|
| 1. |
|
01/16/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...it's not like 'Notorious' reveals much fans don't already know." |
| 2. |
|
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." |
| 3. |
|
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." |
| 4. |
|
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." |
| 5. |
|
02/09/09 |
Very Good |
 "...a low-rent version of 'X-Men' crossed with 'Jumper'... As a piece of storytelling, the movie isn't much. However, as an action flick, 'Push' has a powerful shove." |
| 6. |
|
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." |
| 7. |
|
02/13/09 |
Weak |
 "Tykwer's direction and his editor's cutting make this talky film an endurance test. At just 60 minutes in, it felt overlong -- and there was almost an hour to go." |
| 8. |
|
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." |
| 9. |
|
03/06/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...tries mightily to live up to the lore.... one still walks out with the feeling that some masterpieces just can't be translated with complete success." |
| 10. |
|
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." |
| 11. |
|
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." |
| 12. |
|
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..." |
| 13. |
|
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.' " |
| 14. |
|
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." |
| 15. |
|
04/10/09 |
Weak |
 "Laughs flitter here and there. A guffaw happens. But writer-director Jody Hill is after something deeper, darker, creepier." |
| 16. |
|
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." |
| 17. |
|
04/17/09 |
Weak |
 "Kevin Macdonald and his screenwriters make room for a bevy of standard-issue movie tropes... fails to live up to the TV series." |
| 18. |
|
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." |
| 19. |
|
04/24/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...rote and routine emotional pablum about friendship and salvation through art, but Joe Wright's occasionally visionary direction keeps it aloft, just above the snoozingly ordinary." |
| 20. |
|
05/01/09 |
Very Good |
 "The film's song-and-dance component gets more successful as it goes, letting us share the characters' belief that this little troupe deserves its time in the spotlight." |
