SPLING MOVIES
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DADDY DAY CAMP - A flimsy 4! Cheesy and mediocre sequel to Daddy Day Care. Harmless family fun for the kids. Like: Daddy Day Care
DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS - A flat 5! Tyler Perry's good intentions don't measure up to the execution of this melodramatic film. Like: Madea's Family Reunion
DAMAGE - A satisfactory 6! A welcome old school actioner with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as an ex-con hard man, cage fighting to redeem himself. Like: Fighting
DAMNED UNITED, THE A solid 7! Solid performances, an inspiring true sports/buddy story and accurate historical story-telling add up to a well-rounded biographical football drama. Like: Frost/Nixon
DAN IN REAL LIFE - A solid 7! Charismatic performances boost this dramedy romance beyond its sentimental plot. Like: The Holiday
DANCE FLICK - A third-rate 3! A few laughs for the Wayans brothers spoof, but gross-out gags and sketchy direction ruin overall effect. Like: Epic Movie
DARJEELING LIMITED, THE - A solid 7! Quirky Wes Anderson rail trip movie about 3 brothers searching for answers in India. Like: Little Miss Sunshine
DARK IS RISING, THE - A flimsy 4! Adaptation looks great, but doesn't live up to expectations. Like: Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, The Neverending Story
DARK KNIGHT, THE - A near-perfect 9! Surpasses Nolan's prequel. Dark, complex and entertaining comic book/crime saga hybrid. Like: Heat, Batman Begins
DARWIN AWARDS, THE - A flimsy 4! Disjointed documentary comedy/romance doesn't live up to its dark comical source material. Like: Mythbusters
DATE NIGHT - A satisfactory 6! Carell and Fey make an excellent comic couple and provide the necessary spark for this comedy caper to catch the wind. Like: The Out-of-Towners (1999)
DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE - A flat 5! Fun, edgy yet predictable sci-fi thriller remake lacks spirit of original, and heart at its core. Like: Independence Day
DAYBREAKERS - A satisfactory 6! Post-apocalyptic vampire action/horror/sci-fi/thriller starts well but resorts to genre cliches, making it fun, but less indistinguishable. Like: Doomsday
DAYS OF DARKNESS - A flimsy 4! Crude, unapologetic, low budget Dawn of the Dead zombie rip-off. Die-hard zombie fans only. Like: Zombie Diaries
DEAD SPACE - A satisfactory 6! Short, sharp, savage prelude video game animation. Gorey, not suitable for kids. Like: Van Helsing: London Assignment
DEADLY SEASON - A flat 5! Middling, low budget, TV mystery/thriller set in small town. Realistic, regular performances from no-name cast. Like: Safe Harbor
DEAL, THE - A flat 5! A wacky Will H. Macy Hollywood satire/comedy movie-within-a-movie with an overladen script and mismatched leads. Like: State and Main
DEAR JOHN - A flat 5! Good chemistry and typical Nicholas Sparks romance drama are let down by uninvolved direction and bland performances. Like: Closing the Ring
DEATH AND LIFE OF BOBBY Z, THE - A satisfactory 6! Slick, entertaining straight-to-video action/thriller. Like: Layer Cake, Running Scared
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2007) - An excellent 8! Hilarious black comedy about a British funeral gone horribly wrong. Like: Eulogy
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2010) - A flat 5! A solid ensemble cast, an amusing premise and a faithful remake, yet this crude black comedy still falls short of the original. Like: Death at a Funeral
DEATH-DEFYING ACTS - A satisfactory 6! Compelling, charming yet standard period piece that lacks grit. Like: The Phantom of the Opera
DEATH PROOF - A solid 7! Trashy, retro Tarantino homage to B-movies and comic book horror set in the '70s. Like: Highwaymen, Kill Bill Vol. 1
DEATH RACE - A satisfactory 6! Brainless, ultra-violent, over-the-top, action-packed sci-fi/adventure remake of Corman classic. Like: Death Race 2000
DEATH SENTENCE - A satisfactory 6! Violent, cynical and unforgiving revenge/thriller. Like: Falling Down, Death Wish, The Brave One, Taxi Driver
DEATHS OF IAN STONE, THE - A flat 5! A mediocre horror/mystery comparable with Groundhog Day and Highlander. Like: The Butterfly Effect
DECEMBER BOYS - A solid 7! Beautiful, coming-of-age story about a beach summer holiday for four Australian orphan boys. Like: The Sandlot
DECEPTION - A flat 5! Talented cast wasted on a predictable erotic thriller with a wobbly script. Like: Perfect Stranger
DEFIANCE - A solid 7! Quality action, thriller set in Nazi-occupied E. Europe. Solid performances and an engaging true survival story. Like: Valkyrie
DEFINITELY, MAYBE - A satisfactory 6! Great concept, funny script and charming cast create a refreshing "romcom". Like: Love Actually
DELIVER US FROM EVIL - An excellent 8! Documentary unveils the shocking and disturbing crimes of Oliver O'Grady, a former Catholic priest. Like: Our Fathers
DELTA FARCE - A third-rate 3! Weak attempt at war satire is simply a bunch of unfunny slapstick, fart and gay panic jokes. Like: The Delta Force
DEPARTURES - A near-perfect 9! A beautiful, emotional, sensitive and soulful coming-of-age drama on Japanese tradition surrounding encoffinment. Like: As It Is In Heaven
DESCENT PART 2, THE - A flat 5! The sequel picks up where the original left off for more claustrophobic, paranoid no-name cast thrills and spills. Like: The Descent
DESPICABLE ME - A satisfactory 6! Familiar, charming and imaginative animated comedy warms the heart, yet lacks the laughs. Like: Meet the Robinsons
DEVIL'S BACKBONE, THE - A solid 7! A beautiful yet haunting horror/thriller about a Spanish orphanage in the vein of Pan's Labyrinth. Like: Pan's Labyrinth
DEVIL'S CHAIR, THE - A third-rate 3! Weak acting, cliches and a poor script ruin this serial killer movie. Not enough gore or intelligence. Like: Boston Strangler
DEVIL'S DOMINOES - A flat 5! Low budget mobster thriller about mob money that falls into the hands of four friends. Like: 8 of Diamonds
DEVIL'S DOUBLE, THE - A solid 7! While difficult to watch at times, Cooper's dual performance adds the polish to this intriguing, yet psychotic biography. Like: The Last King of Scotland
DIARY OF A SERIAL KILLER - A third-rate 3! Weak acting, cliches and a poor script ruin this serial killer movie. Not enough gore or intelligence. Like: Boston Strangler
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID - A satisfactory 6! Enjoyable coming-of-age preteen school days family comedy laced with nostalgia, angst and situations for all ages. Like: About a Boy
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES - A flat 5! If you enjoyed the first one, you can find more of the same in this fairly ordinary family comedy sequel. Like: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? - A third-rate 3! A weak comedy script and lack of chemistry between the leads make this half-baked "romcom" a bland waste of time. Like: For Richer or Poorer
DILEMMA, THE - A flat 5! A top notch cast and dramatic director fail to hit the mark in this entertaining, yet inconsistent and choppy comedy. Like: The Break-Up
DIMINISHED CAPACITY - A flat 5! Honest performances from a decent cast are no substitute for sweet, yet bland comedy drama. Like: Broken Flowers
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS - A flat 5! Despite its first-rate comedy ensemble of character actors, this remake is inconsistent, somewhat amusing and a bit irritating. Like: The Dinner Game
DINOTOPIA - A flat 5! Mediocre animation, bland characters and short cartoon mentality will entertain kids. Not as good as series. Like: Dinotopia (TV)
DISASTER MOVIE - A terrible 2! Only for those few that can appreciate crude humour, racial stereotypes and lame pop culture references! Like: Epic Movie
DISCREET - A satisfactory 6! Elegant, gripping, character-driven SA stage play "Discreet, Upmarket, 24/7" film adaption. Like: Closer, Interview
DISGRACE - A satisfactory 6! Confrontational, brooding and thought-provoking drama adaptation with a strong lead in Malkovich. Like: Forgiveness, Elegy
DISORDER - A satisfactory 5! Intriguing low-budget Hitchcockian slasher loses the plot in the dying stages. Like: Psycho, Scream
DISTRICT 9 - An excellent 8! Emotionally and intellectually engaging sci-fi/thriller with gritty realism and amazing CGI. Like: Minority Report
DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM - A satisfactory 6! This sequel features the same explosive, entertaining parkour action, which made the original so fun. Like: District 13
DISTURBIA - A solid 7! A dark, modern and slick teen thriller version of Hitchcock's Rear Window. Like: American Beauty
DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY, THE - An excellent 8! An artistic and imaginative French biopic that is equally beautiful in performance and direction. Like: The Sea Inside
DOG PROBLEM, THE - A flimsy 4! Top ensemble wasted in an attempt to construct a Woody Allen comedy. Like: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Big Lebowski
DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN - A flat 5! Zohan is ridiculously funny at times, but doesn't manage to carry its wafer-thin premise the whole way. Like: Borat
DONKEY XOTE - A flat 5! Retelling of Cervantes' Don Quixote makes use of Shrek's 'Donkey' without the wit or charm. Like: El Cid: La leyenda
DOOMSDAY - A satisfactory 6! A trashy post-apocalyptic sci-fi/thriller that pays homage to genre classics of the '80s. Like: Escape from New York
DORIAN GRAY - A flat 5! This Oscar Wilde adaptation tells the debauched Gothic story of a man led astray, a beautifully filmed period piece, marred by a blank lead performance. Like: The Libertine
DOUBT - A solid 7! Oscar-worthy performances, a taut mystery script and contentious themes make for a strong stage play adaptation. Like: Priest
DRAG ME TO HELL - An excellent 8! Raimi returns to origins in this intense horror/thriller. Top direction, fine acting and imaginative story. Like: Evil Dead 2
DRAGON WARS - A flimsy 4! Great potential and special effects are toasted by mixed bag script and flat performances. Grilled cheese. Like: Godzilla
DRAGONBALL - A flimsy 4! Poor adaptation will disappoint fans: from special effects to weak storyline and non-lookalike characters. Like: Dragonball Z
DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT - A flat 5! Dungeons & Dragons saga that skims over fantasy story, and jumbles 2D with 3D animation. Like: Lord of the Rings (1978)
DRILLBIT TAYLOR - A flat 5! Owen Wilson's charm is no match for a tired bully story formula and unfunny script. Like: My Bodyguard (1980)
DRIVE ANGRY - A satisfactory 6! Nicolas Cage delivers another charismatic and likable performance in this Hellish fantasy actioner with loads of explosions, guns, muscle cars and hot babes. Like: Evil Dead, Gone in 60 Seconds
DRIVEN TO KILL - A flat 5! Russian mobster Seagal action/thriller comeback will please fans, and kill time for others. Like: Kill Switch, Exit Wounds
DRONA - A flat 5! Bollywood super hero movie. Terrific special effects, but fails to deliver on performances, script and music. Like: Phantom
DUCHESS, THE - A solid 7! Costume period piece of elegance and grace under pressure. Knightley & Fiennes shine. Parallels with Diana. Like: Pride & Prejudice
DUE DATE - A satisfactory 6! Light, middling cross-country odd couple road trip comedy teams Downey Jr. with Galifinakis, but lacks magic. From director of The Hangover and Old School. Like: Road Trip
DUPLICITY - A solid 7! Smart, witty, sexy and stylish corporate spy thriller. Entertaining, but one too many plot twists. Like: Michael Clayton
DADDY DAY CAMP - A flimsy 4! Cheesy and mediocre sequel to Daddy Day Care. Harmless family fun for the kids. Like: Daddy Day Care
DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS - A flat 5! Tyler Perry's good intentions don't measure up to the execution of this melodramatic film. Like: Madea's Family Reunion
DAMAGE - A satisfactory 6! A welcome old school actioner with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as an ex-con hard man, cage fighting to redeem himself. Like: Fighting
DAMNED UNITED, THE A solid 7! Solid performances, an inspiring true sports/buddy story and accurate historical story-telling add up to a well-rounded biographical football drama. Like: Frost/Nixon
DAN IN REAL LIFE - A solid 7! Charismatic performances boost this dramedy romance beyond its sentimental plot. Like: The Holiday
DANCE FLICK - A third-rate 3! A few laughs for the Wayans brothers spoof, but gross-out gags and sketchy direction ruin overall effect. Like: Epic Movie
DARJEELING LIMITED, THE - A solid 7! Quirky Wes Anderson rail trip movie about 3 brothers searching for answers in India. Like: Little Miss Sunshine
DARK IS RISING, THE - A flimsy 4! Adaptation looks great, but doesn't live up to expectations. Like: Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, The Neverending Story
DARK KNIGHT, THE - A near-perfect 9! Surpasses Nolan's prequel. Dark, complex and entertaining comic book/crime saga hybrid. Like: Heat, Batman Begins
DARWIN AWARDS, THE - A flimsy 4! Disjointed documentary comedy/romance doesn't live up to its dark comical source material. Like: Mythbusters
DATE NIGHT - A satisfactory 6! Carell and Fey make an excellent comic couple and provide the necessary spark for this comedy caper to catch the wind. Like: The Out-of-Towners (1999)
DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE - A flat 5! Fun, edgy yet predictable sci-fi thriller remake lacks spirit of original, and heart at its core. Like: Independence Day
DAYBREAKERS - A satisfactory 6! Post-apocalyptic vampire action/horror/sci-fi/thriller starts well but resorts to genre cliches, making it fun, but less indistinguishable. Like: Doomsday
DAYS OF DARKNESS - A flimsy 4! Crude, unapologetic, low budget Dawn of the Dead zombie rip-off. Die-hard zombie fans only. Like: Zombie Diaries
DEAD SPACE - A satisfactory 6! Short, sharp, savage prelude video game animation. Gorey, not suitable for kids. Like: Van Helsing: London Assignment
DEADLY SEASON - A flat 5! Middling, low budget, TV mystery/thriller set in small town. Realistic, regular performances from no-name cast. Like: Safe Harbor
DEAL, THE - A flat 5! A wacky Will H. Macy Hollywood satire/comedy movie-within-a-movie with an overladen script and mismatched leads. Like: State and Main
DEAR JOHN - A flat 5! Good chemistry and typical Nicholas Sparks romance drama are let down by uninvolved direction and bland performances. Like: Closing the Ring
DEATH AND LIFE OF BOBBY Z, THE - A satisfactory 6! Slick, entertaining straight-to-video action/thriller. Like: Layer Cake, Running Scared
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2007) - An excellent 8! Hilarious black comedy about a British funeral gone horribly wrong. Like: Eulogy
DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2010) - A flat 5! A solid ensemble cast, an amusing premise and a faithful remake, yet this crude black comedy still falls short of the original. Like: Death at a Funeral
DEATH-DEFYING ACTS - A satisfactory 6! Compelling, charming yet standard period piece that lacks grit. Like: The Phantom of the Opera
DEATH PROOF - A solid 7! Trashy, retro Tarantino homage to B-movies and comic book horror set in the '70s. Like: Highwaymen, Kill Bill Vol. 1
DEATH RACE - A satisfactory 6! Brainless, ultra-violent, over-the-top, action-packed sci-fi/adventure remake of Corman classic. Like: Death Race 2000
DEATH SENTENCE - A satisfactory 6! Violent, cynical and unforgiving revenge/thriller. Like: Falling Down, Death Wish, The Brave One, Taxi Driver
DEATHS OF IAN STONE, THE - A flat 5! A mediocre horror/mystery comparable with Groundhog Day and Highlander. Like: The Butterfly Effect
DECEMBER BOYS - A solid 7! Beautiful, coming-of-age story about a beach summer holiday for four Australian orphan boys. Like: The Sandlot
DECEPTION - A flat 5! Talented cast wasted on a predictable erotic thriller with a wobbly script. Like: Perfect Stranger
DEFIANCE - A solid 7! Quality action, thriller set in Nazi-occupied E. Europe. Solid performances and an engaging true survival story. Like: Valkyrie
DEFINITELY, MAYBE - A satisfactory 6! Great concept, funny script and charming cast create a refreshing "romcom". Like: Love Actually
DELIVER US FROM EVIL - An excellent 8! Documentary unveils the shocking and disturbing crimes of Oliver O'Grady, a former Catholic priest. Like: Our Fathers
DELTA FARCE - A third-rate 3! Weak attempt at war satire is simply a bunch of unfunny slapstick, fart and gay panic jokes. Like: The Delta Force
DEPARTURES - A near-perfect 9! A beautiful, emotional, sensitive and soulful coming-of-age drama on Japanese tradition surrounding encoffinment. Like: As It Is In Heaven
DESCENT PART 2, THE - A flat 5! The sequel picks up where the original left off for more claustrophobic, paranoid no-name cast thrills and spills. Like: The Descent
DESPICABLE ME - A satisfactory 6! Familiar, charming and imaginative animated comedy warms the heart, yet lacks the laughs. Like: Meet the Robinsons
DEVIL'S BACKBONE, THE - A solid 7! A beautiful yet haunting horror/thriller about a Spanish orphanage in the vein of Pan's Labyrinth. Like: Pan's Labyrinth
DEVIL'S CHAIR, THE - A third-rate 3! Weak acting, cliches and a poor script ruin this serial killer movie. Not enough gore or intelligence. Like: Boston Strangler
DEVIL'S DOMINOES - A flat 5! Low budget mobster thriller about mob money that falls into the hands of four friends. Like: 8 of Diamonds
DEVIL'S DOUBLE, THE - A solid 7! While difficult to watch at times, Cooper's dual performance adds the polish to this intriguing, yet psychotic biography. Like: The Last King of Scotland
DIARY OF A SERIAL KILLER - A third-rate 3! Weak acting, cliches and a poor script ruin this serial killer movie. Not enough gore or intelligence. Like: Boston Strangler
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID - A satisfactory 6! Enjoyable coming-of-age preteen school days family comedy laced with nostalgia, angst and situations for all ages. Like: About a Boy
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES - A flat 5! If you enjoyed the first one, you can find more of the same in this fairly ordinary family comedy sequel. Like: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? - A third-rate 3! A weak comedy script and lack of chemistry between the leads make this half-baked "romcom" a bland waste of time. Like: For Richer or Poorer
DILEMMA, THE - A flat 5! A top notch cast and dramatic director fail to hit the mark in this entertaining, yet inconsistent and choppy comedy. Like: The Break-Up
DIMINISHED CAPACITY - A flat 5! Honest performances from a decent cast are no substitute for sweet, yet bland comedy drama. Like: Broken Flowers
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS - A flat 5! Despite its first-rate comedy ensemble of character actors, this remake is inconsistent, somewhat amusing and a bit irritating. Like: The Dinner Game
DINOTOPIA - A flat 5! Mediocre animation, bland characters and short cartoon mentality will entertain kids. Not as good as series. Like: Dinotopia (TV)
DISASTER MOVIE - A terrible 2! Only for those few that can appreciate crude humour, racial stereotypes and lame pop culture references! Like: Epic Movie
DISCREET - A satisfactory 6! Elegant, gripping, character-driven SA stage play "Discreet, Upmarket, 24/7" film adaption. Like: Closer, Interview
DISGRACE - A satisfactory 6! Confrontational, brooding and thought-provoking drama adaptation with a strong lead in Malkovich. Like: Forgiveness, Elegy
DISORDER - A satisfactory 5! Intriguing low-budget Hitchcockian slasher loses the plot in the dying stages. Like: Psycho, Scream
DISTRICT 9 - An excellent 8! Emotionally and intellectually engaging sci-fi/thriller with gritty realism and amazing CGI. Like: Minority Report
DISTRICT 13: ULTIMATUM - A satisfactory 6! This sequel features the same explosive, entertaining parkour action, which made the original so fun. Like: District 13
DISTURBIA - A solid 7! A dark, modern and slick teen thriller version of Hitchcock's Rear Window. Like: American Beauty
DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY, THE - An excellent 8! An artistic and imaginative French biopic that is equally beautiful in performance and direction. Like: The Sea Inside
DOG PROBLEM, THE - A flimsy 4! Top ensemble wasted in an attempt to construct a Woody Allen comedy. Like: Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Big Lebowski
DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN - A flat 5! Zohan is ridiculously funny at times, but doesn't manage to carry its wafer-thin premise the whole way. Like: Borat
DONKEY XOTE - A flat 5! Retelling of Cervantes' Don Quixote makes use of Shrek's 'Donkey' without the wit or charm. Like: El Cid: La leyenda
DOOMSDAY - A satisfactory 6! A trashy post-apocalyptic sci-fi/thriller that pays homage to genre classics of the '80s. Like: Escape from New York
DORIAN GRAY - A flat 5! This Oscar Wilde adaptation tells the debauched Gothic story of a man led astray, a beautifully filmed period piece, marred by a blank lead performance. Like: The Libertine
DOUBT - A solid 7! Oscar-worthy performances, a taut mystery script and contentious themes make for a strong stage play adaptation. Like: Priest
DRAG ME TO HELL - An excellent 8! Raimi returns to origins in this intense horror/thriller. Top direction, fine acting and imaginative story. Like: Evil Dead 2
DRAGON WARS - A flimsy 4! Great potential and special effects are toasted by mixed bag script and flat performances. Grilled cheese. Like: Godzilla
DRAGONBALL - A flimsy 4! Poor adaptation will disappoint fans: from special effects to weak storyline and non-lookalike characters. Like: Dragonball Z
DRAGONLANCE: DRAGONS OF AUTUMN TWILIGHT - A flat 5! Dungeons & Dragons saga that skims over fantasy story, and jumbles 2D with 3D animation. Like: Lord of the Rings (1978)
DRILLBIT TAYLOR - A flat 5! Owen Wilson's charm is no match for a tired bully story formula and unfunny script. Like: My Bodyguard (1980)
DRIVE ANGRY - A satisfactory 6! Nicolas Cage delivers another charismatic and likable performance in this Hellish fantasy actioner with loads of explosions, guns, muscle cars and hot babes. Like: Evil Dead, Gone in 60 Seconds
DRIVEN TO KILL - A flat 5! Russian mobster Seagal action/thriller comeback will please fans, and kill time for others. Like: Kill Switch, Exit Wounds
DRONA - A flat 5! Bollywood super hero movie. Terrific special effects, but fails to deliver on performances, script and music. Like: Phantom
DUCHESS, THE - A solid 7! Costume period piece of elegance and grace under pressure. Knightley & Fiennes shine. Parallels with Diana. Like: Pride & Prejudice
DUE DATE - A satisfactory 6! Light, middling cross-country odd couple road trip comedy teams Downey Jr. with Galifinakis, but lacks magic. From director of The Hangover and Old School. Like: Road Trip
DUPLICITY - A solid 7! Smart, witty, sexy and stylish corporate spy thriller. Entertaining, but one too many plot twists. Like: Michael Clayton
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