|
| 1. |
|
04/16/09 |
Moderate |
 "Burr Steers, who showed promise with 'Igby Goes Down,' appears to be slumming it for the paycheck." |
| 2. |
|
04/02/09 |
Very Good |
 "...painstakingly re-creates the genre's era-mired milieu with affection. Even the crafty framing device is an elegiac paean." |
| 3. |
|
09/16/10 |
Moderate |
 "...embarrassingly pat and predictable except for the golfing goose and his duck caddy... about all that keeps this kiddie fare from lifting its leg on the adults." |
| 4. |
|
12/15/11 |
Moderate |
 "...overall, Mike Mitchell's assault will appeal only to the under-10 set and send everyone else running for ear plugs." |
| 5. |
|
12/10/09 |
Moderate |
 "The performers bite into their roles with fervor, but James V. Simpson's dialogue flies like a flat-footed homage to Mamet or Tarantino." |
| 6. |
|
04/14/11 |
Moderate |
 "...though admirable in scope, comes off too much like an overcranked episode of 'Dallas.' Not all books should be made into movies, and this is one of them." |
| 7. |
|
03/17/11 |
Moderate |
 "At times, the film dazzles... but not as much can be said for the needless backstory preamble and an overindulgent aural overload..." |
| 8. |
|
02/24/11 |
Weak |
 "The biggest laugh in the film comes from an uncredited Faizon Love as a janitor who wants to get on Momma's caboose bad." |
| 9. |
|
04/07/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a short, painless family pleaser... the spectacle of 3D and the narration of Morgan Freeman make clear the beauty of what is being lost." |
| 10. |
|
11/11/10 |
Outstanding |
 "Wiseman records the rituals of repetition (speed bag and footwork) in poetic long shots.... The cadence is both primal and hypnotic." |
| 11. |
|
06/23/11 |
Very Good |
 "...relates a tale of perseverance.... Brannaman's methods impress, and his humanity more so." |
| 12. |
|
06/30/11 |
Moderate |
 "Paul Newman and George Carlin added class to the first one, but with those two gone, the sequel chugs along on fumes." |
| 13. |
|
01/06/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Kevin Spacey's bravura performance really sells the story.... Portraying this ugly American is the actor's best work since 'American Beauty.' " |
| 14. |
|
07/29/10 |
Moderate |
 "...tolerably spoofs staples like 007.... but all that's likely to linger from the free-form fluff are questions from tots as to why dogs sniff each other's asses." |
| 15. |
|
08/25/11 |
Moderate |
 "...when it comes to content, Prosserman's camera turns didactic and mono-focused.... offers little insight into Madoff, his shenanigans, or the financial collapse of 2008." |
| 16. |
|
06/02/11 |
Outstanding |
 "...harrowing... The recreation of the military campaign stuns in its scope and choreography, making this the most visceral war film since 'Saving Private Ryan'..." |
| 17. |
|
05/28/09 |
Weak |
 "Everything from 'Step Up' to 'Hairspray' gets sent up. Some of the gags work; most roll like a pickled sot trying to bust a move in 'the pit.' " |
| 18. |
|
04/15/10 |
Moderate |
 "Director Shawn Levy, despite the wit and chemistry of his leads and a killer line-up of cameos, manages to make the whole thing feel like a one-season sit-com..." |
| 19. |
|
08/09/12 |
Weak |
 "...feels like third-tier TV.... Greg (Zachary Gordon), the wimp of the title, isn't so much a wimp as a self-centered, manipulative little shit." |
| 20. |
|
03/31/11 |
Moderate |
 "The actors make the most of it, and director David Bowers ('Astro Boy') keeps the gags coming at an ADD-appeasing pace. What this wimp lacks, however, is heart." |
