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3/4 |
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A Scanner Darkly (2006) |
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"Though chunks of the novel are missing, the film is, for the most part, a creatively and metaphorically successful synthesis of Dick's dreamlike themes and real-world concerns." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) |
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"Spielberg crafts a haunting opening and an elegantly ironic ending." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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1/4 |
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Abandon (2002) |
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"The film gets so bogged down in style that its lack of substance is all the more apparent." | |
Mack Bates | |
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3/4 |
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About a Boy (2002) |
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"A safe harbor for anyone needing relief from the season's cruder offerings." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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4/4 |
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About Schmidt (2002) |
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"It has a redemptive quality that is sentimental without being saccharine, and Nicholson's reflective and interior performance stings like the saline in a single tear." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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1.5/4 |
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Accepted (2006) |
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"For real laughs, skip Accepted and rent Animal House." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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3/4 |
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Across the Universe (2007) |
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"I never realized what a lush cast of characters populate Fab Four records. Or how giddy it would be to see Max, Jude, Jo-Jo, Prudence and Sadie come to life." | |
Graham Killeen | |
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.5/4 |
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Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (2002) |
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"Irritating, boring, gross, silly." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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3/4 |
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Adaptation (2002) |
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"If the ending is somewhat deflating, the convoluted mind game that precedes it is crazy genius." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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1.5/4 |
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Adrenaline Rush (2004) |
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"A thrill flick in search of an educational reason to exist. Unfortunately, the filmmakers never provide one." | |
Jackie Loohauis | |
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2/4 |
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Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl in 3-D (2005) |
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"While the overall message is positive, it is not particularly powerful." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2.5/4 |
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After the Sunset (2004) |
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"If you've ever wondered what really is important to an aging jewel thief, After the Sunset at least answers that question amusingly." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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3/4 |
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After The Wedding (2007) |
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"After the Wedding has a dignity of purpose that is made to feel authentic by the performances." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2.5/4 |
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Against the Ropes (2003) |
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"It's an interesting, character-driven film, the story of a woman who has a fight on her hands when it comes to her chosen career." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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2.5/4 |
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Agent Cody Banks (2003) |
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"Unlike last year's unimaginative and boring Big Fat Liar, Cody Banks is enjoyable and clever." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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2.5/4 |
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Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004) |
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"Director Kevin Allen, who has more acting than directing credits under his belt, does an admirable job of keeping the pace fast enough that kids are entertained and parents aren't checking their watches every five minutes." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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3/4 |
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The Agronomist (2004) |
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"A compassionate and powerful tribute to a crusader doing battle with 'no weapon other than his microphone and a thirst for truth.'" | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2.5/4 |
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Aileen: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer (2003) |
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"It's clear Theron didn't so much resemble [Wuornos] as she did channel her deeply tormented soul, in a way that Broomfield never manages to do." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3/4 |
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Akeelah and the Bee (2006) |
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"... makes a powerful impression." | |
Cathy Jakicic | |
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2.5/4 |
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The Alamo (2004) |
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"While the PG-13 rating makes it impossible to portray the actual battle realistically, this could otherwise be the most 'accurate' version of The Alamo to date, which isn't saying much." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2/4 |
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Alex and Emma (2003) |
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"Alex & Emma is interesting in fits and starts, but it's too sluggish and convoluted to really keep up with its premise." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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2.5/4 |
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Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006) |
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"An entertaining popcorn movie featuring a veritable who's who of game British actors (and a trio of equally game American performers) who keep the proceedings lively even with a too-predictable plot." | |
Mack Bates | |
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2.5/4 |
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Alexander (2004) |
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"A passionate, character-driven work of sinew and gristle." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3/4 |
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Alfie (2004) |
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"From the perspective of pure entertainment, Alfie is never boring and always easy on the eyes." | |
Mack Bates | |
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Ali (2001) |
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"Raging Bull is artistically superior, but the fight scenes in Ali are just as visceral and more technically accomplished." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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1.5/4 |
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Alien vs. Predator (2004) |
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"We won't give you any spoilers here about which species zooms which, but let's just say it's the audience who never had a chance." | |
Jackie Loohauis | |
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2/4 |
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All About the Benjamins (2002) |
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"Falters when it takes itself too seriously and when it depends too heavily on its otherwise talented cast to clown in situations that aren't funny." | |
Mack Bates | |
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2.5/4 |
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All The King's Men (2006) |
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"Not even Sean Penn can put All the King's Men back together again." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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All the Pretty Horses (2000) |
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"It's got gumption, by golly." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3/4 |
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All the Real Girls (2003) |
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"A slice of regional poetry intrinsic to lives overlooked by, under-lived in comparison to, and outside the mainstream." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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Almost Famous (2000) |
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"Will have the ring of truth to anyone who was there. Anyone else should enjoy the ride." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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1/4 |
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Alone in the Dark (2005) |
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"Alone in the Dark is amateurish at best and asinine at worst." | |
Mack Bates | |
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Along Came a Spider (2001) |
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"A nail biter so meticulous in its plotting and so intoxicating in its marathon-like pacing that once it's over, you feel as psychologically taxed, yet emotionally relieved." | |
Mack Bates | |
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2.5/4 |
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Along Came Polly (2004) |
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"It's only Stiller's skillful execution that keeps the pratfalls from being monotonous." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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3/4 |
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Alpha Dog (2007) |
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"A frightening, tangled tapestry of youth as its worst." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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2.5/4 |
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Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) |
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"It's all about good, clean fun, both for kids absorbed in the cuddly creatures (especially when they sing) and for their parents, unexpectedly hooked by the nostalgia they evoke." | |
Sue Pierman | |
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3.5/4 |
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Amandla: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony (2003) |
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"A remarkable and persuasive argument on behalf of music as a political weapon." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3/4 |
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Amazing Grace (2007) |
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"The film ultimately tells a powerful and little-known historical tale." | |
Meg Jones | |
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3/4 |
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America's Heart and Soul (2004) |
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"The only way these pristine images could be more vivid is if they were in the large-screen IMAX format." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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America's Sweethearts (2001) |
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"Often funny but not that engaging." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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American Beauty (1999) |
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"Near-perfect." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2.5/4 |
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American Dreamz (2006) |
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"Ultimately, it neglects to pin the tail on the donkey that deserves it most: an audience that wouldn't recognize caveat emptor unless it was the name of an American Idol contestant." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3/4 |
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American Gangster (2007) |
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"A cultivated and more temperate version of Scarface." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3/4 |
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American Hardcore (2006) |
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"Rachman's concert footage confirms that the music was unique: bruising, chaotic and blisteringly electric." | |
Paul Kosidowski | |
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American Pie (1999) |
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"A calculating and exploitative, brightly shining object designed to draw teenagers like moths to a flame." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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American Pie 2 (2001) |
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"The bittersweet subtext of young people grappling with adulthood, and the recurring appearance of Eugene Levy as Biggs' hilariously 'with it' and oafishly understanding father, helps elevate it from the pack." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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3.5/4 |
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American Splendor (2003) |
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"Berman and Pulcini, documentary filmmakers making their narrative debut, have made a work as unvarnished as their subject." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2/4 |
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American Wedding (2003) |
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"The humor is extreme and desperate." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2.5/4 |
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The Amityville Horror (2005) |
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"Its more potent quality is as a portrait -- well, crayon drawing, actually -- of the tendency of the traumatized male psyche toward violence." | |
Duane Dudek | |
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2/4 |
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Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) |
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"You can tell a movie is in trouble when its most emotionally compelling scene involves a monkey in danger of being eaten by a giant snake." | |
Jackie Loohauis | |
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