New Orleans Times-Picayune's Scores

  • Movies
For 581 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 49% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 49% lower than the average critic
Average Movie review score: 63
Highest review score: 100 War Horse
Lowest review score: 20 Emperor
Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 41 out of 581
581 movie reviews
  2. Yes, it is derivative, but in a year in which films from the 1980s are getting needless remakes seemingly every other week, this one stands out as a rare one that works. That's a good "Thing."
  4. Ends up being a reasonably gripping story of political intrigue, international corruption and one woman's determined fight for justice.
  5. Anonymous starts admirably quickly, but Emmerich repeatedly forgets to look over his shoulder to see if his audience is keeping track of which stringy-haired Calvin Klein model is which.
  6. It keeps things light and entertaining. And for $8 admission, that's never a bad investment.
  7. All in all, Nichols ends up with a richly drawn, and at times disturbing, portrait of one man's descent into madness.
  8. Sprinkled throughout, there is also a handful of wonderfully amusing song-and-dance numbers, written by Bret McKenzie.
  9. This is a world where training wheels are called "stabilizers" and where children leave something called "mince pies" for Santa. (Um. Ew?) As a result, the occasional line will fly over your little ones' heads. But you can also expect for them to be charmed by it all.
  10. In reality, in this age of cookie-cutter entertainment, the movie's success probably is because of Cody's unconventional script. This isn't a silly, disposable, rom-com -- and thank goodness for that.
  11. Being a fan of the character is not a prerequisite for enjoying the film.
  12. Among them, Polanski's four-person cast boasts four Oscars and eight more nominations, so these are big-league actors who are capable of carrying a film such as this through its occasional miscalculations.
  13. A gritty spy thriller directed by relative newcomer Daniel Espinosa, and a film that -- despite the occasional misstep -- ends up being a taut, suspense-filled ride.
  14. It's sadly and tenderly honest -- and so are Hansard and Irglova, as they generously and matter-of-factly open up to the camera.
  15. Along the way, a raft of experts are featured -- including Times-Picayune outdoor editor Bob Marshall -- speaking bluntly about the cozy relationship between politicians and the oil industry.
  16. Oddly, though, Everyday Sunshine ends up being a mostly optimistic tale. That's because, despite it all, Fishbone is still gigging.
  17. There's no point mincing words: My Sister's Keeper is a difficult film to watch. That's not to say it isn't well-assembled, well-cast or well-acted.
  18. A satisfying dose of wild imagination and unbridled silliness.
  20. 9
    9, though animated, isn't really a movie for kids. The problem is that, despite its strikingly original set-up and its cool steampunk visual vibe, it's not much of a movie for grown-ups, either.
  22. Twenty-five years ago, it would have been impossible to imagine that Imagine That would see Eddie Murphy and The Beatles coming together to create family entertainment, but I'll be darned if it doesn't work.
  23. If it weren't for the casting of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in the lead roles, the film probably would have gone straight to DVD.
  24. Michelle Pfeiffer's performance brings life to a sometimes sagging script. Also, Kathy Bates is a hoot as the mother of Pfeiffer's love interest.
  25. Ritchie and company spend too much time being cute and not enough time being clever, resulting in a one-dimensional comic-book version of Doyle's detectives.
  26. It boasts strong acting and a nice dose of suspense.
  27. If there's a prevailing problem with director Richard Loncraine's bit of period fluff, it's that many of the characters encountered along the way are a touch too cartoonish to resonate meaningfully with audiences.
  28. With its immensely likable cast elevating the material, Judge extracts just enough ironic chuckles to rescue the movie from being written off as an assembly-line comedy.
  29. The result is a film that is equal parts fluff and tough.
  30. The only thing missing from the film -- which is frequently amusing but too bleak to be consistently laugh-out-loud funny -- is a genuine connection with its audiences, or at least those audiences not raised in 1960s Jewish suburbia.
  31. Trades breathless romance for a fun "Ripley's Believe it or Not"-flavored weirdness.
  33. Director Martin Campbell does a nice job of creating suspense, and Ray Winstone stands out for his performance as a conflicted hitman.
  34. The result is an often-screwball jaunt that isn't without its fun moments.
  35. Fortunately, there's enough charisma in those doe eyes -- to narrowly rescue the featherweight Leap Year from becoming a full-blown case of Erin-go-blah.
  36. It's a nice, feel-good story with an appealing cast and strong production values.
  37. This isn't the kind of film that will leave audiences in awe of clever writing. Rather, it will leave them thinking how much Fuqua wanted to make a movie version of "The Wire."
  38. Don't expect there to be a run on Secret of Kells action figures any time soon.
  39. There's humor there, but this is a "smart" comedy, which is to say it's not intended to make you guffaw.
  40. For her part, Stewart has Jett down pat: her strut, her slouch, her sexiness. This is a performance that goes far beyond Jett's shag haircut.
  41. If you appreciate historical melodrama, you could do worse than Vincere.
  43. Although they've left the city behind, the girls haven't forgotten the sex. They're still as frank as ever, as outrageous as ever, as liberated as ever.
  44. Worse, Shrek Forever After feels like just another animated movie -- which is exactly what the series was fighting against when it started, and a big reason why it caught on with audiences.
  45. What it does have going for it are its lead actors -- Brand and Hill both know exactly how to deliver a punch line -- and a lead character who represents one of the best bits of rock 'n' roll satire since "This Is Spinal Tap."
  46. As fun as it is at times -- particularly early on -- the longer The Sorcerer's Apprentice goes on, the more the magic wears off.
  47. What Noyce and company don't seem to realize is that there's a huge difference between a superspy and a superhuman.
  48. It's probably best not to think very hard about any of it -- just dummy up and laugh along.
  49. As with most Ferrell projects, there's nothing profound going on in The Other Guys. It's just a bit of good, stupid fun, had at the expense of an uber-formulaic genre that has long been ripe for the spoofing. But it also works.
  50. I've got a fourth verb to add to the comma-challenged title of Julia Roberts' how-to-be-happy travelogue, Eat Pray Love. How about "edit"?
  52. The Lottery Ticket doesn't hit the comedy jackpot, but it doesn't roll snake eyes, either. In my book, that's a winner.
  53. A reasonably well-made biopic, with crowd-pleasing moments, but one that -- despite that title -- isn't really about the animal.
  54. It represents the rare lead role for Mackie, and he seizes the opportunity, convincingly playing the part of a soft-spoken former Black Panther.
  55. How do you know when a romantic comedy just isn't working? Key indicators are that your audience doesn't get goose bumps in the inevitable third-act reunion. They don't get misty-eyed. In short, they don't really care.
  56. Once the real story hits its stride, it's easy to get lost in Sanctum.
  57. A beautifully uncomplicated story, really -- about the love between daddies and their little girls.
  59. This is a film custom-made for dog lovers.
  60. Burger's film would have been better had he ended it about three minutes earlier than he does -- a move that would have given his movie at least a dash of profundity.
  61. Hop
  62. Potiche never becomes funny enough or interesting enough.
  63. Despite the derivative nature and low production values of Super, there are laughs in the at-times ragged script.
  64. A predictable but painless pastiche of high school drama clichés that will give its intended tween audience a lot to squeal about -- and leave their parents reminiscing quietly about how good films from '80s icon John Hughes were.
  65. These characters are so likeable, and so well-portrayed, that it's easy to go along with it all.
  67. It's a fun one to talk about -- if only for the opportunity to shake your head in amused disbelief at what you just saw.
  68. Best of all, here there be fun.
  69. These women deserve to have their voices heard, and this film finally lets them have their say.
  70. Breezy but forgettable.
  71. A film that is neither great nor horrible. Favreau does enough things right in Cowboys & Aliens to churn out a mostly enjoyable bit of mindless summertime action, just not enough to come close to rivaling his 2008 crowd-pleaser "Iron Man."
  73. It continuously feels less like straight-up reportage and more like a fan film, one built on equal parts idol worship and wishful thinking.
  74. A movie that wants to be a crowd-pleasing romantic comedy at times and a weighty drama at others. It ends up being an imperfect blend of both.
  75. One major reason it succeeds is because of 11-year-old actress Bailee Madison, who brings a wonderful believability to her role as the girl at the center of the film.
  76. Leisurely paced and plot-challenged, it's too unique and kindhearted to be outright disliked, but it's not the kind of film you can get too close to, either.
  77. There are some nice surprises in store, as well, but the longer Madden's story goes on, the more manufactured things tend to feel.
  78. As it turns out, though, the most troubling part of the film for me wasn't the rape scene, or the siege scene or the Southern stereotypes. Rather, it was the audience's reaction to Marsden's chilling spasms of bloody violence as he defends his home. Rather than breaking out in hives, many in the audience broke out in laughter.
  79. It's not a perfect film, mind you. It's too long by a quarter, and actor-turned-director Charles Martin Smith ("The Untouchables") lets any sense of real structure slip away in the film's crowded third act.
  80. Along the way, Shut Up, Little Man boasts nice technical elements. And it is, admittedly, amusing to a degree. Peter and Raymond certainly know how to turn a phrase. But things begin to wear thin about halfway through.
  81. As clearly calculated and self-consciously cutesy as it is, it's also tender and meaningful stuff -- and far more watchable than other recent attempts to capture the existential angst of adolescence. ("The Art of Getting By.")
  82. Plotwise, though, Brewer's Footloose is anything but loose. In fact, it's rigidly loyal to the original, to the point of slavishness.
  84. So while J. Edgar ends up feeling like a mostly complete portrait of the man, and as fascinating a story as it is, it still falls just short of being something entirely memorable.
  87. What most saw as entirely charming behavior others saw as a nuisance. After all, a playful whale has a way of unwittingly damaging rudders and outriggers and outboard motors and such. Worse, wildlife officials saw Luna's behavior as potentially dangerous, for the people he encountered -- and for the whale himself.
  89. What we're left with is a movie that is about as nourishing as the Junior Mints and nachos available at the theater snack bar. But, then, many a Friday night dinner has been made of far less.
  90. All along, though, I was struck by an even stronger feeling, that I was sitting in on somebody else's therapy session. That's not a comfortable feeling -- and that makes Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close considerably less rewarding than it should be.
  91. There isn't a whole lot of nuance in writer-director Rachid Bouchareb's unapologetically political movie. As such, it doesn't take much brainpower for a viewer to stay a step or two ahead of his plot the entire way.
  92. What Kwapis does do, however, is nicely handle the film's whale of an emotional payoff.
  94. That's not to say it's a bad film, necessarily. It's just not as good as it could have -- and should have -- been.
  98. Unlike most enforcers in the movies, Jacky isn't just a brainless slab of meat.
  99. It's an uplifting, even enchanting, smile-inducer.
  100. At worst, though, the film's faintly sleazy bait-and-switch tactic robs the film of its biggest asset -- its sense of fun.
  101. The surrealist and decidedly bizarre humor of Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim is, to put it mildly, an acquired taste -- and there's no guarantee you'll ever actually acquire it.
  102. This is a movie to be experienced on a more visceral level. As long as you don't expect anything more, you won't be disappointed.
  104. It's no "Das Boot," but Battleship is a boatload of popcorny fun.
  105. An uplifting and colorful crowd-pleaser, it's built on a wealth of cinematic contrivances -- all designed to make sure things, indeed, turn out all right in the end -- but the result is just too good-natured to begrudge.
  106. The good news: This is Goldthwait the writer-director, not Goldthwait the actor -- so there's no schticky voice to endure. But his exceedingly black comedy does speak loudly -- and it turns out he's actually got something worthwhile to say.
  110. Ted
    Unapologetically raw -- and very funny.
  111. The problem is that the film must re-establish a great deal of mythology, much of which is already familiar to most moviegoers. Unfortunately, Webb's film never quite makes usshake the feeling that we've done all this before.
  112. While you're watching it, it is cozy and enjoyable, the same way a sleeping cat in your lap is cozy and enjoyable.
  114. Seizing the role, and the screen, Gelber actually makes us care what happens to his surly, thoroughly unlikable character.
  117. Gilroy -- who earned writing credits on all four "Bourne" films -- doesn't miss when it comes to the most important task at hand: He takes a well-worn concept and makes it feel new, and without sacrificing its sense of familiarity.
  118. No, it's not a perfect movie, given how dangerously close it comes to running out of quality third-act punchlines before you're liable to have run out of Sno-caps and Raisinettes. Also, some of the biggest names in the supporting cast -- John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd, specifically -- are all but wasted.
  124. What Anderson's talky and willfully opaque film doesn't have, however, is an unfailingly compelling story to tell.
  125. Ends up being the kind of movie we don't see a whole lot anymore: an emotionally grounded and quietly meaningful crowd-pleaser that functions as a lovely antidote to the recently ended summer blockbuster season.
  128. The resulting slowdown, as well as a significant narrative shift, gives Looper a slightly sprawling and ungrounded feel at times, almost as if the first and second halves are two separate movies.
  134. That storytelling, however, is uneven, ranging from something approaching tedium to moments that are downright wonderful (such as the sweetest of scenes, involving two young lovers -- played by and Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson -- and a stack of children's blocks).
  136. An Unexpected Journey also proves that it is, indeed, possible to get too much of a good thing.
  138. Yes, Apatow's film has its peaks and valleys -- just the way life does -- but it stands alone nicely on its own, a satisfying comedic riff on life and all of its absurdities.
  142. It's an uneven but fairly enjoyable ride, one that benefits from Statham's cool, capable presence.
  143. Stand Up Guys becomes something not only enjoyable but memorable and emotionally layered at the same time.
  144. Ends up being foreign but familiar, artful and honest, as well as beautiful and believable.
  146. As it is, it's little more than an artful rehash -- which means that anyone who wants closure to the story, or to see justice truly served, will have to wait a little longer.
  147. One gets the feeling that Thompson left a lot on the table with The Jeffrey Dahmer Files, that it could have been something more, something bigger, something elaborate. And that may be true. But the film that Thompson did choose to make - one that is both simple but effective -- is fascinating in its own right.
  148. 42
    Aesthetically, Helgeland's film -- while highly polished -- is straight-forward stuff, hewing so closely to the prescribed genre conventions as to border on unimaginative.
  149. Dawson, who to this point has largely built her career playing supporting characters, seizes the opportunity to stand center-stage, all but taking over the film.
  150. Granted, "intelligent" might be too generous a word to describe Oblivion, which flirts with big questions, but never answers them. What's left is a story that doesn't quite go where no man has gone before.
  151. Ends up being an enjoyable, if only marginally memorable, ride.
  152. In other words, Iron Man 3 -- once more delivering a satisfying combination of humor, action and dazzling set pieces -- provides everything fans of the franchise expect.
  153. The film's message -- about how the Internet is sabotaging our real-life relationships -- doesn't resonate with absolute clarity, but Disconnect does a much more effective job than anyone could hope to do in 140 characters or less.
  155. And so the real question isn't whether director Todd Phillips' third -- and, he insists, the final -- installment in the unabashedly crude, very R-rated comedy trilogy is funny. Of course, it is.
  156. Although Epic isn't quite an animated masterpiece -- or as enchanting as the vastly underrated "Guardians" -- it's still a fun, sweet-hearted kid-pleaser that boasts some downright lovely animation.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    A key strategic decision in the success of this 100-minute feature is Greengrass' determination to accentuate the humorousness of his salty-tongued heroine and valiantly resist the temptation to sentimentalize her plight. The upshot is a touchingly off-kilter, bravely platonic love story that -- wonder of wonders -- never turns sticky. [5 March 1999, p.L28]
    • 82 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
  158. This is a movie purely for grown-ups, with its enjoyment coming not from its explosions or attacking aliens but from spending time with these characters and savoring its optimistic, "never too late for happiness" message.
  159. The real point of This is The End, however, is to make people laugh -- and it accomplishes that. Often, in fact -- and satisfyingly.
  160. Even if it doesn't provide all the answers, "The East" asks some pretty darn good questions.
  161. Watching it, one gets the feeling that Coppola knows these vampiric types all too well. What unfolds feels like a cross between "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" and "Natural Born Killers," and a film that is far more disapproving than glamorizing of the go-go-go Los Angeles lifestyle -- but fascinating nonetheless.
  162. Roenning and Sandberg never dig deeply into the real, underlying motivating force behind Heyerdahl's voyage aboard the Kon-Tiki -- the name of his visually unimpressive but ultimately seaworthy raft -- other than relying on the fact that he wanted to prove his theory correct.
  163. This is solidly a genre picture, and one that follows all the necessary conventions -- but it's also one that does it all very well. That means lots of big, dumb and loud action -- but it also means good, popcorny, summer fun.
  164. What the Cairns brothers have created is something rare for a horror film: Not only does it get the job done without making you want to shower after it's all over, but they've created multi-dimensional characters who inhabit a believable and expansive environment. In so doing, they've also created a bloody good bit of twisted fun.
  165. It tickles both funnybones and eyeballs.
  166. Easily the most enjoyable animated film of 2013 so far.
  170. Making it even more intriguing is the fact that the whole thing is, extraordinarily, inspired by a true story.
  172. Imbued as it is with a sense of discomforting truth, it is a worthwhile examination of human nature -- and one with a message well worth heeding.
  173. It's also a touch tedious at times, as it's not always clear where Oppenheimer is going.
  174. Also helping to sell it all is the fact that these films, goofy though they may be, feature a consistently high level of acting. In addition to Pegg, we get Martin Freeman ("The Hobbit"), Paddy Considine ("Red Riding"), Eddie Marsan ("Sherlock Holmes") and Bill Nighy ("Love Actually"), all of whom have appeared previously in the trilogy.
  175. Thanks to Rochefort and Folch, as well as Trueba's delicate direction, it still manages to be an embraceable journey, one with its own quiet -- and artistic -- rewards.
  176. While it's enjoyable enough to watch, there's no slam-dunk takeaway here.
  177. It's that sort of singular imagery that ultimately rescues Lowery's film. Yes, it's a flawed movie, but it also is a downright lovely one.
  179. Enough Said isn't without the occasional minor formulaic element or the odd narrative contrivance here and there (starting, it must be said, with its very setup). It is, after all, a romantic comedy.
  180. In the final analysis, that's the real endgame here: to get people into theaters and build a film franchise. For all of their film's flaws, Hood and company do that well, as Ender's Game shapes up as a decent franchise starter -- and a film that makes it hard not to be intrigued by what will come next.
  181. As a modest bit of feel-good entertainment, Vaughn and Delivery Man mostly deliver the goods.
  182. The real highlight, though, is the music by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
  183. Most normal people will not see this as a "pleasant" film -- I hope that's the case, anyway -- but it certain makes you feel something.
  184. Visually stunning.
  185. It wasn't until Gibney's film was already largely shot that the truth caught up to Armstrong.
  187. While Lone Survivor is presented as a piece of hero-focused entertainment, it is a suitably sobering one in the end, and a film that is bound to stick to the ribs of audiences longer than, say, your average Superman movie.
  188. Not, in other words, a happy story. It is not a story of redemption or healing or finding happiness amid the despair. It is about reaping what one sows. But, damn, those performances. Damn, that dialog. Damn, that's good stuff.
  189. Her
  190. Even though it's a strictly no-frills, straight-forwardly shot affair, it feels overdue.
  191. 12 O'Clock Boys is reminiscent of the Ross brothers' far more lyrically shot 2012 film "Tchoupitoulas," which tagged along with three New Orleans boys for a night of exploration and boundary-testing in the French Quarter. The setting is different in Nathan's film, and Nathan doesn't commit as fully as the Rosses did to visual artistry. But there are thematic similarities, to be sure.
  193. It keeps you guessing, it keeps the tension ratcheted up, and it offers a dose of breathless -- if sometimes brainless -- suspense.
  194. Does The Wind Rises represent Miyazaki at the top of his game? No, not really. But it could be Miyazaki at the end of the game, and that alone is reason enough to appreciate the film for the things it offers rather than hammer it too hard for the things it lacks.
  195. It feels like a desperate attempt at edginess -- and desperation is never becoming, whether in real-life romance or in a romantic comedy.
  196. Unlike it's "Transformers" cousin, the story is appealingly straightforward, and the movie is chock-a-block with breathless action sequences.
  197. Doesn't boast enough universal meaning to make it truly sing.
  198. The truth, however, is that for much of Soderbergh's film, it's all as yawn-inducing as its premise.
  199. As well-intended as it is, writer-director Max Mayer's film lacks focus.
  200. A better title: "Coco Before She Was Interesting."
  201. That it's all true might make it more heart-tugging, but it doesn't make it any more interesting.
  202. Parnassus is a cold film that delights in dancing along that fine line separating "fantastical" and "nonsensical." Then, when a movie is supposed to hit things home -- in that all-important third act -- it lands with a thud on the wrong side.
  203. The ending of Dear John feels manufactured and patently false. Seyfried tries to sell it, but you can tell that she's having a hard time believing the words coming out of her mouth.
  204. It has a sweet quality, and Forest Whitaker gets a chance to show off his comic chops.
  205. It's neither a good movie nor a bad movie. It's just a movie.
  206. Unfortunately, on the way to delivering that message, it becomes weighted down by its own dreary self-importance.
  207. Even at its worst moments, it's better than "awful." But at its best, it's never comes close to "incredible."