|
| 1. |
|
05/16/12 |
Good |
 "...a universally appealing tale of teenage romance... Wes Anderson's stylized approach masks the young actors' inexperience, while embracing a familiar genre..." |
| 2. |
|
05/11/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...non-offending... Rather than challenging audience prejudices, Baron Cohen exploits them by presenting this ruthless world leader as an object of scorn and ridicule -- the easiest of targets." |
| 3. |
|
04/17/12 |
Fair |
 "When a novel gives you soapsuds and washboard abs to work with, what other choice does a director have but to provide the most aesthetically pleasing actors, scenery and sets..." |
| 4. |
|
04/12/12 |
Good |
 "The turbulent story of a support network for 9/11 survivors takes a turn for the bizarre when a reporter uncovers the fact the group's leader isn't who she says she is... a singularly unsettling film no less effective for deliberately giving away its twist in the title." |
| 5. |
|
04/12/12 |
Good |
 "...adds a welcome heartwarming dynamic to the gang's signature eye-poking, head-knocking routine.... an unexpectedly pleasant yet unapologetically lowbrow outing..." |
| 6. |
|
03/09/12 |
Excellent |
 "...a sly, self-conscious twist on one of slasher films' ugliest stepchildren: the coed campsite massacre.... a smarter, more self-aware kind of chiller that still delivers the scares." |
| 7. |
|
03/06/12 |
Poor |
 " 'John Carter' is a dog. Actually, it's more like a Calot, an ugly dog-like creature found only on Mars, characterized by its clumsy nature, spastic pacing and entirely too-eager-to-please personality." |
| 8. |
|
03/05/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...feels fresher than most '80s-show reboots... [but] why bother packaging the story as a male-bonding experience if the plan is merely to undermine it with vulgarities and homophobia?" |
| 9. |
|
03/01/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...game-changing instant classic will doubtless inspire imitators, onscreen and in backyards everywhere, en route to redefining what a new generation expects of its mice-will-play movies." |
| 10. |
|
02/21/12 |
Very Good |
 "...all five nominees leave auds wanting more, with the longest of these -- Terry George's half-hour 'The Shore' -- illustrating that not all stories require 90 or more minutes in order to convey an inspired idea." |
| 11. |
|
02/20/12 |
Good |
 "...a moving, if somewhat maudlin adaptation of author Nick Flynn's memoir that takes interesting stylistic chances suggested by the virtuosity of its source." |
| 12. |
|
02/09/12 |
Weak |
 "...predictably over-the-top... blithely coasts from suspension of disbelief into check-your-brain-at-the-door territory..." |
| 13. |
|
02/08/12 |
Moderate |
 "...unabashedly sentimental... it feels like an ice-cream shopping spree in which you can have any flavor you want, so long as it's vanilla." |
| 14. |
|
02/01/12 |
Very Good |
 "...cleverly embraces the format as shorthand for a new kind of naturalism... a modern update on the monster-movie formula..." |
| 15. |
|
01/27/12 |
Good |
 "Alison Klayman presents a significant yet scattered introduction to artist-activist Ai Weiwei, wrestling to strike the right balance between his public causes and personal life." |
| 16. |
|
01/26/12 |
Very Good |
 "Birbiglia's humor comes across just as strongly in visual terms, with funny observations layered into casting, performance and every aspect of the production." |
| 17. |
|
01/23/12 |
Good |
 "...surprises -- and to some extent delights... a portrait of how modern-day African-Americans get by... It's fiery, passionate stuff, at times inelegantly presented, but impossible to ignore." |
| 18. |
|
01/20/12 |
Moderate |
 "...a slight, solipsistic portrait of emotional recovery... it feels as though the material was never allowed to assert its own individuality, instead left to rehash themes better expressed by 'The Good Girl' and other seriocomic indies." |
| 19. |
|
01/18/12 |
Fair |
 "...this stuffy history lesson about the groundbreaking African-American fighter pilot division never quite takes off, weighed down by wooden characters and leaden screenwriting." |
| 20. |
|
01/05/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...routinely plotted... falls somewhere between Tyler Perry and the Disney Channel, offering up lively but far-from-lifelike characters." |
