While director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale's epic of criminality and all-consuming conviction ultimately falls a bit short - missing, for instance, a villainous face a la Heath Ledger's Joker - their Batman trilogy ends with a suitably thrilling mix of guts and glory.

The result is the first comic-book movie in a while that actually feels like a classic comic book: fast, furious and flip. Forget about superheroes with love problems and tortured souls.

The perfect haven from the cheap ironies and cruel indifference we all have to field both in life and, far too often, at the movies.

While “Lovelace” falters a bit, it remains a memorable, unflinching indictment.

This brisk but full documentary about students at a Bronx high school taking a class that promotes literacy and poetry slams is, like its subjects, multifaceted, sometimes sad but ultimately inspiring.

It's a transformation as wrenching to watch as it is vital to remember.

Assayas may have been inspired by biographical memories, but “Air” is so sensitively observed that it simultaneously evokes a universal, and eternal, state of adolescence as well.

As dumb as "Mike and Dave" can get, it's a surprisingly fun summer comedy and icing on the (wedding) cake for fans of the raunchiest of humor.

It's not only filled with the usual special-effects eye candy, but smart, fan-focused writing.

This is an extremely watchable and enjoyable film, but its compression of historical events does become a tad silly.

The small moments loom large in this moving, bittersweet and often funny documentary.

In Rob Corddry's hilariously manic turn, it has the most memorable showcase for a goofball co-star since Michael Keaton in 1981's "Night Shift."

What finally sticks in the mind about "ZDT" is its precision. What the film says about getting information from terrorism suspects in an era of high-tech surveillance depends on your point of view. What is unquestionable is how powerful its full scope is.

The best movies are ever-shifting, intelligent and open-hearted enough to expand alongside an audience. American Sniper, Clint Eastwood’s harrowing meditation on war, is built on this foundation of uncommon compassion.

The film peels back the layers of a mystery. Who knew what, and when? And how could someone choose this path? The film is rich with artfully framed interviews of newly discovered family members, like Reuveny’s quarter-Jewish German cousin considering a religious conversion. Even the music and finely observed interiors are so cinematic that you often forget this is a documentary.

The movie is by turns a romance, a chick flick, a coming-of-age film and even a stoner movie. There’s something for everyone, with the possible exception of cretins who don’t appreciate great writing, casting, directing and especially acting.

A singularly full-hearted and moving film.

Both lovely and wrenching, So Yong Kim's intimate drama feels so honest, it's often difficult to watch.

What unfolds is a smart, tense nail-biter that’s bound to leave some clinging to the shoreline this summer.

Angry, quixotic, tragic, heroic — Crimmins’ life is stunning. Catch this portrait and you can definitely call yourself lucky.

There’s social commentary in all of this, but it takes a back seat to a surprisingly compelling narrative of the two combating teams.

Gordon-Levitt is flinty, and Willis, on his A-game, is fiery. Together, they take us on a helluva trip.

Fury excels in showing the ground-level, guttural intensity and claustrophobia of battle.

Though slickly packaged, Robert Kenner's unsparing exposé is harder to watch than any horror film.

DeGeneres and company make Finding Dory memorable.

All the popcorn movies you're planning to see will still be at the multiplex if you wait another week. This shimmering beauty will be gone in a flash. Catch it while you can.

The film is both heartwarming and soul-shattering. Its theme of an unbreakable bond between man and his best friend is reminiscent of "My Dog Skip," "Homeward Bound" and "Old Yeller."

Director Marc Webb's action-adventure is grounded in a recognizable reality, but is also full of thrills. It's dark and mysterious, but doesn't skimp on fun.