Fresh B
| Fresh 86%
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) | "
Nicolas Cage is out of his mind in The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call -- New Orleans. And it's wonderful to see." Detroit News Posted Dec 18, 2009 |
Rotten D
| Rotten 10%
| Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) | "
Cliché-ridden, stereotype-stuffed and clunky at every inevitably false turn, it's so bad that star Hugh Grant, usually the most relaxed of actors, actually seems to be in pain throughout the film." Detroit News Posted Dec 18, 2009 |
Rotten D
| Fresh 60%
| Missing Person (2009) | "
The real mystery here is how writer-director Noah Buschel talked recent supporting Oscar nominees Michael Shannon and Amy Ryan into doing this movie." Detroit News Posted Dec 18, 2009 |
Fresh A+
| Fresh 83%
| Avatar (2009) | "
I have seen the future of movies, and it is Avatar." Detroit News Posted Dec 18, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 83%
| The Princess and the Frog (2009) | "
An instant if minor classic." Detroit News Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh B-
| Fresh 77%
| Invictus (2009) | "
A work of flawed majesty." Detroit News Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh B+
| Fresh 83%
| Me and Orson Welles (2009) | "
A thoroughly enjoyable film that wraps a coming-of-age story around the portrait of a genius." Detroit News Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 88%
| Skin (2009) | "
Potent, still relevant and inspiring while maddening, Skin shows some of our best and much of our worst." Detroit News Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh B+
| Fresh 78%
| $9.99 (2009) | "
A small gem of an animated film, $9.99 manages to be rich in whimsy and fantastical turns while still rooted in human ground." Detroit News Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh B-
| Rotten 28%
| Serious Moonlight (2009) | "
It's a tribute to writer Adrienne Shelley and first-time director Cheryl Hines that, despite the film's flaws, it ultimately pulls off its unlikely tone." Detroit News Posted Dec 4, 2009 |
Rotten C-
| Rotten 46%
| Everybody's Fine (2009) | "
There's no challenge to this material, no real emotional pull, it's one of those films that simply rolls by until its right-from-the-beginning predictable ending." Detroit News Posted Dec 4, 2009 |
Fresh A
| Rotten 57%
| Brothers (2009) | "
Sheridan and Maguire orchestrate things perfectly here, running a line of tension through the film that explodes at the end, just as it should." Detroit News Posted Dec 4, 2009 |
| Rotten 5%
| Old Dogs (2009) | "
Is any of it believable for even one moment? Of course not. Do some of the jokes work? Sure." Detroit News Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 72%
| The Road (2009) | "
The Road -- centered by Mortensen's typically physical but tempered performance -- is hard to watch. But it could have been much harder. Hillcoat isn't doing opera here, he's doing tragedy." Detroit News Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Fresh A-
| Fresh 90%
| The Messenger (2009) | "
The beauty in Foster's portrayal is that it never completely explodes, but anger and aching seethe behind his eyes. Harrelson, meanwhile, is a good old boy with a bad old job." Detroit News Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Fresh B+
| Fresh 92%
| Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | "
The result is a quirky film that should work for all ages, with just a hint of dark humor. In this age of high-tech animation, Wes Anderson has found himself in a low-tech wonderland." Detroit News Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 31%
| Ninja Assassin (2009) | "
Rain is a very talented slaughterer. He could kill you with a pair of tweezers, a hair dryer, two bananas, whatever. Be glad he's a good ninja." Detroit News Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Rotten C
| Rotten 28%
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) | "
A big bowl of adolescent romantic mush garnished with horror-lite action scenes and a rushed road trip, The Twilight Saga: New Moon is a mess." Detroit News Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh A
| Fresh 91%
| Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (2009) | "
If you do watch -- and you certainly should -- you will see one of the most remarkable performances ever set to film, given by Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe." Detroit News Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Rotten C-
| Rotten 23%
| Planet 51 (2009) | "
Mediocre, clunky and just so not special." Detroit News Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh c+
| N/A | American Harmony (2009) | "
American Harmony is a successful greatest hits compilation of top-level performances of recent years; but that makes you want it to be so much more." Detroit News Posted Nov 19, 2009 |
Rotten C+
| Fresh 60%
| Pirate Radio (2009) | "
Pirate Radio is a bit of a mess. But an amiable mess nonetheless, with the boys' casual chemistry and the music carrying things along, it's not that hard to watch and it's great to listen to." Detroit News Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh A-
| Rotten 50%
| Antichrist (2009) | "
Self-loathing, mean, ugly and perfectly made, Antichrist is probably the best film ever that you'd recommend to absolutely no one." Detroit News Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten D-
| Rotten 16%
| Gentlemen Broncos (2009) | "
Don't pay money to see it, don't waste your time if it comes on cable; you might not even want to bother reading the rest of this review." Detroit News Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten C
| Rotten 39%
| 2012 (2009) | "
This is fear-mongering, sentimental, horror show shtick, but it's also fairly competent, making 2012 a work of awful efficiency" Detroit News Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten D
| Rotten 18%
| The Fourth Kind (2009) | "
Unintentionally, laughably bad." Detroit News Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Rotten C
| Rotten 55%
| Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) | "
Want the creeps for Christmas? Then check out the latest version of A Christmas Carol." Detroit News Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Rotten 54%
| The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) | "
This is grizzled, wild-eyed Clooney, not the suave sophisticate, and it's a nice change of pace." Detroit News Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 94%
| The Damned United (2009) | "
The Damned United is a thoughtful and entertaining study on the perils of ambition that has little to do with soccer and a lot to do with being human. Well-played." Detroit News Posted Oct 30, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 80%
| Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009) | "
This Is It isn't Michael Jackson at his greatest; it's him preparing to be at his greatest. But just watching that preparation is gift enough." Detroit News Posted Oct 28, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Rotten 48%
| Astro Boy (2009) | "
Astro Boy is a blast, a jolt of Japanese anime channeled through British slap-shtick that ends up yet another cool cartoon for both kids and adults." Detroit News Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 82%
| Earth Days (2009) | "
Yes, the future still looks grim and whales are hunted here as they are in all such films, but Stone spends most of his time tracking something positive -- the birth of the environmental movement in the '60s and '70s." Detroit News Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 65%
| Coco Before Chanel (2009) | "
The film is unfailingly funny." Detroit News Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Fresh B-
| Fresh 73%
| More Than a Game (2009) | "
Expertly orchestrated and unavoidably moving, More Than a Game is nevertheless your standard inspirational sports story about spunky kids who defy the odds to become champions." Detroit News Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Fresh C+
| Fresh 73%
| Where the Wild Things Are (2009) | "
Intellectually interesting, visually arresting and filled with invention, there's just one crucial thing Where the Wild Things Are is missing: wildness." Detroit News Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Fresh A
| Fresh 87%
| A Serious Man (2009) | "
Life is pain. Life is funny. Things happen randomly, with no purpose or reason that can be discerned. Searching for answers is futile. Enjoy what you can." Detroit News Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 72%
| The Boys Are Back (2009) | "
A classy, intelligent, low-key affair and a fine reminder of what's really essential to most lives: family." Detroit News Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Rotten C-
| Rotten 12%
| Couples Retreat (2009) | "
This is one of those films, like last week's Whip It and so many others of late, that looks like it was a lot fun to make. It's just not all that much fun to watch." Detroit News Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh B+
| Fresh 91%
| Cloud 9 (2009) | "
The result is a film in which age matters not at all and yet still matters hugely, and in which love is still a dream come true and an absolute mess." Detroit News Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 66%
| Dead Snow (2009) | "
It's a good season for zombies." Detroit News Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 89%
| Zombieland (2009) | "
It's a black-blood-spitting mugging of a movie, but it's also relentlessly funny and innovative, the sort of film that makes you writhe and laugh at the same time." Detroit News Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Rotten B
| Fresh 75%
| Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) | "
Michael Moore is up to his old tricks in Capitalism: A Love Story, and that's sure to both infuriate, and entertain and inform, depending which side of the Michael Moore fence you stand on." Detroit News Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Rotten C-
| Fresh 83%
| Whip It (2009) | "
Whip It looks like it was a fun movie to make. Unfortunately, it's not all that fun to watch." Detroit News Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Rotten 40%
| Surrogates (2009) | "
The film moves along so quickly, and the surrogate world look is so eerie." Detroit News Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh A
| Fresh 84%
| The September Issue (2009) | "
A mesmerizing study of the tension between commerce and creativity." Detroit News Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh B-
| Rotten 32%
| The Burning Plain (2009) | "
It's serious stuff, intended for serious movie people. The only problem is, serious movie people have already been there, done that." Detroit News Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Rotten C
| Fresh 84%
| Bright Star (2009) | "
For a film about love, Bright Star is curiously cold, more pretty than emotional. True stars have heat." Detroit News Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 85%
| World's Greatest Dad (2009) | "
Offering Robin Williams his richest role in memory while serving up a nice cold bowl of shock soup for the audience, World's Greatest Dad is a surprisingly smart and severely twisted dark comedy from comic Bobcat Goldthwait." Detroit News Posted Sep 21, 2009 |
Fresh B
| Fresh 86%
| The Baader Meinhof Complex (2009) | "
There are some literally killer performances here, most notably Johanna Wokalek as Gudrun." Detroit News Posted Sep 18, 2009 |
Fresh B+
| Fresh 85%
| Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) | "
Food has never been funnier than it is in the spirited, animated family film Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs." Detroit News Posted Sep 18, 2009 |