The film gets a full 'This is a work of fiction' disclaimer, even noting that any resemblance to any person living or dead is unintentional. That tells you something about how much trust to put in these historical CliffsNotes.

Series creators Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman put a premium on giving every episode at least one major plot twist...generally a satisfyingly suspenseful ride.

The only real problem with the film is that it isn't long enough...wild story, complex and crammed plot, far-reaching cast of characters, terrific voice work, and sophisticated themes...

A kid's movie for adults, a charming notion for a time of postmodern ennui.

A straight-ahead suspense melodrama, complete with villain and a climax with satisfyingly clean lines. But Gilroy constantly elevates the material with surprise gifts.

Inflated talk of American Gangster as a modern masterpiece--or even an Oscar-worthy picture--ignores the fact that there's not a single memorable setpiece in the film.

Lee provides no such easy comfort, instead keeping audiences constantly off-kilter, purposefully frustrating them with character behavior that's just...wrong.

The dichotomy of Rickles' customary matador-theme entrance and tongue-in-cheek but true theme song "I'm a Nice Guy" captures Rickles' secret of success: you gotta love him.

One of the film's prime strengths is its wordless willingness to let the principal characters express themselves through music and mime to overcome cultural barriers.

Though it panders shamelessly, it's not entirely unwelcome in a time when the PG movie is an endangered species.

It's a dicey proposition to reverse-engineer a story, and Across the Universe shows the strain...[nonetheless] a very impressive music-video anthology.

An historical story of consequence and consequences around an enduringly lively social argument.

Kon marries visual dazzle to unblinking pop existentialism in ways that make viewers' heads hurt so good.

Deluxe tribute to the playwright gets by, surprisingly, as much by romantic poignancy as farce...it's hard to dislike a picture so in Love with its subject.

Sends the endlessly bickering couple to Paris, where the great director Roman Polanski gives them a rectal exam. I wish I were kidding.

Verhoeven doles out his customary boobs, bombs, and blood, but the tension between thrills and serious consequences splits Black Book's difference.

Charms in large part due to the performances of the two stars.

Butler, though puportedly attractive, gives a chipmunk-chipper performance that can only be described as supremely annoying.

The cinematic equivalent of the guy who runs up to a cop, grabs the cop's hat, throws it to the ground and takes a shit on it. One is left a bit speechless.

"Science-fiction nerds will be in hog heaven with this feature-length indulgence of time travel, and the customary Futurama gag humor rarely disappoints."

Gracefully condenses the complicated history of the Irish Troubles in ways both literal and allegorical.

The humor is up to Muppet par, with physical comedy, puns, running jokes, and layered gags...Muppet Treasure Island is grand family entertainment. [new DVD review]

We're a long way from the creative energy, heart, and charm of Henson's Muppet movies, even though I'm not ready for the Henson Company to stop trying.

A brisk and consistently funny family entertainment. [new DVD review]

The series may well have been the last great variety show, weaving running-gag comedy through standards, novelty songs, and sketches performed with impeccable puppetry and alongside entertainment legends.

Few family films have the breadth of appeal of The Muppet Movie, the best screen evidence of the Muppeteers' dedication to magnificent illusion. [new DVD review]

Take two "mahna"s and call me in the morning.

An extraordinary, often mesmerizing achievement of design and performance that's held back by an underdeveloped script and a milquetoast leading character.

The chaotic narrative proceeds in fits and starts, and the sights and sounds are often dated, but somehow the film's wit and wonder linger in the mind.

If the story of a stodgy but conflicted Stasi captain gives sympathy to a historical devil, it also allows for an intriguing angle on the evergreen cinematic theme of voyeurism.

It's Rickman who runs away with the whole film by running the gamut from teflon smoothie to desperate madman.

Whether taken as a cultural relic or the definitive screen treatment, Othello demands to be seen for Olivier's bravura, high-wire performance.

We've come a long way in terms of animated superhero adventures, but the Superfriends have an old-fashioned charm and, to many, a nostalgic kick.

Paterson's lovely, sweet story locates unexpected emotional power...

In his 36 years of filmmaking, David Lynch has never been more fearless or more fearsome...Inland Empire brims with surprising and scary images.

Tenaciously manages some memorable moments and makes a virtue of its slim running time by generally hastening to one of the team's most elaborate climaxes.

A sort of Ambien/No-Doz cocktail likely to send all but fanboy brains into self-protective shutoff mode.

It's Grint who grounds in reality, as best he can, Brock's directing debut...this conventional Britcom lightly hums along for a good stretch before running off the road.

No one but patrons with fistfuls of dollars can save this cash grab from itself.

A power play about power plays, Jean Anouilh's now-classic Becket provided the basis for one of the great screen pairings.

The earnestness of Cage and tough-as-nails Moore backfires in the face of godawful dialogue and a very poorly established central conceit.

Zhang Yimou is back with the latest Chinese competitor in the Opulence Olympics, and not a moment too soon.

Nolan's supreme confidence, narrative skill, and taste for complexity make for unusually rich popular entertainment. Where was The Prestige this summer when we needed it most?

Meanders at times, and stretches credibility...[but] The Quiet's creepy character study reaches an emotionally satisfying conclusion.

As a look at the injustices blithely wrought in the name of democracy, The Road to Guantanamo comes none too soon.

Tarantinoid...the machinations are all familiar enough that your unoccupied brain may drift off to wonder how Hartnett's made a career out of bad haircuts.

The wit of the show is in the clever transplanting of human situations to animal ones, which in turn reflect on the foibles of our daily lives.