Fresh
| Fresh 90%
| Il Divo (2009) | "
A stunning piece of work that feels both familiar and completely unique at the same time." Movie Retriever Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 97%
| The Hurt Locker (2009) | "
Filmmaking simply doesn't get much more riveting than Kathryn Bigelow's incredible The Hurt Locker, a cinematic experience unlike any other that you will have this year." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jul 9, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 44%
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) | "
The movie equivalent of a B-side, a film filled with jokes, characters, and set-ups that weren't deemed interesting enough for the first two films. Don't buy the leftovers." Movie Retriever Posted Jul 1, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 66%
| Public Enemies (2009) | "
Audience members who find themselves on the same wavelength as Mann and his screenwriters will find enough to talk about to keep them raving about Public Enemies for days." Movie Retriever Posted Jul 1, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 59%
| Surveillance (2009) | "
Surveillance starts interesting, gets ugly, and ends kind of boring." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 46%
| Whatever Works (2009) | "
A more vibrant film than Allen's worst but the screenwriting mistakes and general misanthropy hold it back from being anywhere near his best." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 19%
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) | "
I swear to you that I have never had a film experience that felt longer than the whopping 149 minutes of Revenge of the Fallen, every single one of which I wish I had spent doing something else." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 24, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 89%
| Moon (2009) | "
Movies as daring as Moon should be applauded before all little films are replaced by safer, hipper models of themselves." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 19, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 57%
| Hush (2008) | "
There's a nice twist or two in Hush and it's reasonably well-made but it feels like a TV movie or, worse, an extended TV episode of an anthology series." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| N/A | Dark Mirror (2009) | "
Vidal sells the story of a woman who may just be going insane. She's very, very good, elevating what Proenza misses." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| N/A | A l'aventure (2009) | "
Some of the philosophical conversations go on a bit too long but it's still an interesting film with some good performances (and some of the most beautiful actresses on the planet)." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 82%
| The Chaser (2009) | "
It runs long at over two hours but it is expertly directed, shot, edited, and acted." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| N/A | Cadaver (2009) | "
A clever and briskly made ghost story." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 50%
| The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009) | "
Overly stylized and not-so-thrilling train ride is ultimately merely average at best and will disappoint fans looking for anything more." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 63%
| Enlighten Up! (2009) | "
What Enlighten Up illustrates about the dynamic between filmmaker and subject is even more interesting than what it says about yoga." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 96%
| Tulpan (2008) | "
A gentle and accomplished slice of realism about the difficulty of finding domestic bliss anywhere, especially in a part of the world with a cultural heritage that seems to be fading from the country to the city." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 66%
| Away We Go (2009) | "
Works because of the incredible performances at its core and the believability they bring to the piece, but just misses the opportunity for greatness by painting the rest of the world with too broad a brush." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 28%
| Land of the Lost (2009) | "
The only positive thing I can say about Land of the Lost is that it's so bad perhaps it will put an end to the classic-TV-to-film machine." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Jun 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 57%
| Sleep Dealer (2009) | "
I'm glad to have science fiction back in the forefront in 2009 but that doesn't mean they're all going to work. Consider Sleep Dealer a near-miss." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 19%
| Downloading Nancy (2008) | "
An amazing example of talented actors doing their best to make something genuine of a complex concept but being betrayed by writers and a director who seem afraid to really let the film connect." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Fresh 78%
| The Hangover (2009) | "
When the years have passed and the buzz has worn off, I honestly feel that people will look back at The Hangover and wonder what they laughed at in 2009. It's the Zima of movie comedies." Movie Retriever Posted Jun 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 8%
| What Goes Up (2009) | "
Such a confused, convoluted, odd piece of cinema that I almost recommend seeing it just because it is so very unusual." Movie Retriever Posted May 29, 2009 |
Rotten
| Fresh 82%
| Pontypool (2009) | "
There are dozens of zombie films worse than Pontypool and hardcore genre fans may find something to like, but casual aficionados of the undead should shuffle on." Movie Retriever Posted May 29, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 93%
| Drag Me To Hell (2009) | "
Sam Raimi is back in close to prime form with this week's thoroughly enjoyable Drag Me To Hell, a horror thrill ride almost certain to satisfy any audience member willing to choose a movie with "Hell" in the title over the latest Pixar offering." HollywoodChicago.com Posted May 29, 2009 |
Rotten
| Fresh 73%
| Departures (2009) | "
It's far too long, too self-conscious of its dramatic intentions, and too emotionally distant." Movie Retriever Posted May 27, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 97%
| Up (2009) | "
A lovely, entertaining, summer comedy adventure. Don't miss it." Movie Retriever Posted May 27, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 44%
| Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) | "
Imagine a hyper child running through the entire Smithsonian as fast as possible, screaming and waving his arms the entire way. He would probably be entertained, but would anyone around him?" Movie Retriever Posted May 22, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 62%
| The Brothers Bloom (2009) | "
A gorgeous, elaborate, beautifully-shot, well-acted con movie of the highest order." Movie Retriever Posted May 22, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 58%
| The Girlfriend Experience (2009) | "
This is Soderbergh asking questions as a filmmaker about relationships and business in the modern era. Expect questions. Don't expect answers." Movie Retriever Posted May 22, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 76%
| Outrage (2009) | "
It's an excellent film that has the potential to stand at a turning point in history and it's a must-see." Movie Retriever Posted May 22, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 75%
| Adoration (2009) | "
I'm always going to be something of an apologist for a filmmaker like Egoyan, someone so true to his characters and his concepts that he sometimes doesn't know how to manage them into a completely successful screenplay." Movie Retriever Posted May 22, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 32%
| Terminator Salvation (2009) | "
With awful dialogue, a ridiculous plot, and mostly uninspired performances, the interesting human element has been drained from the franchise. The machines have won." HollywoodChicago.com Posted May 21, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 97%
| Up (2009) | "
Interview: Pete Docter, Director of Up" Movie Retriever Posted May 15, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 46%
| Management (2009) | "
Management is something truly unusual - an underplayed movie about over-the-top emotions. For that alone, it's worth a look." Movie Retriever Posted May 15, 2009 |
Rotten
| Fresh 70%
| Rudo and Cursi (2009) | "
Far from a complete disaster but it is definitely a missed opportunity for something memorable and is likely to get lost in the summer movie shuffle in its stateside run." Movie Retriever Posted May 15, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 37%
| Angels & Demons (2009) | "
A film that tries hard to break free from the dull tone of its predecessor but ends up even more ridiculous, frustrating and generally worthless." HollywoodChicago.com Posted May 15, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 95%
| Star Trek (2009) | "
Perfectly paced, wonderfully cast, cleverly written, and masterfully designed -- summer movies don't get much better than Star Trek." Movie Retriever Posted May 7, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 8%
| The Skeptic (2009) | "
A film with good ideas and performances but weak, predictable, two-dimensional, frustrating dialogue." Movie Retriever Posted May 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 36%
| X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) | "
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not that bad. But it's also not good. It's one of the most balanced-out, down-the-middle, apathetic shrugs of a summer tentpole that I've seen in the many years that I've been following the summer blockbuster." HollywoodChicago.com Posted May 1, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 86%
| Tyson (2009) | "
One of the best biographical documentaries in years, a captivating examination of a life lived in the public eye but by an audience that barely understands it." Movie Retriever Posted May 1, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 55%
| Lymelife (2009) | "
There's enough here not just to warrant a trip to Lymelife but to keep a close eye on what the Martini brothers do now that their home movies have been made into interesting dramatic fare." Movie Retriever Posted May 1, 2009 |
Fresh
| N/A | April Showers (2009) | "
A moving, well-made piece of work with daring and genuine performances from a talented young cast." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 28, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 17%
| Mutant Chronicles (2009) | "
Combine some of the most misguided design decisions in years with dialogue, plot, and characters out of an Uwe Boll film and you have a definite misfire" Movie Retriever Posted Apr 23, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 93%
| Sugar (2009) | "
With all the scandals surrounding baseball lately, Sugar is so good that it reminds people that stories of drug-induced superstars are the exception and kids like Miguel "Sugar" Santos are far more common." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 21, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 90%
| Hunger (2008) | "
Steve McQueen's Hunger is a daring, brutal, vital piece of filmmaking." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 21, 2009 |
Rotten
| Fresh 71%
| American Violet (2009) | "
Thematically, there's a lot to like here, but the execution couldn't be more heavy-handed and two-dimensional." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 21, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 85%
| State of Play (2009) | "
The changes make for a well-made, well-paced thriller, but one that is ultimately merely okay at best without the impact that comes from something deeper." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 21, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 92%
| Tokyo Sonata (2009) | "
The true excellence of the film stems from how clearly Kurosawa makes us see something of ourselves in these characters." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 14, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 51%
| Observe and Report (2009) | "
There's nothing cute or predictable about Observe and Report. And that's precisely why it works." HollywoodChicago.com Posted Apr 10, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 98%
| Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009) | "
It's early in 2009 but you probably won't see a more enjoyable, uplifting, simply fantastic documentary this year than Sacha Gervasi's great Anvil! The Story of Anvil." Movie Retriever Posted Apr 8, 2009 |