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Total Recall

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Total Recall: Best Movie Robots (152 comments)

by Matt Atchity on Tuesday, Jun. 23 2009, 08:27 AM

This week's release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen marks the return of the famous "robots in disguise" to the big screen. That got us at RT thinking about movie robots, and specifically, what would be the best robot to actually own? So we've put together a pretty big list of the best robots in movie history. A quick note on our methodology; for the most part, we're sticking to movie robots, so TV stars like Twiki that never made the jump to the big screen are left in the scrap pile. And we've ranked this list by a very subjective measurement we call "awesomeness," which is a combination of fame, utility, physical appearance, and how great it would be to have one of these 'bots in your possession. So, without further ado, let's get mechanical!

Total Recall: Sandra Bullock's Best Movies (64 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 18 2009, 08:30 AM

Her rise to fame in the mid '90s was followed by a box office drought so profound that it was hard not to wonder if she'd ever find her way out of it - but the 21st century has been pretty good to Sandra Bullock so far, granting her successes both commercial (Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice) and critical (Crash). To celebrate her resurgence, as well as the arrival of her latest romantic comedy (The Proposal, co-starring Ryan Reynolds) in theaters this weekend, we decided to devote this week's Total Recall to a look back at Ms. Bullock's 10 best-reviewed films! As always, we spun the dials on the Tomatometer and allowed the world's finest film critics to do the work for us, lining up Bullock's films according to the amount of critical adulation they received.

Total Recall: Eddie Murphy's Best Movies (51 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 11 2009, 08:30 AM

Eddie Murphy has been a fixture on our screens since the early 1980s, when his brief tenure as a Saturday Night Live cast member helped keep the series afloat during some of its darkest years -- and prevented us from looking at Gumby, Buckwheat, James Brown, or Mister Rogers the same way ever again. It would be perhaps excessively polite to say that his critical track record over the last 20 years has been spotty, but in spite of the Meet Dave's and Vampire in Brooklyn's dotting his resume, Murphy has helped pull in over $3 billion in box office receipts -- and since his latest effort, Imagine That, is reaching theaters this Friday, we thought now would be the perfect time to devote a Total Recall to his 10 best-reviewed movies.

Total Recall: Will Ferrell's Best Movies (56 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 04 2009, 08:30 AM

The list of Saturday Night Live cast members who have made us laugh is long -- but the number of SNL vets who have managed to make a successful go of it on the big screen, especially over the long term, is much smaller. With over a billion dollars in global box office receipts to his name -- a total that will expand when Land of the Lost stomps into theaters this weekend -- it's safe to say Will Ferrell is part of that exclusive group, and in honor of his achievements, we've decided to dedicate this week's Total Recall to his 10 best-reviewed movies. iven his reputation for appearing in dim-bulb comedies, the amount of critical affection Ferrell has earned during his career may surprise you; in fact, nine of the 10 movies on our list have landed at 60 percent or better on the Tomatometer.

Total Recall: Pixar's Winning Streak (126 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, May. 28 2009, 08:30 AM

Once upon a time, animation could be neatly divided into two eras: BD and AD, or before and after Disney. That all changed, however, with the release of 1995's Toy Story, a movie that -- although it bore the Disney logo -- marked the feature-length debut of an upstart studio named Pixar, one which signaled the imminent discovery of brand new, computer-generated vistas for kids of all ages. Pixar has released eight films since then, all of them remarkably Certified Fresh -- and with the studio's tenth outing, Up, landing in theaters this weekend, we thought now would be an opportune time to take a fond look back at its full-length filmography. Whether you're an avowed animation buff or simply a fan of innovative, entertaining movies, you've probably got your own list of favorite Pixar moments, so let's relive them now, shall we?

Total Recall: Christian Bale's Best Movies (139 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, May. 21 2009, 08:30 AM

Ten years ago, Christian Bale was known mainly to fans of early 1990s cult classic Disney musicals -- or as "that guy who was the kid in Empire of the Sun" -- but after spending the early part of his career in movies that either targeted niche audiences (Laurel Canyon, Velvet Goldmine) or failed to connect with mainstream ones (Reign of Fire), Bale has undergone a remarkable leading-man makeover, to the point where he's now not only Batman, but an actor whose mere presence is enough to soothe pre-release fanboy griping about a movie as highly anticipated as this week's big debut, Terminator Salvation. n celebration of Bale's recent ascendancy to matinee-idol status, we here at RT thought now would be the perfect time to take a look back at his filmography and find out which movies are the 10 best-reviewed of the bunch.

Total Recall: Tom Hanks' Best Movies (122 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, May. 14 2009, 08:30 AM

Co-starring in a short-lived sitcom about cross-dressing friends generally isn't the most direct path to superstardom, but there's an exception to prove every rule -- only one, though; sorry, Peter Scolari -- and after racking up over $3 billion in domestic ticket receipts, winning a mantel full of awards (including back-to-back Best Actor Oscars), and starring in some of the best-reviewed films of the last 25 years, Tom Hanks has demonstrated that he's pretty darned exceptional. With his latest project, the Da Vinci Code sequel Angels & Demons, arriving in theaters this weekend, we decided now was the perfect time to pay tribute to an impressive body of work by twirling the dials on the Tomatometer, making a list of Hanks' best-reviewed films, and playing Total Recall!

Total Recall: Star Trek By Tomatometer (51 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, May. 07 2009, 08:30 AM

These days, cancellation isn't necessarily the end for a television series; between DVD sales, the Web, and the ever-expanding cable dial, if a show has a fervent enough fanbase, odds are someone is going to come along to take advantage of it. Such was not the case 40 years ago, however -- not that it mattered to diehard Star Trek fans, who so impressed Paramount with their passion for Gene Roddenberry's characters that the studio brought the property to theaters a full decade after the show was unceremoniously dumped by NBC. Three decades later, as we prepare to greet the eleventh Star Trek feature, your pals at Rotten Tomatoes thought now would be the perfect time to take a fond look back at all the Enterprise voyages that got us here -- from the beloved classics (The Wrath of Khan) to the ones that never should have made it off the holodeck (The Final Frontier). Where does your favorite rank? Read this week's Total Recall to find out!

Total Recall: Marvel Comics Movies, Worst To Best (108 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Apr. 30 2009, 08:30 AM

With X-Men Origins: Wolverine debuting this weekend, we decided this week's Total Recall would be the perfect place to pay homage by looking back at every theatrically released adaptation in the studio's history. Unlike most Total Recalls, there are no surprises here: rather than cutting off the list after the top 10, we excluded only the movies that weren't produced for theaters (thus, regrettably, ruling out David Hasselhoff's made-for-TV turn as Nick Fury) or were waylaid somewhere between the set and the cineplex (depriving us of an in-depth discussion of Dolph Lundgren's Punisher). Still, what our Marvel recap lacks in suspense, it makes up for in scope and breadth; from Howard the Duck to Punisher: War Zone, all of the comics giant's theatrical exploits are present and accounted for, including the highs (X2, Spider-Man 2, Iron Man) and the lows (Elektra, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider). Ready to relive your favorite Marvel moments? Let's get started!

Total Recall: Robert Downey, Jr.'s Best Movies (37 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Wednesday, Apr. 22 2009, 03:32 PM

Early in his career, he seemed destined to be typecast as a go-to guy for fast-talking, lovably odd characters in lightweight comedies -- and later on, he was in danger of ending his career as a cautionary tale for young actors with substance abuse problems. But after spending the better part of a decade working his way back from the brink, Robert Downey, Jr. capped off a remarkable resurgence in 2008 with Iron Man and Tropic Thunder -- a hot streak that seems likely to continue with an '09 slate that includes Sherlock Holmes and this week's The Soloist. You know what that means: it's Total Recall time!

Total Recall: Your Tax Dollars At Work (14 comments)

by RT Staff on Tuesday, Apr. 14 2009, 05:01 PM

OK, Tomatoes, tax day is here. And though we'll concede that few enjoy forking over their hard-earned riches to Uncle Sam, we at Rotten Tomatoes thought it would be a good time to look on the bright side, and reflect upon how your tax money is allocated. We've compiled a list of movies that proudly display your tax dollars at work -- cinematic portrayals of the hardworking men and women of our federal government working tirelessly in the public interest, or at least those citizens that benefit from our national largess. So send your tax forms off to the IRS, and join us on a tour of your government programs at work on the silver screen!

Total Recall: Seth Rogen's Best Movies (55 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Wednesday, Apr. 08 2009, 03:30 PM

Five years ago, all Seth Rogen really had going for him were roles in a pair of quickly canceled television shows and bit parts in Donnie Darko and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy -- but in Hollywood, fortunes can change quickly, and this Friday, Rogen will return to theaters with his fourth live-action leading role in the last two years, as mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt in Jody Hill's Observe and Report. At the tender age of 26, Rogen has already put together such an impressive r�sum� that we thought now would be the perfect time to devote an installment of Total Recall to his best-reviewed movies.

Total Recall: Vin Diesel's Best-Reviewed Movies (63 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Apr. 02 2009, 08:30 AM

With the release of Fast & Furious this Friday, Vin Diesel joins the elite ranks of actors who have starred in franchises that have spun off more than two sequels. Now that Vin is rubbing shoulders with such lucky thesps as Robert Englund, Bill Shatner, and Kane Hodder, we thought this week would be the perfect time to devote an installment of Total Recall to the Diesel filmography, and recount the critical high points of a journey that's taken him from bit player to $100 million-grossing star and multi-hyphenate media mogul. Get ready for plenty of action, folks -- it's Vin Diesel time!

Total Recall: The Best (and Worst) of DreamWorks Animation (73 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Mar. 26 2009, 08:30 AM

"DreamWorks Animation SKG" isn't the type of studio name that suggests the sort of mystery and wonder we expect from our cartoon features -- in fact, but for the "animation" part, it reads like something you might expect to see written on the wall of an especially groovy German chemical factory. Appearances can be deceiving, however; over the last 11 years, DreamWorks' animation division has provided filmgoers with some of the most offbeat, adventurous, and critically well-received family-friendly fare around -- a streak the studio hopes to continue with their latest release, this week's technologically groundbreaking 3-D feature Monsters vs. Aliens.

Total Recall: Nicolas Cage's Best Movies (56 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Mar. 19 2009, 08:30 AM

He's one of the most eminently mockable major stars in Hollywood, thanks to his frequently questionable tonsorial choices and evident thirst for somewhat less-than-challenging paycheck gigs, but as much as we love to rib Nicolas Cage, there's no getting around the fact that he's done some very impressive work over the course of his long career. Though many filmgoers will always think of blockbuster action flicks like Con Air, The Rock, and the National Treasure series when they hear Cage's name, he's never been afraid to take on smaller, less conventional projects with less-than-obvious commercial prospects. With his latest effort, Alex Proyas' Knowing, heading to theaters this weekend, we thought now would be the perfect time to count down the best-reviewed movies of Cage's career.

Total Recall: Best Live-Action Disney Movies (71 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Mar. 12 2009, 08:30 AM

We tend to think of Walt Disney Pictures as chiefly an animation studio -- and with good reason -- but the house Uncle Walt built has been churning out quality (and often highly profitable) live-action entertainment since the 1950s, something we were reminded of when we noticed that the latest chapter in the Witch Mountain franchise (and the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's latest bid for the undisputed heavyweight champion of kid-friendly cinema), Race to Witch Mountain, was landing in theaters this Friday. What better time, then, for your pals here at Rotten Tomatoes to devote a Total Recall list to the 10 best-reviewed live-action entries in the Disney canon?

Total Recall: Which Graphic Novels Made Good Movies? (48 comments)

by RT Staff on Thursday, Mar. 05 2009, 08:01 AM

With Watchmen hitting theaters this week, we at RT decided to take a look at other graphic novels and comic book miniseries that have made the transition to the big screen. Though this list is by no means completely definitive, it contains some of the most high-profile adaptations in the medium, including films derived from the work of Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Daniel Clowes; we also arranged it by Tomatometer. And before hooting and hollering about the exclusion of X-Men and The Dark Night, take note: we restricted our list to those tales told through a single book or a limited series.

Total Recall: Great Movie Parties (16 comments)

by Tim Ryan and Jeff Giles on Tuesday, Feb. 24 2009, 08:30 AM

Today is Mardi Gras, so in honor of New Orleans' finest excuse to imbibe, we at RT decided to pay tribute to some of the greatest movie parties ever. Cinematic shindigs often contain much lewd behavior and debauchery, but for those of us who would rather not have to worry about a designated driver or want to avoid incarceration after streaking through town, these flicks offer numerous vicarious pleasures. And of course, those of us who are slightly more adventurous might take a few cues from some of these classics (with maybe the exception of Caligula) and throw a party the likes of which our neighbors and local police have never witnessed before.

Total Recall: We Rank The Oscar Nominees! (43 comments)

by Ryan Fujitani and Tim Ryan on Thursday, Feb. 19 2009, 07:10 AM

This Sunday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will bequeath little gold statuettes to films that it believes exemplify the finest in moviemaking. We at Rotten Tomatoes figured it was a good time to run down every single feature film that's up for an Oscar, as well as compiling other major awards season honors each movie has received. And of course, we've included the Tomatometers for each film, lest the critics be lost in the shuffle. Take a look at our list (which has been ordered from lowest Tomatometer score to highest Tomatometer score), and see if you can pick the winners correctly.

Total Recall: Love, Hollywood Style (10 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Wednesday, Feb. 11 2009, 04:20 PM

We're just a few days away from Valentine's Day, and love -- or at least the sound of the nation's florists counting this year's profits -- is in the air. In the Valentine's spirit, we decided this week's Total Recall would be the perfect place to celebrate love, Hollywood style.