Christian Toto Movie Reviews & Previews

Critics » Christian Toto

Christian Toto

Agrees with the Tomatometer 69% of the time.

Biography:: I'm a contributing film critic/reporter for The Washington Times. I also am the mayor of Movies in Toto, the washingtontimes.com's movie blog. My main blog is WhatWouldTotoWatch.com.
Favorites:: Raising Arizona.
Publications:: Big Hollywood , Denver Post , Donne Tempo , PajamasMedia , PopMatters , Washington Times , What Would Toto Watch?
Critics' Group:: Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association

Total Reviews:: 656
Total QuickRatings:: 7

Listing Of All Reviews & Articles

Showing 51 - 100 of 656

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
2/4	17%	Rites of Spring (2012)	" Rites of Spring fuses two durable movie genres together, but neither supplies the requisite chills we demand." — Big Hollywood Posted Jul 26, 2012
2.5/4	74%	Prometheus (2012)	" "Alien" had great characters, unrivaled shocks and a claustrophobic atmosphere. Prometheus ... looks great!" — Big Hollywood Posted Jun 11, 2012
2.5/4	——	Bad Ass (2012)	" Bad Ass won't be confused with 'Death Wish' or even 'Gran Torino,' but it's superior to Trejo's recent dud 'Machete' " — Big Hollywood Posted Jun 7, 2012
3/4	58%	U.N. Me (2012)	" Where are Michael Moore and his high-powered doc peers when you need them? The scrappy U.N. Me shines an unblinking light on a troubled organization." — Big Hollywood Posted Jun 4, 2012
3/4	83%	A Necessary Death (2012)	" A Necessary Death takes a hot button issue - suicide - and expands it to reveal the fuzzy line between art and morality." — Big Hollywood Posted Jun 2, 2012
3/4	18%	For Greater Glory (2012)	" For Greater Glory serves as a timely reminder of just how fragile religious freedom can be." — Big Hollywood Posted Jun 1, 2012
2.5/4	22%	What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)	" What to Expect trots out the same ol' pregnancy gags, but the film's hilarious Daddy's Group sets it apart from its rom-com peers." — Big Hollywood Posted May 22, 2012
4/4	93%	Marvel's The Avengers (2012)	" The Avengers lives up to every last ounce of hype." — Big Hollywood Posted May 16, 2012
3/4	60%	Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)	" The bromance nearly boils over in this messy but satisfying sequel to the 2009 feature." — Big Hollywood Posted May 16, 2012
3.5/4	93%	Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)	" Pixar vet Brad Bird directs the best Mission: Impossible yet. See it on the biggest screen possible for maximum impact." — Big Hollywood Posted May 16, 2012
2/4	58%	The Dictator (2012)	" Sacha Baron Cohen is too famous now to trick unsuspecting strangers a la "Borat." But The Dictator reveals his inability to disappear behind a character without an outrageous disguise." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 15, 2012
3.5/4	93%	Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011)	" Ghost Protocol packs more white-knuckle tension than any action film this year." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 16, 2011
3/4	60%	Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)	" Sherlock Holmes adds intellectual firepower with the villainous Moriarty while keeping the bromance with Watson intact." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 16, 2011
3.5/4	75%	The Names of Love (2011)	" The far-left lead character in The Names of Love is so enchanting even Rush Limbaugh would give her the time of day." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 2, 2011
2.5/4	36%	In Time (2011)	" In Time needs a few more rewrites before it can knock on the door of great sci-fi films like 'Blade Runner.'" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 31, 2011
2.5/4	50%	The Rum Diary (2011)	" The hangover from The Rum Diary doesn't hit until the uninspired third act." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 31, 2011
3/4	71%	The People vs. George Lucas (2011)	" The visionary behind 'Star Wars' could learn a thing or two from the smart, and richly comic, documentary The People vs. George Lucas" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 28, 2011
3/4	68%	Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)	" The new 'Activity' is dumb, strained and obvious. But you'll be scared all the same, and nothing else matters." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 21, 2011
2.5/4	60%	Real Steel (2011)	" Hugh Jackman refuses to let audiences leave Real Steel without being entertained, no matter how silly matters get." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 19, 2011
2.5/4	85%	Contagion (2011)	" Why did Contagion have to be such an antiseptic thriller?" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Sep 14, 2011
1.5/4	25%	Apollo 18 (2011)	" In space, no one can hear you scream ... but you'll hear plenty of giggling in the final moments of Apollo 18" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Sep 5, 2011
3.5/4	76%	The Debt (2011)	" Smart, thrilling and morally complex ... not much more you can ask of The Debt" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Sep 1, 2011
2.5/4	40%	The Bleeding House (2011)	" Beware of nattily dressed strangers knocking at your door ..." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 27, 2011
2/4	58%	Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark (2011)	" Horror fans can look past a whole lot of stupidity in their favorite genre. But Don't Be Afraid of the Dark simply asks too much of us." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 27, 2011
2.5/4	24%	Conan the Barbarian (2011)	" If you're gonna make an unnecessary remake like Conan the Barbarian at least keep it breezy, an approach director Marcus Nispel wisely heeds here." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 20, 2011
2/4	72%	Fright Night (2011)	" A few cool 3D effects are the only improvement Fright Night offers over the campy original." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 19, 2011
2.5/4	45%	30 Minutes or Less (2011)	" Slacker comedies don't get much lazier than 30 Minutes or Less" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 13, 2011
1.5/4	25%	The Change-Up (2011)	" The Change-Up thinks any ol' R-rated gag will make us howl." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 6, 2011
3/4	82%	Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)	" Consider Rise of the Planet of the Apes a belated apology for Tim Burton's misbegotten 2001 remake." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 6, 2011
3/4	14%	When Harry Tries to Marry (2011)	" When Harry Tries to Marry shakes up the stale rom-com formula." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Aug 4, 2011
3/4	78%	Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)	" Crazy, Stupid, Love. is as chock full of great laugh lines as it is unnecessary punctuation." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 31, 2011
2/4	71%	Friends With Benefits (2011)	" A more accurate title for Friends with Benefits would be Pretty People Trying Way Too Hard For Our Amusement." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 27, 2011
3/4	79%	Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)	" Captain America's rousing first half proves Chris Evans was the right choice to play the Star Spangled hero." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 23, 2011
3.5/4	96%	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)	" Deathly Hallows - Part 2 is everything a Potter fanatic could want in a franchise capper." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 15, 2011
2.5/4	14%	Zookeeper (2011)	" Cher and Sly Stallone as a lion couple? Quirky voice casting helps Zookeeper rise above its kiddie film trappings - barely." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 8, 2011
3/4	70%	Horrible Bosses (2011)	" Horrible Bosses won't make you forget "Office Space," but you'll be laughing too much to mind. " — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 8, 2011
2/4	35%	Larry Crowne (2011)	" Larry Crowne makes losing your job, your car and your house look like the greatest thing to happen to a middle aged man." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 1, 2011
3/4	36%	Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)	" Dark of the Moon is just as loud, dumb and illogical as you expect. But when those neat 3D action sequences kick in, none of that matters." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jul 1, 2011
2.5/4	44%	Bad Teacher (2011)	" Bad Teacher gets a shiny new apple thanks to a raunchy turn by Diaz" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jun 26, 2011
2.5/4	38%	Cars 2 (2011)	" Cars 2 feels like a rival animation studio trying to copy the Pixar formula - and failing." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jun 24, 2011
2.5/4	47%	Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)	" Jim Carrey shrewdly lets his tiny co-stars have most, but not all, the fun in Mr. Popper's Penguins" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jun 19, 2011
2/4	26%	Green Lantern (2011)	" Green Lantern uses so much CGI it's a wonder anyone bothered bringing a camera to the set." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jun 18, 2011
2/4	46%	Monogamy (2011)	" Monogamy asks us to root for lovers who seem disinterested in their own future." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jun 12, 2011
3/4	82%	Super 8 (2011)	" J.J. Abrams' Super 8 can't live up to its advanced billing, but it's still a crisp combination of 'Goonies,' 'Stand By Me' and ... I can't spoil the rest." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jun 10, 2011
2/4	34%	The Hangover Part II (2011)	" The Hangover Part II feels like the fifth or sixth installment in the franchise. It's that out of fresh ideas." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 27, 2011
2.5/4	61%	The Beaver (2011)	" The Beaver puts the focus back on Mel Gibson the actor, not the tabloid nightmare." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 20, 2011
2.5/4	33%	Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)	" On Stranger Tides is arrgh-uably the best franchise sequel yet. Faint praise, to be sure." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 20, 2011
3/4	67%	Hobo With a Shotgun (2011)	" Never mind 'Machete,' Hobo with a Shotgun is the real heir to the Grindhouse glory daze." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 14, 2011
3/4	90%	Bridesmaids (2011)	" Bridemaids may make Kristen Wiig the first female'SNL' alum to ascend to the A-list." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 13, 2011
3	77%	Thor (2011)	" Thor isn't 'The Dark Knight,' but it's a mighty fine kickoff to the summer movie season." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted May 6, 2011
3/4	78%	Fast Five (2011)	" All together now ... if you loved the first four Furious films there's no reason on Earth why you won't dig Fast Five" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 29, 2011
2.5/4	61%	Water for Elephants (2011)	" No passion, no problem. Water for Elephants creates a wonderfully dark circus atmosphere to keep our interest when the film's love triangle falters." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 22, 2011
2/4	11%	Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)	" Kudos to Atlas Shrugged for bringing Ayn Rand's iconic novel to the big screen at long last. Now, about that script ..." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 15, 2011
2/4	58%	Scream 4 (2011)	" Scream 4 isn't the embarrassment one fears from such a belated return to a sleeping franchise. But it's neither scary nor inventive enough to warrant its existence." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 15, 2011
2.5/4	26%	Arthur (2011)	" The new, not so improved Arthur drinks less but still brings the funny." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 8, 2011
3/4	91%	Source Code (2011)	" With Source Code Duncan Jones proves he's sci-fi's most promising young director." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 1, 2011
3/4	66%	Insidious (2011)	" James Wan's Insidious is both an apology for the numbing 'Saw' sequels and proof old-school horror still rocks." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Apr 1, 2011
1/4	23%	Sucker Punch (2011)	" Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch should send shivers down the spines of Superman fans." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 25, 2011
3/4	67%	Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2011)	" Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead makes it safe to eat your vegetables again." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 23, 2011
3/4	79%	I Saw the Devil (2011)	" The guilty must pay ... and pay in I Saw the Devil, an unrelenting Korean shocker." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 18, 2011
3/4	83%	The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)	" Welcome back, Matthew McConaughey" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 18, 2011
2.5/4	35%	Battle: Los Angeles (2011)	" Battle: Los Angeles will delight your inner 8-year-old while your brain cells wither and die. " — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 11, 2011
1.5	11%	Red Riding Hood (2011)	" What do you get when you cross 'Twilight' with a cherished children's story? Don't ask." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 11, 2011
3/4	73%	The Adjustment Bureau (2011)	" Hollywood can always count on Philip K. Dick, whose short story inspired The Adjustment Bureau, to bring something fresh to tired film formulas." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 6, 2011
3.5/4	88%	Rango (2011)	" Parents will be nudging aside their children to check out the thoroughly mature western known as Rango" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 4, 2011
2.5/4	44%	Bereavement (2011)	" Bereavement is one nasty piece of work." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Mar 3, 2011
2/4	34%	Hall Pass (2011)	" The Farrelly brothers can only wring so many laughs out of excrement in Hall Pass" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 25, 2011
1.4/4	20%	Birdemic: Shock And Terror (2008)	" Birdemic defies traditional criticism. It's awful, but isn't that the point?" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 22, 2011
2/4	51%	Vanishing On 7th Street (2011)	" Vanishing on 7th Street feels like a classic in the making until we get to know the main characters." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 21, 2011
1.5/4	56%	Unknown (2011)	" Unknown hinges on an amnesia cliche so moth-eaten sitcoms long ago gave up on it." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 18, 2011
2.5/4	32%	Wild Target (2010)	" Two delightful stars nudge Wild Target into sleeper territory - but only by a few inches." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 12, 2011
3/4	85%	Cedar Rapids (2011)	" Ed Helms finally gets a starring role to call his own in Cedar Rapids, but John C. Reilly swipes the movie out from under him." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 12, 2011
2.5/4	30%	Sanctum (2011)	" Silly, soggy but certainly suspenseful, Sanctum is a B-movie pick-me-up." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 4, 2011
2.5/4	67%	Jack Goes Boating (2010)	" Hoffman, the unofficial king of indie films, gets a bit too precious with his directorial debut." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Feb 3, 2011
2/4	53%	The Mechanic (2011)	" The Mechanic threatens to deviate from the Statham Action Movie Template, but only for about 40 minutes." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jan 29, 2011
2.5/4	75%	Primal (2011)	" Primal is neither original nor well polished, but it brings the gore like a respectable genre outing should." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jan 27, 2011
3/4	49%	No Strings Attached (2011)	" Portman shows Heigl, Bell and Aniston what it takes to be a rom-com queen in No Strings Attached." — PajamasMedia Posted Jan 21, 2011
2.5/4	44%	The Green Hornet (2011)	" The Green Hornet attempts to mock its own genre, but it forgets to deliver a compelling characters along the way." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jan 15, 2011
2/4	24%	The Dilemma (2011)	" The only thing missing from this slight comedy of misunderstandings is Mr. Furley - and a scene set in the Regal Beagle." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jan 15, 2011
2.5/4	22%	Country Strong (2011)	" Paltrow's got the pipes, but Garrett Hedlund steals Country Strong out from under her." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Jan 7, 2011
2.5/4	21%	Gulliver's Travels (2010)	" This Jack Black attack is just right for Gulliver's Travels, a kiddie flick with no discernible aspirations." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 31, 2010
3/4	96%	True Grit (2010)	" We didn't really need another True Grit, but the Coen brothers delivered a smart, funny retelling of the Rooster Cogburn saga all the same." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 27, 2010
2/4	32%	How Do You Know (2010)	" We now know 'Spanglish' wasn't a fluke. Writer/director Brooks' artistic decline continues with How Do You Know" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 18, 2010
3/4	51%	Tron Legacy (2010)	" Tron: Legacy validates those who spent the last 28 years defending the original film as a story worth telling." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 17, 2010
2.5/4	49%	The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)	" Dawn Treader delivers some epic-sized adventure, but it simply isn't good enough to extend the franchise." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 11, 2010
3/4	87%	Black Swan (2010)	" Natalie Portman fulfills the promise she hinted at in her pre-teen roles with Black Swan - even if the film itself is emotionally inert." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 10, 2010
1.5/4	20%	The Tourist (2010)	" The Tourist is as beautiful as it is soulless." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 10, 2010
3/4	52%	The Next Three Days (2010)	" Is The Next Three Days implausible? You betcha. Tell that to the magnetic stars, the smart screenplay and the impassioned direction by Paul Haggis." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Dec 2, 2010
2/4	79%	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010)	" A stop gap, not a movie." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 27, 2010
3/4	43%	Faster (2010)	" Casting Billy Bob Thornton in Faster means it's more than just a generic action vehicle for the man once known as The Rock." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 25, 2010
3/4	86%	Unstoppable (2010)	" Denzel vs. a speeding locomotive - no contest." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 13, 2010
3/4	55%	Morning Glory (2010)	" Rachel McAdams proves perkier than a dozen Katie Courics in Morning Glory" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 10, 2010
2.5/4	72%	I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)	" Jim Carrey plays to both his comic fan base and those who want to see him stretch that limber frame with I Love You Phillip Morris" — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 8, 2010
1.5/4	39%	Due Date (2010)	" Due Date is just like 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' but without the humor and heart." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Nov 5, 2010
3/4	68%	Conviction (2010)	" Sam Rockwell turns Conviction into his latest "For Your Consideration" ad." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 25, 2010
3/4	59%	Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)	" Paranormal Activity 2 should have been a quick, cynical cash in on the original. Instead, it's a chiller that stands tall on its own." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 22, 2010
2.5/4	65%	The Infidel (2010)	" Can't we all just coexist? The Infidel can't bring the laughs, but it's a subtle peek at scapegoating on all sides." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 21, 2010
2/4	45%	You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)	" You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger gives another gaggle of actors the chance to boast they made a Woody Allen movie - just not a very good one." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 18, 2010
3/4	72%	Red (2010)	" Explosions! Sight gags! A bald, bombastic Bruce Willis! But Helen Mirren steals Red every time she opens fire." — What Would Toto Watch? Posted Oct 16, 2010

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