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Bob Ross
Tomatometer-approved critic
Film and video critic for www.bobrossmovies.com an online film reviewing community.
The Godfather, Singin' in the Rain.
Tampa, Fla.
http://www.tbo.com
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Lone Star (1996) |
The subplots mesh beautifully. And the ending delivers two twists that are both surprising and believable. Sayles, an ingenious maverick, has hit the mark again. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 06, 2023
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Traffic (2000) |
Its intertwined suspense-thriller subplots don't insult your intelligence, and it makes its political points without preaching. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 06, 2023
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Selena (1997) |
As Selena, Lopez glows with eagerness and joy. She does resemble the person she portrays, but she amplifies the characterization with impeccable body language. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 06, 2023
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Moulin Rouge (2001) |
Moulin Rouge is a high-energy kaleidoscope of dazzling sets, daring angles and dramatic embellishments. [Luhrmann] uses clichés and makes fun of them at the same time. But once again, the old-time movie musical defies those who try to make it modern. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 05, 2023
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When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) |
The biggest problem, though, is that When a Man Loves a Woman seems less like a drama and more like therapy. But, hey, if you need treatment, a movie ticket Is cheaper than a shrink. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 01, 2023
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Hard-Boiled (1992) |
If you're already an aficionado of Sam Peckinpah's shootouts, Sergei Einstein's inventive editing and the anarchic traditions of Dirty Harry and Lethal Weapon, you'll delight in the newest claimant of the action-thriller throne. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 27, 2023
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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) |
The originality and wit of the first two seem to have been skipped in favor of flashy effects and pseudo-religious false traits. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 25, 2023
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Batman (1989) |
If you thought Nicholson went over the edge in The Shining... you'll think he's plunging into hyperspace with his frightening freak-outs and day-go derangement. Batman is worth watching just to see this master actor soar unrestrained. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 25, 2023
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In the Mood for Love (2000) |
Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung star in this exquisitely photographed, slowly paced romantic drama from writer-director Wong Kar-wai. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 15, 2023
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10 Things I Hate About You (1999) |
Marvelous set pieces contribute to this lively romantic comedy. You don't have to be a Shakespearean scholar to enjoy it. You don't have to be a teenager, either. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 12, 2023
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The Matrix (1999) |
Tediously silly and way too long, this defiantly deadening cyber-fantasy is too illogical to be science fiction, too dark to amuse photography buffs and too dreary to entertain special-effects fanatics. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 12, 2023
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Mulholland Dr. (2001) |
Nearly every scene -- from the effervescent, jitterbugging opening to the scabrous final grotesqueries -- is spellbinding to watch and impossible to decipher. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jul 11, 2023
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Magnolia (1999) |
This film has three qualities that make it worth your time: A brilliant cast, a scattered but attention-grabbing script, and a sense of satisfaction when apparently unconnected peopled and places merge into common situations. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Armageddon (1998) |
Armageddon is a roller coaster with a crisis at every corner, a crunch at every crest. And there are no valleys -- this rocket ride is an E-ticket escalator that climbs from one peak to the next. You may get a headache, but you will not nod off. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jun 21, 2023
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Patriot Games (1992) |
This time, you can leave your analytical skills in the parking lot. The second Clancy film is fueled not by slow-burning submarine reactors but by pure, maniacal adrenaline. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jun 06, 2023
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The Color Purple (1985) |
Spielberg has wrought a brilliant, human-scaled conversion of Alice Walker's novel. With its simple, stirring plot and flawless performances, "Purple" possesses the timeless qualities of a classic. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted May 25, 2023
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Enemy Mine (1985) |
As long as Quaid and Gossett are the only actors on screen, Enemy Mine is merely average. But later on, additional characters arrive to demolish any pretense of credibility or sophistication. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted May 25, 2023
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A Chorus Line (1985) |
While conceding that the film medium cannot convey the same intensity as Michael Bennett's ingenious play, one still finds plenty of musical and emotional kicks in Richard Attenborough's conscientious screen adaptation. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted May 25, 2023
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An American Tail (1986) |
A lustily designed, elegantly animated new film that restores our faith that fine full-length cartoons still can be made. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted May 17, 2023
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Army of Darkness (1992) |
Bruce Campbell, the rugged star-survivor of The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2: Dead Before Dawn, takes his most incendiary trip yet in Army of Darkness, a hilariously extravagant sequel to those low-budget, tongue-in-cheek fright flicks. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 31, 2023
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Evil Dead 2 (1987) |
The funniest, yuckiest, fastest-paced horror flick since -- well, since the original Evil Dead emerged in 1983. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 29, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) |
The recipe, of course, is that exhilarating blend of pulse-pumping action, wry humor and splashy effects that made 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark such a delightful diversion. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 29, 2023
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Team America: World Police (2004) |
For grown-ups, this is righteous, riotous immaturity at its most gratifying. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 21, 2023
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Boys on the Side (1995) |
As he did with Steel Magnolias, Ross ensures his audience a heartfelt dose of laughter through tears. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 14, 2023
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The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) |
A bounty of sympathetic characters, realistic writing and flawless performances, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants has the smarts and scenery to appeal to other age groups besides its target. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 14, 2023
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Thelma & Louise (1991) |
As he always does, Scott ignores realism in favor of terrific lighting... Such shots belong more in an art gallery than in an action movie. Luckily, the main characters are so strongly portrayed that this becomes a minor objection. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Feb 28, 2023
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Godzilla (1998) |
It's basic, blunt fare, but executed with a sense of fun. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Feb 15, 2023
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Wild Things (1998) |
A lurid exploitation film disguised as a guessing game, Wild Things offers an opportunity to see reasonably respectable actors go slumming in swampy South Florida. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Feb 02, 2023
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The Big Lebowski (1998) |
The Coens have always mixed a mean verbal-visual cocktail, and "Lebowski" reminds us that choice moments need not make perfect sense. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jan 20, 2023
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Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. (1992) |
"Just Another Girl" is about reality catching up to attitude. It's stark, realistic and not meant to be pleasant (except for the soundtrack). - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jan 10, 2023
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Eve's Bayou (1997) |
Vivid portrayals, lush cinematography and marvelous mid-'60s details make this a splendid Southern Gothic tale from its enticing opening scenes to its lingering look back before the final fade-out. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jan 10, 2023
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Down in the Delta (1998) |
The writer provides a straightforward story. The director gives it eloquence with expressive economy of word and motion. A first-class cast does the rest. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jan 04, 2023
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Groundhog Day (1993) |
Murray's goofy frat-boy persona serves him well as he takes us through Phil's fuming, fighting and, finally, reformation. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Dec 21, 2022
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Deadly Friend (1986) |
Slower moving, with fewer killings and effects, Craven's new film is unlikely to draw the crowds that made Nightmare a box office phenomenon. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Dec 10, 2022
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Braveheart (1995) |
With its earthy humanity, glorious landscapes and sweeping battles, Braveheart accomplishes what its makers intended: to tell a stirring story in a memorable fashion. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Nov 18, 2022
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Gladiator (2000) |
Gladiator refurbishes the old-school epic format. Using high-tech tools and post-modern politics, the visually dynamic director Scott turns historical fiction into bang-up excitement for the new century. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Oct 31, 2022
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The Thief of Bagdad (1924) |
Scintillating, delightful 1924 silent classic with Douglas Fairbanks as the romantic, athletic adventurer. The effects are still impressive today, including a flying horse, a magic carpet and giant magic creatures. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Oct 21, 2022
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Carnival of Souls (1962) |
Crisp, unpretentious and eerie. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 24, 2022
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Addams Family Values (1993) |
Just another quiet night with the Addams clan. Another chance to make money from a sequel-starved public that will watching anything as long as it requires no original thought. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Sep 22, 2022
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Platoon (1986) |
This movie splashes the Vietnam War on the big screen with terrifying realism. Indeed, this movie is as close to actual combat as any sane person would care to get. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Oliver & Company (1988) |
[Oliver & Company] boasts snappy songs, memorable voices and a story line that moves riotously if not smartly. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Aug 18, 2022
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The Land Before Time (1988) |
Bluth's sense of color and perspective keeps The Land Before Time from slipping to the dismal level of television tripe. His images are always bright and distinctive. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Aug 18, 2022
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Rain Man (1988) |
Cruise's accomplishment might be the greater. After all, we expect Hoffman to be brilliant. Cruise, until this movie, could have been dismissed as a mere heartthrob. In Rain Man, Cruise shows that he's an actor in the finest sense of the word. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Aug 03, 2022
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The Silence of the Lambs (1991) |
In an age of cheap chases and absurd body counts, this is one provocative exception. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 23, 2022
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Titanic (1997) |
Cameron succeeds because he combines amazing effects with a powerful love story. He takes us into the past, he provides perspective for the present, and he'll keep audiences rapt for three hours. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 17, 2022
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I Like It Like That (1994) |
Martin's writing gives light touches to serious events and vice versa. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Mar 02, 2022
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Beloved (1998) |
There's excitement here, particularly for admirers of the world's most successful talk show host, who makes a triumphant big-screen return in a vehicle that would overpower a performer with less gumption. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Feb 02, 2022
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Sidewalk Stories (1989) |
Is there an audience for the Charlie Chaplin style in 1990? Is an updated Little Tramp comedy viable in today's high-tech movie market? Lane's film answers with a gentle affirmative. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Jan 24, 2022
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Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) |
Carl Franklin gets it right. With an eye for atmosphere, an ear for excitement and a knack for narrative, the no-nonsense writer-director delivers the year's most delicious detective yarn. - Tampa Tribune
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| Posted Oct 27, 2021
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Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) |
Beneath the gloss of color and bluster, this movie offers absurd action based on a stupid premise. But those who waste time and money on it can always say "the Devil made me do it." - Tampa Bay Times
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| Posted Oct 27, 2021
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