|
75%
|
World War Z (2013)
|
"Essentially, it boils down to familiar fare: a well-paced, entertaining, conventional action thriller where a reluctant hero saves the day."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
62%
|
The Bling Ring (2013)
|
"The Bling Ring is the cinematic equivalent of the vapid, superficial kids it features - all visual panache and minimal substance."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
97%
|
20 Feet From Stardom (2013)
|
"They perform with world-famous musical acts, but theirs are not household names. Their stories, however, are inspiring, heartbreaking and enthralling."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
56%
|
Man of Steel (2013)
|
"Henry Cavill has the strapping good looks of the comic icon, and humanity to match his superheroism."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
85%
|
This Is the End (2013)
|
"The film is uneven and about 15 minutes too long. But when it's funny, it's hilarious."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
38%
|
The Purge (2013)
|
"Audiences will feel the need for a good cleansing after experiencing The Purge."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
34%
|
The Internship (2013)
|
"Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson may be the worst interns since Monica Lewinsky."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
50%
|
Now You See Me (2013)
|
"Boasting a terrific cast and a flimsy plot whose logic disappears faster than a rabbit in a hat, Now struggles to pull off its cinematic sleights of hand."
|
Scott Bowles
|
|
73%
|
The Kings of Summer (2013)
|
"Like the fading of day into twilight, the ephemeral nature of youth is deftly captured in The Kings of Summer."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
70%
|
The East (2013)
|
"This well-paced story is tense and thoughtful, and is anchored by a trio of terrific performances."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
11%
|
After Earth (2013)
|
"Though it's meant to be pulse-pounding, After Earth is a lethargic slog."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
3%
|
fear dot com (FeardotCom) (2002)
|
"Feardotcom is the cinematic equivalent of spam in your e-mail inbox."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
93%
|
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
|
"Buffed to a typical HBO high gloss, Candelabra is a visual feast. It shines brightest in those moments where it captures the rhythms of a relationship in its first blush of affection and its seemingly inevitable collapse."
|
Robert Bianco
|
|
62%
|
Epic (2013)
|
"Epic's visuals are enthralling enough for little and big folks to offset a predictable, albeit sweet, story."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
88%
|
What Maisie Knew (2013)
|
"The camera is often at Maisie's eye level, emphasizing how adults are seen by the perceptive Maisie. The sad-eyed Aprile's honest portrayal is heart-wrenching."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
98%
|
Before Midnight (2013)
|
"Bittersweet, intelligently written, deftly acted and painfully honest."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
42%
|
Phil Spector (2013)
|
"If you are willing and able to take it on its own fictional terms, it does work as a well-acted legal drama, though even on that level, you're better off watching The Good Wife."
|
Robert Bianco
|
|
71%
|
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
|
"Here's a movie that could easily have been dialogue-free. And probably would have been better for it."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
20%
|
The Hangover Part III (2013)
|
"Nothing about this rote exercise feels remotely fresh. It's a re-tread of the 2009 original, sans the inspired lunacy."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
44%
|
The English Teacher (2013)
|
"This is a brisk comedy, with some formulaic moments made better by a top-notch cast ..."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
96%
|
Stories We Tell (2013)
|
"A brilliant, thought-provoking documentary."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
91%
|
Frances Ha (2013)
|
"A witty and emotionally resonant portrait of growing up, while retaining the exuberance of youth."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
87%
|
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
|
"Star Trek Into Darkness may not go boldly back to the archives, but it serves up an exhilarating spectacle, with noteworthy moments of intimacy."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
36%
|
Peeples (2013)
|
"A predictable domestic comedy with some inspired comic touches."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
37%
|
Aftershock (2013)
|
"It's hard to imagine just who would want to sit through this movie, given the sadistic mayhem the audience is subjected to."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
42%
|
Midnight's Children (2013)
|
"The film is beautifully shot, with vivid production design. But because of the tale's lack of cohesion, it doesn't carry enough emotional heft."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
50%
|
The Great Gatsby (2013)
|
"Frenzied and overwrought, Baz Luhrmann'sThe Great Gatsby is a glitz-filled folly."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
54%
|
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2013)
|
"Takes [the book's] riveting tale and flattens it, blunting much of the nuance that made it a great read."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
75%
|
Love Is All You Need (2013)
|
"It's the rare love story that avoids treacly sentimentality. Even rarer is a believable romantic comedy featuring middle-aged people that avoids jokes about sagging flesh and waning libidos."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
68%
|
The Iceman (2013)
|
"Shannon is brilliantly unnerving as he callously dispenses with people, then returns home to maintain his façade of a loving husband and father."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
78%
|
Iron Man 3 (2013)
|
"The rambunctious Iron Man 3 is a briskly paced thrill ride until about 90 minutes in, when the excitement wanes. A few late-breaking surprises re-invigorate the tale, however."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
7%
|
The Big Wedding (2013)
|
"It might take a glass of champagne or two to get through The Big Wedding."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
23%
|
Arthur Newman (2013)
|
"It's almost its own genre in indie films: Boring middle-aged man tired of his existence meets up with free-spirited but troubled younger woman. Romance and newfound meaning ensue."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
99%
|
Mud (2013)
|
"Mud is a lyrical coming-of-age tale that feels like a Mark Twain story in a contemporary setting."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
45%
|
Pain & Gain (2013)
|
"A badly constructed, blood-spattered caper that comes unglued early on."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
88%
|
The Angels' Share (2013)
|
"The plot thickens, but the mood grows lighter."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
55%
|
Oblivion (2013)
|
"Director Joseph Kosinski focuses on cool visuals but stints on a compelling plot. It's a dazzler, but the story lacks the impact of the futuristic look."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
45%
|
Filly Brown (2013)
|
"Unfortunately, the film is marred by a story, situations and stereotypical characters that strike all-too-familiar chords."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
88%
|
In the House (2013)
|
"With its complex look at storytelling, imagination and the teacher-student dynamic, In the House is an elaborate cinematic fresco."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
82%
|
Road to Perdition (2002)
|
"So is Perdition still a must-see? No question. But it's tough to fuss about it much when a picture is this fussy."
|
Mike Clark
|
|
73%
|
V for Vendetta (2006)
|
"The dark and stylized V for Vendetta is visually exhilarating, provocative and disturbing."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
65%
|
Disconnect (2013)
|
"Worst-case scenarios for our forays into chat rooms and social network sites are laid bare, as are the illegal and immoral contours of the digital landscape in this well-acted dramatic thriller."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
77%
|
42 (2013)
|
"There's not enough of Robinson's back story to convey the full drama of his place in history."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
42%
|
To The Wonder (2013)
|
"Never was a film so visually stunning and so intolerable as To the Wonder."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
68%
|
Trance (2013)
|
"The dreamy unconscious in Trance seems haphazard, frenetic and often meaningless."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
56%
|
The Company You Keep (2013)
|
"Though it makes a few missteps, it's marked by top-notch performances by a terrific ensemble cast, headed by Redford."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
62%
|
Evil Dead (2013)
|
"Sure, this is a higher-budget re-tread. But a remake shouldn't exist simply to ramp up the graphic violence, even if special effects have improved immeasurably in the past 30 years."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
81%
|
The Place Beyond The Pines (2013)
|
"It's one of the best and most ambitious films of the year."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
36%
|
Family Weekend (2013)
|
"The kind of dark-for-dark's sake, wannabe quirkfest that proves indie films can be just as clichéd and vapid as the most soulless Hollywood movies."
|
Claudia Puig
|
|
9%
|
The Host (2013)
|
"Ronan is better than the material she's given as Melanie/Wanda. The star of Atonement and Hanna conveys more intelligence than her foolish dual roles call for."
|
Claudia Puig
|
74%
79%
62%
52%
26%
4%
