Overall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is a harrowing and substantial set-up to what promises to be a climactic final chapter in one of the most popular and successful move franchises of all time.

It's the kind of smart, stylish, entertaining and grown-up movie that the studios are making less and less of these days.

It does deserve points for casting and some clever humor, but falls short of the classic high school movie canon.

One suspects the truth will only be revealed if or when Phoenix starts acting again. Certainly on this evidence, he's no great shakes at hip-hop.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, most intriguingly, nails what makes video games so much fun.

As Jolie's closest professional confidant, Liev Schreiber is his usual excellent, formidable self.

Inception is one of the best sci-fi movies of the new century, a mind-bender about dreams as public spaces.

The credits may be silly, but the last scene is a definite tear-jerker.

The actors in The A-Team are all excellent, and they save a movie that routinely defies logic and physics Liam Neeson brings credibility and gravitas to any role he plays, but as "Hannibal" Smith, he swaggers like a paternal Han Solo.

The flick is driven not by special effects or outrageously gory acts of violence, but by its characters. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley reinvent the crazy scientists playing God, turning in performances that are charming one minute, petulant the next, and ultimately, compellingly hubristic.

If "Sarah Marshall" spawned Aldous Snow, maybe there's room for a Sergio Roma vehicle?

MacGruber is crude. It’s obscene. The dialogue is puerile and the jokes adolescent. And for the most part, it's hilarious: a bawdy riot drunk on impropriety, which is why the movie works.

Like the original, Iron Man 2 is a good time from start to finish.

Irresponsible, morally murky, and batshit insane--in other words, Kick-Ass might be the most fun two hours you’ll spend in a movie theater. It delivers the darkly comic laughs (the movie is clearly not taking itself too seriously, so you should do likewise) as well as the jaw-dropping action, but Kick-Ass’s real accomplishment is bringing back the winkingly crazy Nic Cage we used to know and love.

Why John Cusack stopped doing this kind of movie remains one of the late-20th century’s great mysteries. Teaming him with contemporary comic vanguards Corrdry and Robinson is equal parts welcome and unexpected as the three relive the social, sexual, and Soviet fears of the era.

It's at times implausible and heavy-handed, but thrillers need villains and it's not like the Ba'ath Party had an exclusive license on 'em.

Isn’t like a lot of modern horror movies. It’s not about torture, or dead children, or weepy vampires with great hair. It’s an attempt to reinvent the monster movie, which we're all about. It’s too bad it couldn’t have been contemporized. Period movies can so easily become parodies of portentousness, and that’s what happens with this one.

Apart from feeling misled by the trailers, it's a decent, middle-of-the-road adult thriller that competently goes through the paces.

It's a captivating story presented with a fresh and artistic spirit, putting a human face on the man behind the theories.

A slick, bloody, fast-paced, and ultimately enjoyable B-movie.

Hey, remember “fun”? If you’re sick of the apocalypse and tortured anti-heroes, then you need to see Sherlock Holmes. It’s a blast from start to finish.

This is, simply put, one of the most beautiful movies you’ll ever see.

A smart, brisk, but extremely thoughtful hybrid of star-vehicle and resonant depiction of right-now America.

This might just be a tad too grueling and bleak for everyone’s liking, but it’s a Road that’s definitely well worth traveling.

A lightweight but sincere coming-of-age story.

An often highly amusing comedy in the vein of "Catch 22" and "Dr Strangelove," this lively satire looks destined for future cult status. Great soundtrack, too.

With the global economic meltdown affecting just about everybody, the film is pertinent, hugely entertaining, and, above all, timely.

A comic tour de force from Damon, who gained 30lbs and sports an unflattering moustache as the dishonest and delusional Whitacre. But it’s a performance that never loses sight of the man behind the lies.

There are some very funny parts but this isn’t a typical sports comedy.

A great-looking and smart film. It has enough action, wonder, depth, and action to keep any fan of the genre happy. The sociological undertones here are fascinating as well.

This movie’s sole purpose is to make teenage boys high-five each other, and it’s faithfulness to that concept makes the cartoon carnage almost endearing.

The drama aspect is necessary to the story, but it just drags on too long.

Much like the actual summer (the season, not the character), we never wanted it to end.

This is better than your average bio-pic. The dynamic established between the motivation of Bale’s and Depp’s characters is really what makes this film. Kudos also go out to Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd.

It is unapologetic about delivering what it promises. Bigger battles. Massive explosions. Megan Fox looking hot.

This is a movie where you WANT to stick around for the credits. The beauty is that you are totally set up for it, and you don't mind one bit. That final sequence ties the movie together in an awesome fashion.

Each character has their own story, and Pixar never sacrifices their development just for a happy ending.

Fear not those who worried about Raimi after the last "Spiderman" debacle. There is no musical number here. The tongue is planted firmly in-cheek. The spirit of "Evil Dead" lives on.

Despite some laughably silly plot elements, McG has created an overall entertaining movie experience. It's a great kick-off to the summer explosion season.

There are so many facts presented that many of them feel forced and trivial. We were also a little disappointed with the twist ending.

Weisz infuses comic complexity into the ensemble, which is at times genuinely funny.

We were also glad to see they didn't ignore the humorous elements that made the original so great. Plus, the casting is spot on.

Fighting is a fun, frank and faithful homage to simple inner-city drama.

The Soloist is based upon a true story, so it lacks some of the clichés that you might find in other made-up tales.

This is a smart script. There is a wealth of twists, but none of them have to beat you over the head.

In the scenes where Efron isn't on screen, things tend to get boring. Plus, we could've lived without having watched so many scenes where Zac is showing off his basketball skills.

You won't be seeing any stretch Hummers, wild late night parties and 75,000 seat arena shows in this documentary, but that's what makes this so good.

If you are a big fan of country music, you will enjoy it for the Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus and of course, Miley Cyrus performances.

The random and unpredictable nature makes it an extremely interesting film to watch.

It sticks to what the series does best, mixing souped-up cars with corny jokes.

On the surface, this might look like a typical teen movie, but Adventureland’s talented cast perfectly portrays the self-loathing and strong-minded characters in that transient post-college stage of life.

This is a pleasure to watch for everyone.

This movie was absolutely hilarious, and proved that dating might be easy, but making friends is much harder.

Even the great cast didn’t make following the convoluted plot any easier. And all that jumping around makes the film feel a lot longer than it is.

You might not bust a gut laughing, but Malkovich’s performance alone is worth the 90-minutes required to watch it.

The storyline was actually believable, surrounding a family willing to do anything to save one another. A horror film turned feel-good.

This is definitely one to make you feel good all over.

The whole thing works, especially for the non-comic audience. Plus, the music is perfect, especially the opening montage set to Bob Dylan's, "The Times They Are a-Changin."

It’s surprisingly funny for another weak "American Pie" rip-off; Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen make a hilarious pair; If you're under the age of 25 you’ll like it.

The dynamic between Leonard and his lovers is uncomfortable and not in the good way like Ricky Gervais's dancing.

We actually had the urge to dodge the sea snakes swimming right at us.

The story is creepy fun and 100-percent different than whatever other crap is flooding the February market.

Ginnifer Goodwin gives a standout performance--and that’s saying a lot considering the large cast--as the insecure, neurotic female looking for love.

If you liked the first then you are going to like this one as Clouseau is offensive and outrageous, which is a perfect fit for one of the "Wild and Crazy Guys."

As unrealistic as the talking mannequins, but we’re pleasantly surprised by how good this movie makes us feel.

The beginning is a little slow, but after Neeson starts his hunt and does his best wrath-of-God impression, it doesn’t skip a beat.

This is a fun midnight movie. Horror fans, get your friends together and go see some gore and some naked chicks in three dimensions.

Angela Bassett is great as his strict, single mother; The soundtrack is great, of course, and the ending features moving archival footage of the streets of Brooklyn after Wallace's murder.

Sometimes the only funny stuff is in the trailers, but not so here. Kristen Johnson was especially adept at stealing some scenes.

The perfect antidote to the post-holiday blues. It's exciting, well-acted, touching, and genuine.

Revolutionary Road isn't emotionally engaging or moving; it's awfully similar in theme to Winslet's 2006 movie "Little Children."

Naturally, Pitt and Blanchett are outstanding. Fincher's meticulous attention to detail is unerring, down to the light fixtures.

Russell Brand is absurd, funny and wonderfully out of place in a family movie.

Owen Wilson manages to break his customary comic relief persona and is adept at playing a little "Father Knows Best"; the yellow lab does a good job too.

Marketed as a combination of a popcorn-munching actioner, but that's somewhat misleading -- it's also a well-researched historical thriller. Unfortunately, it ends up not succeeding as either.

Rourke is getting tons of press and award nominations, but Marisa Tomei kicks ass too. Not only does the one-time Oscar winner look amazing and perform her own pole tricks, but she effectively humanizes what could be just another naked chick in a movie.

Winslet deserves an Oscar for her amazing performance.

A totally mesmerizing battle of the wills between the occasionally charming yet wily Nixon and the increasingly desperate Frost.

Beyond Milk, few of the other characters are given much to do.

Quantum, thanks to a deft blend of exotic escapism and bare-bones modernism, is more than strong enough to be judged on its own. In fact, it's the perfect Bond film.

Masterfully put together.

If you enjoy a cop drama, regardless how packed with trite and worn plot points, Pride and Glory should do the trick.

At turns as neurotic and nebbishy as any Woody Allen flick, as creepy and disorienting as your favorite "Twilight Zone" episode, and as steeped in magical realism as the most moving Márquez novel, Synecdoche may not be the feel-good date movie of the year. But for viewers up for the challenge, it may be the film most likely to stick with you.

One of the pleasures of the film is that the themes don't hit you over the head.

Scott doesn't bring much to the table as an action director, and his keen storytelling abilities go invisible here.

Sally Hawkins offers an Oscar-worthy performance as Poppy, the funny, kind-hearted, and mischievous protagonist.

Though the plot has a few too many holes in it, the sheer fun of RockNRolla makes it easy to overlook such quibbles. Butler will make you forget all about "Sparta."

It's a fantasy of one night in New York City and all its insanity, grossness, romance, and glamour.

The result is an exhilarating narrative.

While the movie will definitely not be to everyone's taste, black-hearted romantics will find Choke easy to swallow.

While the journey is somewhat bumpy and awfully contrived at times, the characters making the trek are ones we don't mind being cooped with for long stretches of highway.

To call Towelhead exploitative is to miss the point. What made Towelhead the novel so extraordinary was the honesty in Jasira's adolescent narrative voice, the genuine way she misguidedly, but honestly, conflates the sexual attention she receives with the parental affection she really needs. With the film, Ball, though he drops the book's first person narration, is faithful to that voice.

A remarkable and disturbing look at the personal stories glossed over by the headlines.

Allen does craft a fairly observant account of human behavior, so that the solemn aspects don't put a damper on the humor, or vice versa.

From Downey Jr.'s purposely racist embodiment of African-American anachronisms to Black's scatological humor, everything in Tropic Thunder qualifies as satire, not spoof. It's an important distinction. Pauline Kael once noted that "unlike satire, spoofing has no serious objectives; it doesn't attack anything that anyone could take seriously; it has no cleansing power."

The aptly-named Crash is played to a tee by West; in fact, his performance was so believable that he's currently on tour with the reformed Germs as the lead singer.

Never achieves greatness, but it has the right people in place to suggest the greatness that might have been.

Like any coming-of-age story, there's enough drama, comedy, and, of course, romance to be entertaining. But moreover, Sisterhood furthers an honest dialogue among young women.