|
| 1. |
|
05/21/12 |
Very Good |
 "Finds smart ways to bring novelty to the franchise without forsaking what made the original so much fun... Though some plot twists are easy to spot, they're no less satisfying for being telegraphed." |
| 2. |
|
05/18/12 |
Fair |
 "...dominated by the characters shouting over one another and overcompensating for largely unfunny material by overacting by about 300 percent.... it's conspicuously unmodulated..." |
| 3. |
|
05/16/12 |
Very Good |
 "...a highly idiosyncratic, impeccably made portrait of young love... even the most minute detail has been attended to in the manner of the most obsessive maker of 19th century dollhouses." |
| 4. |
|
05/11/12 |
Very Good |
 "Baron Cohen employs a comic range that ricochets between wicked political barbs and the lowest anatomical farce, to often funny and occasionally hilarious effect." |
| 5. |
|
05/10/12 |
Moderate |
 "...predictable... Amid the would-be and actual laughs, the screenplay tries to drum up drama, but every disagreement and tension is treated superficially and summarily resolved." |
| 6. |
|
05/08/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...hesitates to go all the way.... the humor slithers between the clever and the sophomoric and the film too often seems willing to settle for mild humor at the expense of hippie-era mores..." |
| 7. |
|
05/05/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...profoundly moving.... The beautifully nuanced screenplay avoids all clichés and Southern stereotypes, rendering every character with a striking depth and humanity." |
| 8. |
|
05/04/12 |
Good |
 "...overcomes its predictable elements thanks to the inherent visual drama of watching children strain their bodies to the limit in obsessive pursuit of their goals." |
| 9. |
|
05/03/12 |
Weak |
 "...relies heavily on the photogenic charms of the two leads.... But their efforts are not enough to make this trivialization of a tragic subject any more palatable." |
| 10. |
|
05/03/12 |
Poor |
 "Amos Kollek turns the camera on himself to analyze his past film failures.... an admittedly harrowing exercise in solipsism that will be of little interest to anyone besides the director's diehard fans and perhaps his therapist." |
| 11. |
|
04/28/12 |
Good |
 "A blow-by-blow account of an art-world scandal with far-reaching implications... offers an engaging narrative and high-profile subject... clear-eyed..." |
| 12. |
|
04/26/12 |
Excellent |
 "Crisp black-and-white photography underlines the doc's the-past-remains-with-us themes... even viewers well versed in Civil Rights lore may marvel at the fresh perspectives it finds." |
| 13. |
|
04/24/12 |
Moderate |
 "Working with Tarantino's long-time producer Lawrence Bender, Yakin fills 'Safe' with well-choreographed action set-pieces, stock characters and painfully clunky dialogue." |
| 14. |
|
04/24/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Pointless but consistently amusing... works best when it tacitly admits its investigation of contemporary male grooming is a just-for-laughs affair." |
| 15. |
|
04/23/12 |
Moderate |
 "...likeable but underwhelming... doesn't fully exploit its premise's charms.... The inevitability of the couple's relationship is never thrown into question..." |
| 16. |
|
04/20/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Vickers' thesis and the arguments of his 'expert witnesses' might not be thrilling cinema, but they communicate a number of provocative and intriguing ideas with clarity." |
| 17. |
|
04/19/12 |
Moderate |
 "...not exactly revelatory... it does depict its West Hollywood milieu with a comic, insider's knowingness... Matthew Ludwinski is appealing enough to make you cheer for his character..." |
| 18. |
|
04/19/12 |
Outstanding |
 "Joss Whedon pulls off a stunning feat in bringing balance to this superhuman circus... the film gives every single one of the superstar characters his or her due." |
| 19. |
|
04/19/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Terrific music but tepid drama is on display... while it suffers from a derivative storyline, it offers enough musical authenticity to provide ample compensations." |
| 20. |
|
04/19/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...the collection of vivid, pounding details doesn't offer enough insight or drama to give it the broader impact of an athletes-and-hope documentary like 'Hoop Dreams.' " |
