Splat 2/4 |
S.W.A.T. (2003) |
"By the end, you'll think they have already made `Bad Boys III.'" |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
S1m0ne (2002) |
"...anticipates that seemingly fast-approaching moment when celebrity culture becomes the only sort of culture we're familiar with." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Sahara (2005) |
"Was Matthew McConaughey invited to the congressional hearings on steroids?" |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
The Salon (2005) |
"What felt like joyful camaraderie in Barbershop comes across here as nasty bickering." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
The Santa Clause 2 (2002) |
"...one of those sadistically cheerful holiday movies that have the distinct feel of a piece of candy cane getting stuck in your throat." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Saraband (2005) |
"...a chronicle of how bitterness only hardens over time." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Savages (2007) |
"Writer-director Tamara Jenkins ... allows the movie its real-life bitterness without pushing it over into despair." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Saving Shiloh (2006) |
"... has more respect for the intelligence of the title dog than its audience." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Saw (2004) |
"...delves a bit too giddily into the cruel and torturous techniques of its villain." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Saw II (2005) |
"...is supposed to jar you, but here's the funny thing about 90 minutes of bludgeoning and bloodletting: It usually just leaves me numb." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1/4 |
Saw IV (2007) |
"I can think of five things that are more torturous than what the victims endure in Saw IV..." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1/4 |
Scary Movie 4 (2006) |
"If `Scary Movie 4' had a sell-by date, it would likely be 12/31/05. Any viewing after then may cause food poisoning." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
School for Scoundrels (2006) |
"...the movie goes soft and Heder ironically loses whatever star quality he had." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
School of Rock (2003) |
"Black has found the signature role for his singular talent." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
The Science of Sleep (2006) |
"...a burst of creativity that only an art student on copious caffeine - or something even stronger - could handle." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1/4 |
Scooby-Doo - The Movie (2002) |
"The endless miscalculations on the filmmakers' parts have turned Scooby-Doo into even more of a disaster than anyone could have imagined." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Scoop (1987) |
"Last year's Match Point marked a surprising return to vital filmmaking form for Woody Allen, but that movie had the distinct advantage of not being a comedy." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Seabiscuit (2003) |
"As `Rocky' on four legs, `Seabiscuit' works just fine." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Secondhand Lions (2003) |
"The quieter moments are when the actors get to do good work." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
The Secret Lives of Dentists (2003) |
"...displays the psychological acuity of a D.H. Lawrence story, in which we can almost feel the quickening of the protagonist's heart." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Secret Window (2004) |
"The secret becomes obvious early in the film...so thankfully there's one thing even more crucial to the movie: Johnny Depp." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Secretary (2002) |
"...not every movie couple has to look like Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
The Seeker (2007) |
"...an overstuffed yet uninspired pastiche of fantasy elements." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
The Sentinel (2006) |
"...has the demeanor of a conspiracy theorist...as calm and collected as a puppy trotting down the aisles of PetSmart." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Serenity (2005) |
"...fan-boy membership isn't necessary to enjoy the picture's smart handling of `Star Trek' conventions." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
The Shaggy Dog (2006) |
"...features an alarming number of serious actors trying to keep a straight face..." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Shall We Dance? (2004) |
"Lopez...lords over the movie like a narcissistic devil." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
Shanghai Knights (2003) |
"Both Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan have done better work. It's called `Shanghai Noon.'" |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
Shark Tale (2004) |
"Nearly every joke involves placing a stereotype regarding urban culture or organized crime onto a fish of some kind." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Sharks 3D (2004) |
"...places as much importance on information as it does on visual spectacle." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Shaun of the Dead (2004) |
"...at once a splatterfest and a satiric generational statement." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
She's Gotta Have It (1986) |
"From the start, it was less important whether or not you agreed with Lee than if you appreciated him for stirring things up." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
She's The Man (2006) |
"Amidst all the gender-bending farce, the movie has a smart absurdist streak that allows for smaller giggles in the corners." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Shoot 'Em Up (2007) |
"If you're impressed by the way Owen takes out bad guys while holding an infant, wait until you see how he manages mid-climax (yes, I mean that sort of climax)." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Shooter (2007) |
"Here's a customized way to gauge whether or not you'll enjoy Shooter: Give it three stars for each gun you own." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Shopgirl (2005) |
"...like a romantic comedy on Prozac." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Shrek 2 (2004) |
"...the villain this time around is Fairy Godmother herself, who acts like a magically powered plastic surgeon." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Shrek the Third (2007) |
"The Shrek pictures are commonly considered fairy-tale spoofs, but these are reinventions, really..." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Sideways (2004) |
"Giamatti...mostly resembles a walking ulcer, especially when he's inflamed." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 4/4 |
Signs (2002) |
"The sort of philosophical marriage that hasn't been seen since `The X-Files' paired alien conspiracy theories with Agent Scully's fragile Catholicism." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 2/4 |
Silk (2007) |
"Few things are as boring as a piece of art porn that pays penance for its titillating scenes with twice as many dull ones." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Silver City (2004) |
"...dull yet hectoring political drama." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 4/4 |
The Simpsons Movie (2007) |
"...a conclusive portrait of the dysfunctional American family - stuck with each other and, deep down, OK with it." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 4/4 |
Sin City (2005) |
"What happens in Sin City feels like what might have been going on in those 1940s and '50s crime pictures when no one was looking." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) |
"More nuanced in its depiction of `good guys' and `bad guys' than most adult action films..." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Skeleton Key (2005) |
"...offers Hudson a chance to do something more than beam at us with that sunny, moony face." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 4/4 |
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) |
"Ideally it should be shown in a tree house." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Sky High (2005) |
"...avoids originality as if it were an infectious disease." |
Josh Larsen |
Tomato 3/4 |
Sleuth (2007) |
"...like watching a pair of one-man shows face off against each other." |
Josh Larsen |
Splat 1/4 |
Slipstream (2007) |
"...makes you long for a pretentious, arty student short. Because those are only about eight minutes long." |
Josh Larsen |
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