SPLING MOVIES
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A BETTER LIFE - A solid 7! An insightful, compassionate character study, buoyed by an excellent lead in Bichir. Social commentary with a human touch. Like: The Bicycle Thief
A-TEAM, THE - A solid 7! Entertaining and respectful remake of the classic '80's TV series. Action-packed, corny non-stop fun-filled adventure! Like: The Losers
ABDUCTION - A flimsy 4! Lautner's acting abilities are stretched to breaking point in this insipid attempt at a Bourne junior espionage thriller. Like: Agent Cody Banks
ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND, THE - A flat 5! A lightweight, formulaic and predictable "romcom" with a bubbly performance from Uma Thurman. Like: Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason
ACCIDENTAL STRIPPER - A terrible 2! Low -budget softcore porn with subpar acting, a lame premise and a weak script. Avoid if at all possible. Like: Emmanuelle
ACE OF HEARTS - A flat 5! Corny but enjoyable detective/dog feel -good family drama suffers from poor direction/dialogue. Like: K9: P.I.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - An excellent 8! A psychedelic art house love story musical in the era of, and sung to the tune of The Beatles. Like: Once
ADOPTED - A satisfactory 6! Light -hearted, funny and satirical mockumentary about celebrity baby adoption in Africa. Like: Pauly Shore is Dead, Bruno
ADORATION - A solid 7! Complex, thought -provoking mystery drama from Atom Egoyan with good performances. Like: The Sweet Hereafter, Crash
ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, THE - A satisfactory 6! Solid production values, effects and performances override film's indecisive world and patchy sci-fi mix. Like: The Lake House
ADVENTURELAND - A solid 7! Nostalgic coming of age teen stoner "romcom" set in U.S. summer at amusement park in '80s. Like: Outside Providence
ADVENTURES OF CLUTCH POWERS, THE - A flat 5! This extended Lego commercial lifts a number of popular film themes and references to blend a mix of action slapstick and toy gimmicks to great effect for the kids. Like: Veggietales, Barbie
AFGHAN KNIGHTS - A third -rate 3! A weak supernatural thriller encounter with ghost warriors. Michael Madsen fans only. Like:The Hills Have Eyes 2
AFRICAN CATS - A solid 7! Beautiful cinematography and a kiddie-friendly narrative with Samuel L. Jackson to temper this Disney wildlife feature. Like: White Lion
AGAINST THE DARK - A flimsy 4! Low budget TV grade Steven Seagal action/horror/thriller with loose editing and heavy gore, but little Seagal. Like: Attack Force
AGORA - A satisfactory 6! A strong lead performance and lavish historical recreation of Rome override unfocused script in this religious morality epic. Like: Rome (TV)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - A solid 7! Mesmerising and creepy fairy tale visuals immerse audiences in Wonderland with the help of 3D and an all-star cast. Like: The Wizard of Oz, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC - A satisfactory 6! Superficial yet funny animation. Armed to the teeth with special effects and suitable for all ages. Best in 3D. Like: Evolution
ALIENS VS. MONSTERS - A solid 7! Superficial yet funny animation. Armed to the teeth with special effects and suitable for all ages. Best in 3D. Like: Evolution
ALL ABOUT STEVE - A flimsy 4! While this romcom send up tries for something new, it ends up being creepy, irritating and short on laughs. Like: Trust the Man
ALL GOOD THINGS - A satisfactory 6! Solid co-lead performances carry this illuminating, yet sluggish real-life crime mystery drama. Like: Zodiac
ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE - A satisfactory 6! Above average teen horror slasher flick with brains and a fresh take on a worn genre. Like: April Fool's Day
ALONE IN THE DARK II - A flimsy 4! Not dark, alone or a video game adaptation. Low budget stand -alone video sequel B-movie. Better than first. Like: Alone in the Dark
ALPHA AND OMEGA - A third-rate 3! A sweet yet bland and boring wolf love story with second-rate CGI and slapstick comedy for under 8s. Like: The Little Fox 2
ALREADY DEAD - A flimsy 4! Action/thriller starts violently like Saw, loses focus and shifts into Prison Break mode. Like: Saw, Prison Break
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS - A flimsy 4! A zippy, high -pitched pop idol music adventure for the Chipmunks and your kids. Like: Garfield, Underdog
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL - A flimsy 4! Even kiddies will start to tire of the high -pitched numbers and slapstick comedy in this low -key sequel. Like: Alvin & The Chipmunks
AMELIA - A flat 5! Earhart's historical accomplishments take the air in this biographical account, but her life force is left unexplored. Like: Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight
AMERICAN, THE - A flat 5! While Corbijn's cinematography and picturesque Italian village portray great beauty, the slow pacing and distant characters don't grip you - a James Bond in slow-mo crime drama. Like: The Limits of Control
AMERICAN CRUDE - A third -rate 3! A decent comedy cast are wasted in this weak debut attempt at dark comedy. Like: Very Bad Things
AMERICAN PIE: BOOK OF LOVE A flimsy 4! Eugene Levy is the highlight amid this American Pie sequel's poor casting and average script. Like: American Pie: Band Camp
AMERICANIZING SHELLEY - A flat 5! Sweet, simplistic and predictable Bollywood take on Pygmalion. Gujral's adorable, but treatment may offend. Like: Marigold
AMUSEMENT - A flimsy 4! Dull, sluggish straight -to -DVD cat -and -mouse horror/thriller plays into genre cliches and loses bite. Like: Valentine, It
ANACONDA 3: THE OFFSPRING - A third-rate 3! Even David Hasselhoff can't save this sequel from poor CGI, a predictable story and 2D characters. Like: Anaconda 2
ANACONDA 4: TRAIL OF BLOOD - A third-rate 3! Another low budget Anaconda sequel with poor CGI. Made for TV action horror is laughable, yet better than A3. Like: Anaconda 3
ANAMORPH - A flat 5! Run-of-the-mill thriller with a decent cast, but thin story and laden with academic references. Like: The Da Vinci Code
AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR FATHER? - A solid 7! Good performances and sensitive writing make this slow, emotional Morrison adaptation palatable. Like: A Walk to Remember
ANGELS & DEMONS - A satisfactory 6! Hi-tech action time -bomb thriller with Church vs. Illuminati adaptation set in Rome. Like: National Treasure/Da Vinci Code
ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING - A satisfactory 6! Smart, funny tween-to-teen comedy drama book adaptation in the wake of Bridget Jones. Like: Hey, hey it's Ester Blueburger
ANIMAL 2, THE - A flimsy 4! Ving Rhames headlines this mediocre straight-to-DVD action/drama sequel. Mindless low budget entertainment. Like: The Animal
ANIMALS UNITED - A flimsy 4! Dull, preachy and forgettable environment-conscious animal animated feature with a likable voice cast. Like: The Wild
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS - An excellent 8! Intimate biographical documentary on work and life of world renowned celebrity photographer. Like: Imagine (TV)
ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY - A satisfactory 6! Sweet, funny and predictable straight-to-DVD Cinderella sequel is even better the original. Like: Cinderella Story
ANOTHER GAY SEQUEL - A terrible 2! Gay take on Not Another Teen Movie is a juvenile, nasty, gross and trashy waste of time. Like: Disaster Movie
ANTICHRIST - A satisfactory 6! Beautiful cinematography and strong performances underpin this highly controversial, gruesome and harrowing arthouse-horror. Like: Salo
ANYWHERE BUT HOME - A flat 5! Despite a terrific cast, this acidic holiday comedy suffers from a weak script and a lack of laughs. Like: Rumour Has It...
APOLLO 18 - A flimsy 4! Sluggish, stagnant, alienating low budget found footage space thriller. Like: The Blair Witch Project
APPALOOSA - A solid 7! A good, entertaining Western with great chemistry, psychology and an engaging friendship/love triangle story. Like: Open Range
APRIL FOOL'S DAY - A third-rate 3. This cheesy slasher remake is predictable and lacks suspense. Like: I Know What You Did Last Summer
ARCHITECT, THE - A flat 5! Ethnic social drama is earnest, but undermined by dull, stagy, sluggish pace and direction. Like: The Architect (stage play)
ARCTIC TALE - A satisfactory 6! Amazing Arctic footage hampered by Queen Latifah's "precious" family narration. Like: March of the Penguins
ARMORED - A flat 5! This inside job heist thriller boasts a decent cast, but lacks the drive of an a-list lead and digs in too soon. Like: The Take
ART OF GETTING BY, THE - A flat 5! An overcooked sitcom quality coming-of-age teen drama with a cast of Hollywood hopefuls. Like: Waiting for Forever
ART OF WAR 2 - A third-rate 3! Sadly this Wesley Snipes straight-to-DVD action sequel is weaker than the original in every department. Like: Art of War
ART OF WAR 3 - A terrible 2! Dull, predictable and violent sequel. Half -wit stunts and performances. No Snipes! Like: Art of War 2
ARTHUR - A flat 5! This fun remake suffers from a lack of laughs and romance, making the modern update lightweight and wholly unnecessary. Like: Mr Deeds
ARTHUR & THE INVISIBLES - A satisfactory 6! Fun, light, entertaining live -action/animation pop culture movie. Like: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Back to Gaya
ARTHUR'S MISSING PAL - A flat 5! Family -friendly PBS animated educational TV series gets a 68 min movie with original voice cast, except Arthur. Like: Arthur
ASK THE DUST - A satisfactory 6! Aspiring adaptation of Los Angeles love affair novel tarnished by sluggish pace. Like: The Human Stain
ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, THE - An excellent 8! Poetic justice makes this haunting Western beautiful to watch and the performances ring true. Like: The Proposition, Chopper
ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPICS - A flimsy 4! Good production values ruined by lack of Asterix & Obelix, over -the -top CGI effects and half -baked comedy. Like: A&O Meet Cleopatra
ASTRO BOY - A satisfactory 6! Thrilling 3D visuals, a classic story convention and amusing one-liners rescue the day for Astro Boy. Like: The Iron Giant
ATONEMENT - An excellent 8! Well -crafted, beautiful and sprawling epic about love and envy. Like: The English Patient, Pride & Prejudice
ATTACK THE BLOCK - A flat 5! A street-wise yet middling alien invasion in London. Not scary or funny enough. Like: Paul
AUDITION, THE - An excellent 8! A fresh -faced behind-the-scenes music documentary about MET Opera contestants in the format of Idols. Like: American Idol
AUGUST - A flat 5! Hartnett's intentions aside, this dot com indie drama is slow-moving, superficial and doesn't really go anywhere. Like: Boiler Room
AUGUST RUSH - A near -perfect 9! Magic realism and winning performances strike the right note. Like: Oliver Twist, Amadeus, Peter Pan
AUSSIE & TED'S GREAT ADVENTURE - A flat 5! Heartwarming family movie about a lovable Australian mutt and a teddy bear. Like: Homeward Bound
AUSTRALIA - A satisfactory 6! Terrific sets and top production values balance out thin characters and unoriginal feel. Like: Gone with the Wind
AVATAR An excellent 8! - Cameron's 3D Sci -Fi visual extravaganza delivers on entertainment with a multi-layered story and contrasting themes. Like: Dances with Wolves, Dune
AVP2 - A flat 5! Alien showdown arrives to wage war in a small town. Human collateral damage and alien carnage. Like: AVP, 30 Days of Night
AWAKE - A satisfactory 6! An interesting plot is restrained by loose performances, editing and direction. Like: Malice, Extreme Measures
AWAY FROM HER - An excellent 8! A sad, beautiful story about love and memory loss. Amazing performances and sensitive direction/writing. Like: The Savages
AWAY WE GO - A solid 7! Style, imagination and quirky humour underpin this heartwarming, but uneven road trip. Like: Around the Bend
A BETTER LIFE - A solid 7! An insightful, compassionate character study, buoyed by an excellent lead in Bichir. Social commentary with a human touch. Like: The Bicycle Thief
A-TEAM, THE - A solid 7! Entertaining and respectful remake of the classic '80's TV series. Action-packed, corny non-stop fun-filled adventure! Like: The Losers
ABDUCTION - A flimsy 4! Lautner's acting abilities are stretched to breaking point in this insipid attempt at a Bourne junior espionage thriller. Like: Agent Cody Banks
ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND, THE - A flat 5! A lightweight, formulaic and predictable "romcom" with a bubbly performance from Uma Thurman. Like: Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason
ACCIDENTAL STRIPPER - A terrible 2! Low -budget softcore porn with subpar acting, a lame premise and a weak script. Avoid if at all possible. Like: Emmanuelle
ACE OF HEARTS - A flat 5! Corny but enjoyable detective/dog feel -good family drama suffers from poor direction/dialogue. Like: K9: P.I.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - An excellent 8! A psychedelic art house love story musical in the era of, and sung to the tune of The Beatles. Like: Once
ADOPTED - A satisfactory 6! Light -hearted, funny and satirical mockumentary about celebrity baby adoption in Africa. Like: Pauly Shore is Dead, Bruno
ADORATION - A solid 7! Complex, thought -provoking mystery drama from Atom Egoyan with good performances. Like: The Sweet Hereafter, Crash
ADJUSTMENT BUREAU, THE - A satisfactory 6! Solid production values, effects and performances override film's indecisive world and patchy sci-fi mix. Like: The Lake House
ADVENTURELAND - A solid 7! Nostalgic coming of age teen stoner "romcom" set in U.S. summer at amusement park in '80s. Like: Outside Providence
ADVENTURES OF CLUTCH POWERS, THE - A flat 5! This extended Lego commercial lifts a number of popular film themes and references to blend a mix of action slapstick and toy gimmicks to great effect for the kids. Like: Veggietales, Barbie
AFGHAN KNIGHTS - A third -rate 3! A weak supernatural thriller encounter with ghost warriors. Michael Madsen fans only. Like:The Hills Have Eyes 2
AFRICAN CATS - A solid 7! Beautiful cinematography and a kiddie-friendly narrative with Samuel L. Jackson to temper this Disney wildlife feature. Like: White Lion
AGAINST THE DARK - A flimsy 4! Low budget TV grade Steven Seagal action/horror/thriller with loose editing and heavy gore, but little Seagal. Like: Attack Force
AGORA - A satisfactory 6! A strong lead performance and lavish historical recreation of Rome override unfocused script in this religious morality epic. Like: Rome (TV)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - A solid 7! Mesmerising and creepy fairy tale visuals immerse audiences in Wonderland with the help of 3D and an all-star cast. Like: The Wizard of Oz, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC - A satisfactory 6! Superficial yet funny animation. Armed to the teeth with special effects and suitable for all ages. Best in 3D. Like: Evolution
ALIENS VS. MONSTERS - A solid 7! Superficial yet funny animation. Armed to the teeth with special effects and suitable for all ages. Best in 3D. Like: Evolution
ALL ABOUT STEVE - A flimsy 4! While this romcom send up tries for something new, it ends up being creepy, irritating and short on laughs. Like: Trust the Man
ALL GOOD THINGS - A satisfactory 6! Solid co-lead performances carry this illuminating, yet sluggish real-life crime mystery drama. Like: Zodiac
ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE - A satisfactory 6! Above average teen horror slasher flick with brains and a fresh take on a worn genre. Like: April Fool's Day
ALONE IN THE DARK II - A flimsy 4! Not dark, alone or a video game adaptation. Low budget stand -alone video sequel B-movie. Better than first. Like: Alone in the Dark
ALPHA AND OMEGA - A third-rate 3! A sweet yet bland and boring wolf love story with second-rate CGI and slapstick comedy for under 8s. Like: The Little Fox 2
ALREADY DEAD - A flimsy 4! Action/thriller starts violently like Saw, loses focus and shifts into Prison Break mode. Like: Saw, Prison Break
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS - A flimsy 4! A zippy, high -pitched pop idol music adventure for the Chipmunks and your kids. Like: Garfield, Underdog
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL - A flimsy 4! Even kiddies will start to tire of the high -pitched numbers and slapstick comedy in this low -key sequel. Like: Alvin & The Chipmunks
AMELIA - A flat 5! Earhart's historical accomplishments take the air in this biographical account, but her life force is left unexplored. Like: Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight
AMERICAN, THE - A flat 5! While Corbijn's cinematography and picturesque Italian village portray great beauty, the slow pacing and distant characters don't grip you - a James Bond in slow-mo crime drama. Like: The Limits of Control
AMERICAN CRUDE - A third -rate 3! A decent comedy cast are wasted in this weak debut attempt at dark comedy. Like: Very Bad Things
AMERICAN PIE: BOOK OF LOVE A flimsy 4! Eugene Levy is the highlight amid this American Pie sequel's poor casting and average script. Like: American Pie: Band Camp
AMERICANIZING SHELLEY - A flat 5! Sweet, simplistic and predictable Bollywood take on Pygmalion. Gujral's adorable, but treatment may offend. Like: Marigold
AMUSEMENT - A flimsy 4! Dull, sluggish straight -to -DVD cat -and -mouse horror/thriller plays into genre cliches and loses bite. Like: Valentine, It
ANACONDA 3: THE OFFSPRING - A third-rate 3! Even David Hasselhoff can't save this sequel from poor CGI, a predictable story and 2D characters. Like: Anaconda 2
ANACONDA 4: TRAIL OF BLOOD - A third-rate 3! Another low budget Anaconda sequel with poor CGI. Made for TV action horror is laughable, yet better than A3. Like: Anaconda 3
ANAMORPH - A flat 5! Run-of-the-mill thriller with a decent cast, but thin story and laden with academic references. Like: The Da Vinci Code
AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR FATHER? - A solid 7! Good performances and sensitive writing make this slow, emotional Morrison adaptation palatable. Like: A Walk to Remember
ANGELS & DEMONS - A satisfactory 6! Hi-tech action time -bomb thriller with Church vs. Illuminati adaptation set in Rome. Like: National Treasure/Da Vinci Code
ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING - A satisfactory 6! Smart, funny tween-to-teen comedy drama book adaptation in the wake of Bridget Jones. Like: Hey, hey it's Ester Blueburger
ANIMAL 2, THE - A flimsy 4! Ving Rhames headlines this mediocre straight-to-DVD action/drama sequel. Mindless low budget entertainment. Like: The Animal
ANIMALS UNITED - A flimsy 4! Dull, preachy and forgettable environment-conscious animal animated feature with a likable voice cast. Like: The Wild
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS - An excellent 8! Intimate biographical documentary on work and life of world renowned celebrity photographer. Like: Imagine (TV)
ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY - A satisfactory 6! Sweet, funny and predictable straight-to-DVD Cinderella sequel is even better the original. Like: Cinderella Story
ANOTHER GAY SEQUEL - A terrible 2! Gay take on Not Another Teen Movie is a juvenile, nasty, gross and trashy waste of time. Like: Disaster Movie
ANTICHRIST - A satisfactory 6! Beautiful cinematography and strong performances underpin this highly controversial, gruesome and harrowing arthouse-horror. Like: Salo
ANYWHERE BUT HOME - A flat 5! Despite a terrific cast, this acidic holiday comedy suffers from a weak script and a lack of laughs. Like: Rumour Has It...
APOLLO 18 - A flimsy 4! Sluggish, stagnant, alienating low budget found footage space thriller. Like: The Blair Witch Project
APPALOOSA - A solid 7! A good, entertaining Western with great chemistry, psychology and an engaging friendship/love triangle story. Like: Open Range
APRIL FOOL'S DAY - A third-rate 3. This cheesy slasher remake is predictable and lacks suspense. Like: I Know What You Did Last Summer
ARCHITECT, THE - A flat 5! Ethnic social drama is earnest, but undermined by dull, stagy, sluggish pace and direction. Like: The Architect (stage play)
ARCTIC TALE - A satisfactory 6! Amazing Arctic footage hampered by Queen Latifah's "precious" family narration. Like: March of the Penguins
ARMORED - A flat 5! This inside job heist thriller boasts a decent cast, but lacks the drive of an a-list lead and digs in too soon. Like: The Take
ART OF GETTING BY, THE - A flat 5! An overcooked sitcom quality coming-of-age teen drama with a cast of Hollywood hopefuls. Like: Waiting for Forever
ART OF WAR 2 - A third-rate 3! Sadly this Wesley Snipes straight-to-DVD action sequel is weaker than the original in every department. Like: Art of War
ART OF WAR 3 - A terrible 2! Dull, predictable and violent sequel. Half -wit stunts and performances. No Snipes! Like: Art of War 2
ARTHUR - A flat 5! This fun remake suffers from a lack of laughs and romance, making the modern update lightweight and wholly unnecessary. Like: Mr Deeds
ARTHUR & THE INVISIBLES - A satisfactory 6! Fun, light, entertaining live -action/animation pop culture movie. Like: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Back to Gaya
ARTHUR'S MISSING PAL - A flat 5! Family -friendly PBS animated educational TV series gets a 68 min movie with original voice cast, except Arthur. Like: Arthur
ASK THE DUST - A satisfactory 6! Aspiring adaptation of Los Angeles love affair novel tarnished by sluggish pace. Like: The Human Stain
ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES, THE - An excellent 8! Poetic justice makes this haunting Western beautiful to watch and the performances ring true. Like: The Proposition, Chopper
ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPICS - A flimsy 4! Good production values ruined by lack of Asterix & Obelix, over -the -top CGI effects and half -baked comedy. Like: A&O Meet Cleopatra
ASTRO BOY - A satisfactory 6! Thrilling 3D visuals, a classic story convention and amusing one-liners rescue the day for Astro Boy. Like: The Iron Giant
ATONEMENT - An excellent 8! Well -crafted, beautiful and sprawling epic about love and envy. Like: The English Patient, Pride & Prejudice
ATTACK THE BLOCK - A flat 5! A street-wise yet middling alien invasion in London. Not scary or funny enough. Like: Paul
AUDITION, THE - An excellent 8! A fresh -faced behind-the-scenes music documentary about MET Opera contestants in the format of Idols. Like: American Idol
AUGUST - A flat 5! Hartnett's intentions aside, this dot com indie drama is slow-moving, superficial and doesn't really go anywhere. Like: Boiler Room
AUGUST RUSH - A near -perfect 9! Magic realism and winning performances strike the right note. Like: Oliver Twist, Amadeus, Peter Pan
AUSSIE & TED'S GREAT ADVENTURE - A flat 5! Heartwarming family movie about a lovable Australian mutt and a teddy bear. Like: Homeward Bound
AUSTRALIA - A satisfactory 6! Terrific sets and top production values balance out thin characters and unoriginal feel. Like: Gone with the Wind
AVATAR An excellent 8! - Cameron's 3D Sci -Fi visual extravaganza delivers on entertainment with a multi-layered story and contrasting themes. Like: Dances with Wolves, Dune
AVP2 - A flat 5! Alien showdown arrives to wage war in a small town. Human collateral damage and alien carnage. Like: AVP, 30 Days of Night
AWAKE - A satisfactory 6! An interesting plot is restrained by loose performances, editing and direction. Like: Malice, Extreme Measures
AWAY FROM HER - An excellent 8! A sad, beautiful story about love and memory loss. Amazing performances and sensitive direction/writing. Like: The Savages
AWAY WE GO - A solid 7! Style, imagination and quirky humour underpin this heartwarming, but uneven road trip. Like: Around the Bend
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