Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 33%
| Cracks (2009) | "
An auspicious debut for Scott, but one whose ingredients are too familiar to really fizz. Green is great, though, in a dark-tinged role that plays to her strengths." — Empire Magazine Posted Dec 4, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 28%
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) | "
If you buy in to the central romance, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll swoon. Otherwise, the lingering glances, lip-chewing and regular de-shirting may cause uncontrollable giggles." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 100%
| Tales from the Golden Age (2009) | "
Flashes of bleak humour makes this wry portrait a compelling experience." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 30, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 85%
| Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) | "
Bright, silly and a good shout to entertain the whole family." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 18, 2009 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 14%
| The Ugly Truth (2009) | "
It’s not as risqué as it wishes it were, nor as likable as it should be. Butler’s rarely been better-cast, but the material’s too patchy to support him ." — Empire Magazine Posted Aug 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 44%
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) | "
This is a bigger and better night out than the first." — Empire Magazine Posted May 18, 2009 |
Fresh 5/5
| Fresh 89%
| Coraline (2009) | "
Terrifying and beautiful, believable and fantastical, this is one of the best children’s films in years and Selick’s finest — better even than The Nightmare Before Christmas." — Empire Magazine Posted May 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 62%
| Crank High Voltage (2009) | "
Proof that you can make good movies based on video games, as long as you don’t bother making a video game first. Juice us up for Crank 3D." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 17, 2009 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 69%
| Religulous (2008) | "
It’s a rare film that can simultaneously crack you up and send a chill down your spine. Worth seeing — even for believers." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 3, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 23%
| Push (2009) | "
Kinetic and convincing, this uses a limited budget to thrilling effect, giving us a sort of X-Men-meets-Trainspotting twist. We hope a sequel follows this early promise." — Empire Magazine Posted Feb 20, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 16%
| The Secret of Moonacre (2008) | "
Whilst missing a trick in terms of script and casting, at least they've amped up the action from the somewhat sedate book." — Empire Magazine Posted Feb 5, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 88%
| Bolt (2008) | "
The unlikely superhero of this film is the hamster, who brings the funny amid a flurry of weaker gags. But Bolt still has charm — it just won’t hit with the adults the way the best animated films can." — Empire Magazine Posted Feb 5, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 72%
| Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) | "
The music’s great, if predictable, and the talented young cast give it their all. We just wish that Cera would try something new." — Empire Magazine Posted Jan 30, 2009 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 21%
| Faintheart (2008) | "
The laughs come few and far between in a story as drab as the Northern skies under which it is set." — Empire Magazine Posted Jan 23, 2009 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 20%
| The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) | "
A remake that does not disgrace the original, this is sufficiently different to stand alone and just as relevant in its concerns – as well as succeeding (arguably better) as a thriller." — Empire Magazine Posted Dec 12, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 25%
| Four Christmases (2008) | "
Witherspoon works hard to convince us otherwise, but this is a miscast mess. Definitely a turkey rather than a Christmas pudding." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 28, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 60%
| W. (2008) | "
Disappointing. Stone whipped this out in time for the US Presidential election, but it’s hard to see how it’ll make any significant impact on voters. Or why it even should." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 7, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 34%
| Pride and Glory (2008) | "
A well-acted and tightly structured piece that would be more impactful if there weren’t a feeling that we’ve seen it before." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 7, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 51%
| Easy Virtue (2009) | "
While its tone occasionally wavers and there are some wobbly performances, this has moments of true lightness, and a welcome sense of whimsy often missing in the costume genre." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 7, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 67%
| High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) | "
If you’re under 12, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re over 12, the fact this is as funny and bright as it is insipid won’t stop you from avoiding it like the plague." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 24, 2008 |
Rotten 1/5
| Rotten 5%
| 88 Minutes (2008) | "
It verges on so-bad-it’s-good territory, but just isn’t entertaining enough. Lacking in tension and pace, poorly edited and starring wholly unsympathetic characters, this is just dull, drab and boring." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 3, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 37%
| How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) | "
Not as smart or as satirical as you might hope, but an enjoyable and often funny look at a mad, mad, mad, mad world." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 30, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Rotten 43%
| Live! (2007) | "
Smart, incisive, but not as sharp as it should have been. With a subject this ripe for evisceration, it’s a pity to let it off with flesh wounds." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 19, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 87%
| Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) | "
As much Tolkien's baby as Mignola's, this has more heart and humour than most fantasy films can dream of. Hellaciously good." — Empire Magazine Posted Aug 22, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 98%
| Blindsight (2008) | "
Uplifting but never mawkish, and gorgeously shot." — Empire Magazine Posted Jul 31, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 66%
| The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) | "
Significantly better than the first film or, say, the first two Harry Potters." — Empire Magazine Posted Jun 27, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 49%
| Smart People (2008) | "
Strong performances and a few laughs, but the story feels lazy next to superior efforts recently in the same genre." — Empire Magazine Posted May 16, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 75%
| Four Minutes (2007) | "
The acting is excellent." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 28, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 22%
| The Eye (2008) | "
There are a couple of effective scares, but this feels like a retread too far. Enough with J-horror already - let’s do something new." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 25, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 64%
| Stop-Loss (2008) | "
Strong performances from the young cast make a compelling case that the US govt is failing its soldiers, but the film’s a little too much of a blunt instrument." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 25, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 96%
| Persepolis (2007) | "
The monochrome animation is stark and beautiful, and Marjane’s an appealing narrator. Often hilarious, sometimes tragic, this may be low-tech, but it’s high-class." — Empire Magazine Posted Apr 25, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 26%
| Drillbit Taylor (2008) | "
It just scrapes two stars on the strength of Wilson’s best efforts. But for God’s sake, someone give this man a sparring partner." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 27, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 81%
| Lars And The Real Girl (2007) | "
A strangely affecting romance with real heart — and another sign that Gosling is one of the best young actors around." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 20, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 26%
| Drillbit Taylor (2008) | "
This is the Scat Pack's first definitive miss and it just scrapes two stars on the strength of Wilson's best efforts. But for God's sake, give this man a sparring partner next time he's on screen." — Empire Magazine Australasia Posted Mar 19, 2008 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 91%
| Szabadság, Szerelem (2006) | "
Light on facts but heavy on bombast, this is a stirring tribute to a doomed generation." — Empire Magazine Posted Mar 14, 2008 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 67%
| The 11th Hour (2007) | "
Too scattershot to land any effective punches." — Empire Magazine Posted Feb 15, 2008 |
Fresh 4/5
| Fresh 88%
| Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) | "
Bleak, brutal and quite possibly brilliant, this is a triumphant return to form for Lumet and further proof that Hoffman is on an incredible winning streak." — Empire Magazine Posted Jan 11, 2008 |
Rotten 3/5
| Fresh 81%
| Last Tango in Paris (1972) | "
Brando gives his all but just ends up becoming himself. Interesting for it's historical notoriety, but overlong and dull in places." — Empire Magazine Posted Dec 7, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 91%
| Silent Night (2006) | "
Beautiful but boring." — Empire Magazine Posted Dec 7, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 24%
| Shrooms (2006) | "
There are a few effective jump scares but the dodgy acting and an appalling ending marks this out as an interesting first try rather than an indie breakaway hit." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 21, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 81%
| Talk to Me (2007) | "
There’s terrific chemistry between the leads, but an episodic structure set over 20 years is too sprawling to really allow for a connection." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 21, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 5%
| Good Luck Chuck (2007) | "
If Wedding Crashers is in your top ten rom-coms ever, you might not hate this. Otherwise, it’s too gross to be sweet and too sweet to be gross." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 8, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Rotten 27%
| Lions for Lambs (2007) | "
A smart, accessible, surprisingly balanced look at our dysfunctional world. Compelling stuff." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 8, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 5%
| Good Luck Chuck (2007) | "
It’s too gross to be sweet and too sweet to be gross." — Empire Magazine Posted Nov 8, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 80%
| Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution (2007) | "
One of the better British comedies we’ve seen this year." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 27, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 13%
| The Seeker (2007) | "
Off-the-shelf teen fantasy not likely to satisfy the post-Potter/LOTR crowd but guaranteed to enrage fans of the source novel. The newly added quasi-religious overtones don’t help either." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 19, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Rotten 23%
| Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) | "
Better than the silly second instalment and boasting an effectively creepy empty world setting, it’s nevertheless scuppered by a lack of coherence." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 10, 2007 |
Fresh 4/5
| Rotten 51%
| The Kingdom (2007) | "
Not quite as smart as it wants to be, and a better action movie than it is a political thriller, this is still a heart-pounding drama." — Empire Magazine Posted Oct 5, 2007 |
Fresh 3/5
| Fresh 84%
| Rocket Science (2007) | "
Spellbound director Jeffrey Blitz fails to recapture the magic of his spelling bee doc with his latest effort - despite the best efforts of the talented unknowns that make up the cast." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 28, 2007 |
Rotten 2/5
| Fresh 75%
| My Best Friend (2007) | "
Very patchy with an unconvincing lead character." — Empire Magazine Posted Sep 22, 2007 |
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