|
| 1. |
|
01/30/09 |
Fair |
 "...a crude but fairly effective thriller. Film spends a half-hour on character and the next 60 minutes on breathless movement." |
| 2. |
|
01/30/09 |
Moderate |
 "...so elementary it makes most after-school specials look sophisticated. Your average episode of 'Northern Exposure' or 'Men in Trees' seems Shakespearean by comparison." |
| 3. |
|
02/06/09 |
Moderate |
 "The force is not with 'Fanboys.' Jokes are there - they just aren't funny.... there's probably enough here to satisfy some who've been screaming for it to come out." |
| 4. |
|
02/06/09 |
Very Good |
 "...movingly achieves its goals: illuminating the only Allied mission to rescue Jews during World War II... insisting that we get to know her as a person as well as an inspiration." |
| 5. |
|
02/13/09 |
Fair |
 "Heightened quality in all departments raises this umpteenth entry in the gory slasher series above its predecessors. Still gratuitously pointless, though." |
| 6. |
|
02/13/09 |
Very Good |
 "...an old story, well told. And it's a successful departure for this interesting (if not always dazzling), low-key auteur, James Gray..." |
| 7. |
|
02/13/09 |
Very Good |
 "...its financial aspects can't help but have a sobering effect. Rather than turning the film into a bummer, they actually ground it in something..." |
| 8. |
|
02/27/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...starts off with richer characters and stories... ends up puttering into a familiar cinematic Southland junkyard of used ideas and worn-out parts." |
| 9. |
|
03/06/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...the movie's tricky, bombastic presentation of these ideas wears on a viewer as surely as a sober, philosophical approach may have." |
| 10. |
|
03/06/09 |
Excellent |
 "The film doesn't sugarcoat the graphic novel's violence and erotic content.It's got flaws. And it's pretty magnificent." |
| 11. |
|
04/26/09 |
Very Good |
 "Based on their performances, García Bernal and Luna can clearly identify with the characters they portray, as well as the disorientation of sudden fame." |
| 12. |
|
04/28/09 |
Good |
 "...strays from its comedic tone before finding its way back... When it does sustain its wit, the film transcends the complacent monotony of many romantic comedies." |
| 13. |
|
05/01/09 |
Good |
 "...there is a special scene after the closing credit.... director Gavin Hood has created at least two different special scenes to be randomly added to the end of the movie." |
| 14. |
|
06/12/09 |
Weak |
 "...the latest Eddie Murphy disaster. He undermines his own efforts in a silly film that's supposed to pass as comedy." |
| 15. |
|
06/24/09 |
Moderate |
 "...so unvarying in its frenzied hysteria that it makes director Michael Bay's other efforts, like 'Bad Boys' and 'Armageddon,' look like 'My Dinner With Andre.' " |
| 16. |
|
08/14/09 |
Excellent |
 "I only wish they played together more during their bull session. Their acoustic jam on 'The Weight' left me wanting more." |
| 17. |
|
10/02/09 |
Very Good |
 "...plugs into an intriguing, real-life milieu: The roller derby leagues that sprang up in Austin in the early 2000s, and inspired a derby renaissance across the country." |
| 18. |
|
10/16/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...a dazzling, magical personal journey." |
| 19. |
|
10/29/09 |
Outstanding |
 "Director Kenny Ortega handles his precious cinematic gold as he should, with delicate care, skillfully combining high points and rough patches into a greater whole..." |
| 20. |
|
11/13/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...a cinematic rarity: It touches hearts and minds, attacks monstrous subjects with the utmost bravery, and yet somehow leaves us thoroughly entertained." |
