Reiner, with McKean, Guest and Harry Shearer (who plays bassist Derek Smalls), have done a great job in creating and portraying characters that are dimwitted, cliched and yet oddly endearing. [20 March 1984]

Harry and Son is uneven, rambling into irrelevant subplots. But the strength of Newman's character holds the film together. [06 Mar 1984]

Roger Young's direction is crisply paced, but the script shortchanges the women. Lauren Hutton is unconvincing as the murderous counterspy, and Jane Seymour does little more than wait for Lassiter to come home. [28 Feb 1984]

Allen is expert at playing life's victims, but he never was more persuasive. Even when he is striving hopelessly to retain the one client with a chance for stardom, Danny Rose retains a certain dignity. Woody Allen remains the most original and daring comedy artist in films today. [16 Jan 1984]

Miss Streisand excels in all departments. [21 Nov 1983]

Michael Apted's direction keeps the tension high most of the time, and Dennis Potter's screenplay ably wends through the very complex plot that has but a few loose ends. [13 Dec 1983]

The story of centerfold girl Dorothy Stratton has been told before, in a television movie and countless articles. But Fosse gives it new and immediate strength through his superior talent as a filmmaker. [7 Nov 1983]

Testament makes nuclear war a disaster that must never happen, not by showing its massive devastation, but by depicting humanity's capacity to love. [29 Nov 1983]

BRAINSTORM, despite its tragic history, emerges as a well made, thought provoking, exciting piece of science fiction. [7 Oct 1983]

Fire and Ice combines fairy tale with sword-and-sorcery for a visually impressive, often exciting feat of animation. [05 Sep 1983]

Yellowbeard is a puzzlement. How could so many comedic talents produce such a mirthless movie? [27 Jun 1983]

The creators of Superman III give us a picture puzzle of assorted plots that never meld coherently. [13 June 1983]

BREATHLESS may attract attention because of the ample display of Richard Gere, but it is a hollow, cynically exploitive film. [23 May 1983]

In his first major film without partner John Belushi, Aykroyd proves a film comedian of first rank. [9 May 1983]

The plot is simplistic, but the film makes no pretense. It is aimed at the action fans, and it should immensely please them. [11 Apr 1983]

Not since Rocky has a modest, unheralded movie proved so satisfying. [31 Oct 1983]

The Pirates of Penzance is not for everyone. Gilbert and Sullivan purists, beware. Rock fans, watch out. But for those who like a rollicking good show, full of inspired silliness and performed in high style, by all means go. [07 Mar 1983]

A delectable entertainment. [14 Mar 1983]

As producer of Goodbye Columbus and Kramer vs. Kramer, Stanley Jaffe has proved his understanding of human relationships. As a first-time director, he seems overly attentive to everyday detail. But he handles his actors with skill, evoking a beautifully sustained performance from Kate Nelligan as the mother who would not abandon hope. [07 Feb 1983]

David Mamet's lean, hard screenplay and Sidney Lumet's no-frills direction give the audience someone to root for, just like Rocky Balboa. And Paul Newman has the role of his later career. [7 Dec 1982]

There are lots of laughs in the script by Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson, as well as wry insights into modern relationships. [20 Dec 1982]

In pants or skirts, Hoffman remains true to character, and his perplexity is real, especially when one girlfriend (Teri Garr) suspects he is a gay male, while the other (Jessica Lange) believes he is a lesbian female. Both actresses are excellent, and Miss Lange continues her promise to become a superstar of the 1980s. [27 Dec 1982]

The film has much to recommend it: great scenery, thrilling climbs, expert acting, Zinnemann's meticulous direction. But an oppressive melancholy overhangs the proceedings like an alpine mist, and the conclusion brings a feeling of hopelessness. [22 Nov 1982]

For most of the film, the non-stop action is totally involving, and Stallone gives a dynamic performance that could break him out of the Rocky groove. [11 Oct 1982]

My Favorite Year probably won't be your favorite movie this year, although actor-turned-director Richard Benjamin tries hard to provide the slapstick escapism today's recession-weary audiences supposedly crave. [27 Sep 1982]

The solution is a bit pat and anticlimactic, but it is heartening to find a movie that concerns itself with real and present social issues. [21 Oct 1982]

Mazursky lets it all run too long, by a half-hour at least, but he also offers a menu of rare delights. [27 Aug 1982]

It’s a pretty grim portrait, but even worse it is often repetitive and boring. There are probably enough powerful segments for half a dozen or so outstanding rock videos but not a full-length feature. [13 Sept 1982]