Rewind Spins Out of Control

The Jack Black comedy Be Kind Rewind isn't predictable, but at times it's not coherent either, critics say. The film—about a guy who inadvertently erases a video store's VHS inventory, then, using a camcorder, re-creates popular movies for the store to rent—"never stops experimenting, even when the experimentation works against the movie's best interests," writes James Berardinelli of ReelViews.com.

There's also the issue of DVD having long ago supplanted VHS. "Moving back the time frame 15 or 20 years would have removed a big credibility issue," says Todd McCarthy of Variety. Peter Canavese of Groucho Reviews, meanwhile, writes that while the comedy may not be for everyone, "those who let go and take the ride will enjoy a humbly charming, genuine celebration of the creative spirit." (More Jack Black stories.)