Joe Holleman

Ted does not only break before it ends. It snaps back so violently that it very well may knock out of your mind any recollection that the movie is fairly entertaining for about 30 minutes.

Depp shows again that he truly understands Thompson by delivering a nuanced performance that is remarkably different, but subliminally similar, from the wonderfully outrageous turn he provided in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

More damaging is Lurie's conspicuous "red state" rant, as he makes sure that every prominent guy in this film - save for the screenwriter and the black sheriff - fits all of the Southern stereotypes. That doesn't make it a bad movie, just one that is something less than Peckinpah's original.

It would have been nice if Cowboys & Aliens had come come up with the right equation to balance originality and homage. But in the end, it all turned into trigonometry.

Calling it "idiotic" would be unfair to all other idiotic movies. Find a word that combines moronic and malevolent. [14 July 1993, p.3F]

Decent performances from Emilio Estevez and Denis Leary can't rescue this movie from its weak screenplay and predictable story. [21 Oct 1993, p.7G]

All that complexity backfires at about the midpoint, leaving viewers with a standard yarn about a popular guy who makes a grossly insensitive wager after his trophy girlfriend drops him. After that, it is all a case of "been there, done that." [29 Jan 1999,p. E3]

Is there really a need to make a 14-year-old the sexual object of adults' attention? A coming-of-age movie that tries to sympathize with a teen-ager can be enlightening. A movie that tries to tantalize us with a child is shameful. Second, the stereotype of the treacherous Lolita taking advantage of a man twice her age is not only sexist, it's misogynistic. Take The Crush and can it. [9 Apr 1993, p.3F]

My Cousin Vinny would have been a moderately funny movie in any case. But with Joe Pesci in the leading role, the movie escalates several notches to a rough-and-tumble, exciting comedy and proves that Pesci is one of the most versatile actors in the business. [19 Mar 1992, p.6E]

This movie bogs down under heavy-handed, simplistic preachings about the environment and numerous scenes of utterly gratuitous violence. [23 Feb 1994]

Usually, the plot of a romantic comedy revolved around two people wanting to marry each other. With Powell and Loy, with their charm, warmth and sex appeal, the story became about two people who were married -- and liked it. [02 Aug 2005, p.E1]

Wide Awake is a children's movie that does not rely on special effects, computer-generated trickery, bathroom humor, slapstick violence or inappropriate adult situations to satisfy its audience. [03 Apr 1998, p.E7]

A slight step down from the first two, but still very good. [02 Aug 2005, p.E1]

Although viewing this movie leaves you raw emotionally, it is a powerful testimony to one family's unwavering love and willpower, captured splendidly by Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte and director and co-writer George Miller. [27 Jan 1993, p.5G]

THUNDERHEART, a murder mystery set amid the American Indian movement on Sioux reservations in the 1970s, has its heart in the right place. But except for a few scenes, the thunder is missing. [7 Apr 1992, p.2D]

Without Limits is best when it's on the track. When it goes off the track, it sometimes does just that. [13 Oct 1998, p.E3]

Most of the credit for this successful effort goes to Miller, who simply pointed a camera at Levitch for hours and stayed out of the way. This laid-back direction helps Miller avoid that self-conscious "documentary" seriousness, edgy shots and editing that tells the audience that this is all so very important. [18 Dec 1998, p.E3]

Gets boring for adults, but kids will enjoy it. [03 Jan 1999, p.C10]

This film fails, and for several reasons - not the least being that movies about bickering police partners who fight crime with snappy wisecracks and serious weaponry just might be the most overused plot of the last 15 years. [12 April 1995, p.3E]

The dialogue still sparkles, but the story is a bit weaker than the previous editions. [02 Aug 2005, p.E1]

This 19th Bond film has all of the required scenes, lines, gags and gadgets to keep Bond fans pleased - as well as a few new twists to update and energize it. [19 Dec 1997, p.E3]

Wilder consistently infused his films with wit and intelligence, offering comedy in his dramas and drama in his comedies. And Stalag 17 is a shining example. [28 Mar 2006, p.E1]

Director John Boorman (Deliverance, Hope and Glory) stretched the limits of 1960s cinematic storytelling with his nonlinear plot construction, experimental camera angles and psychedelic flashbacks. While some of it seems a bit trite by today's standards, it was rather innovative at the time. [05 Jul 2005, p.D1]

HOW FUNNY CAN a movie be when it consists of stupid jokes, dreadful puns and stale sight gags? Pretty funny, actually. [21 May 1993, p.3G]

So I'll just say this: The Big Lebowksi is an excellent movie - and damn funny.

If you're looking for a political message, either for or against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, this is not your movie. The directors were satisfied with telling us about a group of courageous, honorable young soldiers - a salute these men richly deserve.

The movie has some outstanding moments. Rock's performance and writing show that he appreciates rap music and its place in the culture, but he is not so respectful that he is incapable of skewering it. The movie's failings show up in the last half hour. Tamra Davis, known for directing many top music videos, lapses into predictability. The edge in the first part of the film goes dull by picture's end. And the story, written by Rock, Nelson George and Robert LoCash, becomes needlessly complicated, then meanders to a conclusion. [17 Mar 1993, p.3F]

The romantic relationship between the two stars is mishandled, and neither is given sufficient funny material. [16 June 1992, p.4D]