|
B-
|
88%
|
Django Unchained (2012) |
"
Pure cinematic testosterone and filled with saucy variations on dozens of other films."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 27, 2012
|
|
B
|
69%
|
Les Misérables (2012) |
"
having the actors sing their parts while they were filming...gives the music a welcome organic quality and immediacy."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 27, 2012
|
|
B-
|
61%
|
Jack Reacher (2012) |
"
Robert Duvall brings a delicious zest to his scenes that almost make us forget that this is a movie in which a man is asked to bite off his own fingers."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 22, 2012
|
|
C-
|
52%
|
This is 40 (2012) |
"
Asks us to care about the concerns of people who obsess about the most superficial and selfish problems, with no sense at all of how shallow and unappealing they are."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 20, 2012
|
|
C
|
38%
|
The Guilt Trip (2012) |
"
There's a reason Rogen's best work in film has been providing voices for animated characters. He only has two looks, a squinchy pained look and a dull confused look. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 19, 2012
|
|
B
|
38%
|
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) |
"
Murray gives a beautifully subtle, complex and fully immersed performance as the President whose paralysis gave him a deeper understanding and sense of purpose. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 14, 2012
|
|
B
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) |
"
Jackson himself seems to miss the forest of the story for the literal trees."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Dec 14, 2012
|
|
B-
|
75%
|
Killing Them Softly (2012) |
"
We get it, we get it, the real crooks are on Wall Street and in Washington. Balletic blood spatters juxtaposed with songs are ironic. Or something like that. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 29, 2012
|
|
C
|
13%
|
Red Dawn (2012) |
"
MGM looked at the original formula and decided that if it was going to upgrade just one ingredient, it would be the quality of the explosions. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 21, 2012
|
|
B-
|
74%
|
Rise of the Guardians (2012) |
"
Visually rich but cluttered."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
B+
|
88%
|
Life of Pi (2012) |
"
Ang Lee's exquisitely beautiful fairy tale story of an Indian boy shipwrecked with a Bengal tiger, and their journey home."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
B
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) |
"
This one is for the fans."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 15, 2012
|
|
B+
|
64%
|
Anna Karenina (2012) |
"
Director Joe Wright and his favorite star, Kiera Knightley have produced a ravishing, highly theatrical version of Leo Tolstoy's classic."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 15, 2012
|
|
C
|
47%
|
A Liar's Autobiography - The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman (2012) |
"
Like the Python movies, it is is made up of skit-like segments, but it only briefly reaches anywhere near their level of sublime comic anarchy. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 11, 2012
|
|
B+
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012) |
"
A robust, engrossing story that illuminates our own time as well as the era of the 16th and arguably greatest President."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 8, 2012
|
|
A-
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012) |
"
James Bond goes home in every sense in this ravishingly entertaining entry in the series. Five decades later, it all of a sudden feels fresh, fun, and utterly engaging. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 8, 2012
|
|
B+
|
78%
|
Flight (2012) |
"
Denzel Washington is at his best playing a man who is at his worst. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 3, 2012
|
|
B+
|
86%
|
Wreck-it Ralph (2012) |
"
The witty and vibrant worlds are gorgeously imagined (and of course now available in game form themselves), with a satisfying balance of heart and humor."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Nov 1, 2012
|
|
B+
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012) |
"
Some will be enchanted by the grand scope of the story-telling and the intricate details..Others will be distracted by the prosthetics, wigs, and make-up. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Oct 25, 2012
|
|
A-
|
98%
|
Brooklyn Castle (2012) |
"
There is much of what you expect -- gifted kids, dedicated teacher, tense anticipation, thrilling victories. The characters are endearing and their stories are stirring."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Oct 23, 2012
|
|
C-
|
12%
|
Alex Cross (2012) |
"
The 6'5″ Perry's most believable moment is when his character has to reach something from a high shelf. That feels real."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Oct 18, 2012
|
|
A-
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
Affleck is no longer one of Hollywood's most promising new directors - he has arrived. This film works on every level."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Oct 11, 2012
|
|
C
|
39%
|
Here Comes the Boom (2012) |
"
Kevin James is so gosh-darned likable that he can make up for a lot of sub-par material, but not even he can make this tiresome effort work. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Oct 11, 2012
|
|
B+
|
87%
|
Frankenweenie (2012) |
"
A deliciously ghoulish story."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Oct 4, 2012
|
|
2.5/4
|
43%
|
Hotel Transylvania (2012) |
"
The 3-D adds a vertiginous thrill to a chase on flying tables and a touch of claustrophobia to a maze of underground corridors."
—
Chicago Sun-Times
Posted Sep 30, 2012
|
|
B
|
81%
|
Pitch Perfect (2012) |
"
The musical mixes are terrific and Kendrick proves she is a real movie star but the mash-up with low comedy keeps tripping up the movie's momentum. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 28, 2012
|
|
B-
|
32%
|
Won't Back Down (2012) |
"
What should have been a rousing, feel-good, "inspired by a true story" film benefits from strong performances but suffers from a palpably skewed point of view. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 28, 2012
|
|
B+
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
As with his brilliant and ground-breaking "Brick," also starring Gordon-Levitt, writer/director Rian Johnson has an engaging and compelling way of mixing genres. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 28, 2012
|
|
B+
|
86%
|
The Master (2012) |
"
A metaphor about post-WWII America, overwhelmed by its own success, audacious, overconfident, careless, struggling between head and heart, past and future, body and soul."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
B
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012) |
"
"Trouble with the Curve" pitches softballs to power hitters. It has major league players and a bush league script."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 20, 2012
|
|
A+
|
99%
|
Finding Nemo 3D (2012) |
"
It makes even more compelling what is still my all-time favorite Pixar film. "
—
Chicago Sun-Times
Posted Sep 14, 2012
|
|
B
|
69%
|
Liberal Arts (2012) |
"
Lovely moments like the classical music discussion, a genuinely moving passion for the written word, and nuanced performances may make you smile mistily about being 19."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 14, 2012
|
|
D
|
0%
|
Last Ounce of Courage (2012) |
"
This is bigotry masquerading as leadership, thuggery claiming the banner of freedom, braggadocio pretending to be strength. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 12, 2012
|
|
C
|
22%
|
The Words (2012) |
"
There are some random parallels between the stories and some sophomoric exchanges about truth and art, and then it does not end - it just stops."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Sep 7, 2012
|
|
B
|
67%
|
Lawless (2012) |
"
Pearce, in gloves and slicked-down hair parted in the middle, is one of the best villains of the year."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 30, 2012
|
|
B-
|
65%
|
The Expendables 2 (2012) |
"
The over-the-hill gang engages in various shoot-outs punctuated by lame wisecracks that refer to their iconic roles. Guess whether someone says, "I'll be back.""
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 23, 2012
|
|
B+
|
76%
|
Premium Rush (2012) |
"
Director and co-writer David Koepp, like his hero, pares everything down to the essentials, and that means removing the brakes. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 23, 2012
|
|
C
|
20%
|
Thunderstruck (2012) |
"
This "Freaky Friday" with basketball keeps throwing airballs."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 23, 2012
|
|
C
|
48%
|
Hit & Run (2012) |
"
The script is slapdash and haphazard, seemingly thrown together based on whichever of their friends was available for a day of shooting. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 22, 2012
|
|
B
|
58%
|
Sparkle (2012) |
"
Some intriguing themes about the racial conflicts of the era are raised almost in passing while the soapy parts of the story drag on. But the musical numbers raise the roof."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
B+
|
87%
|
ParaNorman (2012) |
"
"ParaNorman" expertly balances scary and funny elements of the story, with a surprisingly heartwarming conclusion. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
B
|
34%
|
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012) |
"
This sweet, whimsical, bittersweet tale is one of the summer's nicest surprises."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
B+
|
74%
|
Hope Springs (2012) |
"
Streep and Jones are pure magic. The fear, the longing, the tenderness of these characters are beautifully illuminated in performances of exquisite understanding. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
C
|
65%
|
The Campaign (2012) |
"
This is one of those campaigns when you wish the ballot had an option for "none of the above.""
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
B
|
56%
|
The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
"
Renner is a superb choice for an action hero, with easy charisma, intelligence, and mad fighting skills. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
B-
|
50%
|
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) |
"
With each movie, the franchise becomes better at milking the formula that causes 4th graders to cringe with delight. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 2, 2012
|
|
B
|
31%
|
Total Recall (2012) |
"
It honors the earlier version, sometimes directly, sometimes with a cheeky twist and includes a bit of existential rumination about memory, identity, and redemption. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Aug 2, 2012
|
|
C-
|
16%
|
The Watch (2012) |
"
They didn't bother to write it; you shouldn't bother to "Watch" it. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 28, 2012
|
|
B+
|
42%
|
Step Up 4: Miami Heat (2012) |
"
The dancing just gets better with every entry. This one leads off with a cheeky flash mob that is so joyously kinetic even the cars leap up to get into the act. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 27, 2012
|
|
B+
|
79%
|
Ruby Sparks (2012) |
"
It plays with the very notion of the girl whose job in the movie is to be the life force. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 26, 2012
|
|
B+
|
87%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
"
The "Dark Knight Rises" title applies equally to both hero and villain in this story. This is like a chess game where all the pieces are black. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 18, 2012
|
|
B+
|
37%
|
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) |
"
Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and Sid's granny (Wanda Sykes) are welcome additions to the cast, adding vitality and flavor to a cast whose conflicts have subsided in the previous chapters. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 12, 2012
|
|
C
|
51%
|
Savages (2012) |
"
Stone's re-re-re-treading of the same issues that have pre-occupied him since he was fighting in Vietnam - drugs, corruption, military, power - is tired. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 5, 2012
|
|
A-
|
86%
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) |
"
Exquisitely lyrical, poetic in tone and epic in scope."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 5, 2012
|
|
B+
|
73%
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) |
"
Exhilaratingly vertiginous."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jul 2, 2012
|
|
B
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Jun 30, 2012
|
|
B-
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012) |
"
Allen's s real art form is the perpetual production schedule...It plays like a first draft, or even a handful of random notes grabbed at random from a drawer."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 28, 2012
|
|
B
|
80%
|
Magic Mike (2012) |
"
What takes this out of the category of fluff is the way the story is unaffectedly located in the reality of the economic struggles of the area and our time. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 28, 2012
|
|
B-
|
69%
|
Ted (2012) |
"
It's so wrong. But it's very funny."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 28, 2012
|
|
B+
|
55%
|
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) |
"
A top-notch cast and a sure sense of tone and pacing."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 21, 2012
|
|
B
|
35%
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) |
"
It is surprisingly absorbing for an idea that sounds like it could easily be all concept and pointy teeth."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 21, 2012
|
|
A-
|
78%
|
Brave (2012) |
"
"Brave" is not just one of the best movies of the year for any age; it is one of the best movies ever made from a female point of view."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 21, 2012
|
|
B+
|
98%
|
Born To Be Wild (2011) |
"
One way or another you'll find yourself saying, "Awwwwww.""
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 15, 2012
|
|
F
|
21%
|
That's My Boy (2012) |
"
More offensive than the disgusting attempts at humor is the utter contempt for the audience in every lazy and incompetent frame and line of dialogue."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 14, 2012
|
|
B+
|
41%
|
Rock of Ages (2012) |
"
If the songs are a little soft in the middle, well so are the teenagers of the 80′s who are this film's target audience. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 14, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
49%
|
The Road to El Dorado (2000) |
"
Outstanding family movie mixes comedy, action, romance. "
—
Common Sense Media
Posted Jun 13, 2012
|
|
B+
|
79%
|
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) |
"
"Madagascar 3″ is the best of the series, bright, fresh, fun, and funny, with a terrific script co-written by "The Squid and the Whale's" Noah Baumbach."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Jun 7, 2012
|
|
B-
|
18%
|
For Greater Glory (2012) |
"
Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, and Genesis Rodriguez bring some depth and dignity to a script that is sincere but clunky. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 31, 2012
|
|
B-
|
48%
|
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) |
"
Director Rupert Sanders is known for making television commercials that look like fairy tales. Now he has made a fairy tale that looks like a commercial."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 31, 2012
|
|
B-
|
94%
|
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) |
"
Wes Anderson films are not so much directed as curated. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 31, 2012
|
|
C-
|
26%
|
This Means War (2012) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted May 19, 2012
|
|
C-
|
22%
|
What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) |
"
What the movie needs most is a representative of Child Protective Services to take all the babies taken away from these selfish and superficial people."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 17, 2012
|
|
B+
|
34%
|
Battleship (2012) |
"
A good, old-fashioned summer popcorn movie...and Rhianna is a hoot."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 17, 2012
|
|
B-
|
38%
|
Dark Shadows (2012) |
"
Wonderfully weird visuals from Tim Burton and a highly watchable performance by his muse, Johnny Depp cannot keep the tone from faltering and the results are unsatisfying."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 10, 2012
|
|
B
|
54%
|
Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story (2012) |
"
Thoughtful and stirring."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 3, 2012
|
|
B+
|
78%
|
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) |
"
A dream team ensemble cast of British acting superstars gives a predictable story of displaced retirees spark and depth in this cozy tale."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 3, 2012
|
|
B+
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
A smart, exciting, and engaging superhero story that deftly balances larger-than-life characters, their personal and inter-personal struggles and interplanetary battles."
—
Beliefnet
Posted May 2, 2012
|
|
B+
|
86%
|
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) |
"
The wonderful folks at Aardman have created another deliriously silly stop-motion animation delight, filled with giddy pleasures and so many witty details flying by that you wish for a pause button."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 30, 2012
|
|
B+
|
64%
|
The Five-Year Engagement (2012) |
"
It's intriguing to see Segal reconsidering the implications of Lena Dunham-style sex without intimacy era on the romantic as well as the comic side."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 26, 2012
|
|
3.5/4
|
86%
|
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) |
"
Another deliriously silly stop-motion animation delight from Aardman, filled with giddy pleasures and witty details. "
—
Chicago Sun-Times
Posted Apr 26, 2012
|
|
B+
|
93%
|
Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (2009) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
C
|
14%
|
Year One (2009) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
B+
|
76%
|
The Young Victoria (2009) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
B
|
66%
|
Youth in Revolt (2010) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
B-
|
37%
|
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
C
|
17%
|
You Again (2010) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
B-
|
45%
|
Yes Man (2008) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
C
|
13%
|
Yogi Bear (2010) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
B+
|
88%
|
Young@Heart (2007) |
—
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Posted Apr 21, 2012
|
|
B+
|
38%
|
Blue Like Jazz (2012) |
"
The vocabulary of faith should not be the exclusive property of one small subset of believers; it is heartening to watch a movie that makes that point with such grace."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 19, 2012
|
|
B
|
53%
|
Think Like a Man (2012) |
"
The cast gives the usual rom-com banter as much sizzle as they can, and there's a whole second level of pleasurein seeing these stars get a chance to play romantic leads."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 19, 2012
|
|
B
|
20%
|
The Lucky One (2012) |
"
Director Scott Hicks pours enough syrup over this movie to cover all the pancakes IHOP can serve in a month."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 19, 2012
|
|
3/4
|
74%
|
Chimpanzee (2012) |
"
Combines astonishingly vivid and intimate footage of animal life with narration that sometimes crosses the line between accessible and intrusive."
—
Chicago Sun-Times
Posted Apr 19, 2012
|
|
B+
|
83%
|
Comic-Con: Episode IV - A Fan's Hope (2012) |
"
Spurlock balances the stories of his characters with the larger context, showing us that each of the attendees has a story and that Comic-Con is a place where stories and characters always matter."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 18, 2012
|
|
D
|
51%
|
The Three Stooges (2012) |
"
Is this funny? Soitenly not!"
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 12, 2012
|
|
B+
|
87%
|
Bully (2012) |
"
I hope all middle schoolers and high schoolers will see this movie -- and parents, teachers, and school administrators, too."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 12, 2012
|
|
B-
|
38%
|
Lockout (Unrated) (2012) |
"
Silly summer action movie season is already here, and now it's Guy Pearce, looking very dashing as former CIA operative Snow, the wisecracking hero with his own set of rules."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 11, 2012
|
|
C
|
44%
|
American Reunion (2012) |
"
"Am I wrong or was this place a lot more fun when we were younger?" a character asks. He's not wrong."
—
Beliefnet
Posted Apr 5, 2012
|
|
C-
|
26%
|
Wrath of the Titans (2012) |
"
A sprinkle of distinguished actors, lots of beefcake, mythical monsters, and dialogue so ear-crashingly awful it is a step down from scripted awards-show presenter banter. "
—
Beliefnet
Posted Mar 29, 2012
|
76%
45%
100%
85%
45%
40%
