Pete Hammond

What MORE could audiences want from a movie than this hilarious, heartwarming entertainment for all ages?

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

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

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.

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

An amusing turn from Steve Buscemi in the title role and some sporadically funny, off-beat dialogue provided by debuting writer/director Hue Rhodes make for a passable, if forgettable, little time passer.

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.

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

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.

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.

This Arthur feels flat and lifeless, especially when compared to its highly successful predecessor.

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 "Good Evening" indeed at the movies.

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

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.

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.

It's a magical film in the vein of E.T. where an otherworldly event changes a family forever.

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

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.

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.

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

The holiday season just got a whole lot brighter.

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.

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

Let Me In eclipses "Twilight" in every way, leaving you thirsty for more of this haunting, touching and unforgettable thriller.

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.

If "Heat" and "The Departed" had a baby, the result might come close to The Town, a riveting and explosive crime thriller and one of the year's best pictures.

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

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.

An exciting, fun and sensationally entertaining movie for everyone.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Even better than the first edition, in its own sitcom-ish ways.

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

Inspiring, real and heartwarming, Big Miracle is something of a miracle itself - a family film everyone in the family can love that doesn't talk down to its audience and makes more salient political points than "Free Willy" or "Dolphin Tale."

Overall it's a game effort but despite its strong ambitions and provocative themes, Shame may leave you just like its main protagonist - in need of a very cold shower.

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

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

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

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

Aimed at kids, Arthur Christmas could be a little trying if you're over 10, but if you want an easygoing flick to get you into the mood for the holidays you could do a lot worse.

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.

A fascinating, strangely funny and remarkable film about events so incredible you'll likely have a hard time believing what you see onscreen.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

A grueling, stunningly photographed story.

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.

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

In a crackerjack and very lean 100 minutes, the lithe and physically dynamic Jolie burns up the screen and shows the boys how it's done.

Call it Prosthetic Flipper, but the truly inspiring Dolphin Tale is perfect family entertainment.

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.

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

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

One of the summer's great escapes - no mean feat in a year that has attempted, but failed, to provide fun, mindless, movie fare.

Movies don't get much funnier than Ted.

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.

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

Particularly impressive is veteran cinematographer Dean Semler's inventive cinematography that manages to put the audience right in the middle of the races like never before.

With a sure-to-be-talked about performance by Sean Penn and the dueling themes of overcoming depression and revenge against Nazi atrocities, This Must Be The Place is anywhere BUT the place for moviegoers who aren't in the mood for something different.

This is the kind of movie where the audience of extras orgasmically react after every song as if they were at a Bruce Springsteen concert instead of watching a bunch of kids who wouldn't make the cut in a junior high production of "Bye Bye Birdie."

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

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.

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

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

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

Sadly, the documentary just doesn't have enough coherent passages to make anything about this now seemingly ancient journey compelling for contemporary audiences.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

An entertaining fright movie that’s crazy fun and full of genuine scares.

Gordon is bit too good looking to really be the Greg Heffley the books detail, but he's not obnoxious in the role and will appeal to the target 'tween set.

Blame director Troy Nixey for lacking the touch, or blame the basic material which is better suited to TV - either way, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark never gets you jumping out of your seat.

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.

Sure you could just go and rent the original DVDs, but this kind of gut-busting, hit 'em in the groin humor is still funny as hell, especially in the hands of the Farrelly Brothers.

They’ve shed all of the Brit-centric political aspects and updated it to make a riveting, pulse-pounding suspense thriller that really does keep you on ‘edge.’

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

A competent period costume drama, this intimate character study is light as air - and probably more suited to Masterpiece Theatre than as a major theatrical release.

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

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

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

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.

A highly entertaining and richly human movie experience with a gem of a performance from Jenna Fischer.

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

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