|
2.5/4
|
48%
|
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) |
"
Theron turns a stock character into a memorably sinister mix of scorned gold digger and plastic surgery addict. It takes a lot more than a pail of water to wipe out this wicked witch."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted May 31, 2012
|
|
1/4
|
34%
|
Battleship (2012) |
"
Saluting both the American flag and filmmaker Michael Bay, 'Battleship' rises to new heights of pandering while Erich and Jon Hoeber's screenplay sinks to depths of dopiness."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted May 17, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
58%
|
The Dictator (2012) |
"
Alternately clever and cliché; occasionally potent but often bumpy, the comedy is a respectable mess."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted May 14, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
What makes this anticipated film so absorbing is how the heroes' internal battles are often more pronounced than their external ones. And when these troubled people interact, it's electric."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted May 3, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
53%
|
Think Like a Man (2012) |
"
A funny, sprawling romantic comedy that attempts to say something significant about relationships. Occasionally, it has the ring of truth."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Apr 19, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
51%
|
The Three Stooges (2012) |
"
It offers a smorgasbord of pratfalls, mock injuries, humiliations and general physical nonsense."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Apr 12, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
44%
|
American Reunion (2012) |
"
Even though Jim and his fellow horny high schoolers have aged into their 30s, they're still good for some raunchy adventures in "American Reunion.""
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Apr 5, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
50%
|
Mirror Mirror (2012) |
"
The actors are caught somewhere in the middle of this quirky, unsatisfying film -- a fractured fairy tale that alternates between amusing and infuriating with each new scene."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Mar 29, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
78%
|
Jeff Who Lives at Home (2012) |
"
It's a remarkably honest and funny movie that takes full advantage of these stars' distinctive personas."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Mar 15, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
85%
|
21 Jump Street (2012) |
"
The comedy revels in putting dumb and/or inept spins on cinematic formulas. It results in a shoddy movie, but one that is bad in rather interesting ways."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Mar 15, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
51%
|
John Carter (2012) |
"
Kitsch, best known for TV's "Friday Night Lights," proves able to front a movie. The Canadian is as reliable as "Avatar" lead Sam Worthington, with a mix of good looks, brawn and generic heroism."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Mar 8, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
54%
|
Dr Seuss' The Lorax (2012) |
"
"The Lorax" captures the look and intent of Dr. Seuss' 1971 children's book. But it never quite duplicates the underlying magic."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Mar 1, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
94%
|
The Secret World of Arrietty (2012) |
"
In its own way this charming Japanese import is as visually lush as its Western competitors, but a refreshingly leisurely pace and simple structure set it apart."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Feb 16, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
42%
|
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) |
"
Although lacking in the previous version's creaky charm, the new 'Journey 2: The Mysterious Island' is an agreeable, family-friendly adventure that benefits from an appealing cast."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Feb 9, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
53%
|
Safe House (2012) |
"
Despite all the hand-to-hand fighting and gunplay, these men seem grounded in reality. They are not immune to injury or fear or dopey decisions."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Feb 9, 2012
|
|
1.5/4
|
65%
|
The Woman in Black (2012) |
"
Watkins is forced to rely on sinister cutaways and jump scares punctuated by orchestral blasts. Without the contribution of post-production sound effects, this film might play like a stuffy period drama."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Feb 2, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
79%
|
The Grey (2012) |
"
Although "The Grey" occasionally succumbs to heavy-handed narration, with its musings about God and the natural world, it delivers in the visceral realm."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jan 26, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
46%
|
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2012) |
"
Some will find this 9/11-themed family drama powerful and imaginative; others, cloying and infuriating. The reality lies somewhere in the middle."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jan 19, 2012
|
|
2/4
|
52%
|
The Iron Lady (2012) |
"
It's not exactly a sympathetic portrayal... or a very interesting one."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jan 12, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
83%
|
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) |
"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" unfolds inside its own impenetrable environment, with director Alfredson turning a cold shoulder to the audience."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jan 5, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
94%
|
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011) |
"
"Being Elmo" is that rare piece of nonfiction filmmaking that begets cross-generational appeal."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jan 5, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
98%
|
The Artist (2011) |
"
This is not some clinical dissection of bygone cinematic techniques; it's a lively, appealing effort that mostly rises above mere novelty."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Dec 22, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
75%
|
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) |
"
Spielberg keeps a Hardy Boys-style innocence to the sleuthing while maintaining an Indiana Jones-type intensity for the relentless action sequences."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Dec 20, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
60%
|
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) |
"
The seemingly convoluted story line does manage to eventually bind together, with a wry commentary on the military-industrial complex to boot. "
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Dec 15, 2011
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011) |
"
Bird shows he can handle exotic locales and action sequences of James Bond-like proportions."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Dec 15, 2011
|
|
1.5/4
|
7%
|
New Year's Eve (2011) |
"
The film is intended to be a romantic comedy. But its flat direction, stock punch lines, insipid musical numbers and suffocating swarm of characters make it horrifying."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Dec 8, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
100%
|
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (2011) |
"
"Everyday Sunshine" presents a raw lesson in how artistry and success often make incompatible partners."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Dec 1, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
91%
|
Arthur Christmas (2011) |
"
"Arthur Christmas" is sometimes a bit hectic in its execution, but overall it's a fine addition to the pantheon of wacky cinematic speculation about how Santa gets the job done."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 23, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
96%
|
The Muppets (2011) |
"
This new musical comedy is pretty close to being the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational effort to hit screens this year."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 22, 2011
|
|
3.5/4
|
73%
|
Like Crazy (2011) |
"
Simple, subtle and disarmingly powerful."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 17, 2011
|
|
2/4
|
44%
|
J. Edgar (2011) |
"
Leonardo DiCaprio takes on the role of J. Edgar Hoover with his usual gusto, but the resulting film offers a detached, meandering account of the controversial figure."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 10, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
93%
|
Take Shelter (2011) |
"
This unsettling, hypnotic drama boasts a quietly powerful performance by Michael Shannon as Curtis, a man succumbing to apocalyptic visions."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 3, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
69%
|
Tower Heist (2011) |
"
Remember when Eddie Murphy was funny? Dangerous? Entertaining? Thankfully, "Tower Heist" does also."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 3, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
47%
|
Anonymous (2011) |
"
Overlong, labyrinthine and most certainly speculative in its history, "Anonymous" benefits from a central conceit that is too intriguing to be dismissed."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Nov 3, 2011
|
|
3.5/4
|
84%
|
Puss in Boots (2011) |
"
Visually, this project ranks among the best animated efforts to embrace the 3-D craze."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Oct 27, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
71%
|
Footloose (2011) |
"
"Footloose" is still too long and too square to jump up and down about. But it offers a mild diversion for those who still believe "the music is on his side.""
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Oct 13, 2011
|
|
4/4
|
85%
|
The Ides of March (2011) |
"
A collision of devious campaign tricks and backroom power plays, "The Ides of March" develops into one of the sharpest political thrillers in years... and a worthy front-runner at the next Oscars."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Oct 6, 2011
|
|
3.5/4
|
93%
|
50/50 (2011) |
"
Gordon-Levitt capitalizes on the best role of his career, one that justifies a potential Oscar nomination."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Sep 29, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
95%
|
Moneyball (2011) |
"
"Moneyball" isn't ultimately about baseball as much as it is an exploration of those who do and don't adapt to change. "
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Sep 23, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
85%
|
Contagion (2011) |
"
Hypochondriacs might want to steer clear of "Contagion." Others should find this procedural thriller about the outbreak of a deadly disease to be an informative, disquieting and mildly entertaining experience."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Sep 8, 2011
|
|
2/4
|
33%
|
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011) |
"
Despite a game cast and some scattered big laughs, the comedy is often vulgar when subtlety is required and timid when it should go over-the-top."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Sep 1, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
76%
|
The Debt (2011) |
"
The Debt is particularly memorable for an original, jaw-dropping plot twist."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Aug 31, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
73%
|
Sarah's Key (2011) |
"
"Sarah's Key" uses this buried historical incident as a springboard for a potent tale of survival, guilt and hard-nosed reporting."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Aug 18, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
72%
|
Fright Night (2011) |
"
Ultimately, it's a solid update of a fondly remembered minor hit."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Aug 18, 2011
|
|
3.5/4
|
45%
|
30 Minutes or Less (2011) |
"
It is unrelenting in its abusive, potty-mouthed dialogue, and at times the filth threatens to disrupt the comedy. But similar to the film's main character, its manic energy always finds a way to move things forward regardless of the consequences."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Aug 12, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
82%
|
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) |
"
The movie does a fine job of making one actively root for the apes to win."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Aug 4, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
44%
|
Cowboys & Aliens (2011) |
"
"Cowboys & Aliens" (loosely based on a 2006 graphic novel of the same name) provides a slick cinematic vehicle for two of the toughest actors of their generations."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jul 28, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
71%
|
Friends With Benefits (2011) |
"
"Friends With Benefits" excels at identifying then deconstructing the clichés of the romantic comedy -- as "Scream" dissected horror platitudes."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jul 21, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
70%
|
Horrible Bosses (2011) |
"
The best workplace comedy since "Office Space.""
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jul 7, 2011
|
|
2/4
|
38%
|
Cars 2 (2011) |
"
It's not that "Cars 2" is an unpleasant exercise in animated filmmaking. It's just such a perfunctory one. The sequel is about as captivating as a trip to the Disney store at the mall."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jun 23, 2011
|
|
2/4
|
47%
|
Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) |
"
It's yet another variation of the uptight character who loosens up through the intervention of (blank). But the transition of Popper turning from corporate raider to familial guardian (and back and forth again) is unconvincing."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jun 16, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
82%
|
Super 8 (2011) |
"
J.J. Abrams takes this warm concept and turns it into an impersonal sci-fi thriller, capsized by an increasing overload of digital effects."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jun 9, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
88%
|
X-Men: First Class (2011) |
"
First Class flirts with inclusion among the best Marvel projects to hit the big screen."
—
Kansas City Star
Posted Jun 2, 2011
|
|
2.5/4
|
78%
|
Dreamgirls (2006) |
"
a mildly engrossing lecture on the pitfalls of fame -- drug abuse, failed marriages and egos run rampant -- all set to the melismatic bellowing of semi-catchy show tunes."
—
County Cable
Posted Feb 2, 2007
|
|
1.5/4
|
21%
|
The Hitcher (2007) |
"
It's good advice to never pick up strangers. It's equally sound advice to never go see a remake of an unremarkable '80s horror flick that is produced by Michael Bay and directed by a filmmaker best known for crafting Britney Spears videos."
—
County Cable
Posted Jan 26, 2007
|
|
2/5
|
45%
|
The Fan (1981) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 25, 2007
|
|
3/5
|
81%
|
Three Seasons (1999) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 25, 2007
|
|
5/5
|
98%
|
Airplane! (1980) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 25, 2007
|
|
3/5
|
81%
|
Innerspace (1987) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 25, 2007
|
|
3/5
|
66%
|
She's So Lovely (1997) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 25, 2007
|
|
2/4
|
24%
|
Lady in the Water (2006) |
"
Lady in the Water appears to be a creepy fairy tale, but it's really a psychological thriller. Trouble is, the psychology involves the mindset of its writer-director."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jul 21, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
21%
|
You, Me and Dupree (2006) |
"
It simply fades into Wilson's growing résumé of watchable but unremarkable comedies."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jul 14, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
54%
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) |
"
At more than two-and-a-half hours, this second installment veers toward overkill"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jul 7, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
76%
|
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) |
"
Come February, it might be very fashionable to present Streep with another Oscar"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jun 30, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
76%
|
Superman Returns (2006) |
"
It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a downer."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jun 28, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
93%
|
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) |
"
the documentary is so convincing that it makes opposers of the argument as credible as Holocaust deniers."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jun 23, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
40%
|
Nacho Libre (2006) |
"
What is least appealing about the Hesses is the sense that they are always laughing 'at' rather than 'with' their characters"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jun 16, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
74%
|
Cars (2006) |
"
Apparently, anthropomorphized machines are a whole lot less fun than anthropomorphized fish, insects, toys or monsters. Remember last year's Robots? Yeah, me neither"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jun 9, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
34%
|
The Break-Up (2006) |
"
It's at least trying to stay anchored in the real world, where cute couples don't always make up and walk hand-in-hand into the sunset."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jun 2, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
57%
|
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) |
"
The main downfall of X-Men: The Last Stand is also its biggest guilty pleasure: watching just how many mutant baddies they can throw on the screen."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted May 26, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
25%
|
The Da Vinci Code (2006) |
"
Ideas that are genuinely challenging to people's beliefs don't come from sources like Ron Howard. His movie is a professional, workmanlike effort -- a passable potboiler and not much more."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted May 19, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
32%
|
Poseidon (2006) |
"
It's the cinematic equivalent of a Carnival Cruise"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted May 12, 2006
|
|
3.5/4
|
70%
|
Mission: Impossible III (2006) |
"
The movie is why popcorn was invented."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted May 5, 2006
|
|
3.5/4
|
91%
|
United 93 (2006) |
"
The very act of depicting the events with such detached frankness makes for a far more gripping experience than any cinematic embellishments might provide."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted May 1, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
41%
|
American Dreamz (2006) |
"
The film is tailor-made for the vast audience that can't wait to watch Fox's Idol each week while still intellectually grasping what a glossy hunk of junk it is."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Apr 21, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
86%
|
Thank You For Smoking (2006) |
"
a comedy both as dark as a black lung and as illuminating as a stadium full of flicked lighters."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Apr 14, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
51%
|
Lucky Number Slevin (2006) |
"
What at first appears to be heading into Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie turf steadily finds its own violent voice"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Apr 7, 2006
|
|
1.5/4
|
7%
|
Basic Instinct 2 (2006) |
"
Stone's every line of dialogue, every gesture, every hussy lip smack screams 'I'm too sexy for this movie.' And it's often hilarious."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Mar 31, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
73%
|
V for Vendetta (2006) |
"
V for Vendetta is a confounding exercise that has no trouble getting people to think, but it's far less successful at getting them to feel."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Mar 17, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
50%
|
The Hills Have Eyes (2006) |
"
So visceral is the carnage and so believable are the victims' reactions to it that it's impossible not to get caught up in the story."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Mar 10, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
55%
|
16 Blocks (2006) |
"
the quieter scenes far outweigh the noisier ones"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Mar 3, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
40%
|
Running Scared (2006) |
"
For a picture so fetishistically obsessed with death, Running Scared is vibrantly alive."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Feb 24, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
47%
|
Hoodwinked (2005) |
"
an irreverent, imaginative and often just plain weird spin on the classic fairy tale"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Feb 17, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
19%
|
Firewall (2006) |
"
once the fistfights, car chases and stray explosions begin to mount, the movie veers into exponentially dumb overkill."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Feb 10, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
90%
|
Capote (2005) |
"
it does a capable job of capturing a time and place, bringing to life several unforgettable personalities and illustrating the moral self-loathing of a writer whose real-life subject must die before he has a decent ending to his book."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Feb 3, 2006
|
|
3/5
|
100%
|
S.O.B. (1981) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
4/5
|
73%
|
Sleepers (1996) |
"
Disturbing and powerful"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
5/5
|
92%
|
The Parallax View (1974) |
"
Among the top paranoid thrillers of the 1970s"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
2/5
|
73%
|
Backdraft (1991) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
4/5
|
65%
|
Live and Let Die (1973) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
1/5
|
50%
|
Hard Target (1993) |
"
Hysterically inept attempt at action filmmaking"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
3/5
|
85%
|
Death Race 2000 (1975) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
3/5
|
75%
|
Benny & Joon (1993) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
3/5
|
84%
|
Eating Raoul (1982) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
40%
|
End of the Spear (2006) |
"
This generally engrossing Christian parable is the type of film that conservatives will overpraise and liberals will overcriticize."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 20, 2006
|
|
2.5/4
|
54%
|
Last Holiday (2006) |
"
somehow the conviction that Queen Latifah brings to the project makes some of the film's dopier choices easier to forgive."
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 13, 2006
|
|
2/4
|
87%
|
Brokeback Mountain (2005) |
"
a monotonous and often inadvertently campy romance that rivals The Hours as the most overrated movie of the decade"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Jan 6, 2006
|
|
4/5
|
100%
|
Brother's Keeper (1992) |
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Dec 27, 2005
|
|
1/5
|
11%
|
In Love and War (1996) |
"
Boring and artificial"
—
Lawrence Journal-World
Posted Dec 27, 2005
|
87%
24%
91%
85%
45%
40%
