Claudia Puig

For those who like their spoofs silly and their cartoonish gore vivid, Shaun offers some amusement.

Director Clark Johnson has an energetic style of filmmaking and a facile way with stunts and chase sequences. The result is a fairly stylish action thriller. We've seen plenty of suspense films in which a seemingly good guy is framed, so it helps when a director can pull off a few cinematic tricks to keep audiences on their toes.

While the story is not as mythic or fanciful as it seeks to be, its predictability is trumped by the film's beauty.

Amelia goes airborne but never fully soars.

Director Joss Whedon knows how to make a wryly funny, action-packed extravaganza, as he proved with 2012's "The Avengers." So why did he overstuff the 2½-hour sequel?

Made gripping almost single-handedly by Blanchett's superlative performance.

A gifted cast was bogged down by a treacly tale.

Melodramatic and gritty Filly Brown marks the debut of a magnetic screen presence in Gina Rodriguez, as well as the final performance of singer Jenni Rivera, who died in a plane crash in December.

Oblivion is a slick spectacle — seeing the humorless but ultra-fit Tom Cruise wrestle with himself might be worth the price of admission alone.

The Grand is in the grand tradition of Christopher Guest "mockumentary" comedy satires: Its greatest asset is its eclectic, quirky-funny cast.

It's a chick flick with a likable premise.

If Mel Brooks were to team up with Tim Burton, the result might be something like the loony and colorfully tantalizing animated film Igor.

Johansson is not Allen's new Diane Keaton. She's closer to Mariel Hemingway -- though even Allen couldn't attempt to pull off a romance between his septuagenarian self and a girl in college.

Broderick has the film's most clever lines, but Snow is quite funny and is convincing as an innocent lured by the promise of easy money.

Predicating an escapist romantic comedy on a realistic tragedy requires a nimble touch at the helm. Perhaps if Life had been made by, say, James Brooks, it would have worked.

The movie feels like a long-form version of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series on which it's based, which probably won't bother Arnold fans.

Casts a potent spell.

Sometimes it's the most remarkable and heroic figures whom movies can't seem to get right. Such is the case with Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, a biopic that is more dutiful than illuminating.

While the ingredients are there to make a tense and compelling post-9/11 thriller, Rendition falls flat.

My One and Only has an old-fashioned sensibility -- and some lovely Mad Men-style costumes -- making for a pleasantly diverting road movie.

The story lacks honesty. For a film about the real problem of mental illness, it never feels authentic. Depression is not something neatly tied up. If this is meant as an allegory, it's vague and unconvincing.

With its fanciful razzle-dazzle, Rise of the Guardians is appealing, if slightly hectic, family fare.

Though the film is titled Hitchcock and ostensibly centers on the legendary director, we get a better sense of the women around him than the enigmatic filmmaker.

Mostly, Harold is a guilty pleasure that retains the anarchic charms of the original.

It's hampered by a listless quality and a one-note performance by porn-star-turned-actress Sasha Grey.

The true story of the recordbreaking Secretariat is pretty stupendous as is. It didn't need schmaltzing up.

Taken does have a few things going for it. At the top of that short list is Liam Neeson in the starring role.

Like an uneven album, the movie has some harmonious, authentically lilting moments and other off-putting ones.

A broad comedy and sometimes charming character study that takes a strange turn in tone and becomes a disappointing drama.

Despite its flaws, its intriguing premise leaves us haunted by thoughts of "What if?"

The TV Set skewers the television industry in a manner that occasionally feels familiar and at other times is humorously incisive.

It's an uneven experience, with some evocative moments and others that don't resonate as much as they should.

Unlike his tough guy roles in "Taken" or "Non-Stop," Neeson is at least given some good dialogue. And he's a jot more world-weary than kick-ass here.

You don't have to believe in far-fetched tales of mysterious beams of light and alien abductions to get caught up in The Fourth Kind.

As a film it feels overly familiar, with some amusing scenes, but not enough to make for a wholly satisfying experience.

Tamara Drewe is so light, it's almost pure froth.

The action sequences are fun, though not as exhilarating as in the 2008 original, and the dialogue can be zingy.

Has some appealing characters, a few laughs and then devolves into a predictable Tortoise and the Hare spinoff.

You could be cynical about the first movie produced by the coffee colossus Starbucks. But there's nothing cynical about Akeelah's story of courage and determination.

A worthy, if flawed, piece of entertainment.

A little more than halfway in, Legend, based on the book by Richard Matheson (which also spawned 1971's Omega Man and 1964's TheLast Man on Earth), deteriorates into a schlocky zombie horror flick and loses its steam.

The comic appeal of The Devil Wears Prada is the cinematic equivalent of a size 2 - wafer-thin and ultimately lacking in meat and substance.

The visual effects are lovely to behold, and the songs by Bonnie Raitt, Tim McGraw and k.d. lang are fairly catchy.

Though it's not worth doing cartwheels over, Flipped is a pleasantly nostalgic and well-intentioned family movie featuring strong performances by its young actors.

A tasty bonbon, initially appealing but not terribly satisfying.

Overall, Confetti is agreeable and appropriately daft, though occasionally tepid and contrived.

This supernatural yarn is thoroughly engrossing until it loses its way about three-quarters in. It's as if the filmmakers didn't know how to resolve the mayhem, opting for silly over diabolical.

Fashioning a hybrid of a courtroom drama and a horror film that is suspenseful and scary requires a clear vision and directorial finesse. Rose lacks both. But the performances are topnotch.

The plot progression can be guessed early on, but the film is more about humor and heart than a clever story.

An innovative -- if only moderately entertaining -- spin on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island.

What might have made Bless Me, Ultima more powerful would have been additional scenes with its mystical title character.

Forget "Twilight." Fans of vampire movies are not likely to see anything more graphic, extreme or twisted than Thirst.

Elle Fanning is wondrous in Phoebe in Wonderland. But the movie is an uneven, unfocused amalgamation of ideas and moods that is at times deeply moving nonetheless.

Mildly entertaining, though the best performances come not from the stars, but the supporting players.

The movie opens with wit and dash, then devolves into a rather generic spy thriller.

Bright enough, but stops short of being clever.

For those seeking an alternative to giant robots and flying wizards, there's an amusing Australian comedy that might be just the right panacea for blockbuster overload.

Offers a compelling portrait of human tragedy and the journey to redemption.

An intriguing, if meandering, escape from the summer blockbusters.

More thought-provoking than frightening. Its stubbornly cynical attitude makes it worth watching, more than the monsters or the impenetrable mist (which looks spewed from a fog machine) engulfing a small town in Maine.

With its dark, wacky humor, some moments are reminiscent of last year's "Machete."

More animals don't necessarily translate to more fun and laughter, at least not when it comes to animated sequels.

Inspired by Mark Obmascik's book, the tale focuses on universal themes of pursuing a dream and tapping into an adventurous spirit.

Cruise and Blunt have a measure of chemistry, however their characters go undeveloped, given short shrift amid the spectacle. But the pulse-pounding action scenes are briskly directed by Doug Liman.

The action epic 300 is so overblown, overheated and over the top that on some level, it's fun to get caught up in the operatic dizziness of it.

Tries rather feebly to examine complex questions of morality. It does a better job of capturing a sense of shattering grief, but it gets too caught up in plot contrivances and coincidences to be believable.

The stunts are as muscular and the film as handsome to look at as the hero who so ably pulls them off. But the story linking it all together is thin and weak.

Yes, yes, it's Liar Liar 2.

Though not as action-packed as some thrillers, The International is noteworthy for its unusually scenic and architecturally dazzling locations.

Yes, it's not for the squeamish or easily offended, but its sordidness is more superficially shocking than wickedly satirical.

The highlight of Not Fade Away, a meandering and bittersweet coming-of-age story, is its killer '60s pop-rock soundtrack.

Dark Water has more substance and a more interesting look than many horror films, but the familiar elements of the story disappoint.

A humorous chick flick for well-read audiences, Austenland is a novel concept.

Even its pre-teen audience could use a bit more quirkiness and a little less formula.

It takes a particularly ham-fisted filmmaker to transform a fascinating and historically significant story into something as formulaic as 42.

Director Peter Berg's frenetic style heightens tension and a sense of disorientation. But some will find its chaotic quality dizzying and off-putting.

Give it plenty of points for brutal honesty. But This is 40 could have used more laughs.

A few scenes in World's Greatest Dad may qualify it as the most uncomfortable and unsettling movie to sit through of any this year.

Downbeat but humanistic, Maggie is the rare zombie tale that's less about the appetites of the walking dead and more about their complicated emotions.

For a swoon-fest aimed at tweens, 17 Again has a lot going for it.

This film highlights some of the best, and raunchiest, of his humor.

When it's good, Friends With Benefits is quite good - especially as it skewers rom-com clichés.

Harold and Kumar's Christmas movie is silly, if uneven, fun. While it mocks 3-D technology, it also makes relatively fresh use of it and qualifies as the most ambitious of the trio of films.

The concept is inspired, and the movie has some very funny moments. But about halfway through this long weekend, the frantic tale grows flimsy.

Memoirs of a Geisha is like a sumptuous piece of silk: stunning yet ultimately flimsy. You wish it were more like a kimono, richly woven, multilayered and more substantial.

Actually is a bit of a hoot.

It's generally enjoyable, amusing and more sophisticated than most films in this genre.

For a well-acted movie about the horrors of war and the lure of revenge, it's surprisingly dull and starchy.

Good but not legendary.

Genial but largely predictable ensemble comedy.

A serviceable and intermittently funny romance.

The few genuinely comic moments and deviations from cutesy rom-com formula make you wish No Strings Attached had traveled a more distinctively offbeat path.

A visually arresting and entertaining romp, but it lacks some of the sardonic humor of the popular children's books on which the movie is based.

Enjoyable enough. Though like some holiday fare, it doesn't quite stay with you.

There are inventive and engaging moments in this broadly comic action saga. But Chandni is at once enjoyable and maddening.

The Way Back, with its epic story and spectacularly bleak setting, invites comparisons with "Laurence of Arabia" and "Dr. Zhivago." It's awash in vast, unforgiving terrain. So it got the setting right, but not necessarily the substance.

For at least half the movie, you need a code book a few inches thick to decipher Code 46.

As directed by Angelina Jolie, it is occasionally powerful, with soaring visuals. It also is, however, stately and slow to the point of tedium.

Ant Bully, while not wildly fresh or inventive, is entertaining and energetic.

An insightful, sharply written and unsettlingly amusing exploration of the darker elements of masculinity.

A compelling piece of naturalistic filmmaking, claustrophobic and thought-provoking.

The film is capably acted and somewhat inspiring.

Vanessa Redgrave nimbly plays Coriolanus' mother, Volumnia, a blend of formidable stage mother and a puppeteering power behind the throne.

The film is at its best when it focuses on the more specific conflicts of five people thrown together on Purge night.

Enough is enough. Somebody should just stop remaking The Producers.

While this decade-long look at the inner workings of the CIA is intriguing, the movie would have benefited by more character development and additional editing.

When it focuses on the clash of cultures, laughs naturally flow. When it follows the familiar sports movie playbook too slavishly, it grows tedious.

As thrilling as the adventure sequences might be for kids, the better scenes take place on the high school campus.

Safe House has two powerful performances at its core, a hectic plot, a huge body count and a mild sense of déjà vu amid the pulse-quickening tension.

The affair may have raised eyebrows all over 18th century Paris, but it's not likely to elicit more than a shrug from 21st century moviegoers.

Country Strong feels powerfully familiar.

After laughing at crudely funny scenes in The Dictator, there's a cringing sensation of guilt.

A road movie that never really takes off.

For a thriller of its kind, it's a lively and slick summer escape.

A tautly paced, well-acted espionage thriller with the requisite explosions and action sequences. Still, it ends up leaving the viewer rather cold.

The tale of the resistance movement in Belorussia is undeniably inspiring and ideally suited for a cinematic rendering. But Defiance resists bold, passionate storytelling and delivers something rather conventional.

The documentary is enjoyable, though it could have been edited more tightly. The ending, in which three of the contest participants write and perform a catchy pop song, is buoyantly fun.

Lively, educational and intermittently amusing. The fun, however, grows strained and formulaic as the movie goes on.

For its stunning iridescent look and infectious music, Rio is a refreshing adventure worth taking.

Despite its title, Prime is not a cut above. This romantic comedy's predictability and rather dull love story make it the cinematic equivalent of a slightly stale hamburger.

The music by Outkast is great, and the rowdy, randy en masse dance sequences are riveting. The story, however, is rather thin and lacks focus.

True Story is an intrinsically fascinating and occasionally riveting tale marred by unnecessary embellishments.

This sweetly eccentric and low-key buddy picture/bromance bears little resemblance to more well-known examples of the genre, such as "Lethal Weapon" or "Pineapple Express."

The breezy and sometime absurd Fading Gigolo is reminiscent of vintage Italian films and early Woody Allen movies.

It's a sweet and mildly funny movie that will entertain young audiences, but one aspect is utterly mystifying: The two main characters, father and son bovine creatures, have large, distracting udders.

The music is the uncontested highlight of El Cantante.

Unfortunately, Leo is the only well-developed character in a handsomely mounted but tedious drama with an impressive international cast.

The events of those days would have been better covered in greater depth in a miniseries, rather than a 90-minute movie.

Those who were upset by the tragic ending of last year's "Pay It Forward" should be warned away.

A wide-eyed 4-year-old makes a fairly convincing case for the existence of an afterlife in Heaven is for Real. But it's Greg Kinnear — with his characteristic affability — that just about seals the deal.

A spotty comedy with a great cast and a catchy title that falls apart in the final third.

Directing seems to suit Luke, who also does some of his best work to date on screen.

It's an unconventional premise: that aliens live in harmony and humans are the warmonger invaders. But it's not that simple.

It's neither one of Allen's best, nor among his worst. It is also not likely to win audiences over with the passion that "Midnight in Paris" did.

Fans of the cult TV comedy Strangers with Candy may be happy to catch any sighting of the silly escapades of Amy Sedaris' middle-aged ex-con junkie. But purists will prefer the Comedy Central episodes to this uneven film.

It could have delved a little deeper to keep us wide-eyed and engaged.

Myers' sense of humor is interspersed throughout the engaging film, which consists of a host of wild stories, as well as vivid archival footage, talking heads and cleverly made re-enactments.

While the film is not nearly as evocative as Egoyan's 1997 masterpiece "The Sweet Hereafter" (also about children who died tragically), it is still an intrinsically fascinating story.

It's an intriguing movie, and Thornton's performance is both fascinating and maddening.

Crass materialism and ridiculous marketing ploys are skewered by writer/director Derrick Borte in this uneven cautionary tale that starts off incisively funny, then devolves into preachiness.

The visionary filmmaker's psychological thriller weaves a too-complicated tapestry.

It's a silly good time, and that's something these days.

Has strong performances, but the story takes too long to get off the ground. And once it does, it is told in a way that occasionally drags and goes off in meandering directions.

Anchored by a topnotch ensemble cast, it's toe-tapping holiday fare that's also a potent reminder that family resentments and hardened hearts serve no one.

The best thing Life After Beth has going for it is what star Aubrey Plaza calls its "zom-com-rom-dram" premise. And the clever wordplay of its title.

The movie version feels like a stately, but watered down, episode of "Masterpiece Theatre" fused with "The English Patient."

The film never gets to the heart of Nobbs - a woman who lives as a man. She comes across as more of a sad, clownish figure than a flesh-and-blood human, playing her emotions so close to the vest that it's hard to care about this stoic character.

The material doesn't consistently do justice to their talents, but the movie is worth seeing for their chemistry and for the Motown-infused soundtrack.

Doesn't shed much light on the fragile and enigmatic writer whose myth has nearly obscured the real woman.

If you can believe Serendipity's cockeyed conceit, you may find that discovering this escapist love story feels like a lucky accident.

This sweetly enjoyable family film stars the endearing Abigail Breslin as Kit. And, refreshingly, it's actually about something -- the Great Depression -- and tackles such serious issues as prejudice, poverty and homelessness.

The jokes often are corny or labored, and the story is predictable. However, Atkinson raises the movie to the level of good fun by the force of his outrageous persona and skill at physical comedy.

A well-acted and attitudinal action movie, a return to Ritchie's trademark "Mockney" style, which takes amusing and twisted turns.

The plot is predictable and the dialogue often sticky sweet, but at least kids will identify with Stuart's desire for adventure and exploration.

There's nothing wrong with fairy tales, but they don't have to be formulaic. A movie like this would have benefited from a blending of the fanciful and the inventive.

Coraline is a plucky heroine, and director Selig's imagination is indisputable. But the story falters in parts, and its dark tone could be off-putting for children.

Though there's nothing wrong with moral outrage, it doesn't always aid the telling of a complex story. More subtlety might have worked better.

Hardly fresh, but it never stints on energy or vivid colors.

While there are moments where this drama, about a pair of mothers hellbent on improving their children's education, is compelling and deeply moving, the film gets mired in heavy-handed cliches.

While it's an energetic romp, there is more slapstick humor than wit at work here, and a good deal of borrowing from the far more clever "Monsters, Inc."

Though it features witty dialogue and good performances, the plot contrivances keep it from being an altogether winning enterprise.

Hampered by over-earnestness and tugs too intently at the heartstrings.

While the jokes are obvious and the romance formulaic, a good-natured sensibility saves the film from being too hokey. The individual parts may not work, but the sum remains entertaining.

May not make you howl, but it does offer a few bona fide belly laughs.

Drawing upon "Wag the Dog," "Dr. Strangelove" and "This Is Spinal Tap," this sardonic tale is adapted from the critically acclaimed BBC series "The Thick of It."

Despite two strong lead performances and a welcome dose of female empowerment, this somber tale feels too familiar and formulaic.

The Jacket is a confused attempt at headiness that feels like a poor man's "Memento."

At its best in comic mode, more effective as goofy spoof than horror show.

The story, while sometimes soaring, is other times grounded by a hyperactive and numbing vibe. But Henry Cavill has the strapping good looks of the comic icon, and humanity to match his superheroism.

The third installment of the Night at the Museum franchise, Secret of the Tomb, is better than its predecessors, funnier and more adventurous, thanks to a visit across the pond to the British Museum.

This incarnation is funny, quirky and clever, with some mesmerizing action sequences.

Overall, it's a gently bittersweet and affecting portrait.

Claire in Motion has an appealing stillness and intensity. It works as both a quiet, meditative study of grief and a muted examination of identity, but not as a compelling mystery.

Lovely visuals are key for the success of any animated film, arguably more so even than for live-action movies. But a compelling story is also essential, and that’s where “Long Way North” trips up.

Derbez brings warmth and intermittent goofy humor to this too-broad and uneven comedy.

Cuarón’s tale of a madman Minuteman is well-shot and sharply paced, but too simplistic.

Free Fire is an ultra-violent, gut-punching spectacle that borders on a slog. It makes you feel guilty even for enjoying minutes of it, and then empty after it’s all done.

The story undertakes an undeniably worthy subject. But Thank You for Your Service has too many moments that fall flat, seem unlikely, or don’t elicit the desired response. The complexities of PTSD deserve a better, more thoughtful and layered film.

The boxing drama Bleed for This has a powerful story and a strong lead performance in its corner, but falls short of knockout status. Hampered by clichéd writing and stereotypical portrayals, this extraordinary true-life account feels run-of-the-mill.

Not without some stupidly funny moments.

30 Minutes or Less is "Pineapple Express" gone sour.

Dance Flick occasionally hits its mark with nimble execution. But too often it stumbles clumsily into bad taste.

An awkward blend of fable, travelogue and relationship drama, it's the story's hybrid style, vapid message and predictable arc that disappoint.

Soderbergh's homage to film noir and wartime thrillers, is technically stunning but narratively and thematically hollow.

Ghosts can't make up its mind whether it wants to be a racy raunchfest or a sentimental celebration of soul mates. So it ends up being a sappy, sleazy hybrid.

This is for those who like their political thrillers far-fetched, far-reaching and filled with pretty people.

For those who don't equate sexual appetite with the intricacies of fly fishing, Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 is more tiresome than titillating.

The considerable talents of a strong supporting cast, which includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liev Schreiber and Andre Braugher, go untapped. The only distinguishing feature to this by-the-book thriller is Jolie, who gets pummeled as good as she pummels.

Ron Howard has taken an intriguing page-turner of a story and re-shaped it into a bloated wannabe epic.

While the plot strives to be a raunchy-clever sex farce, it feels more like a leaden repurposing of Airplane with drunken pilots, mile-high dalliances and dancing flight attendants.

The humor, largely centered around bodily functions and bathroom habits, is almost exclusively sophomoric.

Bewitched does have a few laughs, thanks to Ferrell's antics. And some of the wittiest contemporary comedians are on board, notably "The Office's" Steve Carell and "The Daily Show's" Stephen Colbert, but they are underused.

The best that can be said is that the production design is striking. Otherwise, it's a foolish story, marred by a strange blend of overacting and bland, offhand performances.

In what universe would you expect to see Andy Samberg, Ian McShane and Sissy Spacek in the same movie? You have to give the makers of Hot Rod credit for creative and unlikely casting. But the credit pretty much ends there.

The combination of tight close-ups and jarring camera work might require a dose of Dramamine. Better yet, give this movie a wide berth and check out a superb film set in a submarine, the 1981 classic "Das Boot."

Envy is in the unenviable position of saddling two of Hollywood's most talented comic actors with a script that doesn't do them justice.

Tries and winds up with a pleasant, if forgettable, romp of a film.

As a raunchy romantic comedy or an homage to the 1980s, Take Me Home Tonight is hardly worth a one-night stand.

When so many PG-13 movies are encroaching on R-rated turf, it's heartening to see a film that responsibly approaches its audience.

Though it has some mildly amusing moments (mostly in the visuals accompanying the novel's narration), Alex & Emma is disappointing, neither very romantic nor very comic.

A World War II thriller without enough thrills.

It may appeal to the most rabid fans of tearjerk romances like "The Notebook," but it's a hard-to-swallow, maudlin tale.

Too bad first-time director Christopher Erskin, who cut his teeth on music videos and commercials, took so many predictable turns on this Vacation.

The movie has more charm when it's earthbound. Cusack and Green's mother-son repartee has sharp comic timing. Once the story veers off to space, it goes downhill.

The film feels as if it's trying to force a sense of wonder and awe upon its youthful audience, rather than simply letting an intriguing story unfold naturally.

The Change-Up should have fired on all cylinders. What went wrong here?

The Family is a fish-out-of-water/buddy comedy/Mob flick. But most of all, it's a missed opportunity.

Soon, the audience feels its own sense of despair -- for a movie that might have worked but didn't.

Its message is unobjectionable, and there are a few laughs to be had, but too much of Elf is like Buddy's favorite meals: syrupy sweet.

With Bonham Carter's been-there, done-that performance and a plot that spins out of control, we end up with a movie that you can't quite sink your teeth into.

Much of the action in Ice Age: Continental Drift takes place on an iceberg fashioned into a seagoing vessel. No one seems to be piloting the boat, which is an apt metaphor for the film.

The harder this film tries to be quirky and edgy, the more it feels like a run-of-the mill TV movie.

Misguided raunchfest.

It's mystifying how such a muddled and silly movie drew the talented cast it did.

An immature obsession with sex at 17 seems understandable. But at 30 it's getting cringe-inducing.

So the cliches are as thick as a vat of honey. And the love story proves just as syrupy. But for those who lap up this sappy vision of romance, it contains all the key ingredients.

By trying to combine fantasy and romance with goofy humor, globe-trotting adventure and feel-good inspiration, Stiller has made Mitty a mixed bag of clashing tones and facile redemption.

Woody, please: Go back to the European locales that so energized you of late.

The perfect vehicle for Johnson's charm and talents is still out there. It's certainly not in the muscle car he pilots in Faster.

How to lose an audience in 10 minutes: Cobble together a predictable and forced romantic comedy that should have been funnier.

Yet another ho-hum family comedy hits screens this weekend -- this one in peppermint holiday flavor.

Disappoints with its lack of character development and convoluted storytelling.

The picture-postcard location of Southport, N.C., is the film's strong suit.

Though the film offers a meticulously rendered Depression-era L.A., it's not in the same league as "Chinatown," for which Towne wrote an Oscar-winning script. Here, the characters seem shallow, their motivations murky.

Despite his cockney-accented verbosity, Brand does not convey the effortless conviviality that Dudley Moore did in the part.

The film's mythology is a bit dodgy, and the dialogue is standard issue, but the over-the-top action sequences are occasionally fun, if gory. Ultimately, it's a formulaic, predictable take on a Hollywood staple: the vampire horror film.

The inspiring story of surfer and shark attack victim Bethany Hamilton deserves a better dramatization.

These are hardly damsels, but the distress will be felt by audiences watching the collection of non sequiturs, twee remarks and tangential vignettes that is Damsels in Distress.

As the girl fights and rivalry play out, flashes of wit are obscured by the plot's contrivances.

Abigail Breslin and Sofia Vassilieva are terrific. But the performances by the older actors are largely forgettable.

You're more likely to roll your eyes than swoon over this slow-moving and far-fetched love story.

While it's intriguing to learn about all the players involved in creating a fashion line, there's too much minutiae to keep the attention of those who are not obsessed with design trends.

Sex Drive does not fully satisfy our comic desires.

This follow-up seems so similar to the 1953 Disney classic that it makes one long for a geriatric Peter.

Monte Carlo is a wish-fulfillment fantasy. (What luck! The heiress' clothes fit all three girls like a glove!)

Movie stardom is seductive, but 50 Cent and his fans will be best served if he sticks to to his day job.

The cartoonish mayhem in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For aims for a film noir sensibility, but too frequently the script simply resorts to anachronistic scenes of Jessica Alba twerking.

The whole journey feels like a rich girl gone slumming. And for those of us along for the ride, it's a bit of a slog.

An ambitious hodgepodge that is all bang and bluster.

Portentous and dull, the film features one of the worst over-the-top performances by Dennis Hopper, who plays an abusive father.

What was blandly charming on stage — characters addressing the audience, ultra-broad jokes and showbiz patter — feels contrived, cheesy and cliched onscreen.

The story is corny and predictable, but Carlyle's subtle, nuanced performance saves the movie from drowning in sentimentality.

The movie's soap opera quality undermines its efforts to tell a family saga with much believability.

By its conclusion the story has worked so hard to be twisting and clever that it runs out of steam and becomes outlandish, marked by a surplus of violence — too often casual and gratuitous — for what essentially is a buddy cop movie.

The movie feels more like a slightly longer episode of Disney's old "Winnie the Pooh" television series.

America loves dysfunctional families, but haven't we seen enough middle-aged losers who haven't grown up?

The movie is an undeniable visual spectacle, but just as unequivocally a cheesy, ridiculous story.

One-dimensional characters play second fiddle to the main event. Given the large cast of faceless players, it's hard to care when a few get sucked into oblivion.

The huge contingent of girls -- and women with girlish fantasies -- who liked the first two movies will doubtless enjoy Eclipse. But this third go-round won't make Twihard converts of the rest of us.

Though occasionally visually inventive, Kung Fu Panda is a disappointment when it comes to matters of simple black and white: the script.

Slogs pokily along and never quite picks up speed.

Bridges actually does a fine job in an uninteresting role. But this chick flick is all about the attitudinal teenagers.

You can't help but have high expectations from Zaillian and this stellar cast. But the result this time is a thuddingly tedious soap opera.

An ambitious and occasionally illuminating hybrid documentary. But a cacophony of sights and sounds and a disjointed narrative dilute the message.

It's hard to know just who the intended audience is: The movie is too surreal and bawdy for young kids and too silly for anyone older than 25.

What might have been an entertaining, silly comedy opts for pseudo-earnestness over movie magic.

This insipid wannabe frightener features a checklist of derivative conventions.

Bug won't get under your skin as much as it will assault you with its ghastly claustrophobic drama and over-the-top performances.

Often ponderous, sometimes pretentious and mostly clichéd, this contrived meditation on longing and loss feels like a missed opportunity.

The action starts with a bang, but deteriorates and grows more absurd as the story strays farther from the LAPD call center.

The movie, full of wan gags and tedious situations, is directed blandly by Rock.

If a pointless and nasty Hollywood satire filled with vile characters and no one to root for sounds like a good time, go see Maps to the Stars.

More than anything, the movie makes the viewer want to hop on a plane and visit Iceland.

All the obvious elements combine to manipulate the audience into a weepy time at the movies -- again.

Winnie Mandela is a simplistic look at a complex figure.