Tomato 3/4 |
A Scanner Darkly (2006) |
"The [characters'] outlines are unstable, and so is their environment, keeping us caught in a constant state of questioning the film's 'reality,' just as its characters do." |
Jeffrey Overstreet |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) |
"It's every bit as clichéd and predictable as you'd expect, but thanks to some fine performances, especially from the young leads, it is quite watchable." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Alamo (2004) |
"There are great moments, though it's ultimately a lightweight film and certainly not an Oscar contender." |
Russ Breimeier |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Amazing Grace (2007) |
"A well-told cinematic example of a man who used his faith and God-given opportunities to change the world for good." |
Russ Breimeier |
Tomato 3/4 |
Amelia (2009) |
"A fine tribute to an American pioneer, but I feel sure that Earhart's story merits, and would reward, a more searching and thoughtful exploration." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato 3/4 |
America's Heart and Soul (2004) |
"Forget reality television. This is reality and it's all about people who don't need a head shot to validate their existence." |
Lisa Ann Cockrel |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Dreamz (2006) |
"In a way, this film talks out of both sides of its mouth -- lampooning and loving its targets at the same time. But most viewers, I suspect, won't mind." |
Carolyn Arends |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Gangster (2007) |
"Ridley Scott leverages the unique qualities of the story, its nuances of reality, and stellar acting into a well-crafted and gritty drama that hits all the right strides." |
Todd Hertz |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Teen (2008) |
"In many ways, Nanette Burstein's approach of editing documentary footage into narrative works better than a lot of scripted teen fiction. The characters are actually complex." |
Todd Hertz |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Violet (2009) |
"A movie to be discussed with those invested in being agents of justice. It raises serious questions about a system that does not protect those most vulnerable -- the poor." |
Lisa Ann Cockrel |
Tomato 3/4 |
An Education (2009) |
"A slightly incomplete, though mostly rewarding, education." |
Camerin Courtney |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Ant Bully (2006) |
"The film acknowledges that faith is an important part of our social fabric, and if the film has any moral lessons to pass on, it implicitly roots them in a spiritual foundation." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Apocalypto (2006) |
"Gibson has made a bloody flick about death and social decay in a pagan culture, and he hints ever so obliquely that the world has not fared any better under we Christians." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Appaloosa (2008) |
"Appaloosa is entertaining, certainly, but it feels rather slight and feeble next to some of its more superior recent cohorts in the western genre." |
Brett McCracken |
Tomato 3/4 |
Aquamarine (2006) |
"The movie scores a major victory in reaching its audience with the all-too-important message that they are fine just the way they are." |
Todd Hertz |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Arctic Tale (2007) |
"If you're expecting a dramatic fictional depiction of life in the semi-frozen north, you'll find the stories pretty thin. This is not The Call of the Wild." |
|
Tomato 2.5/4 |
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) |
"More comparable to the quietly contemplative films of Terrance Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World) than it is to most gunslinging westerns." |
Todd Hertz |
Tomato 3/4 |
Astro Boy (2009) |
"More than anything, Astro Boy is simply fun to watch." |
Russ Breimeier |
Tomato 3/4 |
Atonement (2007) |
"It taises important questions about the relationship between honesty and kindness, and ends on a powerful note that asks whether there can ever be true mercy without, well, truth." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Tomato 4/4 |
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) |
"It's a study of human weakness and cruelty, it's a portrait of Christ the suffering servant, it's the heartbreaking story of a young girl's descent from innocence to despair. But above all, it's a movie about a donkey.
" |
Ron Reed |
Tomato 4/4 |
Australia (2008) |
"It's an ode to a place (exotic to some, familiar to others), yes, but more than that, Australia is state of mind: wonderment, grandeur, beauty, love, escape, hope." |
Brett McCracken |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Avatar (2009) |
"Full of that rare movie magic which can transport, entertain and intrigue, this sci-fi fantasy is a fun amusement park ride that ignites your imagination." |
Todd Hertz |
Tomato 4/4 |
The Aviator (2004) |
"It's almost predictable in the way it delivers the cinematic goods, yet there's no denying that it is a compelling and entertaining look at a larger-than-life individual." |
Russ Breimeier |
Tomato 3/4 |
Away From Her (2007) |
"A moving meditation on what love looks like after it's had more than 40 years to grow. It's a love with deep scars, but roots that go deeper still." |
Lisa Ann Cockrel |
Tomato 3/4 |
Away We Go (2009) |
"I wonder if the quirky 30somethings trying to answer these basic questions will bore me ten years down the line. But right now, Away We Go feels true." |
Lisa Ann Cockrel |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Adam Resurrected (2008) |
"Could have been a tour de force for director Paul Schrader and his cast, and the glimpses of greatness make the reality all the more disappointing." |
Alissa Wilkinson |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl in 3-D (2005) |
"A fun summer film for grade school kids, it avoids the subtle meanness and double entendres that filmmakers sometimes insert into films geared to children." |
Stefan Ulstein |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Aeon Flux (2005) |
"The telling of this story is rather dull and lifeless; the film is full of rote combat sequences and no real sense of danger or adventure." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1.5/4 |
After the Sunset (2004) |
"After the Sunset is the sort of movie that may not find its ideal audience until channel-surfing insomniacs discover it late some evening, long, long after sunset indeed.
" |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Against the Ropes (2003) |
"Against the Ropes may not deliver a knock-out, but it does land some pretty good blows." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006) |
"Stormbreaker jarringly shifts back-and-forth from real-world believability to Bond-esque suspense-of-disbelief to Boris-and-Natasha goofiness." |
Todd Hertz |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Alexander (2004) |
"Stone gives us some truly stirring visuals, music that soars and charges more often than not, and, um, performances that . . . Well, um, okay, about those performances . . ." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Alien vs. Predator (2004) |
"In the end, we are left with a dull woman who is surrounded by puppets and voiceless actors covered in prosthetics -- and it's never a good sign when the special effects give more memorable performances than the hero.
" |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 2/4 |
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) |
"Taking a cue from the Requiem of the title, it may be time to put these Aliens and Predators to rest once and for all." |
Russ Breimeier |
Splat 1.5/4 |
All The King's Men (2006) |
"Unanswered questions leave you wondering if entire subplots ended up on the cutting room floor, and by the end of the film, you wonder who or what it was supposed to be about." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1.5/4 |
The Amityville Horror (2005) |
"The best thing I can say about Andrew Douglas's remake of The Amityville Horror is that it gave me a reason to track down the original film." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 2/4 |
Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (2004) |
"Most fans are bound to be disappointed to some degree, and non-aficionados of musical theater will find it tedious and silly. Do yourself a favor and see this on stage" |
Russ Breimeier |
Splat 0/4 |
Annapolis (2006) |
"It's difficult to find anything to praise about Annapolis." |
Lisa Ann Cockrel |
Splat 2/4 |
The Apocalypse |
"The final chapter in The Bible Collection, a series of films that, stylistically, has been all over the map. With this, the series ends not with a bang, but a whimper." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Are We There Yet? (2005) |
"Are We There Yet? is more interested in crass humor than in creating remotely believable characters that we might actually care about." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1/4 |
Around the World in 80 Days (2004) |
"I was amazed at how little actually happens for a movie with so much action." |
Mary Lasse |
Splat 2/4 |
Art School Confidential (2006) |
"The few characters we might have cared for become increasingly shallow, and it all lapses into clichés about the relationship between art and infamy, between personal integrity and selling your soul, and so on." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) |
"Instead of improving on Carpenter's film, [Richet's remake] is a wearying assault on the eyes, ears, and intelligence." |
Jeffrey Overstreet |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Assisted Living (2005) |
"There is a certain meditative grace to the cinematography here, but after a while, well, I was just plain bored." |
Lisa Ann Cockrel |
Splat 1.5/4 |
The Astronaut Farmer (2007) |
"There's so much more possible than what's being offered here. In that sense, The Astronaut Farmer doesn't aim or dream nearly high enough." |
Camerin Courtney |
Splat 2/4 |
August Rush (2007) |
"A light, fanciful touch at times bolsters its "fairy tale" feel, but at times the story incorporates just enough "realistic" elements to drag the whole thing back down to earth." |
Peter T. Chattaway |
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