Christian Science Monitor's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Select another publication »
For 4,492 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 55% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 43% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.1 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 67
Highest review score: 100 'Round Midnight
Lowest review score: 0 Couples Retreat
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,780 out of 4492
  2. Mixed: 1,361 out of 4492
  3. Negative: 351 out of 4492
4492 movie reviews
view
per page
  1. The Haunting
    The Haunting can't quite decide whether it's an out-and-out thriller, a psychological drama, or a systematic demonstration of the latest computer-generated effects. But it should attract big crowds for a weekend or two on the strength of its attractive stars and deliciously spooky setting.
  2. The Perfect Game
    Notable only for being a catalog of just about every kid-pic cliché ever committed to film.
  3. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
    Being touted as the first film ever shot in the Smithsonian complex. With any luck, it will also be the last. This is not the best use of our landmarks.
  4. High Tension
    Serial killing and other insanity in the French countryside, with ineptly dubbed English dialogue.
  5. The Replacement Killers
    The story has more violence than brains, but Hong Kong action star Chow makes an interestingly moody impression in his first Hollywood role.
  6. Arthur Newman
    Is it possible to truly start life all over again? Arthur Newman might have been better if it had not started at all.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    The Loss of Sexual Innocence
    The nonlinear story consists of loosely linked fragments, some more effective than others, threaded together in a broodingly poetic way.
  8. Suburbicon
    Suburbicon, directed by George Clooney, grafts two distinctly different types of genres: the socially conscious race relations movie and grisly film noir. It’s an uneasy combo made even more so by the fact that the film noir stuff has all the juices.
  9. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
    Ritchie is so adept that the film is compulsively watchable, but it’s watchable in the same way as a massive train wreck or the slow-motion demolition of a high-rise.
  10. Princess Kaiulani
    As the doomed princess, Q’orianka Kilcher, who costarred as Pocahontas in Terence Malick’s “The New World,” has imperially striking features but limited acting skills. If her performances should ever rise to the level of her looks, she’ll be great.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
    For all the special effects – like its predecessor, this is in 3-D – the film coasts on Johnson being charming and Caine being Caine.
  12. Larry Crowne
    It's enough that these two castaways are friends, but I guess friendship doesn't cut it when you're trying to create a star-driven hit. It should, though. Better a believable friendship than an unbelievable love affair.
  13. Milwaukee, Minnesota
    A very uneven dark comedy.
  14. Mad Money
    The best thing you can say about Mad Money is that it has a good cast. The worst thing you can say about it is that the cast is extremely ill-used.
  15. Luminarias
    The movie is very small in scale, but the performances are appealing and Fernandez's screenplay casts an interesting light on the main characters' self-images as Latina women.
  16. What to Expect When You're Expecting
    Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez provide the star power, but what's missing is script power.
  17. Battleship
    The script is replete with howlers. My favorite, from Kitsch, after the aliens strike: "I've got a bad feeling about this." Indeed.
  18. What a Girl Wants
    If the Warner Bros. wizards have it right, what a girl wants is to see as much of Amanda Bynes as she possibly can...It's not so great for the rest of us, since the film has nothing else to offer.
  19. Torque
    The movie is as adolescent as it sounds, but Kahn keeps your eyes popping with truly nonstop action and some of the most outlandishly inventive effects you've ever seen. And of course Cube is so supercool it's worth the price of admission just to watch him.
  20. A Man's Gotta Do
    McClelland is a joy to watch, even when the story strains too hard for lovable whimsy, which happens much too often.
  21. At First Sight
    The movie takes fascinating material and transforms it into a routine soap opera.
  22. Jumanji
    Mostly trite and tacky despite Robin Williams's strenuous acting.
  23. Wildcats
    The action ranges from mildly humorous to merely vulgar; and far too many of the laughs revolve around racially crude confrontations between sweet, blond Goldie and denizens of the big, bad ghetto. [10 March 1986, p.33]
    • Christian Science Monitor
  24. The Waterboy
    A deluge of funny, inane jokes.
  25. Agent Cody Banks
    The repetitious script -- cobbled together by no fewer than five writers -- shows interest in nothing beyond action-centered plot gimmicks and tame romantic shenanigans.
  26. Meet the Fockers
    De Niro and Hoffman almost give comic life to this brainless, vulgar farce.
  27. Stay
    If you're the kind of moviegoer who likes puzzling out the plots of insoluble movies, then by all means rush to see Stay, a great big blurry mess.
  28. Drillbit Taylor
    This latest whiffle ball from Team Apatow is a mildly amusing comedy.
  29. Money Buys Happiness
    Lachow goes for cuteness and whimsy every chance he gets, missing a lot more often than he hits.
  30. What Planet Are You From?
    Goodman's comic delivery gets maximum mileage from a few amusing situations, though.
Page:

Top Trailers

See all »
See all trailers »