|
| 1. |
|
11/20/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Infinitely more polished and better acted than its predecessor... still suffers from the goofiness that hampered 'Twilight.' " |
| 2. |
|
10/29/09 |
Very Good |
 "Working with footage never intended for the big screen, Ortega succeeds in showcasing not just Jackson but the process of mounting a behemoth production." |
| 3. |
|
06/19/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Bullock and Reynolds show great comic chemistry... Yet the film often lies flat where it should spark, with director Fletcher failing to maximize her talented cast's potential." |
| 4. |
|
06/12/09 |
Moderate |
 "There are only so many ways to photograph a train in a tunnel, despite Scott's visual doodling.... ultimately plays as too old-school and low-tech..." |
| 5. |
|
06/05/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...hits and misses... plays at times like the inside of a pounding headache.... boys will be boys, and they'll be idiots, to alternately hilarious and pathetic effect." |
| 6. |
|
06/05/09 |
Moderate |
 "...meta enough to intrigue yet too removed to truly engage.... The film is still quite alluring, however..." |
| 7. |
|
05/29/09 |
Moderate |
 "While it's understood that the brothers operate in fakery, must the movie itself be so fake? At least the performances are authentic..." |
| 8. |
|
05/29/09 |
Outstanding |
 "If there are dry eyes left in the theater after this sequence, they will not belong to adults but rather to children who don't understand the implications of its imagery." |
| 9. |
|
05/22/09 |
Very Good |
 "...throws everything - history, high jinks, lots of famous faces in supporting roles - at the museum walls to see what sticks. Happily, much of it does." |
| 10. |
|
05/21/09 |
Fair |
 "...because the 'Terminator' series historically has emphasized the power of humanity over heartless machinery, this film's lack of attention to humanity is glaring." |
| 11. |
|
05/15/09 |
Very Good |
 "Cuarón's filming style is so lively, and Luna and García Bernal's performances so full of energy, that the picture is fun even when it probably shouldn't be." |
| 12. |
|
05/15/09 |
Moderate |
 "Remove the red robes and ominous music, and you're left with occasionally gripping but mostly adequate action and a lead character who's only moderately likable." |
| 13. |
|
05/08/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...strikes a beautiful balance, with enough allusions to 'Trek' mythology to please longtime fans and enough 21st century verve to wow those viewers who know nothing..." |
| 14. |
|
05/01/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...for big-ticket action scenes, Hood reverts to that irritatingly hyperkinetic style so common to blockbusters these days." |
| 15. |
|
05/01/09 |
Poor |
 "The design is too rudimentary, which slams against the efforts for realism taken with the humans. Neither really works." |
| 16. |
|
04/24/09 |
Very Good |
 "...truly distinguishes itself in its thoughtful depiction of homelessness as a problem impervious to quick fixes." |
| 17. |
|
04/17/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "That Crowe outshines his material... his estimable co-stars Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams do not outshine the same material." |
| 18. |
|
04/17/09 |
Very Good |
 "...offers a treacherous frontier, a conflicted outlaw and fine performances by actors with whom the camera clearly is besotted.... always engages visually..." |
| 19. |
|
04/10/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...offers biting commentary on the emptiness of consumerism and our gun-crazy society but lacks the filmmaking confidence to sell it fully." |
| 20. |
|
04/03/09 |
Very Good |
 "Though 'Adventureland' is virtually without plot, it is full of empathy, for its wiseacre, college-kid main characters and for the townies working alongside them." |
