Pete Hammond

This is not really a biopic of the great President as the title might indicate, but rather a fascinating, savvy look at the inner-workings of the political process and how things in the White House get - or don't get - done.

Consider it a force in the Best Animated Film Oscar race.

With a razor-sharp script and Jennifer Garner winning laughs in a nice change-of-pace role, this cynically funny and pointedly pertinent not-so-subtle spin on the national battle between right and left wing politics scores lots of comic bullseyes.

This magnificent stop-motion cartoon is alive - "it's alive! - with laughs and heart.

Clint Eastwood and a superb cast hit it out of the park in Trouble With The Curve, a great entertainment filled with heart, humor, family drama and fantastic acting.

Easily one of the year's best films and one of the best ever in the well-worn cop genre.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is a sweet surprise, a funny, touching terrific and quite wonderful movie that gets it all right about the joys and heartbreaks of growing up circa 1991.

If there was any doubt Ben Affleck has turned into an exceptional director, his wildly entertaining, pulse-pounding thriller Argo will handily erase those thoughts.

Deftly veering from comedy to drama, director David Frankel (who also guided Streep to one of her 17 Oscar nominations in "The Devil Wears Prada") never loses sight of the humanity and universality of the situation.

Fox is smart to keep turning this stuff out before star Gordon grows too old for the role. He's terrific in a Leave it to Beaver way, perfectly capturing the angst of being in-betweener.

This smart and sophisticated romp takes surprising directions as it examines the creative process of writing, the delicate balance of relationships, and the mysteries of men and women.

Reiner has crafted the perfect summer film in The Magic Of Belle Isle. No, not one with a lot of noise and battles and comic book heroes, but rather a wonderfully laid back family story set around a gorgeous lake, about the everyday problems of real people from 7 to 70.

Savages is one of Stone's best movies with a ménage et trois love story giving some human dimension to its three young leads.

Movies don't get much funnier than Ted.

This film stands out as one of the year's best.

Blending a perfect brew of classic '80s songs, big laughs and rockin' performances, director Adam Shankman manages to make this film adaptation of the hit Broadway jukebox musical a red hot summer blast for people who grew up with glam metal - or just can't escape it on the radio.

Europe's Most Wanted is so full of laughs and great characters, it's easily the best in the series. Like "Toy Story 3," the Madagascar gang just gets better with time, and this new adventure is funny, exciting and heartwarming.

The director of quirky fare with a rabid cult-like following has made a charming, magical and really funny new work about two unique young kids discovering love over one unforgettable summer, and it's the director's most accessible movie yet.

It's a great time at the movies and a wickedly clever cinematic treat.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits is one of the funniest animated films in years, or to put it in terms you scallywags can understand: it's a treasure trove of laughs.

Kids should especially like this magnificent and heartwarming look at the life of young Oscar.

The kids, especially Néron and Nélisse are irresistible and supporting players are well-cast. Human dramas like Monsieur Lazhar are a rare breed these days and this exceptional example is one to be cherished.

The result is the best slice of Pie yet: a savvy sequel that's flat-out hilarious raunchy fun.

Although Westfeldt's sharp screenplay is mostly talk, it's very good talk.

A smart, winning and comic, if at times bittersweet, treat.

This is purely warm, wonderful, wise and hilarious family entertainment that is fantastic movie fun for everyone.

Norton's tale of an undetected community of tiny people is perfectly suited for a cartoon and this beautifully rendered, almost old-fashioned version is a gem.

Ultimately an inspiring, stirring and unforgettable human drama in the face of a horrifying war. It is highly recommended.

It's an emotional powerhouse of a film, an unforgettable and rewarding motion picture experience.

Uncomfortably tense but worth savoring, particularly because of Tilda Swinton's devastating lead performance.

Magical and imaginative, this eye-popping masterpiece from director Martin Scorsese will transport audiences to a place they won't believe.

The holiday season just got a whole lot brighter.

This new round of toe-tapping musical numbers from the penguin population is shot in eye-poppingly gorgeous 3D.

The film's charm and delight of discovery, plus its sterling international performances, could make it a breakout hit in theaters.

A highly entertaining and heartfelt action comedy that ought to steal more laughs than any other film this holiday season.

With the best use of motion capture yet, Spielberg has translated the story of the youthful Tintin, his spirited pooch Snowy and the eccentric Captain Haddock into a first class action adventure that serves as the perfect cross between "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Spielberg's own "Indiana Jones" series.

The results are so funny and irresistible audiences are bound to be swept away into this kitty's universe.

The Big Year turns out to be one of the smartest and funniest films this year.

Although the marketing looks like "Transformers 4," Real Steel is the real deal, a Rocky with robots that ought to have audiences standing up and cheering.

The exploitation title may not do it any favors, but this biopic based on the incredible life journey of Sam Childers is gripping, inspirational and well told.

The Descendants is that rare bird, moving, enlightening, funny and unapologetically human. It's one of the year's best pictures, one to savor and think about.

The surprisingly effective Moneyball has a smart script, solid direction and great performances.

This is Steven Soderbergh at his best delivering a gripping, chilling and powerful movie experience that will have audiences talking (and freaking out).

Drive dynamically merges a terrific film noir plot with a cool retro look, evoking '60s classics like "Point Blank" and "Bullitt."

A superb ensemble cast makes the most of the comedy's numerous detours and storylines.

Part II gets everything right to send off Harry on a cinematic high.

This charmer about late middle-aged renaissance is pertinent for these times and a perfect summer comedy for grown-ups looking to escape robots and superheroes.

The timing is right for this remarkable and riveting family drama which puts a human face on the hot-button topic of immigration in such effective and emotional terms that you may never look at the subject in the same way again.

A refreshing, hilarious and heartwarming movie for everyone.

This is the perfect summer movie and perhaps the best Pirates of them all.

Woody Allen's time-travelling comedy Midnight In Paris is a valentine to Paris and an absolute delight.

The film is terrific: smart, sexy and funny.

A highly entertaining original movie that's funny, touching and real.

Features some of the most exhilarating action sequences the screen has seen in years.

Directors Keith Scholey (who also wrote the narration) and Alastair Fothergill spent nearly three years capturing this remarkable footage, and have edited it judiciously with an eye to entertainment.

This handsome period piece should develop a strong afterlife on DVD and in schools.

Rio is the biggest and brightest animated triumph since "Toy Story 3."

Fun for every member of the family, despite marketing that suggests it may be intended for only the youngest of the bunch.

With a sterling cast and an emotionally powerful performance from newcomer Liana Liberato, Trust packs a real dramatic punch.

Paul is a close encounter with the comic brilliance of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost that makes going to the movies fun again.

A Hitchcockian thriller with a bit of "Unstoppable" and a little "Unknown," Source Code is a pulse-pounding flick.

The most surprising courtroom drama since 1985's "Jagged Edge," The Lincoln Lawyer is a don't-miss cinematic page-turner with enough twists to fill five movies.

The perfect family film in every way, moms, dads, kids and even those Martians are gonna love this funny, warm and wonderful tale.

Kids will fall in love with it as a movie treat full of heart, laughs and fantastic songs, and it could have crossover appeal as a Valentine date night treat thanks to all its pointy-hatted romance.

A refreshingly pure, honest and original love story, Waiting For Forever is one from the heart with superb performances from a talented cast.

A grueling, stunningly photographed story.

Biutiful, which gets it name from a child's misspelling of the word, is in itself a beautiful, mesmerizing film and Iñárritu's masterpiece.

In a family market that's been woefully weak of late, Megamind should not only rescue Metro City but the box office, too.

Unbeatable entertainment if you want to climb on board for the ride.

The King's Speech is a magnificent movie treat, one of the very best pictures of the year.

On the heels of another revelatory turn in True Grit, Bridges is sensational again, here in a groundbreaking performance.

It's an unforgettable, moving and brilliantly acted drama that richly deserves to be seen by anyone who cherishes great filmmaking.

Smartly emphasizing Portis' quirky dialogue and dark comic tone, the Coens show the flare that made them famous.

With Natalie Portman dominating the action and exhibiting a screen maturity not seen from her before, this all-stops-out Grand Guignol melodrama exhibits more than enough blood, sweat and tears (emphasis on the blood) to score nicely beyond the ballet crowd.

With first-rate performances from Sean Penn and Naomi Watts and a compelling script, this suspenseful, taut drama should keep audiences nailed to their seats.

With a tour-de-force performance from James Franco and an imaginative shooting style that relies on two cameras and inventive angles, what could have been static and deadly dull comes blazingly to life in this powerful and compelling story of one man's will to survive.

A stirring, unforgettable motion picture experience, a superbly acted and courageous story of one woman who made a difference.

With a thieves den of borderline-Shakespearian characters, a wickedly literate screenplay, potent direction by David Fincher, an exceptional ensemble cast and subject matter that speaks to a generation and well beyond, The Social Network is mesmerizing.

Put simply: Scott Pilgrim is a blast! The total package is a wildly comic journey into the head of a true original. If you are under 25 you will find all of it really, really funny.

A rousingly funny, heartfelt and imaginative 'toon blessed with the vocal talents of Steve Carell and loaded with whimsy and smarts.

Really a perfect family movie.

Hilarious and heartfelt from start to finish, this is the best Shrek of them all, and that's no fairy tale.

This is a beautifully crafted and special movie to cherish, one likely to stay with you long after most of the so-called summer blockbusters have faded into memory.

Campanella has laced his story with twists and turns worthy of Hitchcock and the framing device of the novel (which forces the protagonist to sort out the whole thing through writing) is ingenious.

Tim Burton, plus Alice, plus 3D equals an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind movie experience. It will clean up.

Will appeal to upscale adult audiences with its mix of gorgeous Chinese locations, splendid dance sequences and compelling personal story.

It's funny, clever, touching and real.

Like "The Blind Side," this is an inspiring and compelling true story. Harrison Ford is at the top of his game in this remarkable film.

The entire cast is superb. Crowe's an ideal Robin Hood-born to play the role-he's fully in command but human to the core. He owns it.

This revved-up movie version offers a perfect mix of non-stop thrills and clever dialogue, mixed with an engagingly light touch. Nobody is taking anything too seriously here, and that's the fun of it.

With the woes of Wall Street constantly in the headlines, Oliver Stone could not have picked a better time to reignite Wall Street.

Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, Oceans is simply amazing at times, a truly remarkable and extraordinary journey under the sea that takes us places we have never been before.

In terms of sheer originality, ambition and achievement, Inception is the movie of the summer, the movie of the year and the movie of our dreams.

Performances are generally first-rate with Hopkins exhibiting an ease and laid-back approach that serves Adam perfectly.

Fans of the first will not be bored. This Iron Man may not be the Godfather II of comic book movie sequels critics hope for but it is a complete blast anyway.

The script, from first time screenwriters Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson, takes a predictable premise and gives it surprising depth.

A clever movie premise based on an obscure comic book has been turned into, okay we’ll say it, a fanboy’s kick-ass wet dream of a movie that could be a surprise Spring smash.

The Book of Eli takes the violent, gritty feel of a spaghetti western, marries it with elements of "The Road," places it in the future and gives it a spiritual twist.