Fresh 3.5/4
| Rotten 44%
| Jennifer's Body (2009) | "
Diablo Cody and director Karyn Kusama seem less interested in cheap scares than in something more substantive: exploring the purgatorial existence of teens caught between being kids and adults." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jan 2, 2010 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 68%
| Sherlock Holmes (2009) | "
Ritchie's 'Sherlock Holmes' is 'Brokeback Mountain' without the sex and depth of emotion." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Dec 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 82%
| Broken Embraces (2009) | "
The beauty of Broken Embraces is the joy Almodóvar brings to his storytelling. The movie is as personal and rewarding a contribution to his remarkable body of work as All About My Mother and Talk to Her." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Dec 17, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 51%
| Fast Food Nation (2006) | "
'Fast Food Nation' might have translated into a compelling documentary. Instead, Schlosser's research is used as a springboard into a sluggish fictional narrative that merely hints at the grim reality." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Dec 1, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 39%
| 2012 (2009) | "
It's missing the point to note that the patriotism on display in '2012' is embarrassingly shallow, as are Emmerich's genuflections to the value of faith. This is not a movie of ideas, but one of visceral thrills. On that level it's hardly inspired." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 28%
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) | "
Its defects include cumbersome dialogue and ludicrous plotting - its lack of sophistication is total - but who's going to notice with all those shirtless wolf-men flexing their pecs?" — San Francisco Examiner Posted Nov 21, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Fresh 60%
| Pirate Radio (2009) | "
The ensemble chemistry pays off in fits and starts, but their casual cruelty to each other is a needless turn-off. Comedy doesn't work when it's tone-deaf." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 78%
| Bronson (2009) | "
Hardy's range is impressive, and he makes Refn's latest an arresting spectacle, if not a particularly enlightening one." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Nov 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 54%
| The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) | "
The inmates here are running the asylum, trying to walk through walls because they've been trained to believe that they can. They are Jedis, or so they think, and though the Force may elude them, their belief is unshaken. Yoda would be puzzled but proud." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Nov 7, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 82%
| Paranormal Activity (2009) | "
There are few surprises in 'Paranormal Activity,' from its beginning to its ho-hum ending. But there are enough jolts in the night to keep you alert, and otherworldly intrusions that make the skin crawl." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Oct 29, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 87%
| The House of the Devil (2009) | "
From his era-appropriate soundtrack to the visual style of his opening credits and his slyly reverential camerawork, West gives his movie the look and feel of a 25-year-old relic, yet nothing about 'Devil' seems stale." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Oct 27, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 45%
| Saw VI (2009) | "
The tension missing from recent installments is back, thanks to an inventive narrative that manages to tie up the ever-evolving saga's loose ends." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Oct 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 89%
| Zombieland (2009) | "
At 81 minutes, Fleischer's debut is cheerfully macabre, briskly paced, brimming with demented energy, and otherwise totally disposable." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Oct 24, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 50%
| Antichrist (2009) | "
It is a repulsive, perplexing piece of art. It is also brutally effective. Whether that's incentive enough to sit through this film depends largely on your threshold for pain." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Oct 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 77%
| The Informant! (2009) | "
What makes the movie work is Damon's manic performance. His unflagging energy is appealing at first, but seems finally like the last recourse of a man every bit as desperate and pathetic as Tom Ripley." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Sep 16, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 88%
| Inglourious Basterds (2009) | "
Is this Tarantino's masterpiece, as the movie's final shot not so subtly seems to suggest? I believe it's one of them. In the end, we're left with superior storytelling from one of cinema's most talented practitioners." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 20, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 51%
| The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) | "
Unlike Sargent, who trusted his story to provide the fireworks, Scott resorts to gimmicks: choppy editing, speeded-up footage that segues inexplicably into slo-mo, and pointless explosions of noise. Sometimes, less really is more." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 68%
| Tetro (2009) | "
'Tetro' is absorbing, daring and proof that, even now, Coppola's famous reach does not exceed his creative grasp." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 86%
| 500 Days of Summer (2009) | "
Smartly written and refreshingly affecting on its own terms. At the very least, it will make you smile." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 31%
| The Answer Man (2009) | "
Watchable and occasionally endearing, but it's frustrating when our good will is tested by greeting-card sentiment and assembly-line clichés." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 68%
| Funny People (2009) | "
It's no pleasure to report that 'Funny People' self-destructs on the screen. In the end, Apatow might have been wise to heed his own words: Comedy is for funny people, not the mean-spirited, self-obsessed dopes we're left with here." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 18%
| Downloading Nancy (2008) | "
Bello throws herself into Nancy admirably. Yet the film squanders her talents, and what's left of our patience, en route to a finale that is neither surprising nor illuminating: Like the rest of the movie, it's misery for misery's sake." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 55%
| Surveillance (2009) | "
Some will be unable to appreciate the movie's savagery on any level. Others will find it affecting and uncompromising, the kind of movie that plunges you into a nightmare and ratchets up the intensity until you're grateful for a moment's respite." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 58%
| A Perfect Getaway (2009) | "
While hardly a film for the ages, it is exceptionally effective at what it sets out to achieve - namely, pumping up the tension, tossing us a few red herrings, then blindsiding us with the Big Surprise." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 7, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 75%
| Julie & Julia (2009) | "
The movie is sweet, amusing and, unlike one of Child's decadent platters of beef bourguignon, mostly weightless; if not for Streep's expert portrayal, which is boundlessly energetic and respectful, it might float off the screen." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Aug 4, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 97%
| The Hurt Locker (2009) | "
As emotionally involving an action movie as you're likely to find this year (much less this summer), 'The Hurt Locker' is also a tense, forceful meditation on the addictive nature of combat." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 67%
| Bruno (2009) | "
As social satire, 'Brüno' is boorish and scattershot; as farce, it is obvious and erratic." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 20%
| Blood: The Last Vampire (2009) | "
If you're willing to accept it for what it is - a hyperactive fantasy, pleasantly ridiculous and delivered with amusing conviction by director Chris Nahon - you should be suitably entertained." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jul 9, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 67%
| Public Enemies (2009) | "
Though faithful to Bryan Burrough's painstakingly researched book, Michael Mann's 'Public Enemies' offers more an abstract impression of Dillinger than a fully satisfying portrait." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jul 9, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 20%
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) | "
Loud, long and utterly incomprehensible, 'Revenge of the Fallen' is an exquisitely painful experience that pummels the senses as it confounds the intellect." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jul 9, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 25%
| Friday the 13th (2009) | "
Be assured that the acting is passable, the effects are impressively convincing, and the suspense is real. It's not a great film, but it is a frightening one, and what more do you need to know?" — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jun 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 37%
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) | "
Wolverine is big, dumb fun, a popcorn movie if ever there was one. And it's probably the only movie this summer to feature a superhero whose most dazzling talent seems to be shuffling a deck of cards." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jun 11, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 36%
| Angels & Demons (2009) | "
There is little in the way of excitement. There is, however, plenty of ponderous hemming and hawing about the role of the Vatican in a forward-thinking society, and a host of supporting players whose intentions remain murky until the big revelation." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jun 11, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 96%
| Food, Inc. (2009) | "
A veteran of public television's 'American Experience,' Kenner delivers a vital, visually stylish piece of filmmaking that is as informative as it is fascinating, infuriating and, at times, heartbreaking." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jun 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 77%
| The Hangover (2009) | "
Phillips, like Judd Apatow, has often treated hedonism as a roundabout path to self-discovery, though with a minimum of Apatow's sentimentality. Here, Phillips looks to find the humor in the desperate plight of his befuddled heroes, and he succeeds." — 7x7 Posted Jun 4, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 25%
| Land of the Lost (2009) | "
McBride and Ferrell, who seems content to spin his wheels in vehicles that indulge his passion for stripping and dumbing down, are gifted performers. Here, they are given little to work with, and deliver accordingly." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jun 3, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 98%
| Up (2009) | "
Pixar has set the bar impossibly high. That they clear it here by a foot and not by a mile doesn't mean they haven't succeeded in serving up extraordinary entertainment." — San Francisco Examiner Posted May 28, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 92%
| Drag Me To Hell (2009) | "
Rather than inviting the gag reflex with scenes of severed limbs and graphic torture, Raimi takes a manic, tongue-in-cheek approach to horror that seems to revel in its own absurdity. Needless to say, he's been missed." — San Francisco Examiner Posted May 27, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 31%
| Terminator Salvation (2009) | "
Lacking the wry humor of its predecessors and the inestimable presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the film has more than its share of shortcomings. But if you're hopelessly invested in 'Terminator' mythology, you might just be inclined to forgive them." — San Francisco Examiner Posted May 19, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 50%
| Observe and Report (2009) | "
The movie invites us into a world of bitterly unhappy people and rubs our noses in their failings. It's disquieting and eerily perverse, but somehow, despite itself, very funny." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Apr 14, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 88%
| Adventureland (2009) | "
Those expecting another 'Superbad' may be surprised to discover that 'Adventureland' is nothing of the sort. It's far more grounded, populated by thoughtful, unaffected characters whose misadventures ring true. It is also, to date, the year's best film." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Apr 1, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 72%
| Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) | "
As 'Monsters vs. Aliens' demonstrates, 3-D technology is finally coming into its own, used to create a dazzlingly lifelike spectacle that seems to jump off the screen and into the theater beside you." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Mar 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 83%
| I Love You, Man (2009) | "
Rudd and Segel, whose on-screen chemistry is one of the movie's sublime pleasures, take what might have been a slick, formulaic exercise and turn it into the year's funniest film to date with their unselfconscious physical humor and goofy repartee." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Mar 18, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 42%
| The Last House on the Left (2009) | "
It presents sadism in the context of a narrative that is straightforward and believable, and for those who crave a little terror in their lives, it offers a truly unsettling experience while raising questions mundane and otherwise." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Mar 16, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 64%
| Watchmen (2009) | "
While Moore may never see the final cut - or any cut, for that matter - Snyder's reverence for his brooding prose and the cynical depths of his vision is unmistakable. He has hardly done the author a disservice." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Mar 11, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 91%
| Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 (2008) | "
The memories the game evokes in its stars, now well into middle age but clearly moved when recalling that November's consummation of one of America's oldest sports rivalries, weave a narrative that transcends football." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Mar 2, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 57%
| Taken (2009) | "
As a righteous stand against the low-level terrorists who peddle flesh in the back alleys of Europe, the movie is a lurid sham, as slick and soulless as the myriad thugs Neeson dispatches with implausible ease." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Feb 3, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 32%
| Fanboys (2009) | "
There are plenty of no-budget movies worthy of grassroots movements. 'Fanboys,' which comes with a built-in fan base only by virtue of its connection to a universe George Lucas created, isn't one of them." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Feb 3, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 39%
| Outlander (2009) | "
For those eagerly awaiting a consummation of the long-simmering tensions between aliens and Vikings, 'Outlander' is certainly the only game in town. Those whose obsessions lead elsewhere would be wise to look for alternatives." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jan 21, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 15%
| Mirrors (2008) | "
Jack Bauer can disarm nuclear weapons without breaking a sweat, but he apparently can't locate a script worthy of his real-life alter ego." — San Francisco Examiner Posted Jan 19, 2009 |
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