring debut whenever it does n't have you impatiently squinting at your watch .


some actors have so much charisma that you 'd be happy to listen to them reading the phone book .


energetic and boldly provocative .


not only does the movie fail to make us part of its reality , it fails the most basic relevancy test as well .


the kooky yet shadowy vision clooney sustains throughout is daring , inventive and impressive .


i 'd give real money to see the perpetrators of chicago torn apart by dingoes .


occasionally funny and consistently odd , and it works reasonably well as a star vehicle for zhao .


awkward but sincere and , ultimately , it wins you over .


the whole damn thing is ripe for the jerry springer crowd .


a lousy movie that 's not merely unwatchable , but also unlistenable .


flounders due to the general sense that no two people working on the production had exactly the same thing in mind .


with youthful high spirits , tautou remains captivating throughout michele 's religious and romantic quests , and she is backed by a likable cast .


if this is an example of the type of project that robert redford 's lab is willing to lend its imprimatur to , then perhaps it 's time to rethink independent films .


a great comedy filmmaker knows great comedy need n't always make us laugh .


while this film is not in the least surprising , it is still ultimately very satisfying .


remarkably accessible and affecting .


writhing under dialogue like ` you 're from two different worlds ' and ` tonight the maid is a lie and this , this is who you are , ' this schlock-filled fairy tale hits new depths of unoriginality and predictability .


this cheery , down-to-earth film is warm with the cozy feeling of relaxing around old friends .


plays as hollow catharsis , with lots of tears but very little in the way of insights .


will probably stay in the shadow of its two older , more accessible qatsi siblings .


credibility sinks into a mire of sentiment .


director brian levant , who never strays far from his sitcom roots , skates blithely from one implausible situation to another , pausing only to tie up loose ends with more bows than you 'll find on a french poodle .


it 's hard to tell with all the crashing and banging where the salesmanship ends and the movie begins .


but it 's emotionally engrossing , too , thanks to strong , credible performances from the whole cast .


francophiles will snicker knowingly and you 'll want to slap them .


-lrb- plays -rrb- in broad outline as pandering middle-age buddy-comedy .


one hour photo is an intriguing snapshot of one man and his delusions ; it 's just too bad it does n't have more flashes of insight .


a one-trick pony whose few t&a bits still ca n't save itself from being unoriginal , unfunny and unrecommendable .


this examination of aquatic life off the shores of the baja california peninsula of mexico offers an engrossing way to demonstrate the virtues of the imax format .


an ungainly , comedy-deficient , b-movie rush job ...


will only satisfy those who ca n't tell the difference between the good , the bad and the ugly .


if this movie were a book , it would be a page-turner , you ca n't wait to see what happens next .


` dragonfly ' is a movie about a bus wreck that turns into a film wreck .


-lrb- villeneuve -rrb- seems to realize intuitively that even morality is reduced to an option by the ultimate mysteries of life and death .


rather , you 'll have to wrestle disbelief to the ground and then apply the chloroform-soaked handkerchief .


feel bad for king , who 's honestly trying , and schwartzman , who 's shot himself in the foot .


involving at times , but lapses quite casually into the absurd .


for benigni it was n't shakespeare whom he wanted to define his career with but pinocchio .


starts off with a bang , but then fizzles like a wet stick of dynamite at the very end .


together , tok and o orchestrate a buoyant , darkly funny dance of death .


de niro looks bored , murphy recycles murphy , and you mentally add showtime to the pile of hollywood dreck that represents nothing more than the art of the deal .


the film 's real appeal wo n't be to clooney fans or adventure buffs , but to moviegoers who enjoy thinking about compelling questions with no easy answers .


guaranteed to move anyone who ever shook , rattled , or rolled .


unlike his directorial efforts , la femme nikita and the professional , the transporter lacks besson 's perspective as a storyteller .


at about 95 minutes , treasure planet maintains a brisk pace as it races through the familiar story .


this limp gender-bender-baller from a first-time director and rookie screenwriter steals wholesale from that 1982 's tootsie , forgetting only to retain a single laugh .


so stupid , so ill-conceived , so badly drawn , it created whole new levels of ugly .


there has been much puzzlement among critics about what the election symbolizes .


a masterful film from a master filmmaker , unique in its deceptive grimness , compelling in its fatalist worldview .


a great idea becomes a not-great movie .


an inspiring and heart-affecting film about the desperate attempts of vietnamese refugees living in u.s. relocation camps to keep their hopes alive in 1975 .


its over-reliance on genre conventions , character types and formulaic conflict resolutions crushes all the goodwill it otherwise develops .


demme 's loose approach kills the suspense .


harsh , effective documentary on life in the israeli-occupied palestinian territories .


steers turns in a snappy screenplay that curls at the edges ; it 's so clever you want to hate it .


this is what imax was made for : strap on a pair of 3-d goggles , shut out the real world , and take a vicarious voyage to the last frontier -- space .


but this costly dud is a far cry from either the book or the beloved film .


the essential problem in orange county is that , having created an unusually vivid set of characters worthy of its strong cast , the film flounders when it comes to giving them something to do .


... if you 're in a mind set for goofy comedy , the troopers will entertain with their gross outs , bawdy comedy and head games .


a work of the utmost subtlety and perception , it marks the outstanding feature debut of writer-director eric byler , who understands the power of the implicit and the virtues of simplicity and economy .


there are just enough twists in the tale to make it far more satisfying than almost any horror film in recent memory .


... hudlin is stuck trying to light a fire with soggy leaves .


... a haunting vision , with images that seem more like disturbing hallucinations .


consists of a plot and jokes done too often by people far more talented than ali g


a breezy , diverting , conventional , well-acted tale of two men locked in an ongoing game of cat-and-cat .


the premise is in extremely bad taste , and the film 's supposed insights are so poorly thought-out and substance-free that even a high school senior taking his or her first psychology class could dismiss them .


imagine a really bad community theater production of west side story without the songs .


smith profiles five extraordinary american homes , and because the owners seem fully aware of the uses and abuses of fame , it 's a pleasure to enjoy their eccentricities .


with its hints of a greater intelligence lurking somewhere , the ring makes its stupidity more than obvious .


an afterschool special without the courage of its convictions .


uneasy mishmash of styles and genres .


the period -- swinging london in the time of the mods and the rockers -- gets the once-over once again in gangster no. 1 , but falls apart long before the end .


earnest falls short of its ideal predecessor largely due to parker 's ill-advised meddling with the timeless source material .


tailored to entertain !


in his debut as a film director , denzel washington delivers a lean and engaging work .


the scope of the silberstein family is large and we grow attached to their lives , full of strength , warmth and vitality . .


the tone is balanced , reflective and reasonable .


a real story about real people living their lives concerned about the future of an elderly , mentally handicapped family member .


if shayamalan wanted to tell a story about a man who loses his faith , why did n't he just do it , instead of using bad sci-fi as window dressing ?


the way coppola professes his love for movies -- both colorful pop junk and the classics that unequivocally qualify as art -- is giddily entertaining .


an intimate , good-humored ethnic comedy like numerous others but cuts deeper than expected .


fans of the animated wildlife adventure show will be in warthog heaven ; others need not necessarily apply .


the story loses its bite in a last-minute happy ending that 's even less plausible than the rest of the picture .


it is interesting and fun to see goodall and her chimpanzees on the bigger-than-life screen .


branagh , in his most forceful non-shakespeare screen performance , grounds even the softest moments in the angry revolt of his wit .


a droll , well-acted , character-driven comedy with unexpected deposits of feeling .


the screenplay sabotages the movie 's strengths at almost every juncture .


a beautiful and haunting examination of the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the mundane horrors of the world .


he 'd create a movie better than this .


my response to the film is best described as lukewarm .


diane lane shines in unfaithful .


drags along in a dazed and enervated , drenched-in-the - past numbness .


thurman and lewis are hilarious throughout .


extreme oops - oops , ops , no matter how you spell it , it 's still a mistake to go see it .


an uneven film dealing with too many problems to be taken seriously .


ana is a vivid , vibrant individual and the movie 's focus upon her makes it successful and accessible .


... a polished and relatively sincere piece of escapism .


as an entertainment , the movie keeps you diverted and best of all , it lightens your wallet without leaving a sting .


aspires for the piquant but only really achieves a sort of ridiculous sourness .


chicago is , in many ways , an admirable achievement .


fisher has bared his soul and confronted his own shortcomings here in a way ... that feels very human and very true to life .


a charming yet poignant tale of the irrevocable ties that bind .


or some damn thing .


its mysteries are transparently obvious , and it 's too slowly paced to be a thriller .


its gross-out gags and colorful set pieces ... are of course stultifyingly contrived and too stylized by half .


there is a refreshing absence of cynicism in stuart little 2 -- quite a rarity , even in the family film market .


creepy but ultimately unsatisfying thriller .


without resorting to hyperbole , i can state that kissing jessica stein may be the best same-sex romance i have seen .


a sensitive and expertly acted crowd-pleaser that is n't above a little broad comedy and a few unabashedly sentimental tears .


the experience of watching blobby old-school cgi animation in this superlarge format is just surreal enough to be diverting .


... too slow , too boring , and occasionally annoying .


this is pretty dicey material .


the premise is overshadowed by the uberviolence of the clericks as this becomes just another kung-fu sci-fi movie with silly action sequences .


subversive , meditative , clinical and poetic , the piano teacher is a daring work of genius .


-lrb- a -rrb- hollywood sheen bedevils the film from the very beginning ... -lrb- but -rrb- lohman 's moist , deeply emotional eyes shine through this bogus veneer ...


it does n't do the original any particular dishonor , but neither does it exude any charm or personality .


... blade ii is more enjoyable than the original .


there 's suspension of disbelief and then there 's bad screenwriting ... this film packs a wallop of the latter .


an often-deadly boring , strange reading of a classic whose witty dialogue is treated with a baffling casual approach


the problem with concept films is that if the concept is a poor one , there 's no saving the movie .


safe conduct , however ambitious and well-intentioned , fails to hit the entertainment bull 's - eye .


a film made with as little wit , interest , and professionalism as artistically possible for a slummy hollywood caper flick .


but here 's the real damn : it is n't funny , either .