|
| 1. |
|
01/09/09 |
Poor |
 "Predictable, lazy and as overprocessed as Kate Hudson's hair... possesses a deep nasty streak, making it loathsome when it might have been merely annoying." |
| 2. |
|
01/09/09 |
Good |
 "...a visually polished slice of hokum borrows well from 'The Exorcist,' 'The Ring,' 'The Mephisto Waltz,' 'The X-Files' and even 'Poltergeist.' " |
| 3. |
|
01/09/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...falls prey to many of the usual shortcomings of movies that secretly want to be sermons.... suffers from its share of starchy contrivance and didacticism." |
| 4. |
|
01/16/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "The kids are cute, the dogs are cuter... the adult world is defeated by truth, justice and Don Cheadle, who escapes with his career intact, if not necessarily his dignity." |
| 5. |
|
01/16/09 |
Moderate |
 "...a combo platter of Bollywood excess and classic kung fu... a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon that lasts 154 minutes rather than just five... exhausting..." |
| 6. |
|
01/16/09 |
Weak |
 "...mediocre, unmemorable... James gamely pratfalls and stumbles through all 90 minutes, but his clumsy somersaults and silly Segway maneuvers elicit few giggles." |
| 7. |
|
01/16/09 |
Weak |
 "...feels like Biggie's Wikipedia page reformatted for the big screen... a frustrating dash from the playground to the grave, all in under two hours." |
| 8. |
|
01/23/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...for young teens in its demographic wheelhouse, 'Inkheart' packs a welcome amount of entertainment value, creating a genuinely original world of enchantment..." |
| 9. |
|
01/30/09 |
Excellent |
 "A satisfying little thriller... pairs the ruthless hand-to-hand combat of the 'Bourne' series with the potent child-in-peril plotline of a Lifetime original movie." |
| 10. |
|
01/30/09 |
Very Good |
 "First-time directors Thomas and Charles Guard give the action a glossy polish and a properly measured pace. They also maintain the right narrative balance." |
| 11. |
|
01/30/09 |
Weak |
 "Even the normally enjoyable character actor J.K. Simmons looks less like a working stiff than someone who's entered the witness protection program." |
| 12. |
|
02/06/09 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...an engaging spectacle more than a connective drama. We enjoy the surface design, but we're never so caught up in the story that we lose our awareness of it." |
| 13. |
|
02/06/09 |
Fair |
 "...so busy getting all its talking points in that it leaves no room for recognizable life..." |
| 14. |
|
02/06/09 |
Weak |
 "Martin's heart doesn't seem to be in it. He wants to write New Yorker stories and novellas that get turned into movies like 'Shopgirl.' What can we say? Bonne chance..." |
| 15. |
|
02/06/09 |
Outstanding |
 "...the execution is fresh, earnest and inoffensive. It's 'X-Men' without spandex, 'Heroes' with more style and better writing." |
| 16. |
|
02/13/09 |
Poor |
 "Jason Voorhees needs to be permanently retired. If he learns to stop jabbing needles in people's eyes, maybe he could take up knitting." |
| 17. |
|
02/13/09 |
Very Good |
 "...a sleek, stylish thriller... There are worse ways to spend a day than watching Clive Owen do anything, let alone look cool in lots of attractive locations." |
| 18. |
|
02/13/09 |
Poor |
 "...well acted and at times cleverly directed... But it is a very ugly film, almost humorless, and laden with a decidedly British, and repellent, class obsession." |
| 19. |
|
02/20/09 |
Poor |
 "...does its subject few favors.... has a cobbled-together feeling. The Force is not strong with this one." |
| 20. |
|
02/20/09 |
Excellent |
 "...succeeds mostly at the hands of cinematographer Hanno Lentz, whose keen eye for location and detail give the movie much of its verve." |
