Critics » Mike Ward » Fresh
Mike Ward

Mike Ward

Agrees with the Tomatometer 76% of the time.

Biography:
I'm a feelance film critic for Richmond.com and inRich.com, and have been reviewing movies for them since 2001.
Publications:
Richmond.com
Total Reviews:
354
Location:
Richmond, VA

Best Reviewed Films

Showing 1 - 50 of 354
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Rating T-Meter Title | Year Add Date
4/4 95% The Guard (2011) " The Guard is raw, modest and charming - maybe the only movie possessing all three characteristics. " — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 9, 2011
4/4 82% Super 8 (2011) " E.T. texted a homey, Spielberg paid the earth-bound ticket, and now we have Super 8." — Richmond.com
Posted Jun 10, 2011
4/4 85% Cedar Rapids (2011) " No mere fish out of water tale - more akin to scraping oceanic plankton off the back of a humpback whale and slapping it on the glittered midriffs of Chuck Sheen's poolside bevy of goddesses." — Richmond.com
Posted Mar 4, 2011
4/4 97% Animal Kingdom (2010) " Animal Kingdom doesn't have the catchphrases of The Sopranos or the nostalgic charm of Goodfellas. It's real, it's gritty and it's unforgettable. Still, I wouldn't have minded a severed kangaroo head turning up in the sheets." — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 10, 2010
4/4 86% Inception (2010) " More filmmakers need to abandon the Ikea guide to making Hollywood movies (Step 73: Keep hammering cliché) and close their eyes for a little nap." — Richmond.com
Posted Jul 15, 2010
4/4 91% Up in the Air (2009) " Clooney has found a role he fits into so comfortably, that he might be mix his post-Oscar cocktail with two one-ounce bottles of Grey Goose." — Richmond.com
Posted Dec 26, 2009
4/4 91% District 9 (2009) " You've never seen a movie like District 9, but you're likely to now see many more...Unless the big studio heads dispatch their own men in black with magic memory erasers." — Richmond.com
Posted Aug 14, 2009
4/4 97% The Hurt Locker (2009) " Let's be honest, war movies as a genre have slipped behind sappy Scientology sci-fi flicks and movies based on board games. But here comes The Hurt Locker, a modestly budgeted movie starring no one you know about a cowboy bomb diffuser made by the" — Richmond.com
Posted Jul 25, 2009
4/4 84% State of Play (2009) " Writing about a movie that acknowledges the demise of traditional media for an online magazine could be its own ironic verse in an Alanis Morissette song. Just like rain on your wedding day." — Richmond.com
Posted Apr 20, 2009
4/4 92% Frost/Nixon (2008) " The stage play-turned-big screen Oscar contender zips along from scene to scene with rare pep until building to a furious climax. And remember, this isn't a movie about alien invasions or pirate ghosts. It's a movie about two guys talking." — Richmond.com
Posted Jan 30, 2009
3.5/4 79% Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) " Hating on Captain America just isn't American. Go ahead and move to Canada; I'm sure they have some magical Mountie who's thwarting evil loggers." — Richmond.com
Posted Jul 23, 2011
3.5/4 80% Barney's Version (2011) " Barney's candor, free spirit and giant heart - which may actually be bigger than his liver - are eventually intoxicating." — Richmond.com
Posted Mar 11, 2011
3.5/4 94% The King's Speech (2010) " In a 24-hour news cycle, it's hard to believe a man with the elocution of a Pet Rock could be crowned King of the World. But at a time when the phonograph was high-tech and British figureheads weren't doing karaoke with Elton John, it could happen." — Richmond.com
Posted Dec 26, 2010
3.5/4 93% 127 Hours (2010) " Someone please chop down Tony Robbins' beanstalk. Then sic a shark to "hug" Dr. Phil. And spill a scalding bowl of Chicken Soup for the Soul in the stupid chef's lap. Finally, America has a real deal, down-to-earth motivational icon." — Richmond.com
Posted Dec 3, 2010
3.5/4 96% The Social Network (2010) " Forget the guy who invented the Pet Rock or Jump to Conclusions Mat; Facebook is now the stick that every American dream is measured against. And "The Social Network" is surprisingly the stick that movies need to measure up to in 2010." — Richmond.com
Posted Oct 1, 2010
3.5/4 85% Get Low (2010) " The bad dudes from "Deliverance" once ran away squealing from Robert Duvall. He went down to Georgia and stole Charlie Daniel's fiddle. Robert Duvall is now the backwoods equivalent of Chuck Norris." — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 2, 2010
3.5/4 78% The Other Guys (2010) " The Other Guys takes out its gun and shoots a lot. Most of the time, the jokes are on target, and the few stray punch lines can be forgiven - even the splintering groaners misfired from Will Ferrell's wooden gun." — Richmond.com
Posted Aug 5, 2010
3.5/4 80% Cyrus (2010) " About the only dishonest bone in the body of black romantic comedy Cyrus is the fact that Jonah Hill is dressed up like a plus-sized J.C. Penney catalog model circa 1992, complete with Dockers and a haircut primped for school picture day." — Richmond.com
Posted Jul 19, 2010
3.5/4 91% The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) (2010) " We may never get a Law & Order: The Movie to commemorate the stalwart series' final fizzle, but we do have the next best thing in The Secret in their Eyes." — Richmond.com
Posted May 21, 2010
3.5/4 68% Shutter Island (2010) " If you've combined Ambien and a braille Choose Your Own Adventure book, toked to Teletubbies in HD, or taken psychotropic drugs after hot-gluing kaleidoscopes to your eyes, then you've experienced something similar to Shutter Island." — Richmond.com
Posted Feb 19, 2010
3.5/4 83% Avatar (2009) " The $400-million, 162-minute mega movie will be more scrutinized than Bigfoot photos snapped by Geraldo or Willie Nelson's agricultural deductions on his 1040EZ form." — Richmond.com
Posted Dec 18, 2009
3.5/4 93% Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) " The Fantastic M. Fox is the first book Anderson owned, and it's bound to be his most successful movie. I won't say Anderson & Co. have gone mainstream, but I think I just saw George Clooney wearing Wranglers on Good Morning America." — Richmond.com
Posted Nov 25, 2009
3.5/4 94% The Damned United (2009) " The Damn United has a far better chance of turning American blokes onto soccer, errr, football than David Beckham's frosted tips." — Richmond.com
Posted Nov 14, 2009
3.5/4 90% Zombieland (2009) " Rarely does a movie treat its kill shots with such modern artistry, and dissect its own campy horror clichés with thoughtfully appropriate dialogue...finally a zombie flick has a less predictable recipe than a Tuna Helper box top." — Richmond.com
Posted Oct 1, 2009
3.5/4 88% Inglourious Basterds (2009) " Despite the trailer's first impressions, Inglourious Basterds is much more than Brad Pitt with a funny accent and a few Hitler-stache cameos." — Richmond.com
Posted Aug 21, 2009
3.5/4 68% Funny People (2009) " Funny People is not "ha ha" funny. You won't pee your pants, spit out Mr. Pibb or bust your gut. But you'll smile, nod approvingly and occasionally chuckle, the same response your mom might give a Cathy comic." — Richmond.com
Posted Aug 1, 2009
3.5/4 14% Year One (2009) " Year One is easy to hate, especially if you loathe Jack Black's hammy shtick, think Michael Cera peaked in Arrested Development or you have a worn Bible in your bedroom... and you're not living in a Super 8. But I loved it." — Richmond.com
Posted Jun 19, 2009
3.5/4 95% Star Trek (2009) " Star Trek comes out with its high beams on, its pacing hyper, and its phasers set to "stoked." And it never hits the brakes." — Richmond.com
Posted May 8, 2009
3.5/4 51% Observe and Report (2009) " If a mall security flunkie is ever trading mace with bullets during a "Sbarro's hostage incident," he better hope the punk with the gun saw Observe and Report instead of Paul Blart: Mall Cop." — Richmond.com
Posted Apr 13, 2009
3.5/4 88% Adventureland (2009) " Adventureland is a surprisingly sweet and irreverent tale of summer jobs and summer love. It reminds you how the hearts of teens and young 20-somethings flutter up and down just like the rusty deathtrap roller coasters they're looking after." — Richmond.com
Posted Apr 3, 2009
3.5/4 98% The Wrestler (2008) " One wonders if the star's limping, heavy breathing and dulled senses are all a show, or an upshot of a tortured boxing stint that transformed his face from cover boy-worthy to catcher's mitt quality." — Richmond.com
Posted Jan 23, 2009
3/4 78% Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) " Steve Carell already played a modern day Noah in titanically bad "Evan Almighty." In "Crazy, Stupid, Love" he redeems himself in his second Old Testament challenge: Job of the RomCom." — Richmond.com
Posted Jul 31, 2011
3/4 96% Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011) " It's a bucket of maraschino cherries and whipped cream after no supper. It's a two-plus hour climax without an ounce of foreplay. A fireworks grand finale without a single sparkler cooling off in Uncle Joe's Pabst can." — Richmond.com
Posted Jul 16, 2011
3/4 90% Bridesmaids (2011) " Bridesmaids busts through the party movie glass ceiling with a steel-toed stiletto and a tepid magnum of Yellow Tail." — Richmond.com
Posted May 14, 2011
3/4 77% Thor (2011) " If the rest of the popcorn movie entries exceed expectations on this level, then the forthcoming shirtless hero worship season might give me washboard abs - "Conan," "Captain America" and "Sinbad" are yet to come. " — Richmond.com
Posted May 7, 2011
3/4 77% In A Better World (2011) " I haven't seen two tougher hours tackling bullying since Meredith Vieira's five-part series on mixing Four Loco and passive-aggressive tween texting on "The Today Show."" — Richmond.com
Posted May 1, 2011
3/4 73% The Adjustment Bureau (2011) " When Facebook friends, credit histories and text message logs expose our every - and dictate 99 percent of our decision-making- "The Adjustment Bureau" has a point. Now you have a better excuse for losing your car keys than early-onset Alzheimer's." — Richmond.com
Posted Mar 7, 2011
3/4 93% Another Year (2010) " Another Year is two-plus hours of heavy dialogue and heavier uncomfortable silences. But if you can muddle through the tense moments, the pay-off is seeing one of the best written movies of the year. " — Richmond.com
Posted Feb 1, 2011
3/4 88% Blue Valentine (2010) " Rom-com haters finally got what they wanted: a brutally honest big-screen relationship on the rocks garnished with hickeys, regret, ripped panties, bruised chins and bruised egos." — Richmond.com
Posted Jan 28, 2011
3/4 80% Made in Dagenham (2010) " I am woman, hear me roar! And by "roar," I mean drive the Ford Motor Company to such a slowdown that it just got passed in the left lane by Mr. Magoo on an exercise bike." — Richmond.com
Posted Jan 21, 2011
3/4 44% The Green Hornet (2011) " The Green Hornet smoked crack with Superman and met CraigsList chicks with Wolverine. He's a bad influence and a good time. And he's much more entertaining on screen, too." — Richmond.com
Posted Jan 14, 2011
3/4 87% Black Swan (2010) " Black Swan isn't the feel good movie of the year. Heck, you may need to pop three Zolofts afterward and go to a happy place. But at least your personal potential rock bottom will plummet several hundred feet afterward." — Richmond.com
Posted Dec 18, 2010
3/4 79% Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010) " We get to see the characters raw and frayed - almost junkie-like - without the saccharine pill coating that usually helps us swallow the bad stuff happening in Harry Potter Land." — Richmond.com
Posted Nov 19, 2010
3/4 98% Inside Job (2010) " I want to prank call Alan Greespan. I want to hire a barista to cold cock a former Lehman Brothers exec who retired at 42. Put down your plastic forks. Pick up your pitchforks. And follow me! We're marching on Washington, errrr, Wall Street. Same thing..." — Richmond.com
Posted Nov 13, 2010
3/4 73% Megamind (2010) " Like Kraft Mac & Cheese or your favorite old sweats with the Duct Tape waistband, familiarity can be comforting. Megamind doesn't break any new ground other than being the rare family flick that the whole family can enjoy." — Richmond.com
Posted Nov 8, 2010
3/4 68% Conviction (2010) " If Samuel L. Jackson is the badass with a gun, and Diane Keaton is the funny hat lady, then Hilary Swank is the poor bumpkin with a big heart and bigger dream." — Richmond.com
Posted Oct 29, 2010
3/4 55% Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) " In the '80s, lighting a cigar with a $100 bill was sexy. In 2010, it's damn near porn." — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 26, 2010
3/4 94% The Town (2010) " Considering we know every twist and turn in every dark alley of "The Town," thank god the movie is well written, superbly directed and perfectly acted." — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 21, 2010
3/4 85% Easy A (2010) " It's 90 minutes of no filler and just enough PG-13 filter to make sure your 16-year-old daughter can check out it without having to swap spit for a fake ID." — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 17, 2010
3/4 72% Machete (2010) " Machete is a day laborer's wet dream that men and women of all immigration and employment status can enjoy together in peace, harmony and wanton blood lust. The only one who might ask for a refund is Shaft." — Richmond.com
Posted Sep 6, 2010
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