ROTTEN TOMATOES: James Sanford

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Kalamazoo Gazette
www.jamessanford.com

JAMES SANFORD

Agrees with the Tomatometer 80% of the time.

Biography: I began reviewing films for The Grand Rapids Press when I was in high school. I now work for the Kalamazoo Gazette. My website is interbridge.com/jamessanford.

Favorites: Vintage: Broadcast News, Moonstruck, North By Northwest, Vertigo, King Kong (1933), Klute, Breakfast at Tiffany's, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Wizard of Oz, Gunga Din, etc. Recent: Little Children, The Queen, Volver, Jesus Camp, Slither, Children of Men, The Departed, The Painted Veil, Dreamgirls, Casino Royale, Stranger Than Fiction, Babel.

Publications: Entertainment Insiders, James Sanford on Film, Kalamazoo Gazette, rec.arts.movies.reviews

Total Reviews: 1266
Total QuickRatings: 482

Location: Portage, Michigan

MOVIE REVIEWS ONLY

Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date (default)

Rotten 2/4	Rotten 38%	Sydney White (2007)	" Neither as funny as it thinks it is nor as tough to sit through as many other movies of this sort, 'Sydney' is custom-made for viewers who haven't taken their ACTs yet." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Sep 21, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 97%	Once (2007)	" It would be interesting to know how much of their conversation was actually in Carney's screenplay and how much was ad-libbed as the camera rolled; there's a wonderful spontaneity in both the dialogue and the musical performances." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Sep 21, 2007
Rotten 2/4	Fresh 72%	In the Valley of Elah (2007)	" The movie wears each of (its) hot-button issues as casually as a runway model might sport the latest Hermes scarf. The topics are brought up, shown off and then, in most cases, replaced with something else." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Sep 21, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 89%	Eastern Promises (2007)	" extremely violent and richly atmospheric... culminates in an electrifying scene that's destined to be discussed by movie fans for years." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Sep 21, 2007
Fresh 2.5/4	Rotten 43%	The Brave One (2007)	" not unlike its heroine: conflicted and unsure of which way to go. ...(Foster) emphasizes Erica's anguish and the shock that comes from realizing that you're capable of doing things you once would have found abhorrent." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Sep 14, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 88%	3:10 to Yuma (2007)	" Wade's voice sounds like far-off thunder wrapped in velvet; Evans' every word is marked by exhaustion and edginess. ...These men have real complexity, and so do the actors assigned to play them." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Sep 6, 2007
Rotten 1.5/4	Rotten 23%	Balls of Fury (2007)	" There were more good laughs in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation speech than there are in 'Balls of Fury'... a smorgasbord of ethnic stereotypes, a few slaps at prissy gays and an excess of weak gags..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 29, 2007
Rotten 1.5/4	Rotten 17%	Illegal Tender (2007)	" De Jesus' outbursts are the only excitement in 'Illegal,' since the performances of most of the rest of the cast are barely amateurish and Reyes' story is not so much old-school as it is old-hat." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 24, 2007
Rotten 2.5/5	Rotten 33%	The Nanny Diaries (2007)	" the movie has softened up a story that wasn't exactly hard-hitting to begin with. Polished, pleasant and generally pedestrian..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 24, 2007
Fresh 3/5	Rotten 51%	Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007)	" little more than a string of sketches stitched together to form something close to a feature film. But that shouldn't bother those who like solid slapstick, which 'Holiday' provides in abundance." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 24, 2007
Rotten 2/4	Fresh 62%	Arctic Tale (2007)	" (like) those cunningly engineered Disney 'True-Life Adventures'... in which scorpions appeared to dance... and supposedly lovelorn squirrels awaited what the narrator called their 'moment of fulfillment.'" — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 24, 2007
Fresh 2.5/4	Rotten 19%	The Invasion (2007)	" neither as awful as the advance buzz suggested nor as gripping as it could have been... at least it has a few authentic shocks and some bright ideas rattling around in the chaos." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 17, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 87%	Superbad (2007)	" Rogen and co-screenwriter Evan Goldberg are attempting to create a teen-angst comedy along the lines of 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' and 'Risky Business'... In the best sections of 'Superbad,' Rogen and Goldberg hit their targets." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 17, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 76%	Stardust (2007)	" a delightful, thrilling and entertainingly offbeat yarn... Pfeiffer is positively spellbinding... Vaughn has given this seductive fairy tale the same dark comedy and out-of-left-field wackiness that made his first effort memorable." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 9, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Rotten 58%	Becoming Jane (2007)	" Utilizing a lovely British accent and a graceful way with words, Hathaway communicates Austen's predicament beautifully. When she was creating her immortal heroines... the real Jane Austen must have pictured someone like Hathaway." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 9, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Fresh 85%	Paris, Je T'aime (2007)	" Generally, the comic pieces are sturdier than the abbreviated dramas. ...As might be expected, a couple of the chapters are misfires... Happily, 'Paris' saves some of its prime material for the last half-hour." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 9, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 94%	Three Kings (1999)	" (The) screenplay abruptly changes tone after the first half-hour, eventually incorporating some genuinely harrowing sequences... The final picture becomes something noticeably deeper and smarter than its first reels suggest." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 6, 2007
Rotten 1.5/4	Rotten 21%	Wild Wild West (1999)	" ...has style to spare, a few laughs and some imaginative touches. Also like 'Avengers' it has stars who look like they'd rather be somewhere else, a lack of verve and a script that takes the long road to nowhere." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 6, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 68%	A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)	" Bathed in sunshine, stardust and star power, this 'Dream' should be required viewing for anyone who insists Shakespeare is stuffy and dull. ...this is Shakespeare for the masses." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 5, 2007
Rotten 1.5/4	Rotten 24%	El Cantante (2007)	" takes the unusual -- and awkward -- approach of letting Puchi tell Hector's story via flashbacks... That's somewhat akin to letting Kevin Federline narrate the Britney Spears saga." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 3, 2007
Rotten 2.5/4	Rotten 38%	Hot Rod (2007)	" a fitfully funny comedy that's neither a must-see nor a must to avoid." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 3, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 93%	The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)	" There's something unusual about Matt Damon's spy thrillers built around the exploits of the amnesia-addled Jason Bourne: Each film in the series has actually been better than its predecessor..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Aug 3, 2007
Fresh 4/4	Fresh 93%	The Lives of Others (2006)	" a mesmerizing, heartbreaking thriller" — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 29, 2007
Fresh 4/4	Fresh 100%	Jaws (1975)	" Like all the best suspense films, "Jaws" manages to somehow remain amazingly tense, even if you've seen the film before. No wonder so many moviegoers went back for repeat viewings." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 27, 2007
Rotten 1/5	Rotten 8%	I Know Who Killed Me (2007)	" Small wonder that distributor TriStar Pictures has gone to great pains to hide this fiasco from critics: It's certainly the worst movie Lohan has ever appeared in and it's a formidable contender for worst movie of the year, period." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 27, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 74%	Sunshine (2007)	" Boyle has always been exceptionally good at creating suspense... and he succeeds again here, incorporating tight close-ups, sometimes distorted sound and a series of striking visuals into a wondrously warped picture." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 27, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Fresh 90%	The Simpsons Movie (2007)	" A full-speed-ahead laugh riot for its first 45 minutes, although it loses some of its gusto in the second half." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 27, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Fresh 89%	Rescue Dawn (2007)	" certainly effective in its own way, thanks to a number of excellent performances, a few jolting visuals and Herzog's evocation of the steamy, almost impenetrable jungles of Laos and Thailand..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 27, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 91%	Hairspray (2007)	" a vibrant musical comedy... (Shankman) knows how to stage and to shoot musical numbers, which sets 'Hairspray' high above other recent stage-to-screen adaptations like 'The Producers'..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 20, 2007
Fresh 4/5	Fresh 77%	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)	" boils down Rowling's brick-thick novel into a fat-free, fleet-footed adventure... although Rowling's readers may be disappointed to find that much of the story's color has been sacrificed in the name of economy..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 12, 2007
Rotten 2/4	Rotten 57%	Transformers (2007)	" Admirers of great special effects... will find plenty to appreciate. ... (But) for every truly funny joke (and, admittedly, there are a few), there are a dozen duds." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jul 3, 2007
Rotten 1.5/4	Fresh 81%	Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard (2007)	" a pretty crummy comeback... (the) ridiculous stunts might have been dreamed up by a group of hyperactive 12-year-olds in the midst of a Red Bull binge; they should not have been staged by filmmakers old enough to know better." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 29, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 96%	Ratatouille (2007)	" Bewitching... Bird's movies don't have the same rush-rush rhythms or the lowbrow humor that have become the hallmark of too many animated films. Instead, he puts the emphasis on characters and cleverness..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 29, 2007
Rotten 2/4	Rotten 27%	Evening (2007)	" an 'if only I had...' nostalgic romance... even the appealing performances of Danes, Wilson and Gummer are not enough to make up for a ponderous story that assigns each of its characters a predictable fate..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 29, 2007
Fresh	Fresh 93%	Sicko (2007)	" has the same level of outrage as most of his other films but a considerably less strident attitude. ... Whether you agree with Moore's points or dispute them, 'Sicko' should inspire plenty of lively conversations." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 29, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Rotten 24%	Evan Almighty (2007)	" Feeling nostalgic about those 'Oh, God' movies that George Burns made 30-odd years ago? Then 'Evan Almighty' might seem like manna from heaven." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 23, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Fresh 78%	1408 (2007)	" the majority of the movie is built entirely around Enslin's scary safari into his subconscious, and Cusack gives a high-powered performance that never fails to hold your attention." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 23, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Fresh 77%	A Mighty Heart (2007)	" Winterbottom wants to create a you-are-there, semi-documentary-style environment, which doesn't leave any room for self-indulgent star turns. Jolie doesn't give him one..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 23, 2007
Rotten 2/4	Rotten 57%	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)	" Tykwer squeezes every possible drop of melodramatic beauty out of this material. ...But the gorgeous visuals aren't enough to keep the drama from occasionally degenerating into beautifully produced hokum." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 15, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Rotten 49%	Nancy Drew (2007)	" an enjoyable combination of a typically Nancy Drew-ish mystery -- which includes a murdered screen star and a haunted house -- and some 'Clueless'-style comedy." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 15, 2007
Fresh 4/5	Fresh 88%	The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2007)	" the intensity of Murphy and Delaney's performances is shattering... 'Wind' never loses sight of the fact that sometimes a victim's wounds may be invisible to the eye, but every bit as painful as a stabbing..." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 8, 2007
Rotten 2/5	Fresh 78%	Surf's Up (2007)	" easy to look at, yet the storyline and gags are half-baked. Whenever things quiet down... the filmmakers feel obligated to trot out burping, flatulence or jokes about substances that belong in the toilet." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 8, 2007
Fresh 3.5/5	Fresh 69%	Ocean's Thirteen (2007)	" Clooney, Pitt and Damon have now worked together long enough that they've found a delightful sense of synchronicity that makes even the throwaway lines worth catching." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 8, 2007
Rotten 2.5/4	Rotten 59%	Bug (2007)	" All of the actors find the right rhythm... But even the performers' complete commitment can't entirely disguise the fact that 'Bug' doesn't seem to belong on the big screen." — James Sanford on Film Posted Jun 3, 2007
Rotten 2.5/4	Rotten 56%	Mr. Brooks (2007)	" Costner and Hurt's strong performances are surrounded by flimsy plotting, unbelievable sidenotes... and occasionally absurd 'surprises.'" — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 1, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 90%	Knocked Up (2007)	" an (almost) across-the-board crowd-pleaser. There's a reasonable amount of risque humor to pacify those who love gross-out gags and enough of a love story to satisfy viewers looking for a good romance." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted Jun 1, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Fresh 69%	Year of the Dog (2007)	" frequently funny and sometimes touching, even though, like (Mike White's) earlier 'The Good Girl' and 'Chuck and Buck,' the comedy leaves a slightly sour aftertaste." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted May 25, 2007
Fresh 3/4	Rotten 45%	Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)	" the most brutal, the wackiest and certainly the trippiest of the 'Pirates' pictures... If it's overloaded and a bit overly complicated, that's not exactly unusual for these movies." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted May 24, 2007
Rotten 2.5/4	N/A	Queer Duck: The Movie (2006)	" Some of the songs manage to be both coarse and catchy... others are less inspired. The jokes have about the same hit-to-miss ratio, with dozens of groan-worthy moments mixed in among some smart satire." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted May 18, 2007
Fresh 3.5/4	Fresh 75%	Black Book (2007)	" features the jolting violence and frank sensuality Verhoeven is known for, as well as something he hasn't had in a quite a while: an intelligent, riveting screenplay. ...gripping from beginning to end." — Kalamazoo Gazette Posted May 18, 2007

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4/4	The QueenOffsite
4.5/5	VolverOffsite
3.5/4	Half NelsonOffsite
4/5	The Wind That Shakes the BarleyOffsite
3/4	The PrestigeOffsite
3.5/5	GrindhouseOffsite
2.5/4	A Scanner DarklyOffsite
3/5	Mr. Bean's HolidayOffsite
2/4	Facing the GiantsOffsite
2.5/5	In the Land of WomenOffsite
2/5	Surf's UpOffsite
1.5/4	Deck the HallsOffsite
1.5/5	The Number 23Offsite
1/4	The ReapingOffsite
1/5	PremonitionOffsite
.5/4	Thr3eOffsite
0/4	Pledge This!Offsite

0/4	Pledge This!Offsite
0/4	Date MovieOffsite
0/4	Yor, the Hunter From the FutureOffsite
0/5	The Man Who Wasn't ThereOffsite
0/5	Ghosts Can't Do ItOffsite
0/4	House on Haunted HillOffsite
0/5	From Justin to KellyOffsite
0/5	The Lonely LadyOffsite
0/5	Boat TripOffsite
0/5	The Master of DisguiseOffsite

JAMES SANFORD

MOVIE REVIEWS ONLY

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