There’s some stuff in The Fourth Kind that really works, and the central conceit could’ve been pulled off under different circumstances
Up in the Air is a timely, precise, extremely well-acted film that deserves most of the praise that’s being thrown at it
Scott Sanders’ Black Dynamite, a pitch-perfect satire of 70s blaxploitation flicks, is just a little too accurate
It’s Complicated is well-produced, with a better cast than the material deserves, and its target audience should enjoy it
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is an undeniable return to form for Terry Gilliam, a fantastically imaginative piece of work
Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr., is packed with explosions, fisticuffs, and a wink-wink ‘tude
Fame features too many characters, not enough plot; nothing to grab our attention and nothing for us to grasp hold of
Whip It is a touching and surprisingly effective coming-of-age tale with a wonderful sense of female camaraderie
Avatar is a technical revolution in filmmaking, as director James Cameron has mastered motion-capture animation
David Mackenzie’s Spread is a surprisingly effective drama and not the broad Kutcher vehicle that trailers and advance word might have implied
It’s a perfectly adequate thriller in its own right, but everything about A Perfect Getaway screams direct-to-DVD
It’s easy to have fun with Zombieland, a comedy set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie infested United States
Lars von Trier’s Antichrist gained instant notoriety after a Cannes screening that ended in hisses and boos
The Twilight Saga: New Moon is an unbearable slog that will appeal to fans of the series and leave all others twitching in their seats
The Time Traveler’s Wife is one of the better romances of recent years; touching and affectionate and plenty sentimental but never manipulative
Law Abiding Citizen is a taut, suspenseful thriller that delivers levels of moral complexity to boot
Paranormal Activity is thoroughly creepy, and there are a couple boo! moments that might catch you off guard
2012 is the disaster movie mother of them all, combining earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and more
My Life in Ruins is another parade of obnoxious stereotypes that wears out its welcome quickly
This graphic Halloween sequel is brutally effective, a nightmarish vision that almost reaches arthouse levels
Love Happens, a well-intentioned but seriously mishandled film with precious little romance and no comedy
Michael Jackson’s This is It is part concert documentary, part backstage behind-the-scenes production footage, all fascinating
Kari Skogland’s Fifty Dead Men Walking is entertaining enough to please mainstream audiences
Saw VI, directed by the editor of the previous five films, Kevin Greutert, is easily the most entertaining since the second installment