As much Fosse as Fellini. It’s a shadow of a shadow, refracted through a fun-house mirror. For all the noise and color, it feels like an exercise and not a natural expression.

An oddly uninvolving adventure story.

Pellington, an award-winning music video director, has a good eye for setting scenes, although the movie falls a few times into a choppy video clip-to-video clip rut. [26 Oct 1997, p.04E]

It's a little black dress of a movie, an elegant hint of something sensual that is ultimately denied to us.

The dialogue is ridiculous, the plot is silly, and the acting is cartoonish. But I'll hand this to Italian horror director Lucio Fulci: He knows how to put on a show for those dead set on seeing a violent, gory, bloody, zombie-infested midnight-flick type of a movie. [03 Jul 1998, p.E3]

Every character from the original is here, navigating the dating jungle, but this time there’s no pushing of Steve Harvey’s book.

It takes a while to rev up, but Blockers is often laugh-out-loud funny, thanks to the cast — you just wish they all had a little more to work with.

Despite its brainy title, Monsters University only earns a passing grade on its looks.

For real balance, the debate needs fiercely leftist truth-tellers in tri-corner hats, calling themselves the Organic Chai Tea Party.

There’s much to appreciate here. Like “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” which had a stronger sense of its place in the world, this coming-of-age movie should appeal to smart, sensitive young people who haven’t been exposed to the better examples of the genre.

Whether on stage or the screen, Much Ado About Nothing is a pleasure that passes like a midsummer night’s dream.

An Innocent Man is a fairly effective melodramatic thriller, and the prison scenes are powerful. [06 Oct 1989, p.3E]

Watson is a revelation here as a brand-obsessed bad girl.

Targeted toward horror-film junkies looking for a terror throwback, You’re Next mixes gore and dark humor with yet another home invasion plot line.

A bizarre buffet of buffoonery, brutality and beautiful landscapes.

As a diversion, Babies is like a wind-up toy that will tickle anyone with a pulse. As a documentary, it's like a cache of home videos that will frustrate anyone with an inquiring mind.

Texasville is much less memorable than The Last Picture Show, but it is well worth seeing, particularly if you loved the original movie and are curious about what happened to the people in it. There are some slow spots, but not too many. And there are more laughs than tears, although, as country music fans know, it is often hard to tell the difference. [28 Oct 1990, p.6C]

Like Ernest Borgnine, Philip Seymour Hoffman is an unconventional leading man with an Oscar on his mantle, and his bittersweet Jack Goes Boating has elicited comparisons with "Marty."

What saves the movie from taking a nose-dive is the confident performance of Helena Bonham Carter and some genuinely funny scenes involving her character. She plays Jane, a smart, feisty, rebellious young woman who is confined to a wheelchair because she is dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). [22 Jan. 1999, p.E3]

Prince of Persia is woven of recycled fibers, but by the slipping standards of summertime entertainment, it's a magic carpet ride.

Aspires to greatness but fumbles badly.

Typically lovely to look at, with big-eyed young people espousing high ideals amid natural splendor. But outside of their bubble, a prickly history looms, and Miyazaki’s dubious attitude toward the wartime role of his hero makes the movie a mixed blessing.

The Equalizer, loosely based on the TV series of the late ’80s, is a guilty-pleasure platform for Washington’s slow-cooked, kick-butt heroism.

It's a pretty good movie. Ironically, the more even-handed treatment of the Japanese, although probably fairer, may have robbed the tale of some of the single-minded xenophobic nastiness that probably gave the book its trashy energy. [30 July 1993, p.3F]

Working from a screenplay that he co-wrote with Jim Taylor, Payne delivers what must be his least funny film — if, indeed, his intention was to be funny.

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

There aren't enough surprises to justify the title, but The Switch produces sufficient light for a late-summer diversion.

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

Jeunet -- whose influence can be seen in everything from the short-lived TV series "Pushing Daisies" to the Oscar-winning film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" -- remains one of the world's most imaginative directors. But Micmacs is a misfire.

A serviceable behind-the-scenes tour documentary with about as much insight as a talk-show monologue.

The spoof of consumerism scores some predictable points, but the tidy ending is a sell-out to the ultimate marketing machine: Hollywood.

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

Dream Team is fairly amusing, but it could have been a total riot. There are moments in it, when the writers and director Howard Zieff push the basic theme to appropriate levels of insanity, that are wackily hilarious. [13 Apr 1989, p.6F]

If not for Blunt's solid performance and good support from Friend and others, The Young Victoria would not be worth the price of the ticket.

Perhaps the only reason to see it is Elliott, who’s terrific as a man who’s desperate to make amends for his shortcomings. It’s one of his finest and most memorable performances. Unfortunately, the script fails to rise to the level of Elliott’s artistry.

Even though this is essentially a one-joke movie, director David Ward has turned it into more. When Dodge's rustbucket is pitted against a sleek nuclear-powered sub under Graham's command, it brings out the best in Dodge's motley crew and in the commanding officer himself. The story doesn't dive as deep as the sub but under Ward's direction, we like the Stingray's odd assortment of inhabitants and wind up rooting for them. [01 Mar 1996, p.5E]

If your inner amphibian craves a wave, you have the right kind of brain to appreciate the elemental story and scenic backdrops. But advanced mammals might smell something fishy.

In its last act, Max is reminiscent of Rin Tin Tin and Lassie serials, with a frosting of freshly minted multiculturalism.

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]

Strikes an uneasy compromise between liberty and justice. It marches at an efficient pace, but there's too much collateral damage to believability.

The Holocaust must never be forgotten, but like many well-intentioned documentaries, The Flat derives more power from the implicit strength of the subject than from the explicit choices of the director.

The most provocative thing in Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is the moment during the opening credits when we glimpse the comedy legend without makeup.

Not a great comedy, or even, much of the time, a very good one, but the few belly laughs and the relationship between the two stars make it worth seeing. [16 May 1989, p.4D]

FOR ABOUT HALF its length, City Slickers is a close-to-perfect movie comedy...Crystal, Stern and Kirby are good comedians, but they fall apart when the script does. Only cinematographer Dean Semler (''Dances With Wolves'') has his vision, and the film looks great from start to finish.

As the blindered Abe, relative-unknown Gelber earns a sympathetic pat on the head. But as the character is braying for attention, he's stuck in his stall, while genuine dark horse Donna Murphy carries the narrative load as the middle-aged co-worker who prances into Abe's daydreams.

What the movie crucially lacks is the clockwork complications that produce a payoff.

The film is interesting, although it does become a bit monotonous in its endless shots of the seedy side of Paris. [23 Nov 1962, p.48]

Winona Ryder, who stars as brooding teen Dinky Bossetti, is the one good thing about ''Roxy.'' She has talent enough to transcend the script: I actually cared about the ending, when Dinky finds out whether Roxy Carmichael is her real mother. If only getting there had been more fun. [18 Oct 1990, p.6E]

With the broad satiric hands of Christopher Guest and Michael McKean as two of the screenplay authors (Michael Varhol is the other), and Guest as director, there are overtones of This Is Spinal Tap, although the final result is less successful. The spoof of Hollywood manners, morals, talent and success hits with some real humor. [15 Dec 1989, p.3F]

Act of Valor is a competently directed action movie, but forcing the audience to wear such narrow goggles is a dereliction of duty.

Pregnant with possibility; it's the delivery that disappoints.

It's a triumph of streamlined design, but TRON: Legacy never enters the fourth dimension where it's worth a plugged nickel to humans.

Hitchcock is an amusing lark, but the clumsy way it dissects the director is for the birds.

Ultimately, what saves this movie is its sense of humor, not to mention its good humor, which is not the same thing. You find yourself rooting for these characters, although at times you wouldn't mind giving them a little slap up side the head. [18 Feb 1994, p.3F]

The charismatic cast can’t be faulted. Bullock and Blanchett are more than credible as crooks, and Hathaway is delightful as the self-absorbed Daphne. Unfortunately, Ocean’s 8 turns out to be a poor showcase for their talents.

A high-concept comedy that peddles some slapstick laughs and life lessons but little insight.

While the rich people who violated a dead antagonist's wishes seem sleazy (especially when they refuse to be interviewed), transporting world-class artwork five miles to a bigger facility where more people can enjoy it hardly seems like the end of civilization as we know it.

I still think it's a funny movie, but given its genes, it's a bit of a slacker.

FALLING FROM GRACE, the acting and directing debut of rock singer John Mellencamp, may not quite be solid gold - but it is a solid first effort. [21 May 1992, p.3E]

While the plot is as flimsy as a hooker's halter top, it's buoyed by two actors with attitude and timing.

The settings and supporting roles suggest that If I Stay started out as someone’s passion project, but the final product only requires its star to sleepwalk through buckets of schlock.

It's almost offensive that Danny Glover is relegated to playing the mysterious old confidante who haunts the same fishing hole as Cal. By the time Glover's character delivers the homily, Legendary is pinned to the mat.

Toys may be beautiful to look at, but it's hard to love. [18 Dec 1992, p.1G]

As long as Hollywood keeps hitting us over the head with empty spectacles like G.I. Joe: Retaliation, regular Joes will be too numb to fight back.

Decent performances from Emilio Estevez and Denis Leary can't rescue this movie from its weak screenplay and predictable story. [21 Oct 1993, p.7G]

All in all, it's better than your average boy-meets-girl techno-thriller - but only just. [30 May 1995, p.5D]

The best thing about Renegades is a beautifully choreographed car chase early in the movie. After that, the movie creeps along for 20 minutes or so while the two principals grope toward buddyhood. Then, with bonding accomplished, the action picks up somewhat, but never really catches fire. [07 Jun 1989, p.3E]

With stingy portions and plenty of filler, Magic Mike XXL is the worst sausage party ever.

The most rewarding way to watch Water for Elephants is to focus on the sideshow of costumes and craftsmanship, because the romance in the center ring smells like trained animals going through the motions.

There's a fascinating story here for a bolder filmmaker, but after so much meandering it's a relief that "All Good Things" must come to an end.

Because we don't know or care much about the characters, this Israeli film never fulfills its potential as either an absurdist comedy or a humane drama.

All that complexity backfires at about the midpoint, leaving viewers with a standard yarn about a popular guy who makes a grossly insensitive wager after his trophy girlfriend drops him. After that, it is all a case of "been there, done that." [29 Jan 1999,p. E3]

’Round these parts, when a movie promises a million laughs but only delivers a dozen chuckles, that’s a hanging offense.

CRAZY PEOPLE is a one-joke movie. It's a pretty good joke: Slightly unbalanced people write ads that tell the absolute truth about products, and the products sell like crazy. But it isn't good enough to make us care for long about a mental-institution romance between Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah that has the feel of ''David and Lisa: The Sit-Com.'' [13 Apr 1990, p.3F]

Hearts and Souls is an only intermittently entertaining reworking of an ancient Hollywood formula. [13 Aug 1993, p.5F]

A B comedy so forgettable that although I know I saw it, I was equally sure that Fred MacMurray was in it. (He wasn't.) But over time, movies - particularly Disney comedies - tend to acquire a hazy, nostalgic charm. [10 Nov 1995]

An odd mix of special effects, cartoonish adventure and father-son bonding isn't very funny or poignant. [20 Dec 1998, p.C9]

Here, Dan Aykroyd mimics the original voice, but the three-dimensional CGI isn't loose and lively enough to compensate for the unimaginative story.

A foul-mouthed comedy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. "Bad Santa" (2003) also had plenty of crude language and lewd behavior. The difference is, "Bad Santa" was extremely funny.

Like so many great stories, Maverick should belong in memory, because taking it to the big screen again is a major disappointment. [20 May 1994, p.3E]

Judged solely in comparison to its corporate cousins, Iron Man 3 is a defective model. It’s lightweight but slow, padded with cheap jokes to disguise how hollow it is.

Duvall is a powerful actor, and this folksy fable could have been a career-capping feat, but the movie is toothless and slow.

The franchise has sadly devolved into a cynical cash grab.

This gravely serious drama is as insular as a tomb with Muzak. It takes a particularly heavy hand to make us numb to the abduction of two children, but that's the effect of the wall-to-wall music and earnestly dour performances.

First Kid is filled with slapstick and predictable jokes. The kids in the preview audience seemed to enjoy it, despite the commendable fact that it generally avoids bathroom humor and age-inappropriate gags about children's sexuality. [30 Aug 1996, p.3E]

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.

The movie version of Fifty Shades is better than the book. It's still awful, but when a filmmaker starts with stupid source material, he's handcuffed.

This is a generic, uninspired and mind-bogglingly boring comic-book movie that’s out to steal your money and time.

On a scale of 1 ("Men in Tights") to 10 ("Naked Gun"), I'd give "Fatal Instinct" about a 5. [31 Oct 1993, p.9C]

This is an extremely gory flick, with autopsy scenes to complement Schwarzenegger’s usual shoot-first sensibilities. After 30 years, it’s pointless to complain about the collateral damage in his movies, but here Schwarzenegger is taking vigilante justice to dark new levels that can only be reached via plot holes big enough for a Hummer.

The questions raised by Oblivion aren’t especially deep, but the movie does answer a puzzler that has troubled humankind for generations: Can Tom Cruise build a concept so big that he himself can’t lift it?

The mediocre mushy stuff isn’t alleviated by enough action.

Prince is a puzzle. Unfortunately, in Graffiti Bridge, he isn't a very interesting one. The main problem may be that most of the music in this sequel to Prince's 1984 musical Purple Rain is mediocre, mainly derived from rap and funk but without the energy those forms generate when they are presented raw. [06 Nov 1990, p.4D]

While it claims to be exported from New Jersey, The Oranges is peddling an alien motto: When life hands you lemons, fuhgeddaboudit.

The verdict on Snitch is that Johnson has attempted a career detour on a street marked Do Not Enter.

Considerably better looking than its predecessor, but it's spewing the same old gibberish.

Spacey evokes memories of other movies in which he's played a shark, and it's inherently fascinating to hear Aniston talking dirty and to see Farrell with a combover, but nothing in the film is genuinely provocative.

Because the affable Wahlberg is making the sales pitch, you could kid yourself that this is just a high-tech vacuum cleaner, built to siphon loose change like popcorn. But our failure to understand the terrifying significance of the “Transformers” series is why we're in the age of extinction.