It is a painful but important subject, to be certain, but the film dilutes its own effectiveness by devolving into a collection of talking heads who often seem to be repeating each other.

Starts off promisingly, but gets bogged down when it abandons humor for gravity.

Shaft attempts to hide its own prejudices by simply acknowledging those issues, without so much as a trace of depth or substance.

It is not quite as stupid as it looks. I'm not saying it ISN'T dumb, though, just not as bad as I think even the studio thought.

There are glimpses of the wit McKenna displayed in “Prada,” but these brief gasps of life are quickly suffocated by the inevitable schmaltz.

Nothing about this film is as cathartic as it tries to make itself be because the characters just aren't that absorbing. Instead of tugging your heart, it just spits in your eye.

In the end, Full Grown Men tells an amusing tale, and the cameo scenes from Alan Cumming and Amy Sedaris are not to be missed.

Companion takes a stab (literally) at sci-fi horror with an interesting idea, but making a robot the emotional center of the film is a misfire.

An adequate attempt, but sorry, it's just not groundbreaking.

After four Pixar features under their belts, it is painfully easy to see the clichés emerging.

Lee has created a cinematic microcosm – atmospheric, containing powerful scenes, driven by some committed performances – that forgets to make a coherent point. The titular curse seems to be that of narrative ambiguity.

Brian Presley wrote, directed, produced, and stars in The Great Alaskan Race, and his reverence for the dire situation and heroics of the mushers are evident throughout. However, passion alone does not make a good movie.

Krull provides much swashbuckling cheese. But that’s precisely what gives the film a coy, relative appeal. Despite his role’s poor definition, Ken Marshall delivers Colwyn with some charisma. Krull also features engaging art direction, including The Beast’s jagged, globe-hopping fortress, and ambitious make-up effects that–if nothing else–seems a real challenge to function in.

Its dismal grey/brown color palette doesn’t help the film’s sluggish pacing, making The Operative one of the most head-scratching, aggravating experiences of the year so far.

While the screen didn't really need another Carmen, it certainly needs a knockout femme fatale like Diop Gai. Hopefully, Carmen can get a much-needed rest and audiences can get much more of this stunning African icon-in-waiting.

I’d recommend Retribution if the weather is too hot and you want to spend a few hours in air conditioning. Otherwise, it’s a pass.

The ham-fisted approach undercuts the valuable information that makes up Fail State.

Takes a while to get rolling, but builds fairly well once it finally does. Part of the problem, no doubt, is Shokrina's decision to have the dialogue rapidly alternate between English and (presumably) Persian, with subtitles. This is a highly disorienting distraction.

Somewhat of an improvement over the last one, though it still never veers off familiar terrain. Essentially, if you've only seen one "Shrek" film, you've seen them all.

Far from a disaster, but doesn't rank with Mann's best work.

Don't get your expectations up, but "LW4" is a decent enough date film.

This is a decidedly hit or miss deal which, despite the current outpouring of critical praise, is destined to rank among the Coen's least memorable achievements.

It's the outstanding performance from Martin Landau that really seems to hold your interest, as well as hold the film together.

Despite its supposedly uplifting concept, the film ends up being somewhat of a melancholic downer, hammering home the point that the whole notion of the American Dream is ludicrous.

It is Foy’s performance and presence that makes you want to stay to the end. She is the girl thrust into leadership with the vulnerabilities of her young age and with youthful curiosity. She’s not a child pretending to be an adult, but a child forced to act like one.

Shows that war is horrible, but fails to fully understand the people who experience the horror beyond their sad exteriors.

The film vacillates so wildly, it spins out of control. As for the love story sub-plot – the less said about the poor, vacuous hole of a character that is Marie, the better.

Ardent fans of Brazilian music will be able to shift through this. Others, like me, will have difficulty finding the point in all the haze.