|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Zero Dark Thirty (2013) |
"
A compelling contemporary thriller with the added benefit of also being an engrossing character study."
—
ReelViews
Posted Dec 18, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
81%
|
The Impossible (2012) |
"
The Impossible's strength is its conveyance of the loneliness and chaos that settles in the disaster's aftermath."
—
ReelViews
Posted Dec 12, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) |
"
An Unexpected Journey is a competent, entertaining effort but it neither enthralls nor amazes in the way its predecessors did."
—
ReelViews
Posted Dec 10, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
4%
|
Playing for Keeps (2012) |
"
A sloppy, poorly focused comedy that wants to be about the relationship between a father and his 9-year old son but ends up being about nearly everything else."
—
ReelViews
Posted Dec 6, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
38%
|
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) |
"
Instead of focusing on FDR as a president, this movie gives up half its length to tawdry soap opera."
—
ReelViews
Posted Dec 5, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
19%
|
Lay the Favorite (2012) |
"
As forgettable a motion picture as can be found during the 2012 holiday season."
—
ReelViews
Posted Dec 4, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
75%
|
Killing Them Softly (2012) |
"
Killing Them Softly is 2012's answer to Mean Streets."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 29, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
32%
|
Deadfall (2012) |
"
The most disappointing aspect of Deadfall is its conventionality. For a thriller, it's light on surprises."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 27, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
13%
|
Red Dawn (2012) |
"
Red Dawn suffers from a number of serious problems. The first, and most obvious, is that this is mini-series material compressed into a 95-minute movie."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 21, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
88%
|
Life of Pi (2012) |
"
There's an audience out there for this movie, but the question is whether they will find it."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 21, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
63%
|
Hitchcock (2012) |
"
It's Hopkins' impersonation of the larger-than-life title figure that holds the movie together. "
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
74%
|
Rise of the Guardians (2012) |
"
Rise of the Guardians is enjoyable as a stand-alone adventure - not groundbreaking animation but a solidly entertaining 90 minutes for older children and adults."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 19, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012) |
"
Lincoln paints a powerful and compelling portrait of the man who has become an icon. We don't need to see more of his life to understand how rare a figure he was - this window is more than sufficient. "
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 18, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) |
"
I'll probably never understand the popularity of the Twilight movies. They're haphazardly assembled adaptations of awful books."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 18, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
64%
|
Anna Karenina (2012) |
"
As a one-time devotee of Russian literature, I was suitably diverted and occasionally impressed. Your mileage may vary."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 15, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
Silver Linings Playbook is a quirky adult romantic comedy that goes beyond the standard rhythms of the genre."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 13, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
79%
|
A Late Quartet (2012) |
"
Yes, A Late Quartet is disappointing. But it's also pretty bad. "
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 12, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012) |
"
Skyfall can take its place alongside From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service as the best Bond can offer."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 6, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
78%
|
Flight (2012) |
"
Flight is a well-made motion picture, but not a fun or entertaining one."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 4, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
94%
|
The Sessions (2012) |
"
Forced to do all his acting with his face, Hawkes displays the kind of camera-arresting capability that has earned others Oscar nominations."
—
ReelViews
Posted Nov 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
86%
|
Wreck-it Ralph (2012) |
"
Wreck-It Ralph never does anything groundbreaking with this idea, but it's cute and clever and evokes nostalgia for gamers of the '80s and '90s."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 31, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012) |
"
They key to successfully absorbing the movie may be in not trying to overthink what's on screen."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 28, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
33%
|
Chasing Mavericks (2012) |
"
For Hanson and Apted, this is a rather inconsequential effort."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 26, 2012
|
|
1/4
|
25%
|
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012) |
"
They could have called this Paranormal Inactivity."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 21, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
12%
|
Alex Cross (2012) |
"
Cohen's resume argues that he's a better action director than this; the laziness is inexcusable. The denouement is easily decoded and suitably cheesy."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
82%
|
Seven Psychopaths (2012) |
"
For about 75 minutes, Seven Psychopaths is a rollicking good movie - kinetic, clever, funny, and brutal. Then, inexplicably, it falls apart."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 12, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
63%
|
Sinister (2012) |
"
In true horror movie tradition, characters do things that are head-scratchingly dumb. Once you accept those logic-defying moments, the movie works with diabolical effectiveness."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 11, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
A lot of movies take us back to the late '70s/early '80s, but few have done it so forcefully and with so little application of kitsch."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 10, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
21%
|
Taken 2 (2012) |
"
Taken 2 is more of the same, except a little bigger, a little dumber, and a little less invigorating."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 7, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
54%
|
V/H/S (2012) |
"
Two hours of nausea-inducing shaky cam footage that fails to tell a coherent or engrossing central story."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 5, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
87%
|
Frankenweenie (2012) |
"
Even as the narrative becomes progressively more ghoulish and a Godzilla wannabe shows up, Frankenweenie never loses its heart."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 4, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
44%
|
The Paperboy (2012) |
"
The movie as a whole is a rather grim, dismal experience where the elements never quite gel."
—
ReelViews
Posted Oct 3, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
43%
|
Hotel Transylvania (2012) |
"
Not since Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein have the great Universal monsters been subjected to such dismal treatment."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 29, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
81%
|
Pitch Perfect (2012) |
"
Pitch Perfect looks, sounds, and feels like pretty much every other movie that features a singing or dancing competition."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 27, 2012
|
|
4/4
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
Looper is a tremendous motion picture experience. Not merely a "very good" one, but a great one."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 26, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012) |
"
This isn't the worst performance Eastwood has given in his 57-year career, but it's his least inspired in about a decade."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 22, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
69%
|
Liberal Arts (2012) |
"
Liberal Arts is a parfait - a light, enjoyable concoction that goes down easily but doesn't linger."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 22, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
85%
|
End of Watch (2012) |
"
For those who can handle Ayer's overuse of the shaky-cam approach on the big screen, End of Watch is satisfying and emotionally potent."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
"
It's sad, funny, warm, and nostalgic - kind of like high school, really."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 19, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
78%
|
Dredd (2012) |
"
Not much of what Dredd has to offer is new or groundbreaking, but the fusion of familiar elements generates a smartly-paced, suspenseful 90 minutes that's a vast improvement over the 1995 film ..."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 18, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
87%
|
Arbitrage (2012) |
"
The screenplay, written by first-time director Nicholas Jarecki, keeps us guessing, which is one of the best compliments one can pay to a movie of this sort."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 15, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
86%
|
The Master (2012) |
"
It is the work of an artist; every shot is carefully composed."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 14, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
42%
|
Little White Lies (2012) |
"
At times, it's amusing. At times, it's tragic. At times, it's romantic. But, like many vacations, it's way, way too long."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 13, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
5%
|
The Cold Light of Day (2012) |
"
Charging $10 for this movie is criminal; vouchers and letters of apology should be handed out at the exit for those stalwart viewers who stick it out to the end."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 9, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
56%
|
For a Good Time, Call... (2012) |
"
The film is worth seeing for the humor and for its high level of energy, but it falls short of being the "complete package.""
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 7, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
22%
|
The Words (2012) |
"
For the most part, it's an adequate romantic drama orbiting an intriguing moral dilemma, but the decision to use a three-layered approach to tell the story makes little sense from a dramatic or narrative perspective."
—
ReelViews
Posted Sep 6, 2012
|
|
0/4
|
55%
|
Bachelorette (2012) |
"
Sometimes a movie is so bad it makes me want to go into seclusion and never see another film. Bachelorette is one of those."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 31, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
Lawless (2012) |
"
This is a well-made movie that deserves a higher profile than it is being accorded."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 29, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
76%
|
Premium Rush (2012) |
"
The movie speeds along crisply, providing just enough exposition to lend a few pounds of emotional weight without bogging down the breakneck pace."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 26, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
11%
|
About Cherry (2012) |
"
Never boring but never as engaging as it could or should be."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 23, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
48%
|
Hit & Run (2012) |
"
It's like Mozart being interpreted by someone who's tone-deaf."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 21, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
65%
|
The Expendables 2 (2012) |
"
Does exactly what it's supposed to do - no more, no less."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 19, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
58%
|
Sparkle (2012) |
"
Sparkle is an assembly of parts and pieces from other, better movies - an overly familiar jumble of clichés mashed together."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 19, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
89%
|
Compliance (2012) |
"
Disturbing and unlikely as it may be, this stuff actually happened, and pretty much as Craig Zobel relates it."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
1/4
|
64%
|
Cosmopolis (2012) |
"
Sometimes, even a little gratuitous nudity can't save a movie. This is one of those occasions."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
70%
|
Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012) |
"
The tone established by director Lee Toland Krieger is flippant when it needs to be, ironic when it needs to be, playful when it needs to be, and serious when it needs to be."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 15, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
56%
|
The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
"
The Bourne Legacy is one of Alfred Hitchcock's "refrigerator movies," in that it succeeds pretty well "in the moment" but starts to fall apart when considered in retrospect."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 10, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
77%
|
Killer Joe (2012) |
"
A gleeful and unapologetic descent into delicious decadence, Killer Joe is proud of what it is and never tries to be something it isn't."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
74%
|
Hope Springs (2012) |
"
Hope Springs has the unusual distinction of providing a sample of what an Ingmar Bergman movie might be like if made for mass American consumption."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 8, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
65%
|
2 Days in New York (2012) |
"
The comedy in 2 Days in New York varies from uneven to failed. A lot of it isn't funny and some of what is, is overused."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 6, 2012
|
|
1/4
|
8%
|
The Babymakers (2012) |
"
The sole function served by this motion picture is to illustrate how not to frame jokes in movies."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 5, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
31%
|
Total Recall (2012) |
"
One of the great advantages of remaking a movie is being given the opportunity to correct problems - something not attempted here."
—
ReelViews
Posted Aug 1, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
21%
|
360 (2012) |
"
A better title: A Few Famous and Not-So-Famous Actors Bump into Each Other and Don't Do or Say Much of Consequence. Wordy, yes, but accurate."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 30, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
16%
|
The Watch (2012) |
"
The Watch is a studio turd marinated in eau de skunk that stinks worse than week-old fish."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 26, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
79%
|
Ruby Sparks (2012) |
"
Not only does the movie play with a lot of intriguing quasi-philosophical issues but it is uncompromising in its trajectory."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 24, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
87%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
"
The Dark Knight Rises ultimately justifies its length (in fact, a good argument could be made for a longer cut) and the last 45 minutes is nothing short of spectacular."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 17, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
37%
|
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) |
"
Kids will enjoy themselves and adults won't feel the urge to spend the duration hiding out in the restrooms. Some of the jokes are funny."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 11, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012) |
"
Once upon a time, calling a movie "lesser Woody Allen" might be considered a slap in the face. Now, it's more-or-less expected."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 7, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
51%
|
Savages (2012) |
"
Doesn't break much new ground in the genre but offers a volatile concoction of violence, heroism, and amorality that is compulsively watchable."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 4, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
73%
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) |
"
There's something inherently depressing about what this movie says about the state of summer blockbusters in general and superhero movies in particular."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jul 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
69%
|
Ted (2012) |
"
Ted is essentially a one-joke movie. Okay, it's a very funny joke, but it's still only one joke."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 28, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
80%
|
Magic Mike (2012) |
"
Magic Mike is an allegory and its appeal lies in part in its message. You don't have to be a stripper to recognize what the filmmakers are saying."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 27, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
86%
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) |
"
The movie comes across as a collection of competing themes and ideas that collide more often than complement one another and never fully gel."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 26, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
78%
|
Take This Waltz (2012) |
"
Take This Waltz takes a wrong term late in the proceedings as it hammers home a central theme in a hurried and awkward manner, but the film's emotional truth and honesty allows us to forgive a great many flaws."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 25, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
78%
|
Brave (2012) |
"
The tone is uneven and more often morose than joyful. The pacing is slow and at times almost tedious. The end result is something that feels like it was put together from a jumble of Disney clichés tacked onto the skeleton of Beauty and the Beast."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 22, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
35%
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) |
"
The concept of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is worthy of a good chuckle or two, but the execution proves that sometimes a clever title does not beget a production of equal value."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 21, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
55%
|
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) |
"
Seeking a Friend plays to the strengths of both leads, allowing Carell to be the controlled introvert and Knightley to portray the bubbly extrovert."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 19, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
41%
|
Rock of Ages (2012) |
"
There's a variable quality to the vocals, but the production design and choreography are solid, leading to a cheesy enjoyability."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 14, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
91%
|
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) |
"
"Charming" and "sweet" are two words that can be applied to this movie, which is considerably gentler than the R-rating might imply."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 12, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
74%
|
Prometheus (2012) |
"
Prometheus is a prequel that works as a stand-alone but offers added benefits to those familiar with the Alien series."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 7, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
79%
|
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) |
"
It has value only as a way to engage a very young viewer until his or her attention span expires."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 6, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
34%
|
Lola Versus (2012) |
"
There's a lot about Lola Versus that feels familiar, but the propulsion that escalates the film out of the low orbit of angst-riddled 20-something indie "comedies" is Greta Gerwig."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 6, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
94%
|
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) |
"
One knock against some of Anderson's previous efforts is that they're too clever - so clever, in fact, that the humanity gets sucked out of them. That doesn't happen here."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 5, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
48%
|
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) |
"
As far as live-action reimaginings of fairy tales are concerned, this is one of the more inventive ones and is unquestionably better than 2011's Red Riding Hood misfire."
—
ReelViews
Posted Jun 1, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
29%
|
Bel Ami (2012) |
"
Based on Guy de Maupassant's 1885 novel, Bel Ami is the meandering, unfocused tale of the rise of an unprincipled opportunist in the upper class circles of late 19th century Paris."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 30, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
20%
|
Chernobyl Diaries (2012) |
"
Chernobyl Diaries is afflicted with a fatal flaw that damages many horror films: after a better-than-average setup and a promising first half, everything falls apart."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 25, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
70%
|
Men in Black III (2012) |
"
This sequel is so lifeless and pointless that it moves beyond "unnecessary" into the realm of "unwanted" and "insulting.""
—
ReelViews
Posted May 24, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
75%
|
The Intouchables (2012) |
"
Enjoy this movie for what it is - the kind of motion picture that can cause Champaign-like giddiness - and don't obsess over how true-to-life this work of fiction is."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 23, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
58%
|
Hysteria (2012) |
"
Hysteria comes across as a rather superficial brand of art house comedy that offers moderate entertainment value but little more."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 17, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
34%
|
Battleship (2012) |
"
Battleship has the IQ of a rutabaga and doesn't require much more intelligence than that to watch."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 16, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
58%
|
The Dictator (2012) |
"
One of the cleverest moments in Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator comes during the first five seconds: a memorial dedication to Kim Jong Il. It's all downhill from there."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 15, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
5%
|
Hick (2012) |
"
Hick wants to come across as trippy and offbeat but its bizarre, surreal approach is more off-putting than effective."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 14, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
38%
|
Dark Shadows (2012) |
"
Dark Shadows is a mess, and it's unclear whether its bizarre recipe of comedy, campy horror, and gothic melodrama will satisfy anyone, regardless of their familiarity with the source material."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 9, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
67%
|
God Bless America (2012) |
"
A lot of what God Bless America has to say is on-target and is presented in such a straightforward, unvarnished fashion that it's impossible to miss the honesty beneath the comedy."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 7, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
78%
|
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) |
"
Those who will see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel are looking for something calm, safe, gently humorous, and entirely unchallenging. And that's exactly what they get."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 3, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
The Avengers kicks ass."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 2, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
4%
|
A Little Bit Of Heaven (2012) |
"
What's missing is honesty. It has been supplanted by artifice."
—
ReelViews
Posted May 1, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
——
|
Predskazaniye (The Prediction) (The Prophecy) (1993) |
—
ReelViews
Posted May 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
92%
|
Headhunters (2012) |
"
At a time when many mystery thrillers fall apart in the final fifteen minutes, Headhunters maintains its integrity."
—
ReelViews
Posted Apr 28, 2012
|
78%
——
——
85%
45%
40%
