There are moments of fun and humor, to be sure, but the undercurrent is of a far more serious, "adult" nature. The Lion King is primarily about guilt and redemption.

It's an ingenious premise that first-time director Jan De Bont has turned into a tremendously well-executed motion picture.

Despite its flaws, White is an excellent character study, and the presentation of a twisted love story is compelling.

Renaissance Man is a movie of moments, too many of which are mediocre or unfulfilling.

Using parody as its means, Fear of a Black Hat has a lot to say about the exploitation that surrounds the rap music business. This movie is not tightly-scripted or elegantly produced, but it is (for the most part) highly entertaining. For those who have been waiting for a sequel to Spinal Tap, this may be the best alternative.

The quality of the writing is more than a notch below that of our show. Most of the jokes aren't as witty, and the laughs come less frequently. Maybe it's because so many of the things they do in the movie are lifted directly from the show, but a lot of stuff seems stale.

The comedy is mostly restricted to one-liners, some of which aren't funny. And the action is uninspired, barely tapping the vast potential of an amusement park chase film.

Even Cowgirls is as close to an unwatchable film as there is available at this time in the theaters.

It has great action sequences, more than a splash of legitimately-funny humor, solid performances from engaging actors, and a script that doesn't demand much mental exercise.

Crooklyn comes to the screen with an upbeat tone and a lot of heart. Beneath the surface of this deceptively simple motion picture lurks a keen insight.

The vision of director Alex Proyas lifts this film above its sad history.

For all of its existential posturing, Being Human ends up being a rather shallow motion picture.

Almodovar's central parody is strong enough to save this film from floundering too much or too often. It's daring and nasty, but rarely brilliant.

Dream Lover is a classic example of a movie setting up its viewers. Half the fun lies in recognizing that at the end. Artsy dream interludes and some rather silly dialogue mar the production, but these things fade into near-obscurity in the face of the climax. Dream Lover will never be considered a classic, nor even a particularly memorable example of its genre, but that won't stop those who watch it from enjoying themselves -- even if that means playing into writer/director Nicholas Kazan's hands.

The movie is still a little rough around the edges, featuring its share of scenes that, for one reason or another, don't work, but the overall effect is one of pleasant entertainment.

The problem is, the characters don't grab me, and the story meanders too much.

While the idea sounds fertile, the execution is uneven, and the comedy sporadic at best.

Red Rock West is a roller-coaster ride of a film, designed for those who like their thrillers spiced with the unexpected.

Cronos is more concerned with ideas and atmosphere than people.

The Paper is a crowd pleaser, and, regardless of any viewer's experience (or lack thereof) with the behind-the-scenes wrangling that goes on in newspaper offices, the story is affable and entertaining. While there are no startling revelations, the film's atmosphere contains enough strength of realism that more than one viewer may momentarily think of the goings-on at The Sun as they sit down with their morning cup of coffee and look at the day's headlines.

This is bad melodrama, complete with hammy acting and purple prose, and far too long to be even passingly entertaining. It's soap opera quality, from beginning to sensationalistic end.

Despite a slow start, the movie eventually slips into a congenial flow. Unfortunately, Guarding Tess ends up derailing because of a ill-conceived ending that has something to do with a silly kidnapping subplot.

With its refined wit and glorious vision, The Hudsucker Proxy is certainly deserving of a wide audience.

As a vehicle for examining the conflict between religion and artistic freedom, Sirens is shallow, and scenes concentrating on this issue dampen some of the lighthearted fun. Sometimes, it's better not to try for too much substance with such an earthy basic premise.

The dramatic scenes aren't generally effective, but the comic bits more than make up for most of the deficiencies. Those searching for something that examines a crumbling marriage with greater depth and sensitivity would do better watching Judy Davis in Husbands and Wives.

Possesses the rare ability to make an audience laugh (and laugh hard) and cry, without ever seeming manipulative or going hopelessly over-the-top.

While the story doesn't score points for originality, the themes addressed are important and immediate, and ultimately it's a failure in execution that keeps this film from joining the ranks of a number of recent, memorable pictures chronicling life on the streets and in the ghettos.

There's a good dose of reality in this story, even if the script occasionally becomes too preachy. The end sequences especially could have been toned down.