|
B
|
53%
|
Safe House (2012) |
"
For those starving for a gritty, competently-made action film that's not loaded down with corny CGI, this is the ticket."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Feb 12, 2012
|
|
D+
|
64%
|
The Woman in Black (2012) |
"
Creepy only in its few moments of psychological horror, The Woman in Black is really nothing more than a jump scare marathon."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Feb 3, 2012
|
|
C
|
32%
|
Man on a Ledge (2012) |
"
You're never bored, but you're also aware of how much better it could be."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jan 27, 2012
|
|
C
|
36%
|
Red Tails (2012) |
"
Red Tails has Lucas' fingerprints all over it in that the action scenes are thrilling, but pretty much everything else is half-baked and a cliché of a cliché."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jan 22, 2012
|
|
C+
|
73%
|
Rampart (2012) |
"
What we're left with is a procedural that's difficult to get completely invested in."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Nov 24, 2011
|
|
A
|
96%
|
The Muppets (2011) |
"
It's funny, moving, quick-witted, and way better than anything your kids are watching on TV these days."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Nov 22, 2011
|
|
C-
|
44%
|
Happy Feet Two (2011) |
"
Why are these movies so depressing?"
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Nov 22, 2011
|
|
C+
|
44%
|
J. Edgar (2011) |
"
Interesting things happen onscreen, but there is an inexplicably empty, sterile feel to the whole affair."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Nov 13, 2011
|
|
B+
|
69%
|
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011) |
"
The laughs aren't quite as consistent and you kind of get the feeling that Kal Penn and John Cho are outgrowing this stuff, but it nevertheless delivers for fans of the stoner now-trilogy."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Nov 3, 2011
|
|
B+
|
84%
|
Contagion (2011) |
"
A tense, first-rate thriller that will have you running for the soap and water once the end credits start rolling."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Sep 8, 2011
|
|
B-
|
69%
|
Horrible Bosses (2011) |
"
You'll get your laughs, but you'll also wish it had gone for the throat in the end."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jul 7, 2011
|
|
B-
|
34%
|
Larry Crowne (2011) |
"
...there is a wholesome, even naïve (by today's standards) outlook at work that really comes off as refreshing."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 30, 2011
|
|
B
|
35%
|
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) |
"
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third in the Earth-destroying series, delivers the goods, plain and simple."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 28, 2011
|
|
C-
|
39%
|
Cars 2 (2011) |
"
Did no one, at any point, simply ask, "do we really want Larry the Cable Guy carrying this movie?""
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 23, 2011
|
|
B
|
44%
|
Bad Teacher (2011) |
"
It provides a compact runtime (oh, how I've missed you, 90-minute movie) and a quality laughs/minute ratio."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 23, 2011
|
|
D-
|
27%
|
Green Lantern (2011) |
"
Green Lantern isn't just bad, it's Fantastic Four bad."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 16, 2011
|
|
C+
|
35%
|
The Hangover Part II (2011) |
"
Whereas the original had the wonderful epiphany of watching a comedy that actually didn't suck, The Hangover Part II sticks strictly to its own formula - and to a fault."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted May 25, 2011
|
|
C-
|
34%
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) |
"
On Stranger Tides has the faint stink of a phoned-in cash grab, and box office receipts will likely confirm fears that this is not the last we've heard from Jack Sparrow and company."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted May 20, 2011
|
|
C-
|
88%
|
Rango (2011) |
"
This is one of those movies where the grandiose vision is there, but it never gels."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Mar 4, 2011
|
|
A-
|
72%
|
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) |
"
You won't think too deeply about the supernatural possibilities presented in the film, but you will respect them as clever and absorbing storytelling devices."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Mar 4, 2011
|
|
D
|
32%
|
I Am Number Four (2011) |
"
This is a whimper of a film simply trying to capitalize on the success of the Twilight formula and, well, every superhero movie under the sun."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Feb 17, 2011
|
|
C
|
88%
|
Blue Valentine (2010) |
"
Is it worth the trouble and heartache? Blue Valentine comes close, but the uneven examination of its central couple makes for a depressing and ultimately unsatisfactory experience."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jan 29, 2011
|
|
C
|
53%
|
The Mechanic (2011) |
"
As a January time-waster you could do worse, but it's long past time to start demanding more of this genre than shoddily-written revenge stories shot with the bungee cam."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jan 27, 2011
|
|
B+
|
44%
|
The Green Hornet (2011) |
"
While the package as a whole never truly strikes a consistent tone, the boundless energy, surprisingly irreverent dialogue, and creative action sequences carry the day."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jan 13, 2011
|
|
D-
|
24%
|
The Dilemma (2011) |
"
...stretches patience, common sense, and anyone's ability to stomach Vince Vaughn rambling his way through an eternally long two hours."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jan 13, 2011
|
|
C-
|
50%
|
Tron Legacy (2010) |
"
After the initial awe of the first act wears off, TRON: Legacy becomes a long, slow, and alarmingly uninteresting ride."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Dec 18, 2010
|
|
B
|
86%
|
Rabbit Hole (2010) |
"
While a little too neat and buttoned-up, it's an effective character study that actually trends successfully into dark comedy territory during the second act."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Dec 16, 2010
|
|
A
|
87%
|
Black Swan (2010) |
"
Black Swan is a true suspense experience, and it's a welcome one."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Dec 13, 2010
|
|
A
|
93%
|
127 Hours (2010) |
"
...a film that is undeniably grueling, but also full of hope, oddball humor, and a reminder that no matter how bad you think things are, they can always be worse."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Dec 13, 2010
|
|
D-
|
42%
|
Faster (2010) |
"
Faster actually wants us to take this seriously, and it's crushed under its own weight with this assertion."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Nov 24, 2010
|
|
B+
|
71%
|
Red (2010) |
"
While not perfect, RED is the popcorn film of the fall season, not to mention more entertaining than most of the pictures from what was a pathetic summer. "
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Oct 14, 2010
|
|
D
|
28%
|
Life as We Know It (2010) |
"
Life As We Know It contains what has to be the most unappetizing setup in romantic comedy history."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Oct 7, 2010
|
|
B+
|
60%
|
Frozen (2010) |
"
While making the occasional narrative misstep, this is effective low-budget filmmaking, and undoubtedly a notch better than what usually passes as suspense these days."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Oct 6, 2010
|
|
A
|
96%
|
The Social Network (2010) |
"
The Social Network is a film for now, even if in the realm of computer time 2003 seems like a lifetime ago. It's riveting entertainment, and a must-see."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Sep 30, 2010
|
|
B
|
51%
|
The Switch (2010) |
"
A shaky first act settles down into an involving latter two-thirds, mostly due to the subtle comedy of Jason Bateman and a fantastic performance from newcomer Thomas Henderson."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Aug 19, 2010
|
|
B+
|
81%
|
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) |
"
As a piece of action/comedy filmmaking with plenty of retro winks, Wright can put another feather in his cap."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Aug 12, 2010
|
|
C+
|
78%
|
The Other Guys (2010) |
"
As a send-up of the buddy-cop action/comedy, it's serviceable, but it's no Hot Fuzz."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Aug 5, 2010
|
|
B
|
62%
|
Salt (2010) |
"
Salt succeeds as an unpretentious, confident, and fast-paced action piece."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jul 22, 2010
|
|
A-
|
86%
|
Inception (2010) |
"
Nolan dares the viewer to jump into his multi-layered world, his own maze, and dedicated moviegoers will not be able to resist - even for a second, third, or fourth time."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jul 15, 2010
|
|
C+
|
80%
|
Cyrus (2010) |
"
This could have been a killer black comedy without a whole lot of rewriting, but the Duplasses opted for the awkward social comedy that doesn't deliver the consistent laughs one might expect."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jul 8, 2010
|
|
D
|
6%
|
The Last Airbender (2010) |
"
Where's the fun? We're talking about characters that can throw fire and water. Where's the excitement and sense of wonder?"
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 30, 2010
|
|
D
|
10%
|
Grown Ups (2010) |
"
This is as flat, lazy, and uninspired of a comedy as any in years."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 24, 2010
|
|
A+
|
99%
|
Toy Story 3 (2010) |
"
...one of Pixar's top-three finest works and, if the Academy does what is right, a surefire Best Picture candidate."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 17, 2010
|
|
C
|
50%
|
The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2010) |
"
It's not a film I can recommend except to those who fully know what they're getting themselves into, but it's also effective and professional enough that it can't be immediately dismissed."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 14, 2010
|
|
B
|
67%
|
The Karate Kid (2010) |
"
By now everyone knows the drill, but this new Karate Kid proves that the formula still has life."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Jun 11, 2010
|
|
B-
|
35%
|
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) |
"
This is in-one-ear-out-the-other kind of stuff, but it will get the job done as an air-conditioned refuge from the summer heat."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted May 28, 2010
|
|
D
|
15%
|
Sex and the City 2 (2010) |
"
At this point it's virtually impossible to escape the cruel irony that Sex and the City, the show, ended when it did so that it wouldn't become what this movie is."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted May 28, 2010
|
|
B+
|
47%
|
MacGruber (2010) |
"
The spoof genre had appeared dead for many years, but MacGruber has a spirit and determination to entertain that is reminiscent of a lot of the spoof films from the glory days."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted May 22, 2010
|
|
B
|
40%
|
Death at a Funeral (2010) |
"
It serves its purpose by providing ninety minutes of consistent laughter, though no scene really stands out from the others."
—
FromTheBalcony
Posted Apr 16, 2010
|
