|
A
|
56%
|
Oblivion (2013) |
"
Digital effects abound, but they are in service to the story, to an idea, instead of being the point. Good, smart sci-fi like this is increasingly rare."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Apr 20, 2013
|
|
B-
|
37%
|
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013) |
"
In this entertaining yet inconsistent movie, Carrey is the incredible one."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Mar 15, 2013
|
|
B
|
60%
|
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) |
"
... Respects its origin while standing apart as its own satisfying adventure."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Mar 8, 2013
|
|
B
|
52%
|
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) |
"
... Shows what can happen when a first-rate director and an A-list cast tackle a fantastical story with an appropriate sense of wonder and whimsy."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Mar 1, 2013
|
|
D+
|
45%
|
Beautiful Creatures (2013) |
"
... As much of a chore to get through as any of those movies with the sparkly vampires."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 14, 2013
|
|
C-
|
15%
|
A Good Day To Die Hard (2013) |
"
... The plot resembles a weak episode of "24," complete with a series of twists involving characters so under-developed that the double-crosses barely even register."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 14, 2013
|
|
B
|
52%
|
Die Hard 3: With a Vengeance (1995) |
"
... Highlighted by Irons, whose slick and sinister Simon is second only to Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber in the pantheon of "Die Hard" villains."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 12, 2013
|
|
A
|
85%
|
Side Effects (2013) |
"
I'm curious to see how the film holds up and changes on a second viewing because there is a lot at work here."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 12, 2013
|
|
A
|
67%
|
Die Hard 2 (1990) |
"
... Everything a good sequel should be."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 11, 2013
|
|
A
|
94%
|
Die Hard (1988) |
"
... Not only the best action movie ever made but one of the very best of any genre."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 10, 2013
|
|
D
|
20%
|
Identity Thief (2013) |
"
Watching "Identity Thief" made me feel bad for Jason Bateman."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 8, 2013
|
|
B
|
47%
|
Bullet to the Head (2013) |
"
... As direct and forceful as its title. And that's a good thing."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 1, 2013
|
|
B
|
80%
|
Warm Bodies (2013) |
"
... Not the stale "Twilight"-with-zombies movie you might think it is. It plays up the comedy of its absurd scenario without completely ignoring the decades of living dead lore preceding it."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 1, 2013
|
|
C+
|
14%
|
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) |
"
By any serious measure, "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" is not a good movie. ... Yet I found this jumbled hodgepodge strangely entertaining."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jan 25, 2013
|
|
B
|
59%
|
The Last Stand (2013) |
"
It's too bad "The Expendables" stole its thunder because "The Last Stand" is a good enough shoot-'em-up to have been a minor event. It's a modern Western with lots of action ... and no aspirations to anything higher ..."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jan 22, 2013
|
|
B-
|
65%
|
Mama (2013) |
"
Cliches mount until the climax, which is strangely satisfying and anything but the happily-ever-after conclusion we have been bred to expect."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jan 18, 2013
|
|
D
|
32%
|
Gangster Squad (2013) |
"
... It's all surface level a backdrop for a big, dumb action movie that has more in common with "The Expendables" than "L.A. Confidential.""
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jan 11, 2013
|
|
A
|
93%
|
Zero Dark Thirty (2013) |
"
Though it surely takes some dramatic license, "Zero Dark Thirty" is a worthy document of that moment and the people who made it possible."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jan 11, 2013
|
|
C
|
19%
|
Texas Chainsaw (2013) |
"
Maybe it's due to ... lowered expectations, but I found "Texas Chainsaw 3-D" a mildly entertaining way to pass an hour and a half on a cold winter afternoon."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jan 8, 2013
|
|
A-
|
61%
|
Jack Reacher (2012) |
"
... A smart whodunnit punctuated by visceral action and sly wit."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 21, 2012
|
|
C
|
69%
|
Les Misérables (2012) |
"
Given the stage musical's immense popularity, there is a built-in audience for this that knows the story and won't care about narrative issues, such as a lack of focus and a running time that stretches beyond two-and-a-half hours."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 19, 2012
|
|
A
|
52%
|
This is 40 (2012) |
"
... Humor that flows naturally from the characters and where they are in their lives instead of relying on punchlines and pratfalls ..."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 19, 2012
|
|
B
|
88%
|
Life of Pi (2012) |
"
We're left, then, with a film that is a visual marvel, with an extraordinary story, that's dragged down by a very ordinary lead actor. A stronger performance could have made a good movie great."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 18, 2012
|
|
A-
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
Funny without being glib, serious without being pretentious or depressing, this is a mature movie with fully realized characters and fine performances."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 15, 2012
|
|
A
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) |
"
.. An absolute triumph, possessing all the magic, adventure and excitement of (the) landmark "Lord of the Rings" trilogy."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 13, 2012
|
|
B
|
63%
|
Hitchcock (2012) |
"
Though "Hitchcock" provides little new insight into the man of its title, it is valuable for finally giving the woman behind the man her due."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Dec 8, 2012
|
|
A
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012) |
"
Spielberg understands Lincoln is bigger than him--bigger than any filmmaker, bigger than any of us--and showing him in this new, more human light only enhances his greatness."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Nov 16, 2012
|
|
A
|
85%
|
Seven (Se7en) (1995) |
"
... An unrelenting examination of the evil that may or may not be festering inside every one of us."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Oct 24, 2012
|
|
A
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
... Seamlessly blends elements of the thriller, political drama, heist movie and comedy, with none of those disparate elements undermining any of the others."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Oct 12, 2012
|
|
A
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
... Writer-director Rian Johnson never stops working, using the science-fiction setup and trappings to delve into the characters and give us a story with some real meat."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Oct 2, 2012
|
|
C-
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012) |
"
... Feels outdated, as behind the times as co-workers accuse Gus, an octogenarian baseball scout with failing eyesight, of being."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Sep 25, 2012
|
|
C+
|
11%
|
House at the End of the Street (2012) |
"
... Typical of modern horror movies, jump-scares (which are startling, not scary--there is a difference) sprinkled throughout deflate the suspense before it builds much."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Sep 25, 2012
|
|
A
|
85%
|
Sleepwalk With Me (2012) |
"
Birbiglia has been a unique voice on the standup comedy circuit for several years now. "Sleepwalk with Me" indicates he could make an even bigger impact at the movies."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Sep 11, 2012
|
|
B
|
65%
|
The Campaign (2012) |
"
... What it lacks in incisive satire, it makes up in big laughs."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Aug 14, 2012
|
|
B
|
56%
|
The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
"
Like the films that preceded it, this is a movie that, even its (brief) quieter passages, is all about momentum."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Aug 12, 2012
|
|
A
|
69%
|
Ted (2012) |
"
... One of the funniest movies I've ever seen."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jul 2, 2012
|
|
B
|
35%
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) |
"
... A clever, elegantly made melding of fact and fiction."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Jun 22, 2012
|
|
C+
|
38%
|
Dark Shadows (2012) |
"
"... There is a been-there-done-that feeling permeating all of 'Dark Shadows,' no matter how entertaining it might be at times."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted May 10, 2012
|
|
A-
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
Calling 'The Avengers' the Best Superhero Movie Ever Made is a little overblown, though it easily is Marvel's best outing since the original "Iron Man" and more than justifies the years of buildup."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted May 3, 2012
|
|
B+
|
64%
|
The Five-Year Engagement (2012) |
"
Topping two hours, the movie runs a little long, which is typical of Judd Apatow productions. But there are many laughs to be had, and it's worth sticking it out until the end."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Apr 27, 2012
|
|
A
|
92%
|
The Cabin in the Woods (2012) |
"
I won't be so bold as to declare 'The Cabin in the Woods' the Best Horror Movie Ever Made, but it is sort of the ultimate expression of the genre. 'Genius' is a word I'm toying with."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Apr 27, 2012
|
|
B
|
85%
|
The Hunger Games (2012) |
"
... Does a more-than-adequate job of introducing a future world and characters I won't mind revisiting. And it gives you a little to think about while you're waiting."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Apr 27, 2012
|
|
A-
|
44%
|
American Reunion (2012) |
"
People mature, priorities change, responsibilities mount, and though the relationships may evolve, the bonds of friendship remain true."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Apr 6, 2012
|
|
B+
|
85%
|
21 Jump Street (2012) |
"
... Shows more imagination than most of today's original productions."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Mar 17, 2012
|
|
B
|
26%
|
This Means War (2012) |
"
I suppose you could call this a 'romantic action comedy,' with the emphasis on the comedy."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 14, 2012
|
|
B+
|
53%
|
Safe House (2012) |
"
This is the kind of movie you feel more in the gut than the head."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 11, 2012
|
|
C-
|
65%
|
The Woman in Black (2012) |
"
Many stupid things have been said in movies, horror movies in particular. But 'I think I'll work through the night' from 'The Woman in Black' has got to be near the top of the list."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 11, 2012
|
|
D+
|
32%
|
Man on a Ledge (2012) |
"
... The ledge is the movie's most dynamic performer."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 11, 2012
|
|
A-
|
79%
|
The Grey (2012) |
"
... A harrowing tale not necesarily of survival but of the will to survive and what happens when maybe that isn't enough."
—
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)
Posted Feb 11, 2012
|
87%
24%
91%
