Donkey continues to be lovable, and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) has one of the funnier character arcs.

Cate Blanchett brings little but an arch toughness to the role of Marion, and, in a highly improbably climactic scene, proves herself a veritable knight. Crowe and Blanchett share a perfunctory romance, with few sparks.

It's a chick flick with a likable premise.

Even within the most formulaic of genres, this Cinderella tale is uncommonly predictable.

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

Mother and Child is as tangled as the emotions that link parents and children.

Furry Vengeance is a slapstick stinker, easily the worst movie of the year.

This portrait of the soldier as an old man is deeply moving.

Sometimes -- and far too rarely -- a film will hit all the right notes, with sharp, original dialogue, brilliant casting and an absorbing story. So caught up in its spell, you dread seeing the credits roll. Please Give is that movie.

Though they have plenty of lethal weapons at their disposal, the Losers are nowhere near as fun as the '80s action-flick heroes they emulate.

When it comes to comedies about pregnancy, "Knocked Up" and "Baby Mama" delivered more. This sitcom style exercise in planned parenthood is blandly predictable. If it were a cheese, it would be Velveeta.

Bruno Coulais' musical score provides an evocative counterpoint to the often dazzling photography. A scene featuring diving sea birds and whales moving in concert with the rhythm of the waves is stunning.

The faithful will devour it, but everyone else will wonder why it takes a dozen band members (including a horn section), copious shots of Kenny's bulging biceps, and not one, not two, but 3-Ds to give shape to these tunes.

It's irreverently entertaining.

The only death at this funeral was that of a good movie.

Crass materialism and ridiculous marketing ploys are skewered by writer/director Derrick Borte in this uneven cautionary tale that starts off incisively funny, then devolves into preachiness.

The Secret in Their Eyes is that rare police procedural that engages emotions as well as intellect.

The film is an impressive effort, yet often a trying one.

This is the rare screwball comedy that is superbly paced, cleverly plotted and hilarious from start to finish.

The Doors lit rock 'n' roll fires for only 54 months, having formed after Morrison met Manzarek in 1965, when both were UCLA film students. We get a sense of them as bandmates as they hang around backstage or rehearse, garage-band-style.

The Greatest raises compelling questions about how parents continue on after the death of a child.

A cameo by a well-known actor in the final scene suggests there will be a third ride on this familiar marriage go-round.

There's nothing worse than a boring behemoth.

All the obvious elements combine to manipulate the audience into a weepy time at the movies -- again.

For hilarity, characterization and clever structure, "The Hangover" is far superior. Still, there are some laughs in this uneven but good-natured raunchfest.

Who would have thought a fire-breathing monster could be one of the most adorable on-screen critters since Babe?

It could have delved a little deeper to keep us wide-eyed and engaged.

That's what The Bounty Hunter has rustled up -- along with a listless rom-com, a feeble thriller and a supporting cast of clueless characters.