It's not as clever as it thinks it is, not as funny or exciting as it should be, and not as engaging as it needs to be to prevent kids from losing interest and parents from falling asleep.

Delivers its share of cheap scares but never unlocks the door to the creepiness that would have made this is memorable movie-going experience.

The rousing success of the final 45 minutes cannot entirely counterbalance the stumbling uncertainty of the first 90 minutes.

Actually three movies in one: a wildlife film about how grizzly bears behave in their natural habitat, a character study of an eccentric environmentalist, and a chilling, voyeuristic narrative of how death stalks that man.

Pretty Persuasion reminds me of a half-hour TV series that has a great pilot episode, then falls apart in subsequent installments. Movies need to grow and change to keep things interesting; this one is stagnant.

Straight viewing could result in brain damage.

In the wasteland of August releases, this entry shines like a beacon lighting the way to a theater.

Functions as much as a primer on how to conduct underground filmmaking as it does an offbeat romantic comedy.

There is sadness and humor here, but all understated.

Bland and forgettable - a romantic comedy with affable characters and some funny lines, but where love never really takes flight. It fizzles when it should sizzle.

From a pure entertainment perspective, it is arguably the most enjoyable motion picture of the season. Sky High is funny, smart, energetic, subversive, and has a few substantive things to say.

Plastic characters, chaotic camerawork, lots of things blowing up, and an incredibly dumb screenplay. In short, it represents a great time at the movies for anyone who has recently undergone a frontal lobotomy.

It celebrates art, hope, and dreams, and you don't have to like hip-hop to appreciate the message or the way in which it is delivered.

There's enough fun to be had that it's almost possible to ignore the stupidity of the story and the cavity that replaces character development.

Linklater has crafted an entertaining motion picture.

This is a vile and reprehensible motion picture.

Lovers of Dahl's book will almost certainly appreciate what Burton has wrought.

After a promising beginning, this movie crashes and burns.

Some of the characters are interesting, but their situations are not.

This picture doesn't have deep enough currents to succeed as a psychological thriller and, as a ghost story, there are times when it has trouble treading water.

Frustrating because it doesn't seem far removed from a wholly enjoyable motion picture, but the tempo's off, beats are missed, and the production ends up sounding out-of-tune.

The emotional resonance that results from the focus on several unique individuals is what makes this a worthwhile viewing experience.

War of the Worlds is not vintage Spielberg, and it's on the grim side for a summer action blockbuster, but it's worth the time and money invested.

The motion picture version of Bewitched is a travesty of monumental proportions that belongs in the "What the hell were they thinking?" category.

It's not startling or frightening enough.

Does what all good National Geographic documentaries do: it informs and entertains while providing interesting wildlife footage. Unfortunately, it's not cinematic.

The movie is pleasant but unspectacular, and at times it borders on being too cute.

Offbeat, daring, and the kind of offering Hollywood will never come close to embracing.