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 8.1 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. The Jungle Book 2
    It's a perfectly acceptable short-term baby-sitter. Just make sure the original gets a fair viewing first.
  2. Daredevil
    The film is at its worst, however, when Daredevil takes over. That's partly because Affleck, a handsome fellow with possibly the most inert film presence of any actor since Sonny Tufts, looks ridiculous in Daredevil's red leather pantsuit and horned mask.
  3. He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not
    Perhaps not since Truffaut's "The Story of Adele H" has thwarted love been rendered so compassionately on the screen, its psychology laid bare.
  4. Stone Reader
    The result of Moskowitz's sleuthing is Stone Reader, a combination mystery, book celebration and -- sorry to say -- intrusively annoying self-portrait of the filmmaker.
  5. Kedma
    Has the stilted, slightly surreal feel of a stage piece. Sometimes it works, but too often it doesn't.
  6. Shanghai Knights
    The unlikely cowboys play off each other's strengths like the best doubles team in tennis. The exquisiteness of this match is that Chan and Wilson are both reactive comedy actors.
  7. Deliver Us from Eva
    Union is a brilliant spitfire, though one wishes the script had been run past an English major. But the movie's flaws are smoothed over by a rousing soundtrack, some excellent comic performances and the star-making moves of LL Cool J.
  8. Zus & zo
    Smart, spiky comedy upends every traditional notion of love, sex and family.
  9. May
    Novice director Lucky McKee wrote the first draft of this labored horror flick while he was in school, and for a student film, it's not bad. But it's not ready for the big time.
  10. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
    Some of the scenarios are funny. But they're uniformly overplayed.
  11. The Guru
    The first pleasant surprise of 2003, a cross-cultural romantic comedy that doesn't stint on romance or comedy, and- - when you least expect and most need it- - throws in some jaunty musical numbers of its own.
  12. Lost in La Mancha
    Lost in La Mancha basically catches "Don Quixote" in free fall…It's our loss nonetheless. Gilliam is one of the great film fantasists of our age, and one expects he would have done Cervantes proud.
  13. Biker Boyz
    If you want old-school cool, you go to Laurence Fishburne.
  14. The Recruit
    So much is so good about The Recruit that you'll wish the ending were better. It's like opening the last lid in a Chinese box and having a clown figure pop out on a spring.
  15. Final Destination 2
    The movie doesn't even have novelty on its side, since we're basically watching the original "Final Destination" all over again, minus the smarts and humor.
  16. Chaos
    Despite a brief, unnecessary foray into melodrama -- stands alone as compelling entertainment.
  17. In the Mirror of Maya Deren
    Kudlácek's primary focus, however, is on Deren's work, which means we don't learn enough about her complex, fascinating personality. On the other hand, she's offering a too-rare opportunity to see substantial portions of Deren's seminal films.
  18. Blind Spot. Hitler's Secretary
    At one point, Junge complains that her memories are banal, and they are -- But when sounds of war penetrate the bunker and the end is near, the details become high drama.
    • New York Daily News
  19. Amen.
    Amen is propelled by a most dubious assumption -- Gerstein's belief that if the German people knew of the Holocaust, they'd stop it.
  20. Darkness Falls
    The plot is as riddled with holes as Matilda's victims, making her sudden appearances more distracting than distressing.
  21. En kærlighedshistorie
    Never quite knows where it's going - which is especially frustrating, since it takes such a long and painful path to get there.
  22. A Guy Thing
    The stars have little opportunity to engage their characters. The gang-written screenplay and Chris Koch's artless direction turn their scenes into a series of broad, overplayed comic sketches.
  23. National Security
    It's too bad the film never makes good on its early promise, but clearly, the rolling fireballs and flying bullets are the priority.
  24. Kangaroo Jack
    It's fitting that the kangaroo gives the most lifelike performance.
  25. Divine Intervention
    Suleiman isn't much for words, but when he's ready for action, there's no hiding his anger.
  26. P.S. Your Cat Is Dead!
    Doesn't play on the screen. P.S. Your Cat is Dead is a stage-locked, two-character play on a static set, and though Guttenberg takes it outside for a couple of scenes, it remains that on film.
  27. City of God
    For those who didn't get enough violence from Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York," welcome to City of God.
  28. Crimson Gold
    Another excellent example of how Iranian cinema uses deceptively simple techniques to decode devastating truths about human nature.
  29. WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3
    The full title of this animé import is WXIII (Patlabor the Movie 3), and if you think the name's confusing, you may want to spare yourself the work of figuring out the film itself.
  30. Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
    If you've got the patience, this is still one of the all-time exercises in cinematic cool.
  31. The Son
    Sitting through the film is punishing work. The jittery closeups create a response that is more physical (I'm thinking nausea) than emotional, and there are no respites.
  32. Just Married
    Most of the incidents are harmlessly derivative, but the movie has a mean streak that undermines our empathy for the characters, particularly Tom.
  33. The Slaughter Rule
    What it offers are dozens of intimate moments that feel so true, they achieve a rare kind of grace. This sensitive indie drama was written and directed by brothers - and first-time feature filmmakers.
  34. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
    A perversely enjoyable entry in that new genre, the biopic of the tawdry TV personality.
  35. Love Liza
    It's a great performance that's a horror to watch. Of all the bleak year-end movies, Love Liza is the bleakest; of all the sad characters you've seen lately, Hoffman's Wilson Joel is the saddest. And he goes home with you.
  36. Chicago
    At times, Chicago has the feel of a revue, with the major characters taking turns at their own show-stopping numbers. If it's too much of a good thing, I say, bring it on.
  37. Sonny
    Shows what can happen when a bunch of good actors get together without adult supervision. They emote all over the place, banging into each other, talking too loud, knocking over furniture, wallowing in clichés and otherwise behaving like rank amateurs.
  38. The Pianist
    The power of the arts to transcend cultural differences is presumably what moves the German to spare Szpilman, and, perhaps, is the key to Polanski's salvation as well.
  39. Max
    A serious and thoughtful movie that probably does not mean to trivialize the Holocaust and blame the victim. But it is playing with fire nevertheless.
  40. Nicholas Nickleby
    Given the tragic events that actually happen, "Nickleby" ends not knowing what it was supposed to be. But those first two acts are nearly worth the price of admission.
  41. The Hours
    A meticulous, elaborate stunt, a movie two degrees of separation from its source, and maybe another degree from viewers' hearts.
  42. Catch Me If You Can
    A pleasant romp through the land of Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction.
  43. Pinocchio
    The most bizarre cinematic experience of 2002. So misguided as to be utterly mystifying, this shameless vanity project is almost surreal enough to be entertaining. Almost.
  44. Thorns
    The action periodically stops so the characters -= even the roughest grifters -- can break into song and dance.
  45. Smokers Only
    A jumbled composite of blurred images, poetic yearnings and metaphoric dialogue.
  46. The Wild Thornberrys Movie
    So well intentioned that its flaws may be generously overlooked by parents desperately planning activities for school breaks.
  47. Morvern Callar
    It's a smartly surreal little movie, and again shows why, whenever there's a role that calls for an actress who can speak volumes without much dialogue (as in "Minority Report" and "Sweet and Lowdown"), the call goes out to Morton.
  48. Two Weeks Notice
    Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant are distilled to the very essence of their annoying tics and quirks.
  49. Narc
    What could have been a run-of-the- mill story becomes a superb policier in the hands of writerdirector Joe Carnahan.
  50. Gangs of New York
    The movie turns choppy in the final third, but it is a monumental achievement nonetheless.
  51. Spider
    A cat's cradle of creepy childhood memory oozing unreliably from the mind of an aging, desiccated, paranoid schizophrenic, played quite amazingly by a mumbling, stooped, shifty-eyed Ralph Fiennes.
  52. Antwone Fisher
    A safety-first, tried-and-true inspirational story that stays the course right down to its "It's a Wonderful Life" ending.
  53. 25th Hour
    To say Spike Lee is repeating himself is itself repetitious -- he is getting B-O-R-I-N-G!
  54. Devils on the Doorstep
    Jiang's razor-sharp conclusions are less about the Japanese army or the Chinese government than about simple human nature.
  55. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
    The Two Towers moves faster, covers more ground, has more action and -- with the introduction of the marvelous character Gollum -- packs some much-appreciated laughs.
  56. Pellet
    Could easily serve as an instructional video for repressive regimes who have not yet learned you can get more with honey than with vinegar.
  57. The Guys
    There's an inherent distance between movies and their audiences that -- combined with the distance between 9/11 and today's opening of the film -- The Guys can't bridge.
  58. Maid in Manhattan
    Ralph Fiennes has faced a lot of acting challenges in his career, but playing a New York Republican who could win an endorsement from Susan Sarandon might be the toughest. Mostly, he handles the task by simply smiling warmly throughout, and gets away with it.
  59. The Hot Chick
    If you're in an especially generous mood, you'll give in to a few laughs. By the end, though, you just may find yourself pining for the good old days of Pauly Shore.
  60. Evelyn
    The story is predictable, even bland, but the stellar cast, detailed set design and abundance of good humor elevate it from the typical feel-good movie. It makes for intelligent counterprogramming against some of the season's harder-edged fare.
  61. About Schmidt
    Payne achieves an impressive control over the look and tone, so that, melancholy as the movie is, it comes off as both comedy and comment on the human condition.
  62. The Jimmy Show
    The movie is as unpleasant as its hero, and the film audience gets no more for its money than the customers at the Laughing Stock. Still, watching Whaley take Jimmy down his tortured path has some morbid appeal -- like a train wreck in progress.
  63. Drumline
    Bogged down by a lazy script and underwhelming performances. Fortunately, there's no hiding his jubilant passion for ritual and symmetry, which makes each perfectly choreographed band scene a genuine thrill to watch.
  64. Intact
    First-time feature director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's dark, complex allegory about luck, chance and fate is one of the year's most morbidly fascinating foreign films.
  65. Star Trek: Nemesis
    There comes a time when the future looks old, and that's where "Star Trek" finds itself on the time-space continuum.
  66. Blackboards
    Director Samira Makhmalbaf made this raw and effective parable with the recognizable help of her father, legendary director Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
  67. Empire
    This is clearly the Worst Performance by an Actress in a Death Scene since Sofia Coppola took a bullet for her dad in "The Godfather: Part III."
  68. Analyze That
    With any sitcom, the freshness is ultimately in the writing, and I think the jokes are better here than in Analyze This, and the actors are more comfortable together. I don't know if De Niro is softening or has lost his edge, but he now seems content mocking himself.
  69. Adaptation.
    Streep is perfect, as per usual, but the showy orchid role goes to Cage in an Oscar-worthy tour de force. He pours his body into Charlie's slumped frame of mind and creates a character churning with endearing contradictions -- the unforgettable nebbish.
  70. Equilibrium
    Mostly plays like a routine thriller with a classy cast.
  71. Massoud, the Afghan
    A weak documentary. There's very little here to demonstrate the personality and leadership qualities that made Massoud both a legend and a martyr. Raw, sloppily edited, unfocused and without any sense of scale, it's personal journalism with its heart in the right place, and that's about it.
  72. Russian Ark
    A technical and visual tour-de-force.
  73. Dead or Alive: Final
    Takashi Miike is a master at making love-'em-or-loathe-'em spectacles, but even fans are likely to consider the final film of his Dead or Alive trilogy a minor entry in his oeuvre.
  74. Rabbit-Proof Fence
    Here, Noyce lets his camera, the geography and the youngsters tell this exceptionally powerful story.
  75. Extreme Ops
    There is a fair share of turkeys at the multiplex this week, but none are quite as overcooked as Extreme Ops.
  76. Eight Crazy Nights
    To be fair, Sandler deserves some credit for bringing us the first mainstream movie about Chanukah. Too bad it's completely idioticah.
  77. Solaris
    A darkly brilliant sci-fi movie about emotions so deep, the story could be taking place within the chambers of the heart instead of an arid space station. At the same time, it is a coldly theoretical piece that could leave viewers unengaged.
  78. They
    It starts pushing buttons immediately and never lets up. This proves to be both its strongest asset and, unfortunately, its biggest flaw.
  79. The Emperor's Club
    The ethical issues driving Michael Hoffman's The Emperor's Club almost outweigh the improbable arc of its story, and Kevin Kline's endearing performance as a prep school classics teacher is almost worth the price of admission.
  80. Die Another Day
    As strong on action as it is weak on the interpersonal stuff. If Bond can get a new car for each episode, how about some new pickup lines?
  81. Friday After Next
    The movie's 85 minutes speed merrily along on a steady stream of outrageous antics, entertaining performances from seasoned pros (like John Witherspoon, as Craig's dyspeptic dad), and unforgettable introductions to new talent.
  82. Phantom
    With little dialogue, a murky night setting and the slowest of plots, this Portuguese fantasy only comes alive when it conforms to its true nature as arthouse pornography.
  83. Talk to Her
    This quiet yet jolting meditation on love, obsession, loneliness, friendship and fate has the quality to entrance you through a first viewing, and compel you to take its themes and characters home with you for further consideration.
  84. The Quiet American
    The movie adds nothing to the political dialogue, and the love story is mood-killingly sad. The lure of the exotic can be deceptive, it says. The moody, murky atmosphere leaves nothing clear except that mixed intentions will always yield mixed results.
  85. Personal Velocity: Three Portraits
    The first two stories are so well-drawn you hate to leave them. But Miller's femaleempowerment anthology carries a smart whiff of other literary looks at ordinary, extraordinary women, such as Grace Paley's "Enormous Changes at the Last Minute."
  86. Power and Terror: Noam Chomsky in Our Times
    With Chomsky as its star, this documentary cannot go far wrong, even though filmmaker John Junkerman intersperses Chomsky footage with some really bad Japanese pop music.
  87. Better Housekeeping
    Gives cinema vérité texture to a fictional story of trailer-trash dysfunction (minus the trailer).
  88. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    Chamber is chockablock with action (including a far more exciting game of Quidditch) and crafty special effects.
  89. Interview with the Assassin
    Barry, with a raspy Southern accent, gives a chilling portrait of a man who is absolutely sure he killed JFK. Whether he's a psychopath or a schizophrenic is not satisfactorily answered, but it's a fascinating question nonetheless.
  90. The Way Home
    Life-affirming story of love, kinship and sacrifice.
  91. Hell House
    Scary, all right, but not for the reasons the Dallas church had in mind.
  92. Ararat
    Only two hours long but it may take your mind another day to get through it. Egoyan has stuffed a lot into this personal and strenuously opaque film, which perhaps explains why its over-plotted, elliptical structure seems so onerous.
  93. Half Past Dead
    The martial arts are well represented, the gentler arts -- like, for example, acting -- are not.
  94. Standing in the Shadows of Motown
    Frustratingly, though, and not a little ironically, Justman chooses to focus on the new stars when they sing, rather than on the Funk Brothers playing in the background. Just as curiously, he paints a remarkably rosy picture of the old days, overlooking the racism and exploitation the Brothers surely experienced.
  95. The Crime of Padre Amaro
    Father Amaro comes off as another pedophile in a frock. You'd have to hose this guy down if he were driving a school bus.
  96. Revolution #9
    McCann's point of view overwhelms the human elements of his story, but this is, nonetheless, a riveting piece of filmmaking.
  97. Leela
    So far beyond Bollywood, I think it's set in the suburbs of L.A.
  98. The Rising Place
    As earnest as its artless young characters, Tom Rice's intermittently affecting debut walks a well-trod path without finding anything very new.
  99. 'R Xmas
    Despite the intriguing potential, the end result is a queasy stalemate.
  100. Dieu est grand, je suis toute petite
    The far too whimsical God Is Great, I'm Not leans heavily on the charms of Audrey Tautou -- As adorable as Tautou is, miracles are beyond her.
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