Review: Tyler Perry's Bad Just Good Enough
Review in a Hurry: The first half of Tyler Perry's latest Madea movie is enough to give a cynic hope in more ways than one, as the evangelical auteur integrates the humor and morality lectures more deftly and effectively than usual. Sadly, the barrage of "inspirational" musical numbers in the second half stops the narrative dead in its tracks.
Review: Halloween II, When Rob Zombie Attacks
Review in a Hurry: A bizarre mashup of grindhouse and art house, Rob Zombie's latest redneck rampage is unlikely to fully satisfy hardcore devotees of either genre. Yet there's a lot going on here that's worth a look, even if the writer-director's reach occasionally exceeds his grasp.
Review: Say It Ain't So, G.I. Joe
Review in a Hurry: This barely live-action adaptation of the mid-'80s toy/comic/cartoon iteration of Hasbro's long-running soldier toys is fast-paced, decently cast, and, shall we say, "easy on the brain." Unfortunately, it's also frequently laugh-out-loud cheesy, and the digital effects are highly dubious.
Review: Jennifer Aniston Rom-Com Management Only Kinda Creepy
Review in a Hurry: When a beautiful businesswoman breezes into town, a local motel owner's creepy son develops a fixation on her and will go to any length to have her. Another Psycho remake? Not quite—this is actually a slightly unsettling romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Steve Zahn.
Review: Star Trek a Slick, Witty Reboot—With a Twist
Review in a Hurry: Part sequel, part prequel, all clever reboot. Director J.J. Abrams smartly uses existing Trek continuity to change existing Trek continuity (bear with us here) and delivers the truest big-screen take on the original series yet. Also, along with a near-perfect cast, he obliterates the unofficial rule that says only even-numbered Star Trek movies are good.
Slick Watchmen Knocks Superheroes Down to Earth
Review in a Hurry: No movie shorter than five hours could capture the depth of the acclaimed comic miniseries, so Zack Snyder's Watchmen plays sort of like a greatest-hits version. It still brings the superhero-noir murder mystery very much to life, which is more than most fans—or anyone—could have hoped for.
The International: A Good Thriller for Bad Times
Review in a Hurry: You know how the U.S. is bogged down in regional wars and everyone's in debt? Turns out it's all because of this one evil bank in Luxembourg—default and it might assassinate your head of state just for fun. But never fear, Clive Owen is on the case in this stylish and surprisingly crisp thriller.
Overly Complex Push Packs Just Enough Power
Review in a Hurry: Don't be fooled by the ads—Push isn't any kind of superhero action blowout, but more of a Hong Kong crime drama. Except it's directed by a Scotsman and stars mostly American actors (Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning, for starters).
The Uninvited
Review in a Hurry: Better-than-average American remake of a mediocre Korean horror film, courtesy of two British filmmaking brothers named Guard, about a troubled teen and her potentially evil stepmother.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Review in a Hurry: The vampires-versus-werewolves-under-blue-lights franchise gets medieval on our asses, literally, with a refreshingly efficient swords ‘n' armor prequel.
My Bloody Valentine 3-D
Review in a Hurry: The first slasher film to be released in the ultraslick "Real D" 3-D format only needed to live up to the standards set by Jaws 3-D and Friday the 13th Part 3. Unfortunately, even that modestly placed bar proved too high to clear.
Hotel for Dogs
Review in a Hurry: A pair of perpetual foster kids (Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin) develop a shelter for stray pets in an abandoned inner-city hotel that somehow still has electricity, running water and a whole lot of potentially valuable equipment—like movie cameras and treadmills—that hasn't been looted yet.





