| 1. |
|
04/26/12 |
Very Good |
"The real stars are, unquestionably, the townspeople of Carthage, Texas.... a curiosity -- a dark comedy that's not entirely dark and not quite a comedy, either." |
| 2. |
|
04/19/12 |
Weak |
"...a film with little on the line and a talented cast begging for a little wit and a few jokes. The characters are introduced awkwardly and a strange insertion of an animated dream sequence is entirely out of place." |
| 3. |
|
04/12/12 |
Moderate |
"The cheap visual effects are so bad that you'll be wondering if you misplaced your 3-D glasses. But, no, the digital backgrounds of some scenes really are that undefined..." |
| 4. |
|
04/05/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
"While a sturdy, well-made thriller, the film never quite catches its prey.... The leanness of 'The Hunter,' both praiseworthy and preventing real satisfaction, cuts both ways." |
| 5. |
|
03/28/12 |
Moderate |
"There aren't many pleasures... has modestly improved upon the 3-D this time around and better manages a narrative flow of continuous fantasy action." |
| 6. |
|
03/22/12 |
Moderate |
"Small amounts of backstory bleed out of the action, but there's little propelling things beside the simple kinetic kick of the film's video game-like plot." |
| 7. |
|
03/01/12 |
Moderate |
"In the land of 'Tim & Eric,' there is no 'too much.' Over-the-top isn't something to be evaded, it's an ethos.... a faithful if not exceptional example of their comedy, which -- like most sketch comedy -- is best consumed in smaller doses." |
| 8. |
|
02/23/12 |
Weak |
"Sissy things like plot and character development aren't worthy of the mission. It's as though they've been chased out of the theater by a barking drill sergeant." |
| 9. |
|
02/09/12 |
Weak |
"Harrelson's intense and committed performance keeps Oren Moverman's film moving, even while the grim and overdone story wallows affectedly." |
| 10. |
|
02/02/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
"...very nearly suffocates under the mounting weight of its gothic kitsch... nevertheless summons ornately crafted, old-fashioned suspense." |
| 11. |
|
01/26/12 |
Moderate |
"...deserves credit for looking for gravity in genre tropes. But, ultimately, the film feels less like a genuine existential thriller than a movie aping the conventions of one." |
| 12. |
|
01/19/12 |
Moderate |
"...reduces a historical story of deep cultural significance to merely a flyboy flick." |
| 13. |
|
01/12/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
"The structure of the film leads it on a track that can't go anywhere but where it must: The massacre at the school.... thoroughly well-crafted, if rigidly conceived..." |
| 14. |
|
12/22/11 |
Moderate |
"The heavy-handed touch of Angelina Jolie's directorial debut is evident right from the start... a movie whose narrative feels like a fictionalized United Nations presentation." |
| 15. |
|
12/15/11 |
Weak |
"...noxiously contemporary... full of the cheapest kind of pop culture references.... don't mind the voice credits: They all sound the same." |
| 16. |
|
12/08/11 |
Weak |
"If there is some kind of world record for schmaltz, this may have set it.... The cameos keep coming until the end, with even Mayor Michael Bloomberg dropping by. After all, this is as much an ad for New York as it is a movie." |
| 17. |
|
12/01/11 |
Very Good |
"...a thoroughly intense and vivid drama without an easy political reading.... Fiennes has given us one of the most exhilarating moments at the movies this year, in his late showdown with Aufidius." |
| 18. |
|
11/24/11 |
Very Good |
"...a loving, irresistibly charming ode to a long-ago movie era that not only summons the dormant conventions of silent moviemaking, but makes them dance again." |
| 19. |
|
11/10/11 |
Very Good |
"...a riveting, noble attempt by Eastwood... It's another largely fascinating, if disappointingly flawed chapter in Eastwood's fantastic late period." |
| 20. |
|
11/10/11 |
Weak |
"...unapologetically idiotic... comes off like the last 15 years of comedy didn't happen. Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd and many others have made comedy smarter and wittier, while being just as irreverent. Comedy moved on from the mid-1990s, and it's time Sandler did, too." |