A tearjerking romance that belongs to another era, when female moviegoers wanted to be transported, not grounded in grim realities.

On the whole, director Phil Joanou and writer Dennis McIntyre have done a first-rate job of giving us believable characters acting believably in a believable (if horrific) situation. [05 Oct 1990, p.3F]

Builds beautifully from a farcical premise that requires a suspension of disbelief to a musical climax that washes away our cynicism in a wave of honest tears.

After watching the trailers, I was expecting torture, but this smart, subversive movie made me laugh. So shoot me.

Enjoy the sharp humor and the performances of the leads, but don't look for a great movie. [08 Sep 1995, p.E3]

Moviegoers will know in the first five minutes whether the new B-movie Machete is their cup of tea - or bucket of blood.

Disney’s gimmick of naming movies for its theme-park attractions crashes and burns in Tomorrowland, a here-and-now caper that will confuse children, bore adults and offend anyone who’s ever taken a science class.

Point Break is a perfect example of the contemporary "B" movie. And, like a lot of the old B movies, those cheap thrillers of the 1940s and 1950s, Point Break has considerably more raw energy than almost all of the higher-priced products. [12 July 1991, p.3F]

While the underrated Brosnan is effective as the cold-hearted produce mogul, the character starts as such a sourpuss that after he softens in the Sorrento lemon groves, it’s still hard to root for his inevitable hookup with Ida.

A road-trip comedy that somehow renders both promiscuity and racism harmless. While we're soaking up the sunny surroundings, we're getting nowhere.

A good and necessary film, but like the man himself it’s not immune to scrutiny.

Red is an insult to our memories and to our intelligence, an unfunny farce whose veteran cast is cashing a retirement check.

Happy, Happy has the makings of a Norwegian "Ice Storm," but it goes out with a whimper.

A medical drama that pays lip service to the healing power of music but never finds the rhythm.

The Beaver isn't a perfect film, but it's challenging and original.

Because the sociopath at the center of this family portrait never asks for forgiveness, The Iceman is truly chilling.

The things that made "Wayne's World" work at all - freshness, spontaneity - are missing from this losing sequel. [10 Dec 1993, p.3F]

An engaging comedy-drama that avoids becoming too much of a tearjerker.

House of Gucci is Gaga’s movie, and she won’t let you forget it. She delivers a bravura performance as Patrizia, an alchemical blend of sheer charisma, power of personality, undeniable magnetism, and most importantly, commitment to the bit.

Bad Moms starts with an edge but eventually turns sentimental. The most entertaining and honest moments zero in on motherhood and friendship — and busting the rules of the PTA.

Thin Ice resides just slightly south of "Fargo."

To its credit, Celeste and Jesse Forever wants to be more than a formulaic farce. It succeeds to the extent that the neighbors keep up with Jones.

White Boy Rick is good enough, but you keep wanting it to be better.

With a deadly slow beginning and an unnecessary overload of special effects, this sequel is incredibly average, doubling the number of explosions and cinematic tricks, but cutting back on story, plot and characters. [24 May 2000, p.E4]

If you can take it, Unbroken will lift you like the classics of adventure cinema.

A full plate of tear-jerking drama is served here. And it’s even tastier than the first time around.

A semi-sweet but not all-that-satisfying Canadian import, set around a lesbian-run bookstore. [17 Sep 1999, p.E3]

Back when it was planned as an African-American "Ocean's Eleven," this project might have been edgy, but the script has been whitewashed into a generic caper comedy with pretensions of timeliness.

Slater is monosyllabic and mostly expressionless. When Tomei and Perez speak, they have nothing to say, as contrasted with the rapid-fire lines they had in their earlier films, lines that kept them interested and enthusiastic, so that their performances just glowed. Here, they're as dull as the dishwater in the diner, and so is the entire movie, tragic ending and all. [12 Feb 1993, p.3F]

Although this sober film spares us some of the grim, survivalist details, the harrowing adventure from a girl's perspective is so compelling that Julia's simultaneous sleuthing seems like an unnecessary distraction.

Whose story is this? There’s an old saying that history is written by the winners. The screenplay for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies must have been written by elves.

Taken as low comedy, Army of Darkness is fairly successful. The violence, although there is plenty of it, seems even more cartoonish and less gory than in the earlier movies. I have a feeling boys of about 11 or 12, with their normal penchant for bad puns and gross-out tactics, would be the most likely audience for this silliness, which often has the feel of an old "Tales From the Crypt" comic book. [19 Feb 1993, p.3G]

The larger-than-life actor is as emblematic of his country as Tom Hanks is of ours, and My Afternoons With Margueritte is his "Forrest Gump." Only better.

There simply aren’t enough female dirtbags in cinema, so Lawrence’s Maddie Barker — Uber driver, surly bartender and pissed-off Montauk townie — is a refreshing character.

J. Edgar is the kind of prestige production that apologists will call polished, but even the technical attributes are tinny. In the gay-geezers scenes, Hammer wears terrible old-age makeup, and the entire film is bathed in sepia tones as weak as its convictions.

In my old New Jersey public school, the first thing we learned was the smell of baloney.

If the world were really coming to an end, we'd spend it with Knightley and tell her tag-along friend that there's not enough food for a 50-year-old virgin.

Director David Fincher, making his feature film debut in strong style, keeps the action fast and furious, though the climactic scenes look an awful lot like the ending of ''Terminator 2.'' It may be just another sequel, but Alien 3 is better than most, and follows nicely after the first two. [22 May 1992, p.3G]

Colin Firth is an Academy Award winner, so perhaps his lack of chemistry with fellow honoree Nicole Kidman is a carefully laid clue that his middle-aged newlywed Eric Lomax is damaged goods. Yet to the drama’s detriment, Lomax is about as poisonous as a week-old crumpet.

Sing is like a medley of pop hits. You get a bunch of quick samples but long for the full song.

The premise is pure formula.

If you’re a fan of the “Taken” movies and tend to give action-hero Neeson the benefit of the doubt, our advice here is simple: Run away!

At the confluence of altered states and state-sanctioned violence, this drug-fueled thriller is Stone's most successfully provocative picture since "JFK."

Surviving Progress reiterates arguments made in movies such as "An Inconvenient Truth" and "Inside Job," it marshals minds such as Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking, and it utilizes artful imagery reminiscent of films such as "Koyaanisqatsi" and "Up the Yangtze."

Rooted in empty materialism, but it never evokes the heady rush of a guilty pleasure or the precipitous payback of a thriller.

But even without world-class smarts or amusing mutations, the next generation of “Jurassic” is an enjoyable ride.

Fitfully, someone will say or do something very funny, but much of the time passes in a rather laborious way. This movie should have been a lot better than it is. [27 Nov 1994, p.9C]

It's a wholly successful sequel - audacious, entertaining and bracingly pertinent.

It's hard to imagine a better movie about corporate-sanctioned sex trafficking than The Whistleblower. But whether you're ready to confront this true story is a trickier question.

Unfortunately, producers (including James) went for the easy layup, showing so much on-court action instead of trying to hustle for insights about sports and society.

Memphis Belle is a great movie of men in combat, and the bonding it provides. At the same time, it shows the awful face of war so quietly that it speaks with great volume. [12 Oct 1990, p.3F]

Neither as magic nor as trippy as the culture quake that it documents, but it's a valuable flashback and a pleasurable contact high.

The screenplay is good and the direction, by Ted Demme (nephew of "Silence of the Lambs" director Jonathan Demme) is taut. [11 Mar 1994, p.3G]

Apatow still hasn't set the table for a meaty drama, but making us laugh is a piece of cake.

Isn't as memorable or provocative as it might have been. But it's an engaging love story that should appeal to moviegoers with a flair for the offbeat.

Maybe in his native language, Dujardin is no funnier than Steve Martin's "Pink Panther." But with subtitles, his deadpan delivery is hard to resist.

What the film has going for it is a terrific performance from Weisz, who renders Alice at once sympathetic and enigmatic.

The real fun of “Jumanji” lies in the casting. The towering Johnson and scrappy Hart play especially well off each other.

To the Wonder teeters between experimentation and incoherence. Does it deserve to be seen? Absolutely. Just be aware of what you’re getting into.

A family flick that punches the right buttons like a trained seal.

For those who appreciate fiery dialogue delivered by fine actors, August: Osage County is heaven-sent.

The rapid dialogue is dry and mannered, like a David Mamet play, there's virtually no story and Cronenberg's visual scheme is cold and claustrophobic.

Footloose poses as a bold update, but it's shockingly out of step with the times.

Working from a screenplay that he co-wrote with Christopher Rouse, director Paul Greengrass has come up with a post-Snowden film that delivers nonstop thrills.

Be forewarned: The 100-Year-Old Man is edgier than its title would lead you to believe. Bad guys are bludgeoned, blown up and even crushed by an elephant, and the two duffers take a lassez-faire attitude toward disposing of them.

It's a calculated crowd-pleaser that skims over the surface of the era like a cruise-ship production of "American Graffiti."

Like a taxidermied owl, Stoker is lovely to look at, but in the end it’s hard to give a hoot.

Everything about Trouble With the Curve is as streamlined and hollow as a Wiffle Ball bat.

It's no classic, but Shrek Forever After is a pleasant reminder that every time a cash register rings, this ogre turns angelic.

A mention must be given to John Cena, who also appeared in “Trainwreck,” for his comedic talents. Here, he’s a stone-faced drug dealer with a supermarket of goods.

The saving grace of Biutiful is Bardem.

Too short and undisciplined to be a world-class comedy, but its chutzpah deserves respect.

It's a comedic dramatization with a looming shadow of the surreal.

The lesson of this likable little movie is that it’s never too late to reclaim your integrity.

The Guardians make a winning team that is a prime candidate for a sequel, just like "The Avengers."

Friedel turns in a poignant performance as a man who feels that he has no choice but to act on his principles, regardless of the consequences.

Why the bloodsucker and the wolf boy treat Bella as if she's the cat's meow is still a mystery.

It still has cool creatures and 1960s set design, and the 3-D is the best of the season, but if you try to remember the story or jokes, you'll find that you've been hit by a neuralyzer beam.

Gordon-Levitt turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as a man who’s all too aware of what he’s letting himself in for. And Woodley skillfully balances a range of emotions as Lindsay.

Despite some gruesome images and the psychotic fervor of Rakes, it's a frustratingly slow boil.

While the student travails explored here are time worn and insipid, Croghan looks at them from a fresh perspective and with humor. The combination makes this debut film more than just another been there, done that experience. [25 Apr 1997, p.03E]

As a melodrama, Brothers is passable entertainment. But the film squanders the opportunity to meaningfully portray the impact of war on American lives.

It’s true that not much happens — except cinema at its finest.

THUNDERHEART, a murder mystery set amid the American Indian movement on Sioux reservations in the 1970s, has its heart in the right place. But except for a few scenes, the thunder is missing. [7 Apr 1992, p.2D]

James Bond might as well be any of a dozen movie cops. For whatever reason, writers Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum have given us a hero without the suavity, the urbanity, the sophistication of the James Bond who set these particular movies apart. And when Bond is just another hero, the result is just another action movie. It's sometimes exciting, but it misses all the lovely touches that previous films in the series have provided. [14 July 1989, p.3E]

At nearly three hours long, "An Unexpected Journey" has moments when the caravan seems both overstuffed and out of balance, but it's such a scenic trip that only a stubborn homebody could complain.

The Tree might have suffered from too much symbolism if not for writer-director Julie Bertuccelli's deft touch and Gainsbourg's appealing performance.

One has to wonder why the film was even made if it had to be so disastrously compromised. Chekhov would be appalled.

Hotel Artemis is neither a sequel nor a remake, but a film of considerable originality. And that makes it a rarity at the multiplex.

Even more than its predecessors in the "Star Wars" series, Return of the Jedi is about incredible special effects and astonishingly effective costumes and makeup. The characters and dialogue get lost somewhere between the bug-eyed monsters and the exploding spaceships, but it is all so much fun it probably really does not matter a whole lot.

It's intellectual snack food, satisfying for a little while but always leaving you hungry for more.

Fading Gigolo is like two different movies on an awkward blind date at a jazz club. While Allen charms us with a parody of “Broadway Danny Rose,” Turturro is off-key in his lounge-lizard riff on “The Piano.”

This meta movie even has fun with faulty translations between French and English. To paraphrase Gemma as she conjugates verbs on the treadmill, “J’ai adorée.”

As a man committed to reinventing himself, Damon is terrific. And Johansson brings to Kelly just the right blend of spunkiness and hard-won maturity.

This is not a great movie - sometimes, soaring orchestral music tries to evoke emotions that don't quite rise out of the drama itself - but it is a good, kind-spirited one that should please both parents and children. [14 July 1995, p.3E]

Stone isn't for everyone. But for all its shortcomings, it is courageously original.

This topsy-turvy flick is fitfully funny, but more often it's just odd, like the first draft of a "Twilight Zone" episode that's missing its moral.

Writers Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil and director Jeremiah Chechik tell the story with tenderness and humor. And - miracle of miracles, in this day of endless endings - when the story is over, the movie is over, too. [16 Apr 1993, p.3G]