Tomato B- |
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) |
"What makes this world so compelling is that Spielberg shows us, as few others could have, how ordinary people like ourselves feel living in it." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
- |
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) |
Click here to see the review. |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D |
Adaptation (2002) |
"'It's narcissistic -- solipsistic… pathetic.' It's very important that Charlie say this, just as Woody Allen must constantly condemn himself in his movies, on the theory that whatever you do on purpose, or at least knowingly, is art." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A+ |
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) |
"The archetypal Hollywood swashbuckler… everything big-screen derring-do should be: rousing, lighthearted, witty, romantic, colorful, moralistic, and richly satisfying… [Flynn is] the quintessential Robin Hood, jaunty, dashing, and fearless." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat C- |
Agent Cody Banks (2003) |
"Welcome to our second annual Spring Frankie Muniz Morally Problematic Spy Kids Rip-Off Movie, featuring hilarious hijinks offending each year against a different one of the Ten Commandments." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D |
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004) |
"When the high point of your movie involves a Queen Elizabeth lookalike getting down to a Euro-pop version of Edwin Starr's 'War,' something has gone disastrously wrong." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
The Alamo (2004) |
Click here to see the review. |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D+ |
Alex and Emma (2003) |
"Another misfire from the once-reliable Reiner, Alex and Emma is occasionally amusing but never makes you care." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B- |
Amelie (2001) |
"Charms with its breezy, stylized storytelling [and] the wide eyes and breathless expression of Audrey Tautou… liabilities include a slightly dragged-out resolution and a rather amoral view of sexuality." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
America's Heart and Soul (2004) |
"The pursuit of happiness. That’s what Schwartzberg has captured… a visually stunning celebration of the diversity of our aspirations." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat F |
American Beauty (1999) |
"There is beauty to which this movie is stone cold blind: beauty it tramples on as ignorantly as Buddy Kane or Col. Fitts." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
An American in Paris (1951) |
"Unlike the magical Singin' in the Rain, Gene Kelly's An American in Paris doesn't transcend the musical form; but it's still one of the great exemplars of the genre." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
Amistad (1997) |
"As with Schindler’s List, Spielberg allows his subjects to be remote and somewhat unknowable human beings, creating an air of documentary-like authenticity." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A+ |
Andrei Rublev (1969) |
"The notion of art as a 'religious experience' is sometimes bandied about too freely. Tarkovsky is one of a handful of filmmakers for whom this ideal was no cheap metaphor." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D |
Angels & Demons (2009) |
"Langdon may wind up saving the Church, but does Angels & Demons offer any hint of a church worth saving? If not, why should we care?" |
Steven D. Greydanus |
- |
Angels & Demons (2009) |
"Lies, Damned Lies and Dan Brown: Fact-checking Angels & Demons" |
Steven D. Greydanus |
- |
Angels & Demons (2009) |
"Rome and Geneva: Religion and Science in Angels & Demons" |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B |
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) |
"Rocky Sullivan is riveting. His movements are quick and vital, his speech like machine-gun fire, his demeanor sharp and confident. He is all attitude and style." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D- |
The Animal (2001) |
"There was one thing about The Animal that did surprise me: the extent to which it systematically rips off Wolf." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
Animals Are Beautiful People |
"Notwithstanding the excessive cuteness of the anthropomorphizing title… an entertaining, original documentary about life in the harsh conditions of southwest Africa's Namib Desert… makes fine family viewing." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat C |
Apocalypto (2006) |
"Gibson is still seeking life amid death, but the balance is off." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A |
Apollo 13 (1995) |
"In an age when we rely on computerized directions and GPS devices to drive to the next town, it seems an almost mythic scenario." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A- |
The Apostle (1997) |
"Disturbing but thought-provoking depiction of genuine faith coexisting with sin and carnality… like the troubling fiction of Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, and Flannery O'Connor, a vindication of belief without being a vindication of every believer." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A- |
Apparitions at Fatima (1992) |
"Free of the sentiment and stereotyping of the Hollywood version… not to mention its softening and homogenization of the story’s spirituality for mainstream audiences." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B- |
Arctic Tale (2007) |
"The heavy-handed ideology and flawed narration don't commend Arctic Tale as a movie I would care to watch repeatedly, but I'm glad I saw it once, for the spectacular photography." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D |
Armageddon (1998) |
"Yes, in this film the honors-science students are obliged to sit back and watch as the shop class saves the world." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat C |
Around the World in 80 Days (2004) |
"Hackneyed is one thing; embarrassing is another… but if you're enough of a fan to see it for the action and only for the action, it's worth your while.
" |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) |
"Best name for a western of any film in history." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B- |
The Astronaut Farmer (2007) |
Click here to see the review. |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A- |
Atlantis (1991) |
"No matter how many ocean documentaries you’ve seen, Besson’s film will show you things you’ve never seen before — and things well worth seeing again." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat D+ |
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) |
"Feels like an uninspired rehash of Rider Haggard, Jules Verne, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and a dozen "Star Trek" episodes." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato A |
Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) |
"Bresson’s most poetic, haunting, personal work." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat C+ |
Australia (2008) |
"Much like Scorsese's Gangs of New York, it's a film that has been long labored over, and the artist's love of the material is clear, but the inspiration has been lost along the way." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B+ |
Avatar (2009) |
"A virtual apotheosis of Hollywood mythopoeia." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Tomato B- |
The Aviator (2004) |
"You can almost feel Scorsese exorcising the specter of Gangs of New York in the first act." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
Splat C+ |
The Awful Truth (1937) |
"One should be rooting for Cary Grant to get the girl, which means he ought to deserve her — and if that's more or less the case here, well, it's only because the girl turns out to be no great shakes either." |
Steven D. Greydanus |
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