Lael Loewenstein
Tomatometer-approved critic
| Publications: | Boxoffice Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Variety |
| Critics' Group: | Los Angeles Film Critics Association |
Movie Reviews Only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51% | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012) |
[It's] formulaic in adhering to the sitcom-style tone of the first two films.‐ Variety
Posted Aug 2, 2012
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| 22% | What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012) |
Helmer Kirk Jones does a solid job negotiating the material and managing the few tonal shifts when an occasional dark moment emerges.‐ Variety
Posted May 11, 2012
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| 17% | Bongwater (1998) |
An uneven, intermittently likable movie about a group of Portland residents for whom getting high is a way of life.‐ Variety
Posted Feb 23, 2012
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| 20% | Darling Companion (2012) |
Despite an intriguing premise, a marquee middle-aged cast and a veteran helmer (Lawrence Kasdan) schooled in character-driven ensemble movies, the result is more shaggy-dog story than incisive reflection on human relationships.‐ Variety
Posted Jan 27, 2012
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| 60% | Glee: The 3D Concert Movie (2011) |
Even the uninitiated could do a lot worse than this 80-minute musical valentine to the outsider in us all.‐ Variety
Posted Aug 11, 2011
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| 39% | Monte Carlo (2011) |
A frothy, innocuous smorgasbord of girlhood wish fulfillment that scores a direct hit with its target demo.‐ Variety
Posted Jun 30, 2011
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| 19% | Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (2011) |
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer strives to capture the insouciance of Megan McDonald's popular book series but overshoots its comedic potential.‐ Variety
Posted Jun 3, 2011
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| 60% | That's What I Am (2011) |
Agreeable, uplifting and earnest almost to a fault.‐ Variety
Posted Apr 21, 2011
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| 37% | Mars Needs Moms (2011) |
Working against an ungainly title and a rather formulaic marketing campaign, pic is a modestly enjoyable performance-capture creation bearing the unmistakable imprint of producer Robert Zemeckis.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 8, 2011
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| 22% | The Simian Line (2000) |
An uneven, at times absorbing portrait of four couples struggling to define their relationships.‐ Variety
Posted Jul 6, 2010
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| 68% | Babies (2010) |
An exercise in observational cinema tracking four infants across the globe, Babies is refreshing in its methods, impressive in its scope and remarkable in its immediacy.‐ Variety
Posted May 3, 2010
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| 67% | Date Night (2010) |
A romantic comedy with action, edge and genuine chemistry between its leads, Date Night scores a home run.‐ Variety
Posted Apr 6, 2010
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| 53% | Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) |
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an amusing romp through the awkward years of middle school.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 18, 2010
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| 18% | The Tooth Fairy (2010) |
A serendipitous combination of star (Dwayne Johnson), material and director (Michael Lembeck), this tale of an arrogant hockey player, forced to serve time in wings and a pastel-colored tutu, scores a goal for kids and adults alike.‐ Variety
Posted Jan 21, 2010
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| 12% | The Spy Next Door (2010) |
It's a sad day for Jackie Chan fans when the action-comedy star is reduced to a vehicle as lame as The Spy Next Door.‐ Variety
Posted Jan 11, 2010
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| 54% | A Cool Dry Place (1998) |
The kind of plodding, conventional fare usually reserved for TV movies.‐ Variety
Posted Oct 4, 2009
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| 7% | Whiteout (2009) |
Should fade faster than a polar bear in a blizzard.‐ Variety
Posted Sep 11, 2009
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| 22% | G-Force (2009) |
Longtime visual effects supervisor Hoyt Yeatman Jr., in his feature directing debut, displays ample credentials for action and memorable setpieces.‐ Variety
Posted Jul 23, 2009
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| 44% | Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) |
Bigger, longer, and even more chaotically crowded (more stars! more f/x!) than its predecessor, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian proves that adding another ring doesn't make for a better circus.‐ Variety
Posted May 20, 2009
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| 9% | My Life in Ruins (2009) |
It's not that this premise is so altogether improbable -- what tourist hasn't bonded with strangers while sharing close quarters in a foreign land? -- but that it feels tired from the start.‐ Variety
Posted May 5, 2009
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| 44% | Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) |
A goofily endearing romp that might even lasso a few new fans.‐ Variety
Posted Apr 7, 2009
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| 78% | Maryam (2002) |
A lovely, intricate coming-of-age portrait set in a cross-cultural context, "Maryam" reps a promising debut from Ramin Serry. ‐ Variety
Posted Mar 27, 2009
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| 93% | Spy Kids (2001) |
Fulfills kids' empowerment fantasies and features enough techno-wizardry and cool f/x to satisfy those weaned on videogames.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 27, 2009
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| 7% | Friends & Lovers (1999) |
Writer-director George Haas' debut feature offers nothing as it strains to be funny and provocative.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 26, 2009
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| 60% | Playing by Heart (1998) |
Carroll's characters spend so much time talking, albeit intelligently, that the connections they make seem peculiarly synthetic.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 26, 2009
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| 0% | Super Capers (2009) |
A bizarrely misguided attempt to revive -- and spoof -- the classic B-movie, Super Capers is the kind of experience that makes you want your 93 minutes back.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 20, 2009
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| No Score Yet | Ingenious (2012) |
A terrific little yarn about pluck, perseverance and friendship overcoming the odds, Lightbulb is exactly what's needed in these troubled times.‐ Variety
Posted Mar 19, 2009
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| 33% | Stephen King's 'The Night Flier' (1998) |
Creepy vampire tale that also offers some clever commentary on bloodthirsty tabloid journalists.‐ Variety
Read More | Posted Feb 26, 2009
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| 4% | Meet the Deedles (1998) |
If all of this sounds ridiculous, it is.‐ Variety
Posted Feb 25, 2009
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| 94% | Under the Sea 3D (2009) |
Gorgeous, informative and as gripping as a shark's jaws.‐ Variety
Posted Feb 10, 2009
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| 25% | Bedtime Stories (2008) |
Sandler has delivered on his promise to make a movie his kids can enjoy. What's more, he's managed to do so without alienating his core audience.‐ Variety
Posted Dec 22, 2008
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| 50% | Kate & Leopold (2001) |
A time-travel romantic comedy whose best elements -- Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman -- overcome distracting plot holes, loose threads and assorted contrivances to make for a mostly charming and diverting tale.‐ Variety
Posted Sep 26, 2008
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| 84% | Kissing Jessica Stein (2002) |
Pure pleasure.‐ Variety
Posted Jul 25, 2008
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| 34% | Space Chimps (2008) |
As light as a banana souffle and about as substantial.‐ Variety
Posted Jul 17, 2008
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| 79% | Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008) |
Plucky, likable and determined to succeed, much like its heroine, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a throwback to the kinds of movies they don't make anymore.‐ Variety
Posted Jun 18, 2008
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| 14% | Made of Honor (2008) |
Like a shopworn wedding gown disguised with a new sash, Made of Honor feels recycled from top to bottom. That's because it's essentially a gender-swapped version of My Best Friend's Wedding.‐ Variety
Posted May 1, 2008
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| 23% | I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998) |
Arrogance gives way to humility, making this an appropriate, if thoroughly cliched, Christmas morality tale that's sugar-coated with an attractive cast spouting sitcom-quality dialogue.‐ Variety
Posted Apr 16, 2008
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| 80% | Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) |
As a film, however, item misses its mark, failing to capitalize on the staccato rhythms and sardonic wit of Bridget's inner life.‐ Variety
Posted Apr 15, 2008
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| 92% | Shakespeare in Love (1998) |
Accessible, entertaining and fun for modern audiences. Exquisitely acted, tightly directed and impressively assembled, this lively period piece is the kind of arty gem with potentially broad appeal that Miramax certainly knows how to sell.‐ Variety
Read More | Posted Feb 20, 2008
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| 20% | A Plumm Summer (2008) |
Feels like an homage to a bygone era of moviemaking.‐ Variety
Posted Feb 20, 2008
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| 53% | Let It Snow (2001) |
At once a throwback to the days of Capra and Sturges and a wholly contempo item, Snow Days is smarter and more appealing than many other recent romantic comedies.‐ Variety
Posted Nov 26, 2007
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| 55% | This Christmas (2007) |
A rare holiday treat, a package that's both thoughtfully selected and sure to please its intended recipients.‐ Variety
Posted Oct 26, 2007
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| 3/5 | 74% | The Price of Sugar (2007) |
Haney doesn't strive for balance, and he doesn't have to; the images speak for themselves.‐ Los Angeles Times
Read More | Posted Oct 19, 2007
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| 36% | Sydney White (2007) |
...should satisfy Bynes fans looking for a pleasant, innocuous follow-up to her last vehicle.‐ Variety
Posted Sep 25, 2007
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| 2.5/5 | 54% | Closing Escrow (2007) |
A spoof, sometimes a funny one, and sometimes just plain overkill.‐ Los Angeles Times
Read More | Posted Aug 30, 2007
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| 34% | The Nanny Diaries (2007) |
This new comedy rarely rises above standard sitcom fare, a bitter and ironic disappointment given the involvement of American Splendor writer-directors Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman.‐ Variety
Posted Aug 17, 2007
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| 2.5/5 | 43% | Splinter (2006) |
With its recycled themes and muddled storyline generating a cascade of unanswered questions, the film is more about style than substance.‐ Los Angeles Times
Read More | Posted Aug 16, 2007
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| 4/5 | 80% | I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life And Legacy Of Simon Wiesenthal (2007) |
The film successfully contextualizes [Wisenthal's] legacy for a new generation.‐ Los Angeles Times
Read More | Posted Jul 5, 2007
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| 50% | Nancy Drew (2007) |
Purportedly an attempt to modernize the young detective's adventures for a new generation of tweens, the pic instead serves up stale mystery-movie cliches and overcooked red herrings in a thoroughly wooden adaptation.‐ Variety
Posted Jun 9, 2007
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| 3/5 | 61% | Gracie (2007) |
With so much invested in this film, Gracie represents the culmination of a family dream, so you can't really blame it for wearing its heart on its sleeve.‐ Los Angeles Times
Read More | Posted Jun 1, 2007
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