Roger Ebert – Movie Reviews

Read the latest movie reviews from Roger Ebert, the best-known and most widely read film critic in the world.

J. Edgar (R) – Three and a half stars
As a period biopic, “J. Edgar” is masterful. Few films span seven decades this comfortably. The sets, the props, the clothes, and details, look effortlessly right, and note how Eastwood handles the many supporting roles. Eastwood’s film is firm in its refusal to cheapen and tarnish by inventing salacious scenes. I don’t get the impression from “J. Edgar” that Eastwood particularly respected Hoover, but I do believe he respected his unyielding public facade.

Immortals (R) – One and a half stars
Without doubt the best-looking awful movie you will ever see. Involves the attempt by King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) to conquer Greece, and the battle to stop him, led by a plucky peasant named Theseus (Henry Cavill). Spectacular visuals, beautiful compositions, and an incomprehensible plot involving characters who open feel like strangers to us. See More

Tim Burton’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’ is anything but ‘Wonderful’

By Drew McWeeny – It’s been a little over a week since I saw Tim Burton’s new “Alice In Wonderland”, which is not so much a remake or an adaptation as it is a sequel, ignoring of course the idea that Lewis Carroll wrote a perfectly lovely sequel himself. It is wrong-headed in pretty much every way it can be, poorly designed, loud, and worst of all, boring. It is a catastrophe as a movie, and as a place marker in the career of Tim Burton, it is a big fat dead end.

There’s a lot of talent wasted in this one, which is part of what offends me about it. Mia Wasikowska is, in my opinion, sort of a genius. If you haven’t seen the first season of HBO’s “In Treatment,” then you might not be aware of just how powerful a performer she is, but she ruined me with her work as Sophie on that show. She gave a performance most veteran actors decades older than her would be jealous of, and she made it look like it was as natural to her as breathing. See More

Rotten Tomatoes – Movie Reviews

The latest movie reviews from RottenTomatoes.com.

• 85% Chronicle
  It arrives during a glut of found-footage films, but Chronicle transcends its gimmicks with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast.
• 64% The Woman in Black
  Traditional to a fault, The Woman in Black foregoes gore for chills -- although it may not provide enough of them for viewers attuned to more modern, high-stakes horror.
• 77% The Grey
  The Grey is an exciting tale of survival, populated with fleshed-out characters and a surprising philosophical agenda.
• 72% Big Miracle
  Big Miracle uses real-life events as the basis for a surprisingly satisfying family drama.
• 29% Underworld Awakening
  There's more vapid action and less story in Underworld Awakening than previous installments, making the whole affair feel inconsequential.
• 100% The Miners' Hymns
  The ill-fated coal mining communities in North East England are the subject of this inspired documentary by multi-media artist Bill Morrison. Their story is told entirely without words, yet the film is far from silent: it features a remarkable...
• 92% Chico & Rita
  Cuba, 1948. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them as they chase their dreams and each other from Havana to New York to Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas. With...
• 88% Oscar Nominated Animation Shorts
  ShortsHD working with Magnolia Pictures presents theatrical engagements of the Oscar (R)-nominated short films in two separate programs: live-action, and animated. Engagements begin February 10, 2012, at Landmark's Lumiere Theatre AND Landmarks'...
• 86% In Darkness
  From acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland, In Darkness is based on a true story. Leopold Socha, a sewer worker and petty thief in Lvov, a Nazi occupied city in Poland, one day encounters a group of Jews trying to escape the liquidation of the ghetto....
• 84% The Turin Horse
  On January 3, 1889 in Turin, Italy, Friedrich Nietzsche steps out of the doorway of number six, Via Carlo Albert. Not far from him, a cab driver is having trouble with a stubborn horse. The horse refuses to move, whereupon the driver loses his...
• This Means War
  The world's deadliest CIA operatives are inseparable partners and best friends until they fall for the same woman. Having once helped bring down entire enemy nations, they are now employing their incomparable skills and an endless array of high-tech...
• Michael
  Michael (Michael Fuith), a seemingly meek insurance agent, has a secret: he's holding 10-year-old Wolfgang (David Rauchenberger) captive in a locked room in his basement. Chronicling a five month period, director Markus Schleinzer reveals a tense...
• Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
  Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance. In this gritty new vision for the character, directed by Neveldine/Taylor (Crank), Johnny is still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter - but he may...
• 92% The Secret World of Arrietty
  Arrietty (Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (Carol Burnett). Like all little people,...
• Thin Ice
  Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that...
• 85% Chronicle
  It arrives during a glut of found-footage films, but Chronicle transcends its gimmicks with a smart script, fast-paced direction, and engaging performances from its young, talented cast.
• 99% A Separation
  Morally complex, suspenseful, and consistently involving, A Separation captures the messiness of a dissolving relationship with keen insight and searing intensity.
• 97% The Muppets
  Clever, charming, and heartfelt, The Muppets is a welcome big screen return for Jim Henson's lovable creations that will both win new fans and delight longtime devotees.
• 97% The Artist
  A crowd-pleasing tribute to the magic of silent cinema, The Artist is a clever, joyous film with delightful performances and visual style to spare.
• 96% Pariah
  Pulsing with authenticity and led by a stirring lead performance from Adepero Oduye, Pariah is a powerful coming out/coming-of-age film that signals the arrival of a fresh new talent in writer/director Dee Rees.

Movienewz.com – Movie Reviews

Read the latest movie reviews and film ratings written by John Villoch, Movienewz.com’s top critic.

• The Hangover (3 1/2 stars) (R)

‘The Hangover’ is the quintessential guy-flick. It takes place in Vegas, everything goes wrong and guys waiving guns want their money back. The characters stumble into such unexpected and embarrassing situations you can’t help but laugh until it hurts. In a star-making role, Bradley Cooper plays the straight man to the hilarious Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms. But it’s the events involving a baby, a tiger and a “man-purse” that really brings the funny.

• The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (3 stars) (R)

Director Tony Scott (‘Domino’, ‘Man on Fire’) controls his distracting epilepsy-inducing filmmaking style just long enough to yield a movie worth watching. As remakes go, ‘The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3′ is refreshingly compelling. The film works due to a great script, edge of your seat suspense and two amazing actors, Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Travolta is exceptional as Ryder, the demanding and self-righteous lead train hijacker.

• Drag Me to Hell (2 stars) (PG-13)

Actors Alison Lohman and Justin Long can barely keep a straight face in director Sam Raimi’s gross-out shockfest. Raimi desperately employs every overused movie trick to shock the audience. ‘Drag Me to Hell’ borrows heavily from past B-horror movies but doesn’t add anything to the genre.

• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2 1/2 stars) (PG)

‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ is more entertaining than the original but that isn’t saying much. Ben Stiller returns but it’s Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart and Hank Azaria as the sinister Kahmunrah that makes this ‘Battle’ worth watching.

• Terminator Salvation (3 stars) (PG-13)

Director McG’s sequel requires the viewing of the first three films beforehand. The adventure is broadened but ‘Salavation’ takes a risky departure from the previous films in which a heartless cyborg killer is sent back in time to kill John Connor. Sam Worthington easily steals the movie from Christian Bale.

• Star Trek (3 1/2 stars) (PG-13)

Director J.J. Abrams does everything but give James T. Kirk a lightsaber in this Star Wars-esque reboot of ‘Star Trek’. The screenplay is solid and Abrams’ direction adds some much needed intensity to the film franchise. Zachary Quinto is terrific as Spock.

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2 stars) (PG-13)

Wolverine’s turbulent relationship with Victor Creed aka Sabretooth is the focus of the film. Unfortunately the screenwriters have created their own origin story and included elements of the comic book and X-men films only as an after thought.

• Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2 1/2 stars) (PG-13)

‘Ghosts of Girlfriends Past’ is a modern day morality tale based on ‘A Christmas Carol’. Matthew McConaughey is convincing as a habitual heart-breaker and Jennifer Garner is equally believable as his bitter ex-girlfriend who thinks he will never change. Good supporting performances by Michael Douglas and Emma Stone.

• Tyson (3 stars) (R)

Mike Tyson’s autobiography is a raw detailed account of his troubled life beginning with his delinquent childhood through his tumultuous boxing career. It turns out boxing was a gift and a curse for the former heavyweight champ. ‘Tyson’ is a must see for anyone interested in documentaries.

• Monsters vs. Aliens InTru 3D (2 1/2 stars) (PG)

DreamWorks Animation’s first film developed in 3-D is visually spectacular but where is the story? The 3-D will serve as a fun distraction for younger moviegoers but adults will eventually find it a bit gimmicky.

• Fighting (2 1/2 stars) (PG-13)

Channing Tatum once again does his best Marlon Brando imitation. Terrence Howard is interesting as his street smart manager. The bare-knuckle brawls are gritty and realistic but the film is utterly forgettable.

• 17 Again (3 stars) (PG-13)

Zac Efron plays a former high school basketball star who gets a second chance to relive his glory days but as a result disrupts his kids social lives. The screenwriters breathe new life into an old premise and have a lot of fun with the characters. Reno 911′s Thomas Lennon is comical as the rich nerdy best friend.

• Watchmen (4 stars) (R)

Director Zack Snyder has created an instant classic with his faithful adaptation of Alan Moore’s bleak graphic novel. Jackie Earle Haley is mesmerizing as the masked vigilante Rorschach and Jeffrey Dean Morgan is brutal as the Comedian. Pay attention Hollywood, this is what unflinching filmmaking looks like.

Variety – Movie Reviews

The latest movie reviews from Variety.com.

• This Means War
  Film Front Reviews: This screwball premise lives or dies by the chemistry between Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, who are too busy trying to out-appeal one another to make the buddy dynamic click.
• The Vow
  Film Front Reviews: Inspired by the case of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter (upgraded to Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams onscreen), "The Vow" reps that most welcome kind of Valentine's Day offering, focusing on the feelings that bring couples closer.
• Stars Above
  Film Front Reviews: Pic intercuts the stories of three generations of women who live in the same cottage in the Finnish countryside, to tedious effect.
• The Orheim Company
  Film Front Reviews: "The Orheim Company" is a strongly etched if overly familiar coming-of-ager.
• Flicker
  Film Front Reviews: A dysfunctional telecom business in a small northern town provides the setting for "The Office"-like comedy in "Flicker."
• Best Laid Plans
  Film Front Reviews: A gentle giant with learning difficulties and his exploitative best friend negotiate challenges in "Best Laid Plans."
• Big Miracle
  Film Front Reviews: A Reagan-era whale of a tale is fictionalized in broad, simplistic but modestly engaging strokes in "Big Miracle."
• Chronicle
  Film Front Reviews: "Chronicle" cleverly embraces the found-footage format as shorthand for a new kind of naturalism, inviting auds to suspend disbelief and join in the fantasy of being able to do anything with their minds.
• Bestiaire
  Film Front Reviews: Helmer Denise Cote brings a haunting mix of curiosity and compassion to his docu about Quebec's Parc Safari.
• The Woman in Black
  Film Front Reviews: "The Woman in Black" competently resurrects that hoariest of horror-movie conceits, the haunted house.
• Bones Brigade: An Autobiography
  Film Front Reviews: Skate culture remains in solid hands with filmmaker Stacy Peralta, who fashions his most personal doc on the sport-cum-lifestyle.
• Man on a Ledge
  Film Front Reviews: Between last year's ill-received drama "The Ledge" and the marginally better, more action-driven "Man on a Ledge," auds may well find themselves craving a movie in which a man threatens to jump off a building for non-gimmicky, genuinely suicidal reasons.
• Liberal Arts
  Film Front Reviews: "Liberal Arts" contains the requisite number of audience-pleasing scenes that will make this a hot Sundance bidding item with indie-centric distribs.
• Red Lights
  Film Front Reviews: This otherwise slick pic could require reshoots to restore it to something commercial crowds are willing to take seriously.
• As Luck Would Have It
  Film Front Reviews: "As Luck Would Have It" reps an entertaining but unsubtle satire on the moral confusions of a marketing/media-driven world. .
• Underworld Awakening
  Film Front Reviews: The latest chapter of the popular vamp franchise extends the mythos and sustains the excitement of its predecessors.
• Red Tails
  Film Front Reviews: Exec producer George Lucas spent 23 years developing "Red Tails," a glossed-up B picture about the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, but even without the long delay the project took to reach the screen, the result would have felt old-fashioned.
• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
  Film Front Reviews: As simple and direct as its abbreviated title, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is a fun though rarely funny family adventure whose lively special effects compensate somewhat for actors who largely sleepwalk through their roles.
• The Grey
  Film Front Reviews: Audiences primed by trailers and TV spots to anticipate a straight-up man-vs.-nature action-thriller -- something like Liam Neeson in "Tangles With Wolves" -- may find "The Grey" to be at once more and less than what they expect.
• The Girls in the Band
  Film Front Reviews: The hidden history of women in jazz is treated with a fan's enthusiasm and musical depth in Judy Chaikin's lovingly rendered "The Girls in the Band." Plentiful screen time for three generations of femme jazzers, led by energetic and witty gals from the golden age of big band and swing who unlock a treasure trove of memories, make this a real crowdpleaser (it won the Palm Springs fest's documentary audience award). A lock for widespread fest travels and ancillary sales, the pic may prompt a rewrite of jazz history.

E! Online – Movie Reviews

The latest movie reviews from Eonline.com.

• Movie Review: Surprise! The Vow Is More Quirky Indie Than Mainstream Romance
  Review in a Hurry: The publicity for The Vow would have you believe it's primarily about a man (Channing Tatum) constantly re-wooing his amnesiac wife (Rachel McAdams), in a manner that subtly...
• Movie Review: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Makes No Sense, but in a Totally Good Way!
  Review in a Hurry: Grown-ups and reviewers aren't supposed to like movies that are almost entirely CG and PG-rated eye candy, but screw it. The inner child wins out on this one. Dwayne Johnson...
• Movie Review: The Woman in Black Is Plenty Spooky, but Barely Twisty
  Review in a Hurry: Daniel Radcliffe is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric who lived in a spooky old mansion. There, he sees a whole lotta dead...
• Movie Review: Big Miracle a Whale Rescue Adventure That (Barely) Stays Afloat
  Review in a Hurry: This whale of a tale—an inspirational rescue-adventure about three gray whales trapped in the Arctic Circle—would be hard to swallow if it weren't based on...
• Movie Review: Chronicle Is Totally Paranormal Activity for Superheroes
  Review in a Hurry: High school outcast Andrew is a videophile who records everything, even the intense bullying he endures between classes. But all that changes when he and two other students...
• Movie Review: The Grey Is Thick With Super Tense Action—Just Like Liam Neeson!
  Review in a Hurry: After their plane crashes in a frozen Alaskan wilderness, Liam Neeson and seven other men must work together to bear the cold and...a pack of angry wolves! A better than average...
• Movie Review: Kate Beckinsale's Back in Black for Underworld Awakening (Fanboys Rejoice!)
  Review in a Hurry: After leaving the third film to the just-as-sexy Rhona Mitra, Kate Beckinsale is back in skintight black for the fourth installment. Death Dealer Selene (Beckinsale) wakes up in...
• Movie Review: Red Tails Is Squeaky Clean, Kinda Corny World War II Action
  Review in a Hurry: George Lucas' dream project for over two decades hits the big screen with spectacular dogfights, a strong cast and an ample supply of well intentioned but clunky dialogue....
• Movie Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Is Extremely Irritating and Incredibly Dull
  Review in a Hurry: Tom Hanks mugs irritatingly as a dorky dad for a few minutes, then dies in the World Trade Center on 9-11. His kid, who may or may not have Asperger's (in a cop-out kind of...
• Movie Review: Sing Praises for Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in Joyful Noise
  Review in a Hurry: Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer face off for the ultimate churchy showdown. The fairly predictable story about a choir that dreams of winning the National Joyful...
• Movie Review: Contraband's Dark Turn Spoils an Otherwise Fun, Sleek Heist Flick
  Review in a Hurry: Former smuggler Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is pulled into one last job to keep his screwed-up brother-in-law Andy (and by extension, the rest of the family) out of danger....
• Movie Review: The Devil Inside, the Scariest (and Only) Mockumentary Horror Flick You'll See This Week
  Review in a Hurry: The devil is back for the umpteenth time to wreak havoc on shaky cams everywhere...It must be January at the multiplex. Aren't we tired of all these demon possession flicks...
• Movie Review: In a Season of Blockbusters, Don't Overlook the Silent Artist
  Review in a Hurry: It seems counter-intuitive that in this day and age, one of the biggest crowd-pleasers of the season would be a silent movie. Yet Michel Hazanavicius' tale of a fictional...
• Movie Review: War Horse Shows Spielberg at His Emotional Best
  Review in a Hurry: Feeling the need for steed? Pony up for this sweeping horse tale from director Steven Spielberg, which straddles the years of World War I and stars Jeremy Irvine as a young...
• Movie Review: We Bought a Zoo a Warm, Delightful Holiday Experience
  Review in a Hurry: Writer-director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire) buys a zoo and let's Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson run it! Very much the kind of film that plays during the holiday...
• Movie Review: Steven Spielberg Artfully Embraces His Inner Child in The Adventures of Tintin
  Review in a Hurry: The graphic novels by Hergé featuring ginger-coiffed boy detective/reporter Tintin really didn't need to be adapted into any other format. They're perfectly drawn...
• Movie Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Isn't Bad, but David Fincher Could've Done Better
  Review in a Hurry: David Fincher brings a grand visual style to this readaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel, and the Trent Reznor-Atticus Ross score is what you would hope for. Daniel Craig and...
• Movie Review: Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol an Awesome Blend of Gadgets, Comedy and Action
  Review in a Hurry: Like some of the older James Bond movies, the new Mission: Impossible offers up a delicious blend of hilariously convenient futuristic gadgets, inventively staged and almost...
• Movie Review: Holy Evil! Young Adult's Charlize Theron Shines as a Psychotic Ex-Prom Queen
  Review in a Hurry: Juno director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody reteam for this barbed serio-comedy about a boozy author obsessed with her ex BF. Reitman and Cody again wrap snark and heart...
• Movie Review: Expect More of a Schticky Bromance From Sherlock Holmes Than a Real Mystery
  Review in a Hurry: Since the first film jettisoned any hope of taking Holmes particularly seriously, it's easier to sit back and enjoy the breezy tone and bizarre bromance between Holmes...

Avatar – Movie Reviews

Watch the trailer and read the movie reviews for director James Cameron’s record breaking live-action CGI sci-fi adventure starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi.

Avatar is unequivocally, completely, 100% the film that has been percolating in James Cameron’s head for the last fourteen years. See More

Paranormal Activity – Movie Review

Video: Watch the ‘At the Movies’ critics review the low-budget supernatural thriller ‘Paranormal Activity’. A couple become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic, but is certainly most active in the middle of the night when they sleep.

In theaters now in limited release, ‘Paranormal Activity’ stars Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat and Mark Fredrichs. Checkout the video movie review below. See More

Where the Wild Things Are – Movie Review

Video: Watch the ‘At the Movies’ critics review the fantasy adventure ‘Where the Wild Things Are’, an adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world.

In theaters October 16th, 2009, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ stars Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Forest Whitaker, Catherine O’Hara, Lauren Ambrose and Chris Cooper. Checkout the video movie review below. See More