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3/4
|
Not Easily Broken
(2009)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Not Easily Broken isn't perfect. It's a tad preachy at times. Yet it also lifts spirits with the power of emotional healing and forgiveness. Amen to that.
Posted Jan 12, 2009
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1/4
|
The Unborn
(2009)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
The Unborn is so lame that even a scene where Nazi 'doctors' experiment on twin children by poking a needle in their eyeballs is more laughable than horrendous.
Posted Jan 12, 2009
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|
3.5/4
|
Gran Torino
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Except for the overstated growl, which admittedly is nitpicky, Eastwood may have directed himself right back into Oscar contention.
Posted Jan 09, 2009
|
|
|
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
As much as I admired Benjamin Button's gimmicks, the excellent makeup and a sometimes-mesmerizing emotional journey, I just couldn't shoo away the obvious Forrest Gump similarities. Roth leans on them too strongly as a screenplay crutch.
Posted Jan 09, 2009
|
|
2.5/4
|
Australia
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Like the kangaroo that goes from a newcomer's sightseeing delight to dinner meat with the sudden crack of a rifle shot, Australia hops all over the place.
Posted Nov 26, 2008
|
|
|
Role Models
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Well, here's something we don't usually see at the movies. Role Models is a raucously bawdy lowbrow comedy with a brain.
Posted Nov 21, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Rarely do we get to truly celebrate a movie's second time around. We should this one, though. The filmmakers really move it, move it to the next level of joyous entertainment.
Posted Nov 21, 2008
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2/4
|
Ashes of Time Redux
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Maybe something gets lost in the translation, as often happens, but Wong may be giving us the first Eastern.
Posted Nov 21, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Quantum of Solace
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
There is a Bond girl, of course. You can take the catchphrases and the gadgets out, it appears, but leave the sultry ladies alone.
Posted Nov 21, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Twilight
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
How can a teen romantic fantasy not be at least some fun when the leading man's lipstick is several shades redder than that of the ingénue?
Posted Nov 21, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Bolt
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Make a little room Lady, Tramp and all you Dalmatians, Disney's got a new animated dog to bark about.
Posted Nov 21, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
RocknRolla
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Welcome back, Mr. Ritchie. I missed your work when you were, you know, Swept Away into an uncomfortable filmmaking zone.
Posted Nov 03, 2008
|
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2/4
|
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
The Haunting of Molly Hartley, sort of an updated Rosemary's Baby for teens, sucks most of the suspense out of its own suspense-thriller before the story even gets going.
Posted Nov 03, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Changeling
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Most filmmakers begin their careers hungry and looking for every possible nuance to improve their film. In his 78th year and with 35 of them under his belt as a filmmaker, Eastwood still has plenty of creative steam. ... This is no victory-lap production
Posted Nov 03, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
If movies were fireworks, Smith's latest effort would be a fuse-moistened bottle rocket that only manages subdued flight.
Posted Nov 03, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
I Served the King of England
(2006)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
I Served the King of England plays like a combination of Life Is Beautiful and Forrest Gump.
Posted Oct 24, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
They sing. They dance. And they smooch a little. But not too much. After all, this is a G-rated Disney extravaganza.
Posted Oct 24, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Pride and Glory
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
This is the first time (Edward) Norton and (Colin) Farrell have shared a movie screen. It would be a crime for it to be the last.
Posted Oct 24, 2008
|
|
.5/4
|
Saw V
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
... heads roll and nail bomb shrapnel turns a headstrong 'survivor' into a pile of pink human brisket with pants. Does this sound like entertainment to you?
Posted Oct 24, 2008
|
|
1.5/4
|
Quarantine
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Visually, this one mirrors Cloverfield right down to the dropped camera left to record what happens when the humans in the vicinity have been, uh, quarantined.
Posted Oct 17, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Max Payne
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Wahlberg packs the talent to add depth to most roles. In this one, though, he does little more than mope around and blast away (video-game style) in this barrage of rapid fire.
Posted Oct 17, 2008
|
|
2/4
|
W.
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Stone ... does little more than place a sitting president on a pedestal of lampoon with a poor choice of timing, less than three weeks before a presidential election.
Posted Oct 17, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Righteous Kill
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
It's good to see the two great actors of their generation back together in Righteous Kill. Frankly, though, although a few sparks of fire at times, the heat has subsided significantly.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
Burn After Reading
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
... the Marx Brothers couldn't outrace the Coen boys when it comes to zany comic shenanigans.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Tyler Perry's the Family That Preys
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
(Tyler) Perry, a cinematic one-man band who wrote the script, produces, directs and plays the role of a decent husband and construction worker, is still growing as a filmmaker.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
My Best Friend's Girl
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
... this is a verbally poisonous comedy that rattles the sensibility cage.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
August Evening
(2007)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
(Pedro) Castaneda, the male lead in Chris Eska's mesmerizing debut feature August Evening, has the kind of natural, hypnotic screen presence that cannot be taught.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
Ghost Town
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
When I was watching this movie the other day and rethinking my way through it now, all I can recall is Gervais and some other people. He's that good as New York dentist Dr. Bertram Pincus.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
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|
2/4
|
Nights in Rodanthe
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Richard Gere and Diane Lane are swathed in so much cheese in Nights in Rodanthe, this weepy story should unfold in Wisconsin instead of a tiny strip of land off the coast of North Carolina.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Miracle at St. Anna
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Lee shows his grittiness by allowing everyone to speak in their native languages. My hat's off to him for that. I'm not a fan of war films where all opposing sides speak English.
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Eagle Eye
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
HAL has a granddaughter? Who knew?
Posted Sep 29, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Tropic Thunder
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
It's definitely not for everybody. But it's also very funny as a no-holds-barred, frat-house-party comedy.
Posted Aug 14, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
There's sex and the city (New York). But the most enjoyable girls-night-out movie of the summer deals with young, fledgling love.
Posted Aug 08, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Pineapple Express
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
You're in for a mildly entertaining ride through lowbrow slapstick action violence. Just don't ask for a seat in the non-smoking section.
Posted Aug 08, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
Tell No One
(2006)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Tell No One is good enough to warrant not only a long run in art houses, but considerable attention for a director who dared to tweak a hugely popular novel and made it work.
Posted Aug 08, 2008
|
|
4/4
|
The Dark Knight
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
The Dark Knight should not be remembered as the movie that took Heath Ledger out. Thanks primarily to him, it should be remembered as the movie that propelled fantasy action-thrillers to a higher level.
Posted Jul 17, 2008
|
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3/4
|
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Thompson created a rebellious niche for himself in a business that more often than you might think channels its writers into conformist routine.
Posted Jul 15, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
This 'Journey' appears to take place in an amusement park.
Posted Jul 15, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Meet Dave
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
(Murphy) never loses focus, although the one-dimensional nature of the script might provoke a few yawns among frequent moviegoers.
Posted Jul 15, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Go to the movies long enough and you'll eventually find yourself rooting for a blood red, horned monster-man from hell.
Posted Jul 15, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Wanted
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
... when Freeman, Jolie, McAvoy and the rest get a chance, there's even some decent acting going on. It's almost as if the great Loom of Fate dropped a stitch and willed it.
Posted Jul 02, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
WALL-E
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
WALL-E is a technical gem, a marvel of sound design and just a little too ambitious to continuously captivate.
Posted Jul 02, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Hancock
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Hancock is a rarity. It's an action yarn that feels like a drama and, alternately, a drama that takes our breath away with bursts of eye-popping action.
Posted Jul 02, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
Bigger, Stronger, Faster
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
To me, honesty like that is what heroes are made of.
Posted Jun 20, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
The Love Guru
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
The Love Guru pegs the silly meter in the opening scene when Myers, as Guru Pitka, breaks out in a Bollywood-style 9 to 5 hoedown while picking at a sitar.
Posted Jun 20, 2008
|
|
2.5/4
|
Get Smart
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
The popular deadpan comedian (Carell) is only funny about 60 percent of the time.Would you believe 50 percent?
Posted Jun 20, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Surfwise
(2007)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Surfwise spills the gripes, the frustrations and the pain onto the screen like damaged driftwood finally feeling the steadiness of shore after a long, stormy voyage at sea.
Posted Jun 16, 2008
|
|
1/4
|
The Happening
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
A monster movie desperately seeking a monster, M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening doesn't make sense, much less The Sixth Sense.
Posted Jun 16, 2008
|
|
3.5/4
|
The Incredible Hulk
(2008)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Leterrier gets his hand on this Marvel marvel at exactly the right time. Special effects have finally caught up with the imagination.
Posted Jun 16, 2008
|
|
3/4
|
Sangre de Mi Sangre
(2007)
|
Larry Ratliff
|
Zalla utilizes both the dark back streets of New York and the dark nature of some humans to weave an intoxicating tale of stolen identity and pilfered emotions.
Posted Jun 12, 2008
|
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