Claudia Puig

Brannigan is terrific as Robbie, and the entire supporting cast is superb.

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

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.

Characters are richly drawn and relatable, though at times stories teeter on melodrama. The overall effect, however, is powerful.

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

Never was a film so visually stunning and so intolerable as To the Wonder.

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

The stars make this political drama engrossing, despite its few missteps.

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

Family Weekend is the kind of dark-for-dark's sake, wannabe quirkfest that proves indie films can be just as clichéd and vapid as the most soulless Hollywood movies.

A riveting crime thriller, it's also a multi-generational familial saga that approaches Greek tragedy.

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

A potent combination of rousing music, appealing performances and an uplifting story renders this film-festival favorite nearly impossible to resist.

Largely because of its engaging cast, Admission is an amiable, but only slightly-above-average, comic romp.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Some of the film's most illuminating scenes involve Aya's uncle, General Kajima (Toshiyuki Nishida), who schools Fellers on the sense of duty that is ingrained in Japanese culture.

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.

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

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."

Despite its collegiate setting, 21 and Over is pretty much for people with an IQ of 21 and under.

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.

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

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

For anyone fascinated by the political process and the powers of persuasive advertising, No is a resounding yes.