Los Angeles Times' Scores

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For 16,524 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: 8,698 out of 16524
  2. Mixed: 5,809 out of 16524
  3. Negative: 2,017 out of 16524
16524 movie reviews
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  1. Goya's Ghosts
    Lavish production and wardrobe design, as well as beautiful cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe make Goya's Ghosts lovely to look at, but as a portrait of the artist, the movie is a letdown.
  2. Resurrecting the Champ
    Delivers a heckuva story marred by some credibility problems but lands the majority of its punches via subtly powerful performances and a moving undercard of paternal connection.
  3. The Game Plan
    Pettis is adorable, but she pushes the cuteness dial well past one's tolerance level. Still, if you've got small ones yourself, they'll probably enjoy the messes Joe and Peyton make together. They may also wonder why it takes so long for all the movie's messes to get cleaned up.
  4. The Kingdom
    THE Kingdom has some power but not enough sense. A ripped-from-today's-headlines thriller, it wants us to feel as if we're watching something relevant when what's really going on is a slick excuse for efficient mayhem that's not half as smart as it would like to be.
  5. Rendition
    Rendition offers few surprises, and it tips its hand too soon and too predictably to do much more than goose your weary outrage.
  6. Things We Lost in the Fire
    Things are sporadically troublesome about the film. The story goes in and out of being self-consciously earnest and ponderous, a situation that numerous tight close-ups of people's eyes does nothing to help.
  7. Wristcutters: A Love Story
    It's borderline parody of a kind of fey filmmaking popular at crunchy-granola festivals, but the counterfeit aesthetic is ultimately outshone by the life-affirming message.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Canvas
    A sincere, slow-paced drama about a Florida family dealing with schizophrenia, Canvas is never terribly convincing, despite being inspired by writer-director Joseph Greco's life growing up with a mentally ill mother.
  9. We Own the Night
    It's a bare-knuckled crime drama set in 1988 that stylistically could have been made that year and emphasizes Gray's strengths as a director while drawing attention to his limitations as a writer.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    King Corn
    King Corn is entertaining enough, but it's also a moral, crucially skeptical road trip down the food chain.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Sharkwater
    Ecological passion meets unquenchable self-aggrandizement in the beautifully filmed deep-blue-alert documentary Sharkwater.
  12. Southland Tales
    You get the sense that Kelly is too angry to really find any of it funny. It's easy to empathize with his position, not so easy to remain engrossed in a film that's occasionally inspired but ultimately manic and scattered.
  13. The Golden Compass
    Ultimately satisfying and successful version of the opening volume of the celebrated "His Dark Materials" trilogy.
  14. Alvin and the Chipmunks
    There is sweetness here. The scene in which Dave and the boys decorate the tree is charming, and the Chipmunks' excited presentation of gifts to their human dad is actually sort of touching. And dang it, the little animated rodents are cute.
  15. The Kite Runner
    The Kite Runner is a house divided against itself. The Marc Forster-directed version of the Khaled Hosseini novel does one part of the story so well that its success underlines what's lacking in what remains.
  16. Youth Without Youth
    Ultimately, Youth Without Youth is more intriguing than it is satisfying. It hooks you, then lets you flounder.
  17. City of Men
    Morelli uses plentiful flashbacks drawn from the earlier movie and television series that are at times intrusive to the narrative but eventually serve to deepen the relationship of Ace and Laranjinha.
  18. Definitely, Maybe
    This is a film bound and determined to do whatever it takes to be your Valentine. If it had trusted itself more, it might even have succeeded.
  19. Be Kind Rewind
    Sweet-natured and likable as the movie is, it never really delivers on the promise of its ingenious premise, which hints at a subversive retelling of mainstream Hollywood movies but stops short at goofy homage.
  20. The Year My Parents Went on Vacation
    A sweet and somber film that works hard to overcome its limitations.
  21. Semi-Pro
    Harrelson and Maura Tierney, who plays Monix's love interest, seem to be inhabiting a different, more interesting, movie, one that follows the familiar path of a has-been athlete seeking redemption at what looks like his last stop. The strange thing is that the subplot is so tangential to the rest of the movie that the scenes could be omitted with no one the wiser.
  22. Married Life
    The appeal of the cast, the witty dialogue, the gorgeous costumes and production design, and the refreshingly grown-up subject matter can't be discounted. Maybe it is about compromise, after all, because though Married Life has its moments, it's bewildering as a whole.
  23. Snow Angels
    Despite all-around wonderful performances and excellent dialogue, the story never quite coheres narratively. Instead it moves toward a hopelessly bleak -- and I mean bleak -- climax that's more traumatic than dramatic.
  24. Body of War
    Politics recede in the face of the realities of Young's life, and Spiro and Donahue would have succeeded in making the same point had they omitted all but his day-to-day existence. Together, however, they comprise a powerful indictment of the tactical politics that led to the invasion and a heartbreaking account of one man's living with the aftermath.
  25. Baby Mama
    The movie hardly allows itself any sharp moments at all -- it's much too sweet-natured to be cruel, and much too cheerful to be angry. It probably could have pushed a few more buttons, but Baby Mama aims to please and succeeds.
  26. Mister Lonely
    While it's full of arresting, indelible images, Mr. Lonely remains mostly on the level of abstraction. You get it but you don't always feel it.
  27. The Babysitters
    The film remains engaging in no small part because of the beguiling and enigmatic performance of Waterston, daughter of "Law & Order" star Sam Waterston. It is a shame she isn't given a better context in which to thrive.
  28. Surfwise
    What Surfwise reveals is that the dark side of the surfing doctor was that he could be a terrible tyrant, someone whose controlling, self-centered rigidity limited his children in ways large and small as much as it gave them richer lives.
  29. Turn the River
    The main problem with Turn the River is that it's a well-acted, if not terribly well-crafted, character-driven drama without much in the way of a purpose.
  30. What Happens in Vegas
    Hokey and forced as it is, What Happens in Vegas eventually settles into a rhythm, maybe because Diaz and Kutcher actually look like they have fun together.
  31. War, Inc.
    Somehow, what starts as a series of cheap shots in a barrel develops into something more, thanks largely to warm, engaging performances by Cusack and Tomei. War, Inc. is both right-on and somehow off, but it gets points for trying.
  32. Savage Grace
    It's tough to think of another film in which sex between a mother and her son is not necessarily the worst thing that happens.
  33. You Don't Mess with the Zohan
    As another run-of-the-mill Sandler movie, it is better than most. At this point it seems a little foolish to want, let alone expect, "more" from the guy. If he can't be bothered to put more effort into his films, why should anybody else?
  34. The Incredible Hulk
    The result is solid and efficient, if unadventurous, illustrating both the lure and the limitations of comic book extravaganzas.
  35. The Go-Getter
    There are moments of beauty here, but not enough to make up for the mannered dialogue and hamstrung performances. Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative won't be prosecuted, but they'll probably be disappointed.
  36. Pineapple Express
    In the role of dramaturge, Rogen and his co-scripter Goldberg lack Apatow's discipline and deft hand for peripheral characters; the writing in Pineapple Express gets lazy whenever it strays too far from its central axis of players.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Step Brothers
    Step Brothers is not a retread so much as a reduction, stripping away the magical pretext of "Elf" and the period trappings of "Anchorman" to get to the heart of the thriving man-boy genre.
  38. Brideshead Revisited
    That the film is neither a true triumph nor a total disaster makes it somewhat difficult to justify revisiting "Brideshead," apart from the hope it will inspire someone somewhere to pick up the book.
  39. Bustin' Down the Door
    A mostly enjoyable wave of nostalgia.
  40. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
    Bardem's performance is so good it tends to mask how lacking much of what surrounds it is.
  41. The Longshots
    Cube fills the bill as the shaggy, aimless Curtis, a veritable ghost of glories past. It's not a particularly layered performance, but it works.
  42. Mister Foe
    Ultimately Mackenzie's tidy resolutions undercut the psychological depth, but as offbeat coming-of-age yarns go, Mister Foe has a commanding fleetness.
  43. Appaloosa
    The two men collaborate so well, in fact, that the real love match of Appaloosa is between the two of them and no one else.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    RocknRolla
    Ritchie whisks you along on a whirlwind tour, but he's not averse to putting on the brakes long enough to admire some of his favorite attractions.
  45. Splinter
    A fan of flash-edited, orientation-challenged, hand-held camera mayhem, Wilkins unfortunately takes the wrong cue from his title and fragments the movie's attack scenes for maximum energy but minimal logical effect.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    JCVD
    The giddy near-brilliance of its central conceit is squandered by flat execution.
  47. Eden
    Director Declan Recks underlines every emotion, every brooding pause, working against the spare dialogue with fancy-footwork camera moves and an insistent score.
  48. Adam Resurrected
    In a less competitive year, Jeff Goldblum would have had a shot at an Oscar nod for his performance in Adam Resurrected.
  49. Marley & Me
    An imperfect, messy and sometimes trying film that has moments of genuine sweetness and humor sprinkled in between the saccharine and the sadness.
  50. He's Just Not That Into You
    The result is a bit like a weightless swirl of cotton candy with a mere second of sweetness before it dissolves on your tongue. But then there's nothing wrong with cotton candy, and besides, the filmmakers never promised more. I guess they're just not into that.
  51. Examined Life
    It won't be everybody's idea of entertainment but the heady documentary "Examined Life" provides a sound forum for an influential cross-section of professional thinkers to theorize on such weighty topics as life and death, politics, the environment and disabilities.
  52. Bob Funk
    If you can get through the tedious first half of Bob Funk, there's actually a decent little character study waiting on the other side.
  53. The Great Buck Howard
    An affectionate though flawed comedy.
  54. Bart Got a Room
    The mysterious Bart and the mythology of the senior prom as the defining moment in the life of a teenager are the unseen specters hovering over the slight comedy Bart Got a Room.
  55. Hannah Montana: The Movie
    In the end, Hannah Montana: The Movie is big, beautiful, a little boring and utterly safe. There are flashes of inspiration -- the "Hoedown Throwdown" dance, the scenes between Martindale and the Cyruses -- but it also is what it is: Miley Cyrus' next big step.
  56. American Violet
    The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more. We should have been immersed in Dee's wrenching journey, not just sitting it out on the sidelines.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Crank: High Voltage
    The movie thrives on absurdity and outrage, calculating that at some point you'll give in to its gonzo energies and go along for the ride.
  58. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
    It's a solid, efficient comic book movie that is content to provide comic book satisfactions of the action and violence variety.
  59. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
    An amusingly sentimental whiff of a romantic comedy.
  60. Tetro
    In Tetro, nearly every time Coppola should have clung to intimacy, he opts for excess. Especially tedious are the meta excerpts from staged productions -- overcompensation trying to masquerade as illumination. Regrettable since there is such fine work being done in the smaller moments.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Dare
    The film lacks the comedic charm of "American Pie," but with its dark, hyper-sexualization of teens, it offers an engrossing if not soap opera-esque tale of self-discovery.
  62. Defamation
    Even though Defamation, which is sprinkled with unexpected moments of wry humor, will be inescapably controversial, Yoav Shamir strives admirably to be evenhanded.
  63. Breaking Point
    As a diverting way to blow 90 minutes, you could do far worse than this gritty, sometimes nasty, mostly absorbing potboiler.
  64. The Karate Kid
    A kung fu kick of a film that hits more than it misses.
  65. Shinjuku Incident
    An earnest gang-warfare melodrama that may make some Chan fans long for "Rush Hour 4."
  66. The Runaways
    The problem with The Runaways is that they went with the wrong girl.
  67. Chloe
    Envisioned as a psychosexual thriller about a woman scorned, director Atom Egoyan's latest puzzle is just puzzling, little more than a messy affair with mood lighting, sexy lingerie, heavy breathing and swelling, um, music.
  68. Analyze That
    Even when they don't always add up, these are movies in which De Niro can shrug off the burden of being Robert De Niro. Where the star who was Travis Bickle can again freely assume the part of the great character actor -- if only this time to ask, "You laughin' at me?"
  69. The Tuxedo
    Chan is still able to project the boyishness and insecurity of the new kid on the block. But even those aren't enough to make Tuxedo a black-tie affair.
  70. K-19: The Widowmaker
    K-19's determination to push hard for self-congratulatory morals and convenient resolutions undercut the film's strengths and make it more conventional.
  71. Joshua
    It's a persuasive spiritual journey, sentimental at times but never hopelessly cloying.
  72. Crazy as Hell
    Starts encouragingly and finishes strongly with a twist, but the middle is weighed down by too much discourse when it should be visually evoking its ideas and developing its mood of unease.
  73. Shuang long hui
    Mindless escape. [12 April 1999, Calendar, p.F-4]
    • Los Angeles Times
  74. Outta Time
    Unafraid of improbability and coincidence, writers Ned Kerwin & Scott Duncan pile on nonstop action that keeps up a furious pace without giving the viewer time to ponder its credibility.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    God's Army
    A sensitive and thoughtful probe into questions of faith and the difficulties faced by those who are called to teach others.
  76. Mifune's Last Song
    A pow-in-the-kisser kind of movie.
  77. Flawless
    Flawless this Joel Schumacher film is not, but it plays so well that scarcely matters.
  78. Agnes Browne
    Huston is a sucker for sentiment, and Agnes Browne is a sap's holiday.
  79. My Wife Is an Actress
    The French are very good at taking sit-commy setups and cloaking the machinery with charming and surprisingly resonant comic nuance.
  80. Mansfield Park
    It's an interesting take, and it always holds our interest, but it's finally too ham-fisted to be a completely winning one.
  81. Bicentennial Man
    A mainstream holiday movie, complete with stupendous special effects, amazing make-up artistry and sumptuous production design.
  82. Boys and Girls
    A likably thoughtful romantic comedy.
  83. Standing in the Shadows of Motown
    A blast into the past, but as with many nostalgic trips it's also shrouded in mist. The awkward, almost embarrassed way in which director Paul Justman, as well as writers Walter Dallas and Ntozake Shange, deal with race is unfortunate, as is the tendency toward overstatement.
  84. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever
    There's no defense for movies like these, but neither do they warrant apology; they're irresistibly watchable, like car wrecks.
  85. Virus
    An unpretentious, amusing thrill-a-minute sci-fi horror thriller / monster movie that plugs right into fears of a Y2K crisis.
  86. Trixie
    So much of the film is so funny, inspired and sophisticated, the performances so richly nuanced, that many viewers, Rudolph admirers in particular, will be inclined to forgive a little self-indulgence on the part of this authentic auteur.
  87. Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five
    You find Went to Coney Island sticking with you long after it's over.
    • Los Angeles Times
  88. Deterrence
    Lurie undermines his high-wire act with the melodramatic carryings-on of the diner patrons.
  89. $pent
    Well-paced and solidly crafted.
  90. The Low Down
    Thraves is skillful at evoking mood and atmosphere and at depicting transitional periods in a person's life with a mildly wistful humor.
  91. Tuvalu
    This one-of-a kind charmer casts an immediate and delightful spell.
  92. 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.
  93. Maze
    In Linney, Morrow has chosen a formidable co-star, an actress who seems to draw upon an unusual degree of self-awareness to endow every character she plays with dimensions beyond what any script could provide.
  94. Lucky Break
    Lightly reflective and consistently entertaining, Lucky Break is an easy-to-take diversion.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Basket
    It may be a hard sell to the Gameboy generation, but The Basket has charms that may be more evident to adults.
  96. Mumford
    Those who enjoy the old-fashioned Hollywood pleasure of seeing divergent threads neatly pulled together will be more than satisfied.
  97. Josie and the Pussycats
    Light and frothy though all this is, there is an off-putting element to "Josie," and it's what must be the film's world record number of product placements.
  98. The Astronaut's Wife
    A moderately diverting thriller that builds suspense and entertains effectively... strongest selling point is Charlize Theron.
    • Los Angeles Times
  99. Born Romantic
    Although Born Romantic is sweetly intentioned and staunchly on the side of love, it meanders long to enough to alienate whatever affection it otherwise earns.
  100. Edtv
    Like the television medium it genially satirizes, EDtv is a grab bag that's both amusing and frustrating.
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