Gran Torino -- Film Review
Eastwood has always had the gift for comedy in his acting repertoire, but he indulges in it only rarely. His fans might embrace this return to comedy, but those expecting something more in the vein of recent Eastwood incarnations as an actor or director may be in for a disappointment.
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Confessions of a Shopaholic -- Film Review
The Disney marketing folks behind "Confessions of a Shopaholic" have been working hard to suggest that they have another "Pretty Woman" in the bag. Let the buyer beware.
The Pink Panther 2 -- Film Review
There's no denying Steve Martin's commitment to the role of Jacques Clouseau, the fumbling and deluded Gallic detective Peter Sellers brought to life with ineffable comic timing. But watching his second go at the part, the burning question remains:
Pourquoi?
Inkheart -- Film Review
Whatever made the German novel "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke so popular that it got translated into 37 languages is nowhere in evidence in its film version.
The Longshots -- DVD Review
Aside from a few references to Tyra Banks and Beyonce, "The Longshots" feels like it unfolds in a bygone era.
Step Brothers -- DVD Review
Exhausted is how many audiences members will feel after squirming through this repetitive, one-joke comedy. Real adolescents might find the whole thing a hoot, but guess what? The filmmakers made an R-rated movie.
DVD Review: Wanted
The debut American feature by successful Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, this over-the-top, ultraviolent, hyperkinetic action thriller pretty much has it all.
DVD Review: Fred Claus
Even more confounding than this mirthless, misanthropic mess is the involvement of such talented people as Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates and Kevin Spacey.
DVD Review: Meet Dave
This sci-fi romp seriously skimps on the sort of wacky comedy that should have flown liberally from such an inspired premise -- especially one that was co-written by Bill Corbett, of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" cult renown.
DVD Review: Hancock
The movie's sly premise is established in its opening scenes, which reflect the tart sensibility of Gilligan, the creator of AMC's bracingly cynical series "Breaking Bad."
DVD Review: Kung Fu Panda
Like most chop-socky movies, "KF Panda" strays not at all from its twin goals of action and comedy
DVD Review: Space Chimps
"Space Chimps" is a bright, entertaining package. It simply is too gimmicky and old school to go up against the best of Pixar and DreamWorks Animation
DVD Review: WALL-E
The film is so clever and sophisticated that you worry, slightly, that it might be too clever to connect with mainstream audiences. But like those worries last year that having a rat for a hero in "Ratatouille" might throw off audiences, surely "WALL-E" will make that connection.
DVD Review: Tropic Thunder
Director Ben Stiller sends up all things Hollywood, from pampered actors and outrageous media tycoons to war movies in general. OK, these are easy targets. But Stiller and co-writers Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen hit 'em with a fair degree of accuracy and consistency.
DVD Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
With Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bledel and Blake Lively also back for the ride, as well as several supporting characters, this perfectly satisfying female teen-oriented summer fling should form a modest bond with its demographic -- in the vicinity of the $39 million taken in by the original -- and again wear particularly well on DVD.
DVD Review: Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Refreshingly sincere and full of wholesome can-do spirit, the first big-screen incarnation of the American Girl doll-and-book series -- the anti-Bratz of collectibles -- offers solid, kid-friendly storytelling.
DVD Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" serves as the maiden voyage for Lucasfilm Animation, but despite the exclusively CG rendering, this anticipated new episode is at best a reasonable facsimile.
DVD Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Armed with a slightly bigger budget than his 2004 original and with more clout after the Oscar-nominated success of "Pan's Labyrinth," Guillermo del Toro's latest take on the Mike Mignola comic book is uncompromisingly the product of his wildly fantastical imagination.
DVD Review: Get Smart
The film opens in Washington, D.C., where satirical remnants of the old TV series are visible, then expands into a more James Bond second act set in and around Moscow and winds up in a stunt-laden finale in downtown Los Angeles.
DVD Review: Sweeney Todd
Stephen Sondheim's award-winning, savage musical about cannibalism, madness and serial murder, is now Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd." The show couldn't have fallen into better hands.
DVD Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth
The New Line & Walden Media presentation, which premiered during the weekend at the Los Angeles Film Festival, should play well with its targeted family demographic, especially in RealD-equipped theaters.
DVD Review: The Kingdom
"The Kingdom," about a terrorist attack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, would seem to be another addition to the list of this fall's politically-charged movies. But Peter Berg's movie is no more than an action movie with an exotic backdrop.
