Gives just enough to forgive any of its initial flaws and eventually grows on you.

A nitwit script, full of pedestrian dialogue and building to a laughable climax, dooms the picture.

Among the film's highlights are an interview with Grand Wizard Theodore, who is generally uncontested in his claim to have invented the idea of scratching vinyl.

Washington can't save a picture that spends so much time worrying about a heart that it loses its head.

Until it goes off the rails in its final 10 or 15 minutes, Wendigo, Larry Fessenden's spooky new thriller, is a refreshingly smart and newfangled variation on several themes derived from far less sophisticated and knowing horror films.

Has two other notable things going for it: the brilliant Christopher Walken and a soundtrack packed with songs by the drippy power ballad band Bad Company.

A movie of such rank stupidity and appalling taste.

A disappointing venture. If only it had been more clever, perhaps darker.

Utterly thrilling and enthralling, a commercial film that paces itself wonderfully, never allowing the action or romance to outweigh its story and characters. For mainstream adventure fare, that's quite an accomplishment.

Despite moments of atmospheric tension and a core of compelling mystery, the film feels remote, cold and, oddly, obvious.

It's a yawn for the most part, depending on dull characters and uninvolving twists.

Scott superbly re-creates the sense of individuals facing astounding odds, with barely a few minutes' respite over a 12-hour battle.

An old-fashioned romantic adventure film strongly acted, ably directed and written with stolid sobriety, the film feels, save for a few moments of verbal or physical intensity, as if it could have been made 60 years ago with Ingrid Bergman in the lead.

This isn't an ordinary film built on a remarkable performance; it's a poor one with a gem at its core. Penn can elevate it to mediocrity, but he cannot make it fly.

It's a film in which complex issues are boiled down to human essences, not so much simplified as dramatized in the very best way.

For all Smith's dedication and Mann's abilities, Ali remains a figure too big for even the big screen to contain.

Stays engaging, chiefly, through the textured, ambiguous performances of Spacey, Moore and Dench.

America's favorite romantic comedian is miscast in Kate & Leopold -- a disappointment with the warm and charming Jackman around.

Crowe understands what's interesting about Nash: He's not a feel-good figure. It's a pity the same can't be said for Howard.

It may not be a great movie, but the acting in it is amazing.

The story is ingeniously intricate but never gimmicky or implausible. As it develops, the suspense grows about what direction the story could possibly take next.

The director manages to maintain a steady streak of grim humor. Extreme repression can be bleakly funny in its idiocy, when viewed from a distance.

Lost in this beguiling labyrinth, Vanilla Sky is more fascinating as a bit of evidence than as a movie -- and ultimately less pleasing than most audiences will want.

May be the most boring film about forbidden love ever made. Unspectacularly shot on video, terribly scripted, with zombie-like acting that borders on the absurd.

The film is filled with fascinating, static set-ups, beautiful but never fussy or artificial.

Almost more valuable as a piece of foreign policy than as the highly accomplished work of cinema it is.

It's not deep for a second -- indeed, it repels depth deliberately as if allergic to it -- but it's as swell a swell time as grown-ups could want at the movies.

Intriguingly puts two distinct, strong women together as if to pose the question, just what is a strong woman? By the film's end, that question is tough to answer.

Although at times ridiculous, Behind Enemy Lines nevertheless thrills, inspires.

Demanding, harrowing and very, very real. You won't shake its impact easily.

Though the acting in "Sidewalks" is uniformly fine, particularly among the female cast, it's hard to glimpse any meaningful vision, sly insights or cinematic flair.

There's more to this movie. Like Pitt at his best, it's pretty, gritty, engrossing and fun.

It's fitting that Black Knight, the new time-travel movie with Martin Lawrence, should arrive at the start of the Christmas season, because the season gives us the perfect word to describe it: humbug.

Among the things made vividly clear here is that Jeremy cannot act.

The film is weighed down by the decision of director David Atkins to throw too much into the mix. The result is a serious problem of consistency.

In their hands [Terry Gilliam or Tim Burton or even Steven Spielberg], Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone might have made as terrific a movie as it is a book. When Columbus got the job, however, it was guaranteed only to be a commercial success.

Unafraid of walking the fine line between the repellent and the human, Shallow Hal is wickedly funny but heartfelt.

It's a good movie, mind you, with great bits in it, but it still falls short of rapture.

A big-hearted French movie that shines with wit, beauty, humor, sunshine and the love of love.

The best thing about the film is the acting of the guys.

Few movies feel quite so perfunctory or needless or pointless as this one.

It's an entirely conceived work of art, dark and hopeless and maybe even callous, but glittering and wonderful in its determination and in its craft.

Just pass on K-PAX.

'N Sync is bouncy, harmless fun. And so is this stupid movie.

Fortunately, Winkler has a good cast.

The film seems to resonate even for people who aren't Jewish or gay, as there are so many people touched by homosexuality and religion.

A tug-of-war between a bracing vision of a truly infernal crime spree -- complete with engaging whodunit storytelling -- and a sometimes clumsy period drama.

Miscast, clumsily staged and ideologically wobbly.

It's Zahn who truly conveys what Marshall and Barrymore are going for -- laughing through your tears.

Not only does this film make you think, it makes you want to think. Few films -- few works of art of any stripe -- can claim that.

The picture's strength is comedy -- but the love and crime stories too often drag, falter or just plain frustrate.

Corky Romano is merely grating. Until he finds a better director than Rob Pritts, Kattan's best bet is to stick with "SNL" impresario Lorne Michaels.

If you've never seen any anime, set your sights on fun and leave your hard nose for drama and fine dialogue at home.

Lacks the poetic and romantic resonance of "Crouching Tiger," but it's got kicks aplenty -- of both the physical and the sensational kind -- and it lands them again and again.

It's surreal, erotic, creepy, frustrating, absorbing, transporting and torturous in the way only a Lynch film can be.

Intelligent teens will hate this film, and adults will just be embarrassed.

The picture is pinched and predictable. Even with the immensely talented Steve Zahn, an actor who's known to steal scenes and, sometimes, save pictures, the movie is a yawn.

It's a little depressing to see such a thrilling talent deployed in such an ordinary and sordid movie. Training Day isn't awful, but it's absolutely nothing special.

Tasty, but, finally, a little unfulfilling.

A vibrant, multicharacter film that entertains, disorients and enlightens.

Maybe if the story weren't so ludicrous we'd care. Or maybe if the film just went overboard with its ludicrousness, we'd be entertained, but Don't Say a Word is merely boring.

Works like a funnier "Austin Powers" -- you laugh just enough to want to see the whole thing again.

The mix of psychic thriller and childhood memory movies is smooth, maybe too smooth. Neither becomes truly gripping, despite fine acting by Hopkins, Yelchin and Boorem.

Exciting, gory, funny and, like much of anime, a bit cheesy.

It's almost numbingly sad, but you won't regret watching -- and you'll surely never forget it.

Takes a fabulous idea and overplays it, making an average picture out of some truly extraordinary material.

Pleasant and light and builds nicely within its own self-circumscribed intent.

Blends its seemingly disparate elements into a coherent film that's entertaining, funny, sad and even a bit uplifting and inspirational.

An endearing romantic comedy that pokes fun at the ridiculous things people do for love.

Appallingly flat.

Somewhere along the way, Stephen Herek's Rock Star decided to become a dippy, cliche-ridden drama and, worse, an odd indictment of metal music. Joy.

An achievement of accomplished filmmaking and superb acting, L.I.E. puts you in the tough spot of unraveling how you feel about what you've viewed.

Balancing homage with creativity, the picture is tight, stylishly filmed, clever and, importantly, scary.

It's not confusing, it's just slow. Very slow. Glacial.

All guts, no glory and, worse, bad story.

The best-looking, best-scripted and funniest of Smith's pictures, it's also Smith's sharpest.

Apparently, you can lead a Prinze to a movie, but you can't make him act.

This is a semi-mean-spirited movie; had it remained that way, it could have redeemed itself.

This one is for Woody fans, and maybe Woody fans only.

No crime against the moviemaker's art, but it is flawed in a way we wouldn't expect from the director of "Shakespeare in Love."

Rat Race isn't a stupid movie -- it's an aggressively stupid movie that journeys into realms of absurdity that are, well, aggressively funny.

It's still trite and a little too cutesy for its own good. Gay or straight, the cliches remain, but not to a stultifying degree.

Two-thirds of the way through, it falls apart into TV-movie-of-the-week land, even with the rhapsodic Nastassja Kinski in the lead.

Its ambiguity allows us the chance to provide our own satirical edge to the film.

It's such a delightful, amusing fairy tale that it leaves you wanting more.

No matter how many times you've seen it, you marvel at how terrifying, gorgeous and surreal the jungle, the yellow napalm and, finally, the disturbed face of Martin Sheen lying under a swirling fan appear on the large screen. This is indeed, a dream.

Good, but, sadly, not good enough. Well-acted, beautifully shot and splendidly costumed, it's superior to the original in its looks, but not as potent or meaningful in its story line.

Not a masterpiece, but still fabulous.

Takes the typical detective-hunting-a-serial-killer story and twists it into a creepy, enigmatic bit of psychological terror that by its final ambiguous scene leaves you truly chilled.

A very depressing movie.

For those under the impression that Icelandic life consists solely of fishing and the hosting of international summits, this triangle of love, lust, and misunderstanding from director Baltasar Kormakur is a welcome treat.

Surprise! Crystal has given himself most of the best lines, though he also allows a Doberman to have its way with him.

Builds into a moment of such gorgeous rocking that you truly lose yourself in some musical otherworld you never dreamed you'd reach in current films.

Maybe if you're younger than 10 you'll be scared or thrilled by this film. Otherwise, be prepared for one of the most unexciting pictures this summer.

Although amateurish, often poorly acted and containing dialogue and narration that comes off as pretentious and embarrassing, it's worth watching for the environment it envelops you in.

A snappy little heist movie with acting performances both deft and brilliant

Alas, the movie just isn't bouncy, fresh or funny enough. It's just not blonde enough.

Final Fantasy doesn't pop.