One of those rare sequels that's even better than the original.

Wes Craven continues to explore (and blur) the lines between reelity and reality with his latest, and perhaps best, cinematic slice of horror.

Gordon directs with a graceful precision and shorthand that makes the story seem simple, though it's anything but. Indeed, it's fascinatingly complex, juggling time periods and political, mystical, and psychological themes without ever losing touch with the core message: Love conquers all.

A heart-tugging potboiler that is at once poetic, tragic and cold as steel.

Spectacular, wrenching masterpiece that unflinchingly documents the random horror, the grisly spectacle and the ugliness of war.

A dark comical masterpiece that single-handedly announces the collapse of the American family infrastructure as it exists on the brink of Y2K.

This just may be the greatest war movie ever made.

So moving, so memorable, so magically produced, it's going to delight millions of movie fans and sweep the Oscars.

An exhilarating, fascinating story about the amazing and horrifying depth we are sinking toward as we strain to raise the entertainment bar another notch.

About as much pure fun as you'll have in a movie theater this summer.

Blessed substance marries beautiful style in a '90s film noir.

Near-perfect editing, and cleverly poignant dialogue.

Frighteningly intelligent and visually stunning film.

Myers gives us all of the exaggerated physical schtick of Jim Carrey plus the added bonus of wickedly clever writing that refuses to let you escape.

As gruesome as Fargo is, the Coens keep us laughing with a Hollywood-centric view of middle America.

Scott Hicks adapts David Guterson's best-selling novel as if it was poetry.

One of the funniest films of the year... enough laugh-out-loud moments.

The scene-stealer here is Bill Murray, who, after 25 years of near-hits, finds his most fully realized character yet.

Observations on the modern office space are dead-on, and I dare you not to laugh out loud at a few of the sophomoric jokes!

May well stand as his (Chan) final word on true martial arts cinema.

Manages to present rave youth's on-the-go attitude as well as "Swingers" exposed its hipster culture.

The definitive representation of young American men at the start of the 21st century.

The most romantic film of the year.

Ranks with the best of the bunch, given its spooky storyline that fuses religion with down-to-earth characters.

The what-you-don't-see element makes this an excellent film for people with overactive imaginations, and if that's you, it will scare the living crap out of you.

Allen's deadpan humor shines through every crevice of the film, keeping the pacing sharp, the dialogue snappy, and the situations feeling real.

Simply, one of the year's best films.

The Wachowski Brothers have created some of the most unrivaled and imaginative sci-fi in years.

A brilliant, haunting film.

It's full of energy and drops an emotional bomb with its unexpected tale of reluctant heroes.

Irresistibly bleak appeal.

A deeply affecting allegory that explores the symbiotic relationship between genius and madness.

It's clear that Schumacher has risen from the self-imposed dreck of "Batman & Robin" and has returned to Hollywood to tell a good story.

One of year's most thought-provoking and soul-stirring films.

Confirms its place as one of the best first films in recent memory, and one of this year's very best films.

It's super!

Walt would be proud.

Its unique message about laughing in the face of evil clearly reveals that life is beautiful.

Roberts shines.

A movie that kids may want to see again and again, and adults will be happy to oblige.

What makes this film so powerful is that its unanswered questions force the audience to examine hate and its consequences making American History X one lesson you can't miss.

A must-see.

What's fascinating about Morris's riveting portrait is the notion that monsters can be born not just out of overwhelming evil, but pure egotism and stupidity -- much more mundane, yet still dangerous.

As lensed brillantly by 26-year-old Anderson, the movie is at once tasteful and raunchy.

A provocative success; wiping away the gore, Harron and Bale have found a mirror that forces us to look at ourselves and ask tough, disturbing questions -- which is ultimately what the best satire always does.

The talented Mr. Minghella is aping Alfred Hitchcock as effectively as Tom Ripley is doing Dickie Greenleaf.

Zemeckis is more interested here in getting us thinking (and feeling) than in telling us what to think.

Unfortunately, no awards committee is hip enough to praise this strange masterpiece.

I found myself roaring at the grotesque way some of the characters talk to their pets, pausing only briefly when I realized that I do precisely the same thing.

Nicholson is near-perfect as he slowly allows callous cruelty to give way to vulnerability in one of the most original, idiosynchratic roles of the year.

The only fault I found was a lengthy build to the story's political climax (there's a subplot about slavery), after which the film quickly seams up its unravelings and ends.

Willis puts his action-hero stereotype on the back burner to deliver one of his most intriguing roles since "12 Monkeys."

Like a lot of anime, it's overlong and gets way too metaphysical at the end, but ultimately, this is a Princess worth worshipping.

Sarandon and Portman have sizzling electricity that makes every funny, touching or sad moment between them seem even more fascinating than the last.

The power of the Fiennes/Scott Thomas affair burns through the clutter (imagine "Casablanca" meets "Map of the Human Heart") making The English Patient a theatrical must-see.

I didn't want it to end. I could have easily sat there for another two-and-a-half hours to find out what happens next.

A surreal and visually dazzling smorgasbord of pageantry, high camp, tragedy, spectacle, and gore.

One of this year's most dazzling entertainments, not to mention one of the best comic-book movies ever made.

Professional wrestling might not be real, folks -- but, after watching this poignant and simple documentary, you might start questioning where the make-believe begins.

Every so often, a movie comes along that is so bad, so unfunny, so incredibly awful that it redefines how you think about film. Stardom is just such a movie.

Any minor annoyances are eclipsed by great performances from the entire cast.

Hilarious.

Thornton has written himself the role of a lifetime, yet he plays Karl with neither condescension nor saintliness.

If all history lessons were this stylish, elementary school would have been a better place.

What more can we ask from a romantic comedy?

The journey -- long, dark, pungent, and twisted as it is -- is well worth the taking.

Despite uneven pacing -- Girl, Interrupted deftly collapses then and now to create a very personal film filled with heart-tugs and surprisingly funny moments.

For now, there are enough big laughs and women in tight clothing to make this one of the best comedy sequels in recent memory and a worthy candidate for the smart, no-brainer comedy of the summer.

Overall, a solid piece of film that not only entertains but also educates.

The electrifying jolt that they gave to a moribund music scene, and British society in particular, is still riveting to watch.

Funny, profane and surprisingly painful at times.

Not to be missed, one of the year's best, a whole lotta laughs, and 4-stars all rolled into one.

This is a warm, accessible story with delightful characters and a nice metaphor about following your own rules.

Compellingly watchable.

What makes up for the, at times, slow-moving theatrics is the physical beauty of Pleasantville.

This Andy has "Oscar" written all over it.

High Fidelity’s hip structure and offbeat characters provide consistent laughs and a good time.

Entertaining and educational.

Moore and Fiennes both give impassioned, sexy performances.

Lawrence goes the extreme distance to make you fall out of your chair laughing.

An ultra-violent cinematic rendering which will appeal to those moviegoers who like their action dramas laced with nice touches of meta-physicality and left-of-center humor.

It's some scary fun to watch.

A devilishly fun blow-em-up that pits The Terminator vs. The Fallen One.

Succeeds at getting the viewer to buy into its premise, thanks to solid, often moving characterizations and the gripping way the plot is spun.

See Wonder Boys for the acting, particularly McDormand and Maguire, but use the goofy moments to get popcorn refills.

Does exactly what it should: Take the wee ones on a vicarious trip through an adventure both visually terrifying and emotionally thrilling at the same time.

Emerges as a thoughtful reflection on the many roles women must play throughout their lives.

Frequently hilarious, often profound, and occasionally stupid.

Polley's doe-eyed innocence is in overdrive.

Jokes, cheerleading and a love story...not a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon.

Fans of the greatest working film director will be pleased.

Although Romeo Must Die sets new standards for action films, the action drowns to a predictable and ridiculous plot.

Only so much (pop)cornball tubthumping, a sweeping, occasionally stirring, always gorgeous bit of action-figure history.

In between all this head-scratching nonsense, Sleepy Hollow can be fun, usually whenever the Headless Horseman shows up for swordplay that's better than anything in "The Phantom Menace."

What elevates Gladiator to the near-greatness it occasionally achieves is the performance of Russell Crowe as Maximus.

Though Twin Falls Idaho fascinatingly uncovers the complexities of conjoined twins, it is more about any sibling relationship where one feels simultaneously burdened and uplifted by the other.

It's the triumph of the human spirit in its never-ending quest to be an original no matter what the establishment says.

Murphy still knows how to please a crowd.