Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 70%
| The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) | "
Wright gives the title character a complexity and emotional shading often missing in this kind of ensemble comedy/drama." Posted Nov 29, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 6%
| Old Dogs (2009) | "
Though no animals were harmed in the making of Old Dogs, the lead actors were defanged. But like a pair of Labradors, they have a playful rapport." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 71%
| The Road (2009) | "
While the film is not as resonant as the novel, it is an honorable adaptation, capturing the essence of the bond between father and son." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 83%
| The Princess and the Frog (2009) | "
Where Pinocchio was about wishing on a star, The Princess and the Frog emphasizes backing up wishes with hard work. That proviso is a thoughtful message for young moviegoers." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 81%
| Me and Orson Welles (2009) | "
It's slight, only sporadically enjoyable and sometimes corny." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 84%
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) | "
Despite his strangely receding hairline, bug-eyed demeanor and hunchback stance, Cage somehow avoids making this police lieutenant a caricature." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 73%
| The Blind Side (2009) | "
Its superficiality keeps it from being the moving story it could have been." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 81%
| Broken Embraces (2009) | "
While it doesn't pack the emotional heft of director Pedro Almodóvar's most moving films, such as Volver, it is stylish and arresting, with powerful performances and a compelling, if at times contrived, story." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 15%
| Planet 51 (2009) | "
This has the directionless, recycled feel of a script by committee." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 90%
| The Messenger (2009) | "
This is a wholly different look at the fallout of the Iraq War and its effect on soldiers and civilians. It is also a gentle portrait of grief, friendship and solace." Posted Nov 24, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 29%
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) | "
Though an improvement over the first Twilight film, this sequel (both based on Stephenie Meyer's best-selling books) drags and sputters, even in scenes meant to be infused with passion." Posted Nov 19, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 92%
| Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | "
These weirdly effective shifts in tempo, combined with an attention to detail and distinctive dialogue, make for the best moments in this offbeat adventure." Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 37%
| 2012 (2009) | "
The movie is an undeniable visual spectacle, but just as unequivocally a cheesy, ridiculous story." Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 60%
| Pirate Radio (2009) | "
The film's original title was The Boat That Rocked. Indeed, these freewheeling, swinging '60s DJs braved their own Titanic to keep on rocking in the free world." Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 91%
| Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (2009) | "
It's hard to be unmoved by Precious' determination. Despite its melodramatic moments, remarkable performances drive home the film's inspiring message." Posted Nov 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 54%
| The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) | "
This is the anti-Hurt Locker experience: Where that Iraq War film was absorbing and deadly serious, The Men Who Stare at Goats is irreverent and lighthearted." Posted Nov 5, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 18%
| The Fourth Kind (2009) | "
You don't have to believe in far-fetched tales of mysterious beams of light and alien abductions to get caught up in The Fourth Kind." Posted Nov 5, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 55%
| Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) | "
A re-telling should either present a resonant or fresh thematic take. This Christmas Carol seems like a pale ghost of Dickens' magical Christmas classic." Posted Nov 5, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 16%
| Gentlemen Broncos (2009) | "
If you didn't know otherwise, you'd swear that Gentlemen Broncos was made by a disaffected high school student -- and not a particularly talented one." Posted Oct 30, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Fresh 86%
| The House of the Devil (2009) | "
West avoids cliché and cheesiness with wise casting choices. Donahue's naturalistic performance is as persuasive as the subtly sinister portrayals by Tom Noonan and Mary Woronov." Posted Oct 29, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 26%
| Motherhood (2009) | "
[Motherhood] not only overdoes its premise, but it's hampered by several flaws. When it tries to be serious, it's too earnest, and when it tries to strike a chord, it's banal." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Rotten 37%
| Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009) | "
Perhaps best of all, the movie doesn't take itself too seriously. It's creepy but tinged with sarcasm and infused with silly fun." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 20%
| Amelia (2009) | "
Amelia goes airborne but never fully soars. It's hampered by a too-reverential portrait of the record-breaking aviator." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 48%
| Astro Boy (2009) | "
Tthis CG-animated adaptation of the Japanese comic classic feels derivative but moderately entertaining, particularly in some of the highflying visuals." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 49%
| Antichrist (2009) | "
The movie immerses itself in the darkest despair imaginable, blending dystopian porn with ghastly horror and graphic violence. But it's all done in a mundane, almost clinical way." Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 72%
| Where the Wild Things Are (2009) | "
Where the Wild Things Are is a fiercely innovative film with surprising texture and nuance. It captures the joy and exuberance of childhood without shying away from its very real pains and woes." Posted Oct 15, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Rotten 41%
| New York, I Love You (2009) | "
If you're not a stickler for consistency, this is an effective pastiche and tribute to one of the world's most enticing cities." Posted Oct 15, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 25%
| Law Abiding Citizen (2009) | "
The exploration of right and wrong, and its complicated lack of clarity, gets trammeled amid the bevy of explosions, volley of bullets and mounting body count." Posted Oct 15, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 93%
| The Damned United (2009) | "
What vaults the film above the standard sports movie is the stellar performance by Michael Sheen." Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 94%
| Good Hair (2009) | "
Rock is not only funny, he's an affable and intelligent host in a documentary that is accessible, breezy and highly informative." Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 83%
| Paranormal Activity (2009) | "
This unsettling ultra-low-budget tale capitalizes on our innate fear of things that go bump in the night, and adds a supernatural element that will effectively terrorize even the toughest among us." Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 12%
| Couples Retreat (2009) | "
It's too bad Couples Retreat is so poorly written and conceived, given the talented cast and chemistry between Vaughn and pal Favreau. We're meant to relate to these hapless folks or laugh at their foibles, but more often we wince." Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 94%
| An Education (2009) | "
Through stellar performances, clever writing and exquisite cinematography, the story is fresh and thoroughly captivating." Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 56%
| The Invention of Lying (2009) | "
By adhering to the romantic-comedy formula, The Invention of Lying stops short of being truly inventive. But enough sequences are fresh and inspired to make this a comedy honestly worth catching." Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 89%
| Zombieland (2009) | "
The humor is vicious and the supporting cast is viscous. But underlying the carnage in Zombieland is a sweetly beating heart." Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 87%
| A Serious Man (2009) | "
A Serious Man is a wonderfully odd, bleakly comic and thoroughly engrossing film." Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 73%
| More Than a Game (2009) | "
It's an inspiring tale not just for lovers of basketball, although the games featured are so thrilling and tense that it's a challenge to remain sitting placidly in one's seat." Posted Oct 1, 2009 |
Fresh 2.5/4
| Rotten 43%
| Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009) | "
It's an undeniably ambitious, if uneven, effort. Some of Krasinski's directorial flourishes are inspired, such as Christopher Meloni's imaginative re-telling (and offbeat re-enacting) about a woman he met as she stood crying at the airport." Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 22%
| I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009) | "
The movie plays out like a watered-down and far less comical version of The Hangover, without the likable characters and the crazy fun." Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 72%
| The Boys Are Back (2009) | "
This lovely and emotionally resonant film about a family shattered by grief deserves better than a forgettably glib title that conjures up images of beer brawls or gangster affiliations." Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 39%
| Surrogates (2009) | "
Despite bumpy execution likely to have detractors yelling "déjà boo," Surrogates oozes possibilities." Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 28%
| Fame (2009) | "
Fame offers slick entertainment with some exuberance, but it's devoid of soul or heart." Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 65%
| Coco Before Chanel (2009) | "
The film, while scaled-down, is quite beautifully woven, like a classic Chanel tweed." Posted Sep 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 75%
| Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) | "
Capitalism is as entertaining as Roger & Me, and its critique skewers both major political parties, calling into question the economic policies of Bill Clinton as well as Ronald Reagan." Posted Sep 24, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 86%
| Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) | "
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have written an engaging and comically absurd story with subtle messages, more sophisticated than what usually is offered in animated fare." Posted Sep 17, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 45%
| Jennifer's Body (2009) | "
Jennifer's Body tries hard to be cool, gross and nasty but feels forced and misses the mark." Posted Sep 17, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 83%
| Bright Star (2009) | "
Those who love language and particularly poetic verse will savor the dialogue, as well as the visual splendor of the film. With its gorgeously framed shots and superb craftsmanship, Bright Star is a thing of beauty." Posted Sep 17, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 18%
| Love Happens (2009) | "
The film has an uneven tone, unsure whether to mock [Eckhart's] rudimentary words of wisdom or play up his good intentions." Posted Sep 17, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 76%
| The Informant! (2009) | "
Soderbergh takes a deadly serious news story and amplifies and colors it to the point of outrageousness. The results aren't always consistent, but they are undeniably compelling." Posted Sep 17, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 6%
| Whiteout (2009) | "
While the setting can be mesmerizing, little else about this movie is captivating. It's a standard-issue thriller, with a twist you see coming a continent away." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
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