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Friday May. 25, 2012 6:56 AM ET
Was anyone clamouring for 'Men in Black 3'?
There's a moment early on in "Men in Black 3" when Will Smith's Agent J sits down next to his longtime partner, Tommy Lee Jones' Agent K, and bemoans the fact that he's too old for this sort of thing -- for running around New York in matching dark suits, chasing down aliens and zapping them with their shiny metal weapony doo-hickeys. Full Story
'Hysteria' has a few oohs and aahs but no Big O
Like the inventors of the vibrator it depicts, "Hysteria" really aims to please. And like an inattentive lover displaced by the sexual aid, the film never quite satisfies.
Daddies steal the show in movie about mommies
If only "What to Expect When You're Expecting" had focused on the dads' group, and didn't just drop in on them a handful of times, we might have been onto something here.
'Battleship' loud, dumb but stays afloat
"Battleship" is big, dumb fun that knows it's big, dumb fun and enthusiastically embraces its big, dumb, fun nature.
'The Dictator' is Baron Cohen's least-focused comedy yet
In analyzing Sacha Baron Cohen and the array of offbeat characters he's created, it's clear that it's become a matter of diminishing returns.
'Dark Shadows' favours period detail over storytelling
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are snuggled warmly in their comfort zone in the chilly horror-comedy "Dark Shadows," their eighth collaboration as director and star, respectively, and their weakest by far.
Explosive 'Avengers' dream team a blast
The hype has been building for years and it couldn't possibly be more deafening at this point.
'The Five-Year Engagement' feels about that long
The problem that plagues so many Judd Apatow productions -- the one that keeps good comedies from being great ones -- unfortunately exists in "The Five-Year Engagement," too. It's a matter of knowing when to say when, of knowing which bits should be trimmed and which should have been cut altogether.
Statham plays 'Safe' with savage excess
"Safe" is the worst Jason Statham movie since the last Jason Statham movie, carrying on the bargain-budget action star's tradition of building a body of work out of, well, dead bodies.
Ample laughs in 'Pirates! Band of Misfits'
Aardman Animations' distinctively charming brand of Claymation returns to the big screen at last in "The Pirates! Band of Misfits," a delightful romp whose varied pleasures should please kids all along the age spectrum.
Efron's grown up and looking for love in 'The Lucky One'
"The Lucky One" is yet another adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel, so you know exactly what you're getting walking into this thing.
'Cabin in the Woods' upends horror conventions
Go see "The Cabin in the Woods," then come back and we can have a conversation about it. Just trust me on this. The less you know going into it, the better.
One-liners, slapdash sci-fi in 'Lockout'
If a futuristic space prison with 500 of the world's most violent and dangerous criminals, who would emerge as the unquestioned leader?
'Deep Blue Sea' intelligent but bloodless
As he has done before, Davies also uses popular music of the time to pointed effect, the most prominent song on the track being Jo Stafford's "You Belong to Me."
'Three Stooges' feels like one long poke in the eye
A little nyuk-nyuk-nyuk goes a long way in "The Three Stooges," Peter and Bobby Farrelly's feature-length homage to the classic slapstick comedy trio.
Cameron's 'Titanic' stays afloat through wondrous 3-D
If any film should be redone in 3-D, it's 'Titanic.' And if any filmmaker should be the one doing the redoing, it's James Cameron.
'Bully' shines a light on intolerable cruelty
The documentary 'Bully' is essential to see, whether you're a parent or a kid, whether you've been on the giving or receiving end of such increasingly pervasive cruelty.
'American Reunion,' isn't even half baked
You probably haven't been lying awake in bed at night wondering whatever became of Stifler and Oz and the rest of the horny kids from the original 'American Pie' movie.
'Mirror Mirror' only a fair version of classic 'Snow White'
Julia Roberts chews up the scenery and spits it back out again with great brio in her first truly villainous role as the evil Queen in "Mirror Mirror."
Mythic mayhem resumes in 'Wrath of the Titans'
There aren't many pleasures in "Wrath of the Titans," the 3-D sequel to the 2010 "Clash of the Titans" remake.
'Hunger Games' should satisfy its legions of fans
Fans should be thoroughly satisfied with the faithfulness of Gary Ross' film, with its propulsive nature and vivid imagery: a mix of decadent costumes and architecture and harsh, unforgiving exteriors.
Relentless pummeling paces martial arts flick 'The Raid'
The film speed of 24 frames-per-second barely outruns the relentless pace of pummeling that thumps through the Indonesian martial arts flick "The Raid: Redemption."
'21 Jump Street' update manages some laughs
The TV show that made Johnny Depp a star is little more than a jumping-off point for the big-screen "21 Jump Street," a rowdy, raunchy update.
The prospect of 'Being Flynn' isn't terribly appealing
Robert De Niro and Paul Dano play a father and son who reunite in "Being Flynn," and they approach their roles in such polar opposite ways.
Will Ferrell's bilingual goofiness in 'Casa de mi Padre'
It's a total goof, of course. That's obvious even before Will Ferrell opens his mouth and utters his first overly enunciated Spanish words in "Casa de mi Padre."
'Jeff, Who Lives at Home' sweet, slight comic adventure
"Jeff, Who Lives at Home," a sweet, slight tale told with simple intimacy and a deadpan tone to its absurd humour.
'John Carter': Mars should be more thrilling than dreary
Yes, there is life on Mars in "John Carter," and it's deadly dull.
'Friends With Kids' aims for candour, finds cliche
Jennifer Westfeldt seems interested in exploring the complications that come with pondering parenthood with a mix of candour and heart in "Friends With Kids."
'Silent House' an impressive gimmick
Let's just get something out of the way off the top: "Silent House" creates the illusion that it's a haunted-house thriller crafted in one long, continuous shot.
'A Thousand Words' should make like a tree and leave
In the opening sequence of "A Thousand Words," Eddie Murphy starts with his back to the camera then turns abruptly to reveal a strip of duct tape over his mouth.
'Undefeated' inspires effortlessly
It seems impossibly feel-good, this tale of sacrifice and redemption, tragedy and triumph. It may also sound like the kind of uplifting football drama you've seen countless times before.
Trees, please. Plants scarce in Dr. Seuss' green fable
Now, after a passable "Horton Hears a Who" (2008), "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" gets a shot. If the results aren't sublime, they're hardly embarrassing.
'Project X' is the mother of all ragers
"Project X" suggests what it might look like if "Superbad" had been shot with the hand-held esthetic of "Cloverfield" -- except it never achieves the hilarity of the former or the thrills of the latter.
'Goon' delivers a glorified portrait of hockey enforcers
If "Goon," the new film about Canada's favourite sport starring Jay Baruchel and Seann William Scott, could be summed up in one image it would be of a tooth soaring through the air in slow motion.
'Act of Valor' is a worshipful ode to Navy SEALs
Just barely a movie, "Act of Valor" is more like a high-quality recruitment video with interstitial acting.
Sketch-comedy roots show in hit-and-miss 'Wanderlust'
"Wanderlust" would provide an intriguing double feature with the acclaimed indie drama "Martha Marcy May Marlene."
'This Means War' more enjoyable than it has right to be
Having great-looking stars who have the added bonus of actually being able to act makes the noisy romp "This Means War" more tolerable that it ought to be.
Animated tale 'Arrietty' has gentle charm
Considering the eccentric worlds created in animation master Hayao Miyazaki's tales, a story of tiny people living beneath the floorboards of a house seems almost normal.
Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds deliver thrills in 'Safe House'
"Forgettable" probably isn't a word you'd expect to use to describe a film starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson and Sam Shepard.
Tracing the origins of a bad seed in 'Talk About Kevin'
"We Need to Talk About Kevin" is a parent's horror story. The origin of a real-life demon is traced back to birth and even earlier, pondering the arrival of a bad seed.
'Journey 2' sinks 'Mysterious Island' in 3-D muck
This 3-D sort-of sequel wears its formula-for-dollars purpose with pride, delivering a dash of cinematic nonsense that represents Hollywood calculation at its shrewdest.
'The Woman in Black' summons suspense
"The Woman in Black" very nearly suffocates under the mounting weight of its gothic kitsch -- but nevertheless summons ornately crafted, old-fashioned suspense.
Like a whale, 'Big Miracle' is large, unwieldy
If a movie is cheesy and knows it's cheesy -- if it embraces the soft, gooey texture and pungent aroma of its own fromage -- does that make it any more palatable as a meal?
'Chronicle' takes found-footage to thrilling new level
It owes a great debt to the found-footage concept behind "The Blair Witch Project," and yet, "Chronicle" is thrilling entertainment all its own.
Glenn Close almost too stoic in 'Albert Nobbs'
The role of Albert Nobbs is one that's been near to Glenn Close's heart for a while.
'Miss Bala' offers look at border violence
Gerardo Naranjo may have made the least-glamorous movie ever about a pageant queen with "Miss Bala." And that's what makes it so beautiful.
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