Their chemistry as performers together is particularly noticeable, so it’s a shame more focus wasn’t given to keeping the three of them on-screen together as much as possible.

Ask Dr. Ruth is a lovely tribute to the renowned sex therapist, but it’s not blazing any trails of its own as its subject matter has. As a documentary, it’s pretty formulaic.

Recommended for the toothsome Jennifer Tilly, the manic Billy Boyd, some inventive deaths, some inspired gore, and one frankly hilarious scene involving Tilly and a decapitated corpse.

Lee’s film never escapes its B-movie roots, nor does it try to, embracing its own pompousness.

A dance of combat and humor saves a contrivance from drowning. Or, rather, Chan and Li elevate it enough to make it into a good time.

Overall, the whole isn’t as funny as some of the parts. While some scenes had me laughing hysterically, others had me looking at my watch and feeling like I was in the middle of a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that was just going on waaaaaay too long.

Some of the navel-gazing in Use Me verges on gratuitous. Certain scenes lag momentum and pacing. Yet Shaw touches upon compelling themes: the futility of our pursuit of the American Dream, the fragile line between “fetish” and “addiction,” and the effects of society’s digitalization.

Aaron Paul brings his trademark street-corner angst to the party, and it plays just fine. As child actors go, Murphy is pretty good. McNairy and Winstead do a fine job of realizing that silent, domestic agony that neither party wants to bring out into the open, fearing it won’t go back in.

Thurier’s direction gives the production its soul. His vision for Kicking Blood creates a visual motif invoking exploration and inviting the audience into a world of tortured, blood-addicted vampires.

Is he (Rock) the next big thing? After seeing The Rundown, one of the most joyfully silly genre films in recent history, he has my vote.

Masterpieces of literature-to-film are a rare breed; this film falls short with satisfaction.

Perhaps the key to understanding where Steamboy goes wrong is in understanding why Otomo's previous animated feature "Akira" was such a success.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and then the Bigfoot isn’t the loony chuckle-fest that many might want and it’s not as affecting a character piece as Krzykowski might want, but it’s a crackpot showcase for a performer who deserves one or two, crackpot or otherwise.

Anyone who loves rock music will appreciate the script's insights into the form and its history.

As a director, Underdahl can't entirely decide whether he's making a Hollywood film, a film school film, or post modern film.

It’s a true endurance test, far too grim to be considered exciting, but not really informative enough to enlighten us about the effect of our presence in Somalia in 1993.

It's a reasonably entertaining actioner, and Zwick doesn't shy away from depicting violence or the horrors of war, but as a social statement it falls a little short. And emeralds are prettier anyway.

As with many films nowadays, the supporting cast actually shines more than the principles.

The performances are great, the chemistry between the two leads is very good, and Ron Howard again proves himself a slick hand behind the camera. But like a lot of these power-packed pictures, there’s just something missing.

This children's fantasy flirts with the dark side, though family values win out. Thus, the movie remains devoted to heroism and is as opposed to the bad guys as it would be to killing off Brendan Fraser.

The first half of the film is engaging enough to overshadow the missteps of the final act. It's a down and dirty look at the world of the ko gals, but it has class.

For most of the film's 104 minutes, the characters have experiences that range from serious to zany. Although I can't formulate a better resolution to the narrative conflicts, I Love You, Man ends on a note that is too cute and conventional to accept.

Another problem with the film is the pacing. The main story is interesting enough, but it just feels padded and stretched.

Being released at the same time that Bowie's latest album "Heathen" is being unveiled. Bowie fans who need a reason to celebrate the trajectory of the artist's career can make use of this cinematic Alpha and CD Omega.

Cooper who was so poignant in "Lone Star," gives an emotionally robust performance.

Luke Wilson has done some of his best work in dramatic roles (see "The Royal Tenenbaums" for clarity) and while he is not playing an entirely serious role here, his performance is still the most engaging.

Nightride promises to take you on a ride, which it does; a bumpy one, filled with detours and ennui-inducing stretches.

Glass is not a perfect movie, but it is a consistently entertaining one.

It’s a good-looking movie overall.

Garris wrote the screenplay himself and adds one significant improvement over the original short: changing the date of the story from 2001 to 1969.

Slightly better than your run-of-the-mill late winter horror film.

Celebrated actor Lin Chung, whose voice seems to articulate something within himself.

The story's no great shakes here. However, the power of this film lies in the sexual tension boiling between the characters and that makes for a great date movie.

A treasure in celebrating remarkable women with a unparalleled zest for life.

In the end, don't go see this if you are looking for an intellectual film. If you're into seeing some fun, mindless action in a faithful Marvel comic adaptation for a couple hours, then go see the Hulk smash some stuff.

It’s a crisp piece of entertainment that was worth waiting for, considering that I’ve been waiting quite a long time to see this ever since reading the book.

Call Jane is dripping with amazing actors giving solid performances, but only Banks is given a chance at Oscar bait. Weaver’s Virginia is a sagacious activist with long hair, always reminding the group to keep the goal in mind, but we are cheated of heavier moments with her. What is here is wonderful, but it could have used a few moments of gravity.

This is a truly strange love story that definitely grew on me as it ran its course, or perhaps it was just that infectious song sinking its hooks into me.

It’s the investigative portion of the movie that is most engaging.

Directed by Colin Minihan, What Keeps You Alive is an exercise in extreme style and visual trickery in the hopes of keeping the tension high. He isn’t subtle when dropping clues, cutting to an object more than a couple times as to warn us this will be important at some point. Working from his own script, the movie deserves some credit for not always arriving at the most obvious conclusions, even if it takes a well-trodden path.

Takashi knows how to make a great, sleazy Yakuza film, but what I’m missing here is that sense of something brand new.

Viewed as an epic fantasy, Imakake’s basked-in-golden-hues fever dream of a film is inspired and highly artistic, if overly complex and at times kind of ridiculous. Viewed as an endorsement of a cult, The Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim is more than a little creepy and didactic. Any way you view it, it’s pretty damn fascinating.

The only thing lacking, in this case, is the pay-off in actual scares. Surrogate is a worthwhile journey that held my attention throughout, with top-notch performances from a mostly female cast.

Not for me, and in spite of that, I found it really funny, smart and sweet. I enjoyed it.

After Yang is a good-looking movie, especially for one that’s mostly talking and conversations, the acting is good — an easy feat for seasoned actor Colin Farrell and Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja is adorable as hell. But unfortunately, it misses its storytelling potential by focusing too much of our attention on the wrong story elements.

A cold war thriller told from the Russian point of view which gives it the appearance of having more credibility and dark truth than if this were an American story.

It's got everything the genre calls for – boppy music, cute boys, cute girls, lots of sexual lingo, and most importantly, laughs.

The facts and ideas presented within definitely make a strong case for something whacky going on out there that's far beyond our control.

Although not a great film by any stretch, it is a fascinating slice of a fractious period in American history.

The surprisingly sweet Shallow Hal finds Peter and Bobby retreating to a gentler mode -- and, in the process, a far less funny one.

The art direction finds a new identity, the music by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke could easily be held up against the predecessor’s soundtrack by Goblin, the story makes sense, the performances are all on point, yet, without the glorious murder set pieces, we wonder why we are watching, to begin with.

Unfortunately, due to its limited premise, The Mole Agent never goes beyond showing the problem of loneliness. There no solutions, even if viewers like me interpreted some from watching the film. Nevertheless, through a unique premise and an engrossing style, The Mole Agent shines a light on a part of our society that we don’t talk or think about enough.

A musical feast for eyes and ears alike.

One cannot deny that the director provides all the clues possible, while still leaving it to the viewers to decide if this is a film, as one of the many lawyers featured mentioned, about “people being paranoid or is the system really out there to get them.”

Aside from the poorly considered inclusion of staged drama, Framing John DeLorean competently breezes through the rise and fall of the legendary car mogul.

The story is set in real world Mexico, not a cleaned-up movie world simulacrum.

Makes one interested in seeing the inevitable sequel, but one is also left to somewhat question the worth of sitting through this first installment.

Wan has style to spare, his direction brimming with confidence and his by-now-familiar trademarks.

Jesus Camp works nicely as a time-capsule document confirming the impact -- and popularity -- of American evangelism.

The only reason to see this film is if you’re a fan of any of the actors. Everyone is good, but ultimately, the story will let you down.

Takes us into the heart of the desperate, needy, funny, alternately glamorous and sleazy world of the international movie business.

Though I may not have connected with the final product as intended, if the idea of a psychological thriller about pregnancy appeals to you, then the movie might be your cup of tea.

For nothing but pure goofy escapism, A Foreign Affair is at least worth a fling.

This is clearly not a pleasant film to watch on many levels.

The film isn't as funny as the highly publicized conflict over the sell of its distribution rights might have you believe, but does contain a series of energized and entertaining performances that stop it from being a complete failure.

The acting is admirable and the film's hip, on-the-street feel is enticing, it's just too bad that this Irish "Goodfellas" hangs itself with a plot that's contrived and one dimensional.

Had these themes of accepting the consequences of actions, living up to one’s word, the moral weakness of youth been better capitalized on, or had a little fun been had, The Green Knight would have done a better job at earning itself a place in the storybooks.

In the end, nothing about The Interpreter strikes us as very original.

Book of Love is never quite funny enough when it needs to be.

This Brazilian thriller blows a heck of a lot of hot air, but really doesn’t deliver on the ass-kickings it so threatens.

Mamet loves to cast his current wives in lead roles -- Whatever you may feel about Mamet's writing, he has an uncanny knack for marrying mediocre actresses.

In the post-Columbine age, far too many cops' partners have gone un-murdered. And too many unsuspecting daughters have freely traveled abroad, unmolested by foreign fiends. Leave it to the French to give Americans what we didn't realize we were missing.

You know, each and every person reading this right now will shell out their six bucks ($9-$14 in L.A./New York) to see this film no matter what I say. Hell, I feel ambivalent about it and I'm still going to pay to see it again.

Too much thought has been put into this one to write it off as a mere, well, write-off. But it’s also too slap-dash to be labeled a classic, nowhere near on par with Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. A curiosity then, worth checking out, especially for the devoted.

The leisurely directing allows the strong characters and their quirks to remain the focus throughout Deany Bean Is Dead. Coupled with Volk’s excellent lead performance and fun flourishes, the movie is never out and out hilarious, but it is an endearing, droll watch that will put you in a good mood.

In surer hands, Shadow in the Cloud could have been a demented allegory about female empowerment; instead, it’s just demented, albeit damn entertaining. Here’s hoping Landis gets his head out of the clouds and writes something that casts lingering shadows next time.

Hale’s central performance is magnetic, the supporting cast are game, and the script, while uneven, has a few zingers that genuinely land. It’s not a film that will change the game, but it might just liven up a quiet Friday night.

This should have been a black comic masterpiece. The cast is certainly up to the task, even in the small roles.

Wordplay is...well...just about as exciting as a feature length movie about people solving crossword puzzles can be. Not very.

Decent in its special effects and has the advantage of having Hilary Swank and Aaron Eckhart in it.

The movie's strength is in the performances. And they're enough to make Steel City worth a look.

The film does drag, particularly toward the end as the conclusion becomes increasingly obvious and too slow to arrive. For the most part, though, getting there is a wild and fascinating ride.

Victor Goodview is definitely goofy. There’s terrible ADR, a lot of weird time spent in bathrooms, too much man-butt, but it’s still got a heart of gold underneath. Which makes it fit into the Troma canon quite nicely, if you ask me.

It's by no means a classic, but the dialogue and high caliber of performances mean you’'ll get your money's worth, especially if you're really into empire waistlines and that infamous English haughtiness.

David Gordon Green’s Halloween is able to graze the brass ring that 9 other sequels and remakes have tried to touch, but it still doesn’t run home with the prize.

The Loveless is far from Bigelow or Dafoe's best work but still remains an impressive debut for both. Thanks to the deliberately subdued pace and reworking of the biker genre, The Loveless deserves to be given a second chance.

The film’s events are easy to follow enough, but the grand ideas layered beneath this world are just too out of reach for us and them.

An amusing and timely distraction.

Ultimately, the filmmakers manage to sustain the public’s attention at all times while painting an informative, entertaining, and emotional picture of a choreographer, his friends and colleagues, and his most important work; and that might be enough for now.

Cage and Sinise earn their pay, but the story by De Palma and David Koepp -- which strains for romantic glory of De Palma's "Blow Out" or "Obsession" -- gives away too much too early.

The dream-like, poetic result is an astonishing visual achievement, an example of what an artist lacking a Hollywood budget can conjure with sheer ingenuity. That said, some may find its impenetrable narrative and purposefully distancing nature irritating. There’s only so long one can stare at an abstract painting.

Quantum of Solace may be explosive with images of fiery infernos, but it's convoluted and confusing, the plot playing second fiddle to its set pieces.

Could have been both a gripping courtroom drama and a chilling "is she or isn’t she?" horror tale. What we have instead is a movie that drifts, almost unmanned, from plot point to plot point.

There are flashes of honest insight lurking under the film's rough, uneven surface.

Call this “Film meh” instead of Film Noir. The only way it could be more pretentious is if it was in black and white. These characters are so unlikeable, you may find yourself hoping Margaret and Henry both get the shit kicked out of them for their arrogance and stupidity.

Stop-Loss is a bit uneven. Mixed messages abound.

Rich with compelling, often heartbreaking stories.

Succeeds at pushing the technology as well as and offering intelligent family fare that won't leave adults bored. Great fun.