It's the depiction of the love and sacrifice of a father for a son that makes Life is Beautiful worthwhile.

Not only is Pleasantville a satire, a fantasy, and a visual marvel, but it's the best kind of feel-good movie.

Perhaps the most disappointing thing about Apt Pupil is the lack of sustained tension generated by director Bryan Singer.

Best of all, it proves that there are still directors cut from the John Waters mold who aren't content just to push the envelope -- they rip right through it.

Because of the dominance of the central figure and the way in which The Cruise has been assembled, it functions more as a character study than a travelogue, and that makes for an engaging time in a darkened theater.

While much of the archival footage presented in The Last Days is new, the substance is familiar. These are the kinds of images that no Holocaust film can ignore, because they drive home the horror of what transpired five decades ago, half a world away.

Where Happiness shines, however, is in the series of extraordinary performances given by the members of the diverse ensemble cast. Leading the group is Dylan Baker, whose turn as Bill is astounding.

Beloved is for those who want substance from a movie, and don't mind facing uncomfortable truths in the process.

Unfortunately, like far too many films, this one gives up the ghost during the last fifteen minutes, saddling an otherwise-enjoyable film with a dumb ending.

It's openly silly and, by almost every traditional critical standard, it falls a little short of the mark. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Bride of Chucky enough to place it on my ever-growing list of "guilty pleasures," and I recommend it to those who enjoy horror films (although probably not to anyone else). The movie laughs at itself, and I laughed along with it.

The result is a poorly-focused motion picture characterized by limp satire and capped off by a final fifteen minutes that could send half of the audience into sugar shock.

he Celebration rips apart the placid facade of a familiar subject, leaving its audience stunned. As difficult as the film can at times be, the patient viewer will be rewarded.

The real reason to see Slam, however, isn't as much for the story as it is for the energy and tone. The moments when Slam soars makes the rest of it palatable.

Visually, it's more impressive than Disney's “Toy Story.”

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that is so boring and pointless, that those faithful movie-goers who never walk out on a film have to find some alternative to watching the mind- numbing stupidity unfolding on the screen.

What Dreams May Come has the sensibilities of an art film placed into a big-budget feature with an A-list cast.

The final half-hour contains enough contrivances and holes to challenge even the most generous movie-goer's suspension of disbelief.

Ronin manages to remain focused on the plot and the characters, even while staging increasingly complicated pyrotechnic set pieces and offering its share of white-knuckle moments.

With each death, the film becomes less interesting. By the end, it's just a routine slasher flick with a too-predictable final "twist."

The content is actually pretty bland -- it's not incisive, it's not daring, it's not uproarious, and it's not very good.

With fresh dialogue and a willingness to show his protagonists in a less-than-favorable light, Demme has found a way to make this entry memorable.

A somewhat lackluster cop buddy movie that goes wrong in two big ways: (1) it fails to utilize Chan's full range of skills, relegating him to the role of a kickboxing action hero and virtually ignoring his comedic aptitude, and (2) it saddles him with a partner, played by the irritating Chris Tucker.

Although the plot rarely excels, the actors bring enough to their roles to transform this motion picture into a satisfying weeper.

Not only was I touched by the characters and engrossed by their story during the 120 minutes they were on screen, but I could have easily spent another hour or two with them.

Although the storyline is predictable, the intelligent dialogue and top-drawer acting more than make up for the possible deficiency.

It's an excursion into a melodramatic morass that occasionally becomes difficult to sit through because it's so cloying.

An effective character study of a figure who has attained an almost-mythical status among track-and-field followers.

It's amazing how boring an action movie can be when there's absolutely no point to all of the sound and fury.