|
| 1. |
|
04/17/09 |
Weak |
 "That sound, that disturbance in the atmosphere, is a million girls collectively swooning.... sweet little life lessons bop you over the head like a throw pillow." |
| 2. |
|
04/03/09 |
Excellent |
 "...an enjoyable ride.... gets period details right without bogging down in them.... cares a lot about being as true to the emotions as possible." |
| 3. |
|
05/15/09 |
Moderate |
 "...the backdrop can't breathe life into an exposition-heavy script that pretends to be far brainier than it is..." |
| 4. |
|
05/01/09 |
Poor |
 "The sub-par animation is only the beginning of 'Battle for Terra's' problems.... The script contains more holes than 'Terra's' compromised atmosphere." |
| 5. |
|
02/06/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a movie for kids mature enough to deal with unsettling content, one that doesn't condescend to them or ever feel like the echo of some soulless television franchise." |
| 6. |
|
05/22/09 |
Good |
 "It's dumb. It's dizzy. And it's a lot of fun." |
| 7. |
|
05/29/09 |
Excellent |
 "Uproariously gooey and cartoonishly ghoulish... lives by its straightforward title to a delirious degree." |
| 8. |
|
03/06/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...views its Force-fed protagonists through a knowing, fondly mocking lens.... These 'Fanboys' are intent on entertaining, whether you're laughing at or with them." |
| 9. |
|
04/03/09 |
Weak |
 "The cars, with all their extravagant gear, are too otherworldly to be cool like the wheels in earthier car pictures such as 'Two-Lane Blacktop' and 'Vanishing Point.' " |
| 10. |
|
04/24/09 |
Poor |
 "...sloppily thrown together... Had the actors and premise been able to come to life the way the city does, the movie may have had a puncher's chance." |
| 11. |
|
02/13/09 |
Weak |
 "...an unnecessary and strictly mercenary effort.... plays by the rules to a fault. Fears of upsetting franchise fanatics seem to have inhibited the film's imagination." |
| 12. |
|
05/01/09 |
Fair |
 "This film might have had the potential to be hilarious and enjoyable, but Dickens himself probably wouldn't have been able to salvage the script." |
| 13. |
|
03/20/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Glossy but semi-sloppy, crude but sweet... The sincerity, laid on thick, is fake and forced. The laughs are not." |
| 14. |
|
01/23/09 |
Weak |
 "...the script is maddeningly predictable.... the direction is scattershot... the characters are less dimensional than an illustration in a toddler's pop-up book." |
| 15. |
|
03/27/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Sweet and funny -- not crass -- and blissfully free of the pop-culture references that too often overwhelm DreamWorks titles, the writing here is clever and satirical..." |
| 16. |
|
02/20/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "The overall effect is remniscent of 'Capturing the Friedmans' from 2003, although this new documentary has no implications of sexual abuse." |
| 17. |
|
01/30/09 |
Weak |
 "The humor is mild and perfectly likable, but those seeking romantic chemistry or a memorable gag should head elsewhere. There's nothing 'New' here." |
| 18. |
|
05/22/09 |
Outstanding |
 "One of those rare sequels that surpasses the original... takes what was fun and builds on it while reining in some of its more pedestrian tendencies." |
| 19. |
|
01/16/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...it's not like 'Notorious' reveals much fans don't already know." |
| 20. |
|
04/10/09 |
Weak |
 "Laughs flitter here and there. A guffaw happens. But writer-director Jody Hill is after something deeper, darker, creepier." |
