On those rare occasions when RV stumbles across a comedic moment that is legitimately funny, it drains the humor out of it by milking it dry.

The stunning Lisa Ray, a Bollywood exile, makes one of the most beautiful widows ever to grace the screen. Vidula Javalgekar gives a memorable turn as the infirm "Auntie." But the real find is Sarala, a Sri Lankan girl who memorized dialogue in a language she does not understand and delivers it with conviction.

Lady Vengeance contains violence (some extreme), but it is not an action film. It is deliberately paced, allowing the audience to have time to reflect upon what's happening. And the comedy is of the gallows variety.

Features minimal dialogue. It is mostly about mood and images, and it moves at a glacial pace.

This movie seems better suited as cable or video fare than for theatrical viewing.

Director Clark Johnson and screenwriter George Nolfi (adapting the novel by Gerald Petievich) do an excellent job of setting things up and getting the story underway. Unfortunately, some of their hard work is undone during the movie's final third.

It packs in a few scary moments and offers a nicely ambiguous conclusion. In Silent Hill, atmosphere trumps storyline.

To go with the good, there's plenty of bad, and it comes in the form of countless gags that misfire, far too much flatulence and urine, and (God help us) a buck naked Leslie Nielsen. Admittedly, that scene certainly puts the "scary" in Scary Movie 4.

These are two fascinating characters, and watching them thrust and parry proves to be as impossible to turn away from as observing a grotesque roadside accident.

The film takes a little time to explore the political landscape of the time, and features an Oscar-worthy lead performance.

Kekexili is about how human beings, when passionate about something, can put everything, including their lives, at risk for a cause.

So what keeps the movie from being boring? Nathalie... is like lewd Eric Rohmer - that is to say that what the characters have to say is INTERESTING.

Some of what occurs in Lucky Number Slevin is done with a wink and a nod, although McGuinan (á là Tarantino) doesn't skimp on the gore.

One of the year's most uninspired inspirational stories.

This film is unable to involve, entertain, or titillate. Basically, it stinks.

Robinson has assembled an impressive young cast comprised primarily of rappers (such as Tip Harris, a.k.a. T.I.) and fresh faces (newcomer Lauren London).

This is a lackluster film that exists exclusively because its predecessor made money.

Let's get this straight from the start: Slither isn't great art, but that doesn't mean it isn't good entertainment.

A workmanlike thriller that provides solid performances; a mixture of comedy, tension, and drama; and an engaging storyline. But there's nothing extraordinary about the movie.

Despite being saddled with bad prosthetics and a ridiculous wig, Diesel displays more acting ability than in the testosterone-soaked genre where he has carved out a niche.

Neither smart enough nor funny enough to have cross-over appeal to any other demographic.

V for Vendetta represents 2006's first memorable motion picture - a visually sumptuous concoction that combines political allegory, bloody action, and a few stunning cinematic moments into a solid piece of entertainment.

Despite its many strengths, Thank You for Smoking hovers around mediocrity, and its lasting impression is like a puff of smoke that is dissipated by a strong gust of wind.

Failure to Launch fails at more than just launching. It fails at romance and comedy.

The Hills Have Eyes gets points for gore and general creepiness, and for occasional periods of tension, but it's not scary enough to linger long in the subconscious.

At a time when juvenile movies often dominate theaters, this is an adult movie through-and-through, and evidence that there are filmmakers who care about entertaining a more mature audience.

It's a cobbled together mess of clichés that fails to surprise at any of its turns.

Won't win points for originality, but the screenplay includes some snappy dialogue, smart observations, and an uplifting message about the importance of friendship.

This is another one of those pointless action superhero movies that unfolds like a video game in which the viewer is unable to participate.

It makes for a fascinating exploration of the human experience.

When a director can take a reprehensible monster and, over the course of a scant 90 minutes, turn audience reaction from distaste to sympathy, that's the mark of an adept filmmaker. This occurs in Tsotsi.

If you like kinetic movies about crime, criminals, and all sorts of bad behavior, Running Scared will catch and hold your attention.

There's enough drama here to fill two hours. Whether or not that happens, Rupert Murray's account represents fascinating viewing, and the richness of the subject matter more than makes up for the crudeness of some of the visual elements.

Strong acting is one of the film's hallmarks. It has been a while since Samuel L. Jackson has given a performance with this much intensity.

The film has the twin virtues of being bold and dizzying...The greatest disappointment with Night Watch is that, at a critical juncture, it fizzles.

A classic example of a pedestrian motion picture being lifted out of mediocrity by an arresting lead performance. Zooey Deschanel doesn't just elevate Winter Passing; she carries it.

The movie is ultimately more interesting in satire than the presentation of a legitimate alternate timeline. This doesn’t invalidate C.S.A.’s approach but it limits its effectiveness as a sort of Twilight Zone look at the last 150 years.

With each new outing, the Final Destination movies are getting better.

A thriller with enough of the right ingredients to provide a couple hours of escapism.

The Pink Panther is supposed to use humor to uplift. Instead, I departed this movie feeling depressed.

The movie succeeds because screenwriter Howard Himelstein keeps Wilde's best lines intact and the actors speak the words with practiced confidence.

The movie ends with a bizarre and unsatisfying denouement. The epilogue, which is designed either to set up a sequel or lampoon "Halloween 2," plays like a sour last note. I suppose someone thought it was clever, but it doesn't work.

The film is not riotous, but it is sporadically amusing.

In movies this deliberately paced, the line between fascination and boredom is a fine one, easily crossed. Fortunately, Bubble stays on the right side of that line.

This isn't as much a movie as it is a recipe for a cinematic casserole in which the ingredients are clichés and rip-offs.

An excellent movie… if you're a seven-year old girl. That's less a negative evaluation than it is a statement of fact. This isn't a "family film;" it's a "children's film."

Imagine Me & You isn't unpleasant, but it is unremarkable. If nothing else, it proves that gay romances can be just as uninspired as their heterosexual counterparts.

Plagued by moralizing so strident and a style so artificial that the story never has a chance to speak to an audience.

The tone is lighthearted and the performances are effective but, in the end, the feature is so inconsequential as to leave no lasting impression.

Strange that a movie about comedy is so lacking in this quality.

Designed with Underworld fans in mind. Others need not apply.

Glory Road's strength is the way in which it blends social awareness into the sports genre.

There's something beautiful about a well-made tragic love story. It may not be as uplifting as one with a happy ending, but it's more cathartic.

A thrill-less thriller that uses gore to obfuscate its inability to generate tension, this motion picture has the profile one might expect from a direct-to-video release.

This is one of those movies where you stay rooted in your seat just to see how bad it can really get.

The over-the-top acting is forgivable, but the plot's incoherence is not.

Not only could one argue that this is the best "serious" work the director has ever attempted, but it's presented in a way that even the most seasoned Allen fan will have difficulty recognizing the iconic filmmaker's fingerprints.

What happens when movie producers cross "Three's Company" with "Masterpiece Theater?" The result would be similar to what Touchstone Pictures has provided with Casanova, a farcical romantic comedy period piece.

An unfocused mess, with poor chemistry all around and an ending that's as firm and satisfying as an overcooked noodle.

The New World is beautiful and lyrical and, except for the ill-advised voiceovers, a treat for more than one of the senses.

There's nothing edgy or groundbreaking about The Matador, but it's funny, touching, and ultimately endearing.

A film of uncommon depth, intelligence, and sensitivity.

While Caché offers food for thought, the last third is muddled.

Much of the film's comedy feels muted; Fun with Dick and Jane isn't a lot of fun.

This is the best adult holiday film in a while.

The Producers is a movie based on a play based on a movie about a play. And that's probably the funniest thing about it.

When compared to today's visual standards for animated films, Hoodwinked is far below the curve.

The best of the trio of human performers is Naomi Watts. She also has the most difficult job - not only is the role physical, but it requires her to play off something that isn't there.

There's no doubting that Memoirs of a Geisha is a lush motion picture, and it has much to recommend it, but this will not go down as one of the great screen romances of the 2000s.

Isn't for everyone, but for those who are not bothered by the homosexual relationship, it offers a study in yearning, love, and loss. It didn't affect me as deeply as either "The Bridges of Madison County" or "The Remains of the Day," but it evokes some of the same feelings.

It offers a feel-good experience, but without the heavy dose of schmaltz that often accompanies such a production.

On balance, more of the movie works than doesn't, but this isn't 140 minutes of unqualified successes.

Does what it sets out to do: educates about a mostly unknown historical figure (without doctoring the facts too much), entertains, and uplifts.

The ideas underlying Aeon Flux's plot are the film's strength, and the filmmakers deserve some credit for doing more than paying lip service to them.

As much heralded, "edgy" movies go, Transamerica fails to live up to expectations.

This is strictly B-movie fare. It tries to do some of the same things as "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and suffers as a result of the comparison.

There are bad movies and annoying movies, and this one contains elements of both.

Mediocre and recommended only to those who can claim a familiarity with the play.

In today's environment, it's a rare thing to find a movie with interesting characters in dense, intelligent storylines, but that's what Syriana offers. It is one of the best films of 2005.

Imperfect, but magical nonetheless.

This movie has a driving plotline that "Ray" lacked - a love story. To me, that's what elevates this film.

Tedious and predictable, it employs obvious situations and clichés instead of genuine suspense-building elements.

Will work better for younger viewers than older ones. There's not much plot to absorb and there's plenty of action, so this is the kind of spectacle that will appeal to those without long attention spans.

Of Austen's novels, none is more beloved than this one, so it's good to see it once again brought to the screen with the pride which it deserves.

There's no shortage of material on the screen in Bee Season - it's just not assembled in a satisfying manner.

Bogged down by many of the problems that have plagued Disney's recent traditional animated features: anonymous voice work, poor plot structure, and the mistaken belief that the Disney brand will elevate anything to a "must see" level for viewers starved for family friendly fare. If there's a bright side to Chicken Little, it's that kids will love it.

Jarhead is about how the experience of being in the military fundamentally changes an individual. In this case, the focus isn't about the madness of slaughter in the jungle, but the madness of inaction in the desert.

Cursed with two of the least interesting bad guys in recent memory. While McGivens and Armand are unquestionably villainous, there's nothing about them to cause audiences to hiss. They're boring.

This may sound like Woody Allen - in fact, it often feels like Woody Allen (minus the expected helpings of angst) - but it's not. Prime is from writer/director Ben Younger and, while it's not up to the level of Allen's great romantic comedies ("Annie Hall," "Manhattan"), it's better than anything the acclaimed New York auteur has brought to the screen in recent years.

Reaction to The Weather Man may depend upon an individual's ability to tolerate spending 100 minutes in the company of an unpleasant protagonist. There's no doubt this can be an uncomfortable experience, but it can also be rewarding for those who are willing to endure the discomfort.

The film offers food for thought, and reminds us that, in any war, one who understands the mindset of his opponent gains an important tactical advantage.

A dreadful, hackneyed piece of cinema.

Dreamer is a kids' movie. It offers the simple black-and-whites of innocence, with no grays to add complexity.

This is a smart, adult romance that rarely panders to clichés, and gives up the heady bliss of most such movies in favor of something bittersweet.

Stay is interesting, but it's hard to recommend to anyone but the small cadre of David Lynch devotees who will inhale anything with a whiff of similarity to their favorite auteur's scent.

Robert Downey Jr. is perfect as Harry. He brings the right mix of cynicism, self-doubt, and unpretentiousness.

Yes, the film is interesting, but it doesn't work.

What's sad is that Elizabethtown contains two GREAT sequences.