Los Angeles Times' Scores

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For 16,520 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 56% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 38% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.3 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 63
Highest review score: 100 Sand Storm
Lowest review score: 0 Saw VI
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8,697 out of 16520
  2. Mixed: 5,806 out of 16520
  3. Negative: 2,017 out of 16520
16520 movie reviews
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  1. American Pie 2
    It's a copy all the way, a disheartening attempt to capitalize on the success of the original.
  2. Session 9
    Anderson, his superb ensemble cast and inspired cinematographer Uta Briesewitz, appeal at once to the intellect and the emotions as they build suspense and tension mercilessly.
  3. The Others
    Though Kidman doesn't hesitate to make Grace high-strung and as tightly wound as they come, she also projects vulnerability and courage when they're called for. It's an intense, involving performance, and it dominates and energizes a film that would be lost without it.
  4. Osmosis Jones
    Warts and all, Osmosis Jones is the year's ultimate bodily functions comedy.
  5. The Deep End
    Exquisitely made with a mesmerizing sense of style, it shows the wonderful things that can happen when traditional material is both handled with care and adroitly updated.
  6. Audition
    A diabolically adroit piece of filmmaking that goes even further than the films of Italy's excruciatingly macabre Dario Argento.
  7. Original Sin
    It's too labored and ponderous to qualify as a so-bad-it's-good amusement. Original Sin is merely an old-fashioned bore.
  8. Thomas in Love
    Starts gently, with amusing drollness, then gets more serious, even provocative, without sacrificing its light touch. This is very much a film with something on its mind.
  9. Under solen
    Casts a lovely spell, as warm and seductive as its summertime setting.
  10. The Princess Diaries
    This stylish Disney production is an ideal family film.
  11. Rush Hour 2
    Feels out of shape and self-satisfied, as if it knew it didn't have to try very hard.
  12. Apocalypse Now Redux
    What was impressive 22 years ago seems even more so now; what was problematic seems less important. Changes in us as an audience, changes in filmmaking fashions, changes in the times we live in, they've all combined in making this "Apocalypse" feel more impressive, more of a revelation than it did before.
  13. Greenfingers
    Relentlessly smarmy and contrived, and its pitch for the cause of prisoner rehabilitation preachy and heavy-handed.
  14. The Monkey's Mask
    In directing The Monkey's Mask from Annie Kennedy's adaptation of Dorothy Porter's novel-in-poetry, Samantha Lang displays considerable style and assurance, with Porter and McGillis giving beautifully nuanced portrayals.
  15. Planet of the Apes
    Outside of a hyper-energetic, irresistibly evil portrayal by Tim Roth as General Thade, the baddest ape in town, the sad truth about Planet of the Apes is that, disappointingly, it's just not very much fun to watch.
  16. Bread and Tulips
    Too lethargic and strung-out for its own good. Thankfully, it casts a pleasant, amusing and touching spell anyway, but more energy and a markedly shorter running time might have turned a sunny diversion into something more special.
  17. Wet Hot American Summer
    It's nice, once in a while, to come upon a movie that knows it's nothing special, proves it and doesn't care so long as its target audience feels good enough to have a refreshing beverage or two afterward.
  18. Cure
    With its gift for infusing uneasiness into every frame, Kurosawa's moody, unnerving film continues to spook us even after the lights have gone on.
  19. Jackpot
    Jackpot has much that is sweet and funny, but it is not overly original--and it is overly long and not as coherent as it might be.
  20. Reykjavík
    Lola is played by veteran Spanish actress Victoria Abril, one of Pedro Almodovar's favorites, and though the character sounds familiar, Abril brings so much zest and enthusiasm to its creation that it feels original and makes the passion she inspires believable.
  21. America's Sweethearts
    As enjoyable as this film is in parts, it's not nearly as successful as a whole. Enormously engaging in its opening segments, it's unable to sustain that good feeling over the long haul.
  22. Brother
    While Yamamoto's bullets never miss, Kitano's attempt at tragic grandeur of "Godfather"-esque proportions misses to an almost embarrassing degree.
  23. Hedwig and the Angry Inch
    On the screen, the rip-roaring rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch retains all the excitement and energy it had on stage while adding depth, clarity and emotional texture.
  24. Ghost World
    Ghost World is above all a disquieting consciousness-raiser.
  25. Jurassic Park III
    The sheer physical presence of these creatures is much more believable and convincing than what can be generously characterized as the film's plot.
  26. Downtown 81
    Its bygone-ness still abuzz with creativity and movement, Downtown 81 is a celluloid scrapbook that we can all be thankful for in helping capture the rumble before takeoff.
  27. Made
    Favreau, who wrote "Swingers," has now directed and written the hilarious Made, which re-teams him with Vaughn. The two play off each other so well that they recall fond memories of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
  28. Legally Blonde
    Guilty of squandering resources. Amusing as it goes about setting up its premise, in Witherspoon, the gifted veteran of "Election" and "Pleasantville," it has an actress willing to throw herself completely into the part to excellent effect.
  29. Bully
    Whatever his intentions, Clark, in his third outing as a director, has come up with a film that is seriously flawed.
  30. The Score
    A top-drawer heist movie that ratchets up the tension inch by careful inch, The Score will remind you of classic caper films of the past, and that is a good thing.
  31. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
    The film's plot gets so convoluted no nongamer older than 14 will be able to follow it all.
  32. Everybody's Famous!
    Hearty mainstream comedy with a sharp satirical edge balanced with just enough sentimentality to send audiences home happy.
  33. Kiss of the Dragon
    The non-fighting parts of Kiss of the Dragon are, despite the presence of co-star Bridget Fonda, completely non-compelling. It's a proud convention in films like this for fans to mark time during exposition, waiting patiently for the action to start up again, and Kiss is very much in that tradition.
  34. The Vertical Ray of the Sun
    A wholly enveloping experience. Gentle, ravishingly beautiful and awash in everyday sensuality, it so intoxicates you with the elegance and refinement of its filmmaking that even noticing, let alone caring, whether it has a plot starts to seem beside the point.
  35. Lost and Delirious
    Will divide audiences between those whose hearts have been tugged into going along with the picture way past common sense and those who find it impossible to accept the film's credibility-defying developments.
  36. Jump Tomorrow
    Many try but few succeed as well as writer-director Joel Hopkins with his beguiling first feature, Jump Tomorrow, in giving a fresh spin to '30s screwball comedy.
  37. Cats & Dogs
    Irritating, childish and more frantic than funny, Cats & Dogs does manage some few pleasant moments, but they are not worth waiting for.
  38. Scary Movie 2
    All-out burlesque rather than spoof from the outset, the film becomes less and less amusing. Wayans has a wild zaniness that can be hilarious, but how many bodily function jokes, ultra-crude sexual innuendoes and quite a lot of men and women simply punching each other out can one movie endure?
  39. The Closet
    Veber, also responsible for "The Dinner Game," apparently has a finger on the pulse of French audiences and Gallic-minded Americans, but there's just not a lot of freshness in this Closet.
  40. Pandaemonium
    It's unfortunate and ironic that Temple risks so much so successfully in evoking an atmosphere of literary imagination as well as Coleridge's drug-induced fantasies only to conclude his film in a thud of fustian staginess.
  41. The Crimson Rivers
    Not even the strong, reflective, world-weary presence of Reno or Cassel's energy can make a dent in a movie in which suspense and tension dissipate quickly, with action sequences not spectacular enough to compensate. All that's left is gratuitous gore.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Pootie Tang
    Too often is as garbled as Pootie's own jargon.
  43. Crazy/Beautiful
    Very much of a guilty pleasure. A nifty piece of teenage romantic piffle, it combines two strong and attractive performances.
  44. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
    The skill involved holds us in our seats, the project's inability to transcend its built-in limitations keep it from achieving the kind of overarching impact it is after.
  45. Come Undone
    Brings maximum subtlety, nuance and insight into the timeless story of first love.
  46. Lumumba
    Lumumba is potent stuff. Complex, powerful, intensely dramatic.
  47. Baby Boy
    At once too neat and too messy, but films like this are too rare to leave it at that. Ragged but ambitious, it retains a core of genuine emotion -- this picture is doing the best it can, and although that may not be everything, it ought to count for something.
  48. Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade
    Offers a violent but compelling vision of what an animated feature can be.
  49. The Princess and the Warrior
    A heady yet disciplined work, a dazzling fable of love, destiny and redemption.
  50. Dr. Dolittle 2
    Its successful moments (and they are only moments) remind us that this is a squandered opportunity.
  51. The Fast and the Furious
    The result is an intensely involving entertainment that can be enjoyed by viewers who scarcely know how their own cars work.
  52. Chain Camera
    On the whole, Chain Camera is encouraging.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Huey P. Newton Story
    Lee and his top-notch production staff employ camera wizardry and lighting techniques to evocative effect, yet manage to never take away from Smith’s performance.
  54. Life and Debt
    The damning commentary and revelations about the perils of globalization, not just for Jamaica but developing countries the world over, do come across loud and clear.
  55. The Adventures of Felix
    An odyssey of self-discovery of much charm, humor and admirable subtlety.
  56. Down from the Mountain
    For fans of this kind of roots music, it was an event you would have given anything to attend. Down From the Mountain lets you do that and gives you terrific seats in the bargain.
  57. Auggie Rose
    Consistently imaginative and persuasive in its plotting and writing. Tabak makes substantial demands on his wonderful cast but rewards them with roles of exceptional depth and dimension.
  58. Songcatcher
    Has enough virtues to make it successful, including an unusual story and some fine acting, especially by the powerful Janet McTeer.
  59. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
    Almost completely lacking in genuine thrills. Even the attractive presence of star Angelina Jolie can't keep this leaden, plodding, completely underwhelming film from playing like "Lara Croft: Yawn Inducer."
  60. Russian Doll
    Quickly becomes silly and tedious.
  61. Sexy Beast
    Though it can overreach for emotional effect and overplay its hand at times -- Sexy Beast brings considerable virtues to telling this tale, including a great eye for faces and director Glazer's palpable excitement at working in the feature medium.
  62. Let It Snow
    Opens and closes on a jaunty note: It's the tedious, relentlessly talky 80 minutes in between that's the problem.
  63. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
    Story line and characterization are decidedly old-fashioned, and a curious decision about production design gives this wide-screen cartoon some of the look and feel of a Saturday morning TV cartoon series
  64. Evolution
    Reitman's attempt to show he can re-create the success of his biggest comedy ever. What he proves instead is that, given time and money, a comedy director can devolve into a lower life form.
  65. Bride of the Wind
    Mildly entertaining, offering generous swaths of Mahler performed by the Bratislava Philharmonic, but it's also inescapably ponderous.
  66. The Anniversary Party
    Cumming and Leigh -- bring to their stylish, incisive and compassionate film an immediacy and a bracing snap.
  67. Erleuchtung garantiert
    As funny as it is nourishing, and it has stellar performances from Uwe Ochsenknecht and Gustav Peter Wohler, who play off each other like Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
  68. Swordfish
    A kind of dirty fairy tale in which people with nasty attitudes inhabit a trash-talking, macho world of fast cars and complaisant women.
  69. Divided We Fall
    Not only is the film that good, it's also that wonderfully, inescapably Czech.
  70. La grande strada azzurra
    Besides Montand's splendid performance, The Wide Blue Road's other treat is seeing a film that's both old-fashioned enough to believe that social concerns can lead to satisfying drama and well-made enough to deliver on that belief. A film infused with that kind of passion never goes out of style.
  71. Big Eden
    An accomplished heart-tugger, a serious romantic comedy that tackles two dilemmas with honesty and compassion.
  72. Rape Me
    As has happened before in less extreme circumstances, filmmakers with purportedly serious intentions punish their viewers for watching their envelope-pushing depiction of sex on the screen by presenting it in the most profoundly negative context imaginable.
  73. The Animal
    An outrageous and imaginative summer comedy.
  74. What's the Worst That Could Happen?
    Laborious in the unfolding of its plot, and under Sam Weisman's brash direction the unabashed amorality of the material is crass rather than sly in tone.
  75. Himalaya
    Complexity and personality among key figures keeps Himalaya involving throughout its grueling journey and lifts the film above the merely ethnographic.
  76. No One Sleeps
    An adroit, ambitious, richly detailed and keenly observant piece of filmmaking by the director of the haunting Rio drama "Via Appia" (1990).
  77. The Man Who Cried
    There is even less going on between Ricci and Depp here than there was in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," mostly because Potter gives them nothing to play.
  78. The Road Home
    A gorgeous film with a vision strong enough to sustain heart-tugging, heightened by San Bao's romantic score, that verges on the sentimental.
  79. Pearl Harbor
    The film's immense cast and crew, headed by director Michael Bay, writer Randall Wallace and stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale, blend artistry and technology to create a blockbuster entertainment that has passion, valor and tremendous action.
  80. Our Song
    This modest film has virtues that come out of nowhere. It takes familiar material and develops it with such tact and skill that we find ourselves moved and sort of amazed at the same time.
  81. Fast Food Fast Women
    An intimate, small-scale movie in the nicest sense.
  82. Angel Eyes
    Adds up to a carefully crafted romantic drama of considerable insight and emotional impact that provides Lopez an acting challenge she meets with ease.
  83. Moulin Rouge!
    You can go with it or resist it, be exhilarated or worn out. But forgetting the experience is not one of your options.
  84. Shrek
    This fractured fairy tale not only knows there's no substitute for clever writing, it also has the confidence to take that information straight to the bank.
  85. Sordid Lives
    Has its moments here and there, but not nearly enough of them to add up to a satisfying movie.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Startup.com
    Nimbly documents the rise and fall of a Web company through its charismatic leaders.
  87. The King Is Alive
    Stylish and gritty, The King Is Alive lacks the impact of revelation that might have made the journey worth taking.
  88. The Trumpet of the Swan
    Nothing quite works about The Trumpet of the Swan, one of those animated films that make you realize how hard it is to strike the right tone for a family film.
  89. Bread and Roses
    Bread and Roses" hits home when one of Maya's co-workers observes, "When we put on uniforms, we become invisible." It's a truth as uncomfortable as it is undeniable.
  90. A Knight's Tale
    As advertised, A Knight's Tale does try to rock you. The problem is, it doesn't rock you nearly enough.
  91. About Adam
    A sly romantic comedy made with wit and style.
  92. Pavilion of Women
    Can never rise above the melodrama of a past era, despite a splendid, impassioned portrayal by Willem Dafoe and an affecting one by Luo Yan.
  93. Under the Sand
    Requires careful attention at its abrupt finish. Close concentration on the final shots yields a meaning not possible should a viewer's attention wander or turn away a few moments too soon.
  94. Nora
    The filmmakers' special triumph lies in the inspired way that in the nick of time it draws its story to a close, with Nora and Joyce struggling toward a new level of understanding.
  95. Eureka
    To watch this film, in short, can be a transforming experience.
  96. Time and Tide
    Visually, the film is a stunner with its impossibly mobile camera work. It is also all but impossible to hold on to the story line.
  97. The Mummy Returns
    Both pleasantly old-fashioned and packed with up-to-date computer-generated special effects, the film's constant plot turns, cheeky sensibility and omnipresent action sequences have no trouble attracting our attention and holding on.
  98. Ed Gein
    At times awkward and under-inspired, creating a question as to whether so gloomy and repugnant a tale was worth telling simply for its own sake.
  99. Deuces Wild
    Skip it. Just fill in the blanks and you too can brew the same bland, goopy mixture, right down to such clunker lines as "There is a Santa Claus, Ma. He just doesn't come to Brooklyn anymore."
  100. Green Dragon
    A gracious, eloquent film that by its end offers a ray of hope to the refugees able to look ahead and resist living in a past forever lost.
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