Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Enquirer is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Margaret A. McGurk
Rating Title/Year Author
2.5/4 Anthem (1997) Margaret A. McGurk Many themes emerge -- equality, justice, freedom, environmental crisis -- but weaving them into cogent insights is beyond the adventurers. EDIT
Posted Sep 22, 2007
2.5/4 Dragonfly (2002) Margaret A. McGurk The screenplay credited to Brandon Camp, Mike Thompson and David Seltzer starts out with energy and substance, but reverts to time-filling repetition before it reaches the last-minute climax. EDIT
Posted Feb 11, 2005
8/10 The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) Margaret A. McGurk It is messy, perplexing and weird, but in a good way. EDIT
Posted Jan 11, 2005
0/4 Resident Evil (2002) Margaret A. McGurk So bad it can't even steal effectively from good movies that came before. EDIT
Posted Dec 18, 2004
7/10 National Treasure (2004) Margaret A. McGurk Despite some preposterous twists, it is a treat to watch a movie with a hero who confronts enemies, threats and clues with wit and insight instead of guns and grenades. EDIT
Posted Nov 19, 2004
0.5/4 Kangaroo Jack (2003) Margaret A. McGurk Whatever reasons led to the creation and release of this sorry excuse for entertainment, parents looking for some weekend fun with the little ones can safely steer clear of Kangaroo Jack. EDIT
Posted Nov 20, 2003
The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002) Margaret A. McGurk The movie is just not fun enough. EDIT
Posted Jun 20, 2003
3/4 Blood Simple (1984) Margaret A. McGurk The story is haunting and violent, yet shot through with the Coens' signature brand of weird, deadpan wit and their peculiar melancholy about place and time. EDIT
Posted Apr 8, 2003
3.5/4 Shadow of the Vampire (2000) Margaret A. McGurk Horror is as old as movie pictures, but this film shows it still holds dark depths to explore. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3/4 Meet the Parents (2000) Margaret A. McGurk Stiller has a gift for looking funny effortlessly, when he's doing nothing physical. With no mugging, no physical contortions, he turns his face into a palette of pain and confusion. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3/4 Dancer in the Dark (2000) Margaret A. McGurk Though flawed, Dancer in the Dark is a worthy addition to the filmography of Mr. von Trier. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
1/4 Swordfish (2001) Margaret A. McGurk It calls itself a 'thriller,' apparently because it is loaded with pointless machinations that pile up into a tortured wreck of narrative desperation. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
2.5/4 Saving Grace (2000) Margaret A. McGurk [Blethyn] brings great heart to the role of Grace, injecting notes of surprising truth into what is otherwise a pleasantly nutty little film. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3/4 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) Margaret A. McGurk How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days dishes up a healthy serving of the fun that should be -- and too often isn't -- at the heart of a good romantic comedy. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3.5/4 Talk to Her (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Talk to Her is vintage Almodovar. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3/4 Shanghai Knights (2003) Margaret A. McGurk It's all silly as a Saturday cartoon show -- and twice as much fun. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3/4 Pay It Forward (2000) Margaret A. McGurk A fine, honest tale that gives full respect to the pain of yearning and the power of hope. EDIT
Posted Feb 7, 2003
3/4 The Way Home (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Not only is it a charming, funny and beautifully crafted import, it uses very little dialogue, making it relatively effortless to read and follow the action at the same time. EDIT
Posted Jan 31, 2003
3.5/4 Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) Margaret A. McGurk If nothing else, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ought to make Sam Rockwell a star. EDIT
Posted Jan 31, 2003
0.5/4 Darkness Falls (2003) Margaret A. McGurk The kind of movie that gives horror a bad name. EDIT
Posted Jan 31, 2003
3/4 Narc (2002) Margaret A. McGurk The acting is outstanding -- Ray Liotta is as good as he has ever been, Jason Patric is notably better. EDIT
Posted Jan 10, 2003
3.5/4 Nicholas Nickleby (2002) Margaret A. McGurk The cast is a marvelous match for the characters, and the pared-down script preserves plenty of the luscious melodrama that makes Dickens so addictive. EDIT
Posted Jan 10, 2003
4/4 Adaptation (2002) Margaret A. McGurk A movie that proves all movies, like flowers, can evolve in exotic and delightful and utterly unpredictable ways into something worthy of passion beyond words. EDIT
Posted Jan 10, 2003
3.5/4 Antwone Fisher (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Both star and director acquit themselves with dignity, in a movie that treats the emotional life of a troubled man with uncommon sensitivity and insight. EDIT
Posted Jan 10, 2003
3/4 25th Hour (2002) Margaret A. McGurk While 25th Hour is not a flawless movie, it packs a powerful wallop, thanks to the awe-inspiring Mr. Norton and his ever-artful director. EDIT
Posted Jan 10, 2003
3.5/4 Catch Me if You Can (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Production designer Jeannine Oppewall and Mr. Spielberg's favorite cinematographer Janusz Kaminski capture a near-flawless palette of period looks from the '50s and '60s. EDIT
Posted Dec 27, 2002
2.5/4 The Grey Zone (2001) Margaret A. McGurk An intelligent and deeply felt work about impossible, irrevocable choices and the price of making them. EDIT
Posted Dec 27, 2002
3/4 Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) Margaret A. McGurk When the camera focuses on the girls, the story is as riveting as the vast Australian skies that frame the journey. EDIT
Posted Dec 27, 2002
3/4 Drumline (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Devon's story is affecting, but it is the action on the field that makes the movie something special. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2002
2.5/4 Maid in Manhattan (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Despite its flaws, Maid in Manhattan is a perfectly serviceable date movie, and a decent showcase for a leading lady who clearly is ready for better things. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2002
3/4 Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Star Trek fans like their philosophy deep, and Nemesis, the 10th big-screen episode, does not disappoint. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2002
1/4 The Hot Chick (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Jam-packed with literally bruising jokes. Every five minutes or so, someone gets clocked. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2002
3/4 Real Women Have Curves (2002) Margaret A. McGurk It treats Ana's journey with honesty that is tragically rare in the depiction of young women in film. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2002
3/4 Treasure Planet (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Abounds with kid-friendly thrills. EDIT
Posted Nov 29, 2002
3.5/4 Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) Margaret A. McGurk It's poignant, surprising, triumphant, funny, and you can dance to it. EDIT
Posted Nov 29, 2002
1/4 Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Every bit as violent, profane, mean-spirited and artificially sentimental as any live-action Adam Sandler movie. EDIT
Posted Nov 29, 2002
4/4 Solaris (2002) Margaret A. McGurk A lustrous and haunting work of art, and easily one of the year's best films. EDIT
Posted Nov 29, 2002
3/4 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Overall, the movie feels brighter, smarter and sleeker than the first. EDIT
Posted Nov 15, 2002
3/4 Roger Dodger (2002) Margaret A. McGurk It is a testament to Mr. Kidd's skill that in his debut feature he makes such entertainment out of a character that could easily have seemed nothing more than an egotistical blowhard. EDIT
Posted Nov 15, 2002
3.5/4 Bowling for Columbine (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Bowling For Columbine should be required viewing for teenagers. EDIT
Posted Nov 8, 2002
3/4 Comedian (2002) Margaret A. McGurk An ironic and highly watchable look at the birth of a stand-up routine. EDIT
Posted Nov 8, 2002
2.5/4 I Spy (2002) Margaret A. McGurk This film does no favors to the memory of the I Spy TV series, a genuine original that knew how to pull off a surprise. On the big screen, it is as ordinary as they get. EDIT
Posted Nov 8, 2002
3/4 Auto Focus (2002) Margaret A. McGurk Auto Focus never explains the whys behind Bob Crane's addiction, but it recounts the disease and its toll on the man in vivid, sometimes shocking and always fascinating terms. EDIT
Posted Nov 8, 2002
4/4 Spirited Away (2001) Margaret A. McGurk A feast for lovers of animation. EDIT
Posted Oct 18, 2002
3/4 The Ring (2002) Margaret A. McGurk It may not be perfect, but The Ring makes a skin-crawling candidate for one of the scariest movies to hit the screen this year. EDIT
Posted Oct 18, 2002
2.5/4 The 51st State (2001) Margaret A. McGurk Violence and whimsy make an uneasy blend, but Formula 51 comes closer than most to pulling it off. EDIT
Posted Oct 18, 2002
3.5/4 Gridlock'd (1997) Margaret A. McGurk Written and directed by actor Vondie Curtis Hall, the film blends savvy and sour-mash humor with bone-deep sadness that recalls predecessors as varied as After Hours and Trainspotting. EDIT
Posted Oct 17, 2002
3/4 Volcano (1997) Margaret A. McGurk On its own escapist terms, Volcano dishes up a textbook serving of low-I.Q., high-energy entertainment. EDIT
Posted Oct 15, 2002
2.5/4 There's Something About Mary (1998) Margaret A. McGurk The Farrellys work so hard to be outrageous they end up sacrificing story, characters, even comedy, to achieve maximum gross-out. EDIT
Posted Oct 15, 2002
4/4 Being John Malkovich (1999) Margaret A. McGurk What it leaves behind is a dizzying sense of exhilaration, like being bathed in champagne. EDIT
Posted Oct 15, 2002