This is a movie with a plot that’s as predictable as a well-tuned washing machine...What saves this movie from insipidness is an endearing performance by Walter Matthau as the cantankerous Mr. Wilson.

Life With Mikey is spun with delightful wisecracks, a childlike charm and the exhilaration of surmounting the odds - even though the sum of these parts cloys just a bit. [1 June 1993]

Made in America has a deficit problem - it's a comedy with woefully few good jokes, a leading man and woman with a serious lack of chemistry, and a plot that has as much credibility as a campaign promise. [27 May 1993]

The actors perform their deadpan duties satisfactorily. The news about Charlie Sheen is his pumped-up body. Look out, Arnold and Sly! Bridges is amusingly wild-eyed as the bionic president, and Golino manages to be sexy and funny at the same time.

Dave is a movie packed with many, many magical moments. They seem childlike in their simplicity, just as spontaneous ... and just as charming. [06 May 1993]

Indian Summer is as sunny as a June day is long and as charming as a late-night marshmallow roast and just about as fluffy. There's not much to the movie, although it seems desperately to want to be taken seriously. [20 Apr 1993]

Tracy Torme's script is laden with plot holes and humdrum dialogue, and Robert Lieberman's direction does little to cure the deficiencies. [16 Mar 1993]

Stunningly stupid! Amazingly bad! Incredibly awful! Just downright terrible! [17 Feb 1993]

For all its obviousness and insipid dialogue, Sniper does have many moments of armchair-clutching suspense as the two Americans dance and dodge their way around those speeding rebel bullets. And now and then there are flashes about the dark memories that sniper must endure. It's just that those moments and insights are unfortunately too few. [27 Jan 1993]

In spite of its wild sex scenes, it's one of the year's more cerebral films - a contradiction which makes it all the more interesting. [22 Dec 1992]

The ever-astounding Robin Williams is the battery that makes Toys work. He is at the peak of his inventiveness, yet he never loses the handle on his character. [15 Dec 1992]

I thought that The Muppet Christmas Carol was a wonderful movie. The Muppets' re-enactment of the story was funny and touching and full of Christmas spirit. Michael Caine was a perfect Scrooge, in looks, manner and expression. [9 Sept 1992]

A bit of a charmer, an Ugly Duckling story with a sly wit that keeps it from sliding off into vulgarity. [19 Apr 1993]

Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, Jennifer Eight (code name for the case) is a gripping though improbable thriller with an ample number of plot twists. [9 Nov 1992]

Is it pornographic? Not by today's standards. It is certainly erotic, but no more so than "Basic Instinct" and other big-studio movies. The couplings of The Young Girl and The Chinese Man (their names are never disclosed) are natural and even lyrical, except for one punishing incident. [2 Nov 1992]

The interweaving of the characters is a masterpiece of invention. Husbands and Wives ranks with Allen's best, as mature but darker than "Hannah and Her Sisters." The laughs come not as readily, and snickers of recognition will be epidemic. But whatever happens in the courts, Allen remains the screen's best social commentator. [14 Sept 1992]

Written by Robbins, the film is uneven. It drags in a few places and the ending is a little heavy-handed. But Bob Roberts is still an intelligent and accomplished satire, not bad at all for an actor turned director. [31 Aug 1992]

Cage perfectly expresses the rage and frustration of the postponed bridegroom, and Miss Parker is a real find. Caan completes the triangle with insidious charm. [28 Aug 1992]

A first-class thriller that will strike a terrifying note with anyone who's ever met the roommate from hell. [12 Aug 1992]

It seems the filmmaker just can't decide where he wants to go with this movie. It's far too predictable and just not scary enough to be a chilling thriller. It's not clever or sophisticated enough to be campy. It's far too insipid to be taken as a thoughtful psychological drama. And it lacks the smooth, compelling or joyful ride expected of pure entertainment. [06 Aug 1992]

Miss Plowright's performance is an absolute marvel. Her transition from the acid-tongued widow to a wisely compassionate woman warms the heart. [20 July 1992]

While Mistress might gnaw a bit at the problems it tries to confront, it never really sinks its teeth into them. [15 Mar 1993]

The laughs run out early and the balance of the film relies on special effects to tickle the audience’s funny bone.

The cast responds with excellent work. Brooke Adams expresses all the yearning and futility of a hard-pressed mother, and Ione Skye and Fairuza Balk shine as the daughters. The males are dimensional, too, and Brolin's brief performance suggests a future as a character actor. [10 Aug 1982]

It's harmless family fun. [1 June 1992]

There's no law that says teen-age comedies must be totally dopey. It's a relief to find one like Class Act, which has an abundance of silliness, yet manages to generate belly laughs. That's largely due to the efforts of Kid 'N Play, who demonstrate as much skill at film comedy as they do with rap music. [08 Jun 1992]

Lethal Weapon 3 offends on all levels. With its empty-headed direction and lazy acting, the film deserves to be ignored. [14 May 1992]

Poison Ivy was directed by Katt Shea and produced by Andy Ruben. They collaborated on a script that is tightly written, loaded with portentous events and a few surprises. Obviously, they operated on a tight budget, but they have overcome the limitations by wise casting. Drew Barrymore is a revelation. [07 May 1992]

Donaldson ("No Way Out," "Marie") directs from a script by Daniel Pyne ("Pacific Heights," "Doc Hollywood"). He spins wheels at times and goes nowhere fast, but manages to produce a fairly even little adventure. There are good performances from the leads, with Rourke his usual nasty self - he's even sprayed his hair into a goofy-looking '50s 'do. Dafoe is determined and no-nonsense; Jackson is a proper, though somewhat manic, villain; and Mastrantonio provides a softened edge to the rough stuff. [20 Apr 1992]

Shelton takes us right to the street hoops and slam dunks a winner. The movie is funny, it's fast and it's funky. [26 Mar 1992]

Noises Off is a raucous, riotous romp that will leave you delightfully giddy from the wonderful on-screen frenzy and non-stop laughs. It's the kind of comedy we haven't seen in a while, one that doesn't rely on righteous dudes or far-out babes to make us laugh. It's all silly farce, played out by an effective ensemble of screen and TV actors. [19 March 1992]

Campbell and Crane get along about as well as a mosquito and a can of Raid. Unfortunately, their abrasive relationship has none of the delicious repartee of a Tracy and Hepburn, or a Grant and Dunne and only serves to slow down the plot. [05 Feb 1992]

Lawrence of Arabia it ain't. But who cares? The fighting is great, the action nonstop and this guy has killer legs from hell that can drop a 500-pound ninja before he can say Bruce Lee.

Chris Columbus, who wrote and directed as he did for Home Alone, enhances the comedic bits with commentary on the human condition: the emergence of male-female love; the silver cord between mother and son; the plight of aging single men whose only ties are their pub companions.

A Kiss Before Dying longs to be a thriller in the spirit of Alfred Hitchcock, but tailspins into the mire of Bret Easton Ellis. This is a witless, poorly constructed movie, stumbling over plot holes as big as Hitchcock's belly. [22 Apr 1991]

The Comfort of Strangers is a sinister movie, not scary in the sense of a horror film but eerie enough to haunt the deep recesses of your mind long after the operatic music and the lush Italian settings have faded. [02 Apr 1991]

Central to the effectiveness of the film is the performance of Sally Field as Betty. She is magnificent. No star is more proficient at portraying the American woman beset by woes not of her own making. In her unadorned face are reflected the compassion, the sense of betrayal, the suffering, the maternal love and the gumption to escape her bondage. [07 Jan 1991]

What's off about this latest De Palma work is that the movie can't be taken seriously. The characters are straight out of a comic strip and proceed through some cartoon-like situations. And so, viewed in this way, it becomes an enjoyable romp. [17 Dec 1990]

With Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson as the Three Men, you can forgive the artifice. All three have affable, winning personalities - not a hint of darkness in any of them. And it's refreshing to see a buddy movie without blazing Uzis and crashing cars. [19 Nov 1990]

The wrong version of Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael must have been released, because this sloppy-looking film never should have been allowed into theaters. [11 Oct 1990]

As director, producer and star, Eastwood has made his most ambitious film, traveling to England and Zimbabwe and working with raging rivers and charging elephants. He has added immeasurably to his stature in all three capacities. [12 Sep 1990]

But the movie falls flat with pat situations and predictable action sequences. And in this the summer of mega-action hits, a filmmaker has to devise something different and totally brash to woo audiences...The dialogue suffers from terminal silliness. [19 July 1990]

RoboCop 2 offers yet another argument against the issuance of sequels. [21 June 1990]

A sure sign that a movie is doomed from the start is when it opens with a printed quote from President Bush's September 1989 so-called "war" on Colombian drug lords, and the screening audience giggles. Fire Birds tumbles to the very depths of lousy filmmaking on that note. [21 May 1990]

Crazy People is the inspired work of writer Mitch Markowitz ("Good Morning, Vietnam") who started as director but was replaced by Tony Bill. Markowitz's script is bright and original, suffering only in the late portions when the plot has to be tidied up. [11 Apr 1990]

John Frankenheimer is an old hand at directing this kind of macho confrontation, and he masterfully builds the tension. The bone-chilling terrain (actually Canada) adds immeasurably to the film's effectiveness. [20 Mar 1990]

A Shock to the System marks a promising entry into feature films for Jan Egleson, who has directed prestige films for public television. He skillfully plays the murderous events against the normality of New York high rises and peaceful suburbia. [02 Apr 1990]

Since the men are Anthony Quinn and Kevin Costner and their mutual love is a stunning newcomer, Madeleine Stowe, the film rises above formula. [13 Feb 1990]

Figgis' uneven pacing and reliance on blood and guts makes this a difficult movie to watch. Still, his handling of the clash between the two cops makes Internal Affairs somewhat compelling but far less interesting than his Stormy Monday. And his ending for Internal Affairs is a cop-out and predictable. [03 Jan 1990]

The Little Mermaid is magic and joy for everyone, and teaches us all to never lose sight of dreams and hope. [06 Nov 1989]

It is a slick, well-made film, graced by the stirring performance of Paul Newman, but it offers little that is new about that crucial chapter in the world's history. [30 Oct 1989]

The Package manages a degree of believability, thanks in large part to Hackman's customary professionalism. Probably no other star could convey such credibility. [24 Aug 1989]

Great Balls of Fire is fun to watch, especially Quaid's gymnastics and clownish grimaces. But the movie lacks authenticity; it seems to be laughing at itself and at the era it purports to chronicle. [29 June 1989]

The special effects are terrific and the idea, based on a story by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, is clever and could be downright scary. But the pacing is soooooooooooo slow you can fast-forward by five minutes and still be on the same scene and practically the same word. [30 Aug 1989]

The bad news is that Pink Cadillac treads on old ground and never really takes off. [24 May 1989]

The battle of the heads in "How to Get Ahead in Advertising" is curious, bizarre and at times distasteful. The plot becomes almost existential, but the ending is a cop-out. [21 Nov 1989]

In portraits bursting with the magic and eccentricities of the same Southern literary tradition that gave us William Faulkner, Harper Lee and Tennesee Williams, Henley has created memorable and rich characters. These are real people, not Hollywood plastics.

The movie is stupid and silly no matter how you look at it. It takes a stab at some sort of backward humor about feminism and male chauvinism. But it's merely pretentious and not very funny. [18 Apr 1989]

Oliver and Company is the most fully realized animated film from the Disney Co. since 101 Dalmatians. It is inspired entertainment in all departments: characters, animation, comedy, plot and voices. [28 Nov 1988]

Child's Play is more than just an odyssey of revenge; it is a chiller that will make you think twice about cuddling those ugly little Cabbage Patch kids or visiting Barbie's townhouse. [21 Nov 1988]

The performances are triumphant. Bust out all the adjectives for Tom Hanks; following his "Big" splash, he is unquestionably the front-runner in the 1988 Academy Award race. Sally Field displays an unexpected comedy flair, as well as the earnestness for which she is noted. Equally effective is Rydell, better known as a director ("On Golden Pond"). [4 Oct 1988]

Clara's Heart is a warm movie with many lessons to tell, if one is willing to listen. Its force is aided by Goldberg's performance and a noteworthy movie debut of Neil Patrick Harris as David. [17 Oct 1988]

Stand and Deliver is a kind of thinking man's Rocky: melodramatic, full of street-level emotion, with a knockout of an ending that may even convince you that good can occasionally triumph against implausible odds. [07 Apr 1988]

Vice Versa, in fact, is a nifty comedy of the supernatural variety. It benefits from a clever script by Dick Clement and Ian LaFrenais (who also produced), lively direction by Brian Gilbert and the inspired teaming of Reinhold and young Savage as the misplaced father and son. [21 Apr 1988]

A movie in the grand tradition of storytelling. It is intimate yet epic, a compelling human triangle played against the cataclysm of the 1968 Soviet invasion. [15 March 1988]

The gorgeous Elizabeth McGovern makes up for the sketchiness with rare depth of feeling.

The situation might have seemed merely a script writer's contrivance except that Howard Franklin ("The Name of the Rose") has fashioned a plot that is both convincing and affecting. Director Ridley Scott happily keeps the human situation in the foreground while exercising his remarkable visual talent. [5 Nov 1987]

First-time director Ben Bolt, son of writer Robert Bolt, evokes excitement with the gambling scenes, but the climactic shooting is poorly staged, and the epilogue is a letdown. [21 Oct 1987]

Real Men is a far-out farce about male bonding and role reversals that sinks under the weight of its own absurdity. [16 Jun 1988]

Seeing Hamburger Hill is like watching the 6 o'clock news almost two decades ago. Part of this reality is due to the special effects, which were coordinated by Joe Lombardi. The napalm sears the screen; the tracers rip right through it. [14 Oct 1987]

Brilliant and hilarious. [29 July 1987]

It is a slick, well-acted mystery with enough stomach-turning horror to make The Exorcist seem G-rated.

Hill is a modern-day Peckinpah. But is there really a need for this pointless, graphic violence in the 1980s? Is this escapism, or is it just a distasteful, needless reflection of what has become horrifyingly common in the real world?

The original screenplay by Stanley Weiser (based on a story by Weiser and Lasker) offers intriguing situations, and Jonathan Kaplan's direction hurries the action along. Perhaps because he has covered the same territory before, Broderick's performance is surprisingly flat. Helen Hunt fares better, especially in her scenes with Willie. [18 June 1987]

The film may not be top-drawer Reynolds, but it is superior to most of today's action films. [30 Apr 1987]

Richard Donner (Superman) directed with an expert eye for action but impaired vision for logic. The climax comes with a samurai-like duel between Gibson and Busey while Glover and fellow officers watch. This is the crowning absurdity. [03 Apr 1987]

This predictable family drama leads up to an equally predictable battle of goliaths who fight with one arm only. Over the Top boasts one distinction: it is the first major movie about arm-wrestling. Don't look for a cycle to follow. [23 Mar 1987]

Light of Day flounders because of Schrader's simplistic symbolism: the rebellious children, the unhearing mother, the lifeless father. The story limps from one predictable scene to the next. [17 Mar 1987]

Radio Days maintains a joyful balance between reality and a world of dreams. [14 Mar 1987]

The ecological message is commendable, and there are some amusing situations with the space travelers in contemporary scenes. Nimoy's direction keeps a lively pace and the special effects are state of the art, as always. [08 Jan 1987]

Roland Joffe has directed an earnest and well-meaning film but the crushing inevitability of the climax makes it a less than rewarding experience. [17 Dec 1986]

Soul Man isn't designed for realism, nor does it aim at any lofty moral. It was concocted strictly for laughs, and it delivers an adequate number. [24 Dec 1986]

In terms of human understanding, the film is worth dozens of documentaries on deafness. [10 Dec 1986]

Whether these Hollywood touches will make the film appealing to the Rambo crowd is doubtful. By all means, read the book first. [24 Sept 1986]

A taut, even thoughtful thriller that offers 90 minutes of almost unrelieved tension. The plot is full of unexpected turns, the acting is terrific and the direction holds attention throughout. No "Cobra," this. [1 Oct 1986]

Flight of the Navigator won't earn a place among Disney's classics, but it's a perfectly entertaining sci-fi movie that does a creditable job with the stale human-meets-alien theme. [18 Sep 1986]

First-time director Arnold Zwick does a fine job of capturing the vitality of the singles scene. [30 July 1986]

If you have a twisted sense of humor and like cheap thrills, you'll probably love Psycho III. [14 Aug 1986]

Just when you thought that sophistication had vanished from the silver screen, along comes Legal Eagles to gladden the heart and charge the intellect. [16 July 1986]

A disturbingly vivid new film by Neil Jordan for George Harrison's Handmade Films. It is distinguished by a riveting performance by Bob Hoskins, who was named best male performer at the recent Cannes Film Festival. He is certain to receive Academy consideration early next year.

Despite the gripping action scenes and a mostly witty, mile-a-minute, off-color script, the movie ultimately fails to produce the emotional tug of other films about journalists in war, particularly Roland Joffe's "The Killing Fields" and Peter Weir's "The Year of Living Dangerously."The script borders on pompous silliness when Boyle launches into a diatribe on American hypocrisy, and unbelievable sentimentality when Salvadoran rebels are shown in heroic poses as Latin American folk songs ring out in the background... Nevertheless, "Salvador" still has the gritty, violent quality shared by other films by Stone: "Midnight Express" and "Scarface." None of these films is easy to watch, but each keeps you glued to the screen.

Ivory glides his players through magnificent Italian and English landscapes and in drawing rooms that breathe authenticity. Two scenes are unforgettable: when the two lovers witness a violent stabbing scene in the Florence piazza; and when the heroine, her mother and fiance encounter three of the male characters in an innocent nude frolic in a wooded pond. [1 May 1986]

With the help of Williams' quirky charm and a rock-solid performance by Kurt Russell, the feat is made believable. Well, most of the time. [3 Feb 1986]

Power fails, not because it is badly done; Lumet and an exceptional cast do their best to bring it to life. But they are ultimately defeated by an overplotted script that offers few surprises and no real revelations about today's politics. [17 Feb 1986]

The cast is marvelously filled out with John Heard as Ludie and Carlin Glynn as Jessie Mae. As an ensemble, it is as fine a cast as one could want. [6 Jan 1986]

If Out of Africa falls short of greatness, its fault lies in the politeness of one and all. Except for a brief argument between Streep and Redford, everyone remains deucedly civil. You find yourself hoping that someone - anyone - would just stand up and yell. [30 Dec 1985]

It is mainly the characters who have suffered in Jewel of the Nile. The bouncy relationship between Turner and Douglas has been lost; she appears mindlessly headstrong, he devotes his time to extricating her from trouble. A superior comic, DeVito has a one-note role of constant choler. [16 Dec 1985]

The abundance of special effects, no matter how clever, overbalances the charming premise of Young Sherlock Holmes. [9 Dec 1985]