Fresh
| Fresh 72%
| The Blind Side (2009) | "
It's a feel-good movie that could have been a more intellectual, honest exercise, but it's still a feel-good movie that works on its own terms." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 23, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 45%
| Turning Green (2009) | "
Turning Green has been on the shelf for so long that I'm afraid this forgettable film has gone bad." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 55%
| Missing Person (2009) | "
The moments that do undeniably work are overshadowed by a general feeling that the film just isn't quite clicking the way it could or should have, amplified by a final act that simply gets away from everyone involved." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 56%
| Mammoth (2009) | "
Takes a bit too long to get going and perhaps bites off more thematically than it can chew, but it has too many intriguing ideas and spectacular performances to be dismissed." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 90%
| The Messenger (2009) | "
A stunning debut, an effective, expertly-made and performed drama about the common human ability to deal with tragedy and loss in unique, unpredictable ways." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 84%
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) | "
It almost makes one angrier to think about the time Cage has wasted on crap films when he should be doing interesting ones like this every single time." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 18%
| Planet 51 (2009) | "
Computers have been assisting in the production of animated films more and more every year, but have they started writing them too?" — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 20, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 30%
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) | "
Like a teenage girl trying to adapt her diary into a one-woman show, Rosenberg has turned Stephenie Meyer's work into something that thinks it's Shakespeare but never resonates with an ounce of true emotion." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 19, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 87%
| Skin (2009) | "
Great performances and a smart decision to avoid melodrama make Skin worth seeing but it's the small things that hold it back from being truly great." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 88%
| The House of the Devil (2009) | "
There is a lot about The House of the Devil to admire but West ultimately likes the slow burn a bit too much and it fizzles out." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 30%
| Women in Trouble (2009) | "
It's a film with undeniably gorgeous parts that never quite develops into a sum." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 59%
| Pirate Radio (2009) | "
Several films in one without fully developing any of them, Pirate Radio is one of those movies that tries to do too much at once and yet often feels like it's doing nothing at all." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 37%
| 2012 (2009) | "
You don't get off a rollercoaster and complain about the lack of storytelling." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 91%
| Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (2009) | "
The "feel-bad, feel-good" movie of the year, a well-made film that is so dark that it can be hard to watch but that is designed to illustrate the fact that the human power to overcome adversity is stronger than the instinct to shrivel and die." — HollywoodChicago.com Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 18%
| The Fourth Kind (2009) | "
Nothing more than an elaborate light show, smoke and mirrors designed to lull the audience into believing that not only what they are seeing is real but that the filmmaking isn't some of the most amateurish of the year." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 47%
| The Box (2009) | "
The thriller fluctuates wildly in tone and levels of exposition, featuring some effective concepts and scenes, but just as many moments that are poorly constructed or unnecessary." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 56%
| Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) | "
All I want for Christmas is for Robert Zemeckis to stop making mo-cap movies." — Movie Retriever Posted Nov 5, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 94%
| An Education (2009) | "
A coming-of-age film like no other in a very long time. It is thematically complex, perfectly designed, and as memorable as any film released this year." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 20%
| Amelia (2009) | "
So forgettable that I'm almost happy Fox Searchlight held the film back for week-of-release screenings because if I saw this awhile ago, I wouldn't remember enough about it to write a review." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 38%
| Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009) | "
What a real trip to a real freak show would probably never be -- forgettable." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 48%
| Antichrist (2009) | "
You can read all you want into Antichrist, but I think the basic summation of the film is simple -- Lars von Trier was depressed and he wanted you to be too." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 26%
| Motherhood (2009) | "
Misguided, cluttered, annoying mess of a dramedy, a film only moderately redeemed by the still-luminous Thurman, but even she is dragged down by a truly awful screenplay. Mothers still get no respect." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 47%
| Ong Bak 2 (2009) | "
Features an international star at the top of his particular game right now, delivering continuously impressive vehicles for his gritty, dirty style of martial arts." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 22, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 57%
| Trucker (2009) | "
Features spectacular performances but these excellent actors are required to do too much heavy lifting with a script that plays out too predictably to be effective." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 21, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 42%
| New York, I Love You (2009) | "
Only occasionally entertaining and really only clicks to life when people who know a thing or two about the city are on screen. Most of the time, it's more boring than an average conversation in Times Square." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 23%
| Law Abiding Citizen (2009) | "
An absolutely reprehensible, illogical, and poorly made thriller that raises more questions than it answers" — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 70%
| Where the Wild Things Are (2009) | "
Ambitiously conceived, daringly produced, and with a lingering power that's akin to some of the most beloved family films ever made." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 92%
| Mary and Max (2009) | "
The most surprisingly moving film of the year, an experience that literally knocked me back as it brought tears to my eyes." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 14, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 83%
| Paranormal Activity (2009) | "
One of the most effective horror movies in years and a film that sets out to shake you and, with only a few flaws, does exactly that. The faint of heart need not apply." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 12, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 86%
| A Serious Man (2009) | "
The Coen brothers have done it again. They've made one of the best films of their already spectacular careers." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 12%
| Couples Retreat (2009) | "
The only way to look at Couples Retreat as a bookend to Swingers is to note how far these two talented stars have fallen." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 9, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 82%
| Whip It (2009) | "
Cynical moviegoers who are the first in their circle of friends to look for a movie's missteps probably shouldn't attend Whip It, but many, many people will find something to love in this roller-skating underdog." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 89%
| Zombieland (2009) | "
From the opening shots to the best post-credits tag in years, Zombieland attempts nothing but pure fun and completely delivers." — HollywoodChicago.com Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 86%
| Big Fan (2009) | "
Oswalt's performance alone makes Big Fan worth seeing." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 56%
| The Invention of Lying (2009) | "
The Invention of Lying proves that a killer cast and an amazing, unique concept can take you a long way." — Movie Retriever Posted Oct 2, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 39%
| Surrogates (2009) | "
Like Blade Runner re-imagined by a twelve-year-old." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 83%
| Bright Star (2009) | "
A piece of perfect cinematic poetry, a film that doesn't just capture the work, love, and life of a legendary poet but does do with vibrant, relatable, timeless emotion, innocence, and purity." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 31%
| The Burning Plain (2009) | "
Arriaga's film beats his audience over the head with the pain of its characters but provides no release, no lessons, and no relatable humanity. It's film for masochists only." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 18, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 76%
| The Informant! (2009) | "
Damon gives the most fascinating and fearless performance of his career." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 18, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 85%
| Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) | "
A very funny slice of CGI whimsy with a perfect voice cast, interesting visual aesthetic, and even a heartwarming message that doesn't feel pounded down your throat like a hot-dog eating contest." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 18, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 86%
| The Baader Meinhof Complex (2009) | "
There's an element of relatable humanity missing from the foundation of trying to tell a story that could have taken six hours in 144 minutes, but there's no denying the power of those 144 minutes." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 15, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 6%
| Whiteout (2009) | "
The script for Whiteout is shockingly boring, centering around a mystery that wouldn't pass a writer's meeting for CSI: Antarctica." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 56%
| 9 (2009) | "
I'm all for embracing the new and supporting filmmakers with unique visions, but there are still basic tenets of filmmaking that need to be achieved." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 9, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 63%
| Extract (2009) | "
Bateman is simply great. He's reason enough alone to see Extract, but perhaps this is the best overall praise I can pay the film -- I can't possibly imagine anyone who liked Office Space NOT liking Extract." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 4, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 85%
| World's Greatest Dad (2009) | "
Clever, entertaining, and very, very dark, World's Greatest Dad is unlike any comedy that you've seen this year and, for that fact alone, deserves some attention." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 4, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 6%
| All About Steve (2009) | "
Easily one of the worst movies of the year (if not the decade), there is not one redeeming quality to All About Steve, an offensive film morally, socially, and to the institution of comedy." — Movie Retriever Posted Sep 4, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 49%
| Taking Woodstock (2009) | "
So easy to get behind thematically and one with fascinating subject matter, but it's a movie that never gets over some of the stereotypes of its subject matter to present a fully-formed, relatable, human drama." — Movie Retriever Posted Aug 28, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 29%
| The Final Destination (2009) | "
Little did I know that the 3D would merely be another way to disguise the tremendous lack of effort that went into things like writing, acting, or directing." — Movie Retriever Posted Aug 28, 2009 |
Rotten
| Fresh 76%
| Cold Souls (2009) | "
It's a movie about losing your soul that doesn't really have one." — Movie Retriever Posted Aug 21, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 45%
| Shorts (2009) | "
Akin to watching a home movie made by your neighbor's kids if they happened to be the offspring of a millionaire filmmaker." — Movie Retriever Posted Aug 21, 2009 |
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