Michael Dequina

While the audience has its laughs along the way, the violent tension of war often threatens to erupt, and slowly, subtly gathering force is the film's emotional weight, which is potently felt by the film's indelible (if not exactly unexpected) concluding image.

Bit of melodramatic grandstanding that it is -- is made irrelevant by Washington's volcanic energy and fierce conviction.

Will warm your heart without making you feel guilty about it.

Just when you think it could not get more ridiculous, Hall, Lanier, and Miss Mariah go that extra mile.

Not a good film. In fact, it's a rather bad example of that already barrel-bottom-scraping genre, the teenybopper romantic comedy.

A glacially-paced disease-of-the-week movie blown up to big screen size.

Basically more of the same, and depending on who you are, that's either an encouraging statement or a warning.

Bad movies are easy to make, but as this overheated and self-defeating propaganda piece shows, it takes a genuinely talented group of people to come up with the most astonishing botch jobs.

August so firmly establishes characters of Martin and Barbara and their relationship, so when the disease does enter the picture, the film does not suddenly become about that; the focus clearly remains on the effect it takes on the people.

Lahti's feature directorial debut plays like a watered-down variation ("Ghost World") -- that is, until the final third, when the film not only deviates but flat out derails.

A monstrosity of a movie that I am all too eager to forget.

It makes no sense, but then again neither does much of anything in The Country Bears.

Less Bond than simply boring, a tedious and overdirected race-against-time drama with a few espionage elements thrown in.

The film tells an engaging swashbuckler on its own terms, and that's what director Kevin Reynolds has done with this old-fashioned romp of revenge.

If you want laughs, just about every other comedy playing right now is good for one giggle, which is more than you'll get here. Just don't waste your time or money on Out Cold.

The much-publicized decision to go "younger and sexier" with the casting--a move that turns out to pay off handsomely, enhancing and enriching the material.

Truly Madly Deeply is a truly, madly, deeply romantic film, and Stevenson and Rickman have a natural rapport. What distinguishes the film more than that is the uncommon intelligence with which Minghella approaches this fanciful situation.

Sublimely silly and genuinely sweet film.

Ultimately comes off as so restrained as to be detached and almost as chilly as LaBute's darker films -- not exactly what one would want from a story about a love so strong that it echoes through the ages.

Were it not for the presence of higher-level acting talent, A Rumor of Angels would have been a banal TV movie.

More criminal than the lack of inspiration in Return to Never Land is the absence of a sense of magic.

Much too aggressively juvenile crass.

With its simplistic, didactic approach, the presence of a top-flight ensemble is the only thing separating John Q from your average TV movie of the week.

Not that there isn't a story at work here; there indeed is, but only just enough to sustain the action.

A passive film, playing it quiet and safe, hoping that the viewer will extend some good will towards it.

It's an entirely different animal from Tarkovsky's hypnotic but opaque take, and it's an entirely different animal from most studio product in general -- Soderbergh's Solaris is a gorgeous and deceptively minimalist cinematic tone poem.

Bratt's fast-talking, all-attitude interpretation is showboating without soul -- which can be said of the entire movie.

A faithful translation of the character and one of his more memorable tales on the page; it satisfies as an adventure and as a more intimate story.

A friend called Fred Schepisi's ensemble drama "a crusty old white man's 'Joy Luck Club'" -- an assessment that isn't without some kernel of truth.

Brosnan's best mission as Bond yet, and the most satisfying installment of the franchise in recent memory.

Berry delivers an extraordinary performance that will startle even her most faithful fans.

Given how much Yellen does right, it's all the more shameful that she so spectacularly sinks her film in the foot with one hugely questionable "creative" decision: adding a pair of ghosts into the mix.

The film is filled with extraordinary characters and equally extraordinary circumstances that Hollywood could craft no better in any feature script.

Forces a self-examination that is both traumantic and revealing.

The drawing card for Blade II is -- the promise of a blood-soaked action/horror thrill ride, and Snipes and Del Toro get the down-and-dirty job done with style.

A two-time Oscar winner playing a crazy person in a big studio film released in late October. Can't you just smell the pretension? Probably not, given the other ways in which this film stinks.

While never sacrificing any of the hard-knock authenticity and specificity of his characters and their milieu, Brewer has crafted a deeply felt film.

With nothing in the way of inspiration coming on either the writing or directing end, it's up to the actors to maintain audience interest and emotional engagement, and two members of the cast rise to the occasion: Kline and Christensen.

Director Stephen Herek certainly doesn't come up with anything, and he fails to make the swings between silliness and schmaltz smoothly.

Just about the truest and most satisfying screen adaptation most anyone could have ever hoped for.

There's no doubt that sheer mechanism propels Happenstance, but the numerous characters and storylines flow and converge in a gracefully unpredictable and witty manner.

Predictable and tiresome.

As palpable as the atmosphere is, had the film boasted a clearer, more memorable story and performances that were a step above adequate, the creepiness wouldn't have simply lingered with the viewer, it would have gotten under their skin.

It's throwback, formula Ah-nuld all the way, a straightforward and simple revenge thriller.

The energy of the performances and John Kander and Fred Ebb's enduring score push the musical scenes and the entire film over any hurdle--yes, even including that misbegotten casting of Gere.

Falls apart with the slightest nudge -- of thought, that is.

Doesn't necessarily make Murder by Numbers an awful film; it's certainly watchable, but it never escapes its paint-by-numbers design.

Luckily, the genuinely funny jokes far outnumber the duds in the film itself, which is helped by the generally energetic performances by Broken Lizard and their co-stars.

The radiant Blanchett makes Charlotte's individual journey from lovelorn lady to independent woman believable and involving, and that's ultimately what counts the most -- even if the destination is less than ideal.

May not exactly be an innovative film, but it most certainly is a lovable one.

It certainly didn't take long for Madonna to ruin husband Guy Ritchie's career.

Soderbergh's film will be remembered less for the (inspired) star casting than for being one expertly made piece of pure, unpretentious popcorn entertainment.

But damn it if the film doesn't work as what it's supposed to be: a big, brainless blast o' boom at the box office.

Chalk up another big-name star vehicle that fails to live up to a wealth of potential.

An emotionally honest film, but it would have been far more affecting if it felt more true to life.

No less than four screenwriters are credited, yet the script is filled with the usual clichés (hello, red digital readout!) and supposed twists that can be seen a mile away.

What ultimately comes through is an undeniably imaginative work that is a glorious testament to the limitless and largely untapped possibilities of cinema.

Beautiful moments of performance such as Forster's subtly spellbinding monologues -- make for compelling cinema.

It's performances like these that make it so easy to forget that, when he wants to, Costner can indeed act and be an appealing star.

Well-acted and skillfully made, the film offers enough that is worth seeing, but its idiosyncratic nature is sure to limit its mainstream appeal.

As it stands Changing Lanes already exceeds expectations, provoking serious thought while skillfully telling a compelling, character-driven story.

Confirms that despite all the technical tools at their disposal, one thing counts head and shoulders above razzle-dazzle eye candy (or anything else, for that matter): the story and characters, and Monsters, Inc. introduces worthy additions to the Pixar pantheon.

The love story that is supposed to drive the film fails to ignite a single spark--and, hence, the film fails to generate a single iota of interest from the viewer.

The title not only describes its main characters, but the lazy people behind the camera as well.

Smart, complex, and engrossing idea-driven action thriller.

With Simone, Niccol makes what seems like a preposterous idea not only fresh and entertaining, but most of all reveals said idea to be not at all far removed from reality--as any good satire should.

Nothing sums up Bones better than its parting shot, in which maggots are projectile vomited directly toward the audience. How so very appropriate.

The saccharine conclusion would be problematic in any film, but given how much talent is involved, it's especially disappointing here.

This film is a messy jumble.

While watchable, skews more toward the drier expectations fostered by that publication's name then the more exciting, explosive ones associated with the genre.

Any embedded message ultimately pales in importance to moving and understated story of love.

The surprisingly sweet Shallow Hal finds Peter and Bobby retreating to a gentler mode -- and, in the process, a far less funny one.

There's a fine line between inspiration and manipulation, and from its first frame, Joshua crosses it and never looks back.

To complain about the lack of originality is to ignore the real wit and joy behind this very fun film.

Makes one interested in seeing the inevitable sequel, but one is also left to somewhat question the worth of sitting through this first installment.

Should the likes of Burstyn, Flanagan, Smith, and Knight have to be reduced to playing eccentric caricatures of aging Southern belles?

Without a doubt, making the most substantial impact is Thurman. While she has proven her versatility over the years, her work as The Bride shows that her talent is matched by her fearlessness.

Surprisingly lifeless monster movie.

The film does drag, particularly toward the end as the conclusion becomes increasingly obvious and too slow to arrive. For the most part, though, getting there is a wild and fascinating ride.

Despite the inherently moving story and the respectable work of director John Lee Hancock and the cast, something remains absent throughout the entire film: a certain sense of verve and personality.

Whatever distinguished "Riding in Cars with Boys" the book certainly doesn't show up in the movie.

Incredibly dull.

Spears, Davis, and company are well aware that they're making nothing more than the cinematic equivalent of Spears' glossy bubble gum pop -- but that's exactly the problem.

From the plotting and the characterizations to the explosions and excessive use of blue light filters, everything about Bad Company has been done and seen before.

There's no question that Meg Ryan is the queen of romantic comedies. Yet for every piece of frothy fluff that works -- there comes a couple where you just want to say, "Enough already." Kate & Leopold is one such movie.

May be formulaic but never fails to find other ways to entertain.

Smoothly seductive.

Indeed, a triumph of love: love of performance, love of joy, and, above all else, love of love itself.

Not only harmless, but actually quite funny and charming.

Much like how its employees and patrons don't want to see the barbershop close, once one has become acquainted with these people and this place, one may not want Barbershop to end.

Love is indeed the greatest mystery, as Lantana's tagline goes, and while the film is ultimately still and interesting and fairly involving one, it's a bit unfortunate that the filmmakers weren't content to simply explore that quandary instead of manufacturing another.

There's no excuse to come within a hundred feet of a screen playing this monstrosity of a movie.

Love it or hate it for its content, one must concede that it is nothing short of a technical marvel.

Sophomoric silliness.

The oh-so-convenient convergence of plot threads at the climax make the film feel that much more run-of-the-mill.

A sour attempt at making a Farrelly Brothers-style, down-and-dirty laugher for the female set.

All crass in its empty bluster and bogus uplift.

Robinson is more adept at the surrealism than the satire, and when the latter takes hold toward the end, the film falters; however, Grant doesn’t, and the film is worth a look if only for his fearless, funny work.