|
78%
|
Iron Man 3 (2013)
|
"As compared to the overwrought, too-many-irons-in-the-fire second installment, Iron Man 3 proves its metal, oops, mettle, once again."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
59%
|
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
|
"Perhaps the witches put a spell on the filmmakers -- because for all of the movie's technical wizardry, the story and the characters are as flat as a Kansas plain."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
93%
|
Zero Dark Thirty (2013)
|
"Bigelow and Boal are rare filmmakers in that they don't underestimate the intelligence of their audience. In the case of this extraordinary docudrama, we are allowed to make up our own minds."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
|
"Other than the Bram Stoker meets "Braveheart" battle, this vessel offers very little to make our collective blood race."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012)
|
"Among the hundreds of characterizations in film, television and books, Day-Lewis' rendition of the 16th President - transmuting the myth into a man -- just may be the definitive portrayal for the ages."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
86%
|
Wreck-it Ralph (2012)
|
"Disney can dress it up, take it out to the arcade and plug it full of quarters ... but at the end of the cord, the film's a simple, 8-bit I-gotta-be-me story, with a dull plot and tepid characters. Game over."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
78%
|
Flight (2012)
|
"'Flight' flies high due to Washington who rescues the film twice, as both the fictional hero and as the superb actor, etching a character awash in palpable guilt, denial and helplessness. He is Sky King, circa 2012."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012)
|
"We should be able to come away from this film--purporting to examine the meaning of our destinies--with some sense of majesty, of message, of wonder. Yet with all the smoke and mirrors and prosthetics...we do not."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
33%
|
Chasing Mavericks (2012)
|
"As one might assume, the surf cinematography is superb. But as a nod to the young surf king Jay Moriarty, rather than "Live Like Jay," this film comes far closer to the opposite, namely a burial at sea."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
12%
|
Alex Cross (2012)
|
"While Tyler Perry slips into Madea's wigs and plus-size dresses just fine, his attempt to squeeze into the guise of psychologist/detective Cross strains at the seams as well as the credibility."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
82%
|
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
|
"Suggestive of a blisteringly good-humored Quentin Tarantino (sans the uber gore), McDonagh possesses a rare talent for ushering black comedy to a bleak end, luring his audience into laughter all along its shootapalooza way."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
39%
|
Here Comes the Boom (2012)
|
"If Kevin James continues to make films that no longer fight his considerable talents -- such as the highly entertaining 'Boom' -- he someday might look back at such missteps as 'Zookeeper,' and laugh long and hard."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
96%
|
Argo (2012)
|
"An often riveting film, between the second act lag and Affleck's ponderous protagonist, 'Argo' is unfortunately not as wonderful as it should have been."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
87%
|
Frankenweenie (2012)
|
"28 years after the initial short, Frankenweenie finds itself ironically reanimated from the dead, morphed into a superb, 3D stop-motion feature. Young Frankenstein is alive!"
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
21%
|
Taken 2 (2012)
|
"Idiotic lines abound, such as commanding the daughter as she drives to, 'Go faster, go faster.' 'I can't, I can't!' she cries back. Perhaps the family is hoping to bore the killers to death with redundancy."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
93%
|
Looper (2012)
|
"It's official: Looper closes the loop on any doubt that writer/director Rian Johnson is one of the most fascinating filmmakers to appear on the doorstep of the 21st century."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
43%
|
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
|
"Other than a third act that drags on a bit longer than you-know-who's oversized cape, this time around a bloodless teaming of Sandler & Samberg is actually a good thing."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
69%
|
Liberal Arts (2012)
|
"Radnor's annoyingly passive protagonist sports wide-eyed stares of wonderment, as if he got lost somewhere between the upper quad and the campus bookstore. Neither pass nor fail, this project's an 'incomplete.'"
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
|
"The best perks of Perks come from the ragtag band of young actors, particularly Ezra Miller's theatrical Patrick, who exhibits a giddy, anarchic teen spirit that masks a most profound sorrow."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
52%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
|
"Given this talent scout's failing sight, Gus may not be able to see a hit, but he can most certainly hear one. Which just might be a perfect remedy for this film: keep the visual off the screen but crank up the audio."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
85%
|
The Master (2012)
|
"As Hoffman's Master strives to impress w/eloquent language, fine suits and psychic parlor tricks, serving as cerebral misdirection, so too does Anderson, similarly pulling elaborate wool over our eyes. Quoting Ms. Stein: There is no there there."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
99%
|
Finding Nemo (2003)
|
"Sea-worthy w/enhanced visual lure and rich, humorous characters set in a double narrative; this 3D revisit allows us to fall overboard all over again."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
54%
|
Bachelorette (2012)
|
"Wicked LaBute-ian fun until that dastardly last act. When this black of a comedy is suddenly dipped into a rosy-red vat of sentimentality ... we know the dye's going to run very, very soon."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
89%
|
Compliance (2012)
|
"Perhaps the most disturbing movie of the year. Not a horror film, but given that we can't excuse the behavior as belonging to illegal aliens or felons eluding of the law ... maybe it's a new strain of horror after all."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
56%
|
For a Good Time, Call... (2012)
|
"It's a breezy, slightly pristine romp that, by its very nature of the virtual hands-off concept of ringing the caller's bell without so much as mussing one's hair, affirms that the bighearted sex-capade is alive and well."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
76%
|
Premium Rush (2012)
|
"Like a bike wheel, the film reflects an ever-spinning cycle of scenes that race forward and then, just as quickly, pedal back in time. A riveting action, um, spiller, with Shannon as a bad cop who couldn't be better."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
65%
|
The Expendables 2 (2012)
|
"A thudding scud of a sequel that defies the meaning of the word 'action' with excruciating pacing. Expect a cache of feeble jokes about aging that are as old as the entirety of the cast itself."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
87%
|
ParaNorman (2012)
|
"Norman's world is a visual and technical marvel, but the plot drags down in elongated chase sequences and a third act fizzle."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
58%
|
Sparkle (2012)
|
"Rather than a sing-along, consider this film a 'say-along,' with lines so clichéd that you might find yourself reciting them in perfect sync with the flat characters."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
56%
|
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
|
"A quasi spinoff, a side-quel if you will, the plot runs in an obfuscated parallel construction. Hang thru the first hour for a much better second. Renner + Weisz are worth it."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
65%
|
The Campaign (2012)
|
"The Campaign attempts to simultaneously appeal to fans of both the highbrow and the low. In effect, running its own contest between the slapstick versus the sly. And wins ... half the time."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
79%
|
Ruby Sparks (2012)
|
"Though the character of Calvin will disagree, 'Ruby Sparks' isn't perfect. But it's a lovely first-time film from the highly promising talent of Zoe Kazan."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
31%
|
Total Recall (2012)
|
"Between Beckinsale's feral killer, and Cranston's mix of wry humor with authoritarian villainy, this smart update streams like a bullet train. Kudos to filmmakers, who do it all sans the 3D/IMAX frills. "
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
96%
|
Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
|
"A fascinating look at a "lost" musician from the late '60s as well as a meditation on the confluence of fame, art and riches."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
16%
|
The Watch (2012)
|
"It's called 'The Watch' ... but you may want to reconsider."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
67%
|
Trishna (2012)
|
"Rather than a strong script, Winterbottom relies on a hyperactive camera, as if he were trying to recreate an updated dramatic classic by way of a music video."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
87%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
|
"Dark Knight gets an eye-filling send-off. But between muddled plot points, an overlong 2nd act and an underwritten villain, this finale may be strong ... but it turns out that the series' #2 was indeed #1."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
37%
|
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
|
"The movie may not a Jurassic classic, but as a respite from those dry-as-a-dinosaur-bone days of summer, this family entertainment isn't all that beastly."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012)
|
"Septuagenarian Woody delivers a lovely, gentle perspective--one that might have not been possible in earlier years. In short, he appears to love his characters just a little bit more. And, by default, so do we."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
91%
|
A Face in the Crowd (1957)
|
"A fascinating early look at the unholy alliance between politics and entertainment, the corporations controlling it all. With Griffith's wild performance, even though the film has its flaws, it's worth viewing."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
29%
|
The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
|
"This screenplay is so poorly crafted, it trumps many of those that have eroded the Reiner legacy since '96. "Good script"? Per Inigo Montoya: "I do not think it means what you think it means.""
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
51%
|
Savages (2012)
|
"Don Winslow's particular brand of crackling wit gets lost somewhere between the page and the screen. And that third act is a disjointed mess..."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
73%
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
|
"Do we really need another Spider-Man? If, rather than some dreary talking animal fest or any of a gazillion Bruckheimer/Bay detonation derbies, we get a dazzling IMAX-ian redboot reboot? Then yes, yes, we do."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
56%
|
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
|
"Scafaria creates a bittersweet funny film brimming with humanity in all its glorious imperfection. The flip side of Melancholia, with a brilliant juggle of emotions threading throughout."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
69%
|
Ted (2012)
|
"By the third act, the thin premise collapses and the film runs out of steam, bringing in jarring elements that don't work with a light Peter Pan comedy/fantasty."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
80%
|
Magic Mike (2012)
|
"Soderbergh and Tatum concurrently knock us out with some highly impressive moves both behind and in front of the camera."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
55%
|
People Like Us (2012)
|
"People, like us? Please? Nah ..."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
78%
|
Brave (2012)
|
"The promising first act turns turns into a laborious chase scene. Though beautifully animated and well-scored with authentic Scottish music, we expect that a Pixar tale would be more, um, arrow-dynamic."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
35%
|
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
|
"How goes this particular Nosfera-tour? Sadly, this new-fang-led premise gives great visuals, but takes itself so seriously, we don't get the fun that the title promises."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
|
21%
|
That's My Boy (2012)
|
"It's getting so bad, you have to wonder if Adam Sandler doesn't sit in his gazillion dollar mansion, flipping through scripts, looking for the worst possible piece of crap he can find."
|
Kimberly Gadette
|
73%
78%
61%
52%
26%
4%
