Tomato 3/4 |
Adam (2009) |
"Delicate and understated performances by Rose Byrne -- and especially a remarkable Hugh Dancy as the quirky Asberger's sufferer -- give the unlikely romance a quiet, realistic tone." |
Cathy Jakicic |
Tomato 3/4 |
Adoration (2009) |
"Adoration is rich with political themes about ethnicity, a complex story about family history, a thoughtful young protagonist and a fascinating look at the way we communicate through the latest social-networking tools." |
Steve Ramos |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Adventureland (2009) |
"Mottola gets a surprising amount of mileage out of a formula that is running on fumes, his dialogue is sharp, and the lo-fi, indie-film quality of the piece feels consistent with the spirit of the rundown theme park, or vice versa." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 2/4 |
Alien Trespass (2009) |
"To see how Alien Trespass might have been done, rent The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra with its puppet monster on visible strings, its dime-store sets and its dreadful artificial dialogue." |
Jackie Loohauis |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Amelia (2009) |
"Amelia Earhart is known for being an aviation pioneer and, ultimately, a mystery, but the new biopic with Hilary Swank as the groundbreaking pilot has added a surprising new word to the mix: boring." |
Cathy Jakicic |
Tomato 3/4 |
An Education (2009) |
"Scherfig and Hornby craft a portrait of an era whose innocence is overstated without resorting to sepia tinged nostalgia. The result is a snapshot of how we become who we become, as a vibrant and affectionate act of memory." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
Angels & Demons (2009) |
"Like The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons is a smoke-and-mirrors shadow play of half-truths, a synthesis of pseudo-history and pseudo-science. But this time, the Apollo 13 director achieves liftoff." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009) |
"Anvil's plight would be funny if it weren't true. Its extent is intimately examined in a film that makes you uncomfortable because it is true." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Astro Boy (2009) |
"Although Astro Boy has its moments, in a movie year already crowded with animated successes, it may not have the superhuman strength to stand out." |
Mack Bates |
Tomato 3/4 |
Avatar (2009) |
"There is plenty of gee-whiz technology to keep the audience marveling over how they did this and that, so that, with any luck, viewers won't dwell too long on the derivative, unimaginative story and the shallow characters." |
Stanley A. Miller II |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Away We Go (2009) |
"It would be difficult to overpraise Rudolph's subtle, unexpectedly genuine performance, Alexi Murdoch's gorgeous acoustic-folk soundtrack or Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida's observationally savvy screenplay." |
Graham Killeen |
Tomato 3/4 |
America The Beautiful (2008) |
"[Director] Roberts has a point of view, yes, but he also has a curiosity that drives him and the movie. Lucky are those who go along for the ride." |
Kathy Flanigan |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Teen (2008) |
"Presented with humor but not at the expense of its subjects, American Teen was the toast of this year's Sundance Film Festival." |
Mack Bates |
Splat 2/4 |
Anamorph (2008) |
"Anamorph dances around ponderous issues and grotesque scenery but fails to really engage, startle or disturb." |
Graham Killeen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Anita O'Day - The Life Of A Jazz Singer (2008) |
"Wow -- now this is how you make a jazz documentary" |
Tom Horgen |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Appaloosa (2008) |
"There is plenty of plot but not enough story. And the film unfolds in short scenes strung together that beg to be expanded into more detailed examinations of behavior." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Australia (2008) |
"While it takes chutzpah to name a film after an entire continent, Australia is as vastly entertaining as Australia is vast." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
Across the Universe (2007) |
"I never realized what a lush cast of characters populate Fab Four records. Or how giddy it would be to see Max, Jude, Jo-Jo, Prudence and Sadie come to life." |
Graham Killeen |
Tomato 3/4 |
After The Wedding (2007) |
"After the Wedding has a dignity of purpose that is made to feel authentic by the performances." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
Alpha Dog (2007) |
"A frightening, tangled tapestry of youth as its worst." |
Sue Pierman |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) |
"It's all about good, clean fun, both for kids absorbed in the cuddly creatures (especially when they sing) and for their parents, unexpectedly hooked by the nostalgia they evoke." |
Sue Pierman |
Tomato 3/4 |
Amazing Grace (2007) |
"The film ultimately tells a powerful and little-known historical tale." |
Meg Jones |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Gangster (2007) |
"A cultivated and more temperate version of Scarface." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Angel-A (2007) |
"Angel-A is a not very persuasive argument on behalf of heavenly intercession, but its co-star, Rie Rasmussen, will make you believe in intelligent design." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Arctic Tale (2007) |
"Arctic Tale tries to be everything to everyone but fails at all." |
Sue Pierman |
Splat 2/4 |
Are We Done Yet? (2007) |
"Like its predecessor, Are We Done Yet? is amiable enough, but not enough to make it compelling." |
Mack Bates |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Arthur and the Invisibles (2007) |
"It might have been just another humdrum children's film if not for Highmore, who brings the same charm he did in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland to this fun movie." |
Meg Jones |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) |
"A serpentine, snow-smudged and wood-smoke-thick stroll in the shoes of a dead man walking." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Astronaut Farmer (2007) |
"The most arresting moments in Astronaut take place around the family dinner table, where a game called 'I believe we're going to space' elicits laughter and then, crushingly, tears." |
Graham Killeen |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Atonement (2007) |
"The performances are all solid." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
August Rush (2007) |
"Wholesome family entertainment with a life-affirming message." |
Mack Bates |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Avenue Montaigne (2007) |
"While [director] Thompson's version of [Paris] as a democratic microcosm, where artist and audience mingle, is instantly familiar, it feels more dramatic device than genuinely inviting." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Away From Her (2007) |
"It is a compassionate portrait of Alzheimer's as an impenetrable cocoon of the unknowable, as seen through an emotionally eloquent prism." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
A Scanner Darkly (2006) |
"Though chunks of the novel are missing, the film is, for the most part, a creatively and metaphorically successful synthesis of Dick's dreamlike themes and real-world concerns." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Accepted (2006) |
"For real laughs, skip Accepted and rent Animal House." |
Sue Pierman |
Tomato 3/4 |
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) |
"... makes a powerful impression." |
Cathy Jakicic |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006) |
"An entertaining popcorn movie featuring a veritable who's who of game British actors (and a trio of equally game American performers) who keep the proceedings lively even with a too-predictable plot." |
Mack Bates |
Splat 2.5/4 |
All The King's Men (2006) |
"Not even Sean Penn can put All the King's Men back together again." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 2.5/4 |
American Dreamz (2006) |
"Ultimately, it neglects to pin the tail on the donkey that deserves it most: an audience that wouldn't recognize caveat emptor unless it was the name of an American Idol contestant." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 3/4 |
American Hardcore (2006) |
"Rachman's concert footage confirms that the music was unique: bruising, chaotic and blisteringly electric." |
Paul Kosidowski |
Splat 2/4 |
Annapolis (2006) |
"Rather than settle for one uninspired story, Annapolis gives viewers two." |
Paul Doro |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Ant Bully (2006) |
"It would be wrong to dismiss The Ant Bully as just another bug movie." |
Sue Pierman |
Tomato 3/4 |
Apocalypto (2006) |
"Whatever Gibson's flaws as a man -- and the public has every right to judge him by his actions -- he is no fraud as a filmmaker." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Aquamarine (2006) |
"It's a harmless diversion that should keep kids amused and parents relaxed." |
Cathy Jakicic |
Splat 2/4 |
Art School Confidential (2006) |
"It feels deflated, disgruntled and pathetic." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
ATL (2006) |
"The movie manages to craft its own identity while making a familiar story feel somewhat fresh." |
Paul Doro |
Splat 2/4 |
Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl in 3-D (2005) |
"While the overall message is positive, it is not particularly powerful." |
Duane Dudek |
Splat 1/4 |
Alone in the Dark (2005) |
"Alone in the Dark is amateurish at best and asinine at worst." |
Mack Bates |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
The Amityville Horror (2005) |
"Its more potent quality is as a portrait -- well, crayon drawing, actually -- of the tendency of the traumatized male psyche toward violence." |
Duane Dudek |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Apres Vous (2005) |
"The result may be a high-concept soufflé, but its blackly comic tone and Auteuil's caffeinated whippet of a performance help lend it a cockeyed charm." |
Duane Dudek |
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