Chris Kaltenbach

Those willing to overlook its emotional grandstanding will find much to admire and even more to think about in this Oscar-nominated Danish drama.

This may be the quietest addict ever to hit movie screens, as well the most disturbing.

A comedy that doesn't work if you think about it too much. Cut it some slack, however, and you just might have a good time.

An action-adventure flick that could turn into this generation's "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Serenity may be short on exposition, but it's smart and fun.

Put the tango in "To Sir, With Love," and you've got Take the Lead.

There are times when his message threatens to overwhelm his story line, and the last 15 minutes or so of Blood Diamond demonstrate what happens when sentimentality wins out over style and grit.

It's also unclear just what Niccol wanted this film to be: a satire? a spoof? a black comedy? a pointed social commentary? Perhaps all of the above - way too many hats for a movie this slight to wear.

Meandering, forgettable trifle.

Offers a welcome riff on a well-worn horror standard.

The Sentinel moves quickly and never becomes a bore. It does become something of a cartoon, though, which proves a major letdown for a movie that aims for something far more intelligent.

The movie is so confused about itself that it comes across as toneless, a bunch of characters wandering around in a story no one is controlling.

Christmas with the Kranks is so calculated that it's pathetic, a warm-hearted holiday greeting card with not one scintilla of honest emotion inside.

It's possible that a smart, insightful, sharp-edged comedy could have been written around these characters, but Trust The Man isn't it.

Greenaway's film is about making people's jaws drop.

Four Christmases works because of some genuinely funny setups, a pace that never dwells on one gag (or even one family) too long and a careful mix of slapstick and bawdy humor. But mostly, the film works because of the astonishing acting talent the filmmakers brought together to make it.

A film that really has no idea what it wants to be, so it tries a little of everything, and does nothing very well.

Fans of anime probably will find Vampire Hunter D plenty thrilling. Non-fans, or those not familiar with the genre, will enjoy the film's gothic atmosphere, but may wonder what all the fuss is about.

A wonderfully understated work offering insights to a world where no emotion is simple.

Connie and Carla is a good-hearted comedy that missteps by trying to become a moralistic one.

A marvelously subversive, slyly manipulative effort.

There's not a false moment within the film's 88-minute running time, nor many that could be done any better.

Brimming with values that should serve its young audience well: altruism, friendship, self-sacrifice, responsibility.

Good intentions are no substitute for good filmmaking, and Spy Kids 3D is nothing more than a retread in flashier clothing.

Romantically nostalgic, a love letter to growing up in simpler times.

A grade-B rumination on what a nasty guy the devil can be.

Disturbing, maddening, often confusing, but also charming, engaging and challenging in all the best ways.

The determinedly cynical needn't bother, but just about everyone else should love Eight Below.