Movies

Review: Phoebe in Wonderland

An awkward yet rewarding wonderment
No, not every movie with a precocious, infectiously cute young girl has to star Dakota Fanning — there's also her sister Elle.

By: TOM MEEK | March 11, 2009

Review: Miss March

The boys directed and co-scripted, so there's no one else to blame.
Miss March gives us one of cinema's more annoying innocent-plus-crazy-id-best-friend pairings.

By: BETSY SHERMAN | March 11, 2009

Review: Shuttle

Chillingly visceral
If you ignore the forgivable imprecision that rides with directoral debuts, Edward Anderson has made a surprisingly mature thriller.

By: JASON O'BRYAN | March 11, 2009

Review: Race to Witch Mountain

The film is no E.T. , though it does boast self-interested government agents as the baddies.
In Andy Fickman's blow-up of Alexander Key's book there's no venerable elder thespian, like Eddie Arnold or Bette Davis, rounding out his or her career.

By: TOM MEEK | March 10, 2009

Review: Watchmen

As a reimagining of the past, Watchmen is at times jaw-dropping.
When Watchmen concentrates on violence, it comes alive. When it meanders into metaphysics, which it does frequently and at length, it loses its way.

By: A.S. HAMRAH | March 06, 2009

Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience

Uncomfortable all around
Just as there's no good reason for Joe, Kevin, and Nick Jonas to be swoon-inducing pop-idol heartthrobs.

By: SARA FAITH ALTERMAN | March 04, 2009

Review: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li

Too many characters. And the fighting is terrible too.
Andrzej Bartkowiak's second video-game adaptation avoids one of the most egregious errors of Steven E. de Souza's first attempt at adapting the storied fighting-game franchise for the screen.

By: BRETT MICHEL | March 05, 2009

Interview: Zack Snyder of Watchmen

Zack Snyder is a cheerful dude who's mounting one of the most perilous assaults on pop culture.
"Every movie I've made, starting with Dawn of the Dead, has been, like, death threats."

By: JAMES PARKER | March 04, 2009

Review: Fired Up!

Despite its Cheerleader Movie appearance, this is very much a Guy Movie
If you're a guy who's reluctant to view a neutered movie (and despite its Cheerleader Movie appearance, this is very much a Guy Movie), you might want to wait for the unrated DVD.

By: BRETT MICHEL | February 25, 2009

Review: Madea Goes to Jail

Laughs in a tent dress
After a few Madea-less sojourns, Tyler Perry brings back his colossal cross-dressed caricature.

By: TOM MEEK | February 25, 2009

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Plausibility is not its strongest suit
"Your mom and I think that if the American economy can be billions in debt and still be fine, then so can you," reason the absurdly accepting parents of Rebecca Bloomwood.

By: BRETT MICHEL | February 18, 2009

Oscar predictions: Liberal gilt

Oscar wants to be a Millionaire
It's like a fairy tale for Hollywood liberals.

By: PETER KEOUGH | February 18, 2009

Review: The International

Bank failure
In lieu of action, character development, or plot, The International offers architecture.

By: PETER KEOUGH | February 10, 2009

Review: Push

If Dakota Fanning were truly clairvoyant, she might not have made this movie.
Teens with special powers? A government conspiracy?

By: CHRIS WANGLER | February 11, 2009

Review: Friday the 13th (2009)

A suspense-less rampage
Jason Voorhees's bloody hands have developed green thumbs.

By: BRETT MICHEL | February 12, 2009

Review: Cherry Blossoms

Well-crafted and sincere, but ultimately tiresome
In Doris Dörrie's emotionally loaded melodrama Kirschblüten — Hanami , an aging German couple, Trudi (Hannelore Eisner) and Rudi (Elmer Wrapper), grow tighter than ever.

By: GERALD PEARY | February 12, 2009

Review: The Pink Panther 2

An all-too-familiar stink
Part "deux" of the resurrected Blake Edwards's franchise returns Steve Martin as the hapless Inspector Clouseau.

By: TOM MEEK | February 04, 2009

Review: The Uninvited

Downright clumsy
So unrelentingly nerve-shredding is the Korean horror masterpiece A Tale of Two Sisters [ Janghwa, Hongryeon ], just the sight of the floral wallpaper from its opening credits makes my skin crawl.

By: SHAULA CLARK | February 04, 2009

Review: He's Just Not That Into You

Reduces both men and women to shrill stereotypes
And why isn't he? Could it be because you're needy, nagging, and possibly psychotic?

By: PETER KEOUGH | February 04, 2009

The parent trap

Coraline pushes familiar buttons
Coraline pushes familiar buttons

By: PETER KEOUGH | February 06, 2009

Review: Taken

The stink of producer/co-screenwriter Luc Besson permeates like Roquefort
Pierre Morel's talents as an action cinematographer served him well when he directed District B13.

By: BRETT MICHEL | January 27, 2009