Tomato B
The Babysitters (2008)
"Their customers are awkward enough that we're able to believe the girls are in control, or at least aware that they're the highlight of the men's week."
Amy Nicholson
Tomato B+
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)
"A perfect, perfect prank."
Tomato B-
Bart Got a Room (2009)
"Hecker's got a knack for teen misery, but he's aiming higher than beers-and-boobs moronity. What follows is excruciating excavated high school trauma"
Splat C
Battle in Seattle (2008)
"Most inspiring in its throwaway moments, the flick mistakenly thinks we give a damn about an irritating romance when it would be better served by facts, outrage, and complexity."
Be Kind Rewind (2008)
"Innovative auteur Michel Gondry's latest curio is either boring or brilliantly boring."
Splat D
Bedtime Stories (2008)
"All director Adam Shankman can think of to do is encourage Adam Sandler to mug like a chimpanzee"
Bee Movie (2007)
"What distinguishes this better than half-decent comedy is its detailed insight into the bee brain"
Splat F
Bella (2007)
"Corn smothered in queso, this sentimental hokum sticks in your throat."
Beowulf (2007)
"Those who remember the 3000 line epic from 8th grade English will be pleasantly surprised to learn they've scrapped the original plot altogether."
The Betrayal (2008)
"A doc that wears its viewpoint on its sleeve -- but a viewpoint worth watching"
Big Fan (2009)
"Big Fan isn't a touchdown, but its patient torture reminded me of the rest of the world's football: tense stretches of nothing with enough killer moments to cheer."
Big Man Japan (2009)
"Deflation--not delight--is the rule, and the key to enjoying the B-movie fights is to accept that even when Masaru wins, we're not meant to feel triumph."
Tomato A
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* (2008)
"Steroids as demonized innocents is a tough pill to swallow, and while Bell isn't out to build a clear case, he succeeds in muddying the waters."
Tomato A-
Black Dynamite (2009)
"If there's a night at the movies more fun than this deadpan blaxploitation flick, it's probably boosted by something bought in a dark alley."
Splat B-
Blade Runner - The Final Cut (1982)
"Paradoxically, Scott's crowded, misty, neon streetscape seems even murkier; fuzz I chalked up to VHS tapes is production designer Lawrence G. Paull dumping ashtrays in the air."
Blindness (2008)
"It's the rare movie that dissects the blackness of the soul; rarer still are ones that manage to find the darkness beautiful."
Blood: The Last Vampire (2009)
"It makes sense that Chris Chow's script is based on a manga series; this is a series of 20-minute episodes in search of an arc."
Bolt (2008)
"Bolt isn't a dazzler, but it's entertainment with heart."
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
"Greengrass comes full circle from the War on Terror film that bit its tongue to the popcorn flick that speaks volumes."
The Boys Are Back (2009)
"Honesty defines the performances. The happiest possible ending here and in real life is that people keep going forward no matter how hard it hurts."
Bride Wars (2009)
"They're real, dimensional humans, not wedding-obsessed fembots."
Brothers (2009)
"When Carey Mulligan (the breakout star of An Education) pops up in a cameo, you realize how rich the film would be with her in the lead."
The Brothers Bloom (2009)
"The Brothers Bloom is to precocious adventure movies what Crank is to action throwdowns; it finds the genre's limit and doubles it."
Bruno (2009)
"Brüno hinges on how uncomfortable we are watching a homosexual minstrel show; our PC excruciation is as crucial to the formula as the good ol' boys' irritation"
RSS Feeds