Critics » Peter Hartlaub
Peter Hartlaub

Peter Hartlaub

Agrees with the Tomatometer 76% of the time.

Publications:
Hearst Newspapers , Houston Chronicle , San Francisco Chronicle
Total Reviews:
439

Listing Of All Reviews & Articles

Showing 1 - 50 of 439
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Rating T-Meter Title | Year Add Date
2/4 58% Linsanity (2013) " You may have watched Lin's rise to national prominence the first time, but it's still easy to get caught up in the moment." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 3, 2013
2/4 59% Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) " A humorous yet unfocused romp, so unwilling to settle on a single theme that hyperactivity medication should be handed out with the 3-D glasses." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 27, 2013
3/4 88% Rush (2013) " Howard proves that directing action is one of his underrated strengths. The racing scenes are dynamic and easy to follow, with a sheen that brings the 1970s into sharp relief." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 26, 2013
2/4 5% Battle of the Year (2013) " The story is a derivative quilt, patching together cliches from every sports movie since 1976." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 19, 2013
3/4 80% Prisoners (2013) " Even when audiences start to question the logical leaps, the performances and visuals remain first-rate. The movie doesn't feel bloated. And the final scenes are anything but a cop-out." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 19, 2013
2.5/4 35% Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) " If Insidious 2 exists solely because Insidious 1 made a ton of money, then at least credit Wan for making quality control a priority." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 12, 2013
1/4 3% Getaway (2013) " You've probably seen this movie before, watching a child play with his toy Hot Wheels cars after eating multiple bowls of sugary breakfast cereal." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 29, 2013
1/4 12% The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013) " Every moviegoer will have his own breaking point, when "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" surpasses the mundane and enters the ridiculous." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 22, 2013
2.5/4 27% Planes (2013) " Many will enter theaters thinking this is a Pixar film, with the raised expectations that accompany that mistake. But even cynical animation fans will see there's quality here. After a little turbulence, "Planes" comes in for a nice landing." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 8, 2013
3/4 38% Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) " There are plenty of bad films to get riled up about in the summer. "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters" isn't one of them. This is harmless tween-centric fun." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 7, 2013
0/4 14% The Smurfs 2 (2013) " There's a dark and gratuitously negative vibe to "The Smurfs 2" that makes it unfit even for the undiscriminating young moviegoers that made the first one a hit." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jul 31, 2013
86% The Conjuring (2013) " The horror movie is artfully crafted from the first scares to the closing credits, with a bold retro vibe." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jul 22, 2013
65% Turbo (2013) " After the originality of the hero, the filmmakers borrow too heavily from other movies; the similarities to "Ratatouille" and "Cars" are almost distracting. " — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jul 22, 2013
3/4 75% Despicable Me 2 (2013) " It's a credit that the writing can be so funny in the moment, that it takes time to realize there's no cohesive story, zero dramatic tension and nary a practical lesson for either the characters in the film or the people watching in the theater." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jul 2, 2013
3/4 99% 20 Feet From Stardom (2013) " This film festival favorite is a genuine crowd pleaser, meant to right a few wrongs in the music industry, offer a window into the lives of some hard-charging entertainers, and above all make audiences leave the theater humming a song." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jun 27, 2013
3/4 78% Monsters University (2013) " Animation, monsters and the Socratic method? Scanlon and the crew make it work." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jun 20, 2013
2/4 38% The Purge (2013) " The blunt instrument plot allows for a few sneaky moments of satire and social commentary lite." — Hearst Newspapers
Posted Jun 7, 2013
2/4 72% Wish You Were Here (2013) " Wish You Were Here is an excellent idea for a State Department video, to remind travelers the obvious things not to do when visiting an unfamiliar country. As a drama, it feels a little empty." — Hearst Newspapers
Posted Jun 7, 2013
2/4 28% G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) " The filmmakers appear to have handed a dozen or so G.I. Joe dolls to a 9-year-old, watched him play for 110 minutes, and then shot a scene-for-scene remake." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Mar 29, 2013
3/4 66% Spring Breakers (2013) " What should be infuriating makes sense in the context of the director's twisted cinematic rulebook." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Mar 21, 2013
3/4 69% The Croods (2013) " Considering the fact that a young girl is picking her nose on the movie poster, "The Croods" is surprisingly evolved." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Mar 21, 2013
2/4 30% Reincarnated (2013) " Snoop's involvement as a producer does a disservice to the film. Was there anyone behind the scenes with veto power?" — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Mar 14, 2013
3/4 86% Harvest of Empire (2012) " Getzels and Lopez take a refreshing approach in this age of punditry and choir-preaching." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Mar 7, 2013
1/4 52% Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) " What's the point of making a movie with a 9-year-old boy's sensibility, then including just enough violence to garner a PG-13 rating?" — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 28, 2013
3/4 28% 21 And Over (2013) " Writer-directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore find a nice balance between the over-the-top high jinks and an emotional core, which unexpectedly crystallizes relatively late in the movie." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 28, 2013
2/4 71% Bless Me, Ultima (2013) " Reminiscent of Billy Bob Thornton's "All the Pretty Horses" or Lasse Hallström's "The Shipping News" - literary adaptations that got the look right, while lacking the easy flow of the original work." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 21, 2013
2/4 13% Safe Haven (2013) " Hallström's understated approach clashes with the blunt-force drama of the Sparks story line, which is definitely a matter of taste." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 13, 2013
3/4 100% The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Live Action (2013) " Typically eclectic and entertaining." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 1, 2013
2/4 95% The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Animation (2013) " The "Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts 2012" lack the consistency of last year's group ..." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Feb 1, 2013
4/4 92% The Cabin in the Woods (2012) " By the time the ride is over, director Drew Goddard and co-writers Goddard and Joss Whedon will change course three or four times, nodding and winking but never losing momentum." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jan 4, 2013
2/4 18% Parental Guidance (2012) " Director Andy Fickman opts against subtlety at every turn. A score filled with heavy strings and the occasional ringing of chimes telegraphs all emotional cues, practically willing the water out of your tear ducts." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Dec 25, 2012
1/4 47% Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012) " It's a big promo reel, and not a carefully disguised one." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Dec 20, 2012
3/4 80% Any Day Now (2012) " The script seems almost religiously adverse to Hallmark-style melodrama." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Dec 13, 2012
2.5/4 74% Rise of the Guardians (2012) " Innocence and joy are threatened by the Boogeyman, and from there the plot comes pretty close to mirroring this summer's The Avengers movie. Mostly in a good way." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Nov 20, 2012
3/4 86% Wreck-it Ralph (2012) " Delightfully off the rails, offering a grown-up-friendly tone and merging of visual styles that are reminiscent of the studio's 1988 animated homage to film noir, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."" — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Nov 1, 2012
2/4 25% Fun Size (2012) " "Fun Size" seems trapped in a limbo between a hyperkinetic comedy for kids and something more outlaw for teens." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 25, 2012
4/4 88% The Other Dream Team (2012) " Adding detailed historical context, the quirky feel-good story becomes a tragedy and a lesson. And that makes the victories resonate even more." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Oct 11, 2012
3/4 78% Dredd (2012) " A fine piece of cheap entertainment." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 20, 2012
2/4 51% Trouble with the Curve (2012) " "Trouble" is second-rate Eastwood, existing in a parallel universe where the celebrity has been reduced to a Hallmark movie-of-the-week actor, not one of the most respected directors in Hollywood." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Sep 20, 2012
1/4 39% The Possession (2012) " The evil spirit in "The Possession" should be embarrassed to call itself a demon." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 30, 2012
2/4 49% Hit & Run (2012) " Pretty much everything shot by Shepard and co-director David Palmer looks as if it was done in one take." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 21, 2012
1/4 15% The Moth Diaries (2012) " Way too serious for its own good." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 9, 2012
4/4 96% Searching for Sugar Man (2012) " Music executive Clarence Avant says Rodriguez sold about six copies of each of his two albums. Multiply that by the number of people who see this movie." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Aug 2, 2012
3/4 88% Ballplayer: Pelotero (2012) " A scrappy documentary about teenage ballplayers in the Dominican Republic." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jul 12, 2012
3/4 88% Neil Young Journeys (2012) " More casual fans will twist in their chairs uncomfortably, wishing that a roadie would walk up and wipe it off. Neil Young die-hards will cherish the spittle." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jul 5, 2012
2/4 13% Ultrasonic (2012) " An electronic score pulses throughout the film, which can be cliched in individual scenes but still goes in some unexpected directions." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Jun 21, 2012
2/4 60% Otter 501 (2012) " The stars of the film are so entertaining, the tricks seem superfluous. Sometimes all you need are otters." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted May 10, 2012
3/4 74% Chimpanzee (2012) " The stunning and mostly uncompromising visuals more than compensate for the frequent corny turns of phrase." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Apr 20, 2012
2/4 38% Detention (2012) " There will be young moviegoers who proclaim this genius, and more stodgy audience members who find it torturous. If you're not tweeting and texting a combined 50 times or more per day, you're probably in the latter camp." — San Francisco Chronicle
Posted Apr 13, 2012
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