Arctic Tale (2007)

"(like) those cunningly engineered Disney 'True-Life Adventures'... in which scorpions appeared to dance... and supposedly lovelorn squirrels awaited what the narrator called their 'moment of fulfillment.'"

The Astronaut Farmer (2007)

"Family-oriented fantasy, paranoia thriller, midlife-crisis drama... It's as if the screenwriters felt obligated to throw in a few ingredients for every possible audience..."

All The King's Men (2006)

"tedious, confusing and, like so many campaign promises, thoroughly hollow. ... Wait until you get an earful of the torturous 'Leezyuhna' accents of Law, James Gandolfini and particularly Sean Penn..."

Annapolis (2006)

"take along some Krazy Glue: It's the only thing that will keep your eyes from rolling repeatedly at the hoary cliches and trite situations... take a nap-polis and spare yourself 108 minutes of pure tedium."

Aquamarine (2006)

"much easier to sit through than your average Hilary Duff vehicle... and, for its target audience, it's sure to be a spring break must-see."

Aeon Flux (2005)

"Even worse than Catwoman... If you are compiling a Ten Worst of the Year list, Aeon is a must-see. Otherwise, your time would be better spent doing just about anything else."

The Amityville Horror (2005)

"...the magnetic letters on the refrigerator door start spelling out ominous messages ('Kiss your $8.50 goodbye!' is not among them, but it might as well be)."

Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)

"makes optimum use of a well-selected cast, all of whom put considerable energy, quirkiness and even humor into should have been two-dimensional roles."

Alfie (2004)

"a big-screen version of 'Sex and the City' with Jude Law as the sort of character Carrie Bradshaw might have become if she'd spiked her martinis with plenty of testosterone."

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

"the cast is full of no-name no-talents, the script might have been spit out by a screenwriting program on autopilot and the visual effects all but scream 'direct-to-video.'"

Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

"portions of the movie have the feel of a photographed stage production. ...The crucial atmosphere of menace isn't there; suddenly, we're watching 'The Batman of the Opera.'"

Against the Ropes (2003)

"squanders rich source material, opting for cliches and stock situations instead... Forget 'Raging Bull' -- this is Raging Baloney."

American Wedding (2003)

"In contrast to the meandering, mostly dull 'American Pie 2,' 'Wedding' is mostly breezy and easy to enjoy (unless, of course, you don't have much of a tolerance for scatological humor)."

Anything Else (2003)

"...this time out, Allen has picked his own pocket and found nothing but dust."

About Schmidt (2002)

"Using emotions that have been turned down so low they're barely evident, Nicholson remains utterly true to his character's roots; decades of self-denial and self-restraint have stamped out whatever fire was once in this man."

The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)

"(Supposedly) its release has been held up for nearly two years because of its complicated visual effects. Yeah, right: And the moon is made of green cheese."

Antwone Fisher (2002)

"Almost all of Washington's film has the ring of emotional honesty; the film is marred only by an overbearing feel-good finale that ties up an assortment of loose ends in a too-tidy bundle."

Auto Focus (2002)

"offers a step-by-step course in how to transform yourself from church-going family man to professional sex addict; instead of being your average 12-step program, this personality overhaul takes Crane approximately 12 years to complete."

Amelie (2001)

"A romantic comedy that stubbornly refuses to play by the rules, 'Amelie' could be this generation's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's.'"

American Pie 2 (2001)

"too much of "Pie 2" seems stolen from the day-old bin. ...We learned just about everything we needed to know about these kids two years ago..."

The Anniversary Party (2001)

"Everyone gets their own moment to shine -- Paltrow and Adams are particularly funny -- but all too often we laugh at these people, not with them..."

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

"certainly an eye-appealing film, with lush Cinemascope vistas and rich colors, but it's also a relatively unimaginative and bland adventure..."

Almost Famous (2000)

"magnificently captures what it was like to be young, naive and anxious for answers during a turbulent time in American society."

Alice In Wonderland (1999)

"Dismal: Stick with the Disney version instead"

Annie (1999)

"It's tough to ruin tunes like 'You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile,' 'I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here' and 'It's A Hard-Knock Life.' Under Marshall's direction, they become the showstoppers they should be."