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]