Christian Science Monitor's Scores

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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
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  1. Boogie Nights
    Heavily influenced by Quentin Tarantino's brand of quirky sensationalism, this high-energy saga by Paul Thomas Anderson goes a long way toward exposing the greed and stupidity of the pornography trade, then loses its moral compass and steers toward a sadly superficial ending.
  2. The House of Yes
    Written and directed by Mark Waters, who strives for David Mamet-style punchiness but doesn't develop the quirky momentum that would carry the deliberately out-of-kilter story past its implausibilities.
  3. Seven Years in Tibet
    The movie is a star vehicle at heart, aimed more at marketing Pitt's popularity than probing complexities of empire-building and cultural clash that trouble the Tibetan region to this day.
  4. Kiss the Girls
    Sensitive acting by Morgan Freeman and stylish directing by Gary Fleder can't overcome the bottom-line pointlessness of the movie's melodramatic material, which never achieves the dark resonance that helped "The Silence of the Lambs" get under the skin of many moviegoers.
  5. U Turn
    Oliver Stone's imaginative style runs rings around John Ridley's idiotic screenplay.
  6. The Ice Storm
    Directed by Ang Lee, whose exposure of middle-class hypocrisy would be more effective if it weren't rigged to provide evidence for the story's take on contemporary values.
  7. The Peacemaker
    MESSAGE Nuclear blackmail is a horrible crime but can be defeated by vigilant and courageous authorities.
  8. L.A. Confidential
    The story is so complicated that the movie can't quite make it clear, but the picture has impressive energy and high-intensity performances from Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Guy Pearce.
  9. In & Out
    Combines a celebration of tolerance with an affirmation of family and community values, and a surprising amount of laugh-out-loud hilarity.
  10. The Myth of Fingerprints
    The characters are sharply etched but the plot is made deliberately ambiguous, suggesting that family life is so emotionally intricate that no single story can contain or explain it.
  11. The Game
    On the surface, The Game is an unusually imaginative thriller that bends its offbeat plot into so many twists that you actually have to pay attention - something few Hollywood movies demand nowadays - to understand its evolution and enjoy the multiple payoffs at the end.
  12. She's So Lovely
    In all, She's So Lovely is second-best Cassavetes but still one of late summer's more adventurous releases, helped by strong performances from its talented stars and from the great Rowlands in a minor role.
  13. Hoodlum
    Laurence Fishburne and Tim Roth play the main characters with conviction, but Bill Duke's punchy filmmaking style banishes any hope of storytelling subtlety or psychological nuance.
  14. Mimic
    The adventure is well-acted by Mira Sorvino and Giancarlo Giannini, among others, and imaginatively directed by Guillermo Del Toro, who gives a new twist to old science-fiction effects.
  15. Fire
    Written and directed by Deepa Mehta, this Indian production is not filmed very interestingly, but reveals much about conflicts between traditional and modern attitudes in Indian society.
  16. Cop Land
    James Mangold follows up the promise of his excellent "Heavy" with this smartly written, superbly acted melodrama.
  17. Event Horizon
    The settings and visual effects are imaginatively done, but the dialogue is silly and the plot is a mishmash, with echoes of everything from the "Aliens" movies to Michael Crichton's novel "Sphere," which pushes similar buttons a little more intelligently.
  18. The Full Monty
    Peter Cattaneo's comedy has brash and boisterous scenes, but its message about the humiliations of unemployment is serious and insightful, and applies far beyond the English setting of this story.
  19. Conspiracy Theory
    Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts contribute major star power to the uneven tale, but it never becomes as convincing as a real conspiracy theory should.
  20. Career Girls
    The tale doesn't always seem sure where it's going, and for once in his career, Leigh doesn't always appear to have a firm grasp on his project.
  21. Spawn
    The adventure is vulgar and violent, although the special effects are impressive.
  22. Air Force One
    The movie wastes a good opportunity to look at important questions, such as who's responsible for American policy when the president is busy killing terrorists.
  23. Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown
    Poignant, witty, historically illuminating.
  24. George of the Jungle
    The plot is predictable, and the humor is uncreative and often crude. The heroine, however, is endearing in her quirkiness.
  25. Contact
    Its discussions don't go very deep, and moviegoers with strong religious values may wonder why it comes down for humanism over spirituality.
  26. 4 Little Girls
    The film's approach is highly instructive, deeply moving, and geared to deploring the racism that breeds violence rather than reactivating old hatreds.
  27. Men in Black
    Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith give uproarious comic performances as government agents ordered to keep New York's monsters in Manhattan, where they'll blend right in with the rest of the confusion.
  28. Face/Off
    This is the ultimate Woo movie, but while his fans will enjoy every minute, others will find it too long, repetitive, and violent.
  29. Batman & Robin
    George Clooney looks great in a cape, but this fourth installment in the series has invested so much capital in razzle-dazzle special effects that it hardly matters whose head is under the pointy-eared helmet.
  30. My Best Friend's Wedding
    Julia Roberts is brighter and spunkier than usual, and Rupert Everett steals the show.
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