Claudia Puig

Those with a taste for irreverent humor and clear-eyed analysis will find it funny, enlightening and disturbing.

As wedding stories go, it's an improvement over the dreadful "Something Borrowed," though it doesn't have anything terribly new to say.

In Cretton’s hands, this fact-based tale of an oddball, destitute upbringing rings false. It’s based on a woman’s complicated personal recollections of her traumatic childhood, and yet it feels like a cloying, one-note Hollywood tale, the beastly trauma all tied up with a pretty bow and de-fanged.

Familiar B-movie fare, but it's also lively fun and presented with well-paced flair.

Adam is a cut above most romances and boasts a intriguing conclusion. One comes away with a sense of hope, leavened by realism.

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.

The film is beautifully shot, with vivid production design. But because of the tale's lack of cohesion, it doesn't carry enough emotional heft.

In the canon of comic-book movies, it's not as campy bad as the "Batman" starring George Clooney, but nowhere near the caliber of the Spider-Man movies or "The Dark Knight." It may have more style, but it's only a jot more entertaining than "Catwoman."

An enchantingly beautiful and moving film.

"Who wants to see a movie about a kid who's stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons?" Thanks to an endearing cast of characters and an energetic, if light, comic story, we do.

Focus never quite comes into clear view. It's a muddled and twisting romantic caper that at times feels like Steven Soderbergh lite.

The worms, the real stars of the film, are fairly impressive, looming large, plump and slimy as they are boiled, fried, served with sauce and added to omelettes and smoothies.

More amiable than witty and relying heavily on the likability and charm of its lead actors, Leatherheads scores more points as a retro romantic comedy than a football saga.

Rodriguez is such a visual stylist, and the violence is so cartoonish, that the flurry of whizzing bullets and growing pile of bodies is not as offensive as it might be.

While it takes stabs at realism, mostly in its use of cellular and computer technology, disbelief must be suspended for full immersion in this twisty airborne thriller.

A World War II thriller without enough thrills.

This insipid wannabe frightener features a checklist of derivative conventions.

This is the rare screwball comedy that is superbly paced, cleverly plotted and hilarious from start to finish.

If you've seen "Mean Girls" or "Easy A," you've seen a far better version of The DUFF.

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

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

If only The Brave One had captured more of the complex nature of the fear and paranoia plaguing society since 9/11. Instead, it is a well-made but predictable take on the revenge fantasy thriller, with a female twist.

Narrated by Johnny Depp, a portrait emerges of an anarchic, humble spirit who now fears becoming "a visual polluter."

Trying to decipher all the convoluted pathways could drive you mad. Mostly, though, it is so ludicrous that it will unintentionally inspire laughter.

The tale was no doubt meant to convey Kemp/Thompson's boozy aimlessness, but the film feels disjointed and meandering as a result.

Ramona and Beezus are undeniably cute, and the movie that bears their names tries to inject some timeliness, but what many of us will walk away from this movie thinking about are the hot father figures.

Breaking and Entering starts out powerfully, then falls apart by the time it reaches its too-neat conclusion.

It calmly examines death, grief and melancholy, packing an unexpectedly profound emotional gut-punch.

A Southern-style "Ocean's 11" without the pretty boys and Vegas attitude but with plenty of laughs.

Entertainingly epic eye candy.

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.

It fails to live up to its early promise, mostly because of an uneven tone and murky character development

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.

It's the kind of feel-good movie whose resolution is evident from the start, being based as it is on a true story. But that doesn't make the journey any less interesting.

There are some wise observations about parenting. Hunt draws some good performances from the cast and wisely chose a low-key personal story for her directorial debut.

Gussied-up rodents and inane male antics come together in funny and inspired ways in this screwball farce.

Pop culture references intermingle with the loopy trio's iconic foolishness, and the result is a movie with some big laughs, plenty of heart and terrible coifs.

Dazzling colors, winning characters and energetic visual effects all work in concert, with the 3-D animation serving to intensify the experience.

If you've been lobotomized or have the mental age of a kindergartener, Mr. Bean's Holiday is viable comic entertainment.

The performances are good (some scarily realistic), and the movie is enjoyable to watch. But as a probing analysis of the 43rd president, it falls short.

Longs to be a smutty film with a heart of gold. Instead, it's a funny concept whose execution does not live up to its potential.

Despite questionable casting, wooden acting, laughable dialogue and truly awful makeup, nothing is likely to stop young girls from swarming to this kitschy adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's popular novel.

Though the experience is nerve-racking and cathartic under Campbell's skilled direction, musings on family and grief and Gibson's intense, but subtle, performance stay with us longest.

Jude Law put on 30 pounds to play this slimeball. But the weightier question is, why would he bother to take this worn-out role, at any size?

That this is Fukunaga's first film is astonishing, given its sharp script, technical proficiency and suspenseful pacing. The ensemble cast is top-notch.

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.

A Tale of Love and Darkness seeks to blend serious political history and probing psychological analysis. The effort does not succeed, coming across disjointed and grim.

While Walt & El Grupo could use trimming, it also is visually stunning.

A mesmerizing look at the mythic quality and anarchic spirit of the irreverent and rabble-rousing journalist.

An old-school documentary that is both non-controversial and uplifting, America's Heart & Soul could be subtitled the Anti-Fahrenheit 9/11.

If moviegoers suspend their disbelief -- easy enough thanks to the diverse and talented cast, as well as Spielberg's capable direction -- they're bound to enjoy this cinematic fantasy.

Friends With Kids takes a fresh and funny look at a familiar subject, with enough buoyant romance to satisfy audiences drawn to starry-eyed love stories and hopeful endings.

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.

This Christmas Carol seems like a pale ghost of Dickens' magical Christmas classic.

Yes is more of a maybe. Or even a hmmm.

If one were to fuse the literary sensibility of Jane Austen with the fanciful imaginative license of "Shakespeare in Love," what would emerge would likely be the charming tale Becoming Jane.

This is Woodstock from another perspective -- one without Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin.

The Brothers Bloom has it all: charming romance, jaunty adventure story, witty dialogue, gorgeous cinematography and superb performances.

The cinematography is gorgeous and the makeup amazing, but the story lines are too disconnected.

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.

Louis CK’s I Love You, Daddy is queasy fare, not just because its rambling, self-indulgent story has strange and unfortunate associations with real-life allegations, but also for its tone-deaf narrative and offensive sexual politics.

The setting is vivid but the film is lifeless, despite many innuendos dropped about FDR's alleged infidelity.

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.

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

The new Pelham takes the chilling original premise and modifies it for an era steeped in technology, making for an energetic and engrossing adaptation.

Wastes a moderately intriguing premise by filling it with laughably clichéd dialogue, one-dimensional characters and implausible turns of events.

This Hulk is more viscerally angry and packs a bigger wallop than Ang Lee's talkier, more introspective version. But it's hardly the best superhero movie around. "Iron Man" was wittier and more fun.

Viewers should know that the film's resolution, though admirably restrained and unsentimental, is devastatingly sad. Parents should take this into account. This beautifully rendered family film is told in a classic and old-fashioned style, in the best sense, providing poignant and powerful teachable moments.

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

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.

What results is amusing, gently entertaining and might induce a tear or two.

Jolie and Pitt project more than just body heat. They convey a multi-faceted attraction, toss off clever repartee and dazzle audiences with their seemingly natural connection. And that's worth watching.

Boaz Yakin's slick direction, marked by quick cuts, unstinting energy and a lack of sentimentality, makes the action scenes satisfying. But he's a better director than writer.

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

An entertaining, diverting adventure saga that offers excitement and a relatable heroine for children, and also will remind their parents of favorite classics from their own youth.

At its best when sticking to a classic sci-fi-fantasy format. But when it tries to be a generic thrill ride, it loses its originality and peculiar charm.

The movie is spotty. The short films, essentially comic sketches, were more consistently funny. The movie lags on occasion, but it also has quite a few laughs.

Love Actually is irresistible. You'd have to be Ebenezer Scrooge not to walk out smiling.

The Gambler is a hollow, overwrought and glibly cynical remake of a '70s drama about a self-destructive academic.

Babys is intellectually stimulating and emotionally stirring, a rare combination these days, though hardly unusual for writer/director John Sayles.

Promised Land is an involving and timely tale that explores the changing nature and complex challenges of rural life.

More than anything, the striking spectacle of primordial flora and one-of-a-kind fauna makes it easy for audiences to get pleasantly lost in the adventure.

What emerges is part screwball comedy, absurdist farce, social satire and earnest self-exploration. If it had the unwavering focus and clear-eyed vision of Russell's previous two features, I Heart Huckabees might have been brilliant.

Bunny is fashioned as a bawdy comedy with heart, but its reliance on formula undercuts the amusing moments.

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

Parents and kids should be heartened to see a G-rated movie that is not dumbed-down or saccharine-sweet. Rather, it's subtly inspiring.

Zwick's "Once and Again" and "Thirtysomething" portrayed emotion more honestly than many TV shows of their time. But in Love and Other Drugs, he unevenly weds the satirical and the sentimental.

The movie's best moments are between Banderas and the kids. When the plot shifts to reveal the students' back stories (one has a prostitute mother, another a drunken father), the story becomes a melodramatic rehash of other movies, like "Fame" or "Rent."

The Doors lit rock 'n' roll fires for only 54 months, having formed after Morrison met Manzarek in 1965, when both were UCLA film students. We get a sense of them as bandmates as they hang around backstage or rehearse, garage-band-style.

A Hollywood take on a Bollywood movie. But the Bollywood portions - echoing over-the-top Indian movie musicals - are far more entertaining than the Hollywood segments.

Redford methodically presents the injustices piled on Surratt and suggests what might have prompted her stoicism. But James D. Solomon's script is often flat, perhaps in a misguided effort to be stately.

In most cases, doggedly pursuing a dream is laudable. But if it does nothing else, The Astronaut Farmer demonstrates that not every dream is worth pursuing. At least not the belabored one of a narcissistic crackpot masquerading as an admirable dreamer.

This portrait of the soldier as an old man is deeply moving.

A simple, sentimental family drama for the holidays, Evelyn, alas, is also predictable and schematic.

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

An artful blend of tenderness and sharp, clear-eyed observations. Its characters talk like real people -- who also happen to be smart, appealing and thoughtful.

Though the competition hasn't exactly been stiff, Fey and Poehler may well be the best female comedy duo since Lucy and Ethel.

Eccentric and generally entertaining.

Worth seeing, not only because it shows how an ordinary man can do something extraordinary, but because it allows audiences the opportunity to watch an extraordinary actor in a performance that could have been rote, but instead is nuanced and intelligent.

The D Train is long on high-concept comedy, then runs out of steam and becomes a forced and far-fetched drama.

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.

Home could have fashioned a more original story, dug deeper into a theme of cultural understanding and jettisoned the toilet humor.

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.

So much effort seems to have gone into the eye-popping production design, swooping camera work and anachronistic musical score that the result is hyper-active cacophony rather than enthralling entertainment.

A road movie that never really takes off.

This is the anti-"Hurt Locker" experience: Where that Iraq War film was absorbing and deadly serious, The Men Who Stare at Goats is irreverent and lighthearted. One only wishes it were a more consistently funny film.

A pleasant, but forgettable, trifle.

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.

Most noteworthy for the performance of Sigourney Weaver as Linda, an autistic woman.

Though Imagine That's message is benign, its adult focus is off-base, and every move feels too familiar, formulaic and telegraphed.

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.

A refreshingly entertaining character study that refuses to dumb down its youthful cast or bury their concerns in service of a catchy soundtrack.

The laughs are hit and miss and the movie is ho-hummus.

When a movie is a hybrid of this sort, it can be tough to strike just the right tone. Mostly, The Hunting Party manages.

Based on the captivating novel by Myla Goldberg, Bee Season is evocative and superbly acted.

Leaden, non-involving and filled with mind-numbing computer-generated effects.

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

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.

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

There is some lovely cinematography by Shelly Johnson in the classic David Lean style and plenty of excitement. Taken just for that, Hidalgo delivers.

Shines brightest during its musical numbers.

Only a truly dreadful story could make 81 minutes seem like an eternity. And Space Chimps is just that leaden experience.

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

Elisabeth Shue has a strange role as a version of herself who has given up acting for nursing.

Brüno offers more shock value for your moviegoing dollar than any other movie this year.

Bright enough, but stops short of being clever.

Made of Honor has some funny moments, and it keeps your attention, but it's certainly not worth rushing out to the multiplex and paying top dollar for. Catch it on TV on a lazy afternoon with little else to do.

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

The overall message is pleasantly sweet: Bad days happen. Not only are they inevitable, but they serve to make the good times worth savoring. There's nothing dreadful about that.

Doesn't always have a clear path, but that is part of its meandering appeal. It asks if true love exists, then renders it a rhetorical question.

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

It's nowhere near as funny or incisive as the South Park movies, and it has a much crazier style. Imagine Abraham Lincoln chatting up a giant milkshake and discussing slavery, and you get the picture.

Where "Mall Cop" is broad, safe and sticks to a formula, Observe and Report is unabashedly crude, cynical, off-kilter and funnier.

It's so unfunny it almost stings.

Serviceable, occasionally compelling but often formulaic.

A sweet, family-friendly retelling of a touching and funny Newbery Award-winning children's book.

A gifted cast was bogged down by a treacly tale.

Rarely is the second film in a horror franchise more frightening than the original, but Paranormal Activity 2 has more innocent victims and more scares than its predecessor.

Fast-paced, imaginative and often cute, Shorts is slight but enjoyable family fare.

Movies often don't do their stories justice, and that has happened again here. The main problem is a tone that jarringly switches from a kind of Forrest Gump-style narrative to a more generic biopic.

While the story does not quite come to magical life, the themes of courage, hope and decency are sweetly inspiring.

When it comes to 3-D visual splendors, give me Wonderland over Pandora any day.

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

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

Don't be fooled by the presence of some pretty-boy actors: Alpha Dog is a gritty, gut-wrenching and disturbing film.

It has a few moments of fun and whimsy, but it lacks the joyous spirit and intelligent humor of the children's novel on which it's based.

Has strong performances and stirring football scenes.

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

It's a story that could only happen in an era of YouTube and American Idol. Well-chronicled and fascinating, Don't Stop Believin' is a cinematic journey well worth taking.

Anchoring the story is 9-year-old Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), whose first scenes are riveting.

Amid the style, sass and sexiness is plenty of sentimentality, especially at the satisfying conclusion.

The film is capably acted and somewhat inspiring.

Albert Brooks may have come up with the funniest movie premise of the year in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.

Robert De Niro has made several unwise choices in roles recently, and his belligerent wannabe writer in Being Flynn definitely adds to that list.

This pop-culture-infused mistaken-identity thriller ultimately grabs hold and beguiles, though its convoluted plot takes a while to get going.

Despite gripping chase sequences and a few awe-inspiring fiery explosions, gaping holes in the convoluted plot make Shooter heavier on style than substance.

Cate Blanchett brings little but an arch toughness to the role of Marion, and, in a highly improbably climactic scene, proves herself a veritable knight. Crowe and Blanchett share a perfunctory romance, with few sparks.

This B-list thriller portrays air crews as inept, at best, and callous and cruel at worst.

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

Thackeray said that he wanted "to leave everybody dissatisfied and unhappy at the end of the story." Nair may have had other intentions, but by film's end, audiences are bound to be left dissatisfied with the choppy and confusing storytelling style and unhappy about the missed opportunity.

De-Lovely has its moments of delight. Its defects lie mostly in failing to fully delineate what made musical icon Cole Porter tick.

The comic elements of this semi-factual tale are heavy-handed, and a key romance falls flat. Despite its titillating subject matter, Hysteria is only mildly stimulating. The final third of the story meanders during a tedious trial and clumsy speechifying.

Its use of trite "Win one for the Gipper" dialogue, overbearing soaring music and conventional plot devices makes it far too formulaic to truly move us.

It's serviceable, but certainly not much fun.

This is a joyless, frenetic film that is very rarely funny.

Aerial sequences are often thrilling. However, interpersonal relations are front and center in this installment.

Predictable, but well-intentioned fun.

For the most part, Wilde's sophisticated, sardonic dialogue has been capably adapted by screenwriter Howard Himelstein and director Mike Barker.

If you're a Rainn Wilson fan, catch a rerun of "The Office."

Talented actors are wasted in a film that induces more cringes than chuckles as women old enough to know better act like horny sailors on leave, absorb mass quantities of alcohol and drugs, and generally behave horribly.

A ceramic gnome by any other name is still a kitschy little figure.

Some of the players are endearingly goofy in this good-natured comedy, particularly Rudd and Theroux. But Wanderlust trundles along unevenly, never reaching the cleverly raucous state it seeks.

Though the lead performances are uniformly good, the film seems hazy in its focus from the start. Many of the scenes seem to simply meander.

A didactic and humorless Western, Eli is too laborious for an action film and too brutal to be an inspirational tale.

Like the last two "Pirates" movies, Australia is ambitious more than awe-inspiring, grandiose rather than grand, full of spectacle but not spectacular.

Artful and emotionally compelling.

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

Earth to Echo is about adventure, bravery and excitement, but mostly it's about friendship— a subject that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Intermittently funny. But the movie's first 20 minutes is devoted to tediously showing how his career has taken off around the world. That might be fine if this were a documentary, or if it were done more artfully, and with humor — since we go into the movie expecting a 75-minute laugh-fest.

Though some scenes may be too intense for children, the action is slick, with robot clashes and airborne chases leaving the strongest impression.

It does deliver a combustible combination of ingredients for a summer blockbuster: a cornucopia of action and dazzling effects, some raucous humor and a large dose of Depp's winning charm.

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

The handsome production design notwithstanding, The Awakening is not an elegant thriller. It's more like solemn drivel.

Marley & Me might be easy to watch, but -- even for die-hard canine lovers -- it's as easy to forget.

Rather than offering new blood, Carrie is a purely cosmetic revamp.

While director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) piles on outlandish scenarios, the chemistry of the lead actors mitigates the contrived setup and numbing explosions.

Some moments in XX/XY ring true, and the honesty exposed is revelatory. But, like some relationships, this drama can be tough to endure.

Dragging on too long is a more serious flaw in a romantic comedy than it might be in a complex drama. We don't ask much of a movie like this, but we do require it to be snappy, clever and quick.

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.

If you're willing to embrace a bit of corniness for the sake of some incisive humor, a few poignant moments and enjoyable scenarios, make time for The Holiday.

The best thing about Black Snake Moan, a song title, is the blues soundtrack. The movie is an absurdly jarring collection of archetypal characters in miserable circumstances with a resolution that feels forced and tacked on.

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

Blackhat is a tedious, preposterous and incoherent cyberthriller that is anything but thrilling.

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

This is a romantic comedy, not a sci-fi adventure tale. But the actions, choices and general behavior of the characters are oddly removed from what goes in the real world.

One of the more befuddling movies of recent years. The premise makes no sense, no matter how you turn it around in your head.

A poetic and lovely tale, told as a silent picture with music and narration.

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.

Nothing is right about this ridiculous horror schlockfest.

The end result, while entertaining, is the kind of unruly mess you can't imagine the indomitable Nanny McPhee tolerating.

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

Gracie is ably played by Carly Schroeder, and the tale of her uphill battle to play competitive soccer is based on the youthful activism of actress Elisabeth Shue. Shue was the first person in her New Jersey community to break down the hurdles erected to keep girls from the sport.

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

Running With Scissors lacks the edge of Augusten Burroughs' best-selling memoir. The result is an inconsistent tragicomedy that attempts to be cut from the same darkly humorous cloth as "American Beauty," but fails.

The movie clichés are bearable mainly because the cast rises above the formulaic material. There are also some bona fide laughs to be had once the setting switches to a luxurious resort in the Czech Republic.

It's far more annoying than frightening.

It's hard to rationalize the vision of this dotty elderly woman with the tough-minded politician. The story lacks insight, glosses over key political issues and is unworthy of Streep's masterful performance.

The saga is an undeniably heartwarming one about perseverance, hard work, and pride in community. And who could criticize that?

Swarms of flies, oozing pustules, alligator attacks and gaggles of frogs are vividly rendered in three dimensions in Exodus: Gods and Kings. And yet this biblical epic is still bland, overly long and otherwise forgettable.

There may never have been a movie whose quality mattered less than this final chapter of The Twilight Saga.

The movie, though predictable and formulaic, is not that simple, although it might have been better off had it been so basic. It interweaves clichés from several other genres and ends up a mishmash of stories.

Feels slight and repetitive, even when there is no actual rewinding going on.

This very funny spoof of telenovelas and classic Mexican westerns is decidedly offbeat and absurdly daffy.

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.

It's hard to sustain that cheeky meta humor, and the film seems to just give in and join its slasher brethren, devolving into a string of gruesome, but unoriginal, slayings.

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

Genial and well-intentioned, but tepid.

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

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

What is missing in plot and character development is made up for in silly fun.

The film's clever use of emerald-colored hummingbirds as transportation is a highlight.

Unexpectedly charming. It's a classic date movie, but it also will appeal to pre-dating tweens and middle-aged romantics.

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.

Grier plays the part of the pompous patrician with superb finesse and dry wit, easily the movie's highlight.

Labor Day feels like a belabored, sappy slog.

Considering the controversy and chaos Sony Pictures Studios is undergoing because of it, The Interview fails to live up to the hype, floundering as a rowdy comedy as it grows duller by the minute.

Moviegoers are stuck with this sci-fi thriller's bland story, murky cinematography and frenetic special effects.

Lead actor Ehrenreich conveys a spirited charm, while Englert, the object of his affections, is more blandly self-contained.

The story feels like a less complicated companion to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Obvious logical questions are ignored. For instance, if she remains 29, does that make her immortal?

Disappoints with its lack of character development and convoluted storytelling.

Contraband has a few moments of tension, but it adheres to a predictable heist formula hardly worth trafficking in.

Enlivened by a strong cast, Cesar Chavez is a straightforward and inspiring account of a noble man.

More like a serving of lukewarm treacle than savory tikka masala.

The story teeters on the edge of soap opera and emotional manipulation, but director Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer) pulls back in the nick of time. What results is an involving and often poignant examination of love and loss.

Slight and only sporadically amusing.

More a matter of chemistry than deadlines.

Vivid visuals are the key to this handsome and moderately entertaining adventure. And the tone is more fairy-tale appropriate than video-game friendly, though the effects-laden swashbuckling sometimes obscures efforts at light whimsy.

The only death at this funeral was that of a good movie.

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

A tasty bonbon, initially appealing but not terribly satisfying.

The good-natured silliness is contagious. When Streep runs singing through a Greek village, it's like a spirited homage to "The Sound of Music."

Even though Think Like a Man espouses something akin to the philosophy in Beyoncé's Single Ladies(Put a Ring on It), it makes manipulation more fun than it ought to be.

In its focus on an ordinary family facing a nightmarish scenario, Snitch is a terrifying but relatable story.

By the end of the movie, all we want is for Barrymore to give him the time of day.

It's a maudlin, superficial exercise in obsession masquerading as a heartfelt romance and study of grief, and character development is sorely lacking.

Somehow Statham comes out of this improbable thriller with his dignity intact.

The kind of well-acted, genuine heartwarmer that some people complain Hollywood doesn't bother making anymore. And in this case, Hollywood didn't.

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

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.

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.

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.

Savage Grace is a thoroughly disturbing story, told in a detached style rendering the overall experience an unsettling blend of lurid and vacuous.

Creation is a superbly creative exercise for its star, Paul Bettany, who plays Charles Darwin. But it's a subdued and meandering portrait of the conflicts underlying the development of the theory of evolution.

Overflows with pretensions and absurdity.

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

White Bird in a Blizzard is blank, pale and flat when it needs to be probing and suspenseful.

Alice Braga plays an Army sniper uniquely familiar with jungle fighting. She is the only one of the crew who does any soul-searching to figure out why this particular group was chosen as prey.

Between the dogged efforts of the kids to save strays and the antics of the dogs, it's hard to resist this lively, though predictable, family movie.

Even within the most formulaic of genres, this Cinderella tale is uncommonly predictable.

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.

The Expendables 2 is corny, barbaric and sometimes visually murky. But humor and self-deprecating macho charm make this male pattern badness crowd-pleasing fun.

Birth presents an intriguing premise about death and the possibility of rebirth in an elegant, melancholy and deliberate fashion.

You'll be checking your watch a lot during Timeline. Though most of the cast is strong and the movie has moments of suspense, ultimately the mystery in this action thriller is so far-fetched it's ludicrous.

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

As it is, this uneven movie is more a compilation of contemporary images and concerns peppered with derivative raucous scenarios, à la Judd Apatow movies, than an involving romantic comedy.

This unconventional psychological drama weaves a fascinating tale, and Collette and Williams give two of the summer's best performances.

Whedon weaves a story that allows each of the heroes to do what they do best. And while they may not have exactly equal time, audiences get enough of each to feel satisfied, but not sated. Clever work, indeed.

Lovelace is a lackluster, skin-deep biopic.

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

Though the project, based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel "A Princess of Mars," is ambitious, it's also bloated, dreary and humorless.

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

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

Ifans is convincingly world-weary as the earl who prefers writing sonnets to the pageantry of court life. Anonymous aims to be epic but is closer to stately soap opera.

Despite a terrific cast, Jack Reacher comes up empty-handed.

It's a run-of-the-mill cop thriller but also a gripping family drama. It is in the moments spent untangling the threads of troubled relationships that the movie is at its best.

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

Crowe's performance is the best thing about the ambitious historical drama, which takes some artistic liberties.

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.

Not only an intelligent, well-told and deftly acted story, it provides refreshing counter-programming in a season filled with noisy, uninspired sequels and mindless action movies.

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

Kimberly Elise gives the best performance as a beleaguered woman with an abusive boyfriend (Michael Ealy).

This fun-loving genre-bender, inspired by "Smokey and the Bandit," opens languidly, then picks up the pace. Even in the midst of cars racing, it's funny and endearing.

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.

The romance, which commences rather gradually, is tender, but not graphic. Humor is interspersed throughout, but there also is sadness, handled seriously. Actually, it is as much a family saga as it is a romantic comedy.

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.

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.

Once fresh, the story is now buried under a hoary coating.

Tells an increasingly outlandish story with very funny (and often gross) moments. But about an hour in, it grows derivative and disappointing.

Here's a by-the-playbook movie if ever there was one.

Audiences deserve a resounding "mea culpa" for the embarrassing dreck, masquerading as comedy, in The Guilt Trip.

It's a sweetly strange yet uneven comedy, with a charming lead performance by Steve Zahn offset by a lackluster one from Jennifer Aniston.

This year's warm and fuzzy Christmas movie. It's a generally winning diversion, thanks mostly to its likeable ensemble cast.

The pirate ship has hit foul waters, and even the sharp wit and charm of everyone's favorite buccaneer can't save it.

A timely story, given the political upheaval in Iran, it is emotionally explosive. It also is profoundly compelling.