A remake of a 2003 French Canadian movie, The Grand Seduction is more bland than grand and more eccentric than seductive.

It fails to live up to its early promise, mostly because of an uneven tone and murky character development

Like "Blazing Saddles", A Million Ways to Die in the West has a slew of comic set-ups and one-liners that kill. And, as with Mel Brooks' classic 1974 film, it steps unabashedly into vulgar terrain.

The Love Punch is a romantic comedy as painfully unfunny as a sock in the jaw.

July is solid throwback storytelling, a crime yarn that may not blow you away but can cut to the bone.

Think of it as a thrill ride with gravitas.

You have to work hard to make an African vacation seem unpleasant. And Adam Sandler nearly pulls it off in Blended.

Godzilla 2014 is a more somber and frightening reboot than the cartoonish 1998 movie.

Palo Alto marks one of those rare films that is so accurate in its portrayal of characters that the movie suffers for it.

Alas, Wolf tries too hard to shock to be effective.

Glimmers of a fascinating and lively period film surface and fade in the first half-hour of The Immigrant. What predominates is a dully morose, overheated and implausible story.

When it focuses on the clash of cultures, laughs naturally flow. When it follows the familiar sports movie playbook too slavishly, it grows tedious.

Neighbors is the "Animal House" for an era in which food fights seem quaint.

A slow-cooked film that's one of the most heartwarming of the young year.

Mothers deserve a much better break than the hectic, shrill and dismally unpleasant Moms' Night Out.

While the film is not nearly as evocative as Egoyan's 1997 masterpiece "The Sweet Hereafter" (also about children who died tragically), it is still an intrinsically fascinating story.

And that's Fed Up's ultimate, if not fatal, weakness: The movie seems to acquit consumers of any culpability in our health crisis.

The layered film's blend of Austen-style romance, courtroom drama and historical look at the British slave trade works surprisingly well, though there are moments — especially involving the conniving suitors — that teeter on melodrama.

Aerial sequences are often thrilling. However, interpersonal relations are front and center in this installment.

Narrated by Johnny Depp, a portrait emerges of an anarchic, humble spirit who now fears becoming "a visual polluter."

Blue Ruin is the rare film that is nearly consistently tense, the suspense only temporarily subsiding about an hour into the story. It's a welcome respite.

The story soon devolves into a far-fetched, futuristic snooze-fest that often defies its own logic. Characters' motivations are rarely clear, and allegiances shift with no explanation.

The breezy and sometime absurd Fading Gigolo is reminiscent of vintage Italian films and early Woody Allen movies.

It has lighthearted moments, but is also suspenseful at the right times.

A wide-eyed 4-year-old makes a fairly convincing case for the existence of an afterlife in Heaven is for Real. But it's Greg Kinnear — with his characteristic affability — that just about seals the deal.

Rio 2 teems with colorful animated splendor and elaborate musical numbers, but its rambling, hectic, if good-hearted, story is for the birds.

Unsettling and well-acted story.

For those who puzzled over the "Twilight" hoopla here are Adam and Eve, the artiest, most sophisticated pair of vampires to hit screens in a long time.

For a well-acted movie about the horrors of war and the lure of revenge, it's surprisingly dull and starchy.

Draft's reverence for the gridiron, its heroes and the cities that worship them (particularly Cleveland) will make the movie a first-round pick of diehards.

Jude Law put on 30 pounds to play this slimeball. But the weightier question is, why would he bother to take this worn-out role, at any size?

An often breathlessly exciting action thriller told with humor and intelligence.

An enthralling tale of friendship that transcends biases, Ernest & Celestine offers a lovely lesson on acceptance and inclusion.

Enlivened by a strong cast, Cesar Chavez is a straightforward and inspiring account of a noble man.

Indisputably the most violent film of the year and disputably the worst.

Noah is no by-the-book Bible story. Think of it as a visually mesmerizing sci-fi adventure saga loosely based on the book of Genesis.

For those who don't equate sexual appetite with the intricacies of fly fishing, Nymphomaniac: Vol. 1 is more tiresome than titillating.

Gyllenhaal is excellent in the dual roles, though Laurent (Inglourious Basterds) is given too little to do to make much of an impression. Isabella Rossellini has a brief, thankless role as the mother of at least one of the two look-alikes.

A breezy, mirthful caper enlivened by the comic talents of Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina Fey.

Despite two strong lead performances and a welcome dose of female empowerment, this somber tale feels too familiar and formulaic.

It's an improvement on some of Perry's other films that strike a heavy-handed moralistic note. And it lacks the silly slapstick humor of his Madea movies.

A film noir detective story that works for both devotees of the series and the uninitiated.

It's tough to summon sufficiently negative language to describe the unfunny, desperate mess that is Bad Words.

Ostensibly meant to be light entertainment. If light is synonymous with preposterous, frenetic and noisy, it qualifies.

It's a maudlin, superficial exercise in obsession masquerading as a heartfelt romance and study of grief, and character development is sorely lacking.

It's a mature, intricately layered visual delight.

Stunningly shot and stupidly written.

Lively, educational and intermittently amusing. The fun, however, grows strained and formulaic as the movie goes on.

It's undoubtedly a daunting role, and Morgado captures the gentle benevolence associated with the messianic figure. He doesn't, however, project the authority, gravitas or depth of a spiritual leader.

While it takes stabs at realism, mostly in its use of cellular and computer technology, disbelief must be suspended for full immersion in this twisty airborne thriller.

The result is a generic saga with a cast of forgettable one-dimensional characters

The result is a convoluted mess that has one good twist and two good car chases. But it's hardly enough to bring this spy flick in from the cold.

Frisky fun made all the more entertaining because of the potent chemistry between its quartet of lead actors.

Lurching back and forth through time, Winter's Tale tries to blend the supernatural and the sentimental, with a synchronous nod to elements of New York history. But this would-be magical romance flounders, hitting only dissonant chords.

What is most troubling is how this film can serve to shape perceptions for impressionable kids. Young girls and boys will think that non-stop make-out sessions is all it takes to sustain "endless love."

Moviegoers are stuck with this sci-fi thriller's bland story, murky cinematography and frenetic special effects.

The all-Lego adventure is warm and witty, showing flashes of satire.

Genial and well-intentioned, but tepid.

This thought-provoking documentary addresses the origins of Vermeer's photo-realistic art with all the suspense of a thriller.

Labor Day feels like a belabored, sappy slog.

While it has the requisite amounts of comedy and romance, it's actually more of a buddy movie. Think "Sex in the City," bro-style.

Preachy, manipulative and emotionally barren.

Hart is much like Murphy: fast-talking, mischievous and irresistible. He's so confident and good-natured that we see how Angela fell for her pint-sized slacker.

Despite some high-caliber voice talent and shimmering animation, it's hard to get a bead on this tale.

The film is slow in getting started and once it's underway it's only intermittently involving. It's also occasionally far-fetched.

There's a fun retro camp to Hercules, with nods to classics such as Ben-Hur and Spartacus, as Hercules finds himself rowing slave ships and crossing desert expanses.

It's a welcome update, qualifying as the best in the series since the first film captivated and unnerved audiences in 2007.

Survivor is a pummeling, frenzied ride, one of fall's most charged action films. The gunfights and rocket-propelled grenades are palpable, and Berg manages to make the chaos followable.

A meticulously rendered, tasteful and moving period drama.

While the visuals are lovely to behold, this unremarkable version of the classic 18th century Japanese legend is stiff and uninvolving.

Grudge could have saved itself with a rousing finale, but the buildup is so tedious you just want the fight to end.

It's rambunctious and unruly, but mesmerizing.

By trying to combine fantasy and romance with goofy humor, globe-trotting adventure and feel-good inspiration, Stiller has made Mitty a mixed bag of clashing tones and facile redemption.

The movie for anyone who has dreamed of watching young dinos in love.

Farhadi's latest film is almost hypnotically compelling, spinning an intricate web of predicaments, emotional reactions and resolutions in a domestic drama that leaves the viewer reeling by its conclusion.

Though set in the future, Her is a timely, soulful and plausible love story.

The movie cleverly spoofs the 24-hour TV news cycle, as well as sexism and racism in the workplace. Not every scene is equally funny, of course, but most of the comic antics generate laughs.

When it's not stalled on silly, it falls into slog territory.

Sentiment is at its heart. The legions who grew up on Disney's Mary Poppins will find it delightfully satisfying to hear snippets of its enormously catchy songs and watch its captivating creative journey.

With one of the best ensemble casts of any film this year, it's audacious, enthralling and uproarious.

As played by Oscar Isaac, he's snidely funny, world-weary and deeply sad. Though his story is enigmatic, the film itself is brilliantly acted, gorgeously shot and altogether captivating.

Bale's is a pitch-perfect, understated performance in this involving neo-noir thriller.

Sometimes it's the most remarkable and heroic figures whom movies can't seem to get right. Such is the case with Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, a biopic that is more dutiful than illuminating.

Wonderfully enchanting wintry fare.

Graphically gruesome when it means to be a provocative look at vengeance.

Anchored by a topnotch ensemble cast, it's toe-tapping holiday fare that's also a potent reminder that family resentments and hardened hearts serve no one.

Homefront is what "Breaking Bad" may have resembled had Sylvester Stallone written the TV show.

The concept's execution is sloppy, full of inconsistencies and plot holes. The situations teeter on funny, but never achieve it. And sections meant to be heartwarming feel lukewarm, far-fetched or inappropriately comical.

Compelling, poignant and gently funny.

Crowd-pleasing and compelling, most of all because of its fiery, charismatic heroine.

Anchoring the story is 9-year-old Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nélisse), whose first scenes are riveting.

Bruce Dern gives the performance of his career as the headstrong Woody in the brilliant, wisely observed and wryly funny Nebraska. What stands out is the fullness of the character, with mannerisms and expressions that make him wholly dimensional.

Only a few charming tidbits are nestled snugly in this over-stuffed Christmas stocking.

Jiro is a thoughtful engineer and a romantic, not a soldier. And The Wind Rises conveys the visual poetry of its titular reference.

It's an oft-told tale, but director Mike Newell's handsome version of Charles Dickens' epic novel is marked by strong performances, well-developed characters and gorgeous cinematography.

He lies with such conviction it's terrifying. And his galling hubris is all there for audiences to watch, absorb and puzzle over in the fascinating The Armstrong Lie.

Leaden, non-involving and filled with mind-numbing computer-generated effects.

Free Birds is pleasant enough holiday fare. And kudos to the animators for transforming a rather unattractive — or at least unappreciated — species into a cast of endearing characters.