Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 13%
| Leap Year (2010) | "
Rich in cliché and brimming with the sort of potent idiocy that can only be found in January-release romantic comedies, Leap Year manages to do every possible thing wrong." Posted Jan 7, 2010 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 18%
| The Fourth Kind (2009) | "
The Fourth Kind may not be the most honest movie in the galaxy, but it's got one thing right: With horror, what you don't see is usually more terrifying than what you do." Posted Nov 5, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 80%
| Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009) | "
This Is It reveals little about the personal aspects of the deeply troubled man behind the sunglasses -- it naturally deals with none of the darker aspects of Jackson's life -- but it deftly underlines his commitment to showmanship." Posted Oct 28, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 94%
| Good Hair (2010) | "
Rock takes aim at the truth and humor of this potent cultural question with a sharp wit and lively curiousity, even if he doesn't pursue vigorously enough its uglier side." Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 21%
| Amelia (2009) | "
Its portrayal of Earhart's drive and fearlessness never really gets to the heart of this bold, driven individual or explains why she needed so badly to break beyond Earth's boundaries." Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 57%
| The Invention of Lying (2009) | "
It also runs out of steam abruptly, as if there were nowhere else to go, but Gervais' wickedly sly concept lingers quite awhile after the final chuckle. And that's the truth." Posted Oct 1, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 84%
| Bright Star (2009) | "
Bright Star is a well-acted, well-crafted but excruciatingly tepid romantic film about a subject that will attract poetry lovers and yet test even their considerable patience." Posted Sep 24, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 18%
| Love Happens (2009) | "
Charm can only carry a movie so far, of course. Love Happens is not destined to stick with us or become a romcom classic. It just... happened." Posted Sep 17, 2009 |
Rotten 0/4
| Rotten 6%
| All About Steve (2009) | "
One is tempted to feel bad for the usually likable Bullock -- who looks fantastic here, we must note -- but she's one of the film's producers, so she can't be too ashamed of herself. I am embarrassed for her, however." Posted Sep 3, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 8%
| Post Grad (2009) | "
Post Grad is an annoying, tedious little film that touts a young woman's desire to fulfill her dreams, at least until she drops them and everything else and runs across the country to follow a boy." Posted Aug 21, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 46%
| Shorts (2009) | "
Shorts may not be destined for long-term greatness -- it feels cheerfully disposable in every way -- but the film is also fast and funny, and grown-ups will not suffer sitting through it." Posted Aug 21, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 38%
| The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) | "
McAdams and Bana are enticing as a couple whose domestic problems are distinctly original." Posted Aug 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 96%
| The Cove (2009) | "
The film is paced like a thriller, written as an expose and intended as a call to arms for ecologists, animal lovers and moviegoers around the world." Posted Aug 7, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Rotten 58%
| A Perfect Getaway (2009) | "
For a low-brow, psycho-on-the-loose-in-paradise thriller, A Perfect Getaway is surprisingly entertaining, with exactly the right elements to overcome the inevitable cliches." Posted Aug 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 67%
| Bruno (2009) | "
Even if this is the end, we must applaud his audacity, even if we can't always bear to watch it in action. Is this comedic genius? As Brüno would say: Ich think so." Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 47%
| My Sister's Keeper (2009) | "
It's a family melodrama that never misses the opportunity for a heartbreaking, acoustic musical montage that brims with portent, as if we could forget that losing a child is hard and terrible." Posted Jun 25, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Rotten 10%
| My Life in Ruins (2009) | "
It's a movie that gets better as it chugs along, depending on your patience level." Posted Jun 5, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 51%
| Easy Virtue (2009) | "
It lumbers instead of dazzles, drags where it should feint and jab." Posted Jun 4, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 73%
| Rudo and Cursi (2009) | "
Carlos Cuarón's fierce, profane and hilarious comedy about two brothers is not so much about sports as about how we play the game of life." Posted May 21, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 91%
| Every Little Step (2009) | "
A moving, passionate tribute to determination and heart, whatever you might choose to do in your life." Posted May 14, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 45%
| Management (2009) | "
Management isn't even a good stalker-training film. It's pretty much a waste of everyone's time, especially yours." Posted May 14, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 66%
| Is Anybody There? (2009) | "
You don't need a Ouija board to suss out where all this is heading, but Is Anybody There? counteracts its deficiencies -- predictability, sentimentality -- with a healthy dose of dark humor." Posted Apr 30, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 37%
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) | "
Jackman's charisma breathes the fire into Wolverine, not the rather pedestrian script or the by-the-numbers action." Posted Apr 30, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 14%
| The Informers (2009) | "
Perhaps the film's biggest mistake is that after more than an hour of proving how pointless and vapid these characters are, it leaves us with a parting shot indicating we should care about what happens to them. We don't." Posted Apr 23, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 55%
| The Soloist (2009) | "
Strangely, the inspirational power of The Soloist lies not in its music but in the heart and soul of its intriguing characters." Posted Apr 23, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 84%
| State of Play (2009) | "
Its depiction of a newsroom is so realistic you'll be surprised to learn the scenes were filmed on a set." Posted Apr 16, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 29%
| The Golden Boys (2009) | "
Trying to sit through The Golden Boys is like trudging across the Cape Cod sand in galoshes during a nor'easter with a mule on your back." Posted Apr 16, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 58%
| 17 Again (2009) | "
Funny and lively, with a healthy dollop of sentimentality, it reassures us that all is not lost, except maybe our six-pack abs, as we descend into schlubby, dissatisfied middle age." Posted Apr 16, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 50%
| Observe and Report (2009) | "
Observe and Report feels more like a series of not-quite-successful skits thrown together than a movie with a script." Posted Apr 9, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 28%
| Fast & Furious (2009) | "
The stars are back in the fourth installment of this fast-cars/hot-chicks series, which tells you a little something about the rocky roads their careers have traveled since 2001's original film." Posted Apr 2, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 88%
| Adventureland (2009) | "
The real challenge for Adventureland -- a sweet, surprisingly tender romantic comedy set at a Pittsburgh amusement park -- is to confound expectations." Posted Apr 2, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 71%
| Sunshine Cleaning (2009) | "
Its overall ability to balance humor and drama, attention to emotional detail and a few winning performances outweighs its maudlin tendencies." Posted Mar 26, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 65%
| Duplicity (2009) | "
Duplicity isn't quite as clever as it wants to be, but it's diverting and funny, and it's always a pleasure to watch a movie that relies on brains as fodder instead of brawn." Posted Mar 19, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 36%
| Face Addict (2008) | "
Audiences already interested in the period will enjoy Face Addict best, but Bertoglio makes it surprisingly inclusive and accessible." Posted Mar 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 64%
| Watchmen (2009) | "
With its basic themes, structure and apocalyptic vibe intact, Watchmen turns out to be quite filmable after all, and its stylish highlights trump any quibbles." Posted Mar 5, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 97%
| The Class (2008) | "
The Class skillfully straddles an intriguing line between reality and fiction." Posted Feb 26, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 23%
| Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) | "
With any luck Confessions will end up as a tipping point, signaling the moment that women finally stopped paying to see themselves look stupid on screen. That would be quite a bargain." Posted Feb 12, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 44%
| He's Just Not That Into You (2009) | "
The fact that you won't remember any of these names for more than a minute should indicate exactly how much depth each character displays." Posted Feb 5, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/5
| Rotten 17%
| New in Town (2009) | "
We could use an upbeat film with a solid Frank Capra vibe. But New in Town doesn't elicit a rah-rah spirit so much as it reawakens the cynical thought that such lazy screenwriters deserve to be out of work." Posted Jan 30, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 56%
| Defiance (2008) | "
Defiance may lack the sort of emotional punch that sticks, but its story of courage and responsibility is undeniably compelling." Posted Jan 16, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 70%
| Last Chance Harvey (2008) | "
Though the story doesn't quite live up to the cast's pedigree, it at least provides the rare pleasure of a blossoming romance between two people older than Kate Hudson or Ryan Reynolds." Posted Jan 16, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 46%
| Hotel for Dogs (2009) | "
It's all silly but remarkably fun and should wring smiles from even the grouchiest cat lover." Posted Jan 16, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 12%
| Bride Wars (2009) | "
If anyone asks you if you want to see Bride Wars, remember the right answer: I don't." Posted Jan 9, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 62%
| The Reader (2008) | "
Relies too much on coincidence and, in an even more puzzling turn, seems to suggest that illiteracy might be a valid excuse for the worst of human behavior." Posted Dec 29, 2008 |
Rotten 2/4
| Fresh 60%
| Valkyrie (2008) | "
The screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander introduces a seemingly endless series of characters, but there's no time to flesh any of them out enough to make you worry about their fate." Posted Dec 29, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 61%
| Marley & Me (2008) | "
It's a film guaranteed to appeal to tender-hearted pet lovers. But the movie, which was largely filmed in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, turns out to be less about dogs than it is about one man's trajectory through adulthood." Posted Dec 29, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 78%
| Doubt (2008) | "
Doubt is not exactly a tour de force, but the film succeeds on the wattage of its stars, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, as a nun and priest at odds over an unspeakable suspicion." Posted Dec 19, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 92%
| Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) | "
It's a powerful argument for optimism." Posted Oct 31, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 76%
| Appaloosa (2008) | "
Appaloosa takes the traditional notion of a lone lawman fighting injustice and turns it successfully on its head." Posted Oct 10, 2008 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 37%
| How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) | "
Toby Young's memoir makes an engaging transition to the screen, thanks to a lively adaptation that embellishes greatly on Young's story but preserves the central fish-out-of-water theme and biting commentary on celebrity obsession." Posted Oct 3, 2008 |
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