This is entertainment worth thumping your chest over. [18 June 1999, Life, p.2E]

The snappy sci-fi hoot Men in Black...is a kind of "Independence Day" for smart people.

A riotous and wee bit PG-racy computer-animated family fable, is the most thoroughly enjoyable cartoon feature since "Toy Story" burst out of its box.

What's most amazing is the finely nuanced performances these bits and bytes deliver.

These gun-crazy, lust-loopy kids on the run are irresistible in the best crime rush since “GoodFellas.” [10 Sept 1993]

A movie with this kind of haunting power comes along only once every decade or so. [20 February 1991, Life, p.11D]

Director Gillian Armstrong takes the delicate snow globe that is Little Women and gives it a bold new shake. [21 Dec 1994]

Epic in nearly every way, The Hurricane has the power to blow you away.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a purer expression of rapture in a film this year than the one that opens Billy Elliot.

Still a one-of-a-kind mind-blower.

It's a clever, multitiered affair built around the title rituals, frosted with delicious characterizations and tasty repartee. [11 March 1994, Life, p.4D]

Babe, a live-action fable about a valiant pig who conquers prejudice like a barnyard Jackie Robinson, is in a league of its own when it comes to enchantment.

Sheer power, moral and otherwise. It possesses a massively majestic hero. [10 Dec 1997, p.D1]

A gut-busting blast of tasteless tomfoolery.

A little slapstick, a little action, rich characters and a whopping serving of wit. All baked to near-perfection.

Such pure, naked joy is utterly contagious.

Retains the power to turn heads -- and stomachs.

When it comes to eloquently telling it like it is, Election puts the nation's political pundits to shame.

The nonstop amusing mockumentary Waiting for Guffman does to small-town acting troupes what "This Is Spinal Tap did to heavy-metal bands."

Its deadpan wit, ingenious fairy-tale premise and superbly accomplished cast will leave you feeling positively oxygenated.

What remains is a great Vangelis score, astonishing production design, Hauer's career role -- and a movie that deserves its cult reputation despite an unloving heart. [11 Sept 1992]

Just be glad that Hanks and Zemeckis toiled mightily to pull off at least two-thirds of a remarkable achievement.

Chances are, the more you love classic cinema, the more you will find Gods is your cup of tea.

The suspense becomes so unbearable that it's easy to overlook questions about whether anyone in such circumstances would continue filming.

Director Stephen Herek does an admirable balancing job, though the movie slows whenever the animals solo onscreen. [27 Nov 1996 Pg.01.D]

Instead of ladling on the Scorsese sauce, Robert De Niro's Bronx accent is on semisweet nostalgia. He presents a domestic drama spiced with humor about a boy torn between his working-stiff dad (De Niro in fine regular-fella mode) and Chazz Palminteri's easy-money ways. De Niro doesn't let arty camera angles sub for good storytelling. And he draws memorable performances from two amazing young, new actors. [01 Oct 1993, p. 8D]

Star Trek was never about gizmos, but about relationships - both among its crew members and with its audience. Star Trek VI more than upholds the tradition, making it a satisfying send-off for a mighty ship of foils. [6 Dec. 1991, p.1D]

Dramatically moving and good-naturedly humorous, it transmits a sharp picture of humanity that inspires both awe and laughter.