New York Daily News' Scores

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For 6,911 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 42% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 55% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 8.2 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 57
Highest review score: 100 Fruitvale Station
Lowest review score: 0 The Fourth Kind
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,885 out of 6911
  2. Mixed: 2,801 out of 6911
  3. Negative: 1,225 out of 6911
6911 movie reviews
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  1. Touching Home
    There's a fine line between labor of love and vanity project, and this blandly earnest tale straddles it.
  2. We Are What We Are
    This gruesome, allegorical drama is dark and unsettling, but not so original that it begs to be let in.
  3. 7 Minutes
    Well, that was the longest seven minutes of my life. An uninspired tale of a small-town robbery gone wrong, 7 Minutes abounds in clichés.
  4. Stolen
    No one is able to make much of the disposable script, but Hamm is so limited by the period trappings that it seems as if he simply wandered onto the wrong set.
  5. American Reunion
    What keeps the movie afloat, though, is Seann William Scott as Steve Stifler.
  6. Batkid Begins
    Scott’s story is inspiring, as is the way everyone pitches in, from the police to the San Francisco Giants to Hollywood special effects geniuses to President Obama. But as a movie, this is like watching an expanded local news segment.
  7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
    Unfortunately, its present-day tale, involving a career woman seeking to mend her 20-year bond with a girlfriend injured in an accident, is lax and clunky, and its story-within-a-story - a tale of two laotong, or soul sisters, in oppressive mid-1800s China - is gorgeous but simplistic.
  8. Whatever Works
    While the film is slightly better than similar efforts Allen made between the ’90s and his recent time in Europe, it’s both too broad and too shallow.
  9. Central Intelligence
    Even the obligatory blooper reel after the film isn’t as funny as it should be.
  10. The Last Rites of Joe May
    Unfortunately, director Joe Maggio's film, despite showing real promise and an ear for threats delivered with a smile, runs out of gas.
  11. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
    The G.I. Joe team is back, and most of their sophomore movie adventure, G.I. Joe Retaliation, is as bland as their name and as subtle as an exploding tank.
  12. Deadfall
    If Deadfall had more life, it might have been about more than just its wannabe edge. Ruzowitzky, whose 2007 film "The Counterfeiters" won a Best Foreign Film Oscar, understands the movie's simple plan. But it nonetheless puts us into a big sleep.
  13. Mulholland Falls
    Nolte does his standard lovable-lug routine with his usual ease and assurance, though a more daring producer might have allowed Madsen, stranded again in a second-banana role, to step up to the lead. This crafty, insinuating actor has been ready for his closeup for a while now. Can't somebody make him a star? [26 Apr 1996, p.47]
    • New York Daily News
  14. Mud
    Stripped of his former pretty-boy image, the Texas-born actor is snarly and gnarled, and understands what Nichols is aiming for. That’s crucial, as Mud needs something to stick to.
  15. Immigration Tango
    A comedy with two left feet, Immigration Tango does have enthusiasm on its side. But it trips up under the awkward efforts of all involved.
  16. Red Hook Summer
    We have little to hang onto once the film falls apart. Between the ongoing sermonizing and that final, sharp shock - which is gravely mishandled - we feel cowed into submission, rather than led towards enlightenment.
  17. La mission
    The earnest attempt at family drama doesn't benefit from the abundance of movie-of-the-week cliches.
  18. Rubberneck
    The film works better as an uncomfortable character drama than as a murky family mystery, which Karpovsky deepens with some psychobabble. Still, a nicely sinister and shuddersome effort.
  19. The Big Shot-Caller
    Too many threads are woven together here, but occasionally, it just connects.
  20. Glee: The 3D Concert Movie
    A lot of gleeful audience members are interviewed in Glee: The 3-D Concert Experience, though the source of their happiness could be a lot of things.
    • 37 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Delhi Safari
    Except for a few scenes with some flamboyant vaudeville pink flamingos (giddily voiced by Jane Lynch and Jason Alexander), the film is without wit and, sadly, entirely forgettable.
  22. He's Just Not That Into You
    Yes, that's an impressive collection of actors. And yes, it's deflating to watch them wandering in and out of half-written scenes with no discernable direction.
  23. My Sister's Keeper
    Patric and Baldwin react to all the morbidity with restraint, and Vassilieva keeps her bald head high. But they won't be able to help this barefaced vulgarity earn any terms of endearment.
  24. At Any Price
    Most notably, Bahrani offers an emotional depiction of American farming that will leave viewers troubled, as it should. But he loses his footing when it comes to the story itself.
  25. In Our Nature
    A mopey indie family drama like In Our Nature can't quash "Mad Men" star John Slattery's charm no matter how badly it tries.
  26. Nénette
    Our time spent with Nenette feel as stifling and airless as hers.
  27. The Raid 2
    For better or worse, the blood and bone-crunching remains most prominent.
  28. Escobar: Paradise Lost
    Director Andrea Di Stefano’s filmmaking debut has a spotty sense of urgency, but we get to know neither Nick nor Escobar, so both the innocence and the fiery threat lack impact.
  29. Sex Tape
    How could a movie that offers Jason Segel riffing on sex and Cameron Diaz regularly disrobing be so dull?
  30. Let's Be Cops
    This alleged comedy takes a long time before it gets its first laugh in. The first half is a complete slog and the ending is insulting, but there are a few semi-arresting sketch comedy moments.
  31. The Wild Life
    Felines, too often maligned as conniving and sly, get no love in The Wild Life, a tale that's inspired by Robinson Crusoe and perpetuates dangerous kitty stereotypes. And that's the best part of the movie.
  32. The ROMEOWS
    For the most part, we sit in on the conversations as good-natured, ordinary guys — all graduates of Brooklyn College in the ’50s — reminisce.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Sinister
    Ridiculous, and never scary, and with the worst ghost makeup in the history of the horror genre, Sinister is enjoyable, even funny at times. Most amusing might be watching Hawke play a character willing to do anything to regain his fame.
  34. The Switch
    His (Bateman) performance is fun. Too bad The Switch is not.
  35. Song One
    For her debut drama, Song One, filmmaker Kate Barker-Froyland snares Anne Hathaway. It’s a stroke of luck. Hathaway’s doe-eyed sincerity provides just enough weight to keep this sweet but slight romance from floating away.
  36. Shrink
    Spacey is the film's primary draw, but the cast is uniformly solid -- a crucial asset when the screenplay and direction are not.
  37. The Perfect Game
    A lot of heart, a jaunty mariachi score and a lush Eisenhower-era look help as the family-friendly story follows the usual sports-drama plays.
  38. Shadow Dancer
    Riseborough once again transforms herself dramatically, expanding her role as best she can. But neither the hesitant script — adapted by Tom Bradby from his own novel — nor the sluggish tempo give her enough support.
  39. Big Game
    There are parts of “Escape From New York,” “Air Force One,” “Cliffhanger” and countless Luc Besson movies strewn about. Big Game doesn’t stomp on their memory, but like an overenthusiastic fan, it does smother them with amateurish zeal.
  40. Bad Teacher
    Barely makes the grade in either humor or provocation.
  41. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Winds up feeling like a form of emotional tourism. The images recall Terrence Malick, but the film fills "atmosphere" into dry narrative holes where a story should reside.
  42. Vampires Suck
    "Vampires" doesn't suck, exactly, but the laziness and lack of imagination kinda bites.
  43. The World Made Straight
    A palpable sense of environment and strong performances from Noah Wyle and musician Steve Earle can’t balance the extensive flaws in this unconvincing Appalachian melodrama.
  44. Mao's Last Dancer
    Noble but dull.
  45. Playing for Keeps
    Perhaps, if this movie fails, studios will finally accept that we all deserve better. Biel knows it already, and Butler keeps up in their scenes together.
  46. Son of a Gun
    Without Ewan McGregor in the lead, this flashy but aggressively superficial Aussie thriller would likely disappear without a trace.
  47. Deliver Us From Evil
    Actually, Ramirez should probably have been cast in the lead, since things flatten out whenever he disappears.
  48. Cake
    Aniston is fine, and sometimes good even, in director Daniel Barnz’s maudlin and overly obvious drama. She has layered moments of sympathy as a woman afflicted with chronic pain. And unlike in the bad rom-coms she does too often, Aniston absolutely shows some serious chops.
  49. One Day
    Now CDL aficionados have One Day, though it is a tedious addition to this subspecies of rom-com, despite Anne Hathaway's efforts to make us fall for her regardless of the setting.
  50. John Wick: Chapter 2
    If you loved the original movie, you might not care so much about being given warmed-over seconds. Otherwise, this Wick has burned itself out.
  51. The Babysitters
    It reads like a Cinemax special event, and as good as Leguizamo and Waterston are, the skeevy, fantasy-fulfillment plot that drives David Ross' movie is uncomfortably risky business.
  52. Sex Drive
    Just slightly funnier than you'd expect, this dashed-off teen comedy cribs from a thousand other movies, without coming up with anything original of its own.
  53. Burlesque
    Sure, sometimes it's fun to be assaulted by sequins, wigs, corsets and retro homage. But Xtina's fans can find all that already - in videos ranging from "Lady Marmalade" to "Ain't No Other Man" - without having to sit through two hours of recycled plots and plastic acting.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Dead Man's Burden
    Despite visual nods to dozens of classic Westerns, the film cannot break through with its own vision.
  55. Vacation
    After a while, Vacation starts to reek like a car when the kids have their shoes off. Really, though, that stench is a studio digging through its old titles, trying to find something fresh to remake.
  56. Another Happy Day
    It's Barkin, though, who holds everything together, even as her character is falling apart. Whether or not she took this role as a favor - Levinson's father, Barry, directed her in "Diner" decades ago - ultimately seems irrelevant. This isn't an invitation you should feel obliged to accept. But if you decide to stop by, she'll be the reason you stay.
  57. My Amityville Horror
    Lutz, who was a boy when his family fled the Long Island home, is full of belligerence in this chronicle of his family’s alleged run-in with a ghoulish home where a murder had occurred.
  58. Walt & El Grupo
    This slickly packaged bit of Disneyana would probably work best as an attraction at Epcot.
  59. Labor Day
    Heartening, and yet, a year after being filmed, unintentionally aggravating.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Post Tenebras Lux
    The ending of Carlos Reygadas’ drama is set in a wooded Mexican landscape. That’s where Regadas (“Silent Light”) overdoes everything in a self-indulgent presentation of trite fantasies masked as memories.
  61. And While We Were Here
    Though the film plays like late-era Woody Allen — not necessarily a good thing — and Goldberg’s rambunctiousness is more annoying than liberating, there’s a serious depth of feeling here. Bosworth, thankfully, is attuned to that, and makes the most of it.
  62. In the Blood
    Director John Stockwell (“Blue Crush”) knows how to make the best possible use of his star while adding a strong supporting cast, some pretty scenery and a taut mystery. Stockwell understands most of all that we don’t need Carano to talk; we need her to kick ass.
  63. Freakonomics
    From a consumer perspective, you're better off skipping the movie and putting your money toward their book instead.
  64. American Meat
    There’s a good chunk of info for those eager to know how the sausage gets made, as well as the facts of life and death surrounding what we consume. You just have to pluck the PR feathers and find the good parts.
  65. Solace
    The FBI once again calls upon Anthony Hopkins to help them find a serial killer in Solace. Even though he isn't playing Hannibal Lecter this time, he's still the best thing going for this mostly dull film.
  66. Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder
    Sadly, the film gets mired in traditionalism, something the man himself always railed against. But worth a look for seeing intellectual bravery (still) at work.
  67. The Lazarus Effect
    Forget the minor, derivative scares in The Lazarus Effect. The real jolt here is seeing a well-known name playing a monstrous evil force.
  68. You've Been Trumped
    First-time director Anthony Baxter jettisons all pretense of impartiality, without adding any of the intelligent outrage of his evident influence, Michael Moore.
  69. Hit and Run
    Sadly, Hit & Run, for as much sporadic fun and genuine heart it has, runs out of gas. But it's not for lack of trying, and that counts for something.
  70. Ouija
    Cooke, a young Brit seen on TV’s “Bates Motel,” is strong as the diminutive brunette at the center of the interworldly fright-fest. Her charisma is almost enough to keep you from rolling your eyes at the script.
  71. Big Fan
    The movie gets repetitive, and when it calls an audible and goes somewhere unexpected, it pulls back quickly. Too bad.
  72. Thinner
    Holland's direction is functional, as befits the kind of cable fodder Thinner is destined to be.
  73. The Mechanic
    The only bit of machinery that makes the film move is Jason Statham, who's provided the steely saving grace in so many modern action movies.
  74. Seven Days in Utopia
    There's a climactic putt, of course, but by then you wish Duvall would get one more "Tender Mercies" under his belt so you can forget about this tin cup of a family flick.
  75. When the Game Stands Tall
    “Hoosiers” this ain’t. The redemptive final game has some nice plays and bone-crunching sound effects, but no grit. Ultimately, it’s a ho-hum, bromide-filled production undeserving of a victory dance.
  76. Taken 2
    Taken 2 has a plot that could have been written by a GPS program, and contains all the technical charm that conjures up.
  77. Happy Feet Two
    As a low-cost baby-sitter, this high-energy sequel definitely does the trick.
  78. Cosmopolis
    There are plenty of ideas to gnaw on, given that Cronenberg has adapted Don DeLillo's intense novel of a New York on the verge of dystopian breakdown. But frustratingly bland work from lead Robert Pattinson results in an awfully watery stew.
  79. Leaving
    The class issues make them pariahs, the love scenes belong on Cinemax After Dark, and the emotions writer-director Catherine Corsini believes are so adult are clichéd. Still, Scott Thomas is beguiling as usual, the one expected thing that's welcome here
  80. Mother
    Though diligently paced and sharp to look at, the mysteries inside Mother are, finally, bloodless.
  81. Giant
    Though it takes time to find its courage and heart, Gigante, like its oversized hero, merely has a slow, shy way of doing things.
  82. The Last Song
    So who was the movie really made for? Mostly, it seems, for Cyrus herself, who needed to take the first, hesitant step in another direction.
  83. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
    Despite Sparrow's ongoing flashes of charm, Depp himself seems to know he's coasting.
  84. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
    "Parnassus," while not unwatchable, is also an elephantine mess.
  85. 1,000 Times Good Night
    Sadly, this gorgeous-looking adult movie plays out the same theme over and over, never going anywhere surprising. At least we have Binoche to guide us to hell and back.
  86. Insidious
    Insidious doesn't feature the lazy, home-video-style terror of "Paranormal Activity," thankfully. But it's also pretty normal activity for a ghost story.
  87. Sarah's Key
    A dramatic tale of survival and horrific memories struggles against distracting melodrama in Sarah's Key, and unfortunately, melodrama wins.
  88. Butter
    Appropriately enough for a movie built on two-dimensional cartoons of amoral adults and innocent children, Shahidi is the only actor who emerges with her dignity fully intact.
  89. Runner Runner
    This is the kind of movie that, in order to puff itself up, quotes Meyer Lansky, Napoleon and Native American sayings. But according to Hoyle — as poker players would say — the film really just does boilerplate Hollywood drama.
  90. Low Down
    Director Jeff Preiss soaks his movie in a brownish retro atmosphere, which helps smooth over the many dull spots, but only briefly. Though his cast is strong even when the movie lags, they often feel like soloists doing their own thing next to each other — always melodic but never truly meshing.
  91. The Last Days on Mars
    On the bright side, Robinson’s unlucky astronauts are played by Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Olivia Williams and Romola Garai. All of these actors approach their potential demise with impressive conviction.
  92. Sleep Dealer
    Haunting ideas and efficient storytelling, but director-cowriter Alex Rivera needed to fine-tune a bit more.
  93. Cirkus Columbia
    Director Danis Tanovic never undersells the anger and tension in the family, yet while the emotional underpinnings feel raw, much of "Cirkus" also winds up spinning 'round to obvious, if uncomfortable, places.
  94. I Am
    Pay close attention to the title of Tom Shadyac's documentary. He will try to convince you his film is about humanity uniting to solve its problems. But somehow, his own ego keeps getting in the way.
  95. The Snowman
    Roll The Snowman to the top of the ever-rising mountain of lousy movies with good trailers.
  96. Bringing Up Bobby
    Janssen's affectionate, almost-1970s-style view of innocents-at-large may not be polished, but earns points for being from the heart.
  97. Remember the Daze
    The original title of Jess Manafort's directorial debut was "The Beautiful Ordinary," and she shouldn't have changed it. After all, her cast is beautiful and her movie is ordinary.
  98. The Square
    Digs up familiar ground without adding any fresh dirt.
  99. American Ultra
    This stoners-meet-government-assassins mashup is as meandering and paranoid as a guy toking up in front of City Hall. Sometimes that’s amusing, but most of the time it’s tiring.
  100. On the Ice
    If "Ice" never really solidifies, it's nonetheless the work of a filmmaker whose seriousness is worth watching out for.
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