Star Trek Into Darkness offers much of what the fans expect and not much of what they don't. This character-driven vehicle is a supercharged example of cinematic craftsmanship.

Dope is funny, slick and sharp.

Monkey Kingdom tugs our heartstrings to the top of the trees. With a lot of patience, and perhaps a little trickery, directors Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill have produced a simian “Cinderella.”

This affable comedy is a healthy alternative to tearjerkers.

Such a disarming homage to the cinema of the Reagan era that even grouchy gremlins might feel like it's morning in America. But be forewarned that if this movie is exposed to sunlight, you'll notice the puppet strings.

While the PG-13 approach to the most brutally sustained war the world has ever known makes it suitable for mature children, some cynical adults may resent the tug of the reins. Me, I cried like a grandmother.

Manages to waste the talents of its strong supporting cast, which includes Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell and Stanley Tucci.

Among recent documentaries, First Position soars to the head of the class.

This is a smart, moving film that's also very, very funny.

The film is a raw, unsparing look at the downside of humanity.

As opposed to the "gentlemen's clubs" in sinful cities like Las Vegas, the Crazy Horse attracts couples.

Doctor Strange doesn’t always make sense — but so what? It’s a mind-blowing special-effects extravaganza, and the most exciting comic-book flick since “Deadpool.”

In skewering the neuroses of New York bohemians, Durham has left us too little to care about.

Schepisi, with his camera always moving, has the knack of keeping the viewer as slightly off balance as Guare's story does, and the result is a fascinating motion picture. [21 Jan 1994, p.3F]

Wysocki is perfectly cast as a teen who's at odds with both his environment and himself. It's a terrific performance. And as the empathetic Fitzgerald, Reilly is at his quirky best.

It's not exactly aiming for the moon, but in a marketplace where surpassed expectations are as rare as unicorns, Despicable Me is delightful.

If you're looking for down and dirty, Kiss of Death delivers the goods. [21 Apr 1995, p.3E]

In its uncompromising vision, it may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely the movie that Batman needed.

Unlike the benchmark sports documentary "Hoop Dreams," Undefeated doesn't have a deep penetration of poverty and race in its playbook, but it does have enough heart to make substantial forward progress.

There will never be another Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor, but Hollywood may have found a new Lee Remick in Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

The most mesmerizing parts of the movie make up a tutorial about how the Muppets are made and moved.

Many of the people reading this review are doing it on a computer. And all of them are reading it in English. It’s not much of stretch to say that you could credit both of those things to a man named Alan Turing.

The plot is murky, the acting is melodramatic and the movie is way too long, but the target audience will salivate over the inventively choreographed set-pieces.

THOROUGHLY predictable "inspirational" movies like Rudy are like pop-art rituals. We know almost to the letter what is going to happen, but, if the movie is well made (which "Rudy" is), we experience at least some of the emotional catharsis that would be evoked by a truly original and compelling work of art (which "Rudy" definitely isn't). [15 Oct 1993, p.3E]

So I'll just say this: The Big Lebowksi is an excellent movie - and damn funny.

Map of the Human Heart is a lyrical, gorgeously photographed epic as well as a captivating story of love. Occasionally, its reach exceeds its grasp, but how exciting and rare to see a movie that takes too many chances in an era when most take none at all.

The film catches the Mozarts' true personalities in a way that Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" never approaches. In one scene, the siblings playfully improvise musical variations, and then joyfully rush to the clavier to write them down: There is the essence of Mozart.

Tangled is lovely to look at, but if you're not a pre-teen girl, you may be distracted by the split ends.

By design it’s monotonous, and with so much clunky hardware, Liman can’t generate the same pace he produced in the “Bourne” movies. Edge of Tomorrow has neither an edge nor a vision of tomorrow that matters today.

Based on a book by Brian Selznick, Wonderstruck is a visually striking film that’s uncompromising in its approach — less about narrative momentum than about surrendering to the power of images.

Without Limits is best when it's on the track. When it goes off the track, it sometimes does just that. [13 Oct 1998, p.E3]

The sharp writing and tag-team antics lift 22 Jump Street to a high level.

Clear-eyed, fearless and ferociously funny, Young Adult is mature filmmaking.

This is not a great, thought-provoking film, but following the young people from relationship to relationship is mostly fun, though it begins to sag in the latter parts as Crowe does some padding to flesh out a too-thin story. [18 Sept 1992, p.5G]

This is the rare mainstream film that addresses the complexities of real life. Brad’s Status may motivate you to question your own.

The film isn't quite as edgy as Fincher's best work - "Seven," "Fight Club" and "Zodiac" are masterpieces of modern angst. But the director brings a fresh eye to what might easily have been an unnecessary rehash of the 2009 Swedish adaptation.

Macbeth takes liberties with the particulars of the Shakespeare play, but is fascinatingly true to its spirit.

Starts out so promisingly that it's a huge disappointment when it ultimately becomes way too predictable - and unbelievable. It's as if "Raging Bull" suddenly morphed into "Rocky."

It’s Belgian actor Schoenaerts who will leave the target audience atwitter. Seemingly incapable of cracking a smile, he fits securely in the stoic-farmer tradition that stretches from John Wayne in “The Quiet Man” to Russell Crowe in “The Water Diviner.”

Notwithstanding its storytelling stumbles, Sleepwalk With Me points in a positive direction for this likable comedian's career.

To their credit, the creative team has retained the handmade look and unruly spirit of Maurice Sendak's bedtime fable; to their discredit, they haven't added enough narrative or emotional dimension to make it an effective movie.

Littman avoids excess, just as she does throughout this gripping, moving, terribly unpleasant--and yet valuable--motion pictures. [25 Nov 1983, p.5E]

This is a “Game” that couldn’t be more fun to watch.

The Big Picture ends perhaps a bit too ambiguously, but there's something refreshing about its faith in the moviegoer's intelligence.

It’s not necessary to be a classical-music buff to be charmed by this thoroughly entertaining film that never hits a false note.

Here’s a toast to the cast and crew: Drinking Buddies is a three-dimensional movie that doesn’t require beer goggles.

A brainy bio that exerts a gravitational pull on the heartstrings.

Cameos from actors portraying Little Richard, Mick Jagger, Frankie Avalon and Alan Leeds add up to some fun.

In the end, Light Sleeper is slightly more optimistic than some of Schrader's earlier works, but it's a tough, hard-nosed film that shows, in small moments here and there, what life in drugs is all about - and it ain't all about fun. [11 Sep 1992, p.3F]

It’s preposterous schlock masquerading as art.

There's little that's new in the retelling, except mellowed musings on Environmentalism 2.0.

Working from a script co-written with Christopher Browne, director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”) pulls off a fabulous trick of his own: delivering a mainstream entertainment that has, at its heart, a poetic sensibility.

This undramatic and flat peek “inside” the sewing rooms of Christian Dior holds little in the way of entertainment.

But what The Paper does best is capture the flavor of a newsroom at its craziest, when, say, you are five minutes past deadline on a breaking story, it's July and the air conditioning is broken, two editors are yelling contradictory commands at you and a workman is standing on your desk putting holes in the ceiling with a deafening electric drill. [25 March 1994, p.3H]

Turturro, who previously directed a musical called "Romance and Cigarettes," lingers on the sensual movements of the performers and the character faces of the onlookers.

Cenedella may never become a household name, but Art Bastard argues persuasively that fame is overrated.

This film might give you the urge to check out a comic-book movie.

Is this a family film? No way. Does it include scenes that some may find painful to watch? You bet. Will you be entertained? Thoroughly.

Bob Roberts is a triumph in every respect: The editing is glorious, the use of music dazzling, the nebulous ending very true to life. [18 Sep 1992, p.3G]

A brilliant, ironic, black-humored story that shows what happens when the American Dream becomes the American Nightmare. [12 Jan 1990, p.3F]

Near the two-minute warning, Big Fan becomes chillingly unpredictable.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is a vast improvement on “Ant-Man” (2015) — and one of the most entertaining releases from Marvel Studios.

Porter’s film is a warm biography and depiction of Lewis’ life, but there are moments where one wishes it had a bit more bite.

Alma is at once a charmer and a contrarian, and Bergsholm achieves that balance with seeming effortlessness. At times, she's more than a bit reminiscent of the young Jodie Foster.

With his glorified Frisbee and good-guy smile, Evans is engaging, but “The Winter Soldier” might be stronger with a little less Captain and a little more America.

A generally absorbing, sometimes harrowing look at the violent rise of twin brothers named Kray to the top of the London underworld. [09 Nov 1990, p.3F]

While Banderas' dark intensity overshadows the potential poignancy of the story, Almodovar is such a skilled surgeon that he extracts a juicy nugget of pleasure from a purely distasteful premise.

An Australian horror yarn that builds occasional tension and brings occasional gasps. The problem is that with the space limitations of a boat and the fact that there are just three characters, it's impossible to have enough tension to make the film work. [07 Apr 1989, p.3G]

Lethal Weapon 2, a sequel, is better than the first film, Lethal Weapon. Not only better, but far better, for the following reasons: Joe Pesci. Less (if not much) violence. Danny Glover doesn't try to be Bill Cosby at home. A screenplay that is funny. Joe Pesci. [07 July 1989, p.3E]

Finally the film tips its hand and becomes a bet-the-house warning about climate change.

Based on a true story, The Lady in the Van is a well-acted but somewhat wearying exercise in British whimsy.

Bonnaire, whose films include "Vagabond" and "Monsieur Hire," gets Helene just right, registering her joys and disappointments with finesse.

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.

If you've ever seen anything like A Town Called Panic, you either made it yourself or you dreamed it.

Davis Guggenheim, the St. Louis director who won an Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth," mines less controversial material this time around.

The overt sexuality of Madonna's stage show, particularly the lengthy exercise in self-stimulation called Like a Virgin, as well as the sometimes startling bluntness of her talk, keeps the movie from being totally boring. But this kind of trash can only sustain itself for so long - for most of us, about as long as it takes to get through the line at a supermarket. [17 May 1991, p.3F]

To ensure customer loyalty, Hollywood should promote more movies about workaday life in the provinces, but until there's a new wave of midcoast comedies, Cedar Rapids is the big kahuna.

Most of the credit for this successful effort goes to Miller, who simply pointed a camera at Levitch for hours and stayed out of the way. This laid-back direction helps Miller avoid that self-conscious "documentary" seriousness, edgy shots and editing that tells the audience that this is all so very important. [18 Dec 1998, p.E3]

With its exploded notions of heroism, torture-rack dramatics and kamikaze gusto, it's a fiendishly entertaining flick.

An entertaining and sometimes exceptional look at the short life of the man who singlehandedly brought about the boom of martial arts in this country. Starring Jason Scott Lee (no relation), "Dragon" covers Lee's life from his early days in Hong Kong to his final scene from "Enter The Dragon," Lee's only big-budget American movie. [12 May 1993, p.6F]

May be too sterile and stylized to elicit real tears, but it's got brains and heart to spare.

This movie is Denzel Washington stopping a speeding train devoid of subtext, blunders and earth-shattering revelations about the human condition. It is precisely as entertaining as it sounds; no more, no less.

Just misses living up to its name.

We're left with an impression of a vivacious pioneer; but warm shouldn't have to mean fuzzy.

Director Garth Davis gets to the heart of the drama without slipping into sentimentality.

What's most conspicuously missing from this ensemble is some input from the advertisers who subsidize Wintour's tyranny, and the readers who are seduced into buying her beautiful four-pound paperweights.

Director Dereck Joubert gleans a valuable thread that connects us to these endangered creatures.

The accents are thick, but if you listen closely you'll be well rewarded with smart, wry humor, peculiar but likable characters and a story that while slow in spots is altogether intriguing. [1 July 1989, p.E6]

The rare film that flows from a wellspring of ideas.

If you’re looking for a film that’s guaranteed to have you gripping your seat, this is It.

There are audiences for movies that amuse us, and arouse us, and scare us, but the career of Todd Solondz ("Storytelling") raises the question: Is there an audience for movies that make us feel icky?

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.

The fiery finale is good enough to leave the legions smiling. But when a movie is expected to lift an entire industry, "good enough" shouldn't be good enough.

Beirut is a solid political thriller that makes the most of St. Louis native Hamm, who is still best known for his starring role in TV’s “Mad Men.”

Arthur Christmas stays sweet without becoming overly sentimental and is filled with sly details and smart action sequences.

If you root for documentaries with heart, The Other Dream Team is a slam dunk.

Indeed, most of the famous faces are surprisingly adept at singing. Even when the actors are not lip-syncing (which seems to be about half the time), the dense, clever lyrics are intelligible.

It is, as it stands, a lavish creation. [13 Apr 1936, p.3C]