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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: movie review

movie review stories: 320 news summaries

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movie review

 Fourth Kind: Not Real, Not Scary

Alien-abduction mock-doc delivers lame premise with laughable framing device

Nov 6, 09 2:30 PM CST
(Newser) - The Fourth Kind attempts to combine dramatization of true events and fake-documentary alien abductions in Alaska, and falls horribly flat. Here's what critics are saying:
  • The ludicrousness of the grainy archival footage, presented as "real," and a lousy performance by Milla Jovovich, whose "notion of serious
... More »

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film • movie review • horror flims • movies • horror movies • horror film • The Fourth Kind • Milla Jovovich

MOVIE REVIEW

 Motion-Capture 
 Christmas Carol 
 Hits Wrong Notes 

Spirit's there, but critics split on wow-factor of evolving tech

Nov 6, 09 1:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Most critics express a hearty "humbug" for Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture version of A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey. A sampling:
  • "It's a heartwarmer that doesn't have much of a heart itself," Michael O'Sullivan writes in the Washington Post, "populated by figures that are halfway between
... More »

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film • animation • movie review • Charles Dickens • Jim Carrey • motion capture • Robert Zemeckis

MOVIE REVIEW

 Inside The Box, 
 a Muddled Surprise 

Film is wayward, most critics agree, but for some it's interesting

Nov 6, 09 12:11 PM CST
(Newser) - Critics are split on The Box, the new film from writer-director Richard Kelly, known for the much-loved Donnie Darko and the reviled Southland Tales. Some takes on the flick about a box with a mysterious, life-changing button:
  • Pass, writes writes Elizabeth Weitzman in the New York Daily News.
... More »

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entertainment • film • movie review • thriller • Cameron Diaz • Richard Kelly • James Mardsen • Twilight Zone • The Box

MOVIE REVIEW

 Precious: Gritty Candor 
 or 'Poverty Porn'? 

Harlem drama brutally honest, some say manipulative

Nov 6, 09 8:52 AM CST
(Newser) - Precious packs a strong emotional punch with its story of an abused, illiterate teen in '80s Harlem, but where some critics see candid greatness, others see "poverty porn."
  • Precious is "a great American film," writes Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times, that finds a believable
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • Mariah Carey • drama • Gabourey Sidibe • Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire • Precious reviews

MOVIE REVIEW

 Goats Fun But Unfocused 

Clooney turns in top performance in military farce

Nov 6, 09 8:11 AM CST
(Newser) - The Men Who Stare at Goats, a farce loosely based on a non-fiction book about the US military's '80s effort to form a psychic unit, is wildly uneven but often hilarious, say critics.
  • The "over-the-top, absurdist satire" will be "inevitably likened to Dr. Strangelove," Owen Gleiberman
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
satire • Jeff Bridges • movie review • George Clooney • Ewan McGregor • Kevin Spacey

MOVIE REVIEW

 By the People Has 
 Access, Little Else 

Critics split on virtues of Obama doc with little dish

Nov 3, 09 12:12 PM CST
(Newser) - Critics agree the HBO's By the People, a record of the Obama campaign produced by Edward Norton, offers behind-the-scenes access but no real scoops. But what some see as a heartwarming tale of triumph, others find fawning. A sampling:
  • The naivete of the filmmakers shows through for Hank Stuever
... More »

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HBO • movie review • Election 2008 • documentary film • President Obama • Obama campaign • access • political campaign • By the People reviews

MOVIE REVIEW

 Turning Green Shines, Mostly 

Film on black-market porn in Ireland sways most critics

Oct 30, 09 1:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - Project Greenlight runner-up Turning Green —about a teen in Ireland who tries to make a buck selling porn—leaves most critics pleased.
  • It mixes a “generally jolly, frisky tone” with “more threatening moods,” including “an astounding left turn” from Alessandro Nivola, writes Robert Koehler
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
film • pornography • movie review • Ireland • Project Greenlight

movie review

 Gentlemen 
 Broncos 
 Falls Flat 

No magic this time from Napoleon Dynamite director

Oct 30, 09 12:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Director Jared Hess became a critics' darling with Napoleon Dynamite. Safe to say he's a darling no more thanks to Gentlemen Broncos , a farce about a teen sci-fi writer.
  • Sean O'Neal , AV Club: "Every frame of Hess’ new film—the wood-paneled walls coated with winking
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Hollywood • movie review • Fox Searchlight • Jared Hess • Gentlemen Broncos

MOVIE REVIEW

 Skin Has 'Poignant Power' 

Tale of black girl born to white parents taps apartheid's madness

Oct 30, 09 9:59 AM CDT
(Newser) - A true-life tale of the struggles of a dark-skinned girl born to white Afrikaners in '50s South Africa, Skin scored with critics, though some found it a bit too black-and-white.
  • Skin "serves as a stirring allegory for birthright and the assertion of one's identity in the face of
... More »

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South Africa • movie review • apartheid • women's issues • drama • Sophie Okenedo

MOVIE REVIEW

 Stylish Horror 
 Revived in 
 House of the Devil   

Homage to old-school horror films builds tension masterfully

Oct 30, 09 7:59 AM CDT
(Newser) - Babysitter-in-danger flick House of the Devil does a delicious job of reproducing the atmosphere of classic horror flicks from the '80s, say critics, and its slow-burn tension is a refreshing change from splatter-fests like Saw.
  • Director Ti West has "crafted a film that beautifully reproduces the look and
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • horror • horror movies • horror film

REVIEW ROUNDUP

This Is It Proves 
 King of Pop 
 Still Rocked 

Michael Jackson was in surprisingly good shape in dazzling footage

Oct 28, 09 7:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Michael Jackson didn't live long enough to take the final bow he had planned in London, but critics agree This Is It is a fitting swan song, proof that the King of Pop really did have a comeback in him:
  • "This Is It is quite extraordinary. If there
... More »

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Iraq • entertainment • film • celebrity • movie review • concert • Michael Jackson • celebrity death • This Is It • Michael Jackson This Is It review

MOVIE REVIEW




 Saw VI No Match for Original 

Critics agree: Whatever you think of the first film, it was better

Oct 23, 09 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Most critics find themselves in the tough spot of praising the original Saw to put down the sixth installment. They don't make 'em like they used to. Some opinions:
  • "The film goes all trendy in its selection of victims," opting for the likes of insurance adjusters and
... More »

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entertainment • film • movie review • movies • sequel • horror movies • horror film • Saw VI • Tobin Bell

MOVIE REVIEW

 Cirque du Freak 
 a Bloodless Bore 

Vampire's Assistant has an identity crisis

Oct 23, 09 11:38 AM CDT
(Newser) - Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant isn't particularly freaky, and it sure could use some assistance. Some critics' takes:
  • Peter Travers doesn't deign to explain the film's loose ends. "All you need to know is that the movie is a setup for sequels that I hope never come,
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • Harry Potter • film • movie review • John C. Reilly • Salma Hayek • vampire • Twilight • Michael Cerveris • Cirque du Freak • Chris Massogli

movie review

 Astro Boy: 
 Lots of Flash, 
 But No Soul 

Remake of vintage Japanese series fails to impress

Oct 23, 09 9:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - Astro Boy, David Bowers’ reboot of Osamu Tezuka’s classic Japanese manga and animé series, is an action-packed movie that tries to appeal to both kids and adults. Critics, however, were more impressed with the machine guns in the main character’s butt than with the film as a... More »

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entertainment • movie review • animated movie • manga • animated film • Astro Boy • Osamu Tezuka

MOVIE REVIEW

 Brutal Antichrist a 
 Torture-Porn Nightmare 

It's von Trier's masterpiece, or misogynistic tripe

Oct 23, 09 8:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Some critics call it a cinematic masterpiece, others say it's little more than a snuff film. But everyone agrees: Antichrist, the latest from Danish provocateur Lars von Trier, is unforgettable.
  • The film's scenes of brutal sex and violence are "undeniably shocking,"  writes Andrew O'Hehir of
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • Lars Von Trier • Willem Dafoe • Charlotte Gainsbourg

MOVIE REVIEW

 This Amelia Never Takes Off 

Swank shines as Earhart in largely forgettable biopic

Oct 23, 09 7:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hilary Swank is superlative as Amelia Earhart, say critics, but the too-conventional movie around her never really engages in what made the aviatrix tick and stays earthbound as a result.
  • Swank is "strangely mesmerizing as Earhart," writes Connie Ogle in the Miami Herald , but director Mira Nair's
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • aviation • Amelia Earhart • biopic • women's issues • Hilary Swank

Movie Review

 New Yorkers Hate 
 New York, I Love You  

Anthology has its moments, but only for generous critics

Oct 16, 09 3:35 PM CDT
(Newser) - Not everyone hates New York, I Love You—Roger Ebert, for example, found the anthology a “jumble sale” containing “some nice discoveries.” But the New York-based critics sure weren’t sold. Here’s what they’re saying:
  • Filmmakers had just 2 days to shoot their
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
entertainment • film • New York • movie review • anthology • New York, I Love You

MOVIE REVIEW

 The Maid Cleans Up With Critics 

Chilean film has an unexpected ending that's worth waiting for

Oct 16, 09 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - Sundance darling The Maid, directed by Sebastián Silva, is a Chilean black comedy focusing on a longtime employee’s struggles with her employers and a succession of new maids. Critics say it’s an absorbing character study with an impressive lead performance:
  • “There’s more to
... More »

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entertainment • film • Chile • movie review • Sundance Film Festival • The Maid • Catalina Saavedra • Sebastian Silva

MOVIE REVIEW

 Step Away From The Stepfather 

Remake of cult classic is thoroughly unnecessary, critics agree

Oct 16, 09 12:49 PM CDT
(Newser) - Most critics would rather curl up with some popcorn and watch the original 1987 version of The Stepfather than see the remake again. Most would also like to see all prints of the new release, which casts Dylan Walsh as the murderous title character, burned. Some reactions:
  • One
... More »

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entertainment • slasher • movie review • movie remakes • Dylan Walsh • Sela Ward • Amber Heard • Penn Badgley • horror film • The Stepfather

Movie Review

 Wild Things Great ... for Adults 

Spike Jonze's melancholy fantasy gorgeous, heartfelt, uneventful

Oct 16, 09 9:31 AM CDT
(Newser) - Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are takes a 10-sentence children’s book and turns it into a full-length movie that’s not really for kids at all. But most critics liked it anyway. Here’s what they’re saying:
  • “Parents and tykes expecting the next Shrek
... More »

MORE ABOUT:
movie review • Spike Jonze • Maurice Sendak • Where the Wild Things Are

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