It’s when there's a distinct lack of King Kong that Skull Island turns into a plodding affair.

It is tough to fight off the ennui created by this comedy.

As a film it feels overly familiar, with some amusing scenes, but not enough to make for a wholly satisfying experience.

Tamara Drewe is so light, it's almost pure froth.

The action sequences are fun, though not as exhilarating as in the 2008 original, and the dialogue can be zingy.

With major stars, a name director and grown-up subject matter, this middling drama is less a movie to recommend with vigor than to covet on general principles.

In the tautly terrific thriller In the Line of Fire , Clint Eastwood toys with his own grizzled-vet screen image like a frisky kitten with a yarn ball. [09 Jul 1993 Pg. 01.D]

Has some appealing characters, a few laughs and then devolves into a predictable Tortoise and the Hare spinoff.

Valmont, to my surprise, isn't the best movie of Choderlos de Laclos' novel. Blame overripe material, as well as Forman's benign approach to an essentially nasty yarn. [17 Nov 1989]

You could be cynical about the first movie produced by the coffee colossus Starbucks. But there's nothing cynical about Akeelah's story of courage and determination.

A worthy, if flawed, piece of entertainment.

A little more than halfway in, Legend, based on the book by Richard Matheson (which also spawned 1971's Omega Man and 1964's TheLast Man on Earth), deteriorates into a schlocky zombie horror flick and loses its steam.

Kafka is in glorious black and white, except for an extended color sequence near the end that recalls the visual transition in "The Wizard of Oz." The comparison is even more apropos: This middling pigmentary stunt has a lot of smoke and mirrors, a lot of mood, and too much put-on wizardry at its center. [4 Dec. 1991, p.5D]

The comic appeal of The Devil Wears Prada is the cinematic equivalent of a size 2 - wafer-thin and ultimately lacking in meat and substance.

Every once in a while in Airheads, there's a perfect out-there moment that will strike a feedback-warped chord with diehard heavy-metal fans. [5 Aug 1994, p.4D]

The ending is nicely wistful but let's get real. A couple of million doesn't go far these days, at least not at the rate of Perez's shopping sprees. Still, if you're willing to take a chance on romance, buy a ticket to It Could Happen to You. Just don't expect a huge payoff. [29 July 1994, p.7D]

Between the goofy humor, Adam Sandler’s hallmark gibberish and an unfortunate return of "The Macarena," Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation houses an unexpectedly affecting story of modern love with a creaky vampire dad.

Imagine viewing Men in Black through the fog of a brain-embalming hangover and you won't have to buy a ticket to this piece of space junk. [12 Feb 1999, p.8E]

Garnering a chuckle or two, but no more, are Donal Logue from "The Tao of Steve" (now there's a comedy) -- and, as a desperate magnet for both the slacker and "dude" demographics, Jon Heder from Napoleon Dynamite.

The visual effects are lovely to behold, and the songs by Bonnie Raitt, Tim McGraw and k.d. lang are fairly catchy.

Neither Price nor director Harold Becker can decide whether they're after a conventional mystery or a trenchant sexual-psychological study a la Last Tango in Paris. Like so many current movies, Love falters in the pay-off; despite lots of bull's-eye moments in the early going, it seems vaguely silly. [15 Sep 1989, p.4D]

For the cinematic dregs of late August, the earnest and quirky Leap! is charmingly en pointe.

The lark-ish Perfect Score is on the high side of the time-killer it sounds like.

The story is about as good as the average TV cop drama. But here actions speak far louder than words, and Seagal is quite eloquent. Rather than weapons, he prefers a hands-on approach to his enemies. Twisted limbs are his specialty. [12 Feb 1990, p.2D]

Though it's not worth doing cartwheels over, Flipped is a pleasantly nostalgic and well-intentioned family movie featuring strong performances by its young actors.

Packed with surprising depth as it utilizes complete lunacy and clever bites to cobble together something wholly different in the cartoon space, even though at times the wacky film does itself a disservice by aiming for shocks rather than smarts.

A tasty bonbon, initially appealing but not terribly satisfying.

Overall, Confetti is agreeable and appropriately daft, though occasionally tepid and contrived.