Peter Hartlaub

A well-paced and entertaining horror debut.

Along with the awkward romantic exchanges that always seem to find their way into Smith's movies, there's also a sweetness that you don't often see in films that average multiple f-words per minute.

The Chuck Wepner story is a compelling one — and the performances ensure its place as a sports movie contender.

Assuming you can appreciate the high level of gore and assorted sadistic weirdness, the action is satisfying.

A welcome throwback to family-friendly PG moviemaking.

Byrne is the furthest thing from being a manipulative filmmaker. But Raising Bertie is moving nonetheless.

Whatever the numbers and whatever the broader entertainment trends, The Wall proves it’s good when big directors have the flexibility to make small projects.

Peralta uses the creative liberties of fiction to focus on the one thing he couldn't convey in his historical record -- the sense of tribalism among skateboarders, who live by a code that most law-abiding citizens misunderstand for hooliganism.

Half of one song is performed with a speck of saliva on the camera. More casual fans will twist in their chairs uncomfortably, wishing that a roadie would walk up and wipe it off. Neil Young die-hards will cherish the spittle.

Helm gets huge bonus points for noticing everything that's annoying about modern children's films and including none of those things in his movie.

Armstrong acted like a demon, but it becomes clear there were very, very few angels associated with the sport in the 1990s and early 2000s.

There are several excellent performances, including Wayne Hapi as Potini’s hardened brother. But Curtis is the most memorable part of The Dark Horse.

A meditative state of a movie. While shorter-attention-spanned moviegoers should stick to "The Fighter," this is an interesting and enjoyable entry on the opposite side of the genre.

Comic gold for anyone who is currently stoned, has been stoned in the past or spends a lot of time around stoned people.

As much as anything we’ve seen in recent years, the film is confirmation that artists, not paranoid executives, continue to make the big calls at Disney. And as long as that continues, a few glitches in the plot won’t ruin anyone’s good time.

Taking your very small child to this movie is only a slightly better idea than a trip to "The Final Destination." With that warning out of the way, this action adventure is a big treat for more mature animation and science-fiction fans and a triumph for the young director.

The best part about the movie is the way it shifts focus, starting as an observation of the animal and then subtly morphing to the point of view of Nénette, who passively experiences a jumble of voices that start to run together.

Eragon may not be a big Oscar contender, but in a movie season filled with blood diamonds, fascist soldiers and Idi Amin, it provides a much-needed afternoon of PG-rated family-friendly adventure.

The result is a warm and extremely thoughtful journey, with a deliberately bare-bones narrative.

A movie for science fiction fans who wish every minute of “Star Wars” was the cantina scene.

Like Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s stellar “The Lego Movie,” the filmmakers work with the confidence that if a joke fails, the one that follows a few seconds later will redeem the scene.

This is the "Godfather II" of tasteless prank films.

Hannibal Rising isn't a classic, but it's entertaining and a surprisingly fitting addition to the franchise.

A documentary that is often told in adages, riddles and poetry.

Entertaining and compelling.

The Good Dinosaur has an original concept, disarming emotional heft and features the most impressive visuals in animated cinema to date.

Berlin is still a subject very much worth exploring on film, and his observations as an aged man are even more fascinating than the statements he made as an artist in his prime.

This isn’t just a good horror film. It’s a good film, which just happens to fall in the horror genre.

Does nothing to elevate the form — and yet it doesn’t disappoint.

Presents an almost fawning portrait of the doctor-turned-surfer.

The visual style and lethargic pace can be frustrating -- at least if you're sober -- but the animated tragedy is still a success.

Gridiron Gang gives you a lot more to think about during the ride home.

A return to rowdy form for Chappelle.

The documentary “Amy” left viewers feeling a little shame, as if the audience and society was an accessory in Winehouse’s death. Janis: Little Girl Blue is a more clinical treatment, with more complicated messages.

Even more ridiculous than it sounds.

The cinematography and direction are particularly compelling; the complicated sequences on the tight sets must have forced camera operators to play cinematic Twister in impossibly small corners.

Now in middle age, members of N.W.A. no longer believe all of the hype. They’re in an introspective space, to the great benefit of this film.

Deserves plenty of credit for exploring racial issues story in more realistic terms.

Like its lead characters, Going in Style just grooves along nicely, until the credits roll and you realize it was time well spent.

Succeeds as both education and amusement.

The screenplay is deceptively tight, even as the main characters seem to be buzzing aimlessly through the proceedings. Like the most successful films of the drug-hazed genre, this movie only appears to be going off the rails.

Connoisseurs of straight-to-video mayhem will revel in the latest chapter of the "Universal Soldier" franchise, which manages to strike that delicate balance between over-the-top ridiculousness and well-crafted filmmaking. [28 Feb 2010, p.Q28]

It’s charming and filled with wonderful performances, and has a nuanced story that will have adults walking out of the theater thinking about their own inner Pooh, and questioning why the hell they’re working so hard.

Clumsily directed yet entertainingly written by Oakland native Nnegest Likké, Phat Girlz is like "Rocky" with cellulite. Or maybe "Pretty Woman" without all the bony butts. It has a lot of heart and soul, but it's almost never mean-spirited.

The locally sourced documentary is always engaging — lively and well-paced with an impressive list of interviewees from Hillary Clinton to Huerta herself.

There's no greater meaning to any of this, and the slapstick turns won't seem particularly ambitious to anyone who grew up on Bugs Bunny cartoons.

Very imaginative and can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

Bayona remains a director whose work should be anticipated, and A Monster Calls is a solid fantasy drama.

In the end, Sully is a broadly crowd-pleasing movie, at a time when we could use the straight-forward entertainment.

Stronger always feels right in the moment, solidified by an outstanding central performance by Gyllenhaal, and some wonderful ensemble work, especially the actors just below the top billing.

There are flaws, but also some fun surprises. Much closer to Hitchcock than "Hostel," this is what can happen when a pile of trash falls into the hands of a talented and resourceful director (James DeMonaco).

A throwback to all those guilty pleasure action movies.

At times hilarious and occasionally very sad, it's a cautionary tale about the lure of instant fame.

As entertainment, this approach might be questionable. As a service, it would be valuable.

Children in the audience may not be thrilled at the highbrow humor and lack of pointless action, but tough luck. Life is more than "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" and "The Smurfs" sequels.

May not be a classic, but it still has a lot of class.

As cluttered as the movie gets before the ending, it's funny throughout, with some 1970s and '80s music thrown in to keep adults happy.

While the songs are recycled, Across the Universe stands out just by existing.

The talented fantasy filmmaker and heir to the "Lord of the Rings" throne gets the tone right throughout Hellboy 2, and the hip retro charm alone is enough to merit recommendation.

Won't make anyone forget "The Shining," but it's a nice throwback to the days when scary movies featured pretty good actors, a plot that holds together and a couple of creepy-looking ghost kids.

An enjoyable way to start the Oscar season.

Funny and honest.

Occasionally thoughtful and very entertaining.

This is a filmmaker who cares less about horror cinema as a theme park ride, and more about mood.

The ending takes an unfortunate detour that stretches the running time, but this is still quality Pixar work.

The multiple-story-line family drama is too cliche-ridden to be considered a great movie. But it's still a very good one, filled with excellent performances, entertaining writing and a final few scenes that are quite moving - even if you can see most of them coming at the end of the first act.

Mainstream audiences will probably be confounded by Drive, while lovers of gritty filmmaking will defend every exaggerated shotgun wound as art. Know which camp you're in before you enter the theater.

The entertaining new film from Sony Pictures Animation is a nice surprise, and the rare mainstream American kid film.

Miles Teller as Brendan McDonough is a standout, beginning as a dead-eyed drug user, then gradually turning into a responsible adult.

It’s scattered and messy and startling and electric and fun.

Fans of this film will some day wear out their DVDs and Blu-rays playing that fantastic battle scene again and again.

Even with the conflict overkill, most of the small moments ring true. Dolphin Tale has more in common with "The Swiss Family Robinson" than most modern live-action family movies, where slapstick and cheap laughs feed short attention spans.

It's the kind of fun and quirky film that you don't see very often in art houses this time of year.

For such a torment-filled story, the ending is surprisingly satisfying, with an important message that a lesser filmmaker might have telegraphed too much.

More than just culinary recommendations, he provides a cultural guide to the Los Angeles that is almost never seen in movies — and then the film makes an argument that Gold’s L.A. is more relevant than the one we all know.

Retro escapist fun.

A funny comedy, and sometimes an even better drama.

It's clear by the end that one Ruth Gruber is worth more than 100 pundits fighting about partisan politics.

It's all very foul, and completely entertaining.

Twilight has a few gory plot turns - mostly offscreen - and one near-sex scene that may offend a few Amish people, but the rest is maybe 33 percent less wholesome than "High School Musical." It's almost certainly less risque than what you were watching when you were 14. (Cue the soundtrack to "Risky Business.")

Miyazaki is arguably at the Kubrick/Polanski level, where his lesser films still yield great rewards. Even during the moments that don't soar, The Wind Rises continues to satisfy.

The Peanuts Movie delivers genuine happiness with the door left open for woe.

Esrick spent 10 years on the film, and the result is a comprehensive portrait.

With apologies to George A. Romero and the impending zombie apocalypse, The Eclipse may be the most realistic film where something dead comes to life and tries to feast on human flesh. Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/15/MVST1CTGJ4.DTL#ixzz0lDuetYGS

Abominable delivers all the notes you expect from family-friendly animation these days. And, thankfully, a little bit more.

The stunning and mostly uncompromising visuals more than compensate for the frequent corny turns of phrase.

About five times as funny as "Scary Movie 3."

The Lego Batman Movie is less awesome than its predecessor, but it’s a clever, well-paced, self-aware and completely satisfying kind of less awesome.

It’s mostly delightful; a fun movie that successfully hits the reset button for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A solid piece of filmmaking, from subtle beginning to the excessive end.

Writer-directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore find a nice balance between the over-the-top high jinks and an emotional core, which unexpectedly crystallizes relatively late in the movie.

There's nothing too small about Nolte's performance. He's the perfect companion for a rookie feature film director looking to make a good first impression.

Rocket Science has the makings of either a tragedy or a crowd-pleasing underdog story, but writer-director Jeffrey Blitz instead takes the movie on a different, and ultimately more rewarding, direction.

Very entertaining.

A nice surprise, surpassing the quality of the first film.

Marshall takes a modest budget and a concept that isn't all that original and produces a frightening, intelligent and sexy thriller.

Yes, the two-minute trailers were an atrocious affront. But it turns out the other 91 minutes include thoughtful characters and some clever humor in between the pratfalls.

As much as Fassbender, Vikander and Rachel Weisz, the feelings of isolation, despair and self-reproach deserve top billing in The Light Between Oceans.