The Pacifier (2005)

"resolutely sunny and smiley-faced... Next to this, 'The Brady Bunch' looks like 'Long Day's Journey into Night.'"

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

"The fantasy segments are splendidly spooky and full of memorable images... a haunting heartbreaker... that dares to enter a troubled child's mind to sympathetically sort out the contents."

Paparazzi (2004)

"Hairdresser-turned-director Paul Abascal does a perfectly awful job... if his perms and finger waves were as unruly as his work here, he would have been exiled from the salon."

Paperhouse (1988)

"A real sleeper: charming, scary, enthralling"

The Parent Trap (1998)

"a perfectly pleasant experience, thanks largely to newcomer Lindsay Lohan, who capably assumes a dual role as American-raised Hallie Parker and London-based Annie James."

The Passenger (1975)

"They don't make 'em like this anymore, and contemporary audiences may need to adjust their expectations a bit in order to fully appreciate this deliberately paced, largely understated character study."

Pat and Mike (1952)

"Another fine teaming, with great support from Aldo Ray"

Pathfinder (2007)

"The plot... can be summed up neatly in four words: Hack! Slash! Grunt! Splat! Make that five: Every once in a while one of the dying Vikings lets out a loud, Homer Simpson-style 'D'oh!' before departing for Valhalla."

Pay It Forward (2000)

"even if you don't buy the idea... it's still quite possible to enjoy the movie as a love story involving two badly damaged souls."

Paycheck (2003)

"begins with a clever concept and eventually settles for being little more than a 'there's not a moment to spare!' chase picture..."

Pearl Harbor (2001)

"Wallace and Bay aren't striving for gutsy realism. "Pearl Harbor" isn't so much about the start of WWII as it is about Hollywood perceptions of WWII."

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

"Twisted, touching and a great vehicle for Turner"

A Perfect Murder (1998)

"slick and twisted tale provides two delicious hours of intrigue and mystery, along with some unexpected wit and black comedy..."

Perfect Stranger (2007)

"Slick, silly and sometimes amusing in a trashy sort of way... Although it constantly promises erotic interludes, 'Stranger' never gets around to delivering much of anything..."

Pet Sematary (1989)

"Eeeek! A junky book becomes a dreadful movie"

Phone Booth (2003)

"I wanted to call up director Joel Schumacher and say, 'One word: Flashbacks!' OK, I also wanted to say, 'Before Katie rushes down to the phone booth, don't you think she should take a long, hot shower?' But I didn't have his number."

Pi (1997)

"Shot in blotchy, grimy black-and-white and edited in a style almost reminiscent of the French New Wave, 'Pi' is as jarring to the eye as it is enticing to the mind."

Pieces of April (2003)

"Barely 80 minutes long, this is a movie with the texture of a great short story. ...a comedy -- and a sharp, smart one."

The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

"A delight, beautifully sung by Kline, Ronstadt and Lansbury"

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

"When it comes to sequel-making, Verbinski is a follower of the 'bigger, louder, longer' school of thought... Whether or not viewers will head home feeling entirely satisfied is another question."

Places in the Heart (1984)

"quiet drama that settles into the memory like a story Grandma might tell"

Play Misty for Me (1971)

"Early, effective version of 'Fatal Attraction' theme"

Pledge This! (2006)

" a movie that gives new meaning to the term 'endurance test.' Even by the low standards of the college comedy genre it's exceptionally awful."

Poison Ivy (1992)

"Sleazy teen thriller isn't as much fun as it should be"

Pokémon the Movie 2000 (2000)

"As in the first movie, the animation here is chintzy and almost amateurish, although fans of the TV show could hardly expect more."