Babel (2006)

"I was shaken, but not stirred."

Baby Mama (2008)

"[Writer/director] McCullers takes all the loose plot strands and ties them in a neat knot and cuts it, as an obstetrician might a newborn's umbilicus. Still, I left with a smile."

Bad Boys II (2003)

"Despite some awesomely choreographed stunts and the two stars' pedal-to -the-metal appeal, the movie seems endless."

Bad Education (2004)

"A masterful epic charting love's labyrinths."

Bad News Bears (2005)

"Thornton's subversive performance as the type of guy parents warn their kids to stay away from is in this PG-13 movie a tad too profane for the preteens who would really dig it and too juvenile for most adults."

Baghead (2008)

"Even in the spookiest woods in the dead of night, there will be no difficulty figuring this one out."

The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

"A potent, mesmerizing drama of a counterculture Adam and Eve and their expulsion from paradise."

Balls of Fury (2007)

"While Balls of Fury is slightly more sophisticated in its comic strategies, 'slightly' remains the operative word."

Bamboozled (2000)

"It's been a long time since I've seen a movie that made me feel, think, laugh and cry -- often simultaneously."

Bandits (2001)

"Billy Bob Thornton, wearing a succession of toupees, wigs, fake facial hair, and funny hats, and twitching more than a horse's behind, is the best reason to see Bandits."

The Banger Sisters (2002)

"An exhilarating estrogen flick for those losing theirs and contact Viagra for everyone else."

The Bank Job (2008)

"All in all, the film written by Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais feels both absolutely of the 1970s and absolutely fresh."

Barbershop (2002)

"A stage-y but likable ensemble piece."

Bartleby (2002)

"Except for Paymer as the boss who ultimately expresses empathy for Bartleby's pain, the performances are so stylized as to be drained of human emotion."

Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

"Stone's purring, snarling, bedroom kink is embarrassing."

Battle For Haditha (2007)

"Lacking in subtlety and nuance, Broomfield's nerve-jangling movie nonetheless succeeds in showing the war from various vantage points. And from wherever one's standing, the view is profoundly disturbing."

The Battle of Shaker Heights (2003)

"As putatively quirky coming-of-age movies go, this one feels factory-tooled -- and fake."

Be Cool (2005)

"Represents the mind-numbing antithesis of cool."

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

"A celebration of the DIY aesthetic, and of the universal appeal of movies, Be Kind Rewind is a charmingly off-the-wall little tale."

The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)

"Duris' performance is more finely tuned and less frenetic than Keitel's enjoyably over-the-top job, and the film's emotional chords resonate in more satisfying and complicated ways."

Beautiful Creatures (2001)

"Emits an aura of contrived cool."

The Beauty Academy of Kabul (2006)

"Without editorializing, Mermin raises fascinating questions about the cultural impact of globalization, the allure of the West, and the troubled history of an ancient land."

Beauty Shop (2005)

"The loose, lively spirit of the performances breathes life into the cliches."

Becket (1964)

"The pleasure of these two extravagantly gifted actors at the top of their game -- their diction! their conviction! their beauty! -- is enormous."

Bedazzled (2000)

"A comedy that is weak even by today's humble standards, and pitiful when measured against the Cook-Moore version."