S.W.A.T. (2003)

"Neither dull nor particularly exciting ...no one is likely to hold this film up as his or her shining moment when it's time to put together a career retrospective."

Sabrina (1995)

"Pleasing remake with a strong cast and a classy script"

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

"It's all about as heartwarming as a documentary about reconstructive bowel surgery, a procedure you may need should you choose to sit through all 82 minutes..."

Saraband (2005)

"confessional outbursts are captured in lengthy takes, usually in mercilessly tight close-ups.... It's as if Bergman is taking X-rays of their souls."

Satan's Cheerleaders (1977)

""rah rah, sissboom blah!""

Saved! (2004)

"In a role that represents the flip side of her sweet-natured heroine in 'A Walk to Remember,' Mandy Moore is a demented delight..."

Scary Movie 4 (2006)

"For every sharp one-liner or bright sight gag, there are five clunkers, including played-out references to Russell Crowe's phone-throwing incident and a lazy jab at Michael Jackson's fondness for little boys."

Scent of a Woman (1992)

"Volcanic Pacino performance, but the drama drags"

School for Scoundrels (2006)

"ultimately neither fish nor fowl... the mean-spirited moments of 'School' are easily the movie's most convincing, leading one to wish that Phillips had emphasized the story's darker side."

Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)

"it's safe to say the Oscar race ends here. If you're an easily pleased 8-year-old member of the Academy, that is."

Scoop (2006)

"Occasionally Allen hits the right notes, but his comedies have become increasingly erratic in recent years and 'Scoop' is no exception: It strains to charm."

The Sea Inside (2004)

"what could have been unrelieved morbid dreariness becomes, in the hands of Amenabar, a provocative and unexpectedly life-affirming story..."

The Secret of My Success (1987)

"Quintessential 1980s comedy"

See You in the Morning (1989)

"Not-bad domestic drama"

The Sender (1982)

"Clever idea, not-so-great execution"

Serenity (2005)

"an action-packed thriller with a sense of humor, several ingenious ideas and a few startling scares... full of genre-bending fun and pop-culture trivia..."

The Serpent and the Rainbow (1987)

"Craven tries something different, with mixed results"

Sexy Beast (2001)

"a chilly comedy of the darkest kind, set in a world where sentences are punctuated with profanities, weapons sometimes fall apart at unfortunate moments and people say things like 'You've got very nice eyes... Are they real?'"

The Shaggy Dog (2006)

"at least it's not as excruciating as the commercials make it look. How's that for a glowing recommendation?"

Shallow Hal (2001)

"although the ad campaign makes it appear the movie is an outrageous attack on the obese, in truth "Hal" saves its sharpest jabs for the small-minded and mean-spirited."

Shanghai Noon (2000)

"somehow manages to stay reasonably sunny and lighthearted without resorting to the condescending who-cares-it's-just-a-movie attitude that sunk Mel Gibson's 'Maverick' a few years back."

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

"a terrific horror movie send-up... even filmgoers who normally shy away from shockers will probably have a good time..."

She's The Man (2006)

"Given the amount of time Bynes spends mugging and overselling her lines, a more accurate title would have been 'She's the Ham.' "

The Shipping News (2001)

"Nearly everyone we meet has a cute name (Billy Pretty, B.B. Nutbeem, etc.), an extensive backstory and his/her personal set of adorable eccentricities. It's enough to give folksy types a bad name."

Shopgirl (2005)

"threatens to turn into the latest update of 'Pretty Woman' (but) an inescapable undercurrent of sadness flows through the movie and through its characters, which gives 'Shopgirl' a wistful, often downright bluesy tone."