1. Well, this particular fantasy surely lost its novelty value a while back, and frankly never did much for me anyhow.
2. What will slay you first--the often histrionic acting or the drag-out boredom of that hulking, two-hour-plus thing in the distance that faintly resembles a plot?
3. An extraordinary film.
4. Kitamura's visual power thankfully never drowns out the story's.
5. Nothing can lift the glaze from your eyes through the endlessly recurring hokey fight scenes of the movie's interminable 128-minute running time.
6. Azumi may be an outstanding assassin, but the makers of this movie killed any chances of her being the next great action hero.
7. The raw visceral pleasures are enough to carry the film past some clunky melodrama that bloats the film to a two-hour-plus run time.
8. The tone is bleak and the comic-book violence relentless, but the wirework and Yuta Morokaji's stunt choreography are impressive.
9. It's a zippy time-passer.
10. Ryuhei Kitamura is 37, but he makes films like a 15-year-old fanboy. That is, he has no sense of story, his visual style is basically point-and-shoot, the boys are cool and rebellious and the girls are cute.
What is the critic consensus?
A: This adaptation of the popular manga series offers exquisitely choreographed violence -- and little else.

1. Writer-director Amy Heckerling's new film is totally adorable and often quite funny.
2. As appealing as Alicia Silverstone is (and she possesses that ethereal 'star quality' which is sadly lacking in many of today's up-and-coming performers), her presence can't quite elevate this breezy comedy to the level of a modern classic.
3. Clueless has a witty script with one great line after another and has an exquisitely charming performance by Silverstone. What more can you ask for in a comedy?
4. An unquestionably dismal look at the wealthy teen's life in the mid-'90s.
5. What should have been a clever movie disguised as a shallow one, it is in essence a shallow movie disguised as a clever one.
6. Rarely do you find a film so aptly titled as this one.
7. The movie is aimed at teenagers, but like all good comedies, it will appeal to anyone who has a sense of humor and an ear for the ironic.
8. A candy-colored comedy and an able chaser for any heavy cinematic experiences that have dogged you lately.
9. While Cher and the other characters here may seem vacuous and spoiled, Heckerling -- who wrote the script as well -- is a gentle satirist.
10. Parents are traditionally invisible and/or lame in teen flicks, but Dan Hedaya, as Silverstone's sharklike litigator dad, does a drop-dead Robert Shapiro, biting off some of the best lines in the movie.
What is the critic consensus?
A: A funny and clever reshaping of Emma, Clueless offers a soft satire that pokes as much fun at teen films as it does at the Beverly Hills glitterati.

1. This children's fantasy flirts with the dark side, though family values win out.
2. A fantasy film intended as an adventure flick that requires this disclaimer: Do not operate heavy machinery after viewing.
3. The ending needs to soar like a winged monkey, and instead it flops around like a landed fish.
4. Inkheart has an engaging premise in its notion of a Silvertongue and a refreshing love of books.
5. If you can ignore Fraser and his trademark lumpishness, Inkheart is imaginative and entertaining.
6. Meh.
7. "...unconvincing characters and uncompelling action."
8. There are moments of absolute wonder to be had. Just not enough to make the film anything more than a painless misfire.
9. Last Action Hero for books. By proxy, it's also kind of The Purple Rose of Cairo for books, but it's not as good as either... It would really amuse me if it ended with the family deciding, after all this trouble, let's never read again.
10. Much less cringe-worthy, juvenile and bland than Bedtime Stories, it lacks the awe-inspiring thrills, brilliance and imagination that makes superior films like Harry Potter so exhilarating and unforgettable.
What is the critic consensus?
A: Heavy on cliches and light on charm, this kid-lit fantasy-adventure doesn't quite get off the ground.

1. Here's a movie filled with the joy and sadness, the frustrations and pleasures, of real life.
2. The two leads are magnificent in this affecting look at what happens after a happy ending.
3. A slice-of-life glimpse at relationships, unwanted house guests and maintaining one's humanity. Molina and Lithgow are as comfy as well-worn bathrobes.
4. This is not a strident film; it's about subtle performances.
5. By the end, when love is in the air again, we realize the title is meant ironically. Love isn't strange, after all. It's something for which we all hope, to which we're all entitled, and which almost all of us have the power to achieve.
6. The movie seems to teeter on the brink of tragedy with its earnest tone and somewhat fragile characters, but there is lightness in every breath of dialogue.
7. An unforgettable portrait, set to a dazzling soundtrack of Chopin piano pieces, of the sense of loss we all feel when we are obliged to move into unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings.
8. "Love Is Strange" is beautifully acted and bittersweet. It's a gentle reminder that modern love, like a houseplant, needs sunlight, space and attention to grow.
9. Gentle and bittersweet, it's about love in its many permutations.
10. A sweet, random little nothing of a comedy
What is the critic consensus?
A:
Held aloft by remarkable performances from John Lithgow and Alfred Molina, Love Is Strange serves as a graceful tribute to the beauty of commitment in the face of adversity.