ReelViews' Scores
- Movies
For 2,526 reviews, this publication has graded:
-
65% higher than the average critic
-
2% same as the average critic
-
33% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 3.6 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 65
| Highest review score: |
Critic Score
100
|
|---|---|
| Lowest review score: |
Critic Score
0
|
Score distribution:
-
Positive: 1,803 out of 2526
-
Mixed: 443 out of 2526
-
Negative: 280 out of 2526
2,526
movie reviews
- By critic score
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There's no compelling reason to see Deal. Everything it offers is familiar to the extent where even though it's not a remake, it feels like one. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The film has lofty goals, but comes across as leaden and pretentious. It's a character study in which the lead participant is the least interesting person in the movie. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
At an exceedingly long 135 minutes, the film needs more than what might result from the explosion of a Crayola factory, and Speed Racer has nothing extra to offer - no heart, no excitement, no moments to cherish. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Simply isn't a very good motion picture. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
For those who do not consider themselves to be among the Sex and the City faithful, this is a painful experience, perhaps the longest 148 minutes likely to be spent in a movie theater this year. Watching grass grow is more dramatically satisfying. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A little like watching an episode of the TV show of which Adam Sandler is an alum: "Saturday Night Live." Zohan feels like an extended collection of skits tied together by a flimsy umbrella story. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
With 3-D, a little goes a long way and, in the absence of a legitimate script with credible characters, the fun dries up long before the running time has expired. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is made-for-TV material dressed up by Eddie Murphy's participation into a theatrical release. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Perhaps it's the lack of sex or perhaps it's the incessant, banal chattering of the characters, but this movie is more likely to inspire sleep than interest. Breillat has done something I never expected from her: made a boring film. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
An exercise in mediocrity. It's curious how little of the TV series' charm and appeal can be found in this uneven, plodding excuse for a reunion. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The acting is a big part of Baghead's problem. Three of the four protagonists are played by performers who do little to distinguish themselves. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The film has energy but isn't well paced. Nothing about it quite gels. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The Clone Wars is the last nail in a coffin that has been propped up ever since George Lucas sold his creative soul in the quest for a few more pieces of gold. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The problem with the movie, whose title compresses "religious" and "ridiculous" into a single word, isn't that it milks more than one sacred cow but that it does so with minimal subtlety and intelligence. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The Rocker is more disappointing than it is outright bad. One expects something a little fresher from Wilson. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Superficial, uninformative, and inert, this two hour snoozefest isn't even inflammatory enough to stoke a righteous anti-Bush brushfire. W. does for recent history what Oliver Stone's epic "Alexander" did for ancient times. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There are good things to be said about The Spirit, but not enough of them to outweigh the bad. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
In pandering to Hollywood standards about how stories like this should unfold, LaBute has lost his edge. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
It's easily the weakest entry into this ever-expanding category and is inferior to its subtitled source material. Quarantine implies "stay away" and that's not bad advice. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Its failure to live up to even modest expectations is a blow. There's nothing righteous to be found here. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
It has impeccable production values but feels like a "Masterpiece Theater" production of a Harlequin romance novel. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Transporter 3 is the most frustrating entry into a series that has never set the bar terribly high. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
As punchy and energetic as the first few moments are, the rest of the film quickly falls back into mediocrity. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The film provides ample opportunity to attack the MPAA's hypocrisy. Max Payne is a bloodbath, yet it manages a PG-13 rating by keeping the explicitness of the killings just a whisker shy of what would be necessary for an R. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Just because a movie is ambitious and challenging doesn't mean it can't also be tedious and at times unbearable. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Four Christmases is waste of time and a disappointment, but it's also relatively painless. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is essentially a Steven Seagal movie without the Ponytailed One, and may appeal to those who enjoyed Seagal's rather bland, cookie-cutter action films. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
It lacks the simple elegance and intelligence of the earlier film, and employs special effects and pointless action scenes to replace passages of dialogue. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
What potentially could have been the greatest asset possessed by Che - its unapologetic length - turns into its greatest detriment. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is a rare time when young ones will get more out of a Sandler movie than their parents, who may have grown up with him when he was on "Saturday Night Live." -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Viggo Mortensen looks the part but never brings it home with great conviction or passion. I never believed in the character and that greatly diminished the film's ability to argue its ethical case. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The first film was significantly better and, therefore, is the place to start for anyone with a modicum of interest. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is an also-ran that is likely to be appreciated only by completists. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is not a story that cries out to be remade every 15-20 years. And, while the special effects and acting are getting better, the story isn't. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The best bits in this film fall short of being inspired, but they are outrageous. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The end result, while it provides moments of kinetic entertainment, is too repetitive and uneven to be satisfying. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Science fiction fans will feel gypped, disaster movie fans will appreciate about 10 minutes of screen time and be bored by the rest, and no one else will care. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Perhaps the thing that most surprised me is how fingernails-on-blackboard awful the music is. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Chock full of high-tech action, with a lot of chasing and shooting and explosions. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The movie doesn't come close to the family-friendly comedic pseudo-incest flirted with in "Back to the Future." That, apparently, is deemed too unsettling for today's audiences. So 17 Again none-too-cleverly tap dances around these issues. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
While The Limits of Control offers some picturesque photography and grist for thought, it is ultimately too much like The Emperor's New Clothes to warrant anything approaching enthusiasm. The message is banal and the means by which it is presented reeks of artifice and pretention. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A standard-order romantic comedy with many of the expected twists and complications. It suffers from the flaw of not giving the lead characters enough time together. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There's a sense that a much better movie is trying to get out but it never attains escape velocity. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Never representative of more than mediocrity from a technical or story-based standpoint, the Ice Age series has reached a new nadir with its third entry. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
It's harmless. And pointless. And dumb. This is a perfect example of a motion picture that exists exclusively because its predecessor made a lot of money. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Words cannot express how weary I am of watching lifeless, hollow movies like My Life in Ruins - generic romantic comedies that have no clue when it comes to either "romance" or "comedy." -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A cheesy production with underdeveloped characters that feels more like a TV pilot than a self-contained motion picture. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Although Drag Me to Hell mostly fails as horror, it achieves sporadic success as a comedy. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The Proposal follows a paint-by-numbers script, it fails one key acid test: it doesn't sell the romance. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Post Grad isn't funny, surprising, or insightful enough to provoke more than a ho-hum reaction. It's not bad in the way that many failed comedies are bad; it's simply uninspired. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
With Halloween II, it was all about graphic, grisly murders and a high body count - lessons learned at the box office. And that disparity, more than anything else, illustrates why "Halloween" is a classic and its first sequel is a sloppy afterthought. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The end product feels trite and unfinished, with the romantic plot being awkwardly and unconvincingly shoehorned into a production that lacks focus. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The storyline is all over the place, with numerous unresolved subplots sprouting out of thin air and being left hanging (presumably to be resolved in future movies). -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
At its best, this could have been a passable distraction and at its worst, it could have been unwatchable. Barrymore manages to bring it in somewhere in between those extremes. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A profoundly unsatisfying experience - and that doesn't consider the derivative nature of the plot and a lackluster performance by the lead actor. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The story told by Jackson's The Lovely Bones is the same as the one related by Sebold, but it lacks the complexity and empathy evident in the book. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The result is not entirely uninteresting, but it suffers from some ill-advised decisions. In fact, the film's "hook" may be its greatest detraction. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The biggest problem with Law Abiding Citizen, however, is that the plot is just plain dumb. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Considering the talent involved and the strength of the source material, there's no way Edge of Darkness should have been this disappointing. Part of the problem is a direct result of condensation - there's no way to cram six hours of the dense mini-series upon which the movie is based into about 110 minutes without paying a penalty. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The root problem with The Wolfman is that it's a hybrid. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
We believe the dislike at the onset but not the romance at the payoff. And that's a major flaw. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Wonderful World feels like a modern-day half-baked riff on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The most intriguing aspects of Extraordinary Measures relate to the behind-the-scenes politicking that goes on to keep the drug development on track, although the screenplay cheats toward the end (presumably because of time constraints and a concern that too much detail might bore audiences). -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The appeal is there for those who crave formulaic romantic drama, but there's little of interest for a wider audience. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The film's main problems are script-related. Most of the stories aren't merely perfunctory; they're superficial. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Okay, there are worse movies out there, but I'm hard-pressed to figure out why I'd waste my time and money watching something that's a half-baked retread of better movies I can stream from Netflix. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There's more contrived melodrama in these two hours than romance fans could reasonably hope for. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A lot of what's intended to be funny falls flat, in part because it's too obvious and in part because director Steve Pink is clumsy when it comes to comedic timing. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
What a waste of a talented cast! There are times when it can be depressing to see so much acting potential wasted on a script unable to elicit the best from its stars, and this is one such occasion. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is the film to watch when pretty much everything else has been sold out and the only remaining choices are The Back-Up Plan and the latest Rob Schneider opus. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The energy is missing in the remake because the techniques, which are replicated in a straightforward fashion, are stale. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There's little here that's new or interesting; the movie is for hard-core Romero devotees only. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The movie isn't so much bad as it is formulaic and uninspired. In some ways, that might almost be a worse sin. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Relies on uncomfortable black humor and moments of sincere drama to involve viewers. But everything is encased in artifice and the movie becomes a chore to take in. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
In the final analysis, The Expendables is little more than an ordinary, uninspired action feature. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The clumsy and obvious byproduct of the financial success of its predecessor last Halloween, this movie has no reason for existing except to provide Paramount Pictures with a few extra shekels.- Posted Oct 23, 2010
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A dull, meandering storyline and visuals all-but destroyed by a second-rate 3-D conversion make this movie inferior to its predecessors.- Posted Dec 7, 2010
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
A small group of viewers will find in Burlesque a gem to treasure for years to come. It's a bad movie lover's wet dream. For the average multiplex stalker, however, it exists somewhere between inconsequential and a waste of time, so that's where I'll peg it.- Posted Dec 9, 2010
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Not without humor, but it lacks the explosive spontaneity of "The Hangover."- Posted Dec 15, 2010
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Watching Little Fockers is a depressing experience. Rarely does a comedy bring such an overpowering sense of sadness.- Posted Dec 21, 2010
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The Dilemma downshifts from slapstick to melodrama and back so abruptly that it is at times jarring.- Posted Jan 12, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
- Posted Jan 13, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Yes, Unknown is preposterous. That in and of itself is not a reason to avoid the movie. The problems lie in the way the absurdity is presented and the manner in which the screenplay resolves once the "truth" is revealed.- Posted Feb 17, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Beastly was made with tween girls in mind. It's the kind of love story a viewer can believe in when she is indiscriminating enough to ignore bad acting, bad writing, and mediocre filmmaking.- Posted Mar 3, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
At least the werewolves in Red Riding Hood have teeth and, when in human form, they don't parade around shirtless.- Posted Mar 10, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
It's amazing how a lifeless, pointless remake can provoke pangs of nostalgia about a mediocre movie.- Posted Apr 11, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Scream 4 is so obsessed with the self-referential element that made the original Scream unique that it loses the capacity to be genuinely scary or funny.- Posted Apr 19, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Overlong and at times tedious; the taste is gritty and lingers unpleasantly.- Posted May 5, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Bridesmaids is bipolar filmmaking at its most disconcerting, with changes in tone so abrupt that they can cause whiplash. In part because of this and in part because the writing is often lazy and self-indulgent, the movie rarely works.- Posted May 11, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
As a movie, On Stranger Tides would have to be considered a failure. The story does not engage, the characters are stick figures, the action sequences are perfunctory, and the whole enterprise reeks of being a money-grab.- Posted May 19, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The result makes the movie seem assembled from bits and pieces of other superhero yarns rather than existing on a plane of its own.- Posted Jun 17, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The product is akin to a mediocre '80s sex comedy (with minimal nudity) and "daring" is a descriptor only the most naïve and puritanical would employ.- Posted Jun 23, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Aside from some cosmetic changes, little of what this Fright Night offers elevates it above the classification of "unnecessary."- Posted Aug 17, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
It's tame and rather bland, and the laughter it generates is half-hearted. Director Jesse Peretz commits the unpardonable sin of wasting the considerable comedic talent of Paul Rudd.- Posted Aug 24, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There is a perverse enjoyment to be had from something this cheesy, although not enough of one that I can recommend sitting through it. Still, as bad as Creature is, it can be fun, although the level of enjoyment is probably in direct proportion to the viewer's level of intoxication.- Posted Sep 9, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
70 minutes into the 90-minute process, I was engaged. Then it all collapsed.- Posted Oct 1, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The scares (if you want to call them that) are still there - one "boo!" moment after another, strung together like a breadcrumb trail through a labyrinth. So if that's all you want from a Halloween release like Paranormal Activity 3, you are the perfect audience member.- Posted Oct 20, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There are times when the story behind the making of a film is more interesting than the finished product. This is one of those occasions.- Posted Oct 27, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Sleeping Beauty is one of those self-consciously artsy motion picture that promises more than it delivers.- Posted Nov 2, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The caper is a dud - so stupid and implausible from beginning to end that it's impossible to take it seriously for even the briefest of moments.- Posted Nov 3, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The Sitter is sort of an "Adventures in Babysitting" with a potty mouth.- Posted Dec 12, 2011
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The most disappointing aspect of The Iron Lady is that some of the most memorable hallmarks of Thatcher's time in power are glossed over.- Posted Jan 4, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Contraband is the kind of thriller that offers just enough in the way of effective elements to assemble a two-minute trailer. When it comes to a 110-minute feature, however, the sketchiness of the plotting and the director's lack of sure-handedness sink the project.- Posted Jan 12, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The pacing is uneven, the frenetic action is rarely suspenseful, the dialogue is neither witty nor intelligent, and the anticlimactic endgame drags out to an improbable conclusion.- Posted Feb 8, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Okay, Wanderlust has its moments. It's sporadically funny - funny enough to deliver a good laugh or two. The problem is, it doesn't do more than that, and the comedy is inconsistent.- Posted Feb 23, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Ultimately, as things develop, this becomes less about revenge than it does about escaping a set-up. A successful production of this sort needs to constantly elevate the stakes as it builds suspense. Seeking Justice fails and that failure makes it a dubious movie-going choice best suited to the low expectations of a video release.- Posted Mar 15, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The inevitable twist ties things neatly together before leading to a confusing, borderline-indecipherable ending that fails to satisfy on a number of levels.- Posted Mar 29, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
For those with a burning curiosity to know how "The Lord of the Rings" as directed by Michael Bay might look, Wrath of the Titans provides an idea. This is epic fantasy for teenage boys as only Hollywood can do it: with plenty of grotesque monsters and big explosions replacing characters and narrative.- Posted Mar 31, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is a joyless experience made all the sadder because most viewers still remember the naughty delights delivered by "American Pie."- Posted Apr 8, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
What's missing is honesty. It has been supplanted by artifice.- Posted May 1, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Dark Shadows is a mess, and it's unclear whether its bizarre recipe of comedy, campy horror, and gothic melodrama will satisfy anyone, regardless of their familiarity with the source material.- Posted May 9, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
One of the most positive comments that can be made about Hick is that it advances Chloe Grace Moretz's claim to be one of the best young actresses emerging into today's spotlight.- Posted May 14, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
One of the cleverest moments in Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator comes during the first five seconds: a memorial dedication to Kim Jong Il. It's all downhill from there.- Posted May 15, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Chernobyl Diaries is afflicted with a fatal flaw that damages many horror films: after a better-than-average setup and a promising first half, everything falls apart.- Posted May 25, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
At least the set design and costumes are excellent. The movie feels overstuffed and undercooked but it always looks nice.- Posted May 30, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
For many adults, sitting through this will be an exercise in tedium. It offers about as much as an oversized, overlong Saturday morning cartoon and if that's where expectations are set, it probably won't disappoint. Talk about setting the bar low, though.- Posted Jun 6, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
For me, this is as deflating a movie as I have seen all year. Not the worst, to be sure, but a project so utterly unnecessary that it made me want to gnash my teeth in frustration.- Posted Jul 2, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The biggest flaw of the 1990 Total Recall was how disappointingly banal the endgame was. Wiseman adds some special effects and Michael Bay-style pyrotechnics, but the result is similar. It's doubly deflating because one of the great advantages of remaking a movie is being given the opportunity to correct problems - something not attempted here.- Posted Aug 1, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The only time Sparkle evidences energy is during the song performances, of which there are too few. The half-baked melodrama provides an unappealing and overlong buffer between them that fails to justify the nearly two-hour running time.- Posted Aug 18, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This is a character we have seen a million times before and Eastwood brings little that's new or original to the part. The movie as a whole can be labeled with the same criticism.- Posted Sep 22, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Pitch Perfect looks, sounds, and feels like pretty much every other movie that features a singing or dancing competition.- Posted Sep 27, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
V/H/S comes across as a production that wants to be more than it is but, as they say, The Emperor has no clothes.- Posted Oct 5, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Taken 2 is more of the same, except a little bigger, a little dumber, and a little less invigorating.- Posted Oct 6, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Here Comes the Boom is stale and vanilla. We know we're in trouble early when the first joke fails.- Posted Oct 13, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
There's nothing in Alex Cross that argues another installment is warranted, but much will depend on whether Tyler Perry's audience crosses over and continues to follow him in this new, very different role.- Posted Oct 18, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Yes, A Late Quartet is disappointing. But it's also pretty bad.- Posted Nov 12, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
I'm not a religious man but, Hallelujah! I may not be done with Meyer but at least I'll never again have to cope with the angst, self-absorption, and vampire mythology mutilation that characterized these five movies.- Posted Nov 16, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The best segments of the film occur early, as the setting is established with a dose of "Friday Night Lights" normalcy followed by an invasion that recalls "Independence Day."- Posted Nov 21, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
- Posted Dec 6, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Jack Reacher has the distinction of being little more than it initially appears to be: a clumsily condensed mystery/thriller novel made into a movie that offers little more than every other clumsily condensed mystery/thriller novel made into a movie.- Posted Dec 23, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Unfortunately, much of what's good about Promised Land is easily forgotten as a result of the preachy, impossible-to-swallow final 15 minutes in which the protagonist is subjected to character assassination, the screenplay turns into a sermon, and narrative intelligence is discarded in favor of a message.- Posted Dec 28, 2012
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Whether the core flaw lies in the script or is the result of overly aggressive editing, the final result is offers only sporadic glimpses of the compelling thriller Broken City fails to evolve into.- Posted Jan 17, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Coscarelli's screenplay introduces an abundance of intriguing concepts but never goes very far with any of them. The characters are paper thin and the special effects are laughably bad.- Posted Jan 24, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Bullet to the Head is bloody and violent but not nearly as much fun as it should be.- Posted Feb 3, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Despite being largely uninspired, the dialogue is peppered with enough profanity and salacious comments to keep the undiscriminating interested.- Posted Feb 7, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Reading a Sparks novel allows one's imagination to enter the equation. Watching one of his stories adapted on screen has exactly the opposite effect: it neuters the imagination. This is soap opera, pure and simple.- Posted Feb 13, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
We have entered generic action movie territory and the idiosyncrasies that made the series special at the outset have been leeched out, papered over, or turned into obligatory inserts.- Posted Feb 14, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Someone please get director Ric Roman Waugh a tripod! Snitch might be a passable action-thriller but it's hard to say because every time an action scene comes along, the image shakes so badly it's impossible to keep anything in view or focus.- Posted Feb 21, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
The material isn't sufficiently funny to allow me to forgive the film's feeble storyline and two-dimensional inhabitants.- Posted Mar 14, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
On the whole, Star Trek V is a highly forgettable motion picture, regardless of whether you're looking at it from the perspective of a Trek lover or a movie-goer.- Posted Apr 2, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
This isn't just a horror movie with gore - it's a gore movie, period. Blood is its raison d'etre. It's not scary. It's not shocking. It just wallows in viscera. Ho-hum. Pass the ketchup.- Posted Apr 4, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 50
Tobey Maguire is fine as Nick but his function is more as an observer than a participant. Carey Mulligan's Daisy is unremarkable in every way. And Joel Edgerton is just a mustache twirl away from doing a Snidely Whiplash impersonation.- Posted May 9, 2013
- Read full review
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Schumacher doesn't leave an imprint on the film -- it could be the work of any second-rate director. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Wild Wild West isn't just a bad adaptation of a TV series; it's a bad film. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
It's the kind of thing that Shakespeare might have written if he had undergone a frontal lobotomy. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
For a strangely-titled, female-oriented drama about mothers and daughters bonding, try "The Joy Luck Club" and leave Ya-Ya as a phrase uttered by one-year olds who have yet to learn how to talk. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
One could easily argue that, like many Ed Wood-type bad movies, The Faculty might be headed for the cult classic shelf in the video store. Unfortunately, it's not campy enough, and, worse, it seems to think it's being hip when it's just being dumb. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The Thirteenth Floor shows what can happen when film makers fail to recognize that they need more than a concept to establish a full-length motion picture. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Unremarkable. A more honest description would be to label it as mirthless, pointless, and banal. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The only worthwhile portion of Twin Dragons is the climactic action sequence, but, to get to that, it's necessary to endure more than an hour of unfunny physical comedy and excruciating verbal interaction. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
No amount of youthful charisma can alter the fact that, in the light of "Dangerous Liaisons", Cruel Intentions is a feeble and dissatisfying shadow. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
With the flat characters and lifeless performances, it's a wonder that anyone in the audience can stay awake all the way through this dull and dreary production. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
A soulless jumble of ineptly assembled cliches and pabulum that plays like a 95-minute commercial for NBA properties. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Once again, we have a movie where the jokes are aimed at the least common denominator - meaning that to genuinely enjoy the experience of sitting through Slackers, you will need help from a controlled substance. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Want to see a movie where almost everything takes place on a bus? Try "Speed." Jeepers Creepers 2 isn't even worth a peek. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
This is one of those nearly unwatchable movies that becomes an endurance contest for any thinking adult. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
This isn't just typical, unchallenging Hollywood drek -- it's typical, unchallenging Hollywood drek made by people who don't care, for people who don't care. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Nothing short of a disaster -– easily one of the worst movies of the year. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
This is as dreadful a holiday offering as you're likely to find this year. A lump of coal would be more welcome. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Isn't worth the time, money, or effort. For Stephen King aficionados, it's just the latest cinematic nightmare. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
This is the kind of tearjerker that will cause audience members to cry, but only because they paid hard-earned money to see it. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
A bad movie. No amount of perfume sprayed on talk show audiences by Madonna and her husband can eliminate the stench of failure emanating from this motion picture. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
At its best, Dumb and Dumber is like an Ernest movie with a scatological bent. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Unappealing for children and adults alike, The King and I will likely bring families together in their mutual boredom. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Has some promise as a throw-away, lighthearted romance. Unfortunately, once those elements are gone, what's left only has a running time of about 13 minutes. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Like many genuinely awful movies, Queen of the Damned has the ingredients of a cult film. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
A woefully underwritten motion picture that starts out as a dumb comedy before taking an ill-advised detour into mawkish sentimentality. The last 30 minutes of Bruce Almighty is so godawful that it almost sent me screaming from the theater. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
An insult to anyone who has tragically and unexpectedly lost a loved-one in a similar manner. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Captures the essence of its TV inspiration, which is to say that it's not nearly as clever as it thinks it is. It also feels very, very long. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
An inferior product. It is not well written, well acted, or well directed. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
This is a tedious and insulting motion picture. The only ones likely to be surprised by the payoff are those who understandably dozed off fifteen minutes into the proceedings. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
A colossal disappointment. Not because it's superficial and shallow –- those characteristics pretty much go with the territory –- but because it's boring. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The movie mandates complete gullibility and vacuous attention in order to work on any level. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
For those looking for something positive, this is the only movie I can recall that features music from both ABBA ("Does Your Mother Know") and Handel ("Zadok the Priest"). Let's hear it for musical diversity! -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Two agonizing hours of lifeless, mind-numbing hogwash. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
A Perfect Murder has inexplicably managed to eliminate almost everything that was worthwhile about "Dial M for Murder," leaving behind the nearly-unwatchable wreckage of a would-be '90s thriller. -
-
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
It's the most disappointing thing to come from the brothers in years. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
With a script that waffles between being hilariously absurd and insultingly stupid, and action scenes that won't cause anyone's pulse to skip a beat, Paycheck is less appealing than a lump of coal in a Christmas stocking. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Welcome to Mooseport's satirical edge is dull and pitted, the screenplay is overlong and uninteresting, the comedy is soft and shapeless, and the actors perform like they're on a sit com. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Twisted is a D-grade thriller with an A-list cast. It's a disappointment from start to finish...But, in the final quarter-hour, it committed the unpardonable sin of insulting my intelligence. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Meet Joe Black has the dubious distinction of being the longest film to date of 1998. It is also one of the most tedious and bombastic. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Delpy's injection of class into an otherwise classless production raises the specter of what this film could have been with a better script and a better cast surrounding her. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
It's a cloying, humorless motion picture whose only assets are the work of Jim Henson's Creature Shop and a couple of good one-liners by a pair of rodents. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
This is film noir for the MTV generation: fast-paced, slick, flashy, gleefully mindless, and hollow to the core. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Unfortunately for the poor viewer trapped into sitting through this 95 minute mess, the humor is both conventional and unfunny, the script never takes any chances, and the ending is a cop-out. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Instead of generating a testosterone rush, the fight scenes release tryptophan. Not only are they boring, but they are choreographed in an amateurish fashion. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The result is an unappealing mess, made less bearable by uniformly lackluster performances and the cheesy special effects. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The Punisher isn't Frank Castle; it's Jonathan Hensleigh. And the punishee is anyone sitting in the audience. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The level of humor is sit-com-ish at best and the film's dramatic elements are bland and uninvolving. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
If the film is to work on any level, even a comedic one, it's necessary for the viewers to sympathize with Joanna and Walter. However, the script and scattershot performances keep them at arm's length. Nicole Kidman is in full scenery-chewing mode, and Matthew Broderick hasn't been this invisible since Ferris Bueller had to go back to school. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
By trying to satisfy every kind of viewer, it's possible that Sphere may end up pleasing no one. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Too long and too full of itself to offer more than a few fleeting moments of entertainment. It doesn't take long for tediousness to triumph. -
-
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The only thing that distinguishes Species 2 is how awful it is. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Chase, like his Vacation movies, are things of the past. This is a series that should have died with the '80s. Instead, inexplicably, it has limped on into the '90s. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Watching a misfire like Thunderbirds illustrates how impressive the "Spy Kids" movies are. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
Code 46 is like "Solaris" without the psychological depth and strong acting. The movie is flat, boring, pointless, and nonsensical. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The film is critic-proof and it will find an audience, but it's hard to imagine even the film's target demographic (teenage boys) being overly enthusiastic about the product. It's disposable entertainment of the worst kind. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
The Brown Bunny is one long, self-indulgent bore topped off with a hard-core porn scene featuring Gallo and co-star Chloë Sevigny. -
-
-
Reviewed by
James Berardinelli 38
One has the sense that if the level of violence had been ratcheted up a little, Paparazzi might have been more of a guilty pleasure and less of a chore to watch. -