|
| 1. |
|
01/30/09 |
Excellent |
 "...you may feel as if you've seen it already. Well, you have.... But as violence-strewn, guns-and-gadgets, stoic-angry-guy, revenge movies go, 'Taken' is pretty good." |
| 2. |
|
01/30/09 |
Moderate |
 "Zellweger's charisma warms up some scenes, but she can't make up for all of the script's shortcomings. Connick is a likable guy, just never terribly compelling..." |
| 3. |
|
02/06/09 |
Fair |
 "Some strange subtraction-by-addition has befallen the 'Pink Panther' franchise. They keep adding really good people while deleting more and more comedy." |
| 4. |
|
02/06/09 |
Excellent |
 "It's not super romantic or super funny. Its charms lie somewhere in between." |
| 5. |
|
02/13/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...an amusing enterprise.... It offers every cliche, but they are so absurd and ridiculous, you find yourself laughing along." |
| 6. |
|
02/13/09 |
Good |
 "Fisher brings a nice mix of vulnerability and false bravado to the screen; she can talk herself out of anything... Her winning warmth helps sell the silliness." |
| 7. |
|
02/13/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "It looks glossy, sleek and slick, like a glistening new BMW. Once behind the wheel, however, the engine is sluggish, the ride bumpy, the road blotted by too many off-ramps." |
| 8. |
|
02/20/09 |
Excellent |
 "If you're a serious cinephile, Oscar buff, or just a slightly addle-brained film freak (like moi), you'll get a kick out of the short films package..." |
| 9. |
|
03/05/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...both director and actor have found a film-friendly rhythm, a more nuanced approach and a compelling script, co-written by James Gray and Ric Menello." |
| 10. |
|
03/06/09 |
Very Good |
 "...one of the most ambitious films in recent memory.... At times it's quite brilliant, visually stunning, multilayered and complex. Yet it can also leave you feeling flat and fidgety." |
| 11. |
|
03/20/09 |
Very Good |
 "...entertaining escapist fare, though Gilroy pumps in a lot of diabolical double-dealing that seems like wasted effort. In the end, it's not that clever." |
| 12. |
|
03/27/09 |
Very Good |
 "...likable if not quite fully formed... not the freshest take on modern life. But Blunt and Adams deliver winning performances, especially in the quiet moments..." |
| 13. |
|
03/28/09 |
Very Good |
 "...not only glimpses the nightmare of perpetual violence in Uganda, but breaches the essence of one man's battle with his inner demons." |
| 14. |
|
04/03/09 |
Poor |
 "They should pay us back for having to sit through this swill.... most of the scenes in 'Adventureland' aren't about much of anything." |
| 15. |
|
04/10/09 |
Excellent |
 "The film's great strength is also its weakness. We scratch the surface of these realistic thugs, but rarely break through to who they really are." |
| 16. |
|
04/10/09 |
Poor |
 "...wants to inject laughs, but isn't funny enough to get many. When you take the comedy out of a dark comedy what's left? The mall?" |
| 17. |
|
04/17/09 |
Excellent |
 "...one of the more fun and compelling thrillers in recent memory." |
| 18. |
|
04/17/09 |
Very Good |
 "...a sweeping portrait of a family trying to find its way despite the man supposedly leading it." |
| 19. |
|
04/22/09 |
Excellent |
 "...meant to entertain and inform, and it does.... a kids' movie that will keep parents awake and interested." |
| 20. |
|
04/24/09 |
Very Good |
 "Both actors are terrific, Foxx fending off cliche and Downey, as always, saying more with the eternal dancing of his eyes and churning of his brain." |
