IF you loved ''Hairspray,'' you'll probably like ''Cry-Baby.'' John Waters' latest teen-age musical spoof is entertaining. But it lacks some of the satiric edge that made ''Hairspray'' rather outrageous, although it was quite tame compared to some of Waters' earlier movies. [6 Apr 1990, p.3F]

World War Z, based on a novel by Max Brooks and directed by Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace"), has a relatively plausible perspective on mass catastrophe. It deserves comparisons to Steven Soderbergh’s brainy “Contagion.”

An engaging but problematic film. Working from a screenplay that he co-wrote with Laura Terruso, director Michael Showalter (“The Baxter”) seems a bit uncertain in his approach.

L'amour fou means "crazy love," but we don't learn anything crazy about these devoted lovers.

Pretty good entertainment, but not an outstanding time at the movies. [17 Aug 1989, p.6E]

Laggies is the kind of indie film that gives the genre a bad name.

A slight step down from the first two, but still very good. [02 Aug 2005, p.E1]

The film is a criminal waste of an ensemble cast that should have found something better to do than lend their names to such a pointless exercise. Free Fire is a misfire.

Keanu is an uneven but frequently hilarious comedy that relies heavily on the appeal of Key and Peele.

Megamind falls flat.

This quasi-horror film has the great director's usual craftsmanship and a stellar cast, but ultimately it's an infuriating trick that makes its most provocative ideas disappear.

Bursting with smart dialogue, surprising situations and humor that springs from richly imagined characters.

It's as if there's a missing reel of film that could tie the story together and give it the emotional impact it takes for granted.

After a rough start, the film achieves escape velocity to generate escapist thrills.

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.

Executive Decision sticks to the action at hand, and except for some rather long and claustrophobic moments, offers up the required amount of impossible-to-believe but satisfyingly tense moments. [15 Mar 1996, p.3E]

The inspirational movie named for Robinson’s number is too dignified to throw audiences a curveball, let alone a knockdown pitch, but its solid fundamentals make it a winner.

The latest Hollywood version of the Godzilla story is neither fun nor fearsome. It’s an empty spectacle in which the humans are as meaningless as the monster.

Killer Joe is one of the most repugnant parodies of small-town stupidity that you will ever see, and Friedkin amplifies the shrill obscenities with blaring cartoon and kung-fu footage from his art director's fever dreams.

For the screen version, Baldwin is back, along with Meg Ryan, and there's less chemistry than in a high-school laboratory in July. [10 Jul 1992, p.3G]

The photography is gorgeous, the action is predictable but fairly exciting and young Ethan Hawke is winning in the lead role [26 Jan 1991, p.3D]

Doggedly indie but unpretentious, Begin Again is one of the best movies I’ve seen about the music industry and the ways it changes people whose paths diverge.

Squeezes plenty of color and noise from a thin concept, then runs with it until non-fanatics can’t keep up.

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.

Throughout his career, Burton has always been capable of surprising audiences. Big Eyes is no exception.

A beautiful movie, probably more erotic than any mainstream film ever made and yet never remotely pornographic, at other times hilariously funny. [05 Oct 1990, p.3F]

If you’re looking for a film that offers pure escapism, Kong: Skull Island should definitely meet expectations.

FOR about an hour, this movie is like a smooth ride with a good cabbie through the winding streets of deepest lower Manhattan. It's a fascinating, disturbing, at times exhilarating look at the way politics work in a big city, and you better pay attention or you'll miss something...Then, something happens, and it's like being lost on some triple-decker expressway interchange with no idea of how to get home. I think the problem is that there were too many writers with too many different ideas of what they wanted to tell, and the result is it eventually takes a wrong turn into an emotional and intellectual muddle...That first hour is so terrific, with minor exceptions, and the cast is so good, that "City Hall" is still well worth seeing, but ultimately it may leave you with the empty feeling of lost opportunities. [16 Feb 1996, p.3E]

Given the stormy milieu, The Yellow Handkerchief could have been a sordid slice of life or a maudlin metaphor. But the unhurried direction of Udayan Prasad and the unafraid choices of the sure-footed cast keep this character-driven drama afloat.

Despite the title, My One and Only is irritatingly repetitive.

Gets boring for adults, but kids will enjoy it. [03 Jan 1999, p.C10]

If you are willing to forgive it a lot -- and on a sunny, winter-spring day, my capacity for forgiveness was immense -- Chances Are can be an entertaining little trifle. [17 March 1989, p.3F]

A director whose breakthrough was the story of a madman's last stand has exceeded that feat with the story of an angry man's next step.

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]

This loony 'toon is dizzy with wonderments, especially in 3-D. The spindly-limbed character design owes more to Charles Addams' family than to Walt Disney's kingdom, while the story and settings evoke James Bond on laughing gas.

Ted does not only break before it ends. It snaps back so violently that it very well may knock out of your mind any recollection that the movie is fairly entertaining for about 30 minutes.

There's little that's new, revealing or stylish about this basic-black horror story, but if you've got a Goth sensibility, it might suit you.

Working from her own screenplay, director Robin Swicord (“The Jane Austen Book Club”) delivers a film that balances wry humor and sly introspection.

There are enough F-bombs, a couple of chopped-off appendages and a flash of gratuitous male nudity to earn an R rating. But fans of producer Judd Apatow would expect nothing less.

The four leads are entirely engaging including the manic Hart.

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.

The documentary offers undercooked subplots about Gruber’s mostly Hispanic staff and his romance with a health-conscious Catholic acupuncturist, but Deli Man is best when it sticks to the menu.

It's a credit to the cast and to the worthiness of the idea that this overlong movie works at all. But those of us who already know that racism is bad could use a little more challenge and a little less help.

Ultimately, William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe is a defense, not a prosecution, and the principal witness remains a shining star.

Lacking beef or sufficient spice, it's nonetheless colorful comfort food.

Although Besson, the director of “La Femme Nikita” and the producer of “Taken,” indulges in some operatic violence, the film is more spacey than pacey.

At once an intriguing character study and a refreshingly offbeat romance.

Best appreciated as an exercise in style. Based on Martin Booth's novel "A Very Private Gentleman," the film establishes and sustains a mood of suspense, but Corbijn seems only minimally interested in conventional thrills.

Trollhunter has a lot of down time as the crew treks to the fjords, but it's also got dryly subversive humor and, eventually, some impressive special effects.

Rounded, redemptive and refreshingly free of cynicism.

The surprisingly rich documentary Best Worst Movie views the phenomenon from a unique perspective.

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.

The story is sustained by the stubborn love between the siblings and by the conviction of the two fine actors who portray them.

Be prepared to think, talk and no doubt argue about the movie after seeing it. Is that what Mamet intended? Maybe, but does that make it worthwhile? [11 Nov 1994, p.3E]

OK, the musical ode to Doby the shark elicits a grin, but the low-percentage script is loaded with buckshot, not harpoons, and Anchorman 2 ends up sinking.

The flashbacks, which get almost as much screen time as the present day story, are far more compelling.

A bit undernourished to fit into the crown of a comedy classic. But the sharp wit, soft-focus cinematography and slow-motion lyricism lift it into the realm of this summer’s nicest surprises.

There’s plenty of talk about sex — even from Brandy’s supportive mom (Connie Britton), who offers her lubricant — but not much nudity or consequence. In The To Do List, sex is just another dubious achievement to outgrow.

The movie is enjoyable if it isn't taken too seriously. Geena Davis sparkles as a TV reporter who is among those rescued, Chevy Chase is amusing in an uncredited role as a TV executive and Garcia is, as usual, both charming and believable, in a movie-star kind of way. Hoffman is always interesting to watch, even when, as in this movie, he reminds us a little too much of some of the other roles on his resume. [04 Oct 1992, p.12C]

The Sense of an Ending does not provide easy answers. But it raises intriguing questions.

Difficult to watch at times, Star Maps is imbued with enough raw humor and emotionalism that the overall result is gripping. [22 Aug 1997, p.3E]

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

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.

Hot Shots! is packed with enough sight gags and slapstick to keep an audience grinning even when some of the jokes fall flat. This isn't as funny as "Airplane!" but it's not a bad try...Hot Shots! isn't the sort of movie that will set you thinking, but for mindless, summer entertainment it fills the bill nicely. [6 Aug 1991, p.4D]

In place of a rousing adventure, Blackthorn is a haunting ode.

Snappy writing, excellent acting and sharp editing make this comedy zing as the Addams family finds love, lust and lichen growing in its midst. [19 Nov 1993, p.3F]

Moore's voice is weak and fuzzy, directed at a choir that should already know the words by heart.

Only a heartfelt performance by Diane Lane rescues the film from abject mediocrity.

For better or worse, the whole exercise in lurid leg-pulling goes out with a bang.

How you feel about Fast & Furious 6 is a matter of perspective. While a middle-age egghead might note that a series that started out as a harmless cars-and-girls fantasy has devolved into a full-blown assault on human intelligence.

Penn has created a colorful tour guide, but in This Must Be the Place, there's no there there.

The way that Muppets Most Wanted grabs for the green is criminal.

Extract has some flavor, but the comedic kick is diluted by flat characters and a thin story.

The climax is a little jiggy, almost stupid, given how sharp the dialogue and situations are until that point. It's as if Baumbach just ran out of steam. But given how much there is to like about the movie, its flaws are forgivable. Yes, it's a bit slow in places and talky but it's also funny. And much o f the humor is subtle and smart and nicely calibrated. [19 June 1998, p.E3]

It all makes for an appealing blend of flavors and influences, and despite its minor flaws, “Blue Beetle” combines family, history and culture with an upbeat tone to introduce a character who offers an exciting new direction for DC.

When a man whose wife was killed by cultists invites us to laugh at life's absurdities, the particulars are almost incidental.

The wrinkles between reality and illusion soon become irritating.

Anchored by its leads, Coup! is a tasty morsel of social commentary about problems that continue to plague our world.

In getting so many of the Midwestern details wrong, worldly director Bahrani (“Chop Shop”) teaches an inadvertent lesson to aspiring filmmakers who want to follow his footsteps to the festival circuit: Grow where you’re planted.

It bodes well for the future of the franchise that Renner and Weisz share not only a gripping predicament but something more important: chemistry.

This vision of a violent future makes Elysium well worth seeing, even as the conventional violence of the thriller finale makes it a missed opportunity.

THE LAIR of the White Worm is an extremely silly and rather bloody movie. If you are willing to accept it as a tacky spoof of tacky horror movies, you should find it funny - at times, downright hilarious. [3 Feb 1989, p.3G]

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

An adequate action film, but it lacks the envelope-pushing artistry of the original.

The kids in the movie, from musicians to marital artists, are unusually skillful, and Smith seems assured of more starring roles. By the end of The Karate Kid, we can't help cheering, even when we know we've been sucker-punched.

Sometimes brilliantly original, at other times dull and formulaic, Mo' Better Blues is well worth seeing - for jazz and Spike Lee fans, it's a must-see - but it often fails to engage us on a deep emotional level. [03 Aug 1990, p.3F]

Kingsman is like a high-speed collision between a Jaguar and a jaywalking soccer hooligan. It’s ridiculously out of balance, and when you’re stuck in the middle, it doesn’t seem so funny.

In the early scenes, Cambridge brilliantly conveys Gerber's obnoxiousness while making him sympathetic. Later, Cambridge imbues the character with a blend of outrage and pride that's breathtaking. [31 Jul 2008, p.8]

The sharpest parts of the movie hack through the Hollywood jungle with an insider's certitude. But Apatow is so grounded in the comedy circuit that he can't quite capture the emotional wavelength of the life-and-death drama.

Working from a screenplay by Susan Coyne, director Bharat Nalluri maintains a pace that brings to mind a wagon loaded down with too many Christmas trees. Though the movie has a great look, it’s short on storytelling magic.

Spectre isn’t bad — just slightly disappointing.

This reboot starring some of today’s finest comic actors — male or female — is a wonderfully hilarious and boldly imaginative creation in its own right.

Our Idiot Brother is smart entertainment.

Although it has a great look and offers a few thrills, the animated film 9 is one of this year's biggest disappointments.

With elements of a musical, a melodrama and a multicultural romance, Where Do We Go Now? is as hard to define as the crossroads region where it's set. But even without a clear signal, it sometimes seems miraculous.

While the chronological details and social significance of the story Webb reported get shortchanged, Kill the Messenger is a vital reminder that a free press must be free to press the powerful for answers.

A high-wire act that could crash if the actors were out of sync, but under this big top, the never-better Segel keeps everyone aloft.

An old-fashioned film that slyly nods to contemporary sensibilities, Allied is an engaging showcase for Pitt and Cotillard.