Claudia Puig

Sharp satire or feel-good foolishness? Silly sap won out.

Though the film opens with an intriguing burnished look, it bogs down about halfway through with talkiness and uneven pacing.

Mostly, it wallows in partying with a capital P.

The story, though initially intriguing, is dicey. A seminal social satire has been spun off into a passionless romance and a wan comedy.

This junior chick flick merely reinforces superficial clichés one associates with female teens: petty fights, intense highs and lows, and self-absorption.

Although it's reasonably well-acted and offers a few certifiable jolts, feels awfully familiar.

Violent thrills and massive blood spills are the essence of the absurdly over-the-top action flick that is Shoot 'Em Up.

Step Up 2 is one long, clichéd exercise in predictability with a couple of vibrant dance sequences and some unintentionally hilarious bad acting.

Will leave audiences yawning rather than gasping from fear.

You have to work hard to make an African vacation seem unpleasant. And Adam Sandler nearly pulls it off in Blended.

Willis' performance mystifies, while Mos Def's mesmerizes.

The live-action elements — mostly in the person of Antonio Banderas as cranky pirate Burger Beard, who spends most of his time addressing a flock of seagulls — don't mesh seamlessly with the animated sequences. It almost feels like two movies awkwardly melded together.

G-Force is unlikely to keep anyone older than 10 on the edge of his seat, and the bathroom humor may annoy adults. But the message of unity, while unoriginal, is consistently sweet.

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.

The Black Dahlia captivates with its dark style. But as with the particulars of the yet-unsolved case, the movie is frustratingly convoluted. What it accomplishes with its stunning cinematography and set design is undercut by a lack of coherence.

With its ho-hum performances, muddled point of view, inert plot and pedestrian writing, all that's left to appreciate are the sumptuous costumes, elaborate hairstyles and rococo production design, which are not enough to sustain any movie, even one set in the gilded splendor of Versailles.

Watching this movie feels a bit like being trapped on a weekend holiday with an unpredictable and seriously unhappy group of people.

The result is a generic saga with a cast of forgettable one-dimensional characters

The Love Punch is a romantic comedy as painfully unfunny as a sock in the jaw.

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

In the last five minutes the film shifts gears and offers a tribute to law enforcement. But this tacked-on resolution is as sticky and fake as Sean Penn's make-up job.

Has some strong acting. But largely because of its glacial pacing, the story ends up feeling too detached to move us as it should.

Even though the special effects and action sequences are good, the monsters conjured up are rather humdrum.

Not even Bill Murray could save Garfield. Perhaps the comedian -- so pitch-perfect as the sardonic actor in "Lost in Translation" -- got too deeply into character.

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

As impressive as Kevin Spacey ordinarily is, this isn't the best vehicle for his considerable talents.

While not exactly a zero, 21 lags and fails to measure up dramatically.

It's undoubtedly a daunting role, and Morgado captures the gentle benevolence associated with the messianic figure. He doesn't, however, project the authority, gravitas or depth of a spiritual leader.

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

It seems as if no professional actors were hired in the making of this motion picture.

Sometimes the most compelling real-life stories make better documentaries than dramas. Such would seem to be the case with The Children of Huang Shi.

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.

The film is one long Costco joke - but the punch line is never all that funny.

A classic example of a second-rate courtroom drama.

Nearly everyone in this film is unlikeable, their actions inexplicable. And the pace is so lugubrious that it's hard not to succumb to Justine's glum mood.

Watching the Pulitzer-prize winning novel by E. Annie Proulx on the big screen is like being on an ocean liner stuck on a glacier.

Can't quite figure out what it wants to be. At times it strains to be a stately period drama about 16th-century political intrigue. Then it devolves into soap opera muck and emerges as a rather tame bodice ripper.

Savages comes off as director Oliver Stone trying to rekindle his "Natural Born Killers" mojo from 1994. But when the bigger-name stars show up here in cartoonish roles, things feel more silly than gritty.

Premonition is both dreary and absurd, suffering from a lack of intrinsic logic and terrible pacing, a one-two punch that kills off any chance of entertainment value.

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

Stinting on story, dialogue or character development, Bay leaves us with little more than destruction and a hollow, clanking spectacle.

Unfortunately, it's not one-tenth as interesting as what you can see at home during a nightly cable surf as U.S. war policy is debated.

There's nothing very wise about The Brothers Solomon. It's a moderately funny premise in search of some real laughs.

A terrorist thriller that isn't so much suspenseful as overbearing. Though it aspires to be an intriguing political cautionary tale, the movie is mostly about the feverish and jarringly choreographed chase scenes.

Angelina Jolie slums her way through Beyond Borders, a film that telegraphs its plot and then drags ploddingly, its humane spirit obscured by an inane script and Jolie's implausible character.

It's certainly a worthy saga. But given the abundance of one-dimensional human portrayals, it becomes apparent that a documentary on the subject might have been more powerful.

Must we import the rubbish we export?

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

Some of the gags are stupid-funny, others are just puerile, making for a hit-or-miss experience.

Ironically, the dialogue in The Words is its chief failing.

Mostly, Battleship is a noisy, overlong and numbing military-vs.-aliens saga with laughably bad dialogue.

Robert Pattinson must be hellbent on escaping the world of sparkly-skinned undead to take on the starring role in the leaden, obtuse and ultra-pretentious Cosmopolis.

50 First Dates is working awfully hard to be romantic and not hard enough to be a comedy.

Harrison Ford has obviously enrolled in the Al Pacino School of Old Man Acting. He yells, sputters and glowers his way through the ultra-ordinary and well-intentioned Extraordinary Measures.

What we get is simply another opportunity for Schwarzenegger -- who seems to be in perpetual Terminator mode -- to flex his muscles.

At its best, it's a gentle meditation on mortality. But at weaker moments it feels meandering and strangely empty.

This sequel is what you would expect: If you liked the original, you'll probably enjoy this retread. But be warned: It bogs down in a drawn-out scene near the end. There's certainly nothing to treasure about this movie, but if a popcorn movie with moderate intrigue and occasional humor is what you're after, this is just the ticket.

The film has some amusing moments and can be intriguing when it focuses on the slow transformation of a hopeless, faithless man.

Dan in Real Life takes a pleasant premise and calls upon the talents of engaging actors and generally squanders both.

It's hard not to wish the same wholesome message could be conveyed with a bit more finesse and originality.

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.

A pale imitation that challenges credulity and tries too hard to win our hearts with schmaltz.

A supernatural action thriller, is jangly, jarring and violent. But more disconcerting is watching the sweet-faced Dakota Fanning swear, get drunk and pack heat -- in both fists, no less.

Though sometimes boldly captivating, the movie is also occasionally pretentious and lurid simply for shock value.

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.

While the visuals are lovely to behold, this unremarkable version of the classic 18th century Japanese legend is stiff and uninvolving.

Mr. 3000 isn't nearly as fun as an afternoon of America's Pastime.

The concept's execution is sloppy, full of inconsistencies and plot holes. The situations teeter on funny, but never achieve it. And sections meant to be heartwarming feel lukewarm, far-fetched or inappropriately comical.

The story starts out well, then becomes contrived and goes on too long.

As clunky and humorless as its title.

The movie for anyone who has dreamed of watching young dinos in love.

Half a howler but not nearly funny enough.

Out of Time seems out of another time and place. Remember "Presumed Innocent?"

Though it's meant to be pulse-pounding, After Earth is a lethargic slog.

Though it's no fiasco -- there's nothing mythic about its disjointed story -- it is a failure.

Aniston's portrayal feels honest, but the film doesn't rise to the level of her performance.

Newell's rendering of the iconic novel is dull and creatively off-kilter, lacking the surreal magic and robust passion of Márquez's signature magical realism style and never fully engaging the viewer.

Fast & Furious 6 might have just as easily been called "Planes, Tanks and Automobiles."

Some books are not meant to be adapted to the big screen. Alice Sebold's best-selling The Lovely Bones falls into that category.

The biggest mystery in this wannabe thriller is why such topnotch actors would sign on for such a dreary movie that amounts to a mediocre soap opera.

Only a few charming tidbits are nestled snugly in this over-stuffed Christmas stocking.

The film clocks in at under two hours, but the last 20 minutes feel like 40.

Has such dull patches that as a Volvo races to the scene of a massive shootout, a distracting thought comes to mind: Can Volvos even go that fast?

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

Not a movie to cozy up to. The twisted tale is only mildly intriguing, worth seeing mainly for the striking performance of Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) as Hallam Foe, a creepy teenage voyeur beset with an Oedipal complex.

Angels doesn't know when to quit: Just when you think it's over, it continues.

Where it should be light and graceful, Leap Year trips and thuds.

There's really not much fun to be had with Dick and Jane - or anyone else in this anemic comedy.

Dialogue is terse and predictable, and the sci-fi thriller portion is even less compelling than the Western saga.

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

Though they have plenty of lethal weapons at their disposal, the Losers are nowhere near as fun as the '80s action-flick heroes they emulate.

Long on imaginative design but less substantial in narrative, this dreary story of fighting the power is more numbing than thought-provoking.

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.

Like a politician who waters down his message to gain favor with the masses rather than truly serving his constituency, Man of the Year seems determined to play it safe on all counts.

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.

Might have been more appropriately titled "Hodgepodge." What starts out with a sense of quirky fun loses direction and devolves into a mishmash of story lines.

For hilarity, characterization and clever structure, "The Hangover" is far superior. Still, there are some laughs in this uneven but good-natured raunchfest.

A brilliant idea that seems to lack the vision to be great.

Lottery Ticket is no prize.

This misguided chick flick jumps through a lot of hoops just to state the obvious: "Life goes on, enjoy the time you have."

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

It's an innocuous, occasionally cute movie made watchable by the appealing Mandy Moore and hunky Matthew Goode, a Brit who has a bit of Hugh Grant charm in an otherwise silly role.

Lacks tension or mystery. Even the courtroom scenes feel artificial.

Stereotypical, banally written bloodbath.

Though probably well-intentioned, Radio comes off as manipulative of its audience and exploitative of the mentally challenged.

Goes overboard on the gruesome and scrimps on humor. Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" was a much funnierchill-fest.

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

This leaden teen comedy is meant to be lively, but it's curiously bland.

Fun at times and tedious at others, it's an action-adventure fantasy aimed particularly at gadget-loving boys.

The devil has a new spawn, but this one is not nearly as creepy as its progenitor.

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.

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

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

Joyful Noise seems tailor-made for an audience of churchgoers and "Glee" devotees.

Perry must have felt it was high time for him to try his hand at playing a darker role. But starring in this badly directed, suspense-free film with its unintentionally laughable dialogue does Perry no favors.

Ultimately the story of Jay Moriarity, who died tragically in a diving accident at 22, is a moving one, and he deserved a better tribute than this film.

An intriguing and somber tale of disintegrating and disappointing relationships fused with a coming-of-age story.

Strange Magic is strange all right, but hardly magical.

The dashing Jackman plays his part well enough, but the script doesn't provide sufficient "Indiana Jones"-style bons mots to win us over.

These movies can't possibly be the best chance Neeson has got. Certainly he's offered more nuanced dramas that call on subtler acting skills and don't entail a mounting body count.

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.

Self-indulgent, heavy-handed and lumbering, Jayne Mansfield's Car is not a wreck, but it's certainly a vehicle for boredom.

Offers up the absolute bare necessities of a sequel.

The computer-generated wolves have more personality than any of the dull characters in The Grey.

Williams is hampered by her character's limitations. What results is a mannered tale of an immature, empty vessel.

Its title notwithstanding, there's nothing that remotely approaches a narrative curve ball in this tired saga of an aging baseball scout.

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

This frenzied fiesta of firepower is about cloning people for spare parts, but the movie is a clone itself. Possessing no new ideas, it reworks and borrows from such films as "Blade Runner," "The Matrix" and "Logan's Run."

It's an improvement on some of Perry's other films that strike a heavy-handed moralistic note. And it lacks the silly slapstick humor of his Madea movies.

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

The film’s major saving grace is how it seeks to be inclusive in its depiction of Christianity. Through a collective endeavor, a sense of community and faith is reinforced.

Aspires to be epic, but mostly it's just unfocused, sprawling and badly in need of editing.

Such overkill might seem like an asset to teenage boys (and those who think like them). The rest of us are better off not wasting our Washingtons.

The story, an updated version of the 1951 classic about a portentous extraterrestrial visit, feels musty and derivative, and not only because it's a remake.

Hellboy's cheeky attitude and snarky dialogue, specifically Perlman's snidely funny lines, are the highlights.

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

The thin premise here seems better suited to a sitcom episode than a full-length feature. That's not surprising given that director Mark Mylod's résumé includes British TV comedies and "Entourage" episodes.

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

Silly as it was, the first movie had a more innocent and campy spirit than this calculated, if faithful, redo.

Deception is not the cool, noirish thriller it tries to be. Despite a cast that includes double-crossers Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor and Michelle Williams caught in the middle, the film is a yawn.

Murphy's breathy, high voice as Kitten feels forced, but not nearly as much as the film's efforts to be both whimsical and weighty.

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

Rather than being a fascinating exploration of a much more constrained time in our social history, the film simply feels anachronistic.

It's Complicated is vacuous overall, although attractively packaged.

Melodramatic and laden with cop-thriller clichés, the story, set in one of New York's toughest precincts, is contrived and inauthentic -- and also grisly.

The much-publicized collaboration between producer Peter Jackson and Spielberg sets high expectations. But while the technical artistry is there, the film lacks a sense of magic, intrigue and mystery.

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

Has nothing remotely new or comical in its arsenal. In fact, this vacuous farce has nothing original to say about marriage, working parenthood, child-rearing or corporate America.

A cameo by a well-known actor in the final scene suggests there will be a third ride on this familiar marriage go-round.

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

While it features three strong performance and the debut of a promising filmmaker, the story line is obvious and rather melodramatic.

Each story has its moments, but "Air" lacks an overarching vision.

Stretching what was a cute concept to the breaking point.

Trust-- and the genre itself -- needs to dump the stale formula and embrace reality and reinvention.

The film has its funny moments, but they are too few to make the holiday excursion worthwhile.

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.

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

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

It's far more annoying than frightening.

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?

The lesson of the lovely-looking, but disappointing, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is avoid tinkering too much with a novelist's work.

The dialogue, delivered mostly in Southern accents, is intended to be funny and fresh, but much of this Western-influenced sci-fi adventure story feels reheated.

It's not nearly as enjoyable as one of his rambling, meditative songs, though perhaps it is aspiring to be the cinematic equivalent. Give me "Tangled Up in Blue" any day over this incoherent, tangled trip.

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.

Well-acted and involving.

Lurching back and forth through time, Winter's Tale tries to blend the supernatural and the sentimental, with a synchronous nod to elements of New York history. But this would-be magical romance flounders, hitting only dissonant chords.

When it aims for humor, it feels overwrought and clichéd.

Amazingly, amidst the smutty silliness, there are some laughs.

The characters and plot lack even a shred of credibility.

If you'd like to know about the famously eccentric psyche of surrealist artist Salvador Dali, whom Pattinson plays, you're better off consulting written biographies. Little Ashes does nothing to illuminate the iconic Spanish artist.

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

It's a story that feels familiar at best, hackneyed at worst, which is surprising and disappointing, as director Tom Vaughan also made last year's "Starter for 10," a charming British coming-of-age comedy.

Alien Trespass is good-natured, but it's a wan send-up. When it comes to paying homage to classic "B" horror movies, "Monsters vs. Aliens" is the more clever alternative.

Here's how it goes down: 4 is better than 3, about the same as 2 and worse than 1.

Saoirse Ronan's talents are wasted on a foolish dual part in this dull sci-fi fantasy.

Worse, the story is so thin and clichéd, it seems as if a computer wrote the screenplay and a robot directed it.

The uneven humor, half-baked plot and generic action scenes keep RED from being much fun.

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

Only those with paranoid fantasies of an en masse invasion on American soil will find Red Dawn remotely powerful. The concept should have been updated to allow for more complex and surreptitious kinds of warfare.

Nothing is etched in anything remotely resembling a hard surface in Stone.

Maybe Affleck was drawn to this movie because it involves the loss of memory. Who wouldn't want to forget "Gigli," and now this?

As a gritty thriller, Dead Man Down doesn't stand out among its bullet-riddled brethren.

With director Harmony Korine's visual overload and somnolent voice-overs — the same sentences are repeated ad nauseum — it manages to be both mind-numbingly dull and off-putting.

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

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.

Game Plan plays like an average sitcom that drags on. This sort of film shouldn't clock in at more than 90 minutes. There are worse ways to spend a few hours, but expect more predictability than laughs in this good-hearted, mindless entertainment.

Chris Rock was busy directing, producing, co-writing and starring in this light comedy. Given his hilarious stand-up routines, one wishes he had spent a little more time on the script.

Hunter is far too talented to waste her time with such mediocre material, as is co-star Kathy Bates, who plays Kippie Kann, an overbearing talk-show host.

Resembles an enthusiastic but undisciplined child running amok through an exhibit.

In dashing Indiana Jones style, Eckhart gets to be a hero.

Maze Runner feels only partially formed.

Genial and well-intentioned, but tepid.

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

A badly constructed, blood-spattered caper that comes unglued early on.

It may sound like a Peter Pan spinoff, and Dear Wendy does involve lost boys in a stagey setting, but the film is closer to "A Clockwork Orange" than a tale of lasting youth.

When it comes to comedies about pregnancy, "Knocked Up" and "Baby Mama" delivered more. This sitcom style exercise in planned parenthood is blandly predictable. If it were a cheese, it would be Velveeta.

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."

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

A little bit of charm is precisely what this movie has to offer. A small dose is better than none, but you can't help wishing there was more to go around.

Turns out to be a tepid thriller that promises more than it delivers.

The dialogue is clichéd and laughable. It's a film far more concerned with style - architectural, vehicular and wardrobe-related - than substance.

A darkly disturbing melodrama anchored by some powerful performances.

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

It's made expressly for fans of unmitigated gore.

Next Day Air can't decide whether it's a broad stoner comedy or a gritty Tarantino-esque action flick. The humor is there, but violence brings the laughter to an abrupt halt.

An occasionally entertaining, always fluffy teen romantic comedy with some moderately funny physical comedy by gadabout star Lindsay Lohan.

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

The fantasy segments, played up in trailers, get bogged down amid the ho-hum tale of a loser making good.

Arthur Newman is an old story and chronically, consistently uninvolving.

Instead of drawing the audience in, the action scenes merely blur together. And the intriguing, thoughtful concepts at the story's core are glossed over.

Smoochy, like the cuddly character, tries to be loved and ends on an unrealistically upbeat note. But it's in better, wittier form just being vicious and biting.

Silly action sequences grow tedious and rarely blend with the wannabe madcap comedy.

The movie starts out cleverly enough but grows insipid as the girls' antics become more predictable.

Squanders the opportunity to give us a telling glimpse of the woman behind the ruff. Instead, the costume drama is all gilt and opulence.

Madonna's directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, feels more like a collection of scenes than a fully drawn film.

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

Not so much a movie as an amusement park ride.

The cinematic equivalent of an elaborate and poetically constructed non sequitur.

Love Happens is an oddly upbeat title for a movie that is surprisingly sad.

The bone-crunchingly violent film has luridly entertaining moments. But by its resolution, this sleazy Southern Gothic nightmare has simply gone off the rails.

The new Wuthering Heightsis all gloomy moors and muck, but not much convincing passion.

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

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson may be the worst interns since Monica Lewinsky.

Lovelace is a lackluster, skin-deep biopic.

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.

Starts out with promise but staggers under the weight of trying to take on too much. The tone is murky: The story attempts to blend adolescent angst with fantasy adventure, and the result is rather clunky.

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

What emerges is a banal horror film and a tepid action-adventure.

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

How Do You Know must have started with a good idea that got lost in the translation from concept to screen.

We'd all like to live in an Italian movie. So says a character in Nine, and it's probably the best line in this musical misfire.

Because Sarandon is such a good actress, she makes the movie watchable, and there are a couple of laughs to be had.

As a chronicle of the collapse of a marriage, the film is choppy, contrived and cloying.

There's virtually nothing new in the dull Paranormal Activity 4 except for a modification in the method of documenting the spooky shenanigans.

For those in the audience, it's best to just sit back, drink in its virtual dazzle and not ask questions. The story is beside the point in this sleek-looking reboot. It's all about the whiz-bang special effects and the return of Jeff Bridges - always the coolest guy in any space, cyber or otherwise.

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

What makes it slightly better than the others is an affable, low-key chemistry between James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan as star-crossed lovers.

The very rich are different from you and me. And much worse. That's basically the message of the disappointingly banal Nanny Diaries, a film that is even more lightweight and clichéd than the fluff that was the best-selling book.

Anyone who has ever had an annoying neighbor will see their worst nightmares fulfilled in the overheated but entertaining Lakeview Terrace.

It's good to see Polley back on screen, after her successful turn behind the camera directing 2006's "Away From Her." She brings a measure of intelligence to the one-dimensional role.

Diverting enough if you want to see plenty of fast-paced action sequences, some heart-stopping chase scenes and plenty of things blow up.

The movie is sure to appeal to fans of the show. But when quality family films, such as "Holes" and "Bend It Like Beckham," are also in theaters, why waste your time on this drivel? The answer, of course, is the kids will insist on it.

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.

So stunningly photographed that the blood that spurts early and often in this grisly period piece is extra-vivid red. But that hardly makes the Prohibition-era story of a trio of bootlegging brothers feel authentic.

Though the blending of archival footage into a faux documentary is occasionally clever, ultimately it's banal and unconvincing.

Just be the most wildly derivative animated movie in ages.

Though the premise is clever -- everything comes to life at night in New York City's Natural History Museum -- this movie doesn't make the best comic use of the concept.

Plausibility aside, the key to making the scenario work is comedy. Much can be forgiven if it delivers enough laughs. That's the main problem here. It's short on clever humor and big on convention and formula.

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

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

One thing it doesn't do is offer a revealing look at the mercurial entrepreneur. The movie that bears his name settles on a blandly superficial treatment of a deeply complex man.

After "Monsters, Inc.," this movie may be a bit of a letdown, but there are some scenes that will delight elementary-school-age children and older preschoolers -- notably the gross-out moments.

Not so admirably, the film feels at times like a giant commercial for Universal Studios.

While Kristen Wiig fully commits to her bizarre, mentally ill character in Welcome to Me, the result still feels more like an extended sketch than a movie.

Slight and only sporadically amusing.

The potency of the acting is also undercut by leaden pacing and a sense of claustrophobia.

Forced, formulaic and never believable. It's a particularly unholy combination.

It's a 2 1/2-hour slog, with tonal inconsistencies and monotonous, drawn-out action sequences. Scenes alternate between frenetic and tedious.

The predictable story feels as if it were written by a computer program labeled "sequel."

Long on visual dazzle but short on warmth, and the humor is excessively raunchy for a family film.