"1","the rock is destined to be the 21st century's new "" conan "" and that he's going to make a splash even greater than arnold schwarzenegger , jean-claud van damme or steven segal . " "1","the gorgeously elaborate continuation of "" the lord of the rings "" trilogy is so huge that a column of words cannot adequately describe co-writer/director peter jackson's expanded vision of j . r . r . tolkien's middle-earth . " "1","effective but too-tepid biopic " "1","if you sometimes like to go to the movies to have fun , wasabi is a good place to start . " "1","emerges as something rare , an issue movie that's so honest and keenly observed that it doesn't feel like one . " "1","the film provides some great insight into the neurotic mindset of all comics -- even those who have reached the absolute top of the game . " "1","offers that rare combination of entertainment and education . " "1","perhaps no picture ever made has more literally showed that the road to hell is paved with good intentions . " "1","steers turns in a snappy screenplay that curls at the edges ; it's so clever you want to hate it . but he somehow pulls it off . " "1","take care of my cat offers a refreshingly different slice of asian cinema . " "1","this is a film well worth seeing , talking and singing heads and all . " "1","what really surprises about wisegirls is its low-key quality and genuine tenderness . " "1"," ( wendigo is ) why we go to the cinema : to be fed through the eye , the heart , the mind . " "1","one of the greatest family-oriented , fantasy-adventure movies ever . " "1","ultimately , it ponders the reasons we need stories so much . " "1","an utterly compelling 'who wrote it' in which the reputation of the most famous author who ever lived comes into question . " "1","illuminating if overly talky documentary . " "1","a masterpiece four years in the making . " "1","the movie's ripe , enrapturing beauty will tempt those willing to probe its inscrutable mysteries . " "1","offers a breath of the fresh air of true sophistication . " "1","a thoughtful , provocative , insistently humanizing film . " "1","with a cast that includes some of the top actors working in independent film , lovely & amazing involves us because it is so incisive , so bleakly amusing about how we go about our lives . " "1","a disturbing and frighteningly evocative assembly of imagery and hypnotic music composed by philip glass . " "1","not for everyone , but for those with whom it will connect , it's a nice departure from standard moviegoing fare . " "1","scores a few points for doing what it does with a dedicated and good-hearted professionalism . " "1","occasionally melodramatic , it's also extremely effective . " "1","spiderman rocks " "1","an idealistic love story that brings out the latent 15-year-old romantic in everyone . " "1","at about 95 minutes , treasure planet maintains a brisk pace as it races through the familiar story . however , it lacks grandeur and that epic quality often associated with stevenson's tale as well as with earlier disney efforts . " "1","it helps that lil bow wow . . . tones down his pint-sized gangsta act to play someone who resembles a real kid . " "1","guaranteed to move anyone who ever shook , rattled , or rolled . " "1","a masterful film from a master filmmaker , unique in its deceptive grimness , compelling in its fatalist worldview . " "1","light , cute and forgettable . " "1","if there's a way to effectively teach kids about the dangers of drugs , i think it's in projects like the ( unfortunately r-rated ) paid . " "1","while it would be easy to give crush the new title of two weddings and a funeral , it's a far more thoughtful film than any slice of hugh grant whimsy . " "1","though everything might be literate and smart , it never took off and always seemed static . " "1","cantet perfectly captures the hotel lobbies , two-lane highways , and roadside cafes that permeate vincent's days " "1","ms . fulford-wierzbicki is almost spooky in her sulky , calculating lolita turn . " "1","though it is by no means his best work , laissez-passer is a distinguished and distinctive effort by a bona-fide master , a fascinating film replete with rewards to be had by all willing to make the effort to reap them . " "1","like most bond outings in recent years , some of the stunts are so outlandish that they border on being cartoonlike . a heavy reliance on cgi technology is beginning to creep into the series . " "1","newton draws our attention like a magnet , and acts circles around her better known co-star , mark wahlberg . " "1","the story loses its bite in a last-minute happy ending that's even less plausible than the rest of the picture . much of the way , though , this is a refreshingly novel ride . " "1","fuller would surely have called this gutsy and at times exhilarating movie a great yarn . " "1","'compleja e intelectualmente retadora , el ladrón de orquídeas es uno de esos filmes que vale la pena ver precisamente por su originalidad . ' " "1","the film makes a strong case for the importance of the musicians in creating the motown sound . " "1","karmen moves like rhythm itself , her lips chanting to the beat , her long , braided hair doing little to wipe away the jeweled beads of sweat . " "1","gosling provides an amazing performance that dwarfs everything else in the film . " "1","a real movie , about real people , that gives us a rare glimpse into a culture most of us don't know . " "1","tender yet lacerating and darkly funny fable . " "1","may be spoofing an easy target -- those old '50's giant creature features -- but . . . it acknowledges and celebrates their cheesiness as the reason why people get a kick out of watching them today . " "1","an engaging overview of johnson's eccentric career . " "1","in its ragged , cheap and unassuming way , the movie works . " "1","some actors have so much charisma that you'd be happy to listen to them reading the phone book . hugh grant and sandra bullock are two such likeable actors . " "1","sandra nettelbeck beautifully orchestrates the transformation of the chilly , neurotic , and self-absorbed martha as her heart begins to open . " "1","behind the snow games and lovable siberian huskies ( plus one sheep dog ) , the picture hosts a parka-wrapped dose of heart . " "1","everytime you think undercover brother has run out of steam , it finds a new way to surprise and amuse . " "1","manages to be original , even though it rips off many of its ideas . " "1","singer/composer bryan adams contributes a slew of songs — a few potential hits , a few more simply intrusive to the story — but the whole package certainly captures the intended , er , spirit of the piece . " "1","you'd think by now america would have had enough of plucky british eccentrics with hearts of gold . yet the act is still charming here . " "1","whether or not you're enlightened by any of derrida's lectures on "" the other "" and "" the self , "" derrida is an undeniably fascinating and playful fellow . " "1","a pleasant enough movie , held together by skilled ensemble actors . " "1","this is the best american movie about troubled teens since 1998's whatever . " "1","disney has always been hit-or-miss when bringing beloved kids' books to the screen . . . tuck everlasting is a little of both . " "1","just the labour involved in creating the layered richness of the imagery in this chiaroscuro of madness and light is astonishing . " "1","the animated subplot keenly depicts the inner struggles of our adolescent heroes - insecure , uncontrolled , and intense . " "1","the invincible werner herzog is alive and well and living in la " "1","morton is a great actress portraying a complex character , but morvern callar grows less compelling the farther it meanders from its shocking start . " "1","part of the charm of satin rouge is that it avoids the obvious with humour and lightness . " "1","son of the bride may be a good half-hour too long but comes replete with a flattering sense of mystery and quietness . " "1","a simmering psychological drama in which the bursts of sudden violence are all the more startling for the slow buildup that has preceded them . " "1","a taut , intelligent psychological drama . " "1","a compelling coming-of-age drama about the arduous journey of a sensitive young girl through a series of foster homes and a fierce struggle to pull free from her dangerous and domineering mother's hold over her . " "1","a truly moving experience , and a perfect example of how art -- when done right -- can help heal , clarify , and comfort . " "1","this delicately observed story , deeply felt and masterfully stylized , is a triumph for its maverick director . " "1","at heart the movie is a deftly wrought suspense yarn whose richer shadings work as coloring rather than substance . " "1","the appearance of treebeard and gollum's expanded role will either have you loving what you're seeing , or rolling your eyes . i loved it ! gollum's 'performance' is incredible ! " "1","a screenplay more ingeniously constructed than "" memento "" " "1","if this movie were a book , it would be a page-turner , you can't wait to see what happens next . " "1","haneke challenges us to confront the reality of sexual aberration . " "1","absorbing and disturbing -- perhaps more disturbing than originally intended -- but a little clarity would have gone a long way . " "1","it's the best film of the year so far , the benchmark against which all other best picture contenders should be measured . " "1","painful to watch , but viewers willing to take a chance will be rewarded with two of the year's most accomplished and riveting film performances . " "1","this is a startling film that gives you a fascinating , albeit depressing view of iranian rural life close to the iraqi border . " "1","an imaginative comedy/thriller . " "1","a few artsy flourishes aside , narc is as gritty as a movie gets these days . " "1","while the isle is both preposterous and thoroughly misogynistic , its vistas are incredibly beautiful to look at . " "1","together , tok and o orchestrate a buoyant , darkly funny dance of death . in the process , they demonstrate that there's still a lot of life in hong kong cinema . " "1","director kapur is a filmmaker with a real flair for epic landscapes and adventure , and this is a better film than his earlier english-language movie , the overpraised elizabeth . " "1","the movie is a blast of educational energy , as bouncy animation and catchy songs escort you through the entire 85 minutes . " "1","a sports movie with action that's exciting on the field and a story you care about off it . " "1","doug liman , the director of bourne , directs the traffic well , gets a nice wintry look from his locations , absorbs us with the movie's spycraft and uses damon's ability to be focused and sincere . " "1","the tenderness of the piece is still intact . " "1","katz uses archival footage , horrifying documents of lynchings , still photographs and charming old reel-to-reel recordings of meeropol entertaining his children to create his song history , but most powerful of all is the song itself " "1","like the film's almost anthropologically detailed realization of early-'80s suburbia , it's significant without being overstated . " "1","while mcfarlane's animation lifts the film firmly above the level of other coming-of-age films . . . it's also so jarring that it's hard to get back into the boys' story . " "1","if nothing else , this movie introduces a promising , unusual kind of psychological horror . " "1","in a normal screen process , these bromides would be barely enough to sustain an interstitial program on the discovery channel . but in imax 3-d , the clichés disappear into the vertiginous perspectives opened up by the photography . " "1","writer-director burger imaginatively fans the embers of a dormant national grief and curiosity that has calcified into chronic cynicism and fear . " "1"," . . . a roller-coaster ride of a movie " "1","i enjoyed time of favor while i was watching it , but i was surprised at how quickly it faded from my memory . " "1","chicago is sophisticated , brash , sardonic , completely joyful in its execution . " "1","steve irwin's method is ernest hemmingway at accelerated speed and volume . " "1","a refreshing korean film about five female high school friends who face an uphill battle when they try to take their relationships into deeper waters . " "1","on the surface , it's a lovers-on-the-run crime flick , but it has a lot in common with piesiewicz's and kieslowski's earlier work , films like the double life of veronique . " "1","the values that have held the enterprise crew together through previous adventures and perils do so again-courage , self-sacrifice and patience under pressure . " "1","if it's possible for a sequel to outshine the original , then sl2 does just that . " "1","a romantic comedy that operates by the rules of its own self-contained universe . " "1","4 friends , 2 couples , 2000 miles , and all the pabst blue ribbon beer they can drink - it's the ultimate redneck road-trip . " "1","the film is often filled with a sense of pure wonderment and excitement not often seen in today's cinema du sarcasm " "1","it might be tempting to regard mr . andrew and his collaborators as oddballs , but mr . earnhart's quizzical , charming movie allows us to see them , finally , as artists . " "1","a feel-good picture in the best sense of the term . " "1","edited and shot with a syncopated style mimicking the work of his subjects , pray turns the idea of the documentary on its head , making it rousing , invigorating fun lacking any mtv puffery . " "1","a mostly intelligent , engrossing and psychologically resonant suspenser . " "1","it's this memory-as-identity obviation that gives secret life its intermittent unease , reaffirming that long-held illusions are indeed reality , and that erasing them recasts the self . " "1","hip-hop has a history , and it's a metaphor for this love story . " "1","in scope , ambition and accomplishment , children of the century . . . takes kurys' career to a whole new level . " "1","this may not have the dramatic gut-wrenching impact of other holocaust films , but it's a compelling story , mainly because of the way it's told by the people who were there . " "1","between the drama of cube ? s personal revelations regarding what the shop means in the big picture , iconic characters gambol fluidly through the story , with charming results . " "1","a gentle , compassionate drama about grief and healing . " "1","somewhere short of tremors on the modern b-scene : neither as funny nor as clever , though an agreeably unpretentious way to spend ninety minutes . " "1","digital-video documentary about stand-up comedians is a great glimpse into a very different world . " "1","unlike most teen flicks , swimming takes its time to tell its story , casts mostly little-known performers in key roles , and introduces some intriguing ambiguity . " "1","an enthralling , playful film that constantly frustrates our desire to know the 'truth' about this man , while deconstructing the very format of the biography in a manner that derrida would doubtless give his blessing to . " "1"," "" extreme ops "" exceeds expectations . good fun , good action , good acting , good dialogue , good pace , good cinematography . " "1","you should pay nine bucks for this : because you can hear about suffering afghan refugees on the news and still be unaffected . dramas like this make it human . " "1","a thunderous ride at first , quiet cadences of pure finesse are few and far between ; their shortage dilutes the potency of otherwise respectable action . still , this flick is fun , and host to some truly excellent sequences . " "1","it's obviously struck a responsive chord with many south koreans , and should work its magic in other parts of the world . " "1","run , don't walk , to see this barbed and bracing comedy on the big screen . " "1","a classy item by a legend who may have nothing left to prove but still has the chops and drive to show how its done . " "1","it is nature against progress . in fessenden's horror trilogy , this theme has proved important to him and is especially so in the finale . " "1","it's not exactly a gourmet meal but the fare is fair , even coming from the drive-thru . " "1","this is what imax was made for : strap on a pair of 3-d goggles , shut out the real world , and take a vicarious voyage to the last frontier -- space . " "1","merely as a technical , logistical feat , russian ark marks a cinematic milestone . " "1","[schweiger is] talented and terribly charismatic , qualities essential to both movie stars and social anarchists . " "1","it's a great deal of sizzle and very little steak . but what spectacular sizzle it is ! . . . in this incarnation its fizz is infectious . " "1","an original gem about an obsession with time . " "1","it will delight newcomers to the story and those who know it from bygone days . " "1","gloriously goofy ( and gory ) midnight movie stuff . " "1","the film overcomes the regular minefield of coming-of-age cliches with potent doses of honesty and sensitivity . " "1","if your senses haven't been dulled by slasher films and gorefests , if you're a connoisseur of psychological horror , this is your ticket . " "1","it's a minor comedy that tries to balance sweetness with coarseness , while it paints a sad picture of the singles scene . " "1","it is intensely personal and yet -- unlike quills -- deftly shows us the temper of the times . " "1","as lo-fi as the special effects are , the folks who cobbled nemesis together indulge the force of humanity over hardware in a way that george lucas has long forgotten . " "1","like mike doesn't win any points for originality . it does succeed by following a feel-good formula with a winning style , and by offering its target audience of urban kids some welcome role models and optimism . " "1","it's a hoot and a half , and a great way for the american people to see what a candidate is like when he's not giving the same 15-cent stump speech . " "1","far from perfect , but its heart is in the right place . . . innocent and well-meaning . " "1","a sad , superior human comedy played out on the back roads of life . " "1","waydowntown is by no means a perfect film , but its boasts a huge charm factor and smacks of originality . " "1","tim allen is great in his role but never hogs the scenes from his fellow cast , as there are plenty of laughs and good lines for everyone in this comedy . " "1","more a load of enjoyable , conan-esque claptrap than the punishing , special-effects soul assaults the mummy pictures represent . " "1","enormously likable , partly because it is aware of its own grasp of the absurd . " "1","here's a british flick gleefully unconcerned with plausibility , yet just as determined to entertain you . " "1","it's an old story , but a lively script , sharp acting and partially animated interludes make just a kiss seem minty fresh . " "1","must be seen to be believed . " "1","ray liotta and jason patric do some of their best work in their underwritten roles , but don't be fooled : nobody deserves any prizes here . " "1","everything that has to do with yvan and charlotte , and everything that has to do with yvan's rambunctious , jewish sister and her non-jew husband , feels funny and true . " "1","sweet home alabama "" is what it is – a nice , harmless date film . . . " "1","the year's happiest surprise , a movie that deals with a real subject in an always surprising way . " "1","fans of behan's work and of irish movies in general will be rewarded by borstal boy . " "1","its mysteries are transparently obvious , and it's too slowly paced to be a thriller . [but it's] worth recommending because of two marvelous performances by michael caine and brendan fraser . " "1","the film is faithful to what one presumes are the book's twin premises -- that we become who we are on the backs of our parents , but we have no idea who they were at our age ; and that time is a fleeting and precious commodity no matter how old you are . " "1","stephen earnhart's homespun documentary mule skinner blues has nothing but love for its posse of trailer park denizens . " "1","a solidly seaworthy chiller . " "1","if you can get past the fantastical aspects and harsh realities of "" the isle "" you'll get a sock-you-in-the-eye flick that is a visual tour-de-force and a story that is unlike any you will likely see anywhere else . " "1","there are as many misses as hits , but ultimately , it finds humor in the foibles of human behavior , and it's a welcome return to the roots of a genre that should depend on surprises . " "1","a well-made thriller with a certain level of intelligence and non-reactionary morality . " "1","there's enough science to make it count as educational , and enough beauty to make it unforgettable . " "1","remains a solid , if somewhat heavy-handed , account of the near-disaster . . . done up by howard with a steady , if not very imaginative , hand . " "1","makmalbaf follows a resolutely realistic path in this uncompromising insight into the harsh existence of the kurdish refugees of iran's borderlands . " "1","for a good chunk of its running time , trapped is an effective and claustrophobic thriller . " "1","most of crush is a clever and captivating romantic comedy with a welcome pinch of tartness . " "1","nair does capture the complexity of a big family and its trials and tribulations . . . " "1","the seaside splendor and shallow , beautiful people are nice to look at while you wait for the story to get going . " "1","rare is the 'urban comedy' that even attempts the insight and honesty of this disarming indie . " "1","ranks among willams' best screen work . " "1","engagingly captures the maddening and magnetic ebb and flow of friendship . " "1","an experience so engrossing it is like being buried in a new environment . " "1","it's traditional moviemaking all the way , but it's done with a lot of careful period attention as well as some very welcome wit . " "1","thoroughly enjoyable . " "1","maybe it's just because this past year has seen the release of some of the worst film comedies in decades . . . but honestly , analyze that really isn't all that bad . " "1","a droll , well-acted , character-driven comedy with unexpected deposits of feeling . " "1","this is simply the most fun you'll ever have with a documentary ! " "1","a very funny movie . " "1","watching haneke's film is , aptly enough , a challenge and a punishment . but watching huppert , a great actress tearing into a landmark role , is riveting . " "1","a cop story that understands the medium amazingly well . " "1","one of the best , most understated performances of [jack nicholson's] career . " "1","britney has been delivered to the big screen safe and sound , the way we like our 20-year-old superstar girls to travel on the fame freeway . " "1","those outside show business will enjoy a close look at people they don't really want to know . " "1","the kind of nervous film that will either give you a mild headache or exhilarate you . " "1","watching beanie and his gang put together his slasher video from spare parts and borrowed materials is as much fun as it must have been for them to make it . " "1","children may not understand everything that happens -- i'm not sure even miyazaki himself does -- but they will almost certainly be fascinated , and undoubtedly delighted . " "1","a fascinating and fun film . " "1","tadpole is a sophisticated , funny and good-natured treat , slight but a pleasure . " "1","this insightful , oscar-nominated documentary , in which children on both sides of the ever-escalating conflict have their say away from watchful parental eyes , gives peace yet another chance . " "1","i admired this work a lot . " "1","whether you're moved and love it , or bored or frustrated by the film , you'll still feel something . " "1"," . . . there are enough moments of heartbreaking honesty to keep one glued to the screen . " "1","my goodness , queen latifah has a lot to offer and she seemed to have no problem flaunting her natural gifts . she must have a very strong back . " "1","a smart , sweet and playful romantic comedy . " "1","australian actor/director john polson and award-winning english cinematographer giles nuttgens make a terrific effort at disguising the obvious with energy and innovation . " "1","without heavy-handedness , dong provides perspective with his intelligent grasp of human foibles and contradictions . " "1","solid , lump-in-the-throat family entertainment that derives its power by sticking to the facts . " "1","as an entertainment , the movie keeps you diverted and best of all , it lightens your wallet without leaving a sting . " "1","it is interesting and fun to see goodall and her chimpanzees on the bigger-than-life screen . " "1","it won't bust your gut -- and it's not intended to -- it's merely a blandly cinematic surgical examination of what makes a joke a joke . " "1","a somewhat crudely constructed but gripping , questing look at a person so racked with self-loathing , he becomes an enemy to his own race . " "1","it extends the writings of jean genet and john rechy , the films of fassbinder , perhaps even the nocturnal works of goya . " "1","narc may not get an 'a' for originality , but it wears its b-movie heritage like a badge of honor . " "1","with the film's striking ending , one realizes that we have a long way to go before we fully understand all the sexual permutations involved . " "1","[drumline] is entertaining for what it does , and admirable for what it doesn't do . " "1","at its best early on as it plays the culture clashes between the brothers . " "1","[a] rare , beautiful film . " "1","an unabashedly schmaltzy and thoroughly enjoyable true story . " "1","a thoughtful look at a painful incident that made headlines in 1995 . " "1","you walk out of the good girl with mixed emotions — disapproval of justine combined with a tinge of understanding for her actions . " "1","tsai ming-liang has taken his trademark style and refined it to a crystalline point . " "1","purely propaganda , a work of unabashed hero worship , it is nonetheless -- and likely inadvertently -- a timely and invaluable implicit reminder of the role that u . s . foreign policy has played in the rise of castro . " "1","now trimmed by about 20 minutes , this lavish three-year-old production has enough grandeur and scale to satisfy as grown-up escapism . " "1","we get some truly unique character studies and a cross-section of americana that hollywood couldn't possibly fictionalize and be believed . " "1","though this film can be clumsy , its ambitions are equally -- and admirably -- uncommercial . " "1","daring , mesmerizing and exceedingly hard to forget . " "1","the dangerous lives of altar boys' take on adolescence feels painfully true . " "1","moore's performance impresses almost as much as her work with haynes in 1995's safe . " "1","visits spy-movie territory like a novel you can't put down , examines a footnote to history seldom brought to light on the screen , and keeps you guessing from first frame to last . " "1","an absorbing , slice-of-depression life that touches nerves and rings true . " "1","mr . parker has brilliantly updated his source and grasped its essence , composing a sorrowful and hilarious tone poem about alienated labor , or an absurdist workplace sitcom . " "1","the result is something quite fresh and delightful . " "1","all but the most persnickety preteens should enjoy this nonthreatening but thrilling adventure . " "1","despite its many infuriating flaws -- not the least of which is amy's self-absorbed personality -- amy's o's honesty will win you over . " "1","this is one of polanski's best films . " "1","day is not a great bond movie , but it is a good bond movie , which still makes it much better than your typical bond knock-offs . " "1","polished korean political-action film is just as good -- and bad -- as hollywood action epics . is this progress ? " "1","elling , portrayed with quiet fastidiousness by per christian ellefsen , is a truly singular character , one whose frailties are only slightly magnified versions of the ones that vex nearly everyone . " "1","denis and co-writer michele petin's impeccable screenplay penetrates with a rawness that that is both unflinching and tantalizing . lead provocatuers testud and parmentier give superlative performances " "1","an absorbing trip into the minds and motivations of people under stress as well as a keen , unsentimental look at variations on the theme of motherhood . " "1","i admired it , particularly that unexpected downer of an ending . " "1","the passions aroused by the discord between old and new cultures are set against the strange , stark beauty of the mideast desert , so lovingly and perceptively filmed that you can almost taste the desiccated air . " "1","remarkably accessible and affecting . " "1","never mind whether you buy the stuff about barris being a cia hit man . the kooky yet shadowy vision clooney sustains throughout is daring , inventive and impressive . " "1","a triumph of art direction over narrative , but what art direction ! " "1","behan himself knew how to spin a tale and one can't help but think he'd appreciate this attempt to turn his life into art . " "1","jirí hubac's script is a gem . his characters are engaging , intimate and the dialogue is realistic and greatly moving . the scope of the silberstein family is large and we grow attached to their lives , full of strength , warmth and vitality . . " "1","moore's complex and important film is also , believe it or not , immensely entertaining , a david and goliath story that's still very much playing itself out . " "1","the additional storyline is interesting and entertaining , but it doesn't have the same magical quality as the beginning of the story . i like the new footage and still love the old stuff . " "1","though mama takes a bit too long to find its rhythm and a third-act plot development is somewhat melodramatic , its ribald humor and touching nostalgia are sure to please anyone in search of a jules and jim for the new millennium . " "1","you might not buy the ideas . but you'll definitely want the t-shirt . " "1","provides an intriguing window into the imagination and hermetic analysis of todd solondz . " "1","windtalkers is shapelessly gratifying , the kind of movie that invites you to pick apart its faults even as you have to admit that somehow it hit you where you live . " "1","presents an astute appraisal of middle american musical torpor and the desperate struggle to escape it . " "1","just what makes us happy , anyway ? " "1","a thoughtful , moving piece that faces difficult issues with honesty and beauty . " "1","one of the greatest romantic comedies of the past decade . " "1","you wouldn't call the good girl a date movie ( an anti-date movie is more like it ) , but when it's good , it's good and horrid . " "1","benefits from a strong performance from zhao , but it's dong jie's face you remember at the end . " "1","this is a film brimming with detail and nuance and one that speaks volumes about the ability of the human spirit to find solace in events that could easily crush it forever . " "1","the director , steven shainberg , has succeeded by focusing intently on his characters , making them quirky individuals rather than figures of fun . " "1","it ultimately stands forth as an important chronicle of the abuses of one of latin america's most oppressive regimes . " "1","the movie has a soft , percolating magic , a deadpan suspense . " "1","a well-made and often lovely depiction of the mysteries of friendship . " "1","using his audience as a figurative port-of-call , dong pulls his even-handed ideological ship to their dock for unloading , before he continues his longer journey still ahead . " "1"," . . . understands that a generation defines its music as much as the music defines a generation . " "1","the transporter is as lively and as fun as it is unapologetically dumb " "1","as a witness to several greek-american weddings -- but , happily , a victim of none -- i can testify to the comparative accuracy of ms . vardalos' memories and insights . " "1","has it ever been possible to say that williams has truly inhabited a character ? it is now . " "1","by presenting an impossible romance in an impossible world , pumpkin dares us to say why either is impossible -- which forces us to confront what's possible and what we might do to make it so . " "1","an impressive debut for first-time writer-director mark romanek , especially considering his background is in music video . " "1","an incendiary , deeply thought-provoking look at one of the most peculiar ( and peculiarly venomous ) bigotries in our increasingly frightening theocracy " "1","all the performances are top notch and , once you get through the accents , all or nothing becomes an emotional , though still positive , wrench of a sit . " "1"," "" its successes are also tempered with elements which prove the direct antithesis of what it gets right . "" " "1","it's solid and affecting and exactly as thought-provoking as it should be . " "1","this is such a dazzlingly self-assured directorial debut that it's hard to know what to praise first . " "1","parker holds true to wilde's own vision of a pure comedy with absolutely no meaning , and no desire to be anything but a polished , sophisticated entertainment that is in love with its own cleverness . " "1","münch's genuine insight makes the film's occasional overindulgence forgivable . " "1","thankfully , the film , which skirts that rapidly deteriorating line between fantasy and reality . . . takes a tongue-in-cheek attitude even as it pushes the croc hunter agenda . " "1","ultimately , the message of trouble every day seems to be that all sexual desire disrupts life's stasis . " "1","if you're like me , a sucker for a good old fashion romance and someone who shamelessly loves to eat , then mostly martha offers all the perfect ingredients to more than satisfy your appetite . " "1","the film has just enough of everything -- re-enactments , archival footage , talking-head interviews -- and the music is simply sublime . " "1","there are a few stabs at absurdist comedy . . . but mostly the humor is of the sweet , gentle and occasionally cloying kind that has become an iranian specialty . " "1","a wonderful character-based comedy . " "1","it would be interesting to hear from the other side , but in talk to her , the women are down for the count . " "1","an endearingly offbeat romantic comedy with a great meet-cute gimmick . " "1","the unique tug-of-war with viewer expectations is undeniable , if not a pleasure in its own right . " "1","it uses an old-time formula , it's not terribly original and it's rather messy -- but you just have to love the big , dumb , happy movie my big fat greek wedding . " "1","it's almost impossible not to be moved by the movie's depiction of sacrifice and its stirring epilogue in post-soviet russia . " "1","who knows what exactly godard is on about in this film , but his words and images don't have to add up to mesmerize you . " "1","the tone is balanced , reflective and reasonable . " "1","the principals in this cast are all fine , but bishop and stevenson are standouts . " "1","it could change america , not only because it is full of necessary discussion points , but because it is so accessible that it makes complex politics understandable to viewers looking for nothing but energetic entertainment . " "1","what's most striking about this largely celebratory film . . . is the sense of isolation that permeates these bastions of individuality in an ikea world . " "1"," . . . if you're in a mind set for goofy comedy , the troopers will entertain with their gross outs , bawdy comedy and head games . " "1","somewhat blurred , but kinnear's performance is razor sharp . " "1","as a director , mr . ratliff wisely rejects the temptation to make fun of his subjects . " "1","for anyone who remembers the '60s or is interested in one man's response to stroke , ram dass : fierce grace is worth seeking out . " "1","intriguing and beautiful film , but those of you who read the book are likely to be disappointed . " "1","the new guy does have a heart . now , if it only had a brain . " "1","a savvy exploration of paranoia and insecurity in america's culture of fear . " "1","legendary irish writer brendan behan's memoir , borstal boy , has been given a loving screen transferral . " "1","the film's greatest asset is how much it's not just another connect-the-dots , spy-on-the-run picture . " "1","this clever caper movie has twists worthy of david mamet and is enormous fun for thinking audiences . " "1","it's one of the saddest films i have ever seen that still manages to be uplifting but not overly sentimental . " "1","morton is , as usual , brilliant . " "1","even with all those rough edges safely sanded down , the american insomnia is still pretty darned good . " "1","i don't know precisely what to make of steven soderbergh's full frontal , though that didn't stop me from enjoying much of it . " "1","the tug of war that ensues is as much a snapshot of modern china in microcosm as it is a crash course in movie mythology . " "1","nearly surreal , dabbling in french , this is no simple movie , and you'll be taking a risk if you choose to see it . i enjoyed the ride ( bumps and all ) , creamy depth , and ultimate theme . " "1","you could say that it's slow at times , you could say that a few of the characters act in ways that real people wouldn't , but one thing you couldn't say is that alias betty is predictable . " "1","asia authors herself as anna battista , an italian superstar and aspiring directress who just happens to be her own worst enemy . " "1","roman coppola may never become the filmmaker his dad was , but heck – few filmmakers will . but based on cq , i'll certainly be keeping an eye out for his next project . " "1","an amusing , breezily apolitical documentary about life on the campaign trail . " "1","high on melodrama . but it's emotionally engrossing , too , thanks to strong , credible performances from the whole cast . " "1","finally , a genre movie that delivers -- in a couple of genres , no less . " "1","it's not so much enjoyable to watch as it is enlightening to listen to new sides of a previous reality , and to visit with some of the people who were able to make an impact in the theater world . " "1","spielberg is the rare director who does not want to invite viewers to gawk at or applaud his special effects . he just wants them to be part of the action , the wallpaper of his chosen reality . here , thankfully , they are . " "1","post 9/11 the philosophical message of "" personal freedom first "" might not be as palatable as intended . " "1","hu and liu offer natural , matter-of-fact performances that glint with sorrow , longing and love . " "1","this bold and lyrical first feature from raja amari expands the pat notion that middle-aged women just wanna have fun into a rousing treatise of sensual empowerment . " "1","easier to respect than enthuse over , andersson's rigorous personal vision is not only distanced but distancing . " "1","girls gone wild and gone civil again " "1"," . . . tunney is allowed to build an uncommonly human character , an almost real-live girl complete with trouble and hope . " "1","while this film is not in the least surprising , it is still ultimately very satisfying . think of it as a sort of comfort food for the mind . " "1","clever , brutal and strangely soulful movie . " "1"," . . . always remains movingly genuine . " "1","an intelligent fiction about learning through cultural clash . " "1","will grab your children by the imagination and amaze them and amuse them . " "1","a remarkable 179-minute meditation on the nature of revolution . " "1","those who would follow haneke on his creepy explorations . . . are rewarded by brutal , committed performances from huppert and magimel . " "1","an involving true story of a chinese actor who takes up drugs and winds up in an institution--acted mostly by the actual people involved . " "1","hands down the year's most thought-provoking film . but it pays a price for its intricate intellectual gamesmanship . " "1","it's a terrific american sports movie and dennis quaid is its athletic heart . " "1","this is such a high-energy movie where the drumming and the marching are so excellent , who cares if the story's a little weak . " "1","compelling revenge thriller , though somewhat weakened by a miscast leading lady . " "1","it's amazingly perceptive in its subtle , supportive but unsentimental look at the marks family . " "1","a whole lot foul , freaky and funny . " "1","family fare . " "1","attal mixes comedy with a serious exploration of ego and jealousy within a seemingly serene marriage . " "1","the diversity of the artists represented , both in terms of style and ethnicity , prevents the proceedings from feeling repetitious , as does the appropriately brief 40-minute running time . " "1","the pianist is a fine valedictory work for polanski , made richer by his own experiences , making his other movies somehow richer in the bargain . " "1","foster nails the role , giving a tight , focused performance illuminated by shards of feeling . " "1","even if you can't pronounce "" gyro "" correctly , you'll appreciate much of vardalos' humor , which transcends ethnic boundaries . " "1","is office work really as alienating as 'bartleby' so effectively makes it ? " "1","farrell . . . thankfully manages to outshine the role and successfully plays the foil to willis's world-weary colonel . " "1","audiences conditioned to getting weepy over saucer-eyed , downy-cheeked moppets and their empathetic caretakers will probably feel emotionally cheated by the film's tart , sugar-free wit . " "1","bennett's dramatization of her personal descent into post-breakup perdition has a morbid appeal that's tough to shake . " "1","an intriguing and entertaining introduction to johnson . " "1","as expected , sayles' smart wordplay and clever plot contrivances are as sharp as ever , though they may be overshadowed by some strong performances . " "1","a model of what films like this should be like . " "1","as weber and weissman demonstrate with such insight and celebratory verve , the cockettes weren't as much about gender , sexual preference or political agitprop as they were simply a triumph of the indomitable human will to rebel , connect and create . " "1","yeah , these flicks are just that damn good . isn't it great ? " "1","an unbelievably fun film just a leading man away from perfection . " "1","over-the-top and a bit ostentatious , this is a movie that's got oodles of style and substance . " "1"," . . . a poignant and powerful narrative that reveals that reading writing and arithmetic are not the only subjects to learn in life . " "1","nicely serves as an examination of a society in transition . " "1","boisterous , heartfelt comedy . " "1","a tender and touching drama , based on the true story of a troubled african-american's quest to come to terms with his origins , reveals the yearning we all have in our hearts for acceptance within the family circle . " "1","as a randy film about sexy people in gorgeous places being pushed and pulled ( literally and figuratively ) by desire . . . [sex and lucía] makes for an arousing good time . " "1","absorbing character study by andré turpin . " "1","celebrated at sundance , this slight comedy of manners has winning performances and a glossy , glib charm that's hard to beat . " "1","renner's performance as dahmer is unforgettable , deeply absorbing . " "1","if no one singles out any of these performances as award-worthy , it's only because we would expect nothing less from this bunch . " "1","if you love reading and/or poetry , then by all means check it out . you'll probably love it . " "1","though of particular interest to students and enthusiast of international dance and world music , the film is designed to make viewers of all ages , cultural backgrounds and rhythmic ability want to get up and dance . " "1","energetic and boldly provocative . " "1","star wars is back in a major way . " "1","it's a movie -- and an album -- you won't want to miss . " "1","it's rare to find a film that dazzles the eye , challenges the brain , and satisfies our lust for fast-paced action , but minority report delivers all that and a whole lot more . " "1","while not all transitions to adulthood are so fraught , there's much truth and no small amount of poetry in girls can't swim . " "1","if there's nothing fresh about wannabes , which was written by mr . demeo , who produced and directed the film with charles a . addessi , much of the time the movie feels authentic . " "1","jacquot's tosca is a treat . " "1","by the end of no such thing the audience , like beatrice , has a watchful affection for the monster . " "1","if you liked such movies as notting hill , four weddings and a funeral , bridget jones' diary or high fidelity , then you won't want to miss about a boy . " "1"," . . . the gentle melding of drama and comedy makes "" what time is it there ? "" something the true film buff will enjoy . " "1","romanek keeps the film constantly taut . . . reflecting the character's instability with a metaphorical visual style and an unnerving , heartbeat-like score . " "1","i whole-heartedly recommend that everyone see this movie-- for its historical significance alone . " "1","hey , who else needs a shower ? " "1","longley has constructed a remarkably coherent , horrifically vivid snapshot of those turbulent days . " "1","although it bangs a very cliched drum at times , this crowd-pleaser's fresh dialogue , energetic music , and good-natured spunk are often infectious . " "1","often gruelling and heartbreaking to witness , but seldahl and wollter's sterling performances raise this far above the level of the usual maudlin disease movie . " "1","go see it and enjoy . " "1","the stunning , dreamlike visuals will impress even those viewers who have little patience for euro-film pretension . " "1","george clooney proves he's quite a talented director and sam rockwell shows us he's a world-class actor with confessions of a dangerous mind . " "1","there's a vastness implied in metropolis that is just breathtaking . " "1","murderous maids may well be the most comprehensive of these films and also strike closest to the truth . " "1","the people in dogtown and z-boys are so funny , aggressive and alive , you have to watch them because you can't wait to see what they do next . " "1","as green-guts monster movies go , it's a beaut . " "1","as bundy , michael reilly burke ( octopus 2 : river of fear ) has just the right amount of charisma and menace . " "1","a deceivingly simple film , one that grows in power in retrospect . " "1","ana is a vivid , vibrant individual and the movie's focus upon her makes it successful and accessible . " "1","a slick , skillful little horror film . " "1","a very witty take on change , risk and romance , and the film uses humour to make its points about acceptance and growth . " "1","[anderson] uses a hit-or-miss aesthetic that hits often enough to keep the film entertaining even if none of it makes a lick of sense . " "1","bubba ho-tep is a wonderful film with a bravura lead performance by bruce campbell that doesn't deserve to leave the building until everyone is aware of it . " "1","despite the long running time , the pace never feels slack -- there's no scene that screams "" bathroom break ! "" " "1","bullock does a good job here of working against her natural likability . " "1","a film of precious increments artfully camouflaged as everyday activities . " "1","kinnear gives a tremendous performance . " "1","the best movie of its kind since 'brazil . ' lucas , take notes . this is how you use special effects . " "1"," "" frailty "" has been written so well , that even a simple "" goddammit ! "" near the end takes on a whole other meaning . " "1","one hour photo is an intriguing snapshot of one man and his delusions ; it's just too bad it doesn't have more flashes of insight . " "1","kaufman creates an eerie sense of not only being there at the time of these events but the very night matthew was killed . " "1","chalk it up to my adoration for both de niro and murphy , but i had a pretty good time with this movie - despite its myriad flaws . " "1","its scenes and sensibility are all more than familiar , but it exudes a kind of nostalgic spy-movie charm and , at the same time , is so fresh and free of the usual thriller nonsense that it all seems to be happening for the first time . " "1","it represents better-than-average movie-making that doesn't demand a dumb , distracted audience . " "1","a charming yet poignant tale of the irrevocable ties that bind . " "1","an enchanting spectacular for potter fans anxious to ride the hogwarts express toward a new year of magic and mischief . " "1","the talents of the actors helps "" moonlight mile "" rise above its heart-on-its-sleeve writing . " "1","it's a humble effort , but spiced with wry humor and genuine pathos , especially between morgan and redgrave . " "1","this examination of aquatic life off the shores of the baja california peninsula of mexico offers an engrossing way to demonstrate the virtues of the imax format . " "1","dark and disturbing , but also surprisingly funny . " "1","the movie has an avalanche of eye-popping visual effects . " "1","starts off with a bang , but then fizzles like a wet stick of dynamite at the very end . it's still worth a look . " "1","most impressive , though , is the film's open-ended finale that refuses to entirely close its characters' emotional wounds . " "1","a hip ride into hyper-time , clockstoppers is a lively and enjoyable adventure for all ages at any time . " "1","grenier is terrific , bringing an unforced , rapid-fire delivery to toback's heidegger- and nietzsche-referencing dialogue . " "1"," . . . a polished and relatively sincere piece of escapism . " "1","the story wraps back around on itself in the kind of elegant symmetry that's rare in film today , but be warned : it's a slow slog to get there . " "1","the whole cast looks to be having so much fun with the slapstick antics and silly street patois , tossing around obscure expressions like bellini and mullinski , that the compact 86 minutes breezes by . " "1"," . . . has freaky scenes where the crew wonder if they're ghosts imagining themselves as alive . it's a sly wink to the others without becoming a postmodern joke , made creepy by its "" men in a sardine can "" warped logic . " "1","long after you leave justine , you'll be wondering what will happen to her and wishing her the best -- whatever that might mean . " "1","still pretentious and filled with subtext , but entertaining enough at 'face value' to recommend to anyone looking for something different . " "1","call me a wimp , but i cried , not once , but three times in this animated sweet film . " "1","notorious c . h . o . has oodles of vulgar highlights . " "1","an inspiring and heart-affecting film about the desperate attempts of vietnamese refugees living in u . s . relocation camps to keep their hopes alive in 1975 . " "1","the level of maturity displayed by this 33-year-old first-time feature director is astonishing , considering her inexperience and her subject matter . " "1","a splendid entertainment , young in spirit but accomplished in all aspects with the fullness of spirit and sense of ease that comes only with experience . " "1","disney's live-action division has a history of releasing cinematic flotsam , but this is one occasion when they have unearthed a rare gem . " "1","if the message seems more facile than the earlier films , the images have such a terrible beauty you may not care . " "1","whether kiss is a future cult classic or destined to be completely forgotten is open to question , but the risk-takers in the crowd should check it out and form their own opinion . " "1","there are moments in this account of the life of artist frida kahlo that are among cinema's finest this year . unfortunately , they're sandwiched in between the most impossibly dry account of kahlo's life imaginable . " "1","there are moments it can be heart-rending in an honest and unaffected ( and gentle ) way . " "1","stay clear of reminding yourself that it's a "" true story "" and you're likely to have one helluva time at the movies . " "1","there are just enough twists in the tale to make it far more satisfying than almost any horror film in recent memory . " "1","the sundance film festival has become so buzz-obsessed that fans and producers descend upon utah each january to ferret out the next great thing . 'tadpole' was one of the films so declared this year , but it's really more of the next pretty good thing . " "1","working from elliott's memoir , rohmer fashions the sort of delicate , articulate character- and- relationship study he's favored for decades . " "1","the story feels more like a serious read , filled with heavy doses of always enticing sayles dialogue . " "1","when it really counts . . . bloody sunday connects on a visceral level that transcends language . " "1","the crime matters less than the characters , although the filmmakers supply enough complications , close calls and double-crosses to satisfy us . " "1","[an] hilarious romantic comedy . " "1","the actors are fantastic . they are what makes it worth the trip to the theatre . " "1","ranging from funny to shattering and featuring some of the year's best acting , personal velocity gathers plenty of dramatic momentum . " "1","i complain all the time about seeing the same ideas repeated in films over and over again , but the bourne identity proves that a fresh take is always possible . " "1","recalls quiet freak-outs like l'avventura and repulsion . " "1","only an epic documentary could get it all down , and spike lee's jim brown : all american at long last gives its subject a movie worthy of his talents . " "1"," . . . as the story congeals you feel the pieces of the star wars saga falling into place in a way that makes your spine tingle with revelation and excitement . " "1","a great comedy filmmaker knows great comedy needn't always make us laugh . tim story's not there yet - but 'barbershop' shows he's on his way . " "1","the movie is one of the best examples of artful large format filmmaking you are likely to see anytime soon . " "1","lends itself to the narcotizing bland ( sinister , though not nearly so sinister as the biennial disney girl movie ) machinations of the biennial disney boy movie . " "1","well-written , nicely acted and beautifully shot and scored , the film works on several levels , openly questioning social mores while ensnaring the audience with its emotional pull . " "1","jason x has cheesy effects and a hoary plot , but its macabre , self-deprecating sense of humor makes up for a lot . " "1","[taymor] utilizes the idea of making kahlo's art a living , breathing part of the movie , often catapulting the artist into her own work . this isn't a new idea . it's been done before but never so vividly or with so much passion . " "1","an impressive if flawed effort that indicates real talent . " "1","two generations within one family test boundaries in this intelligent and restrained coming-of-age drama . " "1","it sounds sick and twisted , but the miracle of shainberg's film is that it truly is romance " "1","disturbing and brilliant documentary . " "1"," . . . mesmerizing , an eye-opening tour of modern beijing culture in a journey of rebellion , retreat into oblivion and return . " "1","one of the best examples of how to treat a subject , you're not fully aware is being examined , much like a photo of yourself you didn't know was being taken . " "1","not too far below the gloss you can still feel director denis villeneuve's beating heart and the fondness he has for his characters . " "1","as if to prove a female director can make a movie with no soft edges , kathryn bigelow offers no sugar-coating or interludes of lightness . her film is unrelentingly claustrophobic and unpleasant . " "1","[villeneuve] seems to realize intuitively that even morality is reduced to an option by the ultimate mysteries of life and death . " "1","the result is mesmerizing -- filled with menace and squalor . " "1","fisher has bared his soul and confronted his own shortcomings here in a way . . . that feels very human and very true to life . " "1","it's fun , but the code-talk will fly right over everyone's head " "1","bourne , jason bourne . he can scale a building like a super hero , he can out-stealth any agent , he'll get the girl . he's super spy ! " "1","what makes the movie a comedy is the way it avoids the more serious emotions involved . " "1","an exhilarating experience . " "1","this cuddly sequel to the 1999 hit is a little more visually polished , a little funnier , and a little more madcap . " "1","the pleasures of super troopers may be fleeting , but they'll register strongly with anybody who still retains a soft spot for precollegiate humor . " "1","the film is exhilarating to watch because sandler , liberated from the constraints of formula , reveals unexpected depths as an actor . " "1","a distant , even sterile , yet compulsively watchable look at the sordid life of hogan's heroes star bob crane . " "1","the film delivers not just the full assault of reno's immense wit and insight , but a time travel back to what it felt like during those unforgettably uncertain days . " "1","what might have been a predictably heartwarming tale is suffused with complexity . " "1","sound the trumpets : for the first time since desperately seeking susan , madonna doesn't suck as an actress . " "1","although very much like the first movie based on j . k . rowling's phenomenal fantasy best sellers , this second go-round possesses a quite pleasing , headlong thrust and a likably delinquent attitude . " "1","[ "" take care of my cat "" ] is an honestly nice little film that takes us on an examination of young adult life in urban south korea through the hearts and minds of the five principals . " "1","as the story moves inexorably through its seven day timeframe , the picture becomes increasingly mesmerizing . " "1","maguire is a surprisingly effective peter/spider-man . " "1","not a cozy or ingratiating work , but it's challenging , sometimes clever , and always interesting , and those are reasons enough to see it . " "1","the film runs on equal parts of innocence and wisdom -- wisdom that comes with experience . it has fun being grown up . " "1","like old myths and wonder tales spun afresh . " "1","rarely do films come along that are as intelligent , exuberant , and moving as monsoon wedding . " "1","one scarcely needs the subtitles to enjoy this colorful action farce . " "1","quite funny for the type of movie it is . . . " "1","it's often infuriatingly glib and posturing , and yet it has been made with great evident care and manages to deliver up the man in a way to arouse further curiosity in even the most unknowing viewer . " "1","one of [herzog's] least inspired works . " "1","this boisterous comedy serves up a cruel reminder of the fate of hundreds of thousands of chinese , one which can only qualify as a terrible tragedy . " "1","elling really is about a couple of crazy guys , and it's therapeutic to laugh along with them . " "1","never [sinks] into exploitation . " "1","an irresistible combination of a rousing good story set on a truly grand scale . " "1","there's no denying the physically spectacular qualities of the film . . . or the emotional integrity of the performances . " "1","few films this year have been as resolute in their emotional nakedness . " "1","exquisitely acted and masterfully if preciously interwoven… [the film] addresses in a fascinating , intelligent manner the intermingling of race , politics and local commerce . " "1","stevenson's performance is at once clueless and fiercely committed , a volatile combination . " "1","this is a very fine movie -- go see it . " "1","as shaky as the plot is , kaufman's script is still memorable for some great one-liners . " "1","despite its flaws , secretary stays in your head and makes you question your own firmly held positions . " "1","one of those rare , exhilarating cinematic delights that gets even better in hindsight , as you mull over its every nuance in your mind . " "1","not everything works , but the average is higher than in mary and most other recent comedies . " "1","a byzantine melodrama that stimulates the higher brain functions as well as the libido . " "1","a sensitive and expertly acted crowd-pleaser that isn't above a little broad comedy and a few unabashedly sentimental tears . " "1","the film's sharp , often mischievous sense of humor will catch some off guard . . . " "1","does what a fine documentary does best : it extends a warm invitation into an unfamiliar world , then illuminates it fully and allows the larger implications of the journey to sink in unobtrusively . " "1","almost every scene in this film is a gem that could stand alone , a perfectly realized observation of mood , behavior and intent . " "1","a psychologically rich and suspenseful moral thriller with a stellar performance by al pacino . " "1","you won't believe much of it , but you will laugh at the audacity , at the who's who casting and the sheer insanity of it all . " "1","this version's no classic like its predecessor , but its pleasures are still plentiful . " "1","the bourne identity is what summer screen escapism used to be in the decades when it was geared more to grownups . " "1","provide[s] nail-biting suspense and credible characters without relying on technology-of-the-moment technique or pretentious dialogue . " "1","if it tried to do anything more , it would fail and perhaps explode , but at this level of manic whimsy , it is just about right . " "1","too sincere to exploit its subjects and too honest to manipulate its audience . " "1","the saturation bombing of reggio's images and glass' evocative music . . . ultimately leaves viewers with the task of divining meaning . " "1","for all its serious sense of purpose . . . [it] finds a way to lay bare the tragedies of its setting with a good deal of warmth and humor . " "1","a depressing confirmation of everything those of us who don't object to the description "" unelected "" have suspected all along : george w . bush is an incurious , uncharismatic , overgrown frat boy with a mean streak a mile wide . " "1","this road movie gives you emotional whiplash , and you'll be glad you went along for the ride . " "1","sure , it's more of the same , but as the film proves , that's not always a bad thing . " "1","a lighthearted , feel-good film that embraces the time-honored truth that the most powerful thing in life is love . " "1","a bowel-curdling , heart-stopping recipe for terror . " "1","daughter from danang is a film that should be seen by all , especially those who aren't aware of , or have forgotten about the unmentioned victims of war . " "1","zhang yimou delivers warm , genuine characters who lie not through dishonesty , but because they genuinely believe it's the only way to bring happiness to their loved ones . " "1"," . . . breathes surprising new life into the familiar by amalgamating genres and adding true human complexity to its not-so-stock characters . " "1","' . . . both hokey and super-cool , and definitely not in a hurry , so sit back , relax and have a few laughs while the little ones get a fuzzy treat . ' " "1","a pleasant romantic comedy . " "1","it's a count for our times . " "1","greengrass has delivered an undoubted stylistic tour-de-force , and has managed elements such as sound and cinematography with skill " "1","smith's point is simple and obvious -- people's homes are extensions of themselves , and particularly eccentric people have particularly eccentric living spaces -- but his subjects are charmers . " "1","a romantic comedy , yes , but one with characters who think and talk about their goals , and are working on hard decisions . " "1","vividly conveys both the pitfalls and the pleasures of over-the-top love . " "1"," . . . a weak , manipulative , pencil-thin story that is miraculously able to entertain anyway . " "1","a pro-fat farce that overcomes much of its excessive moral baggage thanks to two appealing lead performances . " "1","for the first two-thirds of this sparklingly inventive and artful , always fast and furious tale , kids will go happily along for the ride . " "1","majidi's poetic love story is a ravishing consciousness-raiser , if a bit draggy at times . " "1","the smartest bonehead comedy of the summer . " "1","effectively feeds our senses with the chilling sights and sounds from within the camp to create a completely numbing experience . " "1","i love the way that it took chances and really asks you to take these great leaps of faith and pays off . " "1","in his debut as a film director , denzel washington delivers a lean and engaging work . " "1","only two words will tell you what you know when deciding to see it : anthony . hopkins . " "1","the movie's quiet affirmation of neighborhood values gives it an honest , lived-in glow . " "1","a teasing drama whose relentless good-deed/bad-deed reversals are just interesting enough to make a sinner like me pray for an even more interesting , less symmetrical , less obviously cross-shaped creation . " "1","hayek is stunning as frida and . . . a star-making project . " "1","it's both a necessary political work and a fascinating documentary . . . " "1","hilarious , acidic brit comedy . " "1","as a revenge thriller , the movie is serviceable , but it doesn't really deliver the delicious guilty pleasure of the better film versions . " "1","an ironic speculation on democracy in a culture unaccustomed to it . " "1","it's not life-affirming — its vulgar and mean , but i liked it . " "1","several degrees shy of the gross-out contests one expects from current teen fare . " "1","the inherent strength of the material as well as the integrity of the filmmakers gives this coming-of-age story restraint as well as warmth . " "1","led by griffin's smartly nuanced performance and enthusiasm , the cast has a lot of fun with the material . " "1","tuck everlasting achieves a delicate balance of romantic innocence and philosophical depth . " "1","a gentle blend of present day testimonials , surviving footage of burstein and his family performing , historical archives , and telling stills . " "1","a generation x artifact , capturing a brief era of insanity in the sports arena that surely cannot last . " "1","possession is elizabeth barrett browning meets nancy drew , and it's directed by . . . neil labute . hmm . " "1","an uneven but intriguing drama that is part homage and part remake of the italian masterpiece . " "1","windtalkers celebrates the human spirit and packs an emotional wallop . " "1","having never been a huge fan of dickens' 800-page novel , it surprised me how much pleasure i had watching mcgrath's version . " "1","the best thing the film does is to show us not only what that mind looks like , but how the creative process itself operates . " "1","for all its failed connections , divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood is nurturing , in a gauzy , dithering way . " "1","this is pretty dicey material . but some unexpected zigs and zags help . " "1","compellingly watchable . " "1","the filmmakers skillfully evoke the sense of menace that nature holds for many urban dwellers . " "1","the laser-projected paintings provide a spell-casting beauty , while russell and dreyfus are a romantic pairing of hearts , preciously exposed as history corners them . " "1","you don't have to be an especially tough grader to give a charitable b-minus to the emperor's club . " "1","this romantic thriller is steeped in the atmosphere of wartime england , and ably captures the speech patterns , moral codes and ideals of the 1940s . " "1","divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood may not be exactly divine , but it's definitely -- defiantly -- ya ya , what with all of those terrific songs and spirited performances . " "1","viewed on its own terms , treasure planet is better-than-average family entertainment , but true fans of the stevenson's novel will likely prefer disney's more faithful 1950 live-action swashbuckling classic . " "1","a journey through memory , a celebration of living , and a sobering rumination on fatality , classism , and ignorance . " "1","resourceful and ingenious entertainment . " "1"," "" antwone fisher "" is an earnest , by-the-numbers effort by washington . it won't rock any boats but is solid meat-and-potatoes filmmaking . " "1","a historical epic with the courage of its convictions about both scope and detail . " "1","we need [moore's] noisy , cocky energy , his passion and class consciousness ; we need his shticks , we need his stones . " "1","although the editing might have been tighter , hush ! sympathetically captures the often futile lifestyle of young people in modern japan . " "1","[gai] comes closer to any actress i can remember to personifying independence in its purest and , yes , most intimidating form . " "1","these are lives worth watching , paths worth following . " "1","it's rather like a lifetime special -- pleasant , sweet and forgettable . " "1","a moody horror/thriller elevated by deft staging and the director's well-known narrative gamesmanship . " "1","as a singular character study , it's perfect . it's also the year's sweetest movie . " "1","a graceful , contemplative film that gradually and artfully draws us into a world where the personal and the political get fatally intertwined . " "1","while not as aggressively impressive as its american counterpart , "" in the bedroom , "" moretti's film makes its own , quieter observations " "1","the experience of watching blobby old-school cgi animation in this superlarge format is just surreal enough to be diverting . " "1","time changer may not be the most memorable cinema session but its profound self-evaluation message about our fragile existence and the absence of spiritual guidance should at least invade an abundance of mindsets " "1"," "" the emperor's new clothes "" begins with a simple plan . . . . well , at least that's the plan . " "1","haynes has so fanatically fetishized every bizarre old-movie idiosyncrasy with such monastic devotion you're not sure if you should applaud or look into having him committed . " "1","[director peter] jackson and his crew have so steeped themselves in the majesty of tolkien's writing that every frame produces new joys , whether you're a fan of the books or not . " "1","while the glass slipper doesn't quite fit , pumpkin is definitely a unique modern fairytale . " "1","the drama is played out with such aching beauty and truth that it brings tears to your eyes . " "1","an exciting and involving rock music doc , a smart and satisfying look inside that tumultuous world . " "1","an offbeat , sometimes gross and surprisingly appealing animated film about the true meaning of the holidays . " "1","this version incarnates the prophetic book in a way even its exacting author might admire . " "1","sometimes , nothing satisfies like old-fashioned swashbuckling . and in this regard , on guard delivers . " "1"," . . . ambition is in short supply in the cinema , and egoyan tackles his themes and explores his characters' crises with seriousness and compassion . " "1","an impossible romance , but we root for the patronized iranian lad . " "1","like dickens with his passages , mcgrath crafts quite moving scenes throughout his resolutely dramatic variation on the novel . " "1","there's a disreputable air about the whole thing , and that's what makes it irresistible . " "1","an exceedingly clever piece of cinema . another great ‘what you don't see' is much more terrifying than what you do see thriller , coupled with some arresting effects , incandescent tones and stupendous performances " "1","a carefully structured scream of consciousness that is tortured and unsettling--but unquestionably alive . " "1","a quietly reflective and melancholy new zealand film about an eventful summer in a 13-year-old girl's life . " "1","cute , funny , heartwarming digitally animated feature film with plenty of slapstick humor for the kids , lots of in-jokes for the adults and heart enough for everyone . " "1","very solid , very watchable first feature for director peter sheridan " "1","a budget affair that exposes the generally sad existence of the bedouins while providing a precious twinkle of insight into their lives . " "1","it suggests the wide-ranging effects of media manipulation , from the kind of reporting that is done by the supposedly liberal media . . . to the intimate and ultimately tragic heartache of maverick individuals like hatfield and hicks . " "1","workmanlike , maybe , but still a film with all the elements that made the other three great , scary times at the movies . " "1","a pleasant enough comedy that should have found a summer place . " "1","branagh , in his most forceful non-shakespeare screen performance , grounds even the softest moments in the angry revolt of his wit . " "1","though the violence is far less sadistic than usual , the film is typical miike : fast , furious and full of off-the-cuff imaginative flourishes . " "1","compelling as it is exotic , fast runner has a plot that rivals shakespeare for intrigue , treachery and murder . " "1","what it lacks in originality it makes up for in intelligence and b-grade stylishness . " "1","the warm presence of zhao benshan makes the preposterous lying hero into something more than he reasonably should be . " "1","this is as powerful a set of evidence as you'll ever find of why art matters , and how it can resonate far beyond museum walls and through to the most painfully marginal lives . " "1","director rob marshall went out gunning to make a great one . " "1","skip work to see it at the first opportunity . " "1","bow's best moments are when he's getting busy on the basketball court because that's when he really scores . " "1","offers enough playful fun to entertain the preschool set while embracing a wholesome attitude . " "1","in the end , punch-drunk love is one of those films that i wanted to like much more than i actually did . sometimes , that's enough . " "1","an intimate , good-humored ethnic comedy like numerous others but cuts deeper than expected . " "1","ice cube holds the film together with an engaging and warm performance . . . " "1","both deeply weird and charmingly dear . " "1","as blunt as it is in depicting child abuse , el bola is a movie steeped in an ambiguity that lends its conflicts a symbolic resonance . " "1","despite a story predictable enough to make the sound of music play like a nail-biting thriller , its heart is so much in the right place it is difficult to get really peeved at it . " "1","it's a masterpiece . " "1","an incredibly low-rent danish film , it brings a group of people together in a sweet and charming way , if a little convenient " "1","it's the cinematic equivalent of a good page-turner , and even if it's nonsense , its claws dig surprisingly deep . " "1","director nalin pan doesn't do much to weigh any arguments one way or the other . he simply presents his point of view that ayurveda works . no question . " "1","what "" empire "" lacks in depth it makes up for with its heart . " "1","claude miller airs out a tight plot with an easy pace and a focus on character drama over crime-film complications . " "1","what full frontal lacks in thematic coherence it largely makes up for as loosey-goosey , experimental entertainment . still , i'm not quite sure what the point is… " "1","rich in detail , gorgeously shot and beautifully acted , les destinees is , in its quiet , epic way , daring , inventive and refreshingly unusual . " "1"," ( a ) hollywood sheen bedevils the film from the very beginning . . . ( but ) lohman's moist , deeply emotional eyes shine through this bogus veneer . . . " "1","do we really need a 77-minute film to tell us exactly why a romantic relationship between a 15-year-old boy and a 40-year-old woman doesn't work ? " "1","ford deserves to be remembered at oscar time for crafting this wonderful portrait of a conflicted soldier . " "1","the film's 45-minute running time stops shy of overkill , though viewers may be more exhausted than the athletes onscreen . " "1","don't expect any surprises in this checklist of teamwork cliches . . . " "1","as adapted by kevin molony from simon leys' novel "" the death of napoleon "" and directed by alan taylor , napoleon's journey is interesting but his parisian rebirth is stillborn " "1","the movie addresses a hungry need for pg-rated , nonthreatening family movies , but it doesn't go too much further . " "1","this warm and gentle romantic comedy has enough interesting characters to fill several movies , and its ample charms should win over the most hard-hearted cynics . " "1","a yarn that respects the marvel version without becoming ensnared by it . " "1","this is a happy throwback to the time when cartoons were cinema's most idiosyncratic form instead of one of its most predictable . " "1","complex , affecting and uniquely almodóvar , the film evokes strong emotions and pushes viewers to question their deepest notions of moral right and wrong . " "1","good ol' urban legend stuff . " "1","not so much a movie as a picture book for the big screen . this isn't my favorite in the series , still i enjoyed it enough to recommend . " "1","it's one of the most honest films ever made about hollywood . " "1","it is a film that will have people walking out halfway through , will encourage others to stand up and applaud , and will , undoubtedly , leave both camps engaged in a ferocious debate for years to come . " "1","on its own cinematic terms , it successfully showcases the passions of both the director and novelist byatt . " "1","light , silly , photographed with colour and depth , and rather a good time . " "1","pray's film works well and will appeal even to those who aren't too familiar with turntablism . " "1","troubling and powerful . " "1","good movie . good actress . but if you expect light romantic comedy , good gosh , will you be shocked . " "1","it has the courage to wonder about big questions with sincerity and devotion . it risks seeming slow and pretentious , because it thinks the gamble is worth the promise . " "1","with youthful high spirits , tautou remains captivating throughout michele's religious and romantic quests , and she is backed by a likable cast . " "1","it's an example of sophisticated , challenging filmmaking that stands , despite its noticeable lack of emotional heft , in welcome contrast to the indulgent dead-end experimentation of the director's previous full frontal . " "1","a very funny look at how another culture handles the process of courting and marriage . " "1","but tongue-in-cheek preposterousness has always been part of for the most part wilde's droll whimsy helps "" being earnest "" overcome its weaknesses and parker's creative interference . . . " "1","much of the movie's charm lies in the utter cuteness of stuart and margolo . their computer-animated faces are very expressive . " "1","the path ice age follows most closely , though , is the one established by warner bros . giant chuck jones , who died a matter of weeks before the movie's release . " "1","anchored by a terrific performance by abbass , satin rouge shows that the idea of women's self-actualization knows few continental divides . " "1","awkward but sincere and , ultimately , it wins you over . " "1","smith profiles five extraordinary american homes , and because the owners seem fully aware of the uses and abuses of fame , it's a pleasure to enjoy their eccentricities . " "1","though the plot is predictable , the movie never feels formulaic , because the attention is on the nuances of the emotional development of the delicate characters . " "1","sam jones became a very lucky filmmaker the day wilco got dropped from their record label , proving that one man's ruin may be another's fortune . " "1","goyer's screenplay and direction are thankfully understated , and he has drawn excellent performances from his cast . " "1","binoche and magimel are perfect in these roles . " "1","when your leading ladies are a couple of screen-eating dominatrixes like goldie hawn and susan sarandon at their raunchy best , even hokum goes down easily . " "1","while undercover brother is definitely one for the masses , it's also full of sharp , smart satire . " "1","gets under the skin of a man who has just lost his wife . " "1","it may not be "" last tango in paris "" but . . . " "1","no wonder they're talking about "" talk to her . "" it's astonishing . " "1","for its seriousness , high literary aspirations and stunning acting , the film can only be applauded . " "1","look , this is a terrific flick replete with dazzling camera-work , dancing and music . " "1","it is inspirational in characterizing how people from such diverse cultures share the same human and spiritual needs . " "1","it's fairly self-aware in its dumbness . " "1","a triumph , relentless and beautiful in its downbeat darkness . " "1","tailored to entertain ! " "1","a compelling , moving film that respects its audience and its source material . " "1","has a plot full of twists upon knots . . . and a nonstop parade of mock-tarantino scuzbag types that starts out clever but veers into overkill . " "1","a work of astonishing delicacy and force . " "1","the film benefits greatly from a less manic tone than its predecessor , as cho appears to have settled comfortably into her skin . " "1","for the first time in several years , mr . allen has surpassed himself with the magic he's spun with the hollywood empress of ms . leoni's ellie . " "1","isn't quite the equal of woo's best earlier work , but it's easily his finest american film . . . comes close to recapturing the brilliance of his hong kong films . " "1","the film hinges on its performances , and both leads are up to the task . " "1","an intelligent , earnest , intimate film that drops the ball only when it pauses for blunt exposition to make sure you're getting its metaphysical point . " "1","a modest pleasure that accomplishes its goals with ease and confidence . " "1","a breezy , diverting , conventional , well-acted tale of two men locked in an ongoing game of cat-and-cat . " "1","what jackson has accomplished here is amazing on a technical level . " "1","as teen movies go , "" orange county "" is a refreshing change " "1","makes s&m seem very romantic , and maggie gyllenhaal is a delight . " "1","a deliciously mordant , bitter black comedy . " "1","although life or something like it is very much in the mold of feel-good movies , the cast and director stephen herek's polished direction pour delightfully piquant wine from aged bottles . " "1","it is risky , intelligent , romantic and rapturous from start to finish . " "1","the movie sticks much closer to hornby's drop-dead confessional tone than the film version of high fidelity did . " "1","a pleasant ramble through the sort of idoosyncratic terrain that errol morris has often dealt with . . . it does possess a loose , lackadaisical charm . " "1"," . . . spiced with humor ( 'i speak fluent flatula , ' advises denlopp after a rather , er , bubbly exchange with an alien deckhand ) and witty updatings ( silver's parrot has been replaced with morph , a cute alien creature who mimics everyone and everything around ) " "1","this is a raw and disturbing tale that took five years to make , and the trio's absorbing narrative is a heart-wrenching showcase indeed . " "1","a beautiful and haunting examination of the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the mundane horrors of the world . " "1","aside from being the funniest movie of the year , simone , andrew niccol's brilliant anti-hollywood satire , has a wickedly eccentric enchantment to it . " "1","watstein handily directs and edits around his screenplay's sappier elements . . . and sustains off the hook's buildup with remarkable assuredness for a first-timer . " "1","just another fish-out-of-water story that barely stays afloat . " "1","there's an energy to y tu mamá también . much of it comes from the brave , uninhibited performances by its lead actors . " "1","it's the kind of pigeonhole-resisting romp that hollywood too rarely provides . " "1","reinforces the often forgotten fact of the world's remarkably varying human population and mindset , and its capacity to heal using creative , natural and ancient antidotes . " "1","you can feel the heat that ignites this gripping tale , and the humor and humanity that root it in feeling . " "1","it's hard not to be seduced by [witherspoon's] charisma , even in this run-of-the-mill vehicle , because this girl knows how to drive it to the max . " "1","a movie for 11-year-old boys with sports dreams of their own and the preteen girls who worship lil' bow wow . " "1","a refreshingly authentic coming-of-age tale . " "1","if you're not into the pokemon franchise , this fourth animated movie in four years won't convert you -- or even keep your eyes open . but fans should have fun meeting a brand-new pokemon called celebi . " "1","from the big giant titles of the opening credits to elmer bernstein's perfectly melodic score , haynes gets just about everything right . " "1","whether seen on a 10-inch television screen or at your local multiplex , the edge-of-your-seat , educational antics of steve irwin are priceless entertainment . " "1","has a shambling charm . . . a cheerfully inconsequential diversion . " "1","ferrara directs the entire film with the kind of detachment that makes any given frame look like a family's custom-made christmas card . " "1","the movie has lots of dancing and fabulous music . there are slow and repetitive parts , but it has just enough spice to keep it interesting . " "1","an incredibly clever and superbly paced caper filled with scams within scams within scams . " "1","there's not much more to this adaptation of the nick hornby novel than charm -- effortless , pleasurable , featherweight charm . " "1","as a belated nod to some neglected all-stars , standing in the shadows of motown is cultural history of the best kind : informative , revealing and richly entertaining . " "1","even if the ride's a little bumpy , with a final lap that's all too suspiciously smooth , you gotta give director roger michell , best known for the superfluous notting hill , credit for trying . " "1","not as distinctive or even as humorous as its needs to be to stand out , but it has clearly been made with affection and care . " "1","this is carion's debut feature but his script and direction hums with a confidence that many spend entire careers trying to reach . " "1","an intelligent , moving and invigorating film . " "1","ofrece una buena oportunidad de cultura ( aunque sea condensada ) que bien vale la pena aprovechar . " "1"," . . . one of the most ingenious and entertaining thrillers i've seen in quite a long time . " "1","a clever blend of fact and fiction . " "1","a vivid cinematic portrait . " "1","hilarious , touching and wonderfully dyspeptic . " "1","es divertida , visualmente espectacular y muy entretenida . simple y sencillamente te sorprenderá . " "1","theirs is a simple and heart-warming story , full of mirth that should charm all but the most cynical . " "1","the film is an enjoyable family film -- pretty much aimed at any youngster who loves horses . " "1","a frisky and fresh romantic comedy exporing sexual politics and the challenges of friendships between women . " "1","it's a good film -- not a classic , but odd , entertaining and authentic . " "1","flavorful and romantic , you could call this how martha got her groove back -- assuming , that is , she ever had one to begin with . " "1","happily for mr . chin -- though unhappily for his subjects -- the invisible hand of the marketplace wrote a script that no human screenwriter could have hoped to match . " "1","thurman and lewis are hilarious throughout . " "1","the plot is so amusingly contrived and outlandish in its coincidences that no one could ever mistake it for anything resembling reality " "1","hits one out of the park for the 'they don't make 'em like that anymore' department . " "1","it dares to be a little different , and that shading is what makes it worthwhile . " "1","[fessenden] is much more into ambiguity and creating mood than he is for on screen thrills " "1","the comic performances are all spot on , especially lee ross's turn as ken . " "1","a compelling journey . . . and "" his best friend remembers "" is up there with the finest of specials . " "1","at nearly three hours , the whole of safe conduct is less than the sum of its parts . " "1","the hours makes you examine your own life in much the same way its characters do , and the experience is profound . the hours is what movies are supposed to be . . . " "1","a bold and subversive film that cuts across the grain of what is popular and powerful in this high-tech age , speaking its truths with spellbinding imagery and the entrancing music of philip glass . " "1","pretty darn good , despite its smarty-pants aura . " "1","so young , so smart , such talent , such a wise * * * . " "1","woo's fights have a distinct flair . his warriors collide in balletic explosion that implies an underlying order throughout the chaos . " "1","barney has created a tour de force that is weird , wacky and wonderful . " "1","the ending does leave you unfulfilled , but these are performances to enjoy in a memorable ensemble piece . " "1"," . . . an agreeable time-wasting device -- but george pal's low-tech 1960 version still rules the epochs . " "1","it's a brave attempt to tap into the heartbeat of the world , a salute to the universal language of rhythm and a zippy sampling of sounds . " "1","offers an unusual opportunity to observe the inequities in the death penalty , not just the inherent immorality but also the haphazard administration of it and public misperception of how the whole thing works . " "1","i don't think i've been as entranced and appalled by an asian film since shinya tsukamoto's iron man . " "1","it is so refreshing to see robin williams turn 180 degrees from the string of insultingly innocuous and sappy fiascoes he's been making for the last several years . " "1","director benoit jacquot , making his first opera-to-film translation with tosca , conveys the heaving passion of puccini's famous love-jealousy- murder-suicide fandango with great cinematic innovation . " "1","lilia's transformation from strict mother to sensual siren is superficially preposterous , but abbas infuses the role with an unimpeachable core of emotional truth . " "1","frida's artistic brilliance is undeniable -- it's among the most breathtakingly designed films i've ever seen . " "1","the perfect film for those who like sick comedies that can be snide . " "1","'charly' will divide its audience in two separate groups , those reaching for more tissues and those begging for mercy . . . " "1","nervy and sensitive , it taps into genuine artistic befuddlement , and at the same time presents a scathing indictment of what drives hollywood . " "1","a marvellous journey from childhood idealism to adolescent self-absorption . " "1","the film is just a big , gorgeous , mind-blowing , breath-taking mess . " "1","sharp , lively , funny and ultimately sobering film . " "1","though the film's scenario is certainly not earthshaking , this depiction of fluctuating female sexuality has two winning lead performances and charm to spare . " "1","a worthy tribute to a great humanitarian and her vibrant 'co-stars . ' " "1","a recent favourite at sundance , this white-trash satire will inspire the affection of even those unlucky people who never owned a cassette of def leppard's pyromania . " "1","the recording session is the only part of the film that is enlightening -- and how appreciative you are of this depends on your level of fandom . " "1","occasionally funny and consistently odd , and it works reasonably well as a star vehicle for zhao . " "1","bright seems alternately amused and disgusted with this material , and he can't help throwing in a few of his own touches . " "1","the 3d images only enhance the film's otherworldly quality , giving it a strange combo of you-are-there closeness with the disorienting unreality of the seemingly broken-down fourth wall of the movie screen . " "1","andersson creates a world that's at once surreal and disturbingly familiar ; absurd , yet tremendously sad . " "1","it's predictable , but it jumps through the expected hoops with style and even some depth . " "1","often hilarious , well-shot and , importantly , entertaining , hell house is a fascinating document of an event that has to be seen to be believed . " "1","de oliveira creates an emotionally rich , poetically plump and visually fulsome , but never showy , film whose bittersweet themes are reinforced and brilliantly personified by michel piccoli . " "1"," . . . an inviting piece of film . " "1","the film's real appeal won't be to clooney fans or adventure buffs , but to moviegoers who enjoy thinking about compelling questions with no easy answers . " "1","the fact that the rookie is a nearly impeccable cinematic experience -- and a wonderful all-ages triumph besides -- is a miracle akin to the story the film portrays . " "1","a deviant topical comedy which is funny from start to finish . " "1","a startling and fresh examination of how the bike still remains an ambiguous icon in chinese society . " "1","a highly intriguing thriller , coupled with some ingenious plot devices and some lavishly built settings . . it's a worthwhile tutorial in quantum physics and slash-dash " "1","as hugh grant says repeatedly throughout the movie , 'lovely ! brilliant ! ' " "1","cho's fearless in picking apart human foibles , not afraid to lay her life bare in front of an audience . her delivery and timing are flawless . " "1","works because , for the most part , it avoids the stupid cliches and formulaic potholes that befall its brethren . " "1","at its best , the good girl is a refreshingly adult take on adultery . . . " "1","an amazing and incendiary movie that dives straight into the rough waters of contradiction . " "1","about nowhere kids who appropriated turfs as they found them and become self-made celebrity athletes -- a low-down version of the american dream . " "1","occasionally , in the course of reviewing art-house obscurities and slam-bam action flicks , a jaded critic smacks into something truly new . " "1","a miniscule little bleep on the film radar , but one that many more people should check out " "1","desta vez , columbus capturou o pomo de ouro . " "1"," "" 13 conversations "" holds its goodwill close , but is relatively slow to come to the point . " "1","a slick , well-oiled machine , exquisitely polished and upholstered . " "1","don't plan on the perfect ending , but sweet home alabama hits the mark with critics who escaped from a small town life . " "1","it has a subtle way of getting under your skin and sticking with you long after it's over . " "1","the movie stays afloat thanks to its hallucinatory production design . " "1","it helps that the central performers are experienced actors , and that they know their roles so well . " "1","a provocative movie about loss , anger , greed , jealousy , sickness and love . " "1","worth the effort to watch . " "1","that rara avis : the intelligent romantic comedy with actual ideas on its mind . " "1","boisterous and daft documentary . " "1","hawke draws out the best from his large cast in beautifully articulated portrayals that are subtle and so expressive they can sustain the poetic flights in burdette's dialogue . " "1","a work of the utmost subtlety and perception , it marks the outstanding feature debut of writer-director eric byler , who understands the power of the implicit and the virtues of simplicity and economy . " "1","full frontal is the antidote for soderbergh fans who think he's gone too commercial since his two oscar nominated films in 2000 " "1","it turns out to be a cut above the norm , thanks to some clever writing and sprightly acting . " "1","you might not want to hang out with samantha , but you'll probably see a bit of yourself in her unfinished story . " "1","a work of intricate elegance , literary lyricism and profound common sense . " "1","it's as close as we'll ever come to looking through a photographer's viewfinder as he works . " "1","thoughtful , provocative and entertaining . " "1","witty , touching and well paced . " "1","lee jeong-hyang tells it so lovingly and films it so beautifully that i couldn't help being captivated by it . " "1","you have to pay attention to follow all the stories , but they're each interesting . the movie is well shot and very tragic , and one to ponder after the credits roll . " "1","enjoy it for what it is ; you can hate yourself later . " "1","a map of the inner rhythms of love and jealousy and sacrifice drawn with a master's steady stroke . " "1","más sarcástica , divertida y demencial que su predecesora , es un buen ejemplo de lo que es el cine de entretenimiento puro y sin complejos . " "1","a psychological thriller with a smart script and an obsessive-compulsive's attention to detail . " "1","often hilarious . " "1","grant gets to display his cadness to perfection , but also to show acting range that may surprise some who thought light-hearted comedy was his forte . " "1","at times funny and at other times candidly revealing , it's an intriguing look at two performers who put themselves out there because they love what they do . " "1","westfeldt and juergensen exude a chemistry and comfort level that's both saucy and endearing . " "1","harsh , effective documentary on life in the israeli-occupied palestinian territories . " "1","the film is all a little lit crit 101 , but it's extremely well played and often very funny . " "1","earns its laughs from stock redneck 'types' and from the many , many moments when we recognize even without the elizabethan prose , the play behind the thing . " "1","a real story about real people living their lives concerned about the future of an elderly , mentally handicapped family member . " "1","it's absolutely spooky how lillard channels the shagster right down to the original casey kasem-furnished voice . " "1","a dream cast of solid female talent who build a seamless ensemble . there isn't a weak or careless performance amongst them . " "1","smart science fiction for grown-ups , with only a few false steps along the way . " "1","it's a refreshing change from the self-interest and paranoia that shape most american representations of castro . " "1","often moving and explores the discomfort inherent in the contacts between the american 'hosts' and their 'guests . ' " "1","though the controversial korean filmmaker's latest effort is not for all tastes , it offers gorgeous imagery , effective performances , and an increasingly unsettling sense of foreboding . " "1","lathan and diggs have considerable personal charm , and their screen rapport makes the old story seem new . " "1","the story may not be new , but australian director john polson , making his american feature debut , jazzes it up adroitly . " "1","it's endearing to hear madame d . refer to her husband as 'jackie' -- and he does make for excellent company , not least as a self-conscious performer . " "1","the film often achieves a mesmerizing poetry . " "1","more than makes up for its mawkish posing by offering rousing spates of genuine feeling . " "1","it's neither as romantic nor as thrilling as it should be . but it offers plenty to ponder and chew on as its unusual relationship slowly unfolds . " "1","occasionally funny , always very colorful and enjoyably overblown in the traditional almodóvar style . " "1","merchant effectively translates naipaul's lively mix of characters from the page to screen . " "1","some movies are like a tasty hors-d'oeuvre ; this one is a feast . " "1","what could have become just another cautionary fable is allowed to play out as a clever , charming tale – as pleasantly in its own way as its self-dramatizing characters . " "1","davis has filled out his cast with appealing fresh faces . " "1","achieves a sort of filmic epiphany that revels in the true potential of the medium . " "1","once you get into its rhythm . . . the movie becomes a heady experience . " "1"," "" auto focus "" works as an unusual biopic and document of male swingers in the playboy era " "1","if mr . zhang's subject matter is , to some degree at least , quintessentially american , his approach to storytelling might be called iranian . " "1","a fast-moving and remarkable film that appears destined to become a landmark in japanese animation . " "1"," . . . a sour little movie at its core ; an exploration of the emptiness that underlay the relentless gaiety of the 1920's . . . the film's ending has a "" what was it all for ? "" feeling to it , but like the 1920's , the trip there is a great deal of fun . " "1","a worthy entry into a very difficult genre . " "1","[broomfield] uncovers a story powerful enough to leave the screen sizzling with intrigue . " "1","eight crazy nights is a showcase for sandler's many talents . " "1","a sweet-natured reconsideration of one of san francisco's most vital , if least widely recognized , creative fountainheads . " "1","this is one of the most visually stunning and thematically moving epics in recent memory , and in spite of numerous minor flaws , scorsese's best in more than a decade . " "1","everywhere the camera looks there is something worth seeing . " "1","a richly imagined and admirably mature work from a gifted director who definitely has something on his mind . " "1","it's a nicely detailed world of pawns , bishops and kings , of wagers in dingy backrooms or pristine forests . " "1","a charming , quirky and leisurely paced scottish comedy -- except with an outrageous central gimmick that could have been a reject from monty python's meaning of life . " "1","it never fails to engage us . " "1","its direction , its script , and weaver's performance as a vaguely discontented woman of substance make for a mildly entertaining 77 minutes , if that's what you're in the mood for . " "1","a charming romantic comedy that is by far the lightest dogme film and among the most enjoyable . " "1","this is the kind of movie that used to be right at home at the saturday matinee , and it still is . " "1","the spark of special anime magic here is unmistakable and hard to resist . " "1","like its two predecessors , 1983's koyaanisqatsi and 1988's powaqqatsi , the cinematic collage naqoyqatsi could be the most navel-gazing film ever . " "1","baran isn't the most transporting or gripping film from iran -- or , indeed , by its director -- but it's a worthy companion to the many fine , focused films emerging from that most surprising of nations . " "1","the visuals alone make metropolis worth seeing . " "1","dark , resonant , inventively detailed and packed with fleet turns of plot and a feast of visual amazement . " "1","a picture that extols the virtues of comradeship and community in a spunky , spirited fashion . " "1","a resonant tale of racism , revenge and retribution . " "1","noyce's film is contemplative and mournfully reflective . " "1","here , adrian lyne comes as close to profundity as he is likely to get . " "1","evokes a little of the fear that parents have for the possible futures of their children--and the sometimes bad choices mothers and fathers make in the interests of doing them good . " "1","uno de los policiales más interesantes de los últimos tiempos . " "1","rain is a small treasure , enveloping the viewer in a literal and spiritual torpor that is anything but cathartic . " "1","an elegant , exquisitely modulated psychological thriller . " "1","this concoction , so bizarre to the adult mind , is actually a charming triumph where its intended under-12 audience is concerned . " "1","droll caper-comedy remake of "" big deal on madonna street "" that's a sly , amusing , laugh-filled little gem in which the ultimate "" bellini "" begins to look like a "" real kaputschnik . "" " "1","it's a beautifully accomplished lyrical meditation on a bunch of despondent and vulnerable characters living in the renown chelsea hotel . . . " "1","is it a total success ? no . is it something any true film addict will want to check out ? you bet . " "1","zany , exuberantly irreverent animated space adventure . " "1","dolgin and franco fashion a fascinating portrait of a vietnamese-born youngster who eagerly and easily assimilated as an all-american girl with a brand new name in southern tennessee . " "1","the disarming cornball atmosphere has a way of infecting the entire crowd as the film rolls on . " "1","a refreshingly honest and ultimately touching tale of the sort of people usually ignored in contemporary american film . search it out . " "1","engrossing and affecting , if ultimately not quite satisfying . " "1","the story , like life , refuses to be simple , and the result is a compelling slice of awkward emotions . " "1","a sly game of cat and mouse that's intense and thrilling at times , but occasionally stretches believability to its limits and relies on predictable plot contrivances . " "1","funny and , at times , poignant , the film from director george hickenlooper all takes place in pasadena , "" a city where people still read . "" " "1","this horror-comedy doesn't go for the usual obvious laughs at the expense of cheap-looking monsters -- unless you count elvira's hooters . " "1","the movie's eventual success should be credited to dennis quaid , in fighting trim shape as an athlete as well as an actor " "1","not a bad journey at all . " "1","sits uneasily as a horror picture . . . but finds surprising depth in its look at the binds of a small family . " "1","windtalkers blows this way and that , but there's no mistaking the filmmaker in the tall grass , true to himself . " "1","there is a refreshing absence of cynicism in stuart little 2--quite a rarity , even in the family film market . eventually , it wins you over . " "1","noyce films it more as a shocking history lesson than as drama . " "1","like a south-of-the-border melrose place . " "1","those with an interest in new or singular sorts of film experiences will find what time is it there ? well worth the time . " "1","a wildly funny prison caper . " "1","huppert gives erika a persona that is so intriguing that you find yourself staring hypnotically at her , trying to understand her and wondering if she'll crack . " "1","despite what anyone believes about the goal of its makers , the show . . . represents a spectacular piece of theater , and there's no denying the talent of the creative forces behind it . " "1","you'll be left with the sensation of having just witnessed a great performance and , perhaps , give in to the urge to get on your feet and shake it . " "1","the actors are so terrific at conveying their young angst , we do indeed feel for them . " "1","the reason this picture works better than its predecessors is that myers is no longer simply spoofing the mini-mod-madness of '60s spy movies . " "1","it is a kickass , dense sci-fi action thriller hybrid that delivers and then some . i haven't seen one in so long , no wonder i didn't recognize it at first . " "1","a compelling portrait of moral emptiness " "1","in adobo , ethnicity is not just the spice , but at the heart of more universal concerns . " "1","it is ridiculous , of course . . . but it is also refreshing , disarming , and just outright enjoyable despite its ridiculousness . " "1"," . . . blade ii is more enjoyable than the original . " "1","a film that takes you inside the rhythms of its subject : you experience it as you watch . " "1","the movie exists for its soccer action and its fine acting . " "1","the movie is saved from unbearable lightness by the simplicity of the storytelling and the authenticity of the performances . " "1","the film starts out as competent but unremarkable . . . and gradually grows into something of considerable power . " "1","nothing denis has made before , like beau travil and nenette et boni , could prepare us for this gory , perverted , sex-soaked riff on the cannibal genre . " "1","reinforces the talents of screenwriter charlie kaufman , creator of adaptation and being john malkovich . " "1","greene delivers a typically solid performance in a role that is a bit of a departure from the noble characters he has played in the past , and he is matched by schweig , who carries the film on his broad , handsome shoulders . " "1","finds a way to tell a simple story , perhaps the simplest story of all , in a way that seems compelling and even original . " "1","a stunning piece of visual poetry that will , hopefully , be remembered as one of the most important stories to be told in australia's film history . " "1","this is art paying homage to art . " "1"," . . . a joke at once flaky and resonant , lightweight and bizarrely original . " "1","invincible is a wonderful movie . " "1"," . . . a cute and sometimes side-splittingly funny blend of legally blonde and drop dead gorgeous , starring piper perabo in what could be her breakthrough role . " "1","dazzling and sugar-sweet , a blast of shallow magnificence that only sex , scandal , and a chorus line of dangerous damsels can deliver . " "1","occasionally amateurishly made but a winsome cast and nice dialogue keeps it going . " "1","japan's premier stylist of sex and blood hits audiences with what may be his most demented film to date . " "1","culkin , who's in virtually every scene , shines as a young man who uses sarcastic lies like a shield . " "1","cuts right through the b . s . giving a big middle-fingered "" shut up "" to those who talk up what is nothing more than two guys beating the hell outta one another . " "1","the am-radio soundtrack and game cast -- tierney and the inimitable walken especially -- keep this unusual comedy from choking on its own conceit . " "1"," . . . does such a fine job of engulfing you in its world and allying you with its characters' choices , good and ill , that its shortcomings are remembered only as an afterthought . " "1","marvelous , merry and , yes , melancholy film . " "1","from spiritual rebirth to bruising defeat , vincent's odyssey resonates in a profound way , comparable to the classic films of jean renoir . " "1","novak manages to capture a cruelly hilarious vein of black comedy in the situation with his cast of non-actors and a gritty , no-budget approach . " "1","insomnia is involving . still , i thought it could have been more . " "1","there was time on that second round to see the subtleties of ramsay's portrait of grief . " "1","we can see the wheels turning , and we might resent it sometimes , but this is still a nice little picture , made by bright and friendly souls with a lot of good cheer . " "1","a comprehensive and provocative film -- one that pushes the boundaries of biography , and challenges its audience . " "1","the way coppola professes his love for movies -- both colorful pop junk and the classics that unequivocally qualify as art -- is giddily entertaining . " "1","a modest masterpiece . " "1","a worthwhile way to spend two hours . " "1","francophiles will snicker knowingly and you'll want to slap them . " "1","sensitive , insightful and beautifully rendered film . one of the best of the year . " "1","a love for films shines through each frame and the era is recreated with obvious affection , scored to perfection with some tasty boogaloo beats . " "1","throwing caution to the wind with an invitation to the hedonist in us all , nair has constructed this motion picture in such a way that even the most cynical curmudgeon with find himself or herself smiling at one time or another . " "1","makes an aborbing if arguable case for the man's greatness . " "1","an endlessly fascinating , landmark movie that is as bold as anything the cinema has seen in years . " "1"," . . . a haunting vision , with images that seem more like disturbing hallucinations . " "1","they crush each other under cars , throw each other out windows , electrocute and dismember their victims in full consciousness . and we don't avert our eyes for a moment . " "1","it is not a mass-market entertainment but an uncompromising attempt by one artist to think about another . " "1","frailty isn't as gory or explicit . but in its child-centered , claustrophobic context , it can be just as frightening and disturbing -- even punishing . " "1","mixes likeable personalities , inventive photography and cutting , and wall-to-wall toe-tapping music to paint a picture of a subculture that is at once exhilarating , silly , perverse , hopeful and always fun . " "1","the long-range appeal of "" minority report "" should transcend any awards it bags . this is one for the ages . " "1","[a] superbly controlled , passionate adaptation of graham greene's 1955 novel . " "1","much monkeyfun for all . " "1","an enchanting film that presents an audacious tour of the past and takes within its warm embrace the bounties of cultural artifacts inside st . petersburg's hermitage museum . " "1","[hawn's character]is so bluntly written , without a trace of sentimentality , and so blisteringly defined , that every other character seems overlooked and underwritten . " "1","the heightened symmetry of this new/old cinema paradiso makes the film a fuller experience , like an old friend haunted by the exigencies of time . " "1","the powers team has fashioned a comedy with more laughs than many , no question . but this time there's some mold on the gold . " "1","while surprisingly sincere , this average little story is adorned with some awesome action photography and surfing . " "1","it is far from the worst , thanks to the topical issues it raises , the performances of stewart and hardy , and that essential feature -- a decent full-on space battle . " "1","a film that is a portrait of grace in an imperfect world . " "1","a pleasurably jacked-up piece of action moviemaking . " "1","nicolas philibert observes life inside a one-room schoolhouse in northern france in his documentary to be and to have , easily one of the best films of the year . " "1","a perverse little truffle , dainty psychological terror on the outside with a creamy filling of familial jealousy and unrepentant domestic psychopathy . " "1","this ecologically minded , wildlife friendly film teaches good ethics while entertaining with its unconventionally wacky but loving family " "1","an enjoyably half-wit remake of the venerable italian comedy big deal on madonna street . " "1","it takes this never-ending confusion and hatred , puts a human face on it , evokes shame among all who are party to it and even promotes understanding . " "1","reign of fire may be little more than another platter of reheated aliens , but it's still pretty tasty . " "1","there are times when a rumor of angels plays like an extended episode of touched by an angel -- a little too much dancing , a few too many weeping scenes -- but i liked its heart and its spirit . " "1","two hours of melodramatic musical married to two hours of underdog sports intrigue , if the picture also shares the weaknesses of both genres , more's the pity . " "1","this cheery , down-to-earth film is warm with the cozy feeling of relaxing around old friends . " "1","thrilling , provocative and darkly funny , this timely sci-fi mystery works on so many different levels that it not only invites , it demands repeated viewings . " "1","a tale of horror and revenge that is nearly perfect in its relentless descent to the depths of one man's tortured soul . " "1","an epic of grandeur and scale that's been decades gone from the popcorn pushing sound stages of hollywood . " "1","genuinely touching because it's realistic about all kinds of love . " "1","lauren ambrose comes alive under the attention from two strangers in town - with honest performances and realistic interaction between the characters , this is a coming-of-age story with a twist . " "1","there has been much puzzlement among critics about what the election symbolizes . i believe the message is in the messenger : the agent is a woman . " "1","an enjoyable film for the family , amusing and cute for both adults and kids . " "1"," "" the mothman prophecies "" is a difficult film to shake from your conscience when night falls . " "1","the second chapter of the harry potter series is even more magical than the first and simply the best family film of the year . " "1","more honest about alzheimer's disease , i think , than iris . " "1","the acting alone is worth the price of admission . " "1","an excellent romp that boasts both a heart and a mind . " "1","interacting eyeball-to-eyeball and toe-to-toe , hopkins and norton are a winning combination -- but fiennes steals 'red dragon' right from under their noses . " "1","this is a terrific character study , a probe into the life of a complex man . " "1","impresses you with its open-endedness and surprises . " "1","this isn't a narrative film -- i don't know if it's possible to make a narrative film about september 11th , though i'm sure some will try -- but it's as close as anyone has dared to come . " "1","my oh my , is this an invigorating , electric movie . " "1","the two leads chomp considerably more scenery with their acting than fire-breathing monsters barbecue with their breath . . . " "1","cedar takes a very open-minded approach to this sensitive material , showing impressive control , both visually and in the writing . " "1","never once predictable . " "1","biggie and tupac is so single-mindedly daring , it puts far more polished documentaries to shame . " "1","so many documentaries like this presuppose religious bigotry or zealous nuttiness of its antagonists , but family fundamentals displays a rare gift for unflinching impartiality . " "1","the cast is uniformly excellent and relaxed . " "1","after making several adaptations of other writers' work , armenian-canadian director atom egoyan broached an original treatment of a deeply personal subject . " "1","the film is painfully authentic , and the performances of the young players are utterly convincing . " "1","if it seems like a minor miracle that its septuagenarian star is young enough to be the nonagenarian filmmaker's son , more incredible still are the clear-eyed boldness and quiet irony with which actor and director take on life's urgent questions . " "1","a candid and often fascinating documentary about a pentecostal church in dallas that assembles an elaborate haunted house each year to scare teenagers into attending services . " "1","fans of the animated wildlife adventure show will be in warthog heaven ; others need not necessarily apply . " "1","without resorting to hyperbole , i can state that kissing jessica stein may be the best same-sex romance i have seen . " "1","nolan bravely treads where few american films dare to delve -- into the world of ambivalence and ambiguity . . . " "1","unlike the nauseating fictions peddled by such 'have-yourself-a-happy-little-holocaust' movies as life is beautiful and jakob the liar , the grey zone is honest enough to deny the possibility of hope in auschwitz . " "1","a potent allegorical love story . " "1","even those who would like to dismiss the film outright should find much to mull and debate . " "1","this is cool , slick stuff , ready to quench the thirst of an audience that misses the summer blockbusters . " "1","the movie is full of fine performances , led by josef bierbichler as brecht and monica bleibtreu as helene weigel , his wife . " "1","a captivating cross-cultural comedy of manners . " "1","andy garcia enjoys one of his richest roles in years and mick jagger gives his best movie performance since , well , performance . " "1","the movie isn't always easy to look at . but if it is indeed a duty of art to reflect life , than leigh has created a masterful piece of artistry right here . " "1","it's [ricci's] best work yet , this girl-woman who sincerely believes she can thwart the world's misery with blind good will . " "1","highlights are the terrific performances by christopher plummer , as the prime villain , and nathan lane as vincent crummles , the eccentric theater company manager . " "1","[howard] so good as leon barlow . . . that he hardly seems to be acting . " "1","an uplifting , near-masterpiece . " "1","superior genre storytelling , which gets under our skin simply by crossing the nuclear line . " "1","by taking entertainment tonight subject matter and giving it humor and poignancy , auto focus becomes both gut-bustingly funny and crushingly depressing . " "1","it's a bittersweet and lyrical mix of elements . " "1","subversive , meditative , clinical and poetic , the piano teacher is a daring work of genius . " "1","the weakest of the four harry potter books has been transformed into the stronger of the two films by the thinnest of margins . " "1","its gross-out gags and colorful set pieces . . . are of course stultifyingly contrived and too stylized by half . still , it gets the job done -- a sleepy afternoon rental . " "1","it further declares its director , zhang yang of shower , as a boldly experimental , contemporary stylist with a bright future . " "1","smith's approach is never to tease , except gently and in that way that makes us consider our own eccentricities and how they are expressed through our homes . " "1","full of profound , real-life moments that anyone can relate to , it deserves a wide audience . " "1","a movie that will touch the hearts of both children and adults , as well as bring audiences to the edge of their seats . " "1","leave it to rohmer , now 82 , to find a way to bend current technique to the service of a vision of the past that is faithful to both architectural glories and commanding open spaces of the city as it was more than two centuries ago . " "1","fine acting but there is no sense of connecting the dots , just dots . " "1","an extraordinary swedish film about the soul adventure of marriage -- the kind of intimate and character-driven film that bille august does best . " "1","a blessed gift to film geeks and historians . if the '70's were your idea of a good time at the movies , this will make you very happy . " "1","it took 19 predecessors to get this ? " "1","thoughtful , even stinging at times , and lots of fun . " "1","one of the most haunting , viciously honest coming-of-age films in recent memory . " "1","the wwii drama is well plotted , visually striking and filled with enjoyably complex characters who are never what they first appear . " "1","it's a pleasure to see seinfeld griping about the biz with buddies chris rock , garry shandling and colin quinn . " "1","if you love motown music , you'll love this documentary . " "1","this time out , [sade] is an unsettlingly familiar figure -- in turns loyal and deceitful , responsible and reckless , idealistically selfless and coldly self-interested . " "1","human resources was a good , straightforward tale , but time out is better . it's haunting . it's like a poem . " "1","to the film's credit , the acting is fresh and unselfconscious , and munch is a marvel of reality versus sappy sentiment . " "1","chicago is , in many ways , an admirable achievement . " "1","shainberg weaves a carefully balanced scenario that is controlled by neither character , is weirdly sympathetic to both and manages to be tender and darkly comic . " "1","even when foreign directors . . . borrow stuff from hollywood , they invariably shake up the formula and make it more interesting . " "1","a cockamamie tone poem pitched precipitously between swoony lyricism and violent catastrophe . . . the most aggressively nerve-wracking and screamingly neurotic romantic comedy in cinema history . " "1","sturdy , entertaining period drama . . . both caine and fraser have their moments . " "1","whether [binoche and magimel] are being charming or angst-ridden , they easily fill their scenes and , fine judges both , never overcook the hysteria . " "1","a spunky , original take on a theme that will resonate with singles of many ages . " "1","it's a glorious groove that leaves you wanting more . " "1","majidi gets uniformly engaging performances from his largely amateur cast . " "1"," . . . a well-observed and disturbing little movie " "1","fans of nijinsky will savor every minute of cox's work . " "1","everything you loved about it in 1982 is still there , for everybody who wants to be a kid again , or show it to their own kids . " "1","jagger the actor is someone you want to see again . " "1","warm and exotic . " "1","escapism in its purest form . " "1","there is a kind of attentive concern that hoffman brings to his characters , as if he has been giving them private lessons , and now it is time for their first public recital . " "1","a comic gem with some serious sparkles . " "1","u . s . audiences may find [attal and gainsbourg's] unfamiliar personas give the film an intimate and quaint reality that is a little closer to human nature than what hollywood typically concocts . " "1"," "" cremaster 3 "" should come with the warning "" for serious film buffs only ! "" " "1","once again , director jackson strikes a rewarding balance between emotion on the human scale and action/effects on the spectacular scale . " "1","a loving little film of considerable appeal . " "1","although it's a bit smug and repetitive , this documentary engages your brain in a way few current films do . " "1","flawed but worthy look at life in u . s . relocation camps . " "1","it's a lovely film with lovely performances by buy and accorsi . " "1","no one goes unindicted here , which is probably for the best . and if you're not nearly moved to tears by a couple of scenes , you've got ice water in your veins . " "1","a warm , funny , engaging film . " "1","uses sharp humor and insight into human nature to examine class conflict , adolescent yearning , the roots of friendship and sexual identity . " "1","half submarine flick , half ghost story , all in one criminally neglected film " "1","entertains by providing good , lively company . " "1","dazzles with its fully-written characters , its determined stylishness ( which always relates to characters and story ) and johnny dankworth's best soundtrack in years . " "1","visually imaginative , thematically instructive and thoroughly delightful , it takes us on a roller-coaster ride from innocence to experience without even a hint of that typical kiddie-flick sentimentality . " "1","nothing's at stake , just a twisty double-cross you can smell a mile away--still , the derivative nine queens is lots of fun . " "1","unlike the speedy wham-bam effect of most hollywood offerings , character development -- and more importantly , character empathy -- is at the heart of italian for beginners . " "1","you'll gasp appalled and laugh outraged and possibly , watching the spectacle of a promising young lad treading desperately in a nasty sea , shed an errant tear . " "1","the band's courage in the face of official repression is inspiring , especially for aging hippies ( this one included ) . " "1","although german cooking does not come readily to mind when considering the world's best cuisine , mostly martha could make deutchland a popular destination for hungry tourists . " "1","a beguiling splash of pastel colors and prankish comedy from disney . " "1","as surreal as a dream and as detailed as a photograph , as visually dexterous as it is at times imaginatively overwhelming . " "1","[lawrence bounces] all over the stage , dancing , running , sweating , mopping his face and generally displaying the wacky talent that brought him fame in the first place . " "1","the film serves as a valuable time capsule to remind us of the devastating horror suffered by an entire people . " "1","what's surprising about full frontal is that despite its overt self-awareness , parts of the movie still manage to break past the artifice and thoroughly engage you . " "1","whether you like rap music or loathe it , you can't deny either the tragic loss of two young men in the prime of their talent or the power of this movie . " "1"," . . . an otherwise intense , twist-and-turn thriller that certainly shouldn't hurt talented young gaghan's resume . " "1","it provides the grand , intelligent entertainment of a superior cast playing smart people amid a compelling plot . " "1","charming and funny ( but ultimately silly ) movie . " "1","there's . . . tremendous energy from the cast , a sense of playfulness and excitement that seems appropriate . " "1","it moves quickly , adroitly , and without fuss ; it doesn't give you time to reflect on the inanity -- and the cold war datedness -- of its premise . " "1","a deep and meaningful film . " "1","the film's welcome breeziness and some unbelievably hilarious moments -- most portraying the idiocy of the film industry -- make it mostly worth the trip . " "1","it's a remarkably solid and subtly satirical tour de force . " "1","enormously entertaining for moviegoers of any age . " "1","a poignant , artfully crafted meditation on mortality . " "1","a rarity among recent iranian films : it's a comedy full of gentle humor that chides the absurdity of its protagonist's plight . " "1","not only is undercover brother as funny , if not more so , than both austin powers films , but it's also one of the smarter , savvier spoofs to come along in some time . " "1","in a way , the film feels like a breath of fresh air , but only to those that allow it in . " "1","woody allen's latest is an ambling , broad comedy about all there is to love -- and hate -- about the movie biz . " "1","it's a stunning lyrical work of considerable force and truth . " "1","the inhospitability of the land emphasizes the spare precision of the narratives and helps to give them an atavistic power , as if they were tales that had been handed down since the beginning of time . " "1","[næs] directed the stage version of elling , and gets fine performances from his two leads who originated the characters on stage . " "1","made me unintentionally famous — as the queasy-stomached critic who staggered from the theater and blacked out in the lobby . but believe it or not , it's one of the most beautiful , evocative works i've seen . " "1","a coda in every sense , the pinochet case splits time between a minute-by-minute account of the british court's extradition chess game and the regime's talking-head survivors . " "1","like mike is a winner for kids , and no doubt a winner for lil bow wow , who can now add movies to the list of things he does well . " "1","[t]his beguiling belgian fable , very much its own droll and delicate little film , has some touching things to say about what is important in life and why . " "1","here's yet another studio horror franchise mucking up its storyline with glitches casual fans could correct in their sleep . but taken as a stylish and energetic one-shot , the queen of the damned cannot be said to suck . " "1","you won't like roger , but you will quickly recognize him . and that's a big part of why we go to the movies . " "1","while the stoically delivered hokum of hart's war is never fun , it's still a worthy addition to the growing canon of post-saving private ryan tributes to the greatest generation . " "1","we know the plot's a little crazy , but it held my interest from start to finish . " "1","a sober and affecting chronicle of the leveling effect of loss . " "1","a fast , funny , highly enjoyable movie . " "1","a celebration of quirkiness , eccentricity , and certain individuals' tendency to let it all hang out , and damn the consequences . " "1","writer/director joe carnahan's grimy crime drama is a manual of precinct cliches , but it moves fast enough to cover its clunky dialogue and lapses in logic . " "1","a smart , witty follow-up . " "1","while the ideas about techno-saturation are far from novel , they're presented with a wry dark humor . " "1","an infectious cultural fable with a tasty balance of family drama and frenetic comedy . " "1","although occasionally static to the point of resembling a stage play , the film delivers a solid mixture of sweetness and laughs . " "1","it provides an honest look at a community striving to anchor itself in new grounds . " "1","add yet another hat to a talented head , clooney's a good director . " "1","building slowly and subtly , the film , sporting a breezy spontaneity and realistically drawn characterizations , develops into a significant character study that is both moving and wise . " "1","ultimately feels empty and unsatisfying , like swallowing a communion wafer without the wine . " "1","chilling , well-acted , and finely directed : david jacobson's dahmer . " "1","a swashbuckling tale of love , betrayal , revenge and above all , faith . " "1"," . . . a true delight . " "1","without ever becoming didactic , director carlos carrera expertly weaves this novelistic story of entangled interrelationships and complex morality . " "1","it's a coming-of-age story we've all seen bits of in other films -- but it's rarely been told with such affecting grace and cultural specificity . " "1","a literate presentation that wonderfully weaves a murderous event in 1873 with murderous rage in 2002 . " "1","makes even the claustrophobic on-board quarters seem fun . " "1","this is as respectful a film as byatt fans could hope for , though lovers of the book may wonder why it's necessary . " "1","one of the best films of the year with its exploration of the obstacles to happiness faced by five contemporary individuals . . . a psychological masterpiece . " "1","not far beneath the surface , this reconfigured tale asks disturbing questions about those things we expect from military epics . " "1","for the most part stevens glides through on some solid performances and witty dialogue . " "1","broomfield turns his distinctive 'blundering' style into something that could really help clear up the case . " "1","against all odds in heaven and hell , it creeped me out just fine . " "1","it's refreshing to see a girl-power movie that doesn't feel it has to prove anything . " "1","it's worth seeing just on the basis of the wisdom , and at times , the startling optimism , of the children . " "1","a rigorously structured and exquisitely filmed drama about a father and son connection that is a brief shooting star of love . " "1","this surreal gilliam-esque film is also a troubling interpretation of ecclesiastes . a rewarding work of art for only the most patient and challenge-hungry moviegoers . " "1","a quiet treasure -- a film to be savored . " "1","may be far from the best of the series , but it's assured , wonderfully respectful of its past and thrilling enough to make it abundantly clear that this movie phenomenon has once again reinvented itself for a new generation . " "1","a compelling spanish film about the withering effects of jealousy in the life of a young monarch whose sexual passion for her husband becomes an obsession . " "1","huston nails both the glad-handing and the choking sense of hollow despair . " "1","may not have generated many sparks , but with his affection for astoria and its people he has given his tale a warm glow . " "1","a delirious celebration of the female orgasm . " "1","exquisitely nuanced in mood tics and dialogue , this chamber drama is superbly acted by the deeply appealing veteran bouquet and the chilling but quite human berling . " "1","it's fascinating to see how bettany and mcdowell play off each other . " "1","the film is beautifully mounted , but , more to the point , the issues are subtly presented , managing to walk a fine line with regard to the question of joan's madness . " "1","leigh's film is full of memorable performances from top to bottom . " "1","one of the most significant moviegoing pleasures of the year . " "1","jose campanella delivers a loosely autobiographical story brushed with sentimentality but brimming with gentle humor , bittersweet pathos , and lyric moments that linger like snapshots of memory . " "1","generally , clockstoppers will fulfill your wildest fantasies about being a different kind of time traveler , while happily killing 94 minutes . " "1","the movie is beautiful to behold and engages one in a sense of epic struggle -- inner and outer -- that's all too rare in hollywood's hastier productions . " "1","ao sair do cinema , eu estava feliz e com saudades de um tempo em que , para mim , a existência de papai noel era um fato inquestionável . " "1","neither parker nor donovan is a typical romantic lead , but they bring a fresh , quirky charm to the formula . " "1","it's a much more emotional journey than what shyamalan has given us in his past two movies , and gibson , stepping in for bruce willis , is the perfect actor to take us on the trip . " "1","not only are the special effects and narrative flow much improved , and daniel radcliffe more emotionally assertive this time around as harry , but the film conjures the magic of author j . k . rowling's books . " "1","jaglom . . . put[s] the audience in the privileged position of eavesdropping on his characters " "1","beautifully observed , miraculously unsentimental comedy-drama . " "1","a must-see for the david mamet enthusiast and for anyone who appreciates intelligent , stylish moviemaking . " "1","crackerjack entertainment -- nonstop romance , music , suspense and action . " "1","the acting , costumes , music , cinematography and sound are all astounding given the production's austere locales . " "1","garcía bernal and talancón are an immensely appealing couple , and even though their story is predictable , you'll want things to work out . " "1","far more imaginative and ambitious than the trivial , cash-in features nickelodeon has made from its other animated tv series . " "1","the very definition of the 'small' movie , but it is a good stepping stone for director sprecher . " "1","a gripping , searing portrait of a lost soul trying to find her way through life . " "1","suffers from the lack of a compelling or comprehensible narrative . still , as a visual treat , the film is almost unsurpassed . " "1","so unassuming and pure of heart , you can't help but warmly extend your arms and yell 'safe ! ' " "1","an intriguing cinematic omnibus and round-robin that occasionally is more interesting in concept than in execution . " "1","so refreshingly incisive is grant that for the first time he'll probably appeal more to guys than to their girlfriends who drag them to this movie for the hugh factor . " "1","at a time when half the so-called real movies are little more than live-action cartoons , it's refreshing to see a cartoon that knows what it is , and knows the form's history . " "1","the magic of the film lies not in the mysterious spring but in the richness of its performances . " "1","hoffman notches in the nuances of pain , but his smart , edgy voice and waddling profile ( emphasized here ) accent the humor of wilson's plight , and that saves his pathos from drippiness . " "1","what better message than 'love thyself' could young women of any size receive ? " "1","the second coming of harry potter is a film far superior to its predecessor . a movie that successfully crushes a best selling novel into a timeframe that mandates that you avoid the godzilla sized soda . " "1","84 minutes of rolling musical back beat and supercharged cartoon warfare . it's also , clearly , great fun . " "1"," . . . takes the beauty of baseball and melds it with a story that could touch anyone regardless of their familiarity with the sport " "1","seldahl's barbara is a precise and moving portrait of someone whose world is turned upside down , first by passion and then by illness . " "1","a warm but realistic meditation on friendship , family and affection . " "1","byler reveals his characters in a way that intrigues and even fascinates us , and he never reduces the situation to simple melodrama . " "1","turns potentially forgettable formula into something strangely diverting . " "1","bogdanovich tantalizes by offering a peep show into the lives of the era's creme de la celluloid . " "1","people cinema at its finest . " "1","the performances take the movie to a higher level . " "1","what really makes it special is that it pulls us into its world , gives us a hero whose suffering and triumphs we can share , surrounds him with interesting characters and sends us out of the theater feeling we've shared a great adventure . " "1"," . . . a spoof comedy that carries its share of laughs – sometimes a chuckle , sometimes a guffaw and , to my great pleasure , the occasional belly laugh . " "1","manages to transcend the sex , drugs and show-tunes plot into something far richer . " "1","dense with characters and contains some thrilling moments . " "1","a true pleasure . " "1","lapaglia's ability to convey grief and hope works with weaver's sensitive reactions to make this a two-actor master class . " "1","reign of fire looks as if it was made without much thought -- and is best watched that way . " "1","altogether , this is successful as a film , while at the same time being a most touching reconsideration of the familiar masterpiece . " "1","we root for [clara and paul] , even like them , though perhaps it's an emotion closer to pity . " "1","the best film about baseball to hit theaters since field of dreams . " "1","instead of a hyperbolic beat-charged urban western , it's an unpretentious , sociologically pointed slice of life . " "1","the film tunes into a grief that could lead a man across centuries . " "1","if the count of monte cristo doesn't transform caviezel into a movie star , then the game is even more rigged than it was two centuries ago . " "1","[d]oesn't bother being as cloying or preachy as equivalent evangelical christian movies -- maybe the filmmakers know that the likely audience will already be among the faithful . " "1","as a tolerable diversion , the film suffices ; a triumph , however , it is not . " "1","if director michael dowse only superficially understands his characters , he doesn't hold them in contempt . " "1","if your taste runs to 'difficult' films you absolutely can't miss it . " "1","[city] reminds us how realistically nuanced a robert de niro performance can be when he is not more lucratively engaged in the shameless self-caricature of 'analyze this' ( 1999 ) and 'analyze that , ' promised ( or threatened ) for later this year . " "1"," . . . a story we haven't seen on the big screen before , and it's a story that we as americans , and human beings , should know . " "1","like leon , it's frustrating and still oddly likable . " "1","all in all , the count of monte cristo is okay , but it is surely no classic , like the novel upon which it is based . " "1","if you can stomach the rough content , it's worth checking out for the performances alone . " "1","looking aristocratic , luminous yet careworn in jane hamilton's exemplary costumes , rampling gives a performance that could not be improved upon . " "1","' . . . mafia , rap stars and hood rats butt their ugly heads in a regurgitation of cinematic violence that gives brutal birth to an unlikely , but likable , hero . ' " "1","on this tricky topic , tadpole is very much a step in the right direction , with its blend of frankness , civility and compassion . " "1","fun , flip and terribly hip bit of cinematic entertainment . " "1","montias . . . pumps a lot of energy into his nicely nuanced narrative and surrounds himself with a cast of quirky -- but not stereotyped -- street characters . " "1","falls neatly into the category of good stupid fun . " "1","the film's performances are thrilling . " "1","even in its most tedious scenes , russian ark is mesmerizing . " "1","the continued good chemistry between carmen and juni is what keeps this slightly disappointing sequel going , with enough amusing banter -- blessedly curse-free -- to keep both kids and parents entertained . " "1","reggio's continual visual barrage is absorbing as well as thought-provoking . " "1","unfortunately , it appears that [jackie] chan's us influence is starting to show in his hong kong films . " "1","it all adds up to good fun . " "1","a big , gorgeous , sprawling swashbuckler that delivers its diversions in grand , uncomplicated fashion . " "1","the wanton slipperiness of * corpus and its amiable jerking and reshaping of physical time and space would make it a great piece to watch with kids and use to introduce video as art . " "1","a stunning and overwhelmingly cogent case for kissinger as a calculating war criminal . " "1","sade is an engaging look at the controversial eponymous and fiercely atheistic hero . " "1","a quiet , pure , elliptical film " "1","kinnear doesn't aim for our sympathy , but rather delivers a performance of striking skill and depth . " "1","the subtle strength of "" elling "" is that it never loses touch with the reality of the grim situation . " "1","a study in shades of gray , offering itself up in subtle plot maneuvers . . . " "1","the format gets used best . . . to capture the dizzying heights achieved by motocross and bmx riders , whose balletic hotdogging occasionally ends in bone-crushing screwups . " "1","has a lot of the virtues of eastwood at his best . " "1","chilling but uncommercial look into the mind of jeffrey dahmer , serial killer . " "1","though it's become almost redundant to say so , major kudos go to leigh for actually casting people who look working-class . " "1","it deserves to be seen by anyone with even a passing interest in the events shaping the world beyond their own horizons . " "1","a movie that reminds us of just how exciting and satisfying the fantasy cinema can be when it's approached with imagination and flair . " "1","thanks to scott's charismatic roger and eisenberg's sweet nephew , roger dodger is one of the most compelling variations on in the company of men . " "1","nine queens is not only than a frighteningly capable debut and genre piece , but also a snapshot of a dangerous political situation on the verge of coming to a head . " "1","it's the chemistry between the women and the droll scene-stealing wit and wolfish pessimism of anna chancellor that makes this "" two weddings and a funeral "" fun . " "1","will amuse and provoke adventurous adults in specialty venues . " "1","you don't have to know about music to appreciate the film's easygoing blend of comedy and romance . " "1","third time's the charm . . . yeah , baby ! " "1","a film about a young man finding god that is accessible and touching to the marrow . " "1","for the first time in years , de niro digs deep emotionally , perhaps because he's been stirred by the powerful work of his co-stars . " "1","the film's snags and stumblings are more than compensated for by its wryly subversive tone . " "1","inside the film's conflict-powered plot there is a decent moral trying to get out , but it's not that , it's the tension that keeps you in your seat . affleck and jackson are good sparring partners . " "1","the old-world- meets-new mesh is incarnated in the movie's soundtrack , a joyful effusion of disco bollywood that , by the end of monsoon wedding , sent my spirit soaring out of the theater . " "1","an effectively creepy , fear-inducing ( not fear-reducing ) film from japanese director hideo nakata , who takes the superstitious curse on chain letters and actually applies it . " "1","having had the good sense to cast actors who are , generally speaking , adored by the movie-going public , khouri then gets terrific performances from them all . " "1","a subtle and well-crafted ( for the most part ) chiller . " "1","warm water under a red bridge is a quirky and poignant japanese film that explores the fascinating connections between women , water , nature , and sexuality . " "1","although laced with humor and a few fanciful touches , the film is a refreshingly serious look at young women . " "1","the best revenge may just be living well because this film , unlike other dumas adaptations , is far more likened to a treasure than a lengthy jail sentence . " "1","a delectable and intriguing thriller filled with surprises , read my lips is an original . this is a story of two misfits who don't stand a chance alone , but together they are magnificent . " "1","highbrow self-appointed guardians of culture need not apply , but those who loved cool as ice have at last found a worthy follow-up . " "1","one of creepiest , scariest movies to come along in a long , long time , easily rivaling blair witch or the others . " "1","maud and roland's search for an unknowable past makes for a haunting literary detective story , but labute pulls off a neater trick in possession : he makes language sexy . " "1","pacino is brilliant as the sleep-deprived dormer , his increasing weariness as much existential as it is physical . " "1","rare birds has more than enough charm to make it memorable . " "1","manages to be sweet and wickedly satisfying at the same time . " "1","this nickleby thing might have more homosexual undertones than an eddie murphy film . and just when you think it can't get any more gay , in pops nathan lane . " "1","no sophomore slump for director sam mendes , who segues from oscar winner to oscar-winning potential with a smooth sleight of hand . " "1","the movie isn't just hilarious : it's witty and inventive , too , and in hindsight , it isn't even all that dumb . " "1","old-form moviemaking at its best . " "1","ahhhh . . . revenge is sweet ! " "1","yakusho and shimizu . . . create engaging characterizations in imamura's lively and enjoyable cultural mix . " "1","you will emerge with a clearer view of how the gears of justice grind on and the death report comes to share airtime alongside the farm report . " "1","ruzowitzky has taken this mothball-y stuff and made a rather sturdy , old-fashioned entertainment out of it . " "1","in spite of good housekeeping's unsavory characters and wwf mentality , this white trash war of the roses is a surprisingly engaging film . " "1","collateral damage finally delivers the goods for schwarzenegger fans . " "1","there has always been something likable about the marquis de sade . " "1","as a first-time director , paxton has tapped something in himself as an actor that provides frailty with its dark soul . " "1","for the most part , director anne-sophie birot's first feature is a sensitive , extraordinarily well-acted drama . " "1","by the time we learn that andrew's turnabout is fair play is every bit as awful as borchardt's coven , we can enjoy it anyway . " "1","this riveting world war ii moral suspense story deals with the shadow side of american culture : racial prejudice in its ugly and diverse forms . " "1","a tender , heartfelt family drama . " "1","a difficult , absorbing film that manages to convey more substance despite its repetitions and inconsistencies than do most films than are far more pointed and clear . " "1","for the most part , it's a work of incendiary genius , steering clear of knee-jerk reactions and quick solutions . " "1","it has the charm of the original american road movies , feasting on the gorgeous , ramshackle landscape of the filmmaker's motherland . " "1","[chaiken's] talent lies in an evocative , accurate observation of a distinctive milieu and in the lively , convincing dialogue she creates for her characters . " "1","in all , this is a watchable movie that's not quite the memorable experience it might have been . " "1","huppert's superbly controlled display of murderous vulnerability ensures that malice has a very human face . " "1","my thoughts were focused on the characters . that is a compliment to kuras and miller . if i had been thinking about the visual medium , they would have been doing something wrong . " "1","one of the more intelligent children's movies to hit theaters this year . " "1","remember the kind of movie we were hoping "" ecks vs . sever "" or "" xxx "" was going to be ? this is it . " "1","not for the prurient or squeamish , it's a daring if overlong examination of an idolized culture , self-loathing and sexual politics . " "1","a cartoon that's truly cinematic in scope , and a story that's compelling and heartfelt -- even if the heart belongs to a big , four-legged herbivore . " "1","the film's almost unbearable portrait of sadness and grief transcends its specific story to speak to the ways in which need , history and presumption tangle , and sometimes destroy , blood ties . " "1","travels a fascinating arc from hope and euphoria to reality and disillusionment . " "1","polished , well-structured film . " "1","there's something auspicious , and daring , too , about the artistic instinct that pushes a majority-oriented director like steven spielberg to follow a . i . with this challenging report so liable to unnerve the majority . " "1","for anyone unfamiliar with pentacostal practices in general and theatrical phenomenon of hell houses in particular , it's an eye-opener . " "1","it seems like i have been waiting my whole life for this movie and now i can't wait for the sequel . " "1","it's a bit disappointing that it only manages to be decent instead of dead brilliant . " "1","apesar de seus graves problemas , o filme consegue entreter . " "1","an operatic , sprawling picture that's entertainingly acted , magnificently shot and gripping enough to sustain most of its 170-minute length . " "1","the far future may be awesome to consider , but from period detail to matters of the heart , this film is most transporting when it stays put in the past . " "1","it inspires a continuing and deeply satisfying awareness of the best movies as monumental 'picture shows . ' " "1","awesome creatures , breathtaking scenery , and epic battle scenes add up to another 'spectacular spectacle . ' " "1","by candidly detailing the politics involved in the creation of an extraordinary piece of music , [jones] calls our attention to the inherent conflict between commerce and creativity . " "1","it's unnerving to see recoing's bizzarre reaction to his unemployment . good film , but very glum . " "1","much as we might be interested in gratuitous sexualization , haneke has a different objective in mind--namely the implications of our craving for fake stimulation . " "1","dazzling in its complexity , disturbing for its extraordinary themes , the piano teacher is a film that defies categorisation . it haunts , horrifies , startles and fascinates ; it is impossible to look away . ah yes , and then there's the music . . . " "1","it has charm to spare , and unlike many romantic comedies , it does not alienate either gender in the audience . " "1","although jackson is doubtless reserving the darkest hours for the return of the king , we long for a greater sense of urgency in the here and now of the two towers . " "1","it is great summer fun to watch arnold and his buddy gerald bounce off a quirky cast of characters . " "1","bleakly funny , its characters all the more touching for refusing to pity or memorialize themselves . " "1","it will not appeal to the impatient , but those who like long books and movies will admire the way it accumulates power and depth . " "1","this flick is about as cool and crowd-pleasing as a documentary can get . " "1"," "" the ring "" is pretty much an english-language copy of the film that inspired it , and it carries the same strengths and flaws . " "1","the wild thornberrys movie is a jolly surprise . " "1","griffiths proves she's that rare luminary who continually raises the standard of her profession . " "1","prancing his way through the tailor-made part of a male hooker approaching the end of his vitality , jagger obviously relishes every self-mocking moment . " "1","sexy and romantic . " "1","offers much to enjoy . . . and a lot to mull over in terms of love , loyalty and the nature of staying friends . " "1","an important movie , a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values . " "1","is this love or is it masochism ? binoche makes it interesting trying to find out . " "1","a pleasant , if forgettable , romp of a film . " "1","the mesmerizing performances of the leads keep the film grounded and keep the audience riveted . " "1","worth watching for dong jie's performance -- and for the way it documents a culture in the throes of rapid change . " "1","two hours fly by -- opera's a pleasure when you don't have to endure intermissions -- and even a novice to the form comes away exhilarated . " "1","it's one heck of a character study -- not of hearst or davies but of the unique relationship between them . " "1","candid camera on methamphetamines . " "1","a subject like this should inspire reaction in its audience ; the pianist does not . " "1","equilibrium is what george orwell might have imagined had today's mood-altering drug therapy been envisioned by chemists in 1949 . " "1","creepy , authentic and dark . this disturbing bio-pic is hard to forget . " "1","martin and barbara are complex characters -- sometimes tender , sometimes angry -- and the delicate performances by sven wollter and viveka seldahl make their hopes and frustrations vivid . " "1","a twisty , moody slice of southern gothic . . . " "1","it's so good that you can practically see the hollywood 'suits' trying to put together the cast and filmmaking team for the all-too -inevitable american remake . " "1","the weight of the piece , the unerring professionalism of the chilly production , and the fascination embedded in the lurid topic prove recommendation enough . " "1","an absurdist comedy about alienation , separation and loss . " "1","'they' begins and ends with scenes so terrifying i'm still stunned . and i've decided to leave a light on every night from now on . " "1","this tenth feature is a big deal , indeed -- at least the third-best , and maybe even a notch above the previous runner-up , nicholas meyer's star trek vi : the undiscovered country . " "1"," . . . with "" the bourne identity "" we return to the more traditional action genre . " "1","beneath clouds is a succinct low-budget film whose compelling characters and intelligent script are exactly what was missing from rabbit-proof fence . " "1","the film is a contrivance , as artificial as the video games japanese teens play in a nightclub sequence , but it's an enjoyable one . " "1","holm . . . embodies the character with an effortlessly regal charisma . " "1","it is amusing , and that's all it needs to be . " "1","among the year's most intriguing explorations of alientation . " "1","a full world has been presented onscreen , not some series of carefully structured plot points building to a pat resolution . " "1","seldom has a movie so closely matched the spirit of a man and his work . " "1","audrey tatou has a knack for picking roles that magnify her outrageous charm , and in this literate french comedy , she's as morning-glory exuberant as she was in amélie . " "1","the movie has an infectious exuberance that will engage anyone with a passing interest in the skate/surf culture , the l . a . beach scene and the imaginative ( and sometimes illegal ) ways kids can make a playground out of the refuse of adults . " "1","even if you don't think [kissinger's] any more guilty of criminal activity than most contemporary statesmen , he'd sure make a courtroom trial great fun to watch . " "1","the story and structure are well-honed . fresnadillo's dark and jolting images have a way of plying into your subconscious like the nightmare you had a week ago that won't go away . " "1","it's made with deftly unsettling genre flair . " "1","it just may inspire a few younger moviegoers to read stevenson's book , which is a treasure in and of itself . " "1","funny but perilously slight . " "1","overall very good for what it's trying to do . " "1","forgettable horror -- more gory than psychological -- with a highly satisfying quotient of friday-night excitement and milla power . " "1","ramsay , as in ratcatcher , remains a filmmaker with an acid viewpoint and a real gift for teasing chilly poetry out of lives and settings that might otherwise seem drab and sordid . " "1","it may seem long at 110 minutes if you're not a fan , because it includes segments of 12 songs at a reunion concert . " "1","a lean , deftly shot , well-acted , weirdly retro thriller that recalls a raft of '60s and '70s european-set spy pictures . " "1","it proves quite compelling as an intense , brooding character study . " "1","the son's room is a triumph of gentility that earns its moments of pathos . " "1","morton uses her face and her body language to bring us morvern's soul , even though the character is almost completely deadpan . " "1","the film may appear naked in its narrative form . . . but it goes deeper than that , to fundamental choices that include the complexity of the catholic doctrine " "1","a superbly acted and funny/gritty fable of the humanizing of one woman at the hands of the unseen forces of fate . " "1","one of the smartest takes on singles culture i've seen in a long time . " "1","there is a fabric of complex ideas here , and feelings that profoundly deepen them . " "1","cq's reflection of artists and the love of cinema-and-self suggests nothing less than a new voice that deserves to be considered as a possible successor to the best european directors . " "1","the emotions are raw and will strike a nerve with anyone who's ever had family trauma . " "1","holy mad maniac in a mask , splat-man ! good old-fashioned slash-and-hack is back ! " "1","as unseemly as its title suggests . " "1","by the end of the movie , you're definitely convinced that these women are spectacular . " "1","the french are rather good at this kind of thing , unlike the americans , who have a passion for musketeers , only to spoof them . " "1","the fly-on-the-wall method used to document rural french school life is a refreshing departure from the now more prevalent technique of the docu-makers being a visible part of their work . " "1","it's an offbeat treat that pokes fun at the democratic exercise while also examining its significance for those who take part . " "1","allows us to hope that nolan is poised to embark a major career as a commercial yet inventive filmmaker . " "1","maneuvers skillfully through the plot's hot brine -- until it's undone by the sogginess of its contemporary characters , and actors . " "1","it has the ability to offend and put off everyone , but it holds you with its outrageousness . " "1","anchored by friel and williams's exceptional performances , the film's power lies in its complexity . nothing is black and white . " "1","it's a charming and often affecting journey . " "1","psychologically savvy . " "1","no screen fantasy-adventure in recent memory has the showmanship of clones' last 45 minutes . " "1","a poignant and compelling story about relationships , food of love takes us on a bumpy but satisfying journey of the heart . " "1","birot creates a drama with such a well-defined sense of place and age -- as in , 15 years old -- that the torments and angst become almost as operatic to us as they are to her characters . " "1","the chateau cleverly probes the cross-cultural differences between gauls and yanks . " "1","not since tom cruise in risky business has an actor made such a strong impression in his underwear . " "1","aside from minor tinkering , this is the same movie you probably loved in 1994 , except that it looks even better . " "1","uses high comedy to evoke surprising poignance . " "1","it confirms fincher's status as a film maker who artfully bends technical know-how to the service of psychological insight . " "1","vera's three actors -- mollà , gil and bardem -- excel in insightful , empathetic performances . " "1","a marvel like none you've seen . " "1","with tightly organized efficiency , numerous flashbacks and a constant edge of tension , miller's film is one of 2002's involvingly adult surprises . " "1","mr . tsai is a very original artist in his medium , and what time is it there ? should be seen at the very least for its spasms of absurdist humor . " "1","writer/director mark romanek spotlights the underlying caste system in america . it's a scathing portrayal . " "1","this is a good script , good dialogue , funny even for adults . the characters are interesting and often very creatively constructed from figure to backstory . the film will play equally well on both the standard and giant screens . " "1","moody , heartbreaking , and filmed in a natural , unforced style that makes its characters seem entirely convincing even when its script is not . " "1","not a film to rival to live , but a fine little amuse-bouche to keep your appetite whetted . " "1","true tale of courage -- and complicity -- at auschwitz is a harrowing drama that tries to tell of the unspeakable . " "1","gives you the steady pulse of life in a beautiful city viewed through the eyes of a character who , in spite of tragic loss and increasing decrepitude , knows in his bones that he is one of the luckiest men alive . " "1","macdowell , whose wifty southern charm has anchored lighter affairs . . . brings an absolutely riveting conviction to her role . " "1","what time is it there ? is not easy . it haunts you , you can't forget it , you admire its conception and are able to resolve some of the confusions you had while watching it . " "1","if you are an actor who can relate to the search for inner peace by dramatically depicting the lives of others onstage , then esther's story is a compelling quest for truth . " "1","although the level of the comedy declines as the movie proceeds , there's no denying the fun of watching de niro and crystal having fun . " "1","claude chabrol has here a thriller without thrills , but that's okay . " "1","for movie lovers as well as opera lovers , tosca is a real treat . " "1","unflinchingly bleak and desperate " "1","moretti's compelling anatomy of grief and the difficult process of adapting to loss . " "1","challenging , intermittently engrossing and unflaggingly creative . but it's too long and too convoluted and it ends in a muddle . " "1","the vivid lead performances sustain interest and empathy , but the journey is far more interesting than the final destination . " "1","a painfully funny ode to bad behavior . " "1","'easily my choice for one of the year's best films . ' " "1","charles' entertaining film chronicles seinfeld's return to stand-up comedy after the wrap of his legendary sitcom , alongside wannabe comic adams' attempts to get his shot at the big time . " "1","that dogged good will of the parents and 'vain' jia's defoliation of ego , make the film touching despite some doldrums . " "1","the movie is for fans who can't stop loving anime , and the fanatical excess built into it . " "1","the volatile dynamics of female friendship is the subject of this unhurried , low-key film that is so off-hollywood that it seems positively french in its rhythms and resonance . " "1","a densely constructed , highly referential film , and an audacious return to form that can comfortably sit among jean-luc godard's finest work . " "1","michael gerbosi's script is economically packed with telling scenes . " "1","a strangely compelling and brilliantly acted psychological drama . " "1","candid and comfortable ; a film that deftly balances action and reflection as it lets you grasp and feel the passion others have for their work . " "1","open-minded kids -- kids who read , kids who dream -- will be comforted by the way it deals with big issues like death and destiny . " "1","bennett's naturalistic performance speaks volumes more truth than any 'reality' show , and anybody contemplating their own drastic life changes should watch some body first . " "1"," . . . a good , if not entirely fresh , look at war . " "1"," the film is powerful , accessible and funny . you won't miss its messages , but you'll be entertained as well . " "1","'frailty "" starts out like a typical bible killer story , but it turns out to be significantly different ( and better ) than most films with this theme . " "1","if you dig on david mamet's mind tricks . . . rent this movie and enjoy ! " "1","the primitive force of this film seems to bubble up from the vast collective memory of the combatants . it's like watching a nightmare made flesh . " "1","it is the sheer , selfish , wound-licking , bar-scrapping doggedness of leon's struggle to face and transmute his demons that makes the movie a spirited and touching occasion , despite its patchy construction . " "1","a gorgeous , high-spirited musical from india that exquisitely blends music , dance , song , and high drama . " "1","it's hard to imagine alan arkin being better than he is in this performance . " "1","for those who pride themselves on sophisticated , discerning taste , this might not seem like the proper cup of tea , however it is almost guaranteed that even the stuffiest cinema goers will laugh their * * * off for an hour-and-a-half . " "1","despite the 2-d animation , the wild thornberrys movie makes for a surprisingly cinematic experience . " "1"," . . . a fun little timewaster , helped especially by the cool presence of jean reno . " "1","[majidi] makes us think twice about immigrants we see around us every day . " "1","though only 60 minutes long , the film is packed with information and impressions . " "1","i have no way of knowing exactly how much is exaggeration , but i've got a creepy feeling that the film is closer to the mark than i want to believe . " "1","immersing us in the endlessly inventive , fiercely competitive world of hip-hop djs , the project is sensational and revelatory , even if scratching makes you itch . " "1","further proof that the epicenter of cool , beautiful , thought-provoking foreign cinema is smack-dab in the middle of dubya's axis of evil . " "1","there's really only one good idea in this movie , but the director runs with it and presents it with an unforgettable visual panache . " "1","a simple , but gritty and well-acted ensemble drama that encompasses a potent metaphor for a country still dealing with its fascist past . " "1","lovely and poignant . puts a human face on a land most westerners are unfamiliar with . " "1","i can't say that i liked homeboy ; it'd be more accurate to say that i found it intriguing , bizarre , dogma-like in spots - and quite truthful , in its way . " "1","displaying about equal amounts of naiveté , passion and talent , beneath clouds establishes sen as a filmmaker of considerable potential . " "1","the vitality of the actors keeps the intensity of the film high , even as the strafings blend together . " "1","not since japanese filmmaker akira kurosawa's ran have the savagery of combat and the specter of death been visualized with such operatic grandeur . " "1","we learn a lot about dying coral and see a lot of life on the reef . " "1","if the first men in black was money , the second is small change . but it still jingles in the pocket . it's fun lite . " "1","passable entertainment , but it's the kind of motion picture that won't make much of a splash when it's released , and will not be remembered long afterwards . " "1","i just loved every minute of this film . " "1","this is a winning ensemble comedy that shows canadians can put gentle laughs and equally gentle sentiments on the button , just as easily as their counterparts anywhere else in the world . " "1","just as moving , uplifting and funny as ever . " "1","my wife is an actress is an utterly charming french comedy that feels so american in sensibility and style it's virtually its own hollywood remake . " "1","it will grip even viewers who aren't interested in rap , as it cuts to the heart of american society in an unnerving way . " "1","a muckraking job , the cinematic equivalent of a legal indictment , and a fairly effective one at that . " "1","a tender , witty , captivating film about friendship , love , memory , trust and loyalty . " "1","belongs to daniel day-lewis as much as it belongs to martin scorsese ; it's a memorable performance in a big , brassy , disturbing , unusual and highly successful film . " "1","an exhilarating futuristic thriller-noir , minority report twists the best of technology around a gripping story , delivering a riveting , pulse intensifying escapist adventure of the first order " "1","a psychological thriller with a genuinely spooky premise and an above-average cast , actor bill paxton's directing debut is a creepy slice of gothic rural americana . " "1","while locals will get a kick out of spotting cleveland sites , the rest of the world will enjoy a fast-paced comedy with quirks that might make the award-winning coen brothers envious . " "1","pumpkin takes an admirable look at the hypocrisy of political correctness , but it does so with such an uneven tone that you never know when humor ends and tragedy begins . " "1","if you're hard up for raunchy college humor , this is your ticket right here . " "1","few films capture so perfectly the hopes and dreams of little boys on baseball fields as well as the grown men who sit in the stands . " "1","corny , schmaltzy and predictable , but still manages to be kind of heartwarming , nonetheless . it's the perfect kind of film to see when you don't want to use your brain . at all . " "1","while it regards 1967 as the key turning point of the 20th century , and returns again and again to images of dissidents in the streets , it's alarmingly current . " "1","feature debuter d . j . caruso directs a crack ensemble cast , bringing screenwriter tony gayton's narcotics noir to life . " "1","every dance becomes about seduction , where backstabbing and betrayals are celebrated , and sex is currency . " "1","harris commands the screen , using his frailty to suggest the ravages of a life of corruption and ruthlessness . " "1","stephen rea , aidan quinn , and alan bates play desmond's legal eagles , and when joined by brosnan , the sight of this grandiloquent quartet lolling in pretty irish settings is a pleasant enough thing , 'tis . " "1","director of photography benoit delhomme shot the movie in delicious colors , and the costumes and sets are grand . " "1","the movie's relatively simple plot and uncomplicated morality play well with the affable cast . " "1","the film is quiet , threatening and unforgettable . " "1","this illuminating documentary transcends our preconceived vision of the holy land and its inhabitants , revealing the human complexities beneath . " "1","deliriously funny , fast and loose , accessible to the uninitiated , and full of surprises " "1","trademark american triteness and simplicity are tossed out the window with the intelligent french drama that deftly explores the difficult relationship between a father and son . " "1","one from the heart . " "1","more concerned with sade's ideas than with his actions . the movie achieves as great an impact by keeping these thoughts hidden as . . . [quills] did by showing them . " "1","an entertaining , colorful , action-filled crime story with an intimate heart . " "1","while undisputed isn't exactly a high , it is a gripping , tidy little movie that takes mr . hill higher than he's been in a while . " "1","the most compelling wiseman epic of recent years . " "1","the socio-histo-political treatise is told in earnest strides . . . [and] personal illusion is deconstructed with poignancy . " "1","it's great escapist fun that recreates a place and time that will never happen again . " "1","good car chases , great fight scenes , and a distinctive blend of european , american and asian influences . " "1","liotta put on 30 pounds for the role , and has completely transformed himself from his smooth , goodfellas image . " "1","a woman's pic directed with resonance by ilya chaiken . " "1","contando com uma premissa curiosa , o filme mergulha o espectador em um clima de forte suspense , culminando em um desfecho que certamente fica na memória . " "1","[grant's] bumbling magic takes over the film , and it turns out to be another winning star vehicle . " "1"," . . . brian de palma is utterly mad : cinema mad , set-piece mad , style mad . it's a beautiful madness . " "1","generally provides its target audience of youngsters enough stimulating eye and ear candy to make its moral medicine go down . " "1","there are some wonderfully fresh moments that smooth the moral stiffness with human kindness and hopefulness . " "1","a grimly competent and stolid and earnest military courtroom drama . " "1","escaping the studio , piccoli is warmly affecting and so is this adroitly minimalist movie . " "1","very psychoanalytical -- provocatively so -- and also refreshingly literary . " "1","a gorgeous , witty , seductive movie . " "1","the special effects and many scenes of weightlessness look as good or better than in the original , while the oscar-winning sound and james horner's rousing score make good use of the hefty audio system . " "1","on the heels of the ring comes a similarly morose and humorless horror movie that , although flawed , is to be commended for its straight-ahead approach to creepiness . " "1","with rabbit-proof fence , noyce has tailored an epic tale into a lean , economical movie . " "1","[a]n utterly charming and hilarious film that reminded me of the best of the disney comedies from the 60s . " "1","preaches to two completely different choirs at the same time , which is a pretty amazing accomplishment . " "1","thanks to haynes' absolute control of the film's mood , and buoyed by three terrific performances , far from heaven actually pulls off this stylistic juggling act . " "1","birthday girl is an amusing joy ride , with some surprisingly violent moments . " "1","more romantic , more emotional and ultimately more satisfying than the teary-eyed original . " "1","an appealingly juvenile trifle that delivers its share of laughs and smiles . " "1","writer-director's mehta's effort has tons of charm and the whimsy is in the mixture , the intoxicating masala , of cultures and film genres . " "1","the draw [for "" big bad love "" ] is a solid performance by arliss howard . " "1","it gets onto the screen just about as much of the novella as one could reasonably expect , and is engrossing and moving in its own right . " "1","the terrific and bewilderingly underrated campbell scott gives a star performance that is nothing short of mesmerizing . " "1","cool ? this movie is a snow emergency . " "1","like mike isn't interested in recycling old cliches . it wants to tweak them with a taste of tangy new humor . " "1","smith is careful not to make fun of these curious owners of architectural oddities . instead , he shows them the respect they are due . " "1","a mess when it comes to the characters and writing . . . but works its way underneath the skin like few movies have in recent memory . " "1","drops you into a dizzying , volatile , pressure-cooker of a situation that quickly snowballs out of control , while focusing on the what much more than the why . " "1","zhang . . . has done an amazing job of getting realistic performances from his mainly nonprofessional cast . " "1","a solid examination of the male midlife crisis . " "1","if you're in the mood for a bollywood film , here's one for you . " "1","as the two leads , lathan and diggs are charming and have chemistry both as friends and lovers . " "1","a beguiling , slow-moving parable about the collision of past and present on a remote seacoast in iran . " "1","my big fat greek wedding uses stereotypes in a delightful blend of sweet romance and lovingly dished out humor . " "1","kept aloft largely by a comically adept ensemble . " "1","the sort of film that makes me miss hitchcock , but also feel optimistic that there's hope for popular cinema yet . " "1","first-time writer-director serry shows a remarkable gift for storytelling with this moving , effective little film . " "1","it cuts to the core of what it actually means to face your fears , to be a girl in a world of boys , to be a boy truly in love with a girl , and to ride the big metaphorical wave that is life -- wherever it takes you . " "1","atom egoyan has conjured up a multilayered work that tackles any number of fascinating issues " "1","essentially an exceptionally well-written , well-edited , well-directed , well-acted , bald rip-off of aliens . " "1","'de niro . . . is a veritable source of sincere passion that this hollywood contrivance orbits around . ' " "1","the whole is quite entertaining , but despite its virtues , there is an unsettled feeling to the film . " "1","while its careful pace and seemingly opaque story may not satisfy every moviegoer's appetite , the film's final scene is soaringly , transparently moving . " "1","hardly a masterpiece , but it introduces viewers to a good charitable enterprise and some interesting real people . " "1","based on a devilishly witty script by heather mcgowan and niels mueller , the film gets great laughs , but never at the expense of its characters " "1","it's somewhat clumsy and too lethargically paced -- but its story about a mysterious creature with psychic abilities offers a solid build-up , a terrific climax , and some nice chills along the way . " "1","if you've ever wondered what an ending without the input of studio executives or test audiences would look like , here it is . " "1","exciting and direct , with ghost imagery that shows just enough to keep us on our toes . " "1","whether writer-director anne fontaine's film is a ghost story , an account of a nervous breakdown , a trip down memory lane , all three or none of the above , it is as seductive as it is haunting . " "1","what the film lacks in general focus it makes up for in compassion , as corcuera manages to find the seeds of hope in the form of collective action . " "1","if you enjoy more thoughtful comedies with interesting conflicted characters ; this one is for you . " "1","the quality of the art combined with the humor and intelligence of the script allow the filmmakers to present the biblical message of forgiveness without it ever becoming preachy or syrupy . " "1","this film seems thirsty for reflection , itself taking on adolescent qualities . " "1","another one of those estrogen overdose movies like "" divine secrets of the ya ya sisterhood , "" except that the writing , acting and character development are a lot better . " "1","a breezy romantic comedy that has the punch of a good sitcom , while offering exceptionally well-detailed characters . " "1","a romantic comedy enriched by a sharp eye for manners and mores . " "1","viewers of "" the ring "" are more likely to remember the haunting images than the plot holes . " "1","a delightful coming-of-age story . " "1","one of those energetic surprises , an original that pleases almost everyone who sees it . " "1","an exquisitely crafted and acted tale . " "1","a taut psychological thriller that doesn't waste a moment of its two-hour running time . " "1","jones . . . does offer a brutal form of charisma . " "1","despite its title , punch-drunk love is never heavy-handed . the jabs it employs are short , carefully placed and dead-center . " "1","there's a wickedly subversive bent to the best parts of birthday girl . " "1","likely to expertly drum up repressed teenage memories in any viewer . " "1","blanchett's performance confirms her power once again . " "1"," . . . a magnificent drama well worth tracking down . " "1","a good piece of work more often than not . " "1","the movie understands like few others how the depth and breadth of emotional intimacy give the physical act all of its meaning and most of its pleasure . " "1","what distinguishes time of favor from countless other thrillers is its underlying concern with the consequences of words and with the complicated emotions fueling terrorist acts . " "1","smart , provocative and blisteringly funny . " "1","nothing is sacred in this gut-buster . " "1","the movie occasionally threatens to become didactic , but it's too grounded in the reality of its characters to go over the edge . a touch of humor or an unexpected plot twist always pulls it back . " "1","filmmakers who can deftly change moods are treasures and even marvels . so , too , is this comedy about mild culture clashing in today's new delhi . " "1","if steven soderbergh's 'solaris' is a failure it is a glorious failure . " "1"," "" mostly martha "" is a bright , light modern day family parable that wears its heart on its sleeve for all to see . " "1","it's a scattershot affair , but when it hits its mark it's brilliant . " "1","a pleasant enough romance with intellectual underpinnings , the kind of movie that entertains even as it turns maddeningly predictable . " "1","featuring a dangerously seductive performance from the great daniel auteuil , "" sade "" covers the same period as kaufmann's "" quills "" with more unsettlingly realistic results . " "1","a spellbinding african film about the modern condition of rootlessness , a state experienced by millions around the globe . " "1","it's a work by an artist so in control of both his medium and his message that he can improvise like a jazzman . " "1","a moody , multi-dimensional love story and sci-fi mystery , solaris is a thought-provoking , haunting film that allows the seeds of the imagination to germinate . " "1","a very well-made , funny and entertaining picture . " "1","a giggle-inducing comedy with snappy dialogue and winning performances by an unlikely team of oscar-winners : susan sarandon and goldie hawn . " "1","its maker , steven spielberg , hasn't had so much fun in two decades , since he was schlepping indiana jones around the globe in search of a giant misplaced ashtray . " "1","oscar wilde's masterpiece , the importance of being earnest , may be the best play of the 19th century . it's so good that its relentless , polished wit can withstand not only inept school productions , but even oliver parker's movie adaptation . " "1","the movie does a good job of laying out some of the major issues that we encounter as we journey through life . " "1","brilliantly explores the conflict between following one's heart and following the demands of tradition . " "1","this remake gets all there is to get out of a peculiar premise with promise : al pacino loathing robin williams . " "1","the next generation of mob movie . part low rent godfather . part three stooges . " "1","lan yu is at times too restrained , yet there are moments it captures the erotics of intimacy in a way that makes most american love stories look downright unfree . " "1","a thinly veiled look at different aspects of chinese life clashing with each other . " "1","light years/ several warp speeds/ levels and levels of dilithium crystals better than the pitiful insurrection . which isn't to say that it's the equal of some of its predecessors . " "1","delightfully rendered " "1","if this story must be told and retold -- and indeed it must -- then the grey zone is to be lauded for finding a new and ingenious angle . " "1","the lion king was a roaring success when it was released eight years ago , but on imax it seems better , not just bigger . " "1","a gripping movie , played with performances that are all understated and touching . " "1","the piece plays as well as it does thanks in large measure to anspaugh's three lead actresses . " "1","the inspirational screenplay by mike rich covers a lot of ground , perhaps too much , but ties things together , neatly , by the end . " "1","not the kind of film that will appeal to a mainstream american audience , but there is a certain charm about the film that makes it a suitable entry into the fest circuit . " "1","director andrew niccol . . . demonstrates a wry understanding of the quirks of fame . his healthy sense of satire is light and fun . . . . " "1","about a manga-like heroine who fights back at her abusers , it's energetic and satisfying if not deep and psychological . " "1","this is human comedy at its most amusing , interesting and confirming . " "1","an artful , intelligent film that stays within the confines of a well-established genre . " "1","majidi is an unconventional storyteller , capable of finding beauty in the most depressing places . " "1","richard gere and diane lane put in fine performances as does french actor oliver martinez . " "1","the minor figures surrounding [bobby] . . . form a gritty urban mosaic . " "1","this is wild surreal stuff , but brilliant and the camera just kind of sits there and lets you look at this and its like you're going from one room to the next and none of them have any relation to the other . " "1","it's a demented kitsch mess ( although the smeary digital video does match the muddled narrative ) , but it's savvy about celebrity and has more guts and energy than much of what will open this year . " "1","there is nothing outstanding about this film , but it is good enough and will likely be appreciated most by sailors and folks who know their way around a submarine . " "1","all-in-all , the film is an enjoyable and frankly told tale of a people who live among us , but not necessarily with us . " "1","an interesting story with a pertinent ( cinematically unique ) message , told fairly well and scored to perfection , i found myself struggling to put my finger on that elusive "" missing thing . "" " "1","a movie with a real anarchic flair . " "1","a welcome relief from baseball movies that try too hard to be mythic , this one is a sweet and modest and ultimately winning story . " "1","a crisp psychological drama [and] a fascinating little thriller that would have been perfect for an old "" twilight zone "" episode . " "1","it has more than a few moments that are insightful enough to be fondly remembered in the endlessly challenging maze of moviegoing . " "1","opening with some contrived banter , cliches and some loose ends , the screenplay only comes into its own in the second half . " "1","an uncluttered , resonant gem that relays its universal points without lectures or confrontations . " "1","'[the cockettes] provides a window into a subculture hell-bent on expressing itself in every way imaginable . ' " "1","a smart , steamy mix of road movie , coming-of-age story and political satire . " "1","the modern-day royals have nothing on these guys when it comes to scandals . it's only in fairy tales that princesses that are married for political reason live happily ever after . " "1","a terrific b movie -- in fact , the best in recent memory . " "1"," "" birthday girl "" is an actor's movie first and foremost . " "1","i walked away from this new version of e . t . just as i hoped i would -- with moist eyes . " "1","for devotees of french cinema , safe conduct is so rich with period minutiae it's like dying and going to celluloid heaven . " "1","what's really so appealing about the characters is their resemblance to everyday children . " "1","shamelessly resorting to pee-related sight gags that might even cause tom green a grimace ; still , myer's energy and the silliness of it all eventually prevail " "1","an absurdist spider web . " "1","if you're as happy listening to movies as you are watching them , and the slow parade of human frailty fascinates you , then you're at the right film . " "1","this version moves beyond the original's nostalgia for the communal film experiences of yesteryear to a deeper realization of cinema's inability to stand in for true , lived experience . " "1","some movies blend together as they become distant memories . mention "" solaris "" five years from now and i'm sure those who saw it will have an opinion to share . " "1","allen's funniest and most likeable movie in years . " "1","it's a glorious spectacle like those d . w . griffith made in the early days of silent film . " "1","this comic gem is as delightful as it is derivative . " "1","more timely than its director could ever have dreamed , this quietly lyrical tale probes the ambiguous welcome extended by iran to the afghani refugees who streamed across its borders , desperate for work and food . " "1","the leaping story line , shaped by director peter kosminsky into sharp slivers and cutting impressions , shows all the signs of rich detail condensed into a few evocative images and striking character traits . " "1","with three excellent principal singers , a youthful and good-looking diva and tenor and richly handsome locations , it's enough to make you wish jacquot had left well enough alone and just filmed the opera without all these distortions of perspective . " "1","the production has been made with an enormous amount of affection , so we believe these characters love each other . " "1","certainly the performances are worthwhile . " "1","'no es la mejor cinta de la serie , ni la mejor con brosnan a la cabeza , pero de que entretiene ni duda cabe . ' " "1","winds up being both revelatory and narcissistic , achieving some honest insight into relationships that most high-concept films candy-coat with pat storylines , precious circumstances and beautiful stars . " "1","watching these eccentrics is both inspiring and pure joy . " "1","steven spielberg brings us another masterpiece " "1","finally , the french-produced "" read my lips "" is a movie that understands characters must come first . " "1","ms . seigner and mr . serrault bring fresh , unforced naturalism to their characters . " "1","allen shows he can outgag any of those young whippersnappers making moving pictures today . " "1","a good film with a solid pedigree both in front of and , more specifically , behind the camera . " "1","by no means a slam-dunk and sure to ultimately disappoint the action fans who will be moved to the edge of their seats by the dynamic first act , it still comes off as a touching , transcendent love story . " "1","i encourage young and old alike to go see this unique and entertaining twist on the classic whale's tale -- you won't be sorry ! " "1","a literary detective story is still a detective story and aficionados of the whodunit won't be disappointed . " "1","high crimes steals so freely from other movies and combines enough disparate types of films that it can't help but engage an audience . " "1","if you're a fan of the series you'll love it and probably want to see it twice . i will be . " "1","it celebrates the group's playful spark of nonconformity , glancing vividly back at what hibiscus grandly called his 'angels of light . ' " "1","the story . . . is inspiring , ironic , and revelatory of just how ridiculous and money-oriented the record industry really is . it is also a testament to the integrity and vision of the band . " "1","laced with liberal doses of dark humor , gorgeous exterior photography , and a stable-full of solid performances , no such thing is a fascinating little tale . " "1","huppert's show to steal and she makes a meal of it , channeling kathy baker's creepy turn as the repressed mother on boston public just as much as 8 women's augustine . " "1","nair doesn't treat the issues lightly . she allows each character to confront their problems openly and honestly . " "1","one of the best silly horror movies of recent memory , with some real shocks in store for unwary viewers . " "1","the work of a filmmaker who has secrets buried at the heart of his story and knows how to take time revealing them . strange occurrences build in the mind of the viewer and take on extreme urgency . " "1","has a certain ghoulish fascination , and generates a fair amount of b-movie excitement . " "1","familiar but utterly delightful . " "1","a fascinating , dark thriller that keeps you hooked on the delicious pulpiness of its lurid fiction . " "1","the film aims to be funny , uplifting and moving , sometimes all at once . the extent to which it succeeds is impressive . " "1","the film brilliantly shines on all the characters , as the direction is intelligently accomplished . " "1","while not for every taste , this often very funny collegiate gross-out comedy goes a long way toward restoring the luster of the national lampoon film franchise , too long reduced to direct-to-video irrelevancy . " "1","as broad and cartoonish as the screenplay is , there is an accuracy of observation in the work of the director , frank novak , that keeps the film grounded in an undeniable social realism . " "1","in addition to hoffman's powerful acting clinic , this is that rare drama that offers a thoughtful and rewarding glimpse into the sort of heartache everyone has felt , or will feel someday . " "1","jeffrey tambor's performance as the intelligent jazz-playing exterminator is oscar-worthy . " "1","from the opening strains of the average white band's "" pick up the pieces "" , you can feel the love . " "1","stevens' vibrant creative instincts are the difference between this and countless other flicks about guys and dolls . " "1","that it'll probably be the best and most mature comedy of the 2002 summer season speaks more of the season than the picture " "1","old people will love this movie , and i mean that in the nicest possible way : last orders will touch the heart of anyone old enough to have earned a 50-year friendship . " "1","meyjes' provocative film might be called an example of the haphazardness of evil . " "1","tian emphasizes the isolation of these characters by confining color to liyan's backyard . " "1","the movie is pretty funny now and then without in any way demeaning its subjects . " "1","imagine a scenario where bergman approaches swedish fatalism using gary larson's far side humor " "1","too damn weird to pass up , and for the blacklight crowd , way cheaper ( and better ) than pink floyd tickets . " "1","it is most remarkable not because of its epic scope , but because of the startling intimacy it achieves despite that breadth . " "1","it's not a great monster movie . but if you've paid a matinee price and bought a big tub of popcorn , there's guilty fun to be had here . chomp chomp ! " "1","the grey zone gives voice to a story that needs to be heard in the sea of holocaust movies . . . but the film suffers from its own difficulties . " "1","fun and nimble . " "1","others , more attuned to the anarchist maxim that 'the urge to destroy is also a creative urge' , or more willing to see with their own eyes , will find morrison's iconoclastic uses of technology to be liberating . " "1","miller tells this very compelling tale with little fuss or noise , expertly plucking tension from quiet . " "1","time out is existential drama without any of the pretension associated with the term . " "1","it's a sweet , laugh-a-minute crowd pleaser that lifts your spirits as well as the corners of your mouth . " "1","writer/director alexander payne ( election ) and his co-writer jim taylor brilliantly employ their quirky and fearless ability to look american angst in the eye and end up laughing . " "1","a movie that at its best doesn't just make the most out of its characters' flaws but insists on the virtue of imperfection . " "1","it's tough to watch , but it's a fantastic movie . " "1","the best animated feature to hit theaters since beauty and the beast 11 years ago . " "1","what saves this deeply affecting film from being merely a collection of wrenching cases is corcuera's attention to detail . " "1","funny and touching . " "1","pacino is the best he's been in years and keener is marvelous . " "1","a solid , spooky entertainment worthy of the price of a ticket . " "1","by turns fanciful , grisly and engagingly quixotic . " "1"," . . . very funny , very enjoyable . . . " "1","adaptation is intricately constructed and in a strange way nails all of orlean's themes without being a true adaptation of her book . " "1","so purely enjoyable that you might not even notice it's a fairly straightforward remake of hollywood comedies such as father of the bride . " "1","moonlight mile gives itself the freedom to feel contradictory things . it is sentimental but feels free to offend , is analytical and then surrenders to the illogic of its characters , is about grief and yet permits laughter . " "1","the real triumphs in igby come from philippe , who makes oliver far more interesting than the character's lines would suggest , and sarandon , who couldn't be better as a cruel but weirdly likable wasp matron . " "1","robin williams has thankfully ditched the saccharine sentimentality of bicentennial man in favour of an altogether darker side . " "1","if you're willing to have fun with it , you won't feel cheated by the high infidelity of unfaithful . " "1","australia : land beyond time is an enjoyable big movie primarily because australia is a weirdly beautiful place . " "1","hoffman's performance is authentic to the core of his being . " "1","told just proficiently enough to trounce its overly comfortable trappings . " "1","an enthralling aesthetic experience , one that's steeped in mystery and a ravishing , baroque beauty . " "1","the quirky drama touches the heart and the funnybone thanks to the energetic and always surprising performance by rachel griffiths . " "1","a captivating coming-of-age story that may also be the first narrative film to be truly informed by the wireless age . " "1","what could have been a daytime soap opera is actually a compelling look at a young woman's tragic odyssey . " "1","duvall is strong as always . " "1","a no-holds-barred cinematic treat . " "1","you'd have to be a most hard-hearted person not to be moved by this drama . " "1","allen's underestimated charm delivers more goodies than lumps of coal . " "1","measured against practically any like-themed film other than its oscar-sweeping franchise predecessor the silence of the lambs , red dragon rates as an exceptional thriller . " "1","an exhilarating serving of movie fluff . " "1","maelstrom is strange and compelling , engrossing and different , a moral tale with a twisted sense of humor . " "1","it makes you believe the cast and crew thoroughly enjoyed themselves and believed in their small-budget film . " "1","dark and disturbing , yet compelling to watch . " "1","too often , son of the bride becomes an exercise in trying to predict when a preordained "" big moment "" will occur and not "" if . "" " "1","the picture uses humor and a heartfelt conviction to tell a story about discovering your destination in life , but also acknowledging the places , and the people , from whence you came . " "1","a solid piece of journalistic work that draws a picture of a man for whom political expedience became a deadly foreign policy . " "1","a terrific insider look at the star-making machinery of tinseltown . " "1","it's a diverting enough hour-and-a-half for the family audience . " "1","a party-hearty teen flick that scalds like acid . " "1","as giddy and whimsical and relevant today as it was 270 years ago . " "1","the film offers an intriguing what-if premise . " "1","the pianist is the film roman polanski may have been born to make . " "1","this version does justice both to stevenson and to the sci-fi genre . " "1","poignant and delicately complex . " "1","enough may pander to our basest desires for payback , but unlike many revenge fantasies , it ultimately delivers . " "1","cho's latest comic set isn't as sharp or as fresh as i'm the one that i want . . . but it's still damn funny stuff . " "1","in the pianist , polanski is saying what he has long wanted to say , confronting the roots of his own preoccupations and obsessions , and he allows nothing to get in the way . " "1","despite the film's shortcomings , the stories are quietly moving . " "1","those who love cinema paradiso will find the new scenes interesting , but few will find the movie improved . " "1","if you come from a family that eats , meddles , argues , laughs , kibbitzes and fights together , then go see this delightful comedy . " "1","this bracingly truthful antidote to hollywood teenage movies that slather clearasil over the blemishes of youth captures the combustible mixture of a chafing inner loneliness and desperate grandiosity that tend to characterize puberty . " "1","the reason to see "" sade "" lay with the chemistry and complex relationship between the marquis ( auteil ) and emilie ( le besco ) . " "1","it's the filmmakers' post-camp comprehension of what made old-time b movies good-bad that makes eight legged freaks a perfectly entertaining summer diversion . " "1","serious and thoughtful . " "1","it strikes hardest… when it reminds you how pertinent its dynamics remain . fifty years after the fact , the world's political situation seems little different , and [director phillip] noyce brings out the allegory with remarkable skill . " "1","the film's strength isn't in its details , but in the larger picture it paints - of a culture in conflict with itself , with the thin veneer of nationalism that covers our deepest , media-soaked fears . " "1"," . . . best seen as speculative history , as much an exploration of the paranoid impulse as a creative sequel to the warren report . " "1","it has its faults , but it is a kind , unapologetic , sweetheart of a movie , and mandy moore leaves a positive impression . " "1","the saigon of 1952 is an uneasy mix of sensual delights and simmering violence , and the quiet american brings us right into the center of that world . " "1","despite its shortcomings , girls can't swim represents an engaging and intimate first feature by a talented director to watch , and it's a worthy entry in the french coming-of-age genre . " "1","flawed , but worth seeing for ambrose's performance . " "1","with dirty deeds , david caesar has stepped into the mainstream of filmmaking with an assurance worthy of international acclaim and with every cinematic tool well under his control -- driven by a natural sense for what works on screen . " "1","the humor and humanity of monsoon wedding are in perfect balance . " "1","lookin' for sin , american-style ? try hell house , which documents the cautionary christian spook-a-rama of the same name . " "1","a compelling motion picture that illustrates an american tragedy . " "1","as comedic spotlights go , notorious c . h . o . hits all the verbal marks it should . " "1","it's a day at the beach -- with air conditioning and popcorn . " "1","frida isn't that much different from many a hollywood romance . what sets it apart is the vision that taymor , the avant garde director of broadway's the lion king and the film titus , brings . " "1","stevens has a flair for dialogue comedy , the film operates nicely off the element of surprise , and the large cast is solid . " "1","extremely well acted by the four primary actors , this is a seriously intended movie that is not easily forgotten . " "1","the film exudes the urbane sweetness that woody allen seems to have bitterly forsaken . " "1","k-19 : the widowmaker is derivative , overlong , and bombastic -- yet surprisingly entertaining . " "1","it's good , hard-edged stuff , violent and a bit exploitative but also nicely done , morally alert and street-smart . " "1","cineasts will revel in those visual in-jokes , as in the film's verbal pokes at everything from the likes of miramax chief harvey weinstein's bluff personal style to the stylistic rigors of denmark's dogma movement . " "1","it's a rare window on an artistic collaboration . " "1"," . . . begins with promise , but runs aground after being snared in its own tangled plot . " "1","perhaps the best sports movie i've ever seen . " "1","cho's timing is priceless . " "1"," . . . creates a visceral sense of its characters' lives and conflicted emotions that carries it far above . . . what could have been a melodramatic , lifetime channel-style anthology . " "1","a sensitive , moving , brilliantly constructed work . " "1","an edgy thriller that delivers a surprising punch . " "1","a reasonably entertaining sequel to 1994's surprise family hit that may strain adult credibility . " "1","[reno] delivers a monologue that manages to incorporate both the horror and the absurdity of the situation in a well-balanced fashion . " "1","there is truth here " "1","a confident , richly acted , emotionally devastating piece of work and 2002's first great film " "1","a touching , small-scale story of family responsibility and care in the community . " "1","arteta directs one of the best ensemble casts of the year " "1","the casting of von sydow . . . is itself intacto's luckiest stroke . " "1","no , it's not as single-minded as john carpenter's original , but it's sure a lot smarter and more unnerving than the sequels . " "1","a gem of a romantic crime comedy that turns out to be clever , amusing and unpredictable . " "1","stands as one of the year's most intriguing movie experiences , letting its imagery speak for it while it forces you to ponder anew what a movie can be . " "1"," . . . the first 2/3 of the film are incredibly captivating and insanely funny , thanks in part to interesting cinematic devices ( cool visual backmasking ) , a solid cast , and some wickedly sick and twisted humor . . . " "1","this movie got me grinning . there's a part of us that cannot help be entertained by the sight of someone getting away with something . " "1","an old-fashioned drama of substance about a teacher's slide down the slippery slope of dishonesty after an encounter with the rich and the powerful who have nothing but disdain for virtue . " "1","what's not to like about a movie with a 'children's' song that includes the line 'my stepdad's not mean , he's just adjusting' ? " "1","this english-language version . . . does full honor to miyazaki's teeming and often unsettling landscape , and to the conflicted complexity of his characters . " "1","the pleasures that it does afford may be enough to keep many moviegoers occupied amidst some of the more serious-minded concerns of other year-end movies . " "1","not everyone will welcome or accept the trials of henry kissinger as faithful portraiture , but few can argue that the debate it joins is a necessary and timely one . " "1","there are no special effects , and no hollywood endings . " "1","like the original , this version is raised a few notches above kiddie fantasy pablum by allen's astringent wit . " "1","despite its hawaiian setting , the science-fiction trimmings and some moments of rowdy slapstick , the basic plot of "" lilo "" could have been pulled from a tear-stained vintage shirley temple script . " "1","a brutally honest documentary about a much anticipated family reunion that goes wrong thanks to culture shock and a refusal to empathize with others . " "1","filled with honest performances and exceptional detail , baran is a gentle film with dramatic punch , a haunting ode to humanity . " "1","sparkles in its deft portrait of tinseltown's seasoned veterans of gossip , wealth , paranoia , and celebrityhood . " "1","in its dry and forceful way , it delivers the same message as jiri menzel's closely watched trains and danis tanovic's no man's land . " "1","one-of-a-kind near-masterpiece . " "1"," . . . a triumph of emotionally and narratively complex filmmaking . " "1","[haynes'] homage to such films as "" all that heaven allows "" and "" imitation of life "" transcends them . simply put , "" far from heaven "" is a masterpiece . " "1","an intense and effective film about loneliness and the chilly anonymity of the environments where so many of us spend so much of our time . " "1","although fairly involving as far as it goes , the film doesn't end up having much that is fresh to say about growing up catholic or , really , anything . " "1","proves mainly that south korean filmmakers can make undemanding action movies with all the alacrity of their hollywood counterparts . " "1","a very funny romantic comedy about two skittish new york middle-agers who stumble into a relationship and then struggle furiously with their fears and foibles . " "1","top-notch action powers this romantic drama . " "1","beresford nicely mixes in as much humor as pathos to take us on his sentimental journey of the heart . it really is a shame that more won't get an opportunity to embrace small , sweet 'evelyn . ' " "1","i stopped thinking about how good it all was , and started doing nothing but reacting to it - feeling a part of its grand locations , thinking urgently as the protagonists struggled , feeling at the mercy of its inventiveness , gasping at its visual delights . " "1","probably the best case for christianity since chesterton and lewis . " "1","a gently funny , sweetly adventurous film that makes you feel genuinely good , that is to say , entirely unconned by false sentiment or sharp , overmanipulative hollywood practices . " "1","would be an unendurable viewing experience for this ultra-provincial new yorker if 26-year-old reese witherspoon were not on hand to inject her pure fantasy character , melanie carmichael , with a massive infusion of old-fashioned hollywood magic . " "1","visually fascinating . . . an often intense character study about fathers and sons , loyalty and duty . " "1","a lyrical metaphor for cultural and personal self-discovery and a picaresque view of a little-remembered world . " "1","schütte's dramatic snapshot of the artist three days before his death offers an interesting bit of speculation as to the issues brecht faced as his life drew to a close . " "1","a slick , engrossing melodrama . " "1","s1m0ne's satire is not subtle , but it is effective . it's a quirky , off-beat project . . . . " "1","while some will object to the idea of a vietnam picture with such a rah-rah , patriotic tone , soldiers ultimately achieves its main strategic objective : dramatizing the human cost of the conflict that came to define a generation . " "1","even if you don't know the band or the album's songs by heart , you will enjoy seeing how both evolve , and you will also learn a good deal about the state of the music business in the 21st century . " "1","the solid filmmaking and convincing characters makes this a high water mark for this genre . " "1","films about loss , grief and recovery are pretty valuable these days . seen in that light , moonlight mile should strike a nerve in many . " "1","it's endlessly inventive , consistently intelligent and sickeningly savage . " "1","it is definitely worth seeing . " "1","an impeccable study in perversity . " "1","far from heaven is a dazzling conceptual feat , but more than that , it's a work of enthralling drama . " "1","a movie that both thrills the eye and , in its over-the-top way , touches the heart . " "1","stuffed to the brim with ideas , american instigator michael moore's film is a rambling examination of american gun culture that uses his usual modus operandi of crucifixion through juxtaposition . " "1","affectionately reminds us that , in any language , the huge stuff in life can usually be traced back to the little things . " "1","a drama of great power , yet some members of the audience will leave the theater believing they have seen a comedy . " "1","the large-frame imax camera lends itself beautifully to filming the teeming life on the reefs , making this gorgeous film a must for everyone from junior scientists to grown-up fish lovers . " "1","the result is more depressing than liberating , but it's never boring . " "1","a story about intelligent high school students that deals with first love sweetly but also seriously . it is also beautifully acted . " "1","it isn't that the picture is unfamiliar , but that it manages to find new avenues of discourse on old problems . " "1","same song , second verse , coulda been better , but it coulda been worse . " "1","it's a technically superb film , shining with all the usual spielberg flair , expertly utilizing the talents of his top-notch creative team . " "1","wilco fans will have a great time , and the movie should win the band a few new converts , too . " "1","tsai has a well-deserved reputation as one of the cinema world's great visual stylists , and in this film , every shot enhances the excellent performances . " "1","the date movie that franz kafka would have made . " "1","the fact is that the screen is most alive when it seems most likely that broomfield's interviewees , or even himself , will not be for much longer . " "1","leguizamo and jones are both excellent and the rest of the cast is uniformly superb . " "1","i liked this film a lot . . . " "1"," . . . there is enough originality in 'life' to distance it from the pack of paint-by-number romantic comedies that so often end up on cinema screens . " "1","a solid and refined piece of moviemaking imbued with passion and attitude . " "1","nettelbeck has crafted an engaging fantasy of flavours and emotions , one part romance novel , one part recipe book . " "1","with or without the sex , a wonderful tale of love and destiny , told well by a master storyteller " "1","on the surface a silly comedy , scotland , pa would be forgettable if it weren't such a clever adaptation of the bard's tragic play . " "1","a weird , arresting little ride . " "1","a fine film , but it would be a lot better if it stuck to betty fisher and left out the other stories . " "1","a first-class road movie that proves you can run away from home , but your ego and all your problems go with you . " "1","you might want to take a reality check before you pay the full ticket price to see "" simone , "" and consider a dvd rental instead . " "1","well cast and well directed - a powerful drama with enough sardonic wit to keep it from being maudlin . " "1","a backstage must-see for true fans of comedy . " "1","there's back-stabbing , inter-racial desire and , most importantly , singing and dancing . " "1","the film sounds like the stuff of lurid melodrama , but what makes it interesting as a character study is the fact that the story is told from paul's perspective . " "1","jones . . . makes a great impression as the writer-director of this little $1 . 8 million charmer , which may not be cutting-edge indie filmmaking but has a huge heart . " "1","in the disturbingly involving family dysfunctional drama how i killed my father , french director anne fontaine delivers an inspired portrait of male-ridden angst and the emotional blockage that accompanies this human condition " "1","below may not mark mr . twohy's emergence into the mainstream , but his promise remains undiminished . " "1","there's no reason to miss interview with the assassin " "1","happily stays close to the ground in a spare and simple manner and doesn't pummel us with phony imagery or music . " "1","its sheer dynamism is infectious . " "1","for his first attempt at film noir , spielberg presents a fascinating but flawed look at the near future . " "1","lightweight but appealing . " "1","it somehow managed to make its way past my crappola radar and find a small place in my heart " "1","perhaps it's cliche to call the film 'refreshing , ' but it is . 'drumline' shows a level of young , black manhood that is funny , touching , smart and complicated . " "1","it does give a taste of the burning man ethos , an appealing blend of counter-cultural idealism and hedonistic creativity . " "1","the limited sets and small confined and dark spaces also are homages to a classic low-budget film noir movie . " "1","the movie is well done , but slow . " "1","[a] wonderfully loopy tale of love , longing , and voting . " "1","the fascination comes in the power of the huston performance , which seems so larger than life and yet so fragile , and in the way the ivan character accepts the news of his illness so quickly but still finds himself unable to react . " "1","the last scenes of the film are anguished , bitter and truthful . mr . koshashvili is a director to watch . " "1","predictable storyline and by-the-book scripting is all but washed away by sumptuous ocean visuals and the cinematic stylings of director john stockwell . " "1","antwone fisher certainly does the trick of making us care about its protagonist and celebrate his victories but , with few exceptions , it rarely stoops to cheap manipulation or corny conventions to do it . " "1","one feels the dimming of a certain ambition , but in its place a sweetness , clarity and emotional openness that recalls the classics of early italian neorealism . " "1","it challenges , this nervy oddity , like modern art should . " "1","whenever you think you've figured out late marriage , it throws you for a loop . " "1","the pianist is polanski's best film . " "1","it is a testament of quiet endurance , of common concern , of reconciled survival . " "1","this orange has some juice , but it's far from fresh-squeezed . " "1","a sensitive , modest comic tragedy that works as both character study and symbolic examination of the huge economic changes sweeping modern china . " "1","highly engaging . " "1","high crimes knows the mistakes that bad movies make and is determined not to make them , and maybe that is nobility of a sort . " "1","cusack's just brilliant in this . " "1","knows how to make our imagination wonder . " "1","jae-eun jeong's take care of my cat brings a beguiling freshness to a coming-of-age story with such a buoyant , expressive flow of images that it emerges as another key contribution to the flowering of the south korean cinema . " "1","the overall fabric is hypnotic , and mr . mattei fosters moments of spontaneous intimacy . " "1","evokes a palpable sense of disconnection , made all the more poignant by the incessant use of cell phones . " "1","malcolm mcdowell is cool . paul bettany is cool . paul bettany playing malcolm mcdowell ? cool . " "1","a touching , sophisticated film that almost seems like a documentary in the way it captures an italian immigrant family on the brink of major changes . " "1"," . . . a trashy little bit of fluff stuffed with enjoyable performances and a bewildering sense of self-importance " "1","an inventive , absorbing movie that's as hard to classify as it is hard to resist . " "1","it made me want to get made-up and go see this movie with my sisters . i thought the relationships were wonderful , the comedy was funny , and the love 'real' . " "1"," ( caine ) proves once again he hasn't lost his touch , bringing off a superb performance in an admittedly middling film . " "1","bogdanovich puts history in perspective and , via kirsten dunst's remarkable performance , he showcases davies as a young woman of great charm , generosity and diplomacy . " "1","this breezy caper movie becomes a soulful , incisive meditation on the way we were , and the way we are . " "1","a captivating new film . " "1","those who aren't put off by the film's austerity will find it more than capable of rewarding them . " "1","it's a clear-eyed portrait of an intensely lived time , filled with nervous energy , moral ambiguity and great uncertainties . " "1","reveals how important our special talents can be when put in service of of others . it also shows how deeply felt emotions can draw people together across the walls that might otherwise separate them . " "1","with the same sort of good-natured fun found in films like tremors , eight legged freaks is prime escapist fare . " "1","a sharp , amusing study of the cult of celebrity . " "1","the sentimental cliches mar an otherwise excellent film . a powerful performance from mel gibson and a brutal 90-minute battle sequence that does everything but issue you a dog-tag and an m-16 . " "1","a graceful , moving tribute to the courage of new york's finest and a nicely understated expression of the grief shared by the nation at their sacrifice . " "1","a coming-of-age tale from new zealand whose boozy , languid air is balanced by a rich visual clarity and deeply felt performances across the board . " "1","made to be jaglomized is the cannes film festival , the annual riviera spree of flesh , buzz , blab and money . the charming result is festival in cannes . " "1","if you're looking for something new and hoping for something entertaining , you're in luck . " "1","a hugely rewarding experience that's every bit as enlightening , insightful and entertaining as grant's two best films -- four weddings and a funeral and bridget jones's diary . " "1","a rip-roaring comedy action fest that'll put hairs on your chest . " "1","if there's no art here , it's still a good yarn -- which is nothing to sneeze at these days . " "1","simultaneously heart-breaking and very funny , the last kiss is really all about performances . " "1","there is a subversive element to this disney cartoon , providing unexpected fizzability . " "1","an unforgettable look at morality , family , and social expectation through the prism of that omnibus tradition called marriage . " "1","an enjoyable , if occasionally flawed , experiment . " "1","miyazaki is one of world cinema's most wondrously gifted artists and storytellers . " "1","if ayurveda can help us return to a sane regimen of eating , sleeping and stress-reducing contemplation , it is clearly a good thing . " "1","meeting , even exceeding expectations , it's the best sequel since the empire strikes back . . . a majestic achievement , an epic of astonishing grandeur and surprising emotional depth . " "1","leigh is one of the rare directors who feels acting is the heart and soul of cinema . he allows his cast members to make creative contributions to the story and dialogue . this method almost never fails him , and it works superbly here . " "1","poetry in motion captured on film . while it can be a bit repetitive , overall it's an entertaining and informative documentary . " "1","directing with a sure and measured hand , [haneke] steers clear of the sensational and offers instead an unflinching and objective look at a decidedly perverse pathology . " "1","the entire movie establishes a wonderfully creepy mood . " "1","i found the ring moderately absorbing , largely for its elegantly colorful look and sound . " "1","the filmmakers want nothing else than to show us a good time , and in their cheap , b movie way , they succeed . " "1","amari has dressed up this little parable in a fairly irresistible package full of privileged moments and memorable performances . " "1","rabbit-proof fence will probably make you angry . but it will just as likely make you weep , and it will do so in a way that doesn't make you feel like a sucker . " "1","both heartbreaking and heartwarming . . . just a simple fable done in an artless sytle , but it's tremendously moving . " "1","this masterfully calibrated psychological thriller thrives on its taut performances and creepy atmosphere even if the screenplay falls somewhat short . " "1","the film's sense of imagery gives it a terrible strength , but it's propelled by the acting . " "1","the pianist [is] a supremely hopeful cautionary tale of war's madness remembered that we , today , can prevent its tragic waste of life . here is a divine monument to a single man's struggle to regain his life , his dignity and his music . " "1","strange it is , but delightfully so . " "1","elegant , mannered and teasing . " "1","an average coming-of-age tale elevated by the wholesome twist of a pesky mother interfering during her son's discovery of his homosexuality . " "1","the ingenuity that parker displays in freshening the play is almost in a class with that of wilde himself . " "1","decasia is what has happened already to so many silent movies , newsreels and the like . the unexpected thing is that its dying , in this shower of black-and-white psychedelia , is quite beautiful . " "1","a droll , bitchy frolic which pokes fun at the price of popularity and small-town pretension in the lone star state . " "1","with each of her three protagonists , miller eloquently captures the moment when a woman's life , out of a deep-seated , emotional need , is about to turn onto a different path . " "1","ryan gosling . . . is at 22 a powerful young actor . " "1","a minor work yet there's no denying the potency of miller's strange , fleeting brew of hopeful perseverance and hopeless closure . " "1","as an introduction to the man's theories and influence , derrida is all but useless ; as a portrait of the artist as an endlessly inquisitive old man , however , it's invaluable . " "1","the film is a verbal duel between two gifted performers . " "1","imperfect ? yes , but also intriguing and honorable , a worthwhile addition to a distinguished film legacy . " "1","you'll get the enjoyable basic minimum . but not a whit more . " "1","what a great way to spend 4 units of your day . " "1","the movie is hardly a masterpiece , but it does mark ms . bullock's best work in some time . " "1","as simple and innocent a movie as you can imagine . this is a movie you can trust . " "1","passionate , irrational , long-suffering but cruel as a tarantula , helga figures prominently in this movie , and helps keep the proceedings as funny for grown-ups as for rugrats . " "1"," "" it's all about the image . "" " "1","feral and uncomfortable . " "1","vividly conveys the passion , creativity , and fearlessness of one of mexico's most colorful and controversial artists -- a captivating drama that will speak to the nonconformist in us all . " "1","hollywood ending is not show-stoppingly hilarious , but scathingly witty nonetheless . " "1","maybe thomas wolfe was right : you can't go home again . " "1","a compelling yarn , but not quite a ripping one . " "1","on the granger movie gauge of 1 to 10 , the powerpuff girls is a fast , frenetic , funny , even punny 6 -- aimed specifically at a grade-school audience . " "1","the film has several strong performances . " "1","i've never bought from telemarketers , but i bought this movie . " "1","perfectly pitched between comedy and tragedy , hope and despair , about schmidt instead comes far closer than many movies to expressing the way many of us live -- someplace between consuming self-absorption and insistently demanding otherness . " "1","the funny thing is , i didn't mind all this contrived nonsense a bit . " "1","[shyamalan] turns the goose-pimple genre on its empty head and fills it with spirit , purpose and emotionally bruised characters who add up to more than body count . " "1","a sexy , peculiar and always entertaining costume drama set in renaissance spain , and the fact that it's based on true events somehow makes it all the more compelling . " "1","an entertaining documentary that freshly considers arguments the bard's immortal plays were written by somebody else . " "1","a highly spirited , imaginative kid's movie that broaches neo-augustinian theology : is god stuck in heaven because he's afraid of his best-known creation ? " "1","call it magic realism or surrealism , but miss wonton floats beyond reality with a certain degree of wit and dignity . " "1","raimi and his team couldn't have done any better in bringing the story of spider-man to the big screen . " "1","the director explores all three sides of his story with a sensitivity and an inquisitiveness reminiscent of truffaut . " "1","well-acted , well-directed and , for all its moodiness , not too pretentious . " "1","it's a satisfying summer blockbuster and worth a look . " "1","boomers and their kids will have a barrie good time . " "1","real women have curves wears its empowerment on its sleeve but even its worst harangues are easy to swallow thanks to remarkable performances by ferrera and ontiveros . " "1","ultimately , "" mib ii "" succeeds due to its rapid-fire delivery and enough inspired levity that it can't be dismissed as mindless . " "1","stage director sam mendes showcases tom hanks as a depression era hit-man in this dark tale of revenge . " "1","sitting in the third row of the imax cinema at sydney's darling harbour , but i sometimes felt as though i was in the tiny two seater plane that carried the giant camera around australia , sweeping and gliding , banking and hovering over some of the most not " "1","the real charm of this trifle is the deadpan comic face of its star , jean reno , who resembles sly stallone in a hot sake half-sleep . " "1","what's so fun about this silly , outrageous , ingenious thriller is the director's talent . watching a brian depalma movie is like watching an alfred hitchcock movie after drinking twelve beers . " "1","strip it of all its excess debris , and you'd have a 90-minute , four-star movie . as it is , it's too long and unfocused . " "1","an immensely entertaining look at some of the unsung heroes of 20th century pop music . " "1","this familiar rise-and-fall tale is long on glamour and short on larger moralistic consequences , though it's told with sharp ears and eyes for the tenor of the times . " "1","this beautifully animated epic is never dull . " "1","brian tufano's handsome widescreen photography and paul grabowsky's excellent music turn this fairly parochial melodrama into something really rather special . " "1","it makes compelling , provocative and prescient viewing . " "1","a thoroughly entertaining comedy that uses grant's own twist of acidity to prevent itself from succumbing to its own bathos . " "1","using a stock plot , about a boy injects just enough freshness into the proceedings to provide an enjoyable 100 minutes in a movie theater . " "1","what eric schaeffer has accomplished with never again may not , strictly speaking , qualify as revolutionary . but it's defiantly and delightfully against the grain . " "1","the hard-to-predict and absolutely essential chemistry between the down-to-earth bullock and the nonchalant grant proves to be sensational , and everything meshes in this elegant entertainment . " "1","a positively thrilling combination of ethnography and all the intrigue , betrayal , deceit and murder of a shakespearean tragedy or a juicy soap opera . " "1","mr . clooney , mr . kaufman and all their collaborators are entitled to take a deep bow for fashioning an engrossing entertainment out of an almost sure-fire prescription for a critical and commercial disaster . " "1","definitely funny stuff , but it's more of the 'laughing at' variety than the 'laughing with . ' " "1","easily the most thoughtful fictional examination of the root causes of anti-semitism ever seen on screen . " "1","a gripping drama . " "1","a real winner -- smart , funny , subtle , and resonant . " "1","family portrait of need , neurosis and nervy negativity is a rare treat that shows the promise of digital filmmaking . " "1","the pitch must have read like a discarded house beautiful spread . " "1","uplifting as only a document of the worst possibilities of mankind can be , and among the best films of the year . " "1","director david jacobson gives dahmer a consideration that the murderer never game his victims . " "1","the film has a terrific look and salma hayek has a feel for the character at all stages of her life . " "1","a decided lack of spontaneity in its execution and a dearth of real poignancy in its epiphanies . " "1","the performances are remarkable . " "1","it's burns' visuals , characters and his punchy dialogue , not his plot , that carry waydowntown . " "1","as literary desecrations go , this makes for perfectly acceptable , occasionally very enjoyable children's entertainment . you'll forget about it by monday , though , and if they're old enough to have developed some taste , so will your kids . " "1","while i can't say it's on par with the first one , stuart little 2 is a light , fun cheese puff of a movie . " "1","strange , funny , twisted , brilliant and macabre . " "1","a genuinely moving and wisely unsentimental drama . " "1","heaven is a haunting dramatization of a couple's moral ascension . " "1","the mothman prophecies is best when illustrating the demons bedevilling the modern masculine journey . " "1","'stock up on silver bullets for director neil marshall's intense freight train of a film . ' " "1","plays out with a dogged and eventually winning squareness that would make it the darling of many a kids-and-family-oriented cable channel . " "1","an entertaining british hybrid of comedy , caper thrills and quirky romance . " "1","alain choquart's camera barely stops moving , portraying both the turmoil of the time and giving conduct a perpetual sense of urgency , which , for a film that takes nearly three hours to unspool , is both funny and irritating . " "1","mostly martha could have used a little trimming -- 10 or 15 minutes could be cut and no one would notice -- but it's a pleasurable trifle . the only pain you'll feel as the credits roll is your stomach grumbling for some tasty grub . " "1","hardly an objective documentary , but it's great cinematic polemic . . . love moore or loathe him , you've got to admire . . . the intensity with which he's willing to express his convictions . " "1","the mark of a respectable summer blockbuster is one of two things : unadulterated thrills or genuine laughs . " "1","the film is visually dazzling , the depicted events dramatic , funny and poignant . " "1","a directorial tour de force by bernard rose , ivans xtc . is one of this year's very best pictures . " "1","what makes the movie work — to an admittedly limited extent — is the commitment of two genuinely engaging performers . weaver and lapaglia are both excellent , in the kind of low-key way that allows us to forget that they are actually movie folk . " "1","even the digressions are funny . " "1","mr . spielberg and his company just want you to enjoy yourselves without feeling conned . and they succeed merrily at their noble endeavor . " "1","melodrama with a message . " "1","en sí mismo el rey león es un espectáculo digno de contemplarse en cine , dvd o en su soberbio montaje teatral ; pero el hacerlo en la pantalla imax es una experiencia colosal . " "1","a perfectly pleasant if slightly pokey comedy . " "1","coppola's directorial debut is an incredibly layered and stylistic film that , despite a fairly slow paced , almost humdrum approach to character development , still manages at least a decent attempt at meaningful cinema . " "1","at the end , when the now computerized yoda finally reveals his martial artistry , the film ascends to a kinetic life so teeming that even cranky adults may rediscover the quivering kid inside . " "1","wang xiaoshuai directs this intricately structured and well-realized drama that presents a fascinating glimpse of urban life and the class warfare that embroils two young men . " "1","it's hard to imagine anybody ever being "" in the mood "" to view a movie as harrowing and painful as the grey zone , but it's equally hard to imagine anybody being able to tear their eyes away from the screen once it's started . " "1","bogdanovich taps deep into the hearst mystique , entertainingly reenacting a historic scandal . " "1","a moving tale of love and destruction in unexpected places , unexamined lives . " "1","clooney directs this film always keeping the balance between the fantastic and the believable . . . " "1","beautifully produced . " "1","smart and taut . " "1","even if you don't understand what on earth is going on , this is a movie that will stimulate hours of post viewing discussion , if only to be reminded of who did what to whom and why . " "1"," . . . a lesson in prehistoric hilarity . " "1","a fantastically vital movie that manages to invest real humor , sensuality , and sympathy into a story about two adolescent boys . " "1","lawrence plumbs personal tragedy and also the human comedy . " "1","though a capable thriller , somewhere along the way k-19 jettisoned some crucial drama . " "1","just about the surest bet for an all-around good time at the movies this summer . " "1","it would be disingenuous to call reno a great film , but you can say that about most of the flicks moving in and out of the multiplex . this is a movie that is what it is : a pleasant distraction , a friday night diversion , an excuse to eat popcorn . " "1","os universos de chuck barris e charlie kaufman são complementares . e igualmente fascinantes . " "1","there is a certain sense of experimentation and improvisation to this film that may not always work , but it is nevertheless compelling . " "1","the four feathers has rewards , from the exoticism of its seas of sand to the fierce grandeur of its sweeping battle scenes . " "1","a delicious , quirky movie with a terrific screenplay and fanciful direction by michael gondry . " "1","this story still seems timely and important . and there's an element of heartbreak to watching it now , with older and wiser eyes , because we know what will happen after greene's story ends . " "1","the bodily function jokes are about what you'd expect , but there are rich veins of funny stuff in this movie . " "1","the performances are amiable and committed , and the comedy more often than not hits the bullseye . " "1","this time , the hype is quieter , and while the movie is slightly less successful than the first , it's still a rollicking good time for the most part . " "1","there's plenty to enjoy -- in no small part thanks to lau . " "1","with a romantic comedy plotline straight from the ages , this cinderella story doesn't have a single surprise up its sleeve . but it does somehow manage to get you under its spell . " "1","though few will argue that it ranks with the best of herzog's works , invincible shows he's back in form , with an astoundingly rich film . " "1"," "" catch me "" feels capable of charming the masses with star power , a pop-induced score and sentimental moments that have become a spielberg trademark . " "1","by no means a great movie , but it is a refreshingly forthright one . " "1","the casting of raymond j . barry as the 'assassin' greatly enhances the quality of neil burger's impressive fake documentary . " "1","despite besson's high-profile name being wasabi's big selling point , there is no doubt that krawczyk deserves a huge amount of the credit for the film's thoroughly winning tone . " "1","this documentary is a dazzling , remarkably unpretentious reminder of what [evans] had , lost , and got back . " "1","a thoughtful movie , a movie that is concerned with souls and risk and schemes and the consequences of one's actions . " "1","as satisfyingly odd and intriguing a tale as it was a century and a half ago . . . has a delightfully dour , deadpan tone and stylistic consistency . " "1","methodical , measured , and gently tedious in its comedy , secret ballot is a purposefully reductive movie -- which may be why it's so successful at lodging itself in the brain . " "1","a witty , trenchant , wildly unsentimental but flawed look at the ins and outs of modern moviemaking . " "1","for most of the distance the picture provides a satisfyingly unsettling ride into the dark places of our national psyche . " "1","by the standards of knucklehead swill , the hot chick is pretty damned funny . " "1","one of the most gloriously unsubtle and adrenalized extreme shockers since the evil dead . " "1","[reaches] wholly believable and heart-wrenching depths of despair . " "1","an absorbing and unsettling psychological drama . " "1","this movie may not have the highest production values you've ever seen , but it's the work of an artist , one whose view of america , history and the awkwardness of human life is generous and deep . " "1","though it's not very well shot or composed or edited , the score is too insistent and the dialogue is frequently overwrought and crudely literal , the film shatters you in waves . " "1","the entire cast is extraordinarily good . " "1","yakusho , as always , is wonderful as the long-faced sad sack . . . and his chemistry with shimizu is very believable . " "1","the film delivers what it promises : a look at the "" wild ride "" that ensues when brash young men set out to conquer the online world with laptops , cell phones and sketchy business plans . " "1","young hanks and fisk , who vaguely resemble their celebrity parents , bring fresh good looks and an ease in front of the camera to the work . " "-1","simplistic , silly and tedious . " "-1","it's so laddish and juvenile , only teenage boys could possibly find it funny . " "-1","exploitative and largely devoid of the depth or sophistication that would make watching such a graphic treatment of the crimes bearable . " "-1","[garbus] discards the potential for pathological study , exhuming instead , the skewed melodrama of the circumstantial situation . " "-1","a visually flashy but narratively opaque and emotionally vapid exercise in style and mystification . " "-1","the story is also as unoriginal as they come , already having been recycled more times than i'd care to count . " "-1","about the only thing to give the movie points for is bravado -- to take an entirely stale concept and push it through the audience's meat grinder one more time . " "-1","not so much farcical as sour . " "-1","unfortunately the story and the actors are served with a hack script . " "-1","all the more disquieting for its relatively gore-free allusions to the serial murders , but it falls down in its attempts to humanize its subject . " "-1","a sentimental mess that never rings true . " "-1","while the performances are often engaging , this loose collection of largely improvised numbers would probably have worked better as a one-hour tv documentary . " "-1","interesting , but not compelling . " "-1","on a cutting room floor somewhere lies . . . footage that might have made no such thing a trenchant , ironic cultural satire instead of a frustrating misfire . " "-1","while the ensemble player who gained notice in guy ritchie's lock , stock and two smoking barrels and snatch has the bod , he's unlikely to become a household name on the basis of his first starring vehicle . " "-1","there is a difference between movies with the courage to go over the top and movies that don't care about being stupid " "-1","nothing here seems as funny as it did in analyze this , not even joe viterelli as de niro's right-hand goombah . " "-1","such master screenwriting comes courtesy of john pogue , the yale grad who previously gave us "" the skulls "" and last year's "" rollerball . "" enough said , except : film overboard ! " "-1","here , common sense flies out the window , along with the hail of bullets , none of which ever seem to hit sascha . " "-1","this 100-minute movie only has about 25 minutes of decent material . " "-1","the execution is so pedestrian that the most positive comment we can make is that rob schneider actually turns in a pretty convincing performance as a prissy teenage girl . " "-1","on its own , it's not very interesting . as a remake , it's a pale imitation . " "-1","it shows that some studios firmly believe that people have lost the ability to think and will forgive any shoddy product as long as there's a little girl-on-girl action . " "-1","a farce of a parody of a comedy of a premise , it isn't a comparison to reality so much as it is a commentary about our knowledge of films . " "-1","as exciting as all this exoticism might sound to the typical pax viewer , the rest of us will be lulled into a coma . " "-1","the party scenes deliver some tawdry kicks . the rest of the film . . . is dudsville . " "-1","our culture is headed down the toilet with the ferocity of a frozen burrito after an all-night tequila bender — and i know this because i've seen 'jackass : the movie . ' " "-1","the criticism never rises above easy , cynical potshots at morally bankrupt characters . . . " "-1","the movie's something-borrowed construction feels less the product of loving , well integrated homage and more like a mere excuse for the wan , thinly sketched story . killing time , that's all that's going on here . " "-1","stupid , infantile , redundant , sloppy , over-the-top , and amateurish . yep , it's "" waking up in reno . "" go back to sleep . " "-1","somewhere in the middle , the film compels , as demme experiments he harvests a few movie moment gems , but the field of roughage dominates . " "-1","the action clichés just pile up . " "-1","payami tries to raise some serious issues about iran's electoral process , but the result is a film that's about as subtle as a party political broadcast . " "-1","the only surprise is that heavyweights joel silver and robert zemeckis agreed to produce this ; i assume the director has pictures of them cavorting in ladies' underwear . " "-1","another useless recycling of a brutal mid-'70s american sports movie . " "-1","i didn't laugh . i didn't smile . i survived . " "-1","please , someone , stop eric schaeffer before he makes another film . " "-1","most of the problems with the film don't derive from the screenplay , but rather the mediocre performances by most of the actors involved " "-1"," . . . if you're just in the mood for a fun -- but bad -- movie , you might want to catch freaks as a matinee . " "-1","curling may be a unique sport but men with brooms is distinctly ordinary . " "-1","though the opera itself takes place mostly indoors , jacquot seems unsure of how to evoke any sort of naturalism on the set . " "-1","there's no getting around the fact that this is revenge of the nerds revisited -- again . " "-1","the effort is sincere and the results are honest , but the film is so bleak that it's hardly watchable . " "-1","analyze that regurgitates and waters down many of the previous film's successes , with a few new swings thrown in . " "-1","with flashbulb editing as cover for the absence of narrative continuity , undisputed is nearly incoherent , an excuse to get to the closing bout . . . by which time it's impossible to care who wins . " "-1","stinks from start to finish , like a wet burlap sack of gloom . " "-1","to the civilized mind , a movie like ballistic : ecks vs . sever is more of an ordeal than an amusement . " "-1","equlibrium could pass for a thirteen-year-old's book report on the totalitarian themes of 1984 and farenheit 451 . " "-1","the lack of naturalness makes everything seem self-consciously poetic and forced . . . it's a pity that [nelson's] achievement doesn't match his ambition . " "-1","everything is off . " "-1","when seagal appeared in an orange prison jumpsuit , i wanted to stand up in the theater and shout , 'hey , kool-aid ! ' " "-1","an easy watch , except for the annoying demeanour of its lead character . " "-1","imagine the cleanflicks version of 'love story , ' with ali macgraw's profanities replaced by romance-novel platitudes . " "-1","pc stability notwithstanding , the film suffers from a simplistic narrative and a pat , fairy-tale conclusion . " "-1","forget the misleading title , what's with the unexplained baboon cameo ? " "-1","an odd , haphazard , and inconsequential romantic comedy . " "-1","though her fans will assuredly have their funny bones tickled , others will find their humor-seeking dollars best spent elsewhere . " "-1","pascale bailly's rom-com provides amélie's audrey tautou with another fabuleux destin -- i . e . , a banal spiritual quest . " "-1","a static and sugary little half-hour , after-school special about interfaith understanding , stretched out to 90 minutes . " "-1","watching the chemistry between freeman and judd , however , almost makes this movie worth seeing . almost . " "-1"," . . . a pretentious and ultimately empty examination of a sick and evil woman . " "-1","the country bears has no scenes that will upset or frighten young viewers . unfortunately , there is almost nothing in this flat effort that will amuse or entertain them , either . " "-1","the cumulative effect of watching this 65-minute trifle is rather like being trapped while some weird relative trots out the video he took of the family vacation to stonehenge . before long , you're desperate for the evening to end . " "-1","the characters are never more than sketches . . . which leaves any true emotional connection or identification frustratingly out of reach . " "-1","mattei's underdeveloped effort here is nothing but a convenient conveyor belt of brooding personalities that parade about as if they were coming back from stock character camp -- a drowsy drama infatuated by its own pretentious self-examination . " "-1","only in its final surprising shots does rabbit-proof fence find the authority it's looking for . " "-1","isn't as sharp as the original . . . despite some visual virtues , 'blade ii' just doesn't cut it . " "-1"," . . . plays like a badly edited , 91-minute trailer ( and ) the director can't seem to get a coherent rhythm going . in fact , it doesn't even seem like she tried . " "-1","maybe leblanc thought , "" hey , the movie about the baseball-playing monkey was worse . "" " "-1","what you expect is just what you get . . . assuming the bar of expectations hasn't been raised above sixth-grade height . " "-1","barry sonnenfeld owes frank the pug big time " "-1","the biggest problem with roger avary's uproar against the mpaa is that , even in all its director's cut glory , he's made a film that's barely shocking , barely interesting and most of all , barely anything . " "-1","so riddled with unanswered questions that it requires gargantuan leaps of faith just to watch it plod along . " "-1","i approached the usher and said that if she had to sit through it again , she should ask for a raise . " "-1","earnest but heavy-handed . " "-1","if sinise's character had a brain his ordeal would be over in five minutes but instead the plot goes out of its way to introduce obstacles for him to stumble over . " "-1","too slow for a younger crowd , too shallow for an older one . " "-1","there's a reason the studio didn't offer an advance screening . "" the adventures of pluto nash "" is a big time stinker . " "-1","a punch line without a premise , a joke built entirely from musty memories of half-dimensional characters . " "-1","takes one character we don't like and another we don't believe , and puts them into a battle of wills that is impossible to care about and isn't very funny . " "-1","the things this movie tries to get the audience to buy just won't fly with most intelligent viewers . " "-1","even if the enticing prospect of a lot of nubile young actors in a film about campus depravity didn't fade amid the deliberate , tiresome ugliness , it would be rendered tedious by avary's failure to construct a story with even a trace of dramatic interest . " "-1","sitting through the last reel ( spoiler alert ! ) is significantly less charming than listening to a four-year-old with a taste for exaggeration recount his halloween trip to the haunted house . " "-1","confuses its message with an ultimate desire to please , and contorting itself into an idea of expectation is the last thing any of these three actresses , nor their characters , deserve . " "-1","deadly dull , pointless meditation on losers in a gone-to-seed hotel . " "-1","with this new rollerball , sense and sensibility have been overrun by what can only be characterized as robotic sentiment . " "-1","one can only assume that the jury who bestowed star hoffman's brother gordy with the waldo salt screenwriting award at 2002's sundance festival were honoring an attempt to do something different over actually pulling it off " "-1","a movie more to be prescribed than recommended -- as visually bland as a dentist's waiting room , complete with soothing muzak and a cushion of predictable narrative rhythms . " "-1","sex ironically has little to do with the story , which becomes something about how lame it is to try and evade your responsibilities and that you should never , ever , leave a large dog alone with a toddler . but never mind all that ; the boobs are fantasti " "-1","the script covers huge , heavy topics in a bland , surfacey way that doesn't offer any insight into why , for instance , good things happen to bad people . " "-1","a portrait of alienation so perfect , it will certainly succeed in alienating most viewers . " "-1","the code talkers deserved better than a hollow tribute . " "-1","skip the film and buy the philip glass soundtrack cd . " "-1","feels like a cold old man going through the motions . " "-1","dignified ceo's meet at a rustic retreat and pee against a tree . can you bear the laughter ? " "-1","dull and mechanical , kinda like a very goofy museum exhibit " "-1","there's no point of view , no contemporary interpretation of joan's prefeminist plight , so we're left thinking the only reason to make the movie is because present standards allow for plenty of nudity . " "-1","beware the quirky brit-com . they can and will turn on a dime from oddly humorous to tediously sentimental . " "-1","has its moments -- and almost as many subplots . " "-1","the gags , and the script , are a mixed bag . " "-1","completely awful iranian drama . . . as much fun as a grouchy ayatollah in a cold mosque . " "-1","narratively , trouble every day is a plodding mess . " "-1","there's no point in extracting the bare bones of byatt's plot for purposes of bland hollywood romance . " "-1","directors john musker and ron clements , the team behind the little mermaid , have produced sparkling retina candy , but they aren't able to muster a lot of emotional resonance in the cold vacuum of space . " "-1","adam sandler's heart may be in the right place , but he needs to pull his head out of his butt " "-1","there's no doubting that this is a highly ambitious and personal project for egoyan , but it's also one that , next to his best work , feels clumsy and convoluted . " "-1","despite engaging offbeat touches , knockaround guys rarely seems interested in kicking around a raison d'etre that's as fresh-faced as its young-guns cast . " "-1","it's all pretty tame . the most offensive thing about the movie is that hollywood expects people to pay to see it . " "-1","the movie is a mess from start to finish . " "-1","the trouble with making this queen a thoroughly modern maiden is that it also makes her appear foolish and shallow rather than , as was more likely , a victim of mental illness . " "-1","i'm not saying that ice age doesn't have some fairly pretty pictures , but there's not enough substance in the story to actually give them life . " "-1","in the telling of a story largely untold , bui chooses to produce something that is ultimately suspiciously familiar . " "-1","the plot is nothing but boilerplate clichés from start to finish , and the script assumes that not only would subtlety be lost on the target audience , but that it's also too stupid to realize that they've already seen this exact same movie a hundred times " "-1","terminally brain dead production . " "-1","some episodes work , some don't . " "-1","beautifully filmed and well acted . . . but admittedly problematic in its narrative specifics . " "-1","j . lo will earn her share of the holiday box office pie , although this movie makes one thing perfectly clear : she's a pretty woman , but she's no working girl . " "-1","rymer doesn't trust laughs -- and doesn't conjure proper respect for followers of the whole dead-undead genre , who deserve more from a vampire pic than a few shrieky special effects . " "-1","not only are the film's sopranos gags incredibly dated and unfunny , they also demonstrate how desperate the makers of this 'we're -doing-it-for -the-cash' sequel were . " "-1","wow . i have not been this disappointed by a movie in a long time . " "-1","off the hook is overlong and not well-acted , but credit writer-producer-director adam watstein with finishing it at all . " "-1","it's a drag how nettelbeck sees working women -- or at least this working woman -- for whom she shows little understanding . " "-1","watching harris ham it up while physically and emotionally disintegrating over the course of the movie has a certain poignancy in light of his recent death , but boyd's film offers little else of consequence . " "-1","it's also curious to note that this film , like the similarly ill-timed antitrust , is easily as bad at a fraction the budget . " "-1","'ejemplo de una cinta en que no importa el talento de su reparto o lo interesante que pudo haber resultado su premisa , pues el resultado es francamente aburrido y , por momentos , deplorable . ' " "-1","will probably be one of those movies barely registering a blip on the radar screen of 2002 . " "-1","the problem is not that it's all derivative , because plenty of funny movies recycle old tropes . the problem is that van wilder does little that is actually funny with the material . " "-1","there's nothing interesting in unfaithful whatsoever . " "-1","none of this is half as moving as the filmmakers seem to think . " "-1","a processed comedy chop suey . " "-1","as spent screen series go , star trek : nemesis is even more suggestive of a 65th class reunion mixer where only eight surviving members show up -- and there's nothing to drink . " "-1","fails as a dystopian movie , as a retooling of fahrenheit 451 , and even as a rip-off of the matrix . " "-1","full of the kind of obnoxious chitchat that only self-aware neurotics engage in . " "-1","an erotic thriller that's neither too erotic nor very thrilling , either . " "-1","the movie , like bartleby , is something of a stiff -- an extra-dry office comedy that seems twice as long as its 83 minutes . " "-1","with its parade of almost perpetually wasted characters . . . margarita feels like a hazy high that takes too long to shake . " "-1","if you value your time and money , find an escape clause and avoid seeing this trite , predictable rehash . " "-1","the director and her capable cast appear to be caught in a heady whirl of new age-inspired good intentions , but the spell they cast isn't the least bit mesmerizing . " "-1","everything is pegged into the groove of a new york dating comedy with 'issues' to simplify . " "-1","a dramatic comedy as pleasantly dishonest and pat as any hollywood fluff . " "-1","the cameo-packed , m : i-2-spoofing title sequence is the funniest 5 minutes to date in this spy comedy franchise . . . then mike myers shows up and ruins everything . " "-1","it comes off as so silly that you wouldn't be surprised if ba , murdock and rest of the a-team were seen giving chase in a black and red van . " "-1","the 50-something lovebirds are too immature and unappealing to care about . " "-1","so genial is the conceit , this is one of those rare pictures that you root for throughout , dearly hoping that the rich promise of the script will be realized on the screen . it never is , not fully . " "-1","even in the summertime , the most restless young audience deserves the dignity of an action hero motivated by something more than franchise possibilities . " "-1","what with all the blanket statements and dime-store ruminations on vanity , the worries of the rich and sudden wisdom , the film becomes a sermon for most of its running time . " "-1","one lousy movie . " "-1","as gamely as the movie tries to make sense of its title character , there remains a huge gap between the film's creepy , clean-cut dahmer ( jeremy renner ) and fiendish acts that no amount of earnest textbook psychologizing can bridge . " "-1","plodding , peevish and gimmicky . " "-1","the four feathers is definitely horse feathers , but if you go in knowing that , you might have fun in this cinematic sandbox . " "-1","oozes condescension from every pore . " "-1","solaris "" is a shapeless inconsequential move relying on the viewer to do most of the work . " "-1","the direction , by george hickenlooper , has no snap to it , no wiseacre crackle or hard-bitten cynicism . " "-1"," . . . hypnotically dull . " "-1","though this saga would be terrific to read about , it is dicey screen material that only a genius should touch . " "-1","it has plenty of laughs . it just doesn't have much else . . . especially in a moral sense . " "-1","an awful lot like one of [spears'] music videos in content -- except that it goes on for at least 90 more minutes and , worse , that you have to pay if you want to see it . " "-1","confusion is one of my least favourite emotions , especially when i have to put up with 146 minutes of it . " "-1","[h]ad i suffered and bled on the hard ground of ia drang , i'd want something a bit more complex than we were soldiers to be remembered by . " "-1","occasionally loud and offensive , but more often , it simply lulls you into a gentle waking coma . " "-1","it may play well as a double feature with mainstream foreign mush like my big fat greek wedding " "-1","by the time you reach the finale , you're likely wondering why you've been watching all this strutting and posturing . " "-1","journalistically dubious , inept and often lethally dull . " "-1","putting the primitive murderer inside a high-tech space station unleashes a pandora's box of special effects that run the gamut from cheesy to cheesier to cheesiest . " "-1"," at its best , it's black hawk down with more heart . at its worst , it's rambo- meets-john ford . " "-1","exactly what you'd expect from a guy named kaos . " "-1","calculated swill . " "-1","this movie . . . doesn't deserve the energy it takes to describe how bad it is . " "-1","with or without ballast tanks , k-19 sinks to a harrison ford low . " "-1","director oliver parker labors so hard to whip life into the importance of being earnest that he probably pulled a muscle or two . " "-1","you might be shocked to discover that seinfeld's real life is boring . " "-1","it's not nearly as fresh or enjoyable as its predecessor , but there are enough high points to keep this from being a complete waste of time . " "-1","walsh can't quite negotiate the many inconsistencies in janice's behavior or compensate for them by sheer force of charm . " "-1","this 10th film in the series looks and feels tired . " "-1","it leers , offering next to little insight into its intriguing subject . " "-1","i found myself growing more and more frustrated and detached as vincent became more and more abhorrent . " "-1","one of the oddest and most inexplicable sequels in movie history . " "-1","there's nothing to gain from watching they . it isn't scary . it hates its characters . it finds no way to entertain or inspire its viewers . " "-1","fear permeates the whole of stortelling , todd solondz' oftentimes funny , yet ultimately cowardly autocritique . " "-1","the skirmishes for power waged among victims and predators settle into an undistinguished rhythm of artificial suspense . " "-1","thoroughly awful . " "-1"," . . . ice age treads predictably along familiar territory , making it a passable family film that won't win many fans over the age of 12 . " "-1","though the film is well-intentioned , one could rent the original and get the same love story and parable . " "-1","just too silly and sophomoric to ensnare its target audience . " "-1","the video work is so grainy and rough , so dependent on being 'naturalistic' rather than carefully lit and set up , that it's exhausting to watch . " "-1","truly terrible . " "-1","a cleverly crafted but ultimately hollow mockumentary . " "-1","it gets bogged down by hit-and-miss topical humour before getting to the truly good stuff . " "-1","an achingly enthralling premise , the film is hindered by uneven dialogue and plot lapses . " "-1","it's tommy's job to clean the peep booths surrounding her , and after viewing this one , you'll feel like mopping up , too . " "-1","rifkin no doubt fancies himself something of a hubert selby jr . , but there isn't an ounce of honest poetry in his entire script ; it's simply crude and unrelentingly exploitative . " "-1","fluffy and disposible . " "-1","such a bad movie that its luckiest viewers will be seated next to one of those ignorant pinheads who talk throughout the show . " "-1","if you go into the theater expecting a scary , action-packed chiller , you might soon be looking for a sign . an exit sign , that is . " "-1","holds limited appeal to those who like explosions , sadism and seeing people beat each other to a pulp . " "-1","the dialogue is very choppy and monosyllabic despite the fact that it is being dubbed . " "-1","a feature-length , r-rated , road-trip version of mama's family . " "-1","what you end up getting is the vertical limit of surfing movies - memorable stunts with lots of downtime in between . " "-1","stealing harvard doesn't care about cleverness , wit or any other kind of intelligent humor . " "-1","bigelow handles the nuclear crisis sequences evenly but milks drama when she should be building suspense , and drags out too many scenes toward the end that should move quickly . " "-1","there's undeniable enjoyment to be had from films crammed with movie references , but the fun wears thin -- then out -- when there's nothing else happening . " "-1","imagine kevin smith , the blasphemous bad boy of suburban jersey , if he were stripped of most of his budget and all of his sense of humor . the result might look like vulgar . " "-1","suffers from a lack of clarity and audacity that a subject as monstrous and pathetic as dahmer demands . " "-1","what soured me on the santa clause 2 was that santa bumps up against 21st century reality so hard , it's icky . " "-1","it's an 88-minute highlight reel that's 86 minutes too long . " "-1","the film favors the scientific over the spectacular ( visually speaking ) . " "-1","such an incomprehensible mess that it feels less like bad cinema than like being stuck in a dark pit having a nightmare about bad cinema . " "-1","with the exception of mccoist , the players don't have a clue on the park . the acting isn't much better . " "-1","the whole affair is as predictable as can be . " "-1","a not-so-divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood with a hefty helping of re-fried green tomatoes . " "-1","this cloying , voices-from-the-other-side story is hell . " "-1","a suffocating rape-payback horror show that hinges on the subgenre's most enabling victim . . . and an ebullient affection for industrial-model meat freezers . " "-1","star trek was kind of terrific once , but now it is a copy of a copy of a copy . " "-1","[n]o matter how much good will the actors generate , showtime eventually folds under its own thinness . " "-1","every potential twist is telegraphed well in advance , every performance respectably muted ; the movie itself seems to have been made under the influence of rohypnol . " "-1","puts on airs of a hal hartley wannabe film -- without the vital comic ingredient of the hilarious writer-director himself . " "-1","ver wiel's desperate attempt at wit is lost , leaving the character of critical jim two-dimensional and pointless . " "-1","despite a performance of sustained intelligence from stanford and another of subtle humour from bebe neuwirth , as an older woman who seduces oscar , the film founders on its lack of empathy for the social milieu - rich new york intelligentsia - and its off " "-1","although disney follows its standard formula in this animated adventure , it feels more forced than usual . " "-1","gaghan . . . has thrown every suspenseful cliché in the book at this nonsensical story . " "-1","a sham construct based on theory , sleight-of-hand , and ill-wrought hypothesis . " "-1","[p]artnering murphy with robert de niro for the tv-cops comedy showtime would seem to be surefire casting . the catch is that they're stuck with a script that prevents them from firing on all cylinders . " "-1","'you'll laugh for not quite and hour and a half , but come out feeling strangely unsatisfied . you'll feel like you ate a reeses without the peanut butter . . . ' " "-1","gooding offers a desperately ingratiating performance . " "-1","parker should be commended for taking a fresh approach to familiar material , but his determination to remain true to the original text leads him to adopt a somewhat mannered tone . . . that ultimately dulls the human tragedy at the story's core . " "-1","the director has injected self-consciousness into the proceedings at every turn . the results are far more alienating than involving . " "-1","bogdanich is unashamedly pro-serbian and makes little attempt to give voice to the other side . " "-1","a lack of thesis makes maryam , in the end , play out with the intellectual and emotional impact of an after-school special . " "-1","the worst film of the year . " "-1","by-the-numbers yarn . " "-1","without shakespeare's eloquent language , the update is dreary and sluggish . " "-1","if h . g . wells had a time machine and could take a look at his kin's reworked version , what would he say ? 'it looks good , sonny , but you missed the point . ' " "-1","during the tuxedo's 90 minutes of screen time , there isn't one true 'chan moment' . " "-1","bisset delivers a game performance , but she is unable to save the movie . " "-1","watching austin powers in goldmember is like binging on cotton candy . it's sweet and fluffy at the time , but it may leave you feeling a little sticky and unsatisfied . " "-1","the most anti-human big studio picture since 3000 miles to graceland . " "-1","the film can depress you about life itself . " "-1","i'm sure the filmmakers found this a remarkable and novel concept , but anybody who has ever seen an independent film can report that it is instead a cheap cliché . " "-1","the acting is fine but the script is about as interesting as a recording of conversations at the wal-mart checkout line . " "-1","its weighty themes are too grave for youngsters , but the story is too steeped in fairy tales and other childish things to appeal much to teenagers . " "-1","the plot plummets into a comedy graveyard before janice comes racing to the rescue in the final reel . " "-1","sometimes there are very , very good reasons for certain movies to be sealed in a jar and left on a remote shelf indefinitely . " "-1","at 90 minutes this movie is short , but it feels much longer . " "-1","here's my advice , kev . start reading your scripts before signing that dotted line . " "-1","an alternately raucous and sappy ethnic sitcom . . . you'd be wise to send your regrets . " "-1","an ugly-duckling tale so hideously and clumsily told it feels accidental . " "-1","unfortunately , it's also not very good . especially compared with the television series that inspired the movie . " "-1","it wraps up a classic mother/daughter struggle in recycled paper with a shiny new bow and while the audience can tell it's not all new , at least it looks pretty . " "-1","glazed with a tawdry b-movie scum . " "-1","this is the kind of movie during which you want to bang your head on the seat in front of you , at its cluelessness , at its idiocy , at its utterly misplaced earnestness . " "-1","it winds up moving in many directions as it searches ( vainly , i think ) for something fresh to say . " "-1","all in all , road to perdition is more in love with strangeness than excellence . " "-1","a big fat pain . " "-1","a mimetic approximation of better films like contempt and 8 1/2 . " "-1","unintelligible , poorly acted , brain-slappingly bad , harvard man is ludicrous enough that it could become a cult classic . " "-1","watching the powerpuff girls movie , my mind kept returning to one anecdote for comparison : the cartoon in japan that gave people seizures . " "-1","aan opportunity wasted . " "-1","an inelegant combination of two unrelated shorts that falls far short of the director's previous work in terms of both thematic content and narrative strength . " "-1","to build a feel-good fantasy around a vain dictator-madman is off-putting , to say the least , not to mention inappropriate and wildly undeserved . " "-1","with the cheesiest monsters this side of a horror spoof , which they isn't , it is more likely to induce sleep than fright . " "-1","mild , meandering teen flick . " "-1","though its atmosphere is intriguing . . . the drama is finally too predictable to leave much of an impression . " "-1","though this rude and crude film does deliver a few gut-busting laughs , its digs at modern society are all things we've seen before . " "-1","although it tries to be much more , it's really just another major league . " "-1","astonishing isn't the word -- neither is incompetent , incoherent or just plain crap . indeed , none of these words really gets at the very special type of badness that is deuces wild . " "-1","one thing is for sure : this movie does not tell you a whole lot about lily chou-chou . " "-1","with a tone as variable as the cinematography , schaeffer's film never settles into the light-footed enchantment the material needs , and the characters' quirks and foibles never jell into charm . " "-1","to better understand why this didn't connect with me would require another viewing , and i won't be sitting through this one again . . . that in itself is commentary enough . " "-1","cuba gooding jr . valiantly mugs his way through snow dogs , but even his boisterous energy fails to spark this leaden comedy . " "-1","diane lane's sophisticated performance can't rescue adrian lyne's unfaithful from its sleazy moralizing . " "-1","not at all clear what it's trying to say and even if it were – i doubt it would be all that interesting . " "-1","storytelling feels slight . " "-1","[swimfan] falls victim to sloppy plotting , an insultingly unbelievable final act and a villainess who is too crazy to be interesting . " "-1","this remake of lina wertmuller's 1975 eroti-comedy might just be the biggest husband-and-wife disaster since john and bo derek made the ridiculous bolero . " "-1","silly , loud and goofy . " "-1","why spend $9 on the same stuff you can get for a buck or so in that greasy little vidgame pit in the theater lobby ? " "-1","the french director has turned out nearly 21/2 hours of unfocused , excruciatingly tedious cinema that , half an hour in , starts making water torture seem appealing . " "-1","the basic premise is intriguing but quickly becomes distasteful and downright creepy . " "-1","the pool drowned me in boredom . " "-1","it's like an all-star salute to disney's cheesy commercialism . " "-1","it's hard to imagine any recent film , independent or otherwise , that makes as much of a mess as this one . " "-1","some of the computer animation is handsome , and various amusing sidekicks add much-needed levity to the otherwise bleak tale , but overall the film never rises above mediocrity . " "-1","there's an excellent 90-minute film here ; unfortunately , it runs for 170 . " "-1","as saccharine movies go , this is likely to cause massive cardiac arrest if taken in large doses . " "-1","die another day is only intermittently entertaining but it's hard not to be a sucker for its charms , or perhaps it's just impossible not to feel nostalgia for movies you grew up with . " "-1","as is often the case with ambitious , eager first-time filmmakers , mr . murray , a prolific director of music videos , stuffs his debut with more plot than it can comfortably hold . " "-1","the mystery of enigma is how a rich historical subject , combined with so much first-rate talent . . . could have yielded such a flat , plodding picture . " "-1","it throws quirky characters , odd situations , and off-kilter dialogue at us , all as if to say , "" look at this ! this is an interesting movie ! "" but the film itself is ultimately quite unengaging . " "-1","the inherent limitations of using a video game as the source material movie are once again made all too clear in this schlocky horror/action hybrid . " "-1","bad company . bad movie . just plain bad . " "-1","it's not only dull because we've seen [eddie] murphy do the genial-rogue shtick to death , but because the plot is equally hackneyed . " "-1","avary's film never quite emerges from the shadow of ellis' book . " "-1","a poorly scripted , preachy fable that forgets about unfolding a coherent , believable story in its zeal to spread propaganda . " "-1","while it is interesting to witness the conflict from the palestinian side , longley's film lacks balance . . . and fails to put the struggle into meaningful historical context . " "-1","woo has as much right to make a huge action sequence as any director , but how long will filmmakers copy the "" saving private ryan "" battle scenes before realizing steven spielberg got it right the first time ? " "-1","it's sincere to a fault , but , unfortunately , not very compelling or much fun . " "-1"," . . . jones , despite a definitely distinctive screen presence , just isn't able to muster for a movie that , its title notwithstanding , should have been a lot nastier if it wanted to fully capitalize on its lead's specific gifts . " "-1","this follow-up seems so similar to the 1953 disney classic that it makes one long for a geriatric peter . " "-1","why , you may ask , why should you buy the movie milk when the tv cow is free ? there's no good answer to that one . " "-1","this slow-moving swedish film offers not even a hint of joy , preferring to focus on the humiliation of martin as he defecates in bed and urinates on the plants at his own birthday party . " "-1","a muddled limp biscuit of a movie , a vampire soap opera that doesn't make much sense even on its own terms . " "-1","there's the plot , and a maddeningly insistent and repetitive piano score that made me want to scream . " "-1","this is a movie so insecure about its capacity to excite that it churns up not one but two flagrantly fake thunderstorms to underscore the action . " "-1","this is amusing for about three minutes . " "-1","klein , charming in comedies like american pie and dead-on in election , delivers one of the saddest action hero performances ever witnessed . " "-1","it's rare to see a movie that takes such a speedy swan dive from "" promising "" to "" interesting "" to "" familiar "" before landing squarely on "" stupid "" . " "-1","this is the sort of low-grade dreck that usually goes straight to video --with a lousy script , inept direction , pathetic acting , poorly dubbed dialogue and murky cinematography , complete with visible boom mikes . " "-1","the direction occasionally rises to the level of marginal competence , but for most of the film it is hard to tell who is chasing who or why . " "-1","there are few things more frustrating to a film buff than seeing an otherwise good movie marred beyond redemption by a disastrous ending . " "-1","it won't harm anyone , but neither can i think of a very good reason to rush right out and see it . after all , it'll probably be in video stores by christmas , and it might just be better suited to a night in the living room than a night at the movies . " "-1","looks more like a travel-agency video targeted at people who like to ride bikes topless and roll in the mud than a worthwhile glimpse of independent-community guiding lights . " "-1","given too much time to consider the looseness of the piece , the picture begins to resemble the shapeless , grasping actors' workshop that it is . " "-1","they kept much of the plot but jettisoned the stuff that would make this a moving experience for people who haven't read the book . " "-1","just because a walk to remember is shrewd enough to activate girlish tear ducts doesn't mean it's good enough for our girls . " "-1","[carvey's] characters are both overplayed and exaggerated , but then again , subtlety has never been his trademark . " "-1","it's mildly interesting to ponder the peculiar american style of justice that plays out here , but it's so muddled and derivative that few will bother thinking it all through . " "-1","this dreadfully earnest inversion of the concubine love triangle eschews the previous film's historical panorama and roiling pathos for bug-eyed mugging and gay-niche condescension . " "-1","brown's saga , like many before his , makes for snappy prose but a stumblebum of a movie . " "-1","the boys' sparring , like the succession of blows dumped on guei , wears down the story's more cerebral , and likable , plot elements . " "-1","the script by vincent r . nebrida . . . tries to cram too many ingredients into one small pot . " "-1","the story is so light and sugary that were it a macy's thanksgiving day parade balloon , extra heavy-duty ropes would be needed to keep it from floating away . " "-1","oedekerk mugs mercilessly , and the genuinely funny jokes are few and far between . " "-1","since dahmer resorts to standard slasher flick thrills when it should be most in the mind of the killer , it misses a major opportunity to be truly revelatory about his psyche . " "-1","only those most addicted to film violence in all its forms will find anything here to appreciate . " "-1","cold and scattered , minority report commands interest almost solely as an exercise in gorgeous visuals . that's not vintage spielberg and that , finally , is minimally satisfying . " "-1","every now and again , a movie comes along to remind us of how very bad a motion picture can truly be . frank mcklusky c . i . is that movie ! " "-1","it's not difficult to spot the culprit early-on in this predictable thriller . " "-1","[a] soulless , stupid sequel . . . " "-1"," . . . a mostly boring affair with a confusing sudden finale that's likely to irk viewers . " "-1","the trappings of i spy are so familiar you might as well be watching a rerun . " "-1","what starts off as a potentially incredibly twisting mystery becomes simply a monster chase film . " "-1","in the wake of saving private ryan , black hawk down and we were soldiers , you are likely to be as heartily sick of mayhem as cage's war-weary marine . " "-1","it is messy , uncouth , incomprehensible , vicious and absurd . " "-1","really does feel like a short stretched out to feature length . " "-1","hampered -- no , paralyzed -- by a self-indulgent script . . . that aims for poetry and ends up sounding like satire . " "-1","cheap , vulgar dialogue and a plot that crawls along at a snail's pace . " "-1","and if you appreciate the one-sided theme to lawrence's over-indulgent tirade , then knock yourself out and enjoy the big screen postcard that is a self-glorified martin lawrence lovefest . if you are willing to do this , then you so crazy ! " "-1","directed without the expected flair or imagination by hong kong master john woo , windtalkers airs just about every cliche in the war movie compendium across its indulgent two-hour-and-fifteen-minute length . " "-1","it's a very tasteful rock and roll movie . you could put it on a coffee table anywhere . " "-1","the movie is loaded with good intentions , but in his zeal to squeeze the action and our emotions into the all-too-familiar dramatic arc of the holocaust escape story , minac drains his movie of all individuality . " "-1","an infuriating film . just when you think you are making sense of it , something happens that tells you there is no sense . " "-1","the entire movie is so formulaic and forgettable that it's hardly over before it begins to fade from memory . " "-1","the setting turns out to be more interesting than any of the character dramas , which never reach satisfying conclusions . " "-1","as an entertainment destination for the general public , kung pow sets a new benchmark for lameness . " "-1","this misty-eyed southern nostalgia piece , in treading the line between sappy and sanguine , winds up mired in tear-drenched quicksand . " "-1","as pure over-the-top trash , any john waters movie has it beat by a country mile . " "-1","wendigo wants to be a monster movie for the art-house crowd , but it falls into the trap of pretention almost every time . " "-1","bigelow offers some flashy twists and turns that occasionally fortify this turgid fable . but for the most part , the weight of water comes off as a two-way time-switching myopic mystery that stalls in its lackluster gear of emotional blandness . " "-1","this film biggest problem ? no laughs . " "-1","less-than-compelling documentary of a yiddish theater clan . " "-1","that the chuck norris "" grenade gag "" occurs about 7 times during windtalkers is a good indication of how serious-minded the film is . " "-1","viewers are asked so often to suspend belief that were it not for holm's performance , the film would be a total washout . " "-1","it's not exactly worth the bucks to expend the full price for a date , but when it comes out on video , it's well worth a rental . " "-1","i can't begin to tell you how tedious , how resolutely unamusing , how thoroughly unrewarding all of this is , and what a reckless squandering of four fine acting talents . . . " "-1","everybody loves a david and goliath story , and this one is told almost entirely from david's point of view . " "-1","throw smoochy from the train ! " "-1","eventually , they will have a showdown , but , by then , your senses are as mushy as peas and you don't care who fires the winning shot . " "-1","irwin and his director never come up with an adequate reason why we should pay money for what we can get on television for free . " "-1","a light , engaging comedy that fumbles away almost all of its accumulated enjoyment with a crucial third act miscalculation . " "-1","cedar somewhat defuses this provocative theme by submerging it in a hoary love triangle . " "-1","to paraphrase a line from another dickens' novel , nicholas nickleby is too much like a fragment of an underdone potato . " "-1","the actresses may have worked up a back story for the women they portray so convincingly , but viewers don't get enough of that background for the characters to be involving as individuals rather than types . " "-1","the result , however well-intentioned , is ironically just the sort of disposable , kitchen-sink homage that illustrates why the whole is so often less than the sum of its parts in today's hollywood . " "-1","an extremely unpleasant film . " "-1","a movie just for friday fans , critics be damned . if you already like this sort of thing , this is that sort of thing all over again . " "-1","a sincere but dramatically conflicted gay coming-of-age tale . " "-1","wait for it to hit cable . " "-1","ultimately feels like just one more in the long line of films this year about the business of making movies . " "-1","a high-minded snoozer . " "-1","nothing but one relentlessly depressing situation after another for its entire running time , something that you could easily be dealing with right now in your lives . " "-1","77 minutes of pokemon may not last 4ever , it just seems like it does . my only wish is that celebi could take me back to a time before i saw this movie and i could just skip it . " "-1","the one not-so-small problem with expecting is that the entire exercise has no real point . " "-1","a movie you observe , rather than one you enter into . " "-1","[at least] moore is a real charmer . " "-1","john carlen's script is full of unhappy , two-dimensional characters who are anything but compelling . " "-1","labute can't avoid a fatal mistake in the modern era : he's changed the male academic from a lower-class brit to an american , a choice that upsets the novel's exquisite balance and shreds the fabric of the film . " "-1","the notion of deleting emotion from people , even in an advanced prozac nation , is so insanely dysfunctional that the rampantly designed equilibrium becomes a concept doofus . " "-1","stale first act , scrooge story , blatant product placement , some very good comedic songs , strong finish , dumb fart jokes . " "-1","unsurprisingly , the way this all works out makes the women look more like stereotypical caretakers and moral teachers , instead of serious athletes . " "-1","a film that loses sight of its own story . " "-1","adam sandler's eight crazy nights grows on you -- like a rash . " "-1","the big-screen scooby makes the silly original cartoon seem smart and well-crafted in comparison . " "-1","few of the increasingly far-fetched events that first-time writer-director neil burger follows up with are terribly convincing , which is a pity , considering barry's terrific performance . " "-1","gets better after foster leaves that little room . " "-1","the movie is as padded as allen's jelly belly . " "-1","resident evil isn't a product of its cinematic predecessors so much as an mtv , sugar hysteria , and playstation cocktail . " "-1","a rather average action film that benefits from several funny moments supplied by epps . " "-1"," . . . unspeakably , unbearably dull , featuring reams of flatly delivered dialogue and a heroine who comes across as both shallow and dim-witted . " "-1","resembles a soft porn brian de palma pastiche . " "-1","bluto blutarsky , we miss you . " "-1","innocuous enough to make even jean-claude van damme look good . " "-1","it's a glorified sitcom , and a long , unfunny one at that . " "-1","woody allen can write and deliver a one liner as well as anybody . but i had a lot of problems with this movie . " "-1","execrable . " "-1","devoid of any of the qualities that made the first film so special . " "-1","all movie long , city by the sea swings from one approach to the other , but in the end , it stays in formula -- which is a waste of de niro , mcdormand and the other good actors in the cast . " "-1","plotless collection of moronic stunts is by far the worst movie of the year . " "-1","however sincere it may be , the rising place never quite justifies its own existence . " "-1","parker updates the setting in an attempt to make the film relevant today , without fully understanding what it was that made the story relevant in the first place . " "-1","it's sort of a 21st century morality play with a latino hip hop beat . but the second half of the movie really goes downhill . " "-1","paxton's uneven directorial debut fails to unlock the full potential of what is in many ways a fresh and dramatically substantial spin on the genre . " "-1","the script becomes lifeless and falls apart like a cheap lawn chair . " "-1","the script falls back on too many tried-and-true shenanigans that hardly distinguish it from the next teen comedy . " "-1","the film starts promisingly , but the ending is all too predictable and far too cliched to really work . " "-1","let's issue a moratorium , effective immediately , on treacly films about inspirational prep-school professors and the children they so heartwarmingly motivate . " "-1","it's the element of condescension , as the filmmakers look down on their working-class subjects from their lofty perch , that finally makes sex with strangers , which opens today in the new york metropolitan area , so distasteful . " "-1","alternately frustrating and rewarding . " "-1","it's impossible to even categorize this as a smutty guilty pleasure . " "-1","despite suffering a sense-of-humour failure , the man who wrote rocky does not deserve to go down with a ship as leaky as this . " "-1","swinging , the film makes it seem , is not a hobby that attracts the young and fit . or intelligent . " "-1","the most memorable moment was when green threw medical equipment at a window ; not because it was particularly funny , but because i had a serious urge to grab the old lady at the end of my aisle's walker and toss it at the screen in frustration . " "-1","see clockstoppers if you have nothing better to do with 94 minutes . but be warned , you too may feel time has decided to stand still . or that the battery on your watch has died . " "-1","suffers from over-familiarity since hit-hungry british filmmakers have strip-mined the monty formula mercilessly since 1997 . " "-1","there are enough throwaway references to faith and rainbows to plant smile-button faces on that segment of the populace that made a walk to remember a niche hit . " "-1","yes , i have given this movie a rating of zero . but fans of the show should not consider this a diss . consider it 'perfection . ' " "-1","the cumulative effect of the movie is repulsive and depressing . " "-1","children and adults enamored of all things pokemon won't be disappointed . " "-1","i don't even care that there's no plot in this antonio banderas-lucy liu faceoff . it's still terrible ! " "-1","children of the century , though well dressed and well made , ultimately falls prey to the contradiction that afflicts so many movies about writers . " "-1","it's not so much a movie as a joint promotion for the national basketball association and teenaged rap and adolescent poster-boy lil' bow wow . " "-1","peralta's mythmaking could have used some informed , adult hindsight . " "-1","amazingly dopey . " "-1","a close-to-solid espionage thriller with the misfortune of being released a few decades too late . " "-1","cloaks a familiar anti-feminist equation ( career - kids = misery ) in tiresome romantic-comedy duds . " "-1","the good girl is a film in which the talent is undeniable but the results are underwhelming . " "-1","just a collection of this and that -- whatever fills time -- with no unified whole . " "-1","the animation and game phenomenon that peaked about three years ago is actually dying a slow death , if the poor quality of pokemon 4 ever is any indication . " "-1","only about as sexy and dangerous as an actress in a role that reminds at every turn of elizabeth berkley's flopping dolphin-gasm . " "-1","kids who are into this thornberry stuff will probably be in wedgie heaven . anyone else who may , for whatever reason , be thinking about going to see this movie is hereby given fair warning . " "-1","mr . soderbergh's direction and visual style struck me as unusually and unimpressively fussy and pretentious . " "-1","do you say "" hi "" to your lover when you wake up in the morning ? " "-1","it makes me feel weird / thinking about all the bad things in the world / like puppies with broken legs / and butterflies that die / and movies starring pop queens " "-1","director tom dey demonstrated a knack for mixing action and idiosyncratic humor in his charming 2000 debut shanghai noon , but showtime's uninspired send-up of tv cop show cliches mostly leaves him shooting blanks . " "-1","banal and predictable . " "-1","'yes , that's right : it's forrest gump , angel of death . ' " "-1","a wildly erratic drama with sequences that make you wince in embarrassment and others , thanks to the actors , that are quite touching . " "-1","while easier to sit through than most of jaglom's self-conscious and gratingly irritating films , it's still tainted by cliches , painful improbability and murky points . " "-1","about as enjoyable , i would imagine , as searching for a quarter in a giant pile of elephant feces . . . positively dreadful . " "-1","a generic international version of a typical american horror film . " "-1"," . . . while certainly clever in spots , this too-long , spoofy update of shakespeare's macbeth doesn't sustain a high enough level of invention . " "-1","crikey indeed . " "-1","lucas has in fact come closer than anyone could desire to the cheap , graceless , hackneyed sci-fi serials of the '30s and '40s . " "-1","there's a lot of good material here , but there's also a lot of redundancy and unsuccessful crudeness accompanying it . " "-1","absurdities and clichés accumulate like lint in a fat man's navel . " "-1","if you think it's a riot to see rob schneider in a young woman's clothes , then you'll enjoy the hot chick . " "-1","the sheer dumbness of the plot ( other than its one good idea ) and the movie's inescapable air of sleaziness get you down . " "-1","strangely comes off as a kingdom more mild than wild . " "-1","the next big thing's not-so-big ( and not-so-hot ) directorial debut . " "-1","yet another iteration of what's become one of the movies' creepiest conventions , in which the developmentally disabled are portrayed with almost supernatural powers to humble , teach and ultimately redeem their mentally "" superior "" friends , family . . . " "-1","bond-inspired ? certainly . likely to have decades of life as a classic movie franchise ? let's hope not . " "-1","this flat run at a hip-hop tootsie is so poorly paced you could fit all of pootie tang in between its punchlines . " "-1","davis has energy , but she doesn't bother to make her heroine's book sound convincing , the gender-war ideas original , or the comic scenes fly . " "-1","surprisingly , considering that baird is a former film editor , the movie is rather choppy . " "-1","none of this is very original , and it isn't particularly funny . " "-1"," . . . a bland murder-on-campus yawner . " "-1","a humorless journey into a philosophical void . " "-1","these two are generating about as much chemistry as an iraqi factory poised to receive a un inspector . " "-1","responsável direto pelo fracasso 'artístico' de doce lar , o roteirista c . jay cox não consegue sequer aproveitar os pouquíssimos momentos em que escapa da mediocridade . " "-1","just as the lousy tarantino imitations have subsided , here comes the first lousy guy ritchie imitation . " "-1","a passable romantic comedy , in need of another couple of passes through the word processor . " "-1","the movie attempts to mine laughs from a genre -- the gangster/crime comedy -- that wore out its welcome with audiences several years ago , and its cutesy reliance on movie-specific cliches isn't exactly endearing . " "-1","shows holmes has the screen presence to become a major-league leading lady , ( but ) the movie itself is an underachiever , a psychological mystery that takes its sweet time building to a climax that's scarcely a surprise by the time it arrives . " "-1","in the book-on-tape market , the film of "" the kid stays in the picture "" would be an abridged edition " "-1","ultimately . . . the movie is too heady for children , and too preachy for adults . " "-1","it's just a little too self-satisfied . " "-1","clever but not especially compelling . " "-1","mckay seems embarrassed by his own invention and tries to rush through the intermediary passages , apparently hoping that the audience will not notice the glaring triteness of the plot device he has put in service . " "-1","a piece of mildly entertaining , inoffensive fluff that drifts aimlessly for 90 minutes before lodging in the cracks of that ever-growing category : unembarrassing but unmemorable . " "-1","labute was more fun when his characters were torturing each other psychologically and talking about their genitals in public . " "-1","the movie weighs no more than a glass of flat champagne . " "-1","brisk hack job . " "-1","the problem with antwone fisher is that it has a screenplay written by antwone fisher based on the book by antwone fisher . " "-1","alarms for duvall's throbbing sincerity and his elderly propensity for patting people while he talks . " "-1","…the maudlin way its story unfolds suggests a director fighting against the urge to sensationalize his material . " "-1","what little grace [rifkin's] tale of precarious skid-row dignity achieves is pushed into the margins by predictable plotting and tiresome histrionics . " "-1","tries to work in the same vein as the brilliance of animal house but instead comes closer to the failure of the third revenge of the nerds sequel . " "-1","unfortunately , kapur modernizes a . e . w . mason's story to suit the sensibilities of a young american , a decision that plucks "" the four feathers "" bare . " "-1"," . . . what a banal bore the preachy circuit turns out to be " "-1","falsehoods pile up , undermining the movie's reality and stifling its creator's comic voice . " "-1","a mechanical action-comedy whose seeming purpose is to market the charismatic jackie chan to even younger audiences . " "-1","one of the most incoherent features in recent memory . " "-1","low rent from frame one . " "-1","eight legged freaks ? no big hairy deal . " "-1","the issues are presented in such a lousy way , complete with some of the year's ( unintentionally ) funniest moments , that it's impossible to care . " "-1","laggard drama wending its way to an uninspired philosophical epiphany . " "-1","the respective charms of sandra bullock and hugh grant have worn threadbare . " "-1","'this movie sucks . ' " "-1","none of this so-called satire has any sting to it , as if woody is afraid of biting the hand that has finally , to some extent , warmed up to him . " "-1"," . . . bibbidy-bobbidi-bland . " "-1","a few nonbelievers may rethink their attitudes when they see the joy the characters take in this creed , but skeptics aren't likely to enter the theater . " "-1","bad in such a bizarre way that it's almost worth seeing , if only to witness the crazy confluence of purpose and taste . " "-1","there's more repetition than creativity throughout the movie . " "-1","hugh grant's act is so consuming that sometimes it's difficult to tell who the other actors in the movie are . " "-1","although the sequel has all the outward elements of the original , the first film's lovely flakiness is gone , replaced by the forced funniness found in the dullest kiddie flicks . " "-1","i've had more interesting -- and , dare i say , thematically complex -- bowel movements than this long-on-the-shelf , point-and-shoot exercise in gimmicky crime drama . " "-1","what we get . . . is caddyshack crossed with the loyal order of raccoons . " "-1","the jokes are flat , and the action looks fake . " "-1","when a movie asks you to feel sorry for mick jagger's sex life , it already has one strike against it . " "-1","there are now two signs that m . night shyamalan's debut feature sucked up all he has to give to the mystic genres of cinema : unbreakable and signs . " "-1"," . . . hokey art house pretension . " "-1"," . . . a weak and ineffective ghost story without a conclusion or pay off . " "-1","gussied up with so many distracting special effects and visual party tricks that it's not clear whether we're supposed to shriek or laugh . " "-1","plodding , poorly written , murky and weakly acted , the picture feels as if everyone making it lost their movie mojo . " "-1","this is a fudged opportunity of gigantic proportions -- a lunar mission with no signs of life . " "-1","a baffling subplot involving smuggling drugs inside danish cows falls flat , and if you're going to alter the bard's ending , you'd better have a good alternative . " "-1","soderbergh seems capable only of delivering artfully lighted , earnest inquiries that lack the kind of genuine depth that would make them redeemable . " "-1","the only thing that distinguishes a randall wallace film from any other is the fact that there is nothing distinguishing in a randall wallace film . " "-1","silly stuff , all mixed up together like a term paper from a kid who can't quite distinguish one sci-fi work from another . " "-1","there is so much plodding sensitivity . " "-1","the town has kind of an authentic feel , but each one of these people stand out and everybody else is in the background and it just seems manufactured to me and artificial . " "-1"," . . . too sappy for its own good . " "-1","circuit queens won't learn a thing , they'll be too busy cursing the film's strategically placed white sheets . " "-1","as an actress , madonna is one helluva singer . as the mediterranean sparkles , 'swept away' sinks . " "-1","every so often a film comes along that is so insanely stupid , so awful in so many ways that watching it leaves you giddy . half past dead is just such an achievement . " "-1","expanded to 65 minutes for theatrical release , it still feels somewhat unfinished . " "-1","it all looks and plays like a $40 million version of a game you're more likely to enjoy on a computer . " "-1","[javier bardem is] one of the few reasons to watch the film , which director gerardo vera has drenched in swoony music and fever-pitched melodrama . " "-1","feels shrill , simple and soapy . " "-1","adults , other than the parents . . . will be hard pressed to succumb to the call of the wild . " "-1","brady achieves the remarkable feat of squandering a topnotch foursome of actors . . . by shoving them into every clichéd white-trash situation imaginable . " "-1","in the name of an allegedly inspiring and easily marketable flick , the emperor's club turns a blind eye to the very history it pretends to teach . " "-1","no amount of blood and disintegrating vampire cadavers can obscure this movie's lack of ideas . " "-1","a direct-to-void release , heading nowhere . " "-1","typical animé , with cheapo animation ( like saturday morning tv in the '60s ) , a complex sword-and-sorcery plot and characters who all have big round eyes and japanese names . " "-1","below is well below expectations . " "-1","at no point during k-19 : the widowmaker did this viewer feel enveloped in a story that , though meant to be universal in its themes of loyalty , courage and dedication to a common goal , never seems to leave the lot . " "-1"," . . . standard guns versus martial arts cliche with little new added . " "-1","empire can't make up its mind whether it wants to be a gangster flick or an art film . it doesn't work as either . " "-1","given the fact that virtually no one is bound to show up at theatres for it , the project should have been made for the tube . " "-1","possession is in the end an honorable , interesting failure . it falls far short of poetry , but it's not bad prose . " "-1","jonathan parker's bartleby should have been the be-all-end-all of the modern-office anomie films . " "-1","there may have been a good film in "" trouble every day , "" but it is not what is on the screen . " "-1","unfortunately , carvey's rubber-face routine is no match for the insipid script he has crafted with harris goldberg . " "-1","viewed as a comedy , a romance , a fairy tale , or a drama , there's nothing remotely triumphant about this motion picture . " "-1","there's something unintentionally comic in the film's drumbeat about authenticity , given the stale plot and pornographic way the film revels in swank apartments , clothes and parties . " "-1","the master of disguise is funny--not "" ha ha "" funny , "" dead circus performer "" funny . and for all the wrong reasons besides . " "-1","a zippy 96 minutes of mediocre special effects , hoary dialogue , fluxing accents , and -- worst of all -- silly-looking morlocks . " "-1","a 75-minute sample of puerile rubbish that is listless , witless , and devoid of anything resembling humor . " "-1","you leave feeling like you've endured a long workout without your pulse ever racing . " "-1","the waterlogged script plumbs uncharted depths of stupidity , incoherence and sub-sophomoric sexual banter . " "-1","with mcconaughey in an entirely irony-free zone and bale reduced mainly to batting his sensitive eyelids , there's not enough intelligence , wit or innovation on the screen to attract and sustain an older crowd . " "-1","it's the type of stunt the academy loves : a powerful political message stuffed into an otherwise mediocre film . " "-1","in theory , a middle-aged romance pairing clayburgh and tambor sounds promising , but in practice it's something else altogether -- clownish and offensive and nothing at all like real life . " "-1","so mind-numbingly awful that you hope britney won't do it one more time , as far as movies are concerned . " "-1","the images are usually abbreviated in favor of mushy obviousness and telegraphed pathos , particularly where whitaker's misfit artist is concerned . " "-1","if welles was unhappy at the prospect of the human race splitting in two , he probably wouldn't be too crazy with his great-grandson's movie splitting up in pretty much the same way . " "-1","sets animation back 30 years , musicals back 40 years and judaism back at least 50 . " "-1","weirdly , broomfield has compelling new material but he doesn't unveil it until the end , after endless scenes of him wheedling reluctant witnesses and pointing his camera through the smeared windshield of his rental car . " "-1","might best be enjoyed as a daytime soaper . " "-1","eventually arrives at its heart , as simple self-reflection meditation . " "-1","a showcase for both the scenic splendor of the mountains and for legendary actor michel serrault , the film is less successful on other levels . " "-1","boy oh boy , it's a howler . " "-1","a few pieces of the film buzz and whir ; very little of it actually clicks . the thing just never gets off the ground . " "-1"," . . . contains very few laughs and even less surprises . " "-1","the actors must indeed be good to recite some of this laughable dialogue with a straight face . " "-1","most of the storylines feel like time fillers between surf shots . the movie isn't horrible , but you can see mediocre cresting on the next wave . " "-1","however stale the material , lawrence's delivery remains perfect ; his great gift is that he can actually trick you into thinking some of this worn-out , pandering palaver is actually funny . " "-1","there's nothing remotely topical or sexy here . " "-1","the tuxedo wasn't just bad ; it was , as my friend david cross would call it , 'hungry-man portions of bad' . " "-1","blue crush is so prolonged and boring it isn't even close to being the barn-burningly bad movie it promised it would be . " "-1","the sequel plays out like a flimsy excuse to give blade fans another look at wesley snipes' iconic hero doing battle with dozens of bad guys -- at once . " "-1","while van wilder may not be the worst national lampoon film , it's far from being this generation's animal house . " "-1","so devoid of pleasure or sensuality that it cannot even be dubbed hedonistic . " "-1","reeks of rot and hack work from start to finish . " "-1","an exhausting family drama about a porcelain empire and just as hard a flick as its subject matter . " "-1","woody allen has really found his groove these days . the problem is that it is one that allows him to churn out one mediocre movie after another . " "-1","the bland outweighs the nifty , and cletis tout never becomes the clever crime comedy it thinks it is . " "-1","it's such a mechanical endeavor [that] it never bothers to question why somebody might devote time to see it . " "-1","the art direction is often exquisite , and the anthropomorphic animal characters are beautifully realized through clever makeup design , leaving one to hope that the eventual dvd release will offer subtitles and the original italian-language soundtrack . " "-1"," if the predictability of bland comfort food appeals to you , then the film is a pleasant enough dish . " "-1","ultimately , in the history of the academy , people may be wondering what all that jazz was about "" chicago "" in 2002 . zellweger's whiny pouty-lipped poof faced and spindly attempt at playing an ingenue makes her nomination as best actress even more of a an a " "-1","a seriously bad film with seriously warped logic by writer-director kurt wimmer at the screenplay level . " "-1","a pleasant and engaging enough sit , but in trying to have the best of both worlds it ends up falling short as a whole . " "-1","its plot and animation offer daytime tv serviceability , but little more . " "-1","a tired , unimaginative and derivative variation of that already-shallow genre . " "-1","human nature , in short , isn't nearly as funny as it thinks it is ; neither is it as smart . " "-1","a film with a great premise but only a great premise . " "-1","instead of building to a laugh riot we are left with a handful of disparate funny moments of no real consequence . " "-1","kirshner and monroe seem to be in a contest to see who can out-bad-act the other . ( kirshner wins , but it's close . ) " "-1","a lame romantic comedy about an unsympathetic character and someone who would not likely be so stupid as to get involved with her . " "-1","what started out as a taut contest of wills between bacon and theron , deteriorates into a protracted and borderline silly chase sequence . " "-1","[sam's] self-flagellation is more depressing than entertaining . " "-1","an ugly , pointless , stupid movie . " "-1","simply put , there should have been a more compelling excuse to pair susan sarandon and goldie hawn . " "-1","the master of disguise represents adam sandler's latest attempt to dumb down the universe . " "-1","this is an ungainly movie , ill-fitting , with its elbows sticking out where the knees should be . " "-1","too silly to take seriously . " "-1","obvious " "-1","the inevitable double- and triple-crosses arise , but the only drama is in waiting to hear how john malkovich's reedy consigliere will pronounce his next line . " "-1","everything's serious , poetic , earnest and -- sadly -- dull . " "-1","i like it . no , i hate it . no , i love it . . . hell , i dunno . " "-1","this mess of a movie is nothing short of a travesty of a transvestite comedy . " "-1","it's clotted with heavy-handed symbolism , dime-store psychology and endless scenic shots that make 105 minutes seem twice as long . " "-1","a fifty car pileup of cliches . " "-1","it's a stale , overused cocktail using the same olives since 1962 as garnish . not only is entry number twenty the worst of the brosnan bunch , it's one of the worst of the entire franchise . " "-1","what ultimately makes windtalkers a disappointment is the superficial way it deals with its story . " "-1","as an actor's showcase , hart's war has much to recommend it , even if the top-billed willis is not the most impressive player . as a story of dramatic enlightenment , the screenplay by billy ray and terry george leaves something to be desired . " "-1","a non-britney person might survive a screening with little harm done , except maybe for the last 15 minutes , which are as maudlin as any after-school special you can imagine . " "-1","it's not hateful . it's simply stupid , irrelevant and deeply , truly , bottomlessly cynical . " "-1","possibly not since grumpy old men have i heard a film so solidly connect with one demographic while striking out with another . " "-1","the drama was so uninspiring that even a story immersed in love , lust , and sin couldn't keep my attention . " "-1","a rather tired exercise in nostalgia . " "-1","the misery of these people becomes just another voyeuristic spectacle , to be consumed and forgotten . " "-1","some body often looks like an episode of the tv show blind date , only less technically proficient and without the pop-up comments . " "-1","bad company has one of the most moronic screenplays of the year , full of holes that will be obvious even to those who aren't looking for them . " "-1","predecessors the mummy and the mummy returns stand as intellectual masterpieces next to the scorpion king . " "-1","a markedly inactive film , city is conversational bordering on confessional . " "-1","while kids will probably eat the whole thing up , most adults will be way ahead of the plot . " "-1","its one-sidedness . . . flirts with propaganda . " "-1","despite an impressive roster of stars and direction from kathryn bigelow , the weight of water is oppressively heavy . " "-1","we've liked klein's other work but rollerball left us cold . " "-1","they were afraid to show this movie to reviewers before its opening , afraid of the bad reviews they thought they'd earn . they were right . " "-1","it would be churlish to begrudge anyone for receiving whatever consolation that can be found in dragonfly , yet it is impossible to find the film anything but appalling , shamelessly manipulative and contrived , and totally lacking in conviction . " "-1","offers no new insight on the matter , nor do its characters exactly spring to life . " "-1","nohe has made a decent 'intro' documentary , but he feels like a spectator and not a participant . " "-1","apparently designed as a reverie about memory and regret , but the only thing you'll regret is remembering the experience of sitting through it . " "-1","a 94-minute travesty of unparalleled proportions , writer-director parker seems to go out of his way to turn the legendary wit's classic mistaken identity farce into brutally labored and unfunny hokum . " "-1","guy gets girl , guy loses girl , audience falls asleep . " "-1","too ordinary to restore [harmon] to prominence , despite some creepy scenes that evoke childish night terrors , and a praiseworthy attempt to generate suspense rather than gross out the audience . " "-1","stirs potentially enticing ingredients into an uneasy blend of ghost and close encounters of the third kind . " "-1","the weird thing about the santa clause 2 , purportedly a children's movie , is that there is nothing in it to engage children emotionally . " "-1","it's pretentious in a way that verges on the amateurish . " "-1","contains the humor , characterization , poignancy , and intelligence of a bad sitcom . " "-1","it doesn't matter that the film is less than 90 minutes . it still feels like a prison stretch . " "-1","partly a schmaltzy , by-the-numbers romantic comedy , partly a shallow rumination on the emptiness of success -- and entirely soulless . " "-1","ong chooses to present ah na's life as a slight , weightless fairy tale , whose most unpleasant details seem to melt away in the face of the character's blank-faced optimism . " "-1","the overall feel is not unlike watching a glorified episode of "" 7th heaven . "" " "-1","just a kiss is a just a waste . " "-1"," . . . this isn't even a movie we can enjoy as mild escapism ; it is one in which fear and frustration are provoked to intolerable levels . " "-1","frankly , it's kind of insulting , both to men and women . and it's not that funny -- which is just generally insulting . " "-1","as if drop dead gorgeous wasn't enough , this equally derisive clunker is fixated on the spectacle of small-town competition . " "-1","a wretched movie that reduces the second world war to one man's quest to find an old flame . " "-1","this is a remake by the numbers , linking a halfwit plot to a series of standup routines in which wilson and murphy show how funny they could have been in a more ambitious movie . " "-1","it's better than mid-range steven seagal , but not as sharp as jet li on rollerblades . " "-1","no dia em que aceitou dirigir esta continuação , harold ramis deve ter saído da cama com o pé esquerdo . e aqueles que decidiram assistir a este filme também . " "-1","there's a reason why halftime is only fifteen minutes long . " "-1","the talk-heavy film plays like one of robert altman's lesser works . " "-1","as happily glib and vicious as its characters . " "-1","one of those films that started with a great premise and then just fell apart . " "-1"," . . . a pretentious mess . . . " "-1","no better or worse than 'truth or consequences , n . m . ' or any other interchangeable actioner with imbecilic mafia toolbags botching a routine assignment in a western backwater . " "-1","a sour attempt at making a farrelly brothers-style , down-and-dirty laugher for the female set . " "-1","[macdowell] ventures beyond her abilities several times here and reveals how bad an actress she is . " "-1","i can imagine this movie as a b&w british comedy , circa 1960 , with peter sellers , kenneth williams , et al . , but at this time , with this cast , this movie is hopeless . " "-1","talky , artificial and opaque . . . an interesting technical exercise , but a tedious picture . " "-1","kurys never shows why , of all the period's volatile romantic lives , sand and musset are worth particular attention . " "-1","almost nothing else -- raunchy and graphic as it may be in presentation -- is one-sided , outwardly sexist or mean-spirited . and in a sense , that's a liability . " "-1","it's easy to love robin tunney -- she's pretty and she can act -- but it gets harder and harder to understand her choices . " "-1","if you've got a house full of tots -- don't worry , this will be on video long before they grow up and you can wait till then . " "-1","the new film of anton chekhov's the cherry orchard puts the 'ick' in 'classic . ' " "-1","has an uppity musical beat that you can dance to , but its energy can't compare to the wit , humor and snappy dialogue of the original . if i want music , i'll buy the soundtrack . if i want a real movie , i'll buy the criterion dvd . " "-1","an unremarkable , modern action/comedy buddy movie whose only nod to nostalgia is in the title . " "-1","has all the right elements but completely fails to gel together . " "-1","writer-director stephen gaghan has made the near-fatal mistake of being what the english call 'too clever by half . ' " "-1","seagal ran out of movies years ago , and this is just the proof . " "-1","the movie is so contrived , nonsensical and formulaic that , come to think of it , the day-old shelf would be a more appropriate location to store it . " "-1","an awkwardly garish showcase that diverges from anything remotely probing or penetrating . " "-1","the name says it all . jackass is a vulgar and cheap-looking version of candid camera staged for the marquis de sade set . " "-1","children , christian or otherwise , deserve to hear the full story of jonah's despair -- in all its agonizing , catch-22 glory -- even if they spend years trying to comprehend it . " "-1","pleasant but not more than recycled jock piffle . " "-1"," . . . the kind of movie you see because the theater has air conditioning . " "-1","with zoe clarke-williams's lackluster thriller "" new best friend "" , who needs enemies ? just another generic drama that has nothing going for it other than its exploitive array of obligatory cheap thrills . " "-1","hip-hop prison thriller of stupefying absurdity . " "-1","an uneven mix of dark satire and childhood awakening . " "-1","aside from showing us in explicit detail how difficult it is to win over the two-drink-minimum crowd , there's little to be learned from watching 'comedian' " "-1","a perfectly acceptable , perfectly bland , competently acted but by no means scary horror movie . " "-1","the film would have been more enjoyable had the balance shifted in favor of water-bound action over the land-based 'drama , ' but the emphasis on the latter leaves blue crush waterlogged . " "-1","the problem is the needlessly poor quality of its archival prints and film footage . the images lack contrast , are murky and are frequently too dark to be decipherable . " "-1","like a soft drink that's been sitting open too long : it's too much syrup and not enough fizz . " "-1","as the movie dragged on , i thought i heard a mysterious voice , and felt myself powerfully drawn toward the light -- the light of the exit sign . i have returned from the beyond to warn you : this movie is 90 minutes long , and life is too short . " "-1","there are some fairly unsettling scenes , but they never succeed in really rattling the viewer . " "-1","the emperor's club is one of those films that possesses all the good intentions in the world , but . . . " "-1","in the end , the weight of water comes to resemble the kind of soft-core twaddle you'd expect to see on showtime's 'red shoe diaries . ' " "-1","a straight-ahead thriller that never rises above superficiality . " "-1","glizty but formulaic and silly . . . cagney's 'top of the world' has been replaced by the bottom of the barrel . " "-1","the re- enactments , however fascinating they may be as history , are too crude to serve the work especially well . " "-1","eisenstein lacks considerable brio for a film about one of cinema's directorial giants . " "-1","is anyone else out there getting tired of the whole slo-mo , double-pistoled , ballistic-pyrotechnic hong kong action aesthetic ? " "-1","once again , director chris columbus takes a hat-in-hand approach to rowling that stifles creativity and allows the film to drag on for nearly three hours . " "-1","serving sara is little more than a mall movie designed to kill time . " "-1","too smart to ignore but a little too smugly superior to like , this could be a movie that ends up slapping its target audience in the face by shooting itself in the foot . " "-1","a well-made but emotionally scattered film whose hero gives his heart only to the dog . " "-1","the most repugnant adaptation of a classic text since roland joffé and demi moore's the scarlet letter . " "-1","the isolated moments of creative insanity finally are lost in the thin soup of canned humor . " "-1","as a movie , it never seems fresh and vital . it never plays as dramatic even when dramatic things happen to people . it labours as storytelling . " "-1","the adventures of pluto nash is a whole lot of nada . " "-1","a really good premise is frittered away in middle-of-the-road blandness . " "-1","lawrence should stick to his day job . he's a better actor than a standup comedian . " "-1","despite the fact that this film wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be , it's still not a good movie " "-1","a well made indieflick in need of some trims and a more chemistry between its stars . " "-1","i never thought i'd say this , but i'd much rather watch teens poking their genitals into fruit pies ! " "-1","a film neither bitter nor sweet , neither romantic nor comedic , neither warm nor fuzzy . " "-1","tiresomely derivative and hammily acted . " "-1","we never truly come to care about the main characters and whether or not they'll wind up together , and michele's spiritual quest is neither amusing nor dramatic enough to sustain interest . " "-1","the plot grows thin soon , and you find yourself praying for a quick resolution . " "-1","too bad maggio couldn't come up with a better script . " "-1","much of the cast is stiff or just plain bad . " "-1","rice is too pedestrian a filmmaker to bring any edge or personality to the rising place that would set it apart from other deep south stories . " "-1","at best , cletis tout might inspire a trip to the video store -- in search of a better movie experience . " "-1","witless , pointless , tasteless and idiotic . " "-1","not really a thriller so much as a movie for teens to laugh , groan and hiss at . " "-1","as plain and pedestrian as catsup-- " "-1","an improvement on the feeble examples of big-screen poke-mania that have preceded it . " "-1","i know we're not supposed to take it seriously , but i can't shake the thought that undercover brother missed an opportunity to strongly present some profound social commentary . " "-1","your stomach for heaven depends largely on your appetite for canned corn . " "-1","a picture as erratic as its central character . " "-1","whatever satire lucky break was aiming for , it certainly got lost in the "" soon-to-be-forgettable "" section of the quirky rip-off prison romp pile . it's petty thievery like this that puts flimsy flicks like this behind bars " "-1","the package in which this fascinating -- and timely -- content comes wrapped is disappointingly generic . " "-1","guys say mean things and shoot a lot of bullets . some of the characters die and others don't , and the film pretends that those living have learned some sort of lesson , and , really , nobody in the viewing audience cares . " "-1","wildly incompetent but brilliantly named half past dead -- or for seagal pessimists : totally past his prime . " "-1","just another combination of bad animation and mindless violence . . . lacking the slightest bit of wit or charm . " "-1","all the movie's narrative gymnastics can't disguise the fact that it's inauthentic at its core and that its story just isn't worth telling . " "-1","much like its easily dismissive take on the upscale lifestyle , there isn't much there here . " "-1","the film ultimately offers nothing more than people in an urban jungle needing other people to survive . . . " "-1","for all its shoot-outs , fistfights , and car chases , this movie is a phlegmatic bore , so tedious it makes the silly spy vs . spy film the sum of all fears , starring ben affleck , seem downright hitchcockian . " "-1","this mild-mannered farce , directed by one of its writers , john c . walsh , is corny in a way that bespeaks an expiration date passed a long time ago . " "-1","[a] rather thinly-conceived movie . " "-1","a bit too eager to please . " "-1","you'd be hard put to find a movie character more unattractive or odorous [than leon] . " "-1","kapur's contradictory feelings about his material result in a movie that works against itself . " "-1"," "" the road paved with good intentions leads to the video store "" " "-1","animated drivel meant to enhance the self-image of drooling idiots . " "-1","so-so entertainment . " "-1","one scene after another in this supposedly funny movie falls to the floor with a sickening thud . " "-1","'the château is never quite able to overcome the cultural moat surrounding its ludicrous and contrived plot . ' " "-1","meyjes focuses too much on max when he should be filling the screen with this tortured , dull artist and monster-in-the- making . " "-1","jacobi , the most fluent of actors , is given relatively dry material from nijinsky's writings to perform , and the visuals , even erotically frank ones , become dullingly repetitive . " "-1","crudup's screen presence is the one thing that holds interest in the midst of a mushy , existential exploration of why men leave their families . " "-1","there is one surefire way to get a nomination for a best-foreign-film oscar : make a movie about whimsical folk who learn a nonchallenging , life-affirming lesson while walking around a foreign city with stunning architecture . " "-1","despite terrific special effects and funnier gags , harry potter and the chamber of secrets finds a way to make j . k . rowling's marvelous series into a deadly bore . " "-1","an incredibly narrow in-joke targeted to the tiniest segment of an already obscure demographic . " "-1","the only thing i laughed at were the people who paid to see it . " "-1","all of the elements are in place for a great film noir , but director george hickenlooper's approach to the material is too upbeat . " "-1","the hackneyed story about an affluent damsel in distress who decides to fight her bully of a husband is simply too overdone . " "-1","the phone rings and a voice tells you you've got seven days left to live . then you get another phone call warning you that if the video isn't back at blockbuster before midnight , you're going to face frightening late fees . o . k . , not really . " "-1","possibly the most irresponsible picture ever released by a major film studio . " "-1","the film's overall mood and focus is interesting but constantly unfulfilling . " "-1"," . . . a cheap , ludicrous attempt at serious horror . " "-1","those of you who are not an eighth grade girl will most likely doze off during this one . " "-1","punitively affirmational parable . " "-1","befuddled in its characterizations as it begins to seem as long as the two year affair which is its subject " "-1","from beginning to end , this overheated melodrama plays like a student film . " "-1","the movie would seem less of a trifle if ms . sugarman followed through on her defiance of the saccharine . " "-1","it's just not very smart . " "-1","like the excruciating end of days , collateral damage presents schwarzenegger as a tragic figure , but sympathy really belongs with any viewer forced to watch him try out so many complicated facial expressions . " "-1","imagine ( if possible ) a pasolini film without passion or politics , or an almodovar movie without beauty or humor , and you have some idea of the glum , numb experience of watching o fantasma . " "-1","in trying to be daring and original , it comes off as only occasionally satirical and never fresh . " "-1","90 punitive minutes of eardrum-dicing gunplay , screeching-metal smashups , and flaccid odd-couple sniping . " "-1","sadly , though many of the actors throw off a spark or two when they first appear , they can't generate enough heat in this cold vacuum of a comedy to start a reaction . " "-1","never capitalizes on this concept and opts for the breezy and amateurish feel of an after school special on the subject of tolerance . " "-1","after a while , hoffman's quirks and mannerisms , particularly his penchant for tearing up on cue -- things that seem so real in small doses -- become annoying and artificial . " "-1","this wretchedly unfunny wannabe comedy is inane and awful - no doubt , it's the worst movie i've seen this summer . " "-1","it's drab . it's uninteresting . it squanders chan's uniqueness ; it could even be said to squander jennifer love hewitt ! " "-1","the movie keeps coming back to the achingly unfunny phonce and his several silly subplots . " "-1","this tale has been told and retold ; the races and rackets change , but the song remains the same . " "-1","a surprisingly flat retread , hobbled by half-baked setups and sluggish pacing . " "-1","forget the psychology 101 study of romantic obsession and just watch the procession of costumes in castles and this won't seem like such a bore . " "-1","a film that should be relegated to a dark video store corner is somehow making its way instead to theaters . it's hard to imagine acting that could be any flatter . " "-1","new ways of describing badness need to be invented to describe exactly how bad it is . " "-1","lots of effort and intelligence are on display but in execution it is all awkward , static , and lifeless rumblings . " "-1","when cowering and begging at the feet a scruffy giannini , madonna gives her best performance since abel ferrara had her beaten to a pulp in his dangerous game . " "-1","i suspect that there are more interesting ways of dealing with the subject . " "-1","decent but dull . " "-1","the film itself is about something very interesting and odd that would probably work better as a real documentary without the insinuation of mediocre acting or a fairly trite narrative . " "-1","an unintentional parody of every teen movie made in the last five years . " "-1","only for young children , if them . their parents would do well to cram earplugs in their ears and put pillowcases over their heads for 87 minutes . " "-1","for all its violence , the movie is remarkably dull with only caine making much of an impression . " "-1","no matter how firmly director john stainton has his tongue in his cheek , the fact remains that a wacky concept does not a movie make . " "-1","a sub-formulaic slap in the face to seasonal cheer . " "-1","the action is reasonably well-done . . . yet story , character and comedy bits are too ragged to ever fit smoothly together . " "-1","several uninteresting , unlikeable people do bad things to and with each other in "" unfaithful . "" why anyone who is not a character in this movie should care is beyond me . " "-1","thin period piece . " "-1","hill looks to be going through the motions , beginning with the pale script . " "-1","howard conjures the past via surrealist flourishes so overwrought you'd swear he just stepped out of a buñuel retrospective . " "-1","the best thing that can be said of the picture is that it does have a few cute moments . " "-1","it's not a bad premise , just a bad movie . " "-1","an already thin story boils down to surviving invaders seeking an existent anti-virus . if only there were one for this kind of movie . " "-1","by the time the surprise ending is revealed , interest cannot be revived . " "-1","the heedless impetuousness of youth is on full , irritating display in [this] meandering and pointless french coming-of-age import from writer-director anne-sophie birot . " "-1","a peculiar misfire that even tunney can't save . " "-1","watching queen of the damned is like reading a research paper , with special effects tossed in . " "-1","i can't remember the last time i saw worse stunt editing or cheaper action movie production values than in extreme ops . " "-1","too much of nemesis has a tired , talky feel . " "-1","i felt trapped and with no obvious escape for the entire 100 minutes . " "-1","when mr . hundert tells us in his narration that 'this is a story without surprises , ' we nod in agreement . " "-1","leaves us wondering less about its ideas and more about its characterization of hitler and the contrived nature of its provocative conclusion . " "-1","it is that rare combination of bad writing , bad direction and bad acting -- the trifecta of badness . " "-1","each scene wreaks of routine ; the film never manages to generate a single threat of suspense . " "-1","a soulless jumble of ineptly assembled cliches and pabulum that plays like a 95-minute commercial for nba properties . " "-1","borstal boy represents the worst kind of filmmaking , the kind that pretends to be passionate and truthful but is really frustratingly timid and soggy . " "-1","the film's lack of personality permeates all its aspects — from the tv movie-esque , affected child acting to the dullest irish pub scenes ever filmed . " "-1","works on the whodunit level as its larger themes get lost in the murk of its own making " "-1","crush could be the worst film a man has made about women since valley of the dolls . " "-1","4ever has the same sledgehammer appeal as pokemon videos , but it breathes more on the big screen and induces headaches more slowly . " "-1","feels like the work of someone who may indeed have finally aged past his prime . . . and , perhaps more than he realizes , just wants to be liked by the people who can still give him work . " "-1","trailer park magnolia : too long , too cutesy , too sure of its own importance , and possessed of that peculiar tension of being too dense & about nothing at all . " "-1","[a] stuporously solemn film . " "-1","viewers of barney's crushingly self-indulgent spectacle will see nothing in it to match the ordeal of sitting through it . " "-1"," . . . its stupidities wind up sticking in one's mind a lot more than the cool bits . " "-1","sayles . . . once again strands his superb performers in the same old story . " "-1","the piano teacher , like its title character , is repellantly out of control . " "-1","i have to admit i walked out of runteldat . i did go back and check out the last 10 minutes , but these were more repulsive than the first 30 or 40 minutes . " "-1","the filmmakers lack the nerve . . . to fully exploit the script's potential for sick humor . " "-1","the film wasn't preachy , but it was feminism by the book . " "-1"," . . . the same tired old gags , modernized for the extreme sports generation . there's already been too many of these films . . . " "-1","several of steven soderbergh's earlier films were hailed as the works of an artist . sadly , full frontal plays like the work of a dilettante . " "-1","clockstoppers is one of those crazy , mixed-up films that doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up . " "-1","although bright , well-acted and thought-provoking , tuck everlasting suffers from a laconic pace and a lack of traditional action . " "-1","'the war of the roses , ' trailer-trash style . entertaining but like shooting fish in a barrel . " "-1","supposedly , pokemon can't be killed , but pokemon 4ever practically assures that the pocket monster movie franchise is nearly ready to keel over . " "-1","white hasn't developed characters so much as caricatures , one-dimensional buffoons that get him a few laughs but nothing else . " "-1","when you resurrect a dead man , hard copy should come a-knocking , no ? " "-1","cattaneo should have followed the runaway success of his first film , the full monty , with something different . " "-1","the film feels formulaic , its plot and pacing typical hollywood war-movie stuff , while the performances elicit more of a sense of deja vu than awe . " "-1","this overproduced piece of dreck is shockingly bad and absolutely unnecessary . hmmm…might i suggest that the wayward wooden one end it all by stuffing himself into an electric pencil sharpener ? " "-1","the makers of mothman prophecies succeed in producing that most frightening of all movies -- a mediocre horror film too bad to be good and too good to be bad . " "-1","mr . deeds is not really a film as much as it is a loose collection of not-so-funny gags , scattered moments of lazy humor . " "-1","how this one escaped the lifetime network i'll never know . " "-1","couldn't someone take rob schneider and have him switch bodies with a funny person ? " "-1","one of these days hollywood will come up with an original idea for a teen movie , but until then there's always these rehashes to feed to the younger generations . " "-1","for all its brilliant touches , dragon loses its fire midway , nearly flickering out by its perfunctory conclusion . " "-1","i have to admit that i am baffled by jason x . " "-1","a mean-spirited film made by someone who surely read the catcher in the rye but clearly suffers from dyslexia " "-1","instead of a witty expose on the banality and hypocrisy of too much kid-vid , we get an ugly , mean-spirited lashing out by an adult who's apparently been forced by his kids to watch too many barney videos . " "-1","this is a film living far too much in its own head . " "-1","the umpteenth summer skinny dip in jerry bruckheimer's putrid pond of retread action twaddle . " "-1","national lampoon's van wilder may aim to be the next animal house , but it more closely resembles this year's version of tomcats . " "-1","the film thrusts the inchoate but already eldritch christian right propaganda machine into national media circles . " "-1","dogtown is hollow , self-indulgent , and - worst of all - boring . " "-1","a movie so bad that it quickly enters the pantheon of wreckage that includes battlefield earth and showgirls . " "-1","more of a career curio than a major work . " "-1","it's just too bad the screenwriters eventually shoot themselves in the feet with cop flick cliches like an oily arms dealer , squad car pile-ups and the requisite screaming captain . " "-1","cox is far more concerned with aggrandizing madness , not the man , and the results might drive you crazy . " "-1","to be influenced chiefly by humanity's greatest shame , reality shows -- reality shows for god's sake ! -- is a crime that should be punishable by chainsaw . " "-1","taken as a whole , the tuxedo doesn't add up to a whole lot . " "-1","as we have come to learn -- as many times as we have fingers to count on -- jason is a killer who doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit . ' the filmmakers might want to look it up . " "-1","a frustrating 'tweener' -- too slick , contrived and exploitative for the art houses and too cynical , small and decadent for the malls . " "-1","what's surprising about this traditional thriller , moderately successful but not completely satisfying , is exactly how genteel and unsurprising the execution turns out to be . " "-1","drowning's too good for this sucker . " "-1","an instantly forgettable snow-and-stuntwork extravaganza that likely will be upstaged by an avalanche of more appealing holiday-season product . " "-1","frankly , it's pretty stupid . i had more fun with ben stiller's zoolander , which i thought was rather clever . but there's plenty to offend everyone . . . " "-1","love liza is a festival film that would have been better off staying on the festival circuit . " "-1","there are things to like about murder by numbers -- but , in the end , the disparate elements don't gel . " "-1"," . . . tackling a low-budget movie in which inexperienced children play the two main characters might not be the best way to cut your teeth in the film industry . " "-1","quite frankly , i can't see why any actor of talent would ever work in a mcculloch production again if they looked at how this movie turned out . " "-1","my precious new star wars movie is a lumbering , wheezy drag . . . " "-1","the innocence of holiday cheer ain't what it used to be . " "-1","too campy to work as straight drama and too violent and sordid to function as comedy , vulgar is , truly and thankfully , a one-of-a-kind work . " "-1","horrid little propaganda film with fascinating connections not only to the serbs themselves but also to a network of american right-wing extremists . " "-1","should have gone straight to video . it looks like an action movie , but it's so poorly made , on all levels , that it doesn't even qualify as a spoof of such . " "-1","it is supremely unfunny and unentertaining to watch middle-age and older men drink to excess , piss on trees , b . s . one another and put on a show in drag . " "-1","consider the film a celluloid litmus test for the intellectual and emotional pedigree of your date and a giant step backward for a director i admire . " "-1","a boring , pretentious muddle that uses a sensational , real-life 19th-century crime as a metaphor for -- well , i'm not exactly sure what -- and has all the dramatic weight of a raindrop . " "-1","sheridan had a wonderful account to work from , but , curiously , he waters it down , turning grit and vulnerability into light reading . " "-1","heavy with flabby rolls of typical toback machinations . " "-1","it is very difficult to care about the character , and that is the central flaw of the film . " "-1","snow dogs finds its humour in a black man getting humiliated by a pack of dogs who are smarter than him " "-1","whole stretches of the film may be incomprehensible to moviegoers not already clad in basic black . " "-1","reggio and glass so rhapsodize cynicism , with repetition and languorous slo-mo sequences , that glass's dirgelike score becomes a fang-baring lullaby . " "-1","es triste tener que decirles que lo único grato de la cinta es el cuerpo desnudo de la heather . . . " "-1","ends up offering nothing more than the latest schwarzenegger or stallone flick would . " "-1","the film makes strong arguments regarding the social status of america's indigenous people , but really only exists to try to eke out an emotional tug of the heart , one which it fails to get . " "-1","charlize chases kevin with a gun . courtney chases stuart with a cell phone . the sound of gunfire and cell phones ringing . " "-1","if the tuxedo actually were a suit , it would fit chan like a $99 bargain-basement special . " "-1","parents beware ; this is downright movie penance . " "-1"," . . . a complete shambles of a movie so sloppy , so uneven , so damn unpleasant that i can't believe any viewer , young or old , would have a good time here . " "-1","has nothing good to speak about other than the fact that it is relatively short , tries its best to hide the fact that seagal's overweight and out of shape . " "-1","a pathetically inane and unimaginative cross between xxx and vertical limit . " "-1","impeccably filmed , sexually charged , but ultimately lacking in substance , not to mention dragged down by a leaden closing act . " "-1","feels at times like a giant commercial for universal studios , where much of the action takes place . " "-1","while the mystery unravels , the characters respond by hitting on each other . " "-1","britney spears' phoniness is nothing compared to the movie's contrived , lame screenplay and listless direction . " "-1","every sequel you skip will be two hours gained . consider this review life-affirming . " "-1","if the movie were all comedy , it might work better . but it has an ambition to say something about its subjects , but not a willingness . " "-1","the movie , while beautiful , feels labored , with a hint of the writing exercise about it . " "-1","twenty-three movies into a mostly magnificent directorial career , clint eastwood's efficiently minimalist style finally has failed him . big time . " "-1","this heist flick about young brooklyn hoods is off the shelf after two years to capitalize on the popularity of vin diesel , seth green and barry pepper . it should have stayed there . " "-1","the film has a childlike quality about it . but the feelings evoked in the film are lukewarm and quick to pass . " "-1","the most opaque , self-indulgent and just plain goofy an excuse for a movie as you can imagine . " "-1","it's not a film to be taken literally on any level , but its focus always appears questionable . " "-1","big fat liar is little more than home alone raised to a new , self-deprecating level . " "-1","the movie is gorgeously made , but it is also somewhat shallow and art-conscious . " "-1","the only time 8 crazy nights comes close to hitting a comedic or satirical target is during the offbeat musical numbers . " "-1","loses its sense of humor in a vat of failed jokes , twitchy acting , and general boorishness . " "-1","there's a delightfully quirky movie to be made from curling , but brooms isn't it . " "-1","the story suffers a severe case of oversimplification , superficiality and silliness . " "-1","chamber of secrets will find millions of eager fans . but if the essence of magic is its make-believe promise of life that soars above the material realm , this is the opposite of a truly magical movie . " "-1","too clever by about nine-tenths . " "-1","has all the hallmarks of a movie designed strictly for children's home video , a market so insatiable it absorbs all manner of lame entertainment , as long as 3-year-olds find it diverting . " "-1","well-meant but unoriginal . " "-1","bears about as much resemblance to the experiences of most battered women as spider-man does to the experiences of most teenagers . " "-1","toward the end sum of all fears morphs into a mundane '70s disaster flick . " "-1","director carl franklin , so crisp and economical in one false move , bogs down in genre cliches here . " "-1","mendes still doesn't quite know how to fill a frame . like the hanks character , he's a slow study : the action is stilted and the tabloid energy embalmed . " "-1","this thing is just garbage . " "-1","as crimes go , writer-director michael kalesniko's how to kill your neighbor's dog is slight but unendurable . " "-1","there must be an audience that enjoys the friday series , but i wouldn't be interested in knowing any of them personally . " "-1","a bold ( and lovely ) experiment that will almost certainly bore most audiences into their own brightly colored dreams . " "-1","an uplifting , largely bogus story . " "-1","an empty exercise , a florid but ultimately vapid crime melodrama with lots of surface flash but little emotional resonance . " "-1","if you are curious to see the darker side of what's going on with young tv actors ( dawson leery did what ? ! ? ) , or see some interesting storytelling devices , you might want to check it out , but there's nothing very attractive about this movie . " "-1","my own minority report is that it stinks . " "-1","trying to make head or tail of the story in the hip-hop indie snipes is enough to give you brain strain -- and the pay-off is negligible . " "-1","the script is high on squaddie banter , low on shocks . " "-1"," . . . if you , like me , think an action film disguised as a war tribute is disgusting to begin with , then you're in for a painful ride . " "-1","while solondz tries and tries hard , storytelling fails to provide much more insight than the inside column of a torn book jacket . " "-1","with very little to add beyond the dark visions already relayed by superb recent predecessors like swimming with sharks and the player , this latest skewering . . . may put off insiders and outsiders alike . " "-1","[davis] wants to cause his audience an epiphany , yet he refuses to give us real situations and characters . " "-1","without a fresh infusion of creativity , 4ever is neither a promise nor a threat so much as wishful thinking . " "-1"," . . . unlike [scorsese's mean streets] , ash wednesday is essentially devoid of interesting characters or even a halfway intriguing plot . " "-1","being unique doesn't necessarily equate to being good , no matter how admirably the filmmakers have gone for broke . " "-1","a few hours after you've seen it , you forget you've been to the movies . " "-1","odd and weird . " "-1","waydowntown may not be an important movie , or even a good one , but it provides a nice change of mindless pace in collision with the hot oscar season currently underway . " "-1","yes , i suppose it's lovely that cal works out his issues with his dad and comes to terms with his picture-perfect life -- but world traveler gave me no reason to care , so i didn't . " "-1","shadyac , who belongs with the damned for perpetrating patch adams , trots out every ghost trick from the sixth sense to the mothman prophecies . " "-1","the photographer's show-don't-tell stance is admirable , but it can make him a problematic documentary subject . " "-1","it is not the first time that director sara sugarman stoops to having characters drop their pants for laughs and not the last time she fails to provoke them . " "-1","i'd be hard pressed to think of a film more cloyingly sappy than evelyn this year . " "-1","nothing more than an amiable but unfocused bagatelle that plays like a loosely-connected string of acting-workshop exercises . " "-1","meanders between its powerful moments . " "-1","what remains is a variant of the nincompoop benigni persona , here a more annoying , though less angry version of the irresponsible sandlerian manchild , undercut by the voice of the star of road trip . " "-1","a backhanded ode to female camaraderie penned by a man who has little clue about either the nature of women or of friendship . " "-1","pure of intention and passably diverting , his secret life is light , innocuous and unremarkable . " "-1"," . . . delivers few moments of inspiration amid the bland animation and simplistic story . " "-1","take away the controversy , and it's not much more watchable than a mexican soap opera . " "-1","it's got the brawn , but not the brains . " "-1","mindless and boring martial arts and gunplay with too little excitement and zero compelling storyline . " "-1","a lot of talent is wasted in this crass , low-wattage endeavor . " "-1","to show these characters in the act and give them no feelings of remorse -- and to cut repeatedly to the flashback of the original rape -- is overkill to the highest degree . " "-1","[t]oo many of these gross out scenes . . . " "-1","about one in three gags in white's intermittently wise script hits its mark ; the rest are padding unashamedly appropriated from the teen-exploitation playbook . " "-1","little is done to support the premise other than fling gags at it to see which ones shtick . " "-1","reno does what he can in a thankless situation , the film ricochets from humor to violence and back again , and ryoko hirosue makes us wonder if she is always like that . " "-1","if jews were catholics , this would be catechism " "-1","one of those films that seems tailor made to air on pay cable to offer some modest amusements when one has nothing else to watch . " "-1","the big ending surprise almost saves the movie . it's too bad that the rest isn't more compelling . " "-1","charming , if overly complicated . . . " "-1","schneider's mugging is relentless and his constant need to suddenly transpose himself into another character undermines the story's continuity and progression . " "-1","all very stylish and beautifully photographed , but far more trouble than it's worth , with fantasy mixing with reality and actors playing more than one role just to add to the confusion . " "-1","it's probably not easy to make such a worthless film . . . " "-1","hope keeps arising that the movie will live up to the apparent skills of its makers and the talents of its actors , but it doesn't . " "-1","has no reason to exist , other than to employ hollywood kids and people who owe favors to their famous parents . " "-1","for a guy who has waited three years with breathless anticipation for a new hal hartley movie to pore over , no such thing is a big letdown . " "-1","constantly slips from the grasp of its maker . " "-1","smothered by its own solemnity . " "-1","'christian bale's quinn [is] a leather clad grunge-pirate with a hairdo like gandalf in a wind-tunnel and a simply astounding cor-blimey-luv-a-duck cockney accent . ' " "-1","might be one of those vanity projects in which a renowned filmmaker attempts to show off his talent by surrounding himself with untalented people . " "-1","after you laugh once ( maybe twice ) , you will have completely forgotten the movie by the time you get back to your car in the parking lot . " "-1","not one moment in the enterprise didn't make me want to lie down in a dark room with something cool to my brow . " "-1","in the era of the sopranos , it feels painfully redundant and inauthentic . " "-1","the overall vibe is druggy and self-indulgent , like a spring-break orgy for pretentious arts majors . " "-1","breen's script is sketchy with actorish notations on the margin of acting . " "-1","there's no question that epps scores once or twice , but it's telling that his funniest moment comes when he falls about ten feet onto his head . " "-1","if only merchant paid more attention the story . " "-1","at the one-hour mark , herzog simply runs out of ideas and the pace turns positively leaden as the movie sputters to its inevitable tragic conclusion . " "-1"," . . . too contrived to be as naturally charming as it needs to be . " "-1","a simpler , leaner treatment would have been preferable ; after all , being about nothing is sometimes funnier than being about something . " "-1","the characters are based on stock clichés , and the attempt to complicate the story only defies credibility . " "-1","everything about it from the bland songs to the colorful but flat drawings is completely serviceable and quickly forgettable . " "-1","not the great american comedy , but if you liked the previous movies in the series , you'll have a good time with this one too . " "-1","a domestic melodrama with weak dialogue and biopic cliches . " "-1","mr . goyer's loose , unaccountable direction is technically sophisticated in the worst way . " "-1","the movie is so thoughtlessly assembled . " "-1","benigni presents himself as the boy puppet pinocchio , complete with receding hairline , weathered countenance and american breckin meyer's ridiculously inappropriate valley boy voice . " "-1","plays like some corny television production from a bygone era " "-1","the end result is like cold porridge with only the odd enjoyably chewy lump . " "-1","for all the charm of kevin kline and a story that puts old-fashioned values under the microscope , there's something creepy about this movie . " "-1","i was feeling this movie until it veered off too far into the exxon zone , and left me behind at the station looking for a return ticket to realism . " "-1","producer john penotti surveyed high school students . . . and came back with the astonishing revelation that "" they wanted to see something that didn't talk down to them . "" ignoring that , he made swimfan anyway " "-1","naipaul fans may be disappointed . those who are not acquainted with the author's work , on the other hand , may fall fast asleep . " "-1","hoffman waits too long to turn his movie in an unexpected direction , and even then his tone retains a genteel , prep-school quality that feels dusty and leatherbound . " "-1","if you're a crocodile hunter fan , you'll enjoy at least the "" real "" portions of the film . if you're looking for a story , don't bother . " "-1","full frontal had no effect and elicited no sympathies for any of the characters . by that measure , it is a failure . " "-1","a baffling mixed platter of gritty realism and magic realism with a hard-to-swallow premise . " "-1","an affable but undernourished romantic comedy that fails to match the freshness of the actress-producer and writer's previous collaboration , miss congeniality . " "-1","sometimes this modest little number clicks , and sometimes it doesn't . " "-1","like a pack of dynamite sticks , built for controversy . the film is explosive , but a few of those sticks are wet . " "-1","has its charming quirks and its dull spots . " "-1","an admitted egomaniac , evans is no hollywood villain , and yet this grating showcase almost makes you wish he'd gone the way of don simpson . " "-1","the audience when i saw this one was chuckling at all the wrong times , and that's a bad sign when they're supposed to be having a collective heart attack . " "-1","everyone's to blame here . " "-1","you get the impression that writer and director burr steers knows the territory . . . but his sense of humor has yet to lose the smug self-satisfaction usually associated with the better private schools . " "-1","less a study in madness or love than a study in schoolgirl obsession . " "-1","rice never clearly defines his characters or gives us a reason to care about them . " "-1","it's a bizarre curiosity memorable mainly for the way it fritters away its potentially interesting subject matter via a banal script , unimpressive acting and indifferent direction . " "-1","a slight and obvious effort , even for one whose target demographic is likely still in the single digits , age-wise . " "-1","sex with strangers will shock many with its unblinking frankness . but what is missing from it all is a moral . what is the filmmakers' point ? why did they deem it necessary to document all this emotional misery ? " "-1","you see robin williams and psycho killer , and you think , hmmmmm . you see the movie and you think , zzzzzzzzz . " "-1","downright transparent is the script's endless assault of embarrassingly ham-fisted sex jokes that reek of a script rewrite designed to garner the film a "" cooler "" pg-13 rating . " "-1","the movie slides downhill as soon as macho action conventions assert themselves . " "-1","formulaic to the 51st power , more like . " "-1","draggin' about dragons " "-1","howard and his co-stars all give committed performances , but they're often undone by howard's self-conscious attempts to find a 'literary' filmmaking style to match his subject . " "-1","a respectable but uninspired thriller that's intelligent and considered in its details , but ultimately weak in its impact . " "-1","jones helps breathe some life into the insubstantial plot , but even he is overwhelmed by predictability . " "-1","the movie just has too much on its plate to really stay afloat for its just under ninety minute running time . " "-1","comes off more like a misdemeanor , a flat , unconvincing drama that never catches fire . " "-1","cinematic poo . " "-1","offers absolutely nothing i hadn't already seen . " "-1"," "" analyze that "" is one of those crass , contrived sequels that not only fails on its own , but makes you second-guess your affection for the original . " "-1","you might say tykwer has done all that heaven allows , if you wanted to make as anti-kieslowski a pun as possible . suffice to say its total promise is left slightly unfulfilled . " "-1","complex , sinuously plotted and , somehow , off-puttingly cold . " "-1","first-time writer-director dylan kidd also has a good ear for dialogue , and the characters sound like real people . " "-1"," . . . an airless , prepackaged julia roberts wannabe that stinks so badly of hard-sell image-mongering you'll wonder if lopez's publicist should share screenwriting credit . " "-1","goldmember has none of the visual wit of the previous pictures , and it looks as though jay roach directed the film from the back of a taxicab . " "-1","could as easily have been called 'under siege 3 : in alcatraz' . . . a cinematic corpse that never springs to life . " "-1","in comparison to his earlier films it seems a disappointingly thin slice of lower-class london life ; despite the title . . . amounts to surprisingly little . " "-1","lame sweet home leaves no southern stereotype unturned . " "-1","slow , dry , poorly cast , but beautifully shot . " "-1","the jokes are sophomoric , stereotypes are sprinkled everywhere and the acting ranges from bad to bodacious . " "-1","will give many ministers and bible-study groups hours of material to discuss . but mainstream audiences will find little of interest in this film , which is often preachy and poorly acted . " "-1","in its chicken heart , crush goes to absurd lengths to duck the very issues it raises . " "-1","this long and relentlessly saccharine film is a clear case of preaching to the converted . " "-1","the film is flat . " "-1","the movie is a lumbering load of hokum but . . . it's at least watchable . " "-1","it's a boom-box of a movie that might have been titled 'the loud and the ludicrous' . . . the pandering to a moviegoing audience dominated by young males is all too calculated . " "-1","an unbelievably stupid film , though occasionally fun enough to make you forget its absurdity . " "-1","the first fatal attraction was vile enough . do we really need the tiger beat version ? " "-1","this bond film goes off the beaten path , not necessarily for the better . " "-1","the problem is that the movie has no idea of it is serious or not . " "-1","when the fire burns out , we've only come face-to-face with a couple dragons and that's where the film ultimately fails . " "-1","it would work much better as a one-hour tv documentary . " "-1","the elements were all there but lack of a pyschological center knocks it flat . " "-1","anemic chronicle of money grubbing new yorkers and their serial loveless hook ups . " "-1","simply doesn't have sufficient heft to justify its two-hour running time . " "-1","an unsuccessful attempt at a movie of ideas . " "-1","queen of the damned as you might have guessed , makes sorry use of aaliyah in her one and only starring role -- she does little here but point at things that explode into flame . " "-1","this toothless dog , already on cable , loses all bite on the big screen . " "-1","it made me feel unclean , and i'm the guy who liked there's something about mary and both american pie movies . oh , and booty call . " "-1","not only is it hokey , manipulative and as bland as wonder bread dipped in milk , but it also does the absolute last thing we need hollywood doing to us : it preaches . " "-1","it's so crammed with scenes and vistas and pretty moments that it's left a few crucial things out , like character development and coherence . " "-1","serving sara should be served an eviction notice at every theater stuck with it . " "-1","director roger michell does so many of the little things right that it's difficult not to cuss him out severely for bungling the big stuff . " "-1","a loud , low-budget and tired formula film that arrives cloaked in the euphemism 'urban drama . ' " "-1","the movie has a script ( by paul pender ) made of wood , and it's relentlessly folksy , a procession of stagy set pieces stacked with binary oppositions . " "-1","a pathetic exploitation film that tries to seem sincere , and just seems worse for the effort . " "-1","at some point , all this visual trickery stops being clever and devolves into flashy , vaguely silly overkill . " "-1","despite some charm and heart , this quirky soccer import is forgettable " "-1","meyjes's movie , like max rothman's future , does not work . " "-1","what's needed so badly but what is virtually absent here is either a saving dark humor or the feel of poetic tragedy . " "-1","schneidermeister . . . makin' a fool of himself . . . losin' his fan base . . . " "-1","an ambitious , serious film that manages to do virtually everything wrong ; sitting through it is something akin to an act of cinematic penance . " "-1","not once does it come close to being exciting . " "-1","a frankenstein mishmash that careens from dark satire to cartoonish slapstick , bartleby performs neither one very well . " "-1","it plays like a big-budget , after-school special with a generous cast , who at times lift the material from its well-meaning clunkiness . " "-1","there's something not entirely convincing about the quiet american . and that holds true for both the movie and the title character played by brendan fraser . " "-1","one of those strained caper movies that's hardly any fun to watch and begins to vaporize from your memory minutes after it ends . " "-1","needed a little less bling-bling and a lot more romance . " "-1","the ending doesn't work . . . but most of the movie works so well i'm almost recommending it , anyway -- maybe not to everybody , but certainly to people with a curiosity about how a movie can go very right , and then step wrong . " "-1","it's hard to believe these jokers are supposed to have pulled off four similar kidnappings before . " "-1","i'm not exactly sure what this movie thinks it is about . " "-1","cal is an unpleasantly shallow and immature character with whom to spend 110 claustrophobic minutes . " "-1","so brisk is wang's pacing that none of the excellent cast are given air to breathe . " "-1","the bottom line , at least in my opinion , is imposter makes a better short story than it does a film . " "-1","some elements of it really blow the big one , but other parts are decent . " "-1","it is just too bad the film's story does not live up to its style . " "-1","unless you're a fanatic , the best advice is : 'scooby' don't . " "-1","a cautionary tale about the folly of superficiality that is itself endlessly superficial . " "-1","for single digits kidlets stuart little 2 is still a no brainer . if you're looking to rekindle the magic of the first film , you'll need a stronger stomach than us . " "-1","shreve's graceful dual narrative gets clunky on the screen , and we keep getting torn away from the compelling historical tale to a less-compelling soap opera . " "-1","contains a few big laughs but many more that graze the funny bone or miss it altogether , in part because the consciously dumbed-down approach wears thin . " "-1","nothing more than a widget cranked out on an assembly line to see if stupid americans will get a kick out of goofy brits with cute accents performing ages-old slapstick and unfunny tricks . " "-1","this is a film tailor-made for those who when they were in high school would choose the cliff-notes over reading a full-length classic . " "-1","the movie is undone by a filmmaking methodology that's just experimental enough to alienate the mainstream audience while ringing cliched to hardened indie-heads . " "-1","a jumbled fantasy comedy that did not figure out a coherent game plan at scripting , shooting or post-production stages . " "-1","a sad and rote exercise in milking a played-out idea -- a straight guy has to dress up in drag -- that shockingly manages to be even worse than its title would imply . " "-1","personal velocity ought to be exploring these women's inner lives , but it never moves beyond their surfaces . " "-1","we hate [madonna] within the film's first five minutes , and she lacks the skill or presence to regain any ground . " "-1","sounding like arnold schwarzenegger , with a physique to match , [ahola] has a wooden delivery and encounters a substantial arc of change that doesn't produce any real transformation . " "-1","two big things are missing -- anything approaching a visceral kick , and anything approaching even a vague reason to sit through it all . " "-1","a fascinating but choppy documentary . " "-1","scarcely worth a mention apart from reporting on the number of tumbleweeds blowing through the empty theatres graced with its company . " "-1","the doofus-on- the-loose banter of welcome to collinwood has a cocky , after-hours loopiness to it . and as with most late-night bull sessions , eventually the content isn't nearly as captivating as the rowdy participants think it is . " "-1","too stagey , talky -- and long -- for its own good . " "-1","apparently reassembled from the cutting-room floor of any given daytime soap . " "-1","the sinister inspiration that fuelled devito's early work is confused in death to smoochy into something both ugly and mindless . " "-1","despite auteuil's performance , it's a rather listless amble down the middle of the road , where the thematic ironies are too obvious and the sexual politics too smug . " "-1","director boris von sychowski instead opts for a routine slasher film that was probably more fun to make than it is to sit through . " "-1"," . . . little more than a well-acted television melodrama shot for the big screen . " "-1","never comes together as a coherent whole . " "-1","an unintentionally surreal kid's picture . . . in which actors in bad bear suits enact a sort of inter-species parody of a vh1 behind the music episode . " "-1","first , for a movie that tries to be smart , it's kinda dumb . and second , what's with all the shooting ? " "-1","don't even bother to rent this on video . " "-1","there is something in full frontal , i guess , about artifice and acting and how it distorts reality for people who make movies and watch them , but like most movie riddles , it works only if you have an interest in the characters you see . " "-1","this is the kind of movie that gets a quick release before real contenders arrive in september . " "-1","not counting a few gross-out comedies i've been trying to forget , this is the first film in a long time that made me want to bolt the theater in the first 10 minutes . " "-1","plays like one long , meandering sketch inspired by the works of john waters and todd solondz , rather than a fully developed story . " "-1","the film doesn't have enough innovation or pizazz to attract teenagers , and it lacks the novel charm that made spy kids a surprising winner with both adults and younger audiences . " "-1","a mawkish self-parody that plays like some weird masterpiece theater sketch with neither a point of view nor a compelling reason for being . " "-1","an average b-movie with no aspirations to be anything more . " "-1","bartlett's hero remains a reactive cipher , when opening the man's head and heart is the only imaginable reason for the film to be made . " "-1","gibney and jarecki just want to string the bastard up . " "-1","the plot is plastered with one hollywood cliche after another , most of which involve precocious kids getting the better of obnoxious adults . " "-1","less worrying about covering all the drama in frida's life and more time spent exploring her process of turning pain into art would have made this a superior movie . " "-1","a film that suffers because of its many excesses . " "-1","too bland and fustily tasteful to be truly prurient . " "-1","in any case , i would recommend big bad love only to winger fans who have missed her since 1995's forget paris . but even then , i'd recommend waiting for dvd and just skipping straight to her scenes . " "-1","depicts the sorriest and most sordid of human behavior on the screen , then laughs at how clever it's being . " "-1","nijinsky says , 'i know how to suffer' and if you see this film you'll know too . " "-1","'cq may one day be fondly remembered as roman coppola's brief pretentious period before going on to other films that actually tell a story worth caring about " "-1","the only thing scary about feardotcom is that the filmmakers and studio are brazen enough to attempt to pass this stinker off as a scary movie . " "-1"," . . . stale and uninspired . " "-1","a dreary movie . " "-1"," . . . the story simply putters along looking for astute observations and coming up blank . " "-1","instead of contriving a climactic hero's death for the beloved-major- character-who-shall- remain-nameless , why not invite some genuine spontaneity into the film by having the evil aliens' laser guns actually hit something for once ? " "-1","it just didn't mean much to me and played too skewed to ever get a hold on ( or be entertained by ) . " "-1","this action-thriller/dark comedy is one of the most repellent things to pop up in a cinematic year already littered with celluloid garbage . " "-1","mib ii is a movie that makes it possible for the viewer to doze off for a few minutes or make several runs to the concession stand and/or restroom and not feel as if he or she has missed anything . that's because relatively nothing happens . " "-1","no amount of arty theorizing -- the special effects are 'german-expressionist , ' according to the press notes -- can render it anything but laughable . " "-1","blue crush follows the formula , but throws in too many conflicts to keep the story compelling . " "-1","boyd's screenplay ( co-written with guardian hack nick davies ) has a florid turn of phrase that owes more to guy ritchie than the bard of avon . " "-1","there's not a spark of new inspiration in it , just more of the same , done with noticeably less energy and imagination . " "-1","jackson shamefully strolls through this mess with a smug grin , inexplicably wearing a kilt and carrying a bag of golf clubs over one shoulder . " "-1","a moving picture that does not move . " "-1","ruh-roh ! romething's really wrong with this ricture ! " "-1","its salient points are simultaneously buried , drowned and smothered in the excesses of writer-director roger avary . " "-1","i'm not sure these words have ever been together in the same sentence : this erotic cannibal movie is boring . " "-1","'god help us , but capra and cooper are rolling over in their graves . ' " "-1"," . . . an hour-and-a-half of inoffensive , unmemorable filler . " "-1","is it a comedy ? a drama ? a romance ? a cartoon ? " "-1","ze movie starts out so funny , then she is nothing . " "-1","did the film inform and educate me ? yes . did it move me to care about what happened in 1915 armenia ? no . and that is where ararat went astray . " "-1","it's a bad sign in a thriller when you instantly know whodunit . " "-1","has a customarily jovial air but a deficit of flim-flam inventiveness . " "-1","eight legged freaks won't join the pantheon of great monster/science fiction flicks that we have come to love . . . " "-1","it gets the details of its time frame right but it completely misses its emotions . " "-1","who , exactly , is fighting whom here ? ah , yes , that would be me : fighting off the urge to doze . " "-1","a kilted jackson is an unsettling sight , and indicative of his , if you will , out-of-kilter character , who rambles aimlessly through ill-conceived action pieces . " "-1","contrived , awkward and filled with unintended laughs , the film shows signs that someone other than the director got into the editing room and tried to improve things by making the movie go faster . " "-1","starts out with tremendous promise , introducing an intriguing and alluring premise , only to fall prey to a boatload of screenwriting cliches that sink it faster than a leaky freighter . " "-1","the film lapses too often into sugary sentiment and withholds delivery on the pell-mell pyrotechnics its punchy style promises . " "-1","the only question . . . is to determine how well the schmaltz is manufactured -- to assess the quality of the manipulative engineering . average , at best , i'm afraid . " "-1","this movie is so bad , that it's almost worth seeing because it's so bad . " "-1","a crisply made movie that is no more than mildly amusing . " "-1","this movie feel more like a non-stop cry for attention , than an attempt at any kind of satisfying entertainment . " "-1","overall , it's a pretty mediocre family film . " "-1","love may have been in the air onscreen , but i certainly wasn't feeling any of it . " "-1","in addition to the overcooked , ham-fisted direction , which has all the actors reaching for the back row , the dialogue sounds like horrible poetry . " "-1","the very definition of what critics have come to term an "" ambitious failure . "" " "-1","it's as if de palma spent an hour setting a fancy table and then served up kraft macaroni and cheese . " "-1","the movie ends with outtakes in which most of the characters forget their lines and just utter 'uhhh , ' which is better than most of the writing in the movie . " "-1","worthy of the gong . " "-1","while certainly more naturalistic than its australian counterpart , amari's film falls short in building the drama of lilia's journey . " "-1","i found the movie as divided against itself as the dysfunctional family it portrays . " "-1","the soul-searching deliberateness of the film , although leavened nicely with dry absurdist wit , eventually becomes too heavy for the plot . " "-1","the movie doesn't add anything fresh to the myth . " "-1","as inept as big-screen remakes of the avengers and the wild wild west . " "-1","comes across as a relic from a bygone era , and its convolutions . . . feel silly rather than plausible . " "-1","moves in such odd plot directions and descends into such message-mongering moralism that its good qualities are obscured . " "-1","it's a very sincere work , but it would be better as a diary or documentary . " "-1","once one experiences mr . haneke's own sadistic tendencies toward his audience , one is left with a sour taste in one's mouth , and little else . " "-1","oops , she's really done it this time . that chirpy songbird britney spears has popped up with more mindless drivel . " "-1","it's a loathsome movie , it really is and it makes absolutely no sense . " "-1","a chiller resolutely without chills . " "-1","for those of us who respond more strongly to storytelling than computer-generated effects , the new star wars installment hasn't escaped the rut dug by the last one . " "-1","the director mostly plays it straight , turning leys' fable into a listless climb down the social ladder . " "-1"," "" bad "" is the operative word for "" bad company , "" and i don't mean that in a good way . " "-1","though frida is easier to swallow than julie taymor's preposterous titus , the eye candy here lacks considerable brio . " "-1","drumline is -- the mere suggestion , albeit a visually compelling one , of a fully realized story . " "-1","the whole movie is simply a lazy exercise in bad filmmaking that asks you to not only suspend your disbelief but your intelligence as well . " "-1","the film affords us intriguing glimpses of the insights gleaned from a lifetime of spiritual inquiry , but ram dass : fierce grace doesn't organize it with any particular insight . " "-1","pompous and garbled . " "-1","billy crystal and robert de niro sleepwalk through vulgarities in a sequel you can refuse . " "-1","it's loud and boring ; watching it is like being trapped at a bad rock concert . " "-1","merely ( and literally ) tosses around sex toys and offers half-hearted paeans to empowerment that are repeatedly undercut by the brutality of the jokes , most at women's expense . " "-1","if you want a movie time trip , the 1960 version is a far smoother ride . " "-1","traffics in the kind of prechewed racial clichés that have already been through the corporate stand-up-comedy mill . " "-1","the story is -- forgive me -- a little thin , and the filmmaking clumsy and rushed . " "-1"," . . . grows decidedly flimsier with its many out-sized , out of character and logically porous action set pieces . " "-1","i wish windtalkers had had more faith in the dramatic potential of this true story . this would have been better than the fiction it has concocted , and there still could have been room for the war scenes . " "-1","aggressive self-glorification and a manipulative whitewash . stay for the credits and see a devastating comic impersonation by dustin hoffman that is revelatory . " "-1","none of the characters or plot-lines are fleshed-out enough to build any interest . " "-1","as social exposé , skins has its heart in the right place , but that's not much to hang a soap opera on . " "-1","the whole film has this sneaky feel to it – as if the director is trying to dupe the viewer into taking it all as very important simply because the movie is ugly to look at and not a hollywood product . " "-1","there's a bit of thematic meat on the bones of queen of the damned , as its origins in an anne rice novel dictate , but generally , it's a movie that emphasizes style over character and substance . " "-1","the only way to tolerate this insipid , brutally clueless film might be with a large dose of painkillers . " "-1","this one is certainly well-meaning , but it's also simple-minded and contrived . " "-1","coppola has made a film of intoxicating atmosphere and little else . " "-1","bad and baffling from the get-go . " "-1","a series of immaculately composed shots of patch adams quietly freaking out does not make for much of a movie . " "-1","at a time when we've learned the hard way just how complex international terrorism is , collateral damage paints an absurdly simplistic picture . " "-1","the impulses that produced this project . . . are commendable , but the results are uneven . " "-1","a well-acted movie that simply doesn't gel . " "-1","like a can of 2-day old coke . you can taste it , but there's no fizz . " "-1","there's no excuse for following up a delightful , well-crafted family film with a computer-generated cold fish . " "-1","both the crime story and the love story are unusual . but they don't fit well together and neither is well told . " "-1","it's both sitcomishly predictable and cloying in its attempts to be poignant . " "-1","other than a mildly engaging central romance , hospital is sickly entertainment at best and mind-destroying cinematic pollution at worst . " "-1","jaglom offers the none-too-original premise that everyone involved with moviemaking is a con artist and a liar . " "-1","outside of burger's desire to make some kind of film , it's really unclear why this project was undertaken " "-1","was i scared ? only at the prospect of beck's next project . let's see , a haunted house , a haunted ship , what's next . . . ghost blimp ? " "-1","a fragile framework upon which to hang broad , mildly fleshed-out characters that seem to have been conjured up only 10 minutes prior to filming . " "-1","by the time the plot grinds itself out in increasingly incoherent fashion , you might be wishing for a watch that makes time go faster rather than the other way around . " "-1","since lee is a sentimentalist , the film is more worshipful than your random e ! true hollywood story . " "-1","wes craven's presence is felt ; not the craven of 'a nightmare on elm street' or 'the hills have eyes , ' but the sad schlock merchant of 'deadly friend . ' " "-1","sunshine state surveys the landscape and assesses the issues with a clear passion for sociology . but the cinematography is cloudy , the picture making becalmed . " "-1","it's one long bore . " "-1","it gets old quickly . watch barbershop again if you're in need of a cube fix--this isn't worth sitting through . " "-1","it's leaden and predictable , and laughs are lacking . " "-1"," . . . a cinematic disaster so inadvertently sidesplitting it's worth the price of admission for the ridicule factor alone . " "-1","skip this dreck , rent animal house and go back to the source . " "-1","the movie is a desperate miscalculation . it gives poor dana carvey nothing to do that is really funny , and then expects us to laugh because he acts so goofy all the time . " "-1","we just don't really care too much about this love story . in that setting , their struggle is simply too ludicrous and borderline insulting . " "-1","the transporter bombards the viewer with so many explosions and side snap kicks that it ends up being surprisingly dull . " "-1","uzumaki's interesting social parallel and defiant aesthetic seems a prostituted muse . . . " "-1","'men in black ii creates a new threat for the mib , but recycles the same premise . " "-1","large budget notwithstanding , the movie is such a blip on the year's radar screen that it's tempting just to go with it for the ride . but this time , the old mib label stands for milder isn't better . " "-1","feels familiar and tired . " "-1","a retread of material already thoroughly plumbed by martin scorsese . " "-1","instead of making his own style , director marcus adams just copies from various sources – good sources , bad mixture " "-1","criminal conspiracies and true romances move so easily across racial and cultural lines in the film that it makes my big fat greek wedding look like an apartheid drama . " "-1","a bore that tends to hammer home every one of its points . " "-1","a story which fails to rise above its disgusting source material . " "-1","it's fitting that a movie as artificial and soulless as the country bears owes its genesis to an animatronic display at disneyland . " "-1","starts as an intense political and psychological thriller but is sabotaged by ticking time bombs and other hollywood-action cliches . " "-1","completely creatively stillborn and executed in a manner that i'm not sure could be a single iota worse . . . a soulless hunk of exploitative garbage . " "-1","an uneven look into a grim future that doesn't come close to the level of intelligence and visual splendour that can be seen in other films based on philip k . dick stories . " "-1","horrible " "-1","the disjointed mess flows as naturally as jolie's hideous yellow 'do . " "-1","bolstered by an astonishing voice cast ( excepting love hewitt ) , an interesting racial tension , and a storyline that i haven't encountered since at least pete's dragon . " "-1","an authentically vague , but ultimately purposeless , study in total pandemonium . " "-1","makes a joke out of car chases for an hour and then gives us half an hour of car chases . " "-1","as the sulking , moody male hustler in the title role , [franco] has all of dean's mannerisms and self-indulgence , but none of his sweetness and vulnerability . " "-1","the only thing to fear about "" fear dot com "" is hitting your head on the theater seat in front of you when you doze off thirty minutes into the film . " "-1","it's too interested in jerking off in all its byzantine incarnations to bother pleasuring its audience . " "-1","'synthetic' is the best description of this well-meaning , beautifully produced film that sacrifices its promise for a high-powered star pedigree . " "-1","it concentrates far too much on the awkward interplay and utter lack of chemistry between chan and hewitt . " "-1","impostor can't think of a thing to do with these characters except have them run through dark tunnels , fight off various anonymous attackers , and evade elaborate surveillance technologies . " "-1","judd's characters ought to pick up the durable best seller smart women , foolish choices for advice . " "-1","the script has less spice than a rat burger and the rock's fighting skills are more in line with steven seagal . " "-1","this ill-conceived and expensive project winds up looking like a bunch of talented thesps slumming it . " "-1"," . . . there's a choppy , surface-effect feeling to the whole enterprise . " "-1","doesn't get the job done , running off the limited chemistry created by ralph fiennes and jennifer lopez . " "-1","a particularly joyless , and exceedingly dull , period coming-of-age tale . " "-1","it's impossible to indulge the fanciful daydreams of janice beard ( eileen walsh ) when her real-life persona is so charmless and vacant . " "-1","…it wasn't the subject matter that ultimately defeated the film…it was the unfulfilling , incongruous , "" wait a second , did i miss something ? "" ending . " "-1","this is a movie where the most notable observation is how long you've been sitting still . " "-1","poor editing , bad bluescreen , and ultra-cheesy dialogue highlight the radical action . " "-1","it's super- violent , super-serious and super-stupid . " "-1","so earnest and well-meaning , and so stocked with talent , that you almost forget the sheer , ponderous awfulness of its script . " "-1","just a string of stale gags , with no good inside dope , and no particular bite . " "-1","it's splash without the jokes . " "-1","the château would have been benefited from a sharper , cleaner script before it went in front of the camera . not to mention a sharper , cleaner camera lens . " "-1","shallow , noisy and pretentious . " "-1","morrissette has performed a difficult task indeed - he's taken one of the world's most fascinating stories and made it dull , lifeless , and irritating . " "-1","granddad of le nouvelle vague , jean-luc godard continues to baffle the faithful with his games of hide-and-seek . " "-1","this loud and thoroughly obnoxious comedy about a pair of squabbling working-class spouses is a deeply unpleasant experience . " "-1","it's better than the phantom menace . but unless you're an absolute raving star wars junkie , it isn't much fun . " "-1","philosophically , intellectually and logistically a mess . " "-1","a standard police-oriented drama that , were it not for de niro's participation , would have likely wound up a tnt original . " "-1","coupling disgracefully written dialogue with flailing bodily movements that substitute for acting , circuit is the awkwardly paced soap opera-ish story . " "-1","hollywood ending just isn't very funny . " "-1","though clearly well-intentioned , this cross-cultural soap opera is painfully formulaic and stilted . " "-1","a technical triumph and an extraordinary bore . " "-1","i can easily imagine benigni's pinocchio becoming a christmas perennial . coal isn't as easy to come by as it used to be and this would be a worthy substitute for naughty children's stockings . " "-1","two hours of junk . " "-1","ends up being mostly about ravishing costumes , eye-filling , wide-screen production design and joan's wacky decision to stand by her man , no matter how many times he demonstrates that he's a disloyal satyr . " "-1","self-congratulatory , misguided , and ill-informed , if nonetheless compulsively watchable . " "-1","a clumsily manufactured exploitation flick , a style-free exercise in manipulation and mayhem . " "-1","the whole affair , true story or not , feels incredibly hokey . . . [it] comes off like a hallmark commercial . " "-1","what's missing is what we call the 'wow' factor . " "-1","the nicest thing that can be said about stealing harvard ( which might have been called freddy gets molested by a dog ) is that it's not as obnoxious as tom green's freddie got fingered . " "-1"," . . . tara reid plays a college journalist , but she looks like the six-time winner of the miss hawaiian tropic pageant , so i don't know what she's doing in here . . . " "-1","the young stars are too cute ; the story and ensuing complications are too manipulative ; the message is too blatant ; the resolutions are too convenient . " "-1","normally , rohmer's talky films fascinate me , but when he moves his setting to the past , and relies on a historical text , he loses the richness of characterization that makes his films so memorable . " "-1","i highly recommend irwin , but not in the way this film showcases him . " "-1","it's been 13 months and 295 preview screenings since i last walked out on a movie , but resident evil really earned my indignant , preemptive departure . " "-1","this picture is mostly a lump of run-of-the-mill profanity sprinkled with a few remarks so geared toward engendering audience sympathy that you might think he was running for office -- or trying to win over a probation officer . " "-1","malone does have a gift for generating nightmarish images that will be hard to burn out of your brain . but the movie's narrative hook is way too muddled to be an effectively chilling guilty pleasure . " "-1","though it goes further than both , anyone who has seen the hunger or cat people will find little new here , but a tasty performance from vincent gallo lifts this tale of cannibal lust above the ordinary . " "-1","a blair witch- style adventure that plays like a bad soap opera , with passable performances from everyone in the cast . " "-1","diaz wears out her welcome in her most charmless performance " "-1","it is too bad that this likable movie isn't more accomplished . the actors try hard but come off too amateurish and awkward . " "-1","the plot has a number of holes , and at times it's simply baffling . " "-1","an ill-conceived jumble that's not scary , not smart and not engaging . " "-1","brainless , but enjoyably over-the-top , the retro gang melodrama , deuces wild represents fifties teen-gang machismo in a way that borders on rough-trade homo-eroticism . " "-1","gets bogged down by an overly sillified plot and stop-and-start pacing . " "-1","utter mush . . . conceited pap . " "-1"," "" what john does is heroic , but we don't condone it , "" one of the film's stars recently said , a tortuous comment that perfectly illustrates the picture's moral schizophrenia . " "-1","like coming into a long-running , well-written television series where you've missed the first half-dozen episodes and probably won't see the next six . " "-1","this is no "" waterboy ! "" " "-1","its generic villains lack any intrigue ( other than their funny accents ) and the action scenes are poorly delivered . " "-1","dripping with cliche and bypassing no opportunity to trivialize the material . " "-1","hard-core slasher aficionados will find things to like . . . but overall the halloween series has lost its edge . " "-1","stiff and schmaltzy and clumsily directed . " "-1","the story the movie tells is of brian de palma's addiction to the junk-calorie suspense tropes that have all but ruined his career . " "-1","too many improbabilities and rose-colored situations temper what could've been an impacting film . " "-1","generic slasher-movie nonsense , but it's not without style . " "-1","with tiny little jokes and nary an original idea , this sappy ethnic sleeper proves that not only blockbusters pollute the summer movie pool . " "-1","it sticks rigidly to the paradigm , rarely permitting its characters more than two obvious dimensions and repeatedly placing them in contrived , well-worn situations . " "-1","ever see one of those comedies that just seem like a bad idea from frame one ? " "-1","once ice-t sticks his mug in the window of the couple's bmw and begins haranguing the wife in bad stage dialogue , all credibility flies out the window . " "-1","the best drug addition movies are usually depressing but rewarding . quitting , however , manages just to be depressing , as the lead actor phones in his autobiographical performance . " "-1","it would be great to see this turd squashed under a truck , preferably a semi . " "-1","in the end , all you can do is admire the ensemble players and wonder what the point of it is . " "-1","for most movies , 84 minutes is short , but this one feels like a life sentence . " "-1","while glover , the irrepressible eccentric of river's edge , dead man and back to the future , is perfect casting for the role , he represents bartleby's main overall flaw . " "-1","something has been lost in the translation . . . another routine hollywood frightfest in which the slack execution italicizes the absurdity of the premise . " "-1","shatner is probably the funniest person in the film , which gives you an idea just how bad it was . " "-1","tries so hard to be quirky and funny that the strain is all too evident . " "-1","as immaculate as stuart little 2 is , it could be a lot better if it were , well , more adventurous . " "-1","simply a re-hash of the other seven films . " "-1","with jump cuts , fast editing and lots of pyrotechnics , yu clearly hopes to camouflage how bad his movie is . he fails . " "-1","i found myself more appreciative of what the director was trying to do than of what he had actually done . " "-1","a very depressing movie of many missed opportunities . " "-1","goes on and on to the point of nausea . " "-1","by turns numbingly dull-witted and disquietingly creepy . " "-1","boy , has this franchise ever run out of gas . " "-1","one problem with the movie , directed by joel schumacher , is that it jams too many prefabricated story elements into the running time . " "-1","the comedy is nonexistent . " "-1"," . . . a bland , pretentious mess . " "-1","it's a pedestrian , flat drama that screams out 'amateur' in almost every frame . " "-1","a bland animated sequel that hardly seems worth the effort . " "-1","it's not just the vampires that are damned in queen of the damned -- the viewers will feel they suffer the same fate . " "-1","if religious films aren't your bailiwick , stay away . otherwise , this could be a passable date film . " "-1","this is the case of a pregnant premise being wasted by a script that takes few chances and manages to insult the intelligence of everyone in the audience . " "-1","the pace and the visuals are so hyped up that a curious sense of menace informs everything . " "-1","stuffy , full of itself , morally ambiguous and nothing to shout about . " "-1","it is most of the things costner movies are known for ; it's sanctimonious , self-righteous and so eager to earn our love that you want to slap it . " "-1","don't let the subtitles fool you ; the movie only proves that hollywood no longer has a monopoly on mindless action . " "-1","chai's structure and pacing are disconcertingly slack . " "-1","to be oblivious to the existence of this film would be very sweet indeed . " "-1","the director , with his fake backdrops and stately pacing , never settles on a consistent tone . " "-1","one just waits grimly for the next shock without developing much attachment to the characters . " "-1","instead of panoramic sweep , kapur gives us episodic choppiness , undermining the story's emotional thrust . " "-1","the director seems to take an unseemly pleasure in [the characters'] misery and at the same time to congratulate himself for having the guts to confront it . " "-1","this dubious product of a college-spawned ( colgate u . ) comedy ensemble known as broken lizard plays like a mix of cheech and chong and chips . " "-1","the movie doesn't think much of its characters , its protagonist , or of us . " "-1","super troopers is an odd amalgam of comedy genres , existing somewhere between the often literal riffs of early zucker brothers/abrahams films , and the decidedly foul stylings of their post-modern contemporaries , the farrelly brothers . " "-1"," . . . will always be remembered for the 9-11 terrorist attacks . after seeing the film , i can tell you that there's no other reason why anyone should bother remembering it . " "-1","made me feel uneasy , even queasy , because [solondz's] cool compassion is on the border of bemused contempt . " "-1","as a kind of colorful , dramatized pbs program , frida gets the job done . but , for that , why not watch a documentary ? " "-1","with minimal imagination , you could restage the whole thing in your bathtub . " "-1","nights feels more like a quickie tv special than a feature film . . . it's not even a tv special you'd bother watching past the second commercial break . " "-1","although . . . visually striking and slickly staged , it's also cold , grey , antiseptic and emotionally desiccated . " "-1","you can see where big bad love is trying to go , but it never quite gets there . " "-1","friday after next is the kind of film that could only be made by african-americans because of its broad racial insensitivity towards african-americans . " "-1","it's not as awful as some of the recent hollywood trip tripe . . . but it's far from a groundbreaking endeavor . " "-1","the only thing "" swept away "" is the one hour and thirty-three minutes spent watching this waste of time . " "-1","one-sided documentary offers simplistic explanations to a very complex situation . . . . stylistically , the movie is a disaster . " "-1","the corpse count ultimately overrides what little we learn along the way about vicarious redemption . " "-1","as violent , profane and exploitative as the most offensive action flick you've ever seen . " "-1","egoyan's work often elegantly considers various levels of reality and uses shifting points of view , but here he has constructed a film so labyrinthine that it defeats his larger purpose . " "-1","life or something like it has its share of high points , but it misses too many opportunities . " "-1","this is a truly , truly bad movie . " "-1","despite bearing the paramount imprint , it's a bargain-basement european pickup . what's hard to understand is why anybody picked it up . wiser souls would have tactfully pretended not to see it and left it lying there " "-1","believability wasn't one of the film's virtues . " "-1","sewer rats could watch this movie and be so skeeved out that they'd need a shower . " "-1","the santa clause 2's plot may sound like it was co-written by mattel executives and lobbyists for the tinsel industry . " "-1","his best film remains his shortest , the hole , which makes many of the points that this film does but feels less repetitive . " "-1","just another disjointed , fairly predictable psychological thriller . " "-1"," . . . stumbles over every cheap trick in the book trying to make the outrage come even easier . " "-1","even the hastily and amateurishly drawn animation cannot engage . " "-1","kung pow is oedekerk's realization of his childhood dream to be in a martial-arts flick , and proves that sometimes the dreams of youth should remain just that . " "-1","busy urban comedy is clearly not zhang's forte , his directorial touch is neither light nor magical enough to bring off this kind of whimsy . " "-1","well-meaning but inert . " "-1","not completely loveable -- but what underdog movie since the bad news bears has been ? -- but certainly hard to hate . " "-1","a movie that can't get sufficient distance from leroy's delusions to escape their maudlin influence . " "-1","it's young guns meets goodfellas in this easily skippable hayseeds-vs . -greaseballs mob action-comedy . " "-1","louiso lets the movie dawdle in classic disaffected-indie-film mode , and brother hoffman's script stumbles over a late-inning twist that just doesn't make sense . " "-1","the movie straddles the fence between escapism and social commentary , and on both sides it falls short . " "-1","the film is old-fashioned , occasionally charming and as subtle as boldface . " "-1","can't get enough of libidinous young city dwellers ? try this obscenely bad dark comedy , so crass that it makes edward burns' sidewalks of new york look like oscar wilde . " "-1","in the new guy , even the bull gets recycled . " "-1"," . . . overly melodramatic . . . " "-1","largely , this is a movie that also does it by the numbers . " "-1","on top of a foundering performance , [madonna's] denied her own athleticism by lighting that emphasizes every line and sag . " "-1","the result is an 'action film' mired in stasis . " "-1","this is the first full scale wwii flick from hong kong's john woo . he's not good with people . " "-1","patchy combination of soap opera , low-tech magic realism and , at times , ploddingly sociological commentary . " "-1","[stevens is] so stoked to make an important film about human infidelity and happenstance that he tosses a kitchen sink onto a story already overladen with plot conceits . " "-1","so boring that even its target audience talked all the way through it . " "-1","one of the more glaring signs of this movie's servitude to its superstar is the way it skirts around any scenes that might have required genuine acting from ms . spears . " "-1","hollywood ending is the most disappointing woody allen movie ever . he has a great cast and a great idea . but the execution is a flop with the exception of about six gags that really work . " "-1"," . . . generically , forgettably pleasant from start to finish . " "-1","it's just hard to believe that a life like this can sound so dull . " "-1","when not wallowing in its characters' frustrations , the movie is busy contriving false , sitcom-worthy solutions to their problems . " "-1","an overstylized , puréed mélange of sex , psychology , drugs and philosophy . sometimes entertaining , sometimes indulgent -- but never less than pure wankery . " "-1","'lovely and amazing , ' unhappily , is neither . . . excessively strained and contrived . " "-1","ringu is a disaster of a story , full of holes and completely lacking in chills . ignore the reputation , and ignore the film . " "-1","this one is a few bits funnier than malle's dud , if only because the cast is so engagingly messing around like slob city reductions of damon runyon crooks . " "-1","'it's painful to watch witherspoon's talents wasting away inside unnecessary films like legally blonde and sweet home abomination , i mean , alabama . ' " "-1","a plodding teen remake that's so mechanical you can smell the grease on the plot twists . " "-1","trying to figure out the rules of the country bear universe -- when are bears bears and when are they like humans , only hairier -- would tax einstein's brain . " "-1","even in terms of the low-grade cheese standards on which it operates , it never quite makes the grade as tawdry trash . " "-1","amidst the action , the script carries arnold ( and the viewers ) into the forbidden zone of sympathizing with terrorist motivations by presenting the "" other side of the story . "" " "-1","rife with nutty cliches and far too much dialogue . " "-1","it's a 100-year old mystery that is constantly being interrupted by elizabeth hurley in a bathing suit . " "-1"," . . . one big laugh , three or four mild giggles , and a whole lot of not much else . " "-1","too intensely focused on the travails of being hal hartley to function as pastiche , no such thing is hartley's least accessible screed yet . " "-1","kenneth branagh's energetic sweet-and-sour performance as a curmudgeonly british playwright grounds this overstuffed , erratic dramedy in which he and his improbably forbearing wife contend with craziness and child-rearing in los angeles . " "-1","director uwe boll and writer robert dean klein fail to generate any interest in an unsympathetic hero caught up in an intricate plot that while cleverly worked out , cannot overcome blah characters . " "-1","ms . phoenix is completely lacking in charm and charisma , and is unable to project either esther's initial anomie or her eventual awakening . " "-1","the movie fails to portray its literarily talented and notorious subject as anything much more than a dirty old man . " "-1","extremely bad . " "-1","a clichéd and shallow cautionary tale about the hard-partying lives of gay men . " "-1","the fetid underbelly of fame has never looked uglier . " "-1","a little weak -- and it isn't that funny . " "-1","while it is welcome to see a chinese film depict a homosexual relationship in a mature and frank fashion , lan yu never catches dramatic fire . " "-1","the script boasts some tart tv-insider humor , but the film has not a trace of humanity or empathy . " "-1","despite the pyrotechnics , narc is strictly by the book . " "-1","in both the writing and cutting , it does not achieve the kind of dramatic unity that transports you . you end up simply admiring this bit or that , this performance or that . " "-1","cacoyannis is perhaps too effective in creating an atmosphere of dust-caked stagnation and labored gentility . " "-1","worth seeing once , but its charm quickly fades . " "-1","the original wasn't a good movie but this remake makes it look like a masterpiece ! " "-1","one suspects that craven endorses they simply because this movie makes his own look much better by comparison . " "-1","gere gives a good performance in a film that doesn't merit it . " "-1","your appreciation of it will depend on what experiences you bring to it and what associations you choose to make . " "-1","includes too much obvious padding . " "-1","there's no palpable chemistry between lopez and male lead ralph fiennes , plus the script by working girl scribe kevin wade is workmanlike in the extreme . " "-1","i'm not sure which half of dragonfly is worse : the part where nothing's happening , or the part where something's happening , but it's stupid . " "-1","don't expect any subtlety from this latest entry in the increasingly threadbare gross-out comedy cycle . " "-1","the only camouflage carvey should now be considering is a paper bag to wear over his head when he goes out into public , to avoid being recognized as the man who bilked unsuspecting moviegoers . " "-1","shot like a postcard and overacted with all the boozy self-indulgence that brings out the worst in otherwise talented actors . . . " "-1","spain's greatest star wattage doesn't overcome the tumult of maudlin tragedy . " "-1"," . . . a movie that , quite simply , shouldn't have been made . " "-1","conforms itself with creating a game of 'who's who' . . . where the characters' moves are often more predictable than their consequences . " "-1","looks and feels like a low-budget hybrid of scarface or carlito's way . " "-1","the script is a tired one , with few moments of joy rising above the stale material . " "-1","suffers from all the excesses of the genre . " "-1","the verdict : two bodies and hardly a laugh between them . " "-1","the latest adam sandler assault and possibly the worst film of the year . " "-1","downbeat , period-perfect biopic hammers home a heavy-handed moralistic message . " "-1","while the film is competent , it's also uninspired , lacking the real talent and wit to elevate it beyond its formula to the level of classic romantic comedy to which it aspires . " "-1","they ought to be a whole lot scarier than they are in this tepid genre offering . " "-1","it's harmless , diverting fluff . but it's hard to imagine a more generic effort in the genre . " "-1","it's just plain lurid when it isn't downright silly . " "-1","comedy troupe broken lizard's first movie is very funny but too concerned with giving us a plot . " "-1","pap invested in undergraduate doubling subtexts and ridiculous stabs at existentialism reminding of the discovery of the wizard of god in the fifth trek flick . " "-1","a horror movie with seriously dumb characters , which somewhat dilutes the pleasure of watching them stalked by creepy-crawly bug things that live only in the darkness . " "-1","it's a film with an idea buried somewhere inside its fabric , but never clearly seen or felt . " "-1","'all in all , reign of fire will be a good ( successful ) rental . ' " "-1","occasionally funny , sometimes inspiring , often boring . " "-1","a movie in which two not very absorbing characters are engaged in a romance you can't wait to see end . " "-1","the predominantly amateur cast is painful to watch , so stilted and unconvincing are the performances . " "-1","who are 'they' ? well , they're 'they' . they're the unnamed , easily substitutable forces that serve as whatever terror the heroes of horror movies try to avoid . they exist for hushed lines like "" they're back ! "" , "" they're out there ! "" and "" they're coming ! "" " "-1","elegantly crafted but emotionally cold , a puzzle whose intricate construction one can admire but is difficult to connect with on any deeper level . " "-1","were dylan thomas alive to witness first-time director ethan hawke's strained chelsea walls , he might have been tempted to change his landmark poem to , 'do not go gentle into that good theatre . ' " "-1","the story has its redundancies , and the young actors , not very experienced , are sometimes inexpressive . " "-1","i'm sure the filmmaker would disagree , but , honestly , i don't see the point . it's a visual rorschach test and i must have failed . " "-1","the film is really closer to porn than a serious critique of what's wrong with this increasingly pervasive aspect of gay culture . " "-1","murder by numbers just doesn't add up . " "-1","clare peploe's airless movie adaptation could use a little american pie-like irreverence . " "-1","video games are more involving than this mess . " "-1","clayburgh and tambor are charming performers ; neither of them deserves eric schaeffer . " "-1","a pale xerox of other , better crime movies . " "-1"," . . . a hokey piece of nonsense that tries too hard to be emotional . " "-1","illiterate , often inert sci-fi action thriller . " "-1","a perfect example of rancid , well-intentioned , but shamelessly manipulative movie making . " "-1","the adventure doesn't contain half the excitement of balto , or quarter the fun of toy story 2 . " "-1","essentially a collection of bits -- and they're all naughty . " "-1","a mess . the screenplay does too much meandering , norton has to recite bland police procedural details , fiennes wanders around in an attempt to seem weird and distanced , hopkins looks like a drag queen . " "-1","the screenplay by james eric , james horton and director peter o'fallon . . . is so pat it makes your teeth hurt . " "-1","before it takes a sudden turn and devolves into a bizarre sort of romantic comedy , steven shainberg's adaptation of mary gaitskill's harrowing short story . . . is a brilliantly played , deeply unsettling experience . " "-1","solaris is rigid and evasive in ways that soderbergh's best films , "" erin brockovich , "" "" out of sight "" and "" ocean's eleven , "" never were . " "-1","seems like something american and european gay movies were doing 20 years ago . " "-1","in the process of trimming the movie to an expeditious 84 minutes , director roger kumble seems to have dumped a whole lot of plot in favor of . . . outrageous gags . " "-1","you can see the would-be surprises coming a mile away , and the execution of these twists is delivered with a hammer . thumbs down . " "-1","the characters are paper thin and the plot is so cliched and contrived that it makes your least favorite james bond movie seem as cleverly plotted as the usual suspects . " "-1"," . . . del toro maintains a dark mood that makes the film seem like something to endure instead of enjoy . " "-1","the movie eventually snaps under the strain of its plot contrivances and its need to reassure . " "-1","the real question this movie poses is not 'who ? ' but 'why ? ' " "-1","now here's a sadistic bike flick that would have made vittorio de sica proud . " "-1","a movie that's about as overbearing and over-the-top as the family it depicts . " "-1","a movie in which laughter and self-exploitation merge into jolly soft-porn 'empowerment . ' " "-1","occasionally interesting but essentially unpersuasive , a footnote to a still evolving story . " "-1","if we're to slap protagonist genevieve leplouff because she's french , do we have that same option to slap her creators because they're clueless and inept ? " "-1","moretti plays giovanni , a psychiatrist who predictably finds it difficult to sustain interest in his profession after the family tragedy . too predictably , in fact . " "-1","alternative medicine obviously has its merits . . . but ayurveda does the field no favors . " "-1","this thing works on no level whatsoever for me . " "-1","it follows the basic plot trajectory of nearly every schwarzenegger film : someone crosses arnie . arnie blows things up . " "-1","ice age posits a heretofore unfathomable question : is it possible for computer-generated characters to go through the motions ? " "-1","an incoherent jumble of a film that's rarely as entertaining as it could have been . " "-1"," . . . they missed the boat . " "-1","more dutiful than enchanting . . . terribly episodic and lacking the spark of imagination that might have made it an exhilarating treat . " "-1","laconic and very stilted in its dialogue , this indie flick never found its audience , probably because it's extremely hard to relate to any of the characters . " "-1","the comedy death to smoochy is a rancorous curiosity : a movie without an apparent audience . " "-1","barney's ideas about creation and identity don't really seem all that profound , at least by way of what can be gleaned from this three-hour endurance test built around an hour's worth of actual material . " "-1","affleck merely creates an outline for a role he still needs to grow into , a role that ford effortlessly filled with authority . " "-1","cinematic pyrotechnics aside , the only thing avary seems to care about are mean giggles and pulchritude . it makes sense that he went back to school to check out the girls -- his film is a frat boy's idea of a good time . " "-1","the narrative is so consistently unimaginative that probably the only way to have saved the film is with the aid of those wisecracking mystery science theater 3000 guys . " "-1","nothing more or less than an outright bodice-ripper -- it should have ditched the artsy pretensions and revelled in the entertaining shallows . " "-1","a living testament to the power of the eccentric and the strange . the fact that it isn't very good is almost beside the point . " "-1","feels less like a cousin to blade runner than like a bottom-feeder sequel in the escape from new york series . " "-1","what might have been acceptable on the printed page of iles' book does not translate well to the screen . " "-1","if oscar had a category called best bad film you thought was going to be really awful but wasn't , guys would probably be duking it out with the queen of the damned for the honor . " "-1","a poky and pseudo-serious exercise in sham actor workshops and an affected malaise . " "-1","mediocre fable from burkina faso . " "-1","fessenden has nurtured his metaphors at the expense of his narrative , but he does display an original talent . " "-1","since the movie is based on a nicholas sparks best seller , you know death is lurking around the corner , just waiting to spoil things . " "-1","bottom-rung new jack city wannabe . " "-1","fincher takes no apparent joy in making movies , and he gives none to the audience . " "-1","it's mildly amusing , but i certainly can't recommend it . " "-1","nicholas nickleby celebrates the human spirit with such unrelenting dickensian decency that it turned me ( horrors ! ) into scrooge . " "-1","fear dot com is more frustrating than a modem that disconnects every 10 seconds . " "-1","full of flatulence jokes and mild sexual references , kung pow ! is the kind of movie that's critic-proof , simply because it aims so low . " "-1","may cause you to bite your tongue to keep from laughing at the ridiculous dialog or the oh-so convenient plot twists . " "-1","there are just too many characters saying too many clever things and getting into too many pointless situations . where's the movie here ? " "-1","a dark , dull thriller with a parting shot that misfires . " "-1","lacking substance and soul , crossroads comes up shorter than britney's cutoffs . " "-1","cassavetes thinks he's making dog day afternoon with a cause , but all he's done is to reduce everything he touches to a shrill , didactic cartoon . " "-1","buries an interesting storyline about morality and the choices we make underneath such a mountain of clichés and borrowed images that it might more accurately be titled mr . chips off the old block . " "-1","although sensitive to a fault , it's often overwritten , with a surfeit of weighty revelations , flowery dialogue , and nostalgia for the past and roads not taken . " "-1","it's so badly made on every level that i'm actually having a hard time believing people were paid to make it . " "-1","without non-stop techno or the existential overtones of a kieslowski morality tale , maelström is just another winter sleepers . " "-1","nicks , seemingly uncertain what's going to make people laugh , runs the gamut from stale parody to raunchy sex gags to formula romantic comedy . " "-1","'a' for creativity but comes across more as a sketch for a full-length comedy . " "-1","if there's one thing this world needs less of , it's movies about college that are written and directed by people who couldn't pass an entrance exam . " "-1","the script kicks in , and mr . hartley's distended pace and foot-dragging rhythms follow . " "-1","[e]ventually , every idea in this film is flushed down the latrine of heroism . " "-1","i am sorry that i was unable to get the full brunt of the comedy . " "-1","no telegraphing is too obvious or simplistic for this movie . " "-1","looks and feels like a project better suited for the small screen . " "-1","in its best moments , resembles a bad high school production of grease , without benefit of song . " "-1","indifferently implausible popcorn programmer of a movie . " "-1","it's inoffensive , cheerful , built to inspire the young people , set to an unending soundtrack of beach party pop numbers and aside from its remarkable camerawork and awesome scenery , it's about as exciting as a sunburn . " "-1","his comedy premises are often hackneyed or just plain crude , calculated to provoke shocked laughter , without following up on a deeper level . " "-1","christina ricci comedy about sympathy , hypocrisy and love is a misfire . " "-1","at times , the suspense is palpable , but by the end there's a sense that the crux of the mystery hinges on a technicality that strains credulity and leaves the viewer haunted by the waste of potential . " "-1","they should have called it gutterball . " "-1","thekids will probably stay amused at the kaleidoscope of big , colorful characters . mom and dad can catch some quality naptime along the way . " "-1","it's too self-important and plodding to be funny , and too clipped and abbreviated to be an epic . " "-1","the best that can be said about the work here of scottish director ritchie . . . is that he obviously doesn't have his heart in it . " "-1","less dizzying than just dizzy , the jaunt is practically over before it begins . " "-1","slick piece of cross-promotion . " "-1","taylor appears to have blown his entire budget on soundtrack rights and had nothing left over for jokes . " "-1","it believes it's revealing some great human truths , when , in reality , it's churning ground that has long passed the point of being fertile . " "-1","by turns pretentious , fascinating , ludicrous , provocative and vainglorious . " "-1","it all drags on so interminably it's like watching a miserable relationship unfold in real time . " "-1","villeneuve spends too much time wallowing in bibi's generic angst ( there are a lot of shots of her gazing out windows ) . " "-1","[t]here's only so much anyone can do with a florid , overplotted , anne rice rock 'n' roll vampire novel before the built-in silliness of the whole affair defeats them . " "-1","it's another video movie photographed like a film , with the bad lighting that's often written off as indie film naturalism . " "-1","the techno tux is good for a few laughs , as are chan and hewitt , but when such a good design turns out to be a cheap knockoff , we can't recommend anything but a rental for the tuxedo . " "-1","i got a headache watching this meaningless downer . " "-1","apart from dazzling cinematography , we've seen just about everything in blue crush in one form or the other . " "-1","too much of the humor falls flat . " "-1","detox is ultimately a pointless endeavor . " "-1","van wilder doesn't bring anything new to the proverbial table , but it does possess a coherence absent in recent crass-a-thons like tomcats , freddy got fingered , and slackers . " "-1","the piquant story needs more dramatic meat on its bones . " "-1","very special effects , brilliantly bold colors and heightened reality can't hide the giant achilles' heel in "" stuart little 2 "" : there's just no story , folks . " "-1","the plot combines the blues brothers and almost famous ( but with bears , and a g rating ) , with an excruciating dollop of disney sentimentality mixed in for good measure . " "-1","no way i can believe this load of junk . " "-1"," "" roger michell ( "" notting hill "" ) directs a morality thriller . "" " "-1","it's dumb , but more importantly , it's just not scary . " "-1","there is no pleasure in watching a child suffer . just embarrassment and a vague sense of shame . " "-1","the movie's accumulated force still feels like an ugly knot tightening in your stomach . but is that knot from dramatic tension or a symptom of artistic malnutrition ? " "-1","even with a green mohawk and a sheet of fire-red flame tattoos covering his shoulder , however , kilmer seems to be posing , rather than acting . and that leaves a hole in the center of the salton sea . " "-1","there's just no currency in deriding james bond for being a clichéd , doddering , misogynistic boy's club . " "-1","when the film ended , i felt tired and drained and wanted to lie on my own deathbed for a while . " "-1","full of witless jokes , dealing in broad stereotypes and outrageously unbelievable scenarios , and saddled with a general air of misogyny " "-1","the film's hackneyed message is not helped by the thin characterizations , nonexistent plot and pretentious visual style . " "-1","the iditarod lasts for days - this just felt like it did . " "-1"," it feels like an after-school special gussied up with some fancy special effects , and watching its rote plot points connect is about as exciting as gazing at an egg timer for 93 minutes . " "-1","this movie is maddening . it conveys a simple message in a visual style that is willfully overwrought . " "-1","should have been someone else- " "-1","the film is based on truth and yet there is something about it that feels incomplete , as if the real story starts just around the corner . " "-1","why make a documentary about these marginal historical figures ? wouldn't one about their famous dad , author of death in venice , etc . , be more valuable ? " "-1","the lower your expectations , the more you'll enjoy it . " "-1","rarely has leukemia looked so shimmering and benign . " "-1","… is an arthritic attempt at directing by callie khouri . i had to look away - this was god awful . " "-1","even in this less-than-magic kingdom , reese rules . " "-1","velocity represents everything wrong with ''independent film'' as a commodified , sold-out concept on the american filmmaking scene . " "-1","just one bad idea after another . " "-1","because of an unnecessary and clumsy last scene , 'swimfan' left me with a very bad feeling . " "-1","though moonlight mile is replete with acclaimed actors and actresses and tackles a subject that's potentially moving , the movie is too predictable and too self-conscious to reach a level of high drama . " "-1","a movie that hovers somewhere between an acute character study and a trite power struggle . " "-1","i can't recommend it . but it's surprisingly harmless . " "-1","corpus collosum -- while undeniably interesting -- wore out its welcome well before the end credits rolled about 45 minutes in . " "-1","the last 20 minutes are somewhat redeeming , but most of the movie is the same teenage american road-trip drek we've seen before - only this time you have to read the fart jokes " "-1","it's hard to like a film about a guy who is utterly unlikeable , and shiner , starring michael caine as an aging british boxing promoter desperate for a taste of fame and fortune , is certainly that . " "-1","a by-the-numbers effort that won't do much to enhance the franchise . " "-1","involves two mysteries -- one it gives away and the other featuring such badly drawn characters that its outcome hardly matters . " "-1","overall the film feels like a low-budget tv pilot that could not find a buyer to play it on the tube . " "-1","it's of the quality of a lesser harrison ford movie - six days , seven nights , maybe , or that dreadful sabrina remake . " "-1","it appears that something has been lost in the translation to the screen . " "-1","despite all evidence to the contrary , this clunker has somehow managed to pose as an actual feature movie , the kind that charges full admission and gets hyped on tv and purports to amuse small children and ostensible adults . " "-1","shrewd but pointless . " "-1","an unclassifiably awful study in self- and audience-abuse . " "-1","sluggish , tonally uneven . " "-1","this movie is something of an impostor itself , stretching and padding its material in a blur of dead ends and distracting camera work . " "-1","hey arnold ! the movie could have been made 40 years ago , and parents' appreciation of it may depend on whether they consider that a good thing . " "-1","this one is definitely one to skip , even for horror movie fanatics . " "-1","excessive , profane , packed with cartoonish violence and comic-strip characters . " "-1","once the 50 year old benigni appears as the title character , we find ourselves longing for the block of wood to come back . " "-1","a working class "" us vs . them "" opera that leaves no heartstring untugged and no liberal cause unplundered . " "-1","if the movie succeeds in instilling a wary sense of 'there but for the grace of god , ' it is far too self-conscious to draw you deeply into its world . " "-1","there are simply too many ideas floating around -- part farce , part sliding doors , part pop video -- and yet failing to exploit them . " "-1","it takes a strange kind of laziness to waste the talents of robert forster , anne meara , eugene levy , and reginald veljohnson all in the same movie . " "-1","we haven't seen such hilarity since say it isn't so ! " "-1","expect the same-old , lame-old slasher nonsense , just with different scenery . " "-1","the cold turkey would've been a far better title . " "-1","the idea of 49-year-old roberto benigni playing the wooden boy pinocchio is scary enough . the reality of the new live-action pinocchio he directed , cowrote and starred in borders on the grotesque . " "-1","the ga-zillionth airhead movie about a wife in distress who resorts to desperate measures . " "-1","zaidan's script has barely enough plot to string the stunts together and not quite enough characterization to keep the faces straight . " "-1","try as i may , i can't think of a single good reason to see this movie , even though everyone in my group extemporaneously shouted , 'thank you ! ' when leguizamo finally plugged an irritating character late in the movie . " "-1","while it's nice to watch a movie that hasn't been focus-grouped into tedium , yu's cinematic alchemy produces nearly as much lead as gold . " "-1","it treats women like idiots . " "-1","though catch me if you can isn't badly made , the fun slowly leaks out of the movie . " "-1","just an average comedic dateflick but not a waste of time . " "-1","a valueless kiddie paean to pro basketball underwritten by the nba . " "-1","impostor has a handful of thrilling moments and a couple of good performances , but the movie doesn't quite fly . for starters , the story is just too slim . " "-1","so much facile technique , such cute ideas , so little movie . " "-1","the experience of going to a film festival is a rewarding one ; the experiencing of sampling one through this movie is not . " "-1","the film takes the materials of human tragedy and dresses them in lovely costumes , southern california locations and star power . " "-1","it has its moments of swaggering camaraderie , but more often just feels generic , derivative and done to death . " "-1","almost gags on its own gore . " "-1","how do you spell cliché ? " "-1","it's sweet , harmless , dumb , occasionally funny and about as compelling as a fishing show . " "-1","the moviegoing equivalent of going to a dinner party and being forced to watch the host and hostess's home video of their baby's birth . " "-1","while [hill] has learned new tricks , the tricks alone are not enough to salvage this lifeless boxing film . " "-1","in the real world , an actor this uncharismatically beautiful would have a résumé loaded with credits like "" girl in bar #3 . "" " "-1","too much of it feels unfocused and underdeveloped . " "-1","under 15 ? a giggle a minute . over age 15 ? big fat waste of time . " "-1","hey arnold ! the movie is what happens when you blow up small potatoes to 10 times their natural size , and it ain't pretty . " "-1","sometimes seems less like storytelling than something the otherwise compelling director needed to get off his chest . " "-1","this is not the undisputed worst boxing movie ever , but it's certainly not a champion - the big loser is the audience . " "-1","you really have to wonder how on earth anyone , anywhere could have thought they'd make audiences guffaw with a script as utterly diabolical as this . " "-1","in the end , we are left with something like two ships passing in the night rather than any insights into gay love , chinese society or the price one pays for being dishonest . " "-1","chokes on its own depiction of upper-crust decorum . " "-1","well-nigh unendurable . . . though the picture strains to become cinematic poetry , it remains depressingly prosaic and dull . " "-1","i thought my own watch had stopped keeping time as i slogged my way through clockstoppers . " "-1","while much of the cast has charm -- especially allodi and nolden -- the performers are sunk by the film's primitive approach to the mechanics of comedy . " "-1","this directorial debut from music video show-off higuchinsky is all flash . " "-1","yes , ballistic is silly . unfortunately , it's not silly fun unless you enjoy really bad movies . " "-1","the twist that ends the movie is the one with the most emotional resonance , but twists are getting irritating , and this is the kind of material where the filmmakers should be very careful about raising eyebrows . " "-1","the longer the movie goes , the worse it gets , but it's actually pretty good in the first few minutes . " "-1","while it's genuinely cool to hear characters talk about early rap records ( sugar hill gang , etc . ) , the constant referencing of hip-hop arcana can alienate even the savviest audiences . " "-1","not only unfunny , but downright repellent . " "-1","care deftly captures the wonder and menace of growing up , but he never really embraces the joy of fuhrman's destructive escapism or the grace-in-rebellion found by his characters . " "-1","forced , familiar and thoroughly condescending . " "-1","does little more than play an innocuous game of fill-in- the-blanks with a tragic past . " "-1","k-19 exploits our substantial collective fear of nuclear holocaust to generate cheap hollywood tension . " "-1","has a long and clunky ending . . . which forces the audience to fidget through ten pseudo-serious minutes while waiting for the ending credits and the deleted scenes montage to break the audience's awkward silence " "-1","a ragbag of promising ideas and failed narrative , of good acting and plain old bad filmmaking . " "-1","whaley's determination to immerse you in sheer , unrelenting wretchedness is exhausting . " "-1","uncommonly stylish but equally silly . . . the picture fails to generate much suspense , nor does it ask searching enough questions to justify its pretensions . " "-1","the entire movie is about a boring , sad man being boring and sad . " "-1","the plot convolutions ultimately add up to nothing more than jerking the audience's chain . " "-1","confirms the nagging suspicion that ethan hawke would be even worse behind the camera than he is in front of it . " "-1","made with no discernible craft and monstrously sanctimonious in dealing with childhood loss . " "-1","it's a trifle of a movie , with a few laughs surrounding an unremarkable soft center . " "-1","holden caulfield did it better . " "-1","a synthesis of cliches and absurdities that seems positively decadent in its cinematic flash and emptiness . " "-1","oh come on . like you couldn't smell this turkey rotting from miles away . " "-1","if it's seldom boring , well , it's also rarely coherent . " "-1","simplistic fluff-ball of whimsy . " "-1","not exactly the bees knees " "-1","it does nothing new with the old story , except to show fisticuffs in this sort of stop-go slow motion that makes the gang rumbles look like they're being streamed over a 28k modem . " "-1","the kind of spectacularly misconceived enterprise that only a sophisticated cinephile could have perpetrated . " "-1","makes for some truly odd , at times confusing , kids entertainment . . . but at least this time there's some centered storytelling to go along with all the weird stuff . " "-1","the film contains no good jokes , no good scenes , barely a moment when carvey's saturday night live-honed mimicry rises above the level of embarrassment . " "-1","jacquot's rendering of puccini's tale of devotion and double-cross is more than just a filmed opera . in his first stab at the form , jacquot takes a slightly anarchic approach that works only sporadically . " "-1","chabrol has taken promising material for a black comedy and turned it instead into a somber chamber drama . " "-1","it's as if you're watching a movie that was made in 1978 but not released then because it was so weak , and it has been unearthed and released now , when it has become even weaker . " "-1","this is nothing but familiar territory . " "-1","in execution , this clever idea is far less funny than the original , killers from space . " "-1","one of the more irritating cartoons you will see this , or any , year . " "-1","a broad , melodramatic estrogen opera that's pretty toxic in its own right . " "-1","too slow , too long and too little happens . " "-1","the film's few ideas are stretched to the point of evaporation ; the whole central section is one big chase that seems to have no goal and no urgency . it's just filler . " "-1","sacrifices the value of its wealth of archival foot-age with its less-than-objective stance . " "-1","utterly lacking in charm , wit and invention , roberto benigni's pinocchio is an astonishingly bad film . " "-1","a hamfisted romantic comedy that makes our girl the hapless facilitator of an extended cheap shot across the mason-dixon line . " "-1","scores no points for originality , wit , or intelligence . it's a cookie-cutter movie , a cut-and-paste job . " "-1","they takes a long time to get to its gasp-inducing ending . " "-1","barely gets off the ground . " "-1","even on those rare occasions when the narrator stops yammering , miller's hand often feels unsure . " "-1","pumpkin means to be an outrageous dark satire on fraternity life , but its ambitions far exceed the abilities of writer adam larson broder and his co-director , tony r . abrams , in their feature debut . " "-1","at its best , queen is campy fun like the vincent price horror classics of the '60s . at its worst , it implodes in a series of very bad special effects . " "-1","from the opening scenes , it's clear that all about the benjamins is a totally formulaic movie . " "-1","it takes a certain kind of horror movie to qualify as 'worse than expected , ' but ghost ship somehow manages to do exactly that . " "-1","on the bright side , it contains jesse ventura's best work since the xfl . " "-1","despite impeccable acting . . . and a script that takes some rather unexpected ( even , at times , preposterous ) turns , love is just too , too precious in the end . " "-1","a tv style murder mystery with a few big screen moments ( including one that seems to be made for a different film altogether ) . " "-1","by getting myself wrapped up in the visuals and eccentricities of many of the characters , i found myself confused when it came time to get to the heart of the movie . " "-1","too often , the viewer isn't reacting to humor so much as they are wincing back in repugnance . " "-1","what's next ? the porky's revenge : ultimate edition ? " "-1","dilbert without the right-on satiric humor . " "-1","manages to show life in all of its banality when the intention is quite the opposite . " "-1","do not see this film . " "-1","minority report is exactly what the title indicates , a report . " "-1","delivers the same old same old , tarted up with latin flava and turned out by hollywood playas . " "-1","if you believe any of this , i can make you a real deal on leftover enron stock that will double in value a week from friday . " "-1","to call the other side of heaven "" appalling "" would be to underestimate just how dangerous entertainments like it can be . " "-1","in exactly 89 minutes , most of which passed as slowly as if i'd been sitting naked on an igloo , formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey . " "-1","if only the story about a multi-million dollar con bothered to include the con . " "-1","i'd have to say the star and director are the big problems here . " "-1","without the dark spookiness of crystal lake camp , the horror concept completely loses its creepy menace . " "-1","it's like every bad idea that's ever gone into an after-school special compiled in one place , minus those daytime programs' slickness and sophistication ( and who knew they even had any ? ) . " "-1","while the resident evil games may have set new standards for thrills , suspense , and gore for video games , the movie really only succeeds in the third of these . " "-1","for close to two hours the audience is forced to endure three terminally depressed , mostly inarticulate , hyper dysfunctional families for the price of one . " "-1","to my taste , the film's comic characters come perilously close to being amoses and andys for a new generation . " "-1","what the director can’ ; t do is make either of val kilmer’ ; s two personas interesting or worth caring about . " "-1","in an effort , i suspect , not to offend by appearing either too serious or too lighthearted , it offends by just being wishy-washy . " "-1","it's difficult to imagine the process that produced such a script , but here's guessing that spray cheese and underarm noises played a crucial role . " "-1","harland williams is so funny in drag he should consider permanent sex-reassignment . " "-1"," . . . nothing scary here except for some awful acting and lame special effects . " "-1","it's not that kung pow isn't funny some of the time -- it just isn't any funnier than bad martial arts movies are all by themselves , without all oedekerk's impish augmentation . " "-1","a very long movie , dull in stretches , with entirely too much focus on meal preparation and igloo construction . " "-1","not an objectionable or dull film ; it merely lacks everything except good intentions . " "-1","a science-fiction pastiche so lacking in originality that if you stripped away its inspirations there would be precious little left . " "-1","once [kim] begins to overplay the shock tactics and bait-and-tackle metaphors , you may decide it's too high a price to pay for a shimmering picture postcard . " "-1","the words , 'frankly , my dear , i don't give a damn , ' have never been more appropriate . " "-1","what's next : "" my mother the car ? "" " "-1","all the amped-up tony hawk-style stunts and thrashing rap-metal can't disguise the fact that , really , we've been here , done that . " "-1","a sequel that's much too big for its britches . " "-1","so unremittingly awful that labeling it a dog probably constitutes cruelty to canines . " "-1","what was once original has been co-opted so frequently that it now seems pedestrian . " "-1","a perplexing example of promise unfulfilled , despite many charming moments . " "-1","for all the writhing and wailing , tears , rage and opium overdoses , there's no sense of actual passion being washed away in love's dissolution . " "-1","a coarse and stupid gross-out . " "-1","a nightmare date with a half-formed wit done a great disservice by a lack of critical distance and a sad trust in liberal arts college bumper sticker platitudes . " "-1","doesn't offer much besides glib soullessness , raunchy language and a series of brutal set pieces . . . that raise the bar on stylized screen violence . " "-1","there's something with potential here , but the movie decides , like lavinia , to go the conservative route . " "-1","it's one pussy-ass world when even killer-thrillers revolve around group therapy sessions . " "-1","the stripped-down approach does give the film a certain timeless quality , but the measured pace and lack of dramatic inflection can also seem tedious . " "-1","but the power of these [subjects] is obscured by the majority of the film that shows a stationary camera on a subject that could be mistaken for giving a public oration , rather than contributing to a film's narrative . " "-1","rarely has so much money delivered so little entertainment . " "-1","tries to add some spice to its quirky sentiments but the taste is all too familiar . " "-1","paid in full is so stale , in fact , that its most vibrant scene is one that uses clips from brian de palma's scarface . that's a cheat . " "-1","harrison's flowers puts its heart in the right place , but its brains are in no particular place at all . " "-1","this re-do is so dumb and so exploitative in its violence that , ironically , it becomes everything that the rather clumsy original was railing against . " "-1","a string of rehashed sight gags based in insipid vulgarity . " "-1","the movie is dawn of the dead crossed with john carpenter's ghosts of mars , with zombies not as ghoulish as the first and trains not as big as the second . " "-1","basically a static series of semi-improvised ( and semi-coherent ) raps between the stars . " "-1","too restrained to be a freak show , too mercenary and obvious to be cerebral , too dull and pretentious to be engaging . . . the isle defies an easy categorization . " "-1","an unpredictable blend of gal-pal smart talk , romantic comedy and dark tragedy that bites off considerably more than writer/director john mckay can swallow . " "-1","it's one of those baseball pictures where the hero is stoic , the wife is patient , the kids are as cute as all get-out and the odds against success are long enough to intimidate , but short enough to make a dream seem possible . " "-1"," "" the time machine "" is a movie that has no interest in itself . it doesn't believe in itself , it has no sense of humor…it's just plain bored . " "-1"," . . . a hollow joke told by a cinematic gymnast having too much fun embellishing the misanthropic tale to actually engage it . " "-1","a morose little soap opera about three vapid , insensitive people who take turns hurting each other . it's a feature-length adaptation of one of those "" can this marriage be saved ? "" columns from ladies home journal . . . " "-1","the film's essentially over by the meet-cute . " "-1","i'm sure if you're a hartley fan , you might enjoy yourself . . . me , i didn't care for it . " "-1","it's about following your dreams , no matter what your parents think . socrates motions for hemlock . " "-1","the script isn't very good ; not even someone as gifted as hoffman ( the actor ) can make it work . " "-1","walter hill's pulpy , stylized boxing melodrama undisputed nearly overcomes its questionable in-the-ring match-up with solid fight choreography and gritty prison authenticity . " "-1","it has all the excitement of eating oatmeal . " "-1","it's hard to know whether or not to recommend this film because for every thing it does right there's at least one and occasionally two things it gets ever so wrong . " "-1","although there are several truly jolting scares , there's also an abundance of hackneyed dialogue and more silly satanic business than you can shake a severed limb at . " "-1","i'll bet the video game is a lot more fun than the film . " "-1","star trek : nemesis meekly goes where nearly every star trek movie has gone before . wince-inducing dialogue , thrift-shop costumes , prosthetic makeup by silly putty and kmart blue-light-special effects all conspire to test trekkie loyalty . " "-1","like all abstract art , the film does not make this statement in an easily accessible way , and -- unless prewarned -- it would be very possible for a reasonably intelligent person to sit through its tidal wave of imagery and not get this vision at all . " "-1","i don't mind having my heartstrings pulled , but don't treat me like a fool . " "-1"," . . . although this idea is "" new "" the results are tired . " "-1","i'm guessing the director is a magician . after all , he took three minutes of dialogue , 30 seconds of plot and turned them into a 90-minute movie that feels five hours long . " "-1","an unencouraging threefold expansion on the former mtv series , accompanying the stunt-hungry dimwits in a random series of collected gags , pranks , pratfalls , dares , injuries , etc . " "-1","the script is a dim-witted pairing of teen-speak and animal gibberish . " "-1","its well of thorn and vinegar ( and simple humanity ) has long been plundered by similar works featuring the insight and punch this picture so conspicuously lacks . " "-1","for all its impressive craftsmanship , and despite an overbearing series of third-act crescendos , lily chou-chou never really builds up a head of emotional steam . " "-1","don't be fooled by the impressive cast list - eye see you is pure junk . " "-1","not since freddy got fingered has a major release been so painful to sit through . " "-1","the documentary does little , apart from raising the topic , to further stoke the conversation . " "-1","plays like a volatile and overlong w magazine fashion spread . " "-1","a better title , for all concerned , might be swept under the rug . " "-1","this movie seems to have been written using mad-libs . there can be no other explanation . hilariously inept and ridiculous . " "-1","vera's technical prowess ends up selling his film short ; he smoothes over hard truths even as he uncovers them . " "-1","[a] shapeless blob of desperate entertainment . " "-1","feels too formulaic and too familiar to produce the transgressive thrills of early underground work . " "-1","generic thriller junk . teens only . " "-1","given how heavy-handed and portent-heavy it is , this could be the worst thing soderbergh has ever done . " "-1","a by-the-numbers patient/doctor pic that covers all the usual ground " "-1","a dumb movie with dumb characters doing dumb things and you have to be really dumb not to see where this is going . " "-1","stealing harvard aspires to comedic grand larceny but stands convicted of nothing more than petty theft of your time . " "-1","pretension , in its own way , is a form of bravery . for this reason and this reason only -- the power of its own steadfast , hoity-toity convictions -- chelsea walls deserves a medal . " "-1","with the exception of some fleetingly amusing improvisations by cedric the entertainer as perry's boss , there isn't a redeeming moment here . " "-1","it's a grab bag of genres that don't add up to a whole lot of sense . " "-1","movie fans , get ready to take off . . . the other direction . " "-1","[director] o'fallon manages to put some lovely pictures up on the big screen , but his skill at telling a story -- he also contributed to the screenplay -- falls short . " "-1","the intent is almost exactly the same [as the full monty] . all that's missing is the spontaneity , originality and delight . " "-1","no one but a convict guilty of some truly heinous crime should have to sit through the master of disguise . " "-1","even the finest chef can't make a hotdog into anything more than a hotdog , and robert de niro can't make this movie anything more than a trashy cop buddy comedy . " "-1","there's too much falseness to the second half , and what began as an intriguing look at youth fizzles into a dull , ridiculous attempt at heart-tugging . " "-1","it's not without its pleasures , but i'll stick with the tune . " "-1","miller is playing so free with emotions , and the fact that children are hostages to fortune , that he makes the audience hostage to his swaggering affectation of seriousness . " "-1","despite the evocative aesthetics evincing the hollow state of modern love life , the film never percolates beyond a monotonous whine . " "-1","more maudlin than sharp . " "-1","this is an egotistical endeavor from the daughter of horror director dario argento ( a producer here ) , but her raw performance and utter fearlessness make it strangely magnetic . " "-1","it's slow -- very , very slow . it's not the ultimate depression-era gangster movie . that's pure pr hype . " "-1","characters still need to function according to some set of believable and comprehensible impulses , no matter how many drugs they do or how much artistic license avary employs . " "-1","comes . . . uncomfortably close to coasting in the treads of the bicycle thief . " "-1","visually rather stunning , but ultimately a handsome-looking bore , the true creativity would have been to hide treasure planet entirely and completely reimagine it . " "-1","stealing harvard is evidence that the farrelly bros . -- peter and bobby -- and their brand of screen comedy are wheezing to an end , along with green's half-hearted movie career . " "-1","there seems to be no clear path as to where the story's going , or how long it's going to take to get there . " "-1","if you're a wwf fan , or you related to the people who watched the robots getting butchered in a . i . , you'll probably like rollerball . " "-1","i don't think i laughed out loud once . and when you're talking about a slapstick comedy , that's a pretty big problem . " "-1","it's so mediocre , despite the dynamic duo on the marquee , that we just can't get no satisfaction . " "-1","slapstick buffoonery can tickle many a preschooler's fancy , but when it costs a family of four about $40 to see a film in theaters , why spend money on a dog like this when you can rent a pedigree instead ? " "-1"," . . . turns so unforgivably trite in its last 10 minutes that anyone without a fortified sweet tooth will likely go into sugar shock . " "-1","the notion that bombing buildings is the funniest thing in the world goes entirely unexamined in this startlingly unfunny comedy . " "-1","my reaction in a word : disappointment . his last movie was poetically romantic and full of indelible images , but his latest has nothing going for it . " "-1","it kinda works and qualifies as cool at times , but is just too lame to work or be cool at others . " "-1","sustains its dreamlike glide through a succession of cheesy coincidences and voluptuous cheap effects , not the least of which is rebecca romijn-stamos . " "-1","intriguing documentary which is emotionally diluted by focusing on the story's least interesting subject . " "-1","a non-mystery mystery . " "-1","feels haphazard , as if the writers mistakenly thought they could achieve an air of frantic spontaneity by simply tossing in lots of characters doing silly stuff and stirring the pot . " "-1","what an embarrassment . " "-1","for each chuckle there are at least 10 complete misses , many coming from the amazingly lifelike tara reid , whose acting skills are comparable to a cardboard cutout . " "-1","in its own way , joshua is as blasphemous and nonsensical as a luis buñuel film without the latter's attendant intelligence , poetry , passion , and genius . " "-1","i've always dreamed of attending cannes , but after seeing this film , it's not that big a deal . " "-1","the vintage is pure '87 , with a halfhearted twist on its cautionary message : fatal attraction = don't have an affair with a nutjob ; unfaithful = don't if you're married to one . " "-1","a workshop mentality prevails . " "-1","it cannot be enjoyed , even on the level that one enjoys a bad slasher flick , primarily because it is dull . yes , dull . " "-1","pumpkin wants to have it both ways . " "-1","director uwe boll and the actors provide scant reason to care in this crude '70s throwback . " "-1","[w]hile long on amiable monkeys and worthy environmentalism , jane goodall's wild chimpanzees is short on the thrills the oversize medium demands . " "-1","outer-space buffs might love this film , but others will find its pleasures intermittent . " "-1","this piece of channel 5 grade trash is , quite frankly , an insult to the intelligence of the true genre enthusiast . " "-1","an occasionally funny , but overall limp , fish-out-of-water story . " "-1","a bloated gasbag thesis grotesquely impressed by its own gargantuan aura of self-importance . . . " "-1","it's mighty tedious for the viewer who has to contend with unpleasant characters , hit-and-miss performances and awkwardly staged scenes . " "-1","as a rumor of angels reveals itself to be a sudsy tub of supernatural hokum , not even ms . redgrave's noblest efforts can redeem it from hopeless sentimentality . " "-1","new best friend's playboy-mansion presentation of college life is laugh-out-loud ludicrous . " "-1","an appalling 'ace ventura' rip-off that somehow manages to bring together kevin pollak , former wrestler chyna and dolly parton . if any of them list this 'credit' on their resumes in the future , that'll be much funnier than anything in the film . . . " "-1","the humor is forced and heavy-handed , and occasionally simply unpleasant . " "-1","scorsese at his best makes gangster films that are equally lovely but also relentlessly brutal and brutally intelligent ; perdition , meanwhile , reads more like driving miss daisy than goodfellas . " "-1","while the script starts promisingly , it loses steam towards the middle and never really develops beyond attacking obvious target . " "-1","as the latest bid in the tv-to-movie franchise game , i spy makes its big-screen entry with little of the nervy originality of its groundbreaking small-screen progenitor . " "-1","this isn't even madonna's swept away . this is her blue lagoon . " "-1","the director knows how to apply textural gloss , but his portrait of sex-as-war is strictly sitcom . " "-1"," . . . the film suffers from a lack of humor ( something needed to balance out the violence ) . . . " "-1","burns never really harnesses to full effect the energetic cast . " "-1","an overemphatic , would-be wacky , ultimately tedious sex farce . " "-1","has all the depth of a wading pool . " "-1","this is the sort of burly action flick where one coincidence pummels another , narrative necessity is a drunken roundhouse , and whatever passes for logic is a factor of the last plot device left standing . " "-1","the so-inept- it's-surreal dubbing ( featuring the voices of glenn close , regis philbin and breckin meyer ) brings back memories of cheesy old godzilla flicks . " "-1"," . . . the movie is just a plain old monster . " "-1","if this disposable tissue has one wild card , it's john turturro , who's simply fab as a spanish butler with a foot fetish . " "-1","one long string of cliches . " "-1","a noble failure . " "-1","fancy a real downer ? [leigh] lays it on so thick this time that it feels like a suicide race . " "-1","professionally speaking , it's tempting to jump ship in january to avoid ridiculous schlock like this shoddy suspense thriller . " "-1","nelson's brutally unsentimental approach . . . sucks the humanity from the film , leaving behind an horrific but weirdly unemotional spectacle . " "-1","weaves a spell over you , with its disturbingly close-up look at damaged psyches and its subtle undercurrents of danger . but its awkward structure keeps breaking the spell . " "-1","at once half-baked and overheated . " "-1","there's a solid woman- finding-herself story somewhere in here , but you'd have to dig pretty deep to uncover it . " "-1","i still can't relate to stuart : he's a mouse , for cryin' out loud , and all he does is milk it with despondent eyes and whine that nobody treats him human enough . " "-1","[serry] wants to blend politics and drama , an admirable ambition . it's too bad that the helping hand he uses to stir his ingredients is also a heavy one . " "-1","by the miserable standards to which the slasher genre has sunk , . . . actually pretty good . of course , by more objective measurements it's still quite bad . " "-1","the only entertainment you'll derive from this choppy and sloppy affair will be from unintentional giggles – several of them . " "-1","sam mendes has become valedictorian at the school for soft landings and easy ways out . " "-1","lástima por schwarzenegger , pero es hora de que deje la estafeta a las nuevas generaciones . " "-1","exactly what it claims to be -- a simple diversion for the kids . " "-1","its story may be a thousand years old , but why did it have to seem like it took another thousand to tell it to us ? " "-1","woefully pretentious . " "-1","the problem with this film is that it lacks focus . i sympathize with the plight of these families , but the movie doesn't do a very good job conveying the issue at hand . " "-1","a momentary escape from the summer heat and the sedentary doldrums that set in at this time of year . " "-1"," . . . think of it as american pie on valium . " "-1","dull , lifeless , and amateurishly assembled . " "-1","puportedly "" based on true events , "" a convolution of language that suggests it's impossible to claim that it is "" based on a true story "" with a straight face . " "-1"," . . . a plotline that's as lumpy as two-day old porridge . . . the filmmakers' paws , sad to say , were all over this "" un-bear-able "" project ! " "-1"," . . . irritating soul-searching garbage . " "-1","it's a bad thing when a movie has about as much substance as its end credits blooper reel . " "-1","with its dogged hollywood naturalism and the inexorable passage of its characters toward sainthood , windtalkers is nothing but a sticky-sweet soap . " "-1","some of it is clever , but it is never melodic/ " "-1","a relative letdown . " "-1","better to just call it abc kiarostami . for aids and africa are nothing more than part of the scenery . " "-1","no aspirations to social import inform the movie version . this is a shameless sham , calculated to cash in on the popularity of its stars . " "-1","manages to be somewhat well-acted , not badly art-directed and utterly unengaging no matter how hard it tries to be thrilling , touching or , yikes , uproarious . " "-1","warmed-over hash . " "-1","this rather superficial arthouse middle-brow film knows how to please a crowd , and that's about all it does well . " "-1","it's clear the filmmakers weren't sure where they wanted their story to go , and even more clear that they lack the skills to get us to this undetermined destination . " "-1","as vulgar as it is banal . " "-1","a puzzling experience . " "-1","you wonder why enough wasn't just a music video rather than a full-length movie . " "-1","the film's tone and pacing are off almost from the get-go . " "-1","the talented and clever robert rodriguez perhaps put a little too much heart into his first film and didn't reserve enough for his second . " "-1","more whiny downer than corruscating commentary . " "-1","tambor and clayburgh make an appealing couple — he's understated and sardonic , she's appealingly manic and energetic . both deserve better . " "-1","suffocated by its fussy script and uptight characters , this musty adaptation is all the more annoying since it's been packaged and sold back to us by hollywood . " "-1","coughs and sputters on its own postmodern conceit . " "-1","a wildly inconsistent emotional experience . " "-1","sit through this one , and you won't need a magic watch to stop time ; your dvd player will do it for you . " "-1","a sometimes tedious film . " "-1","teen movies have really hit the skids . " "-1","there are plot holes big enough for shamu the killer whale to swim through . " "-1"," . . . plays like somebody spliced random moments of a chris rock routine into what is otherwise a cliche-riddled but self-serious spy thriller . " "-1","nasty , ugly , pointless and depressing , even if you hate clowns . " "-1","what is 100% missing here is a script of even the most elemental literacy , an inkling of genuine wit , and anything resembling acting . " "-1","does paint some memorable images . . . , but makhmalbaf keeps her distance from the characters " "-1","it uses the pain and violence of war as background material for color . " "-1","just not campy enough " "-1","the movie , directed by mick jackson , leaves no cliche unturned , from the predictable plot to the characters straight out of central casting . " "-1","it's everything you don't go to the movies for . " "-1","like watching a dress rehearsal the week before the show goes up : everything's in place but something's just a little off-kilter . " "-1","the affectionate loopiness that once seemed congenital to demme's perspective has a tough time emerging from between the badly dated cutesy-pie mystery scenario and the newfangled hollywood post-production effects . " "-1","for all its technical virtuosity , the film is so mired in juvenile and near-xenophobic pedagogy that it's enough to make one pine for the day when godard can no longer handle the rigors of filmmaking . " "-1","american chai encourages rueful laughter at stereotypes only an indian-american would recognize . and the lesson , in the end , is nothing new . " "-1","it made me want to wrench my eyes out of my head and toss them at the screen . " "-1","due to some script weaknesses and the casting of the director's brother , the film trails off into inconsequentiality . " "-1"," . . . plot holes so large and obvious a marching band might as well be stomping through them in clown clothes , playing a college football fight song on untuned instruments . " "-1","so devoid of any kind of intelligible story that it makes films like xxx and collateral damage seem like thoughtful treatises " "-1","combining quick-cut editing and a blaring heavy metal much of the time , beck seems to be under the illusion that he's shooting the latest system of a down video . " "-1","dragonfly has no atmosphere , no tension -- nothing but costner , flailing away . it's a buggy drag . " "-1","works hard to establish rounded characters , but then has nothing fresh or particularly interesting to say about them . " "-1","the action switches between past and present , but the material link is too tenuous to anchor the emotional connections that purport to span a 125-year divide . " "-1","nonsensical , dull "" cyber-horror "" flick is a grim , hollow exercise in flat scares and bad acting . " "-1","instead of hiding pinocchio from critics , miramax should have hidden it from everyone . " "-1","manages to be both repulsively sadistic and mundane . " "-1","a great ensemble cast can't lift this heartfelt enterprise out of the familiar . " "-1","there ought to be a directing license , so that ed burns can have his revoked . " "-1","the structure the film takes may find matt damon and ben affleck once again looking for residuals as this officially completes a good will hunting trilogy that was never planned . " "-1","whereas last year's exemplary sexy beast seemed to revitalize the british gangster movie , this equally brutal outing merely sustains it . " "-1"," . . . a boring parade of talking heads and technical gibberish that will do little to advance the linux cause . " "-1","green might want to hang onto that ski mask , as robbery may be the only way to pay for his next project . " "-1","i can take infantile humor . . . but this is the sort of infantile that makes you wonder about changing the director and writer's diapers . " "-1","there isn't nearly enough fun here , despite the presence of some appealing ingredients . " "-1","the tale of tok ( andy lau ) , a sleek sociopath on the trail of o ( takashi sorimachi ) , the most legendary of asian hitmen , is too scattershot to take hold . " "-1","directed in a paint-by-numbers manner . " "-1","a cheerful enough but imminently forgettable rip-off of [besson's] earlier work . " "-1","a lackluster , unessential sequel to the classic disney adaptation of j . m . barrie's peter pan . " "-1","samira makhmalbaf's new film blackboards is much like the ethos of a stream of consciousness , although , it's unfortunate for the viewer that the thoughts and reflections coming through are torpid and banal " "-1"," . . . routine , harmless diversion and little else . " "-1","late marriage's stiffness is unlikely to demonstrate the emotional clout to sweep u . s . viewers off their feet . " "-1","this time mr . burns is trying something in the martin scorsese street-realist mode , but his self-regarding sentimentality trips him up again . " "-1","while there's something intrinsically funny about sir anthony hopkins saying 'get in the car , bitch , ' this jerry bruckheimer production has little else to offer " "-1","it's hampered by a lifetime-channel kind of plot and a lead actress who is out of her depth . " "-1","let's hope -- shall we ? -- that the 'true story' by which all the queen's men is allegedly "" inspired "" was a lot funnier and more deftly enacted than what's been cobbled together onscreen . " "-1","is there a group of more self-absorbed women than the mother and daughters featured in this film ? i don't think so . nothing wrong with performances here , but the whiney characters bugged me . " "-1","there is very little dread or apprehension , and though i like the creepy ideas , they are not executed with anything more than perfunctory skill . " "-1","if you've ever entertained the notion of doing what the title of this film implies , what sex with strangers actually shows may put you off the idea forever . " "-1","in the end , the movie collapses on its shaky foundation despite the best efforts of director joe carnahan . " "-1","adults will wish the movie were less simplistic , obvious , clumsily plotted and shallowly characterized . but what are adults doing in the theater at all ? " "-1","sticky sweet sentimentality , clumsy plotting and a rosily myopic view of life in the wwii-era mississippi delta undermine this adaptation . " "-1","it's another stale , kill-by-numbers flick , complete with blade-thin characters and terrible , pun-laden dialogue . " "-1","every time you look , sweet home alabama is taking another bummer of a wrong turn . " "-1","partway through watching this saccharine , easter-egg-colored concoction , you realize that it is made up of three episodes of a rejected tv show . " "-1","the overall effect is less like a children's movie than a recruitment film for future hollywood sellouts . " "-1","portentous and pretentious , the weight of water is appropriately titled , given the heavy-handedness of it drama . " "-1","a fitfully amusing romp that , if nothing else , will appeal to fans of malcolm in the middle and its pubescent star , frankie muniz . " "-1","jason x is positively anti-darwinian : nine sequels and 400 years later , the teens are none the wiser and jason still kills on auto-pilot . " "-1","to say this was done better in wilder's some like it hot is like saying the sun rises in the east . " "-1","at the very least , if you don't know anything about derrida when you walk into the theater , you won't know much more when you leave . " "-1","the actors are appealing , but elysian fields is idiotic and absurdly sentimental . " "-1","as 'chick flicks' go , this one is pretty miserable , resorting to string-pulling rather than legitimate character development and intelligent plotting . " "-1","the only excitement comes when the credits finally roll and you get to leave the theater . " "-1","there's no emotional pulse to solaris . with an emotional sterility to match its outer space setting , soderbergh's spectacular swing for the fence yields only a spectacular whiff . " "-1","it can't decide if it wants to be a mystery/thriller , a romance or a comedy . " "-1","denis o'neill's script avoids the prime sports cliche , a last-second goal to win the championship , but it neglects few others . " "-1","the character of zigzag is not sufficiently developed to support a film constructed around him . " "-1","one of those pictures whose promising , if rather precious , premise is undercut by amateurish execution . " "-1","serving sara doesn't serve up a whole lot of laughs . " "-1","the most hopelessly monotonous film of the year , noteworthy only for the gimmick of being filmed as a single unbroken 87-minute take . " "-1","with virtually no interesting elements for an audience to focus on , chelsea walls is a triple-espresso endurance challenge . " "-1","stale , futile scenario . " "-1","deadeningly dull , mired in convoluted melodrama , nonsensical jargon and stiff-upper-lip laboriousness . " "-1","a misogynistic piece of filth that attempts to pass itself off as hip , young adult entertainment . " "-1","like the chelsea's denizens . . . burdette's collage-form scenario tends to over-romanticize the spiritual desolation of the struggling artiste . " "-1","it's basically an overlong episode of tales from the crypt . " "-1","the film makes a fatal mistake : it asks us to care about a young man whose only apparent virtue is that he is not quite as unpleasant as some of the people in his life . " "-1","another in-your-face wallow in the lower depths made by people who have never sung those blues . " "-1","shaky close-ups of turkey-on-rolls , stubbly chins , liver spots , red noses and the filmmakers new bobbed do draw easy chuckles but lead nowhere . " "-1","i can't quite recommend it -- it's too patched together -- but i almost can ; it's the kind of movie that makes you want to like it . " "-1","complete lack of originality , cleverness or even visible effort " "-1","though perry and hurley make inspiring efforts to breathe life into the disjointed , haphazard script by jay scherick and david ronn , neither the actors nor director reginald hudlin can make it more than fitfully entertaining . " "-1","something akin to a japanese alice through the looking glass , except that it seems to take itself far more seriously . " "-1","it takes talent to make a lifeless movie about the most heinous man who ever lived . " "-1","on the whole , the movie lacks wit , feeling and believability to compensate for its incessant coarseness and banality . " "-1","the story and the friendship proceeds in such a way that you're watching a soap opera rather than a chronicle of the ups and downs that accompany lifelong friendships . " "-1","offers very little genuine romance and even fewer laughs . . . a sad sitcom of a movie , largely devoid of charm . " "-1","makes for a pretty unpleasant viewing experience . " "-1","the movie fails to live up to the sum of its parts . " "-1","although huppert's intensity and focus has a raw exhilaration about it , the piano teacher is anything but fun . " "-1","it showcases carvey's talent for voices , but not nearly enough and not without taxing every drop of one's patience to get to the good stuff . " "-1","bad . very bad . stultifyingly , dumbfoundingly , mind-numbingly bad . " "-1","may reawaken discussion of the kennedy assassination but this fictional film looks made for cable rather than for the big screen . " "-1","if looking for a thrilling sci-fi cinematic ride , don't settle for this imposter . " "-1","not really bad so much as distasteful : we need kidnapping suspense dramas right now like we need doomsday thrillers . " "-1","the result is a gaudy bag of stale candy , something from a halloween that died . " "-1","davis . . . is so enamored of her own creation that she can't see how insufferable the character is . " "-1","the man from elysian fields is a cold , bliss-less work that groans along thinking itself some important comment on how life throws us some beguiling curves . " "-1","the messages of compassion and mercy are clearly , squarely and specifically expounded via computer animated old testament tale of jonah and the whale . determined to be fun , and bouncy , with energetic musicals , the humor didn't quite engage this adult . " "-1","historical dramas fused with love triangle is a well worn conceit . but this films lacks the passion required to sell the material . " "-1","long time dead ? not nearly long enough . " "-1","nothing more substantial than a fitfully clever doodle . " "-1","a solid film . . . but more conscientious than it is truly stirring . " "-1","there's not enough here to justify the almost two hours . " "-1","the x potion gives the quickly named blossom , bubbles and buttercup supernatural powers that include extraordinary strength and laser-beam eyes , which unfortunately don't enable them to discern flimsy screenplays . " "-1","perceptive in its vision of nascent industrialized world politics as a new art form , but far too clunky , didactic and saddled with scenes that seem simply an ill fit for this movie . " "-1","verbinski implements every hack-artist trick to give us the ooky-spookies . " "-1","mcconaughey's fun to watch , the dragons are okay , not much fire in the script . " "-1","an unwise amalgam of broadcast news and vibes . " "-1","skins has a right to yawp , and we have a right to our grains of salt . " "-1","who needs love like this ? " "-1","hit and miss as far as the comedy goes and a big ole' miss in the way of story . " "-1","returning aggressively to his formula of dimwitted comedy and even dimmer characters , sandler , who also executive produces , has made a film that makes previous vehicles look smart and sassy . " "-1","exists then as an occasionally insightful acting exercise . " "-1","trite , banal , cliched , mostly inoffensive . " "-1","mattei is tiresomely grave and long-winded , as if circularity itself indicated profundity . " "-1","it's not original , and , robbed of the element of surprise , it doesn't have any huge laughs in its story of irresponsible cops who love to play pranks . " "-1","whenever its story isn't bogged down by idiocy involving the cia and a lost u . s . satellite , hunter -- starring irwin and his american wife/colleague , terri -- is a movie children should enjoy . " "-1","it offers little beyond the momentary joys of pretty and weightless intellectual entertainment . " "-1","a sequence of ridiculous shoot-'em-up scenes . " "-1","nothing in waking up in reno ever inspired me to think of its inhabitants as anything more than markers in a screenplay . " "-1","i'm just too bored to care . " "-1","irwin is a man with enough charisma and audacity to carry a dozen films , but this particular result is ultimately held back from being something greater . " "-1","not a stereotype is omitted nor a cliché left unsaid . " "-1","as befits its title , this pg-13-rated piffle is ultimately as threatening as the snuggle fabric softener bear . " "-1","attempts by this ensemble film to impart a message are so heavy-handed that they instead pummel the audience . " "-1","it all feels like a monty python sketch gone horribly wrong . "