About a Boy (2002)

"The Weitz's have preserved the rich humor of Hornby's comic novel ... and found the ideal point man in Hugh Grant."

Adventureland (2009)

"Adventureland is not as uproarious as Superbad, but has a little more heart, and is a cut above most one-crazy-summer teen movies."

The Agronomist (2004)

"A profile, often moving, of the quixotic figure at Haiti's hopeful center, Dominique."

The Alamo (2004)

"The Alamo wants to wring the mythology out of its famous story, and I can't think of a better way than casting Bad Santa as Davy Crockett."

Aliens of the Deep (2005)

"There are impressive rock formations and many other fine things to see, along with an interesting science lesson."

Alpha Dog (2007)

"Cassavetes is more interested in docudrama than commentary, but he does manage to create an interesting tone for the movie -- somewhere between the satire of the unvarnished America in Borat and the red flag waved by Apocalypto."

Amelie (2001)

"A perfectly timed antidote to grim determinism of other romantic comedies."

American Gangster (2007)

"It's a rare instance of a movie gangster, though wrapped in the unavoidable cloak of big-screen glamour, being held to account for the retail-level destruction caused by his criminal operation."

American Splendor (2003)

"One of the best movies I've seen this year -- original, inventive, surprisingly moving."

American Violet (2009)

"American Violet is an earnest muckraker about the justice system that won't win points for style, but wins plenty for substance."

An Education (2009)

"The way one character bounces off another in An Education is endlessly interesting. No role, no matter how small, is thrown away."

The Ant Bully (2006)

"... it's hard to dislike a movie that teaches useful lessons about team play."

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009)

"The movie is a small wonder, because it's not the work of a practiced filmmaker - Sacha Gervasi is a writer and Anvil fan who shot the movie on a whim, but he has a great eye, and is evidently an editing whiz."

Apocalypto (2006)

"You have to hand it to Mel Gibson -- when he makes a visceral film, he gives you the actual viscera."

Are We There Yet? (2005)

"Does a good job of capturing the aspect of child-parent and child-adult relationships. And although funny, the movie does touch on a few social issues."

Arlington Road (1999)

"A pretty decent thriller."

Astro Boy (2009)

"The movie never soars like Astro Boy, but it does rise above the lack of promise that prevails in the early scenes, which is a tough thing for any movie to do."

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

"The story is as nutty as we've come to expect, just not as funny -- the '70s angle was handled more cleverly in Undercover Brother."

Australia (2008)

"Australia is a wildly over the top look at Down Under, about what we might have expected from Aussie director Baz Luhrmann."

The Aviator (2004)

"It's not as moving as it's probably meant to be, but as a whole The Aviator is fast (even pushing three hours), entertaining and provocative."

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

"Dick does not share Linklater's decency and humanism ... and the cynical, hopeless characters in Scanner sit uncomfortably with Linklater's natural sensibility."

About Adam (2001)

"We've all watched enough Springer to know what happens when a fiance makes a move on the bride-to-be's sister. Those family dramas involve lawyers, if not guns and knives. Never rose petals."

Adaptation (2002)

"A train wreck of a movie, but it's quite a train, and the crash is spectacular."

After the Sunset (2004)

"There isn't a single good thing about this movie."

Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004)

"An inane sequel."