Bolt Is Fetching Fun

Selena Gomez stars in adaptation of Beverly Cleary classics

(NEWSER) - Ramona and Beezus plays fast and loose with its source material, the classic children's books by Beverly Cleary, but the family movie—Disney tween favorite Selena Gomez's film debut—generally has the critics on its side.

• Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer : "The overall tone of the film is sunny, with Ramona and Beezus resiliently turning life's lemons into lemonade." The flick also "boasts a daddy/daughter plotline that is very touching."

Incredible studio turns out another incredible movie

(NEWSER) - It's only June, but Toy Story 3 already has one call for best movie of the year. In fact, Dan Kois of the Awl goes so far as to declare that “the people of Pixar are currently America's most important filmmakers.” This movie is “totally bonkers,” with loads of crazy scenes—like a mushroom cloud made out of a trillion plastic monkeys—real laughs, and truly exciting moments. And then comes the last 15 minutes, “which I spent bawling, as did every moviegoer around me.” More»

Dreamworks' 3-D stunner stuck with one-dimensional storyline

(NEWSER) - Monsters Vs. Aliens looks amazing on screen, but grownups may find the thin jokes and the storyline of Dreamworks' animated spoof of '50s flicks a little grating, say critics.

• James Rocchi, Redbox: The movie "has amazing 3D, solid gags, wacky concepts and great animation; I just wish that at some point along the way someone had been as passionate about the story as they were about the spectacle."

Dazzlingly creepy stop-motion animation conjures up children's worst fears

(NEWSER) - Coraline is an eerie marvel of stop-motion animation guaranteed to give little kids nightmares, say critics. The story of a young girl—voiced by Dakota Fanning—who stumbles into a strange parallel universe where life seems almost too good to be true is a "dazzling, delightfully dark children's movie," Rafer Guzman writes in Newsday. More»

(NEWSER) - Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa brings back the on-the-run New York menagerie, and DreamWorks hasn't monkeyed much with the first movie's winning, if slightly tired, formula, say critics. The celebrity-voiced animals' new adventure "is aimed mostly at children and should score a direct hit," Kirk Honeycutt writes in the Hollywood Reporter. More»