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A\|simple\|,\|sometimes\|maddeningly\|slow\|film\|that\|has\|just\|enough\|charm\|and\|good\|acting\|to\|make\|it\|interesting\|,\|but\|is\|ultimately\|pulled\|under\|by\|the\|pacing\|and\|lack\|of\|creativity\|within\|.
Roger\|Michell\|,\|who\|did\|an\|appealing\|job\|directing\|Persuasion\|and\|Notting\|Hill\|in\|England\|,\|gets\|too\|artsy\|in\|his\|American\|debut\|.
There\|is\|an\|almost\|poignant\|dimension\|to\|the\|way\|that\|every\|major\|stunt\|Seagal\|'s\|character\|...\|performs\|is\|shot\|from\|behind\|,\|as\|if\|it\|could\|fool\|us\|into\|thinking\|that\|we\|'re\|not\|watching\|a\|double\|.
Anthony\|Hopkins\|?
Big\|deal\|!
We\|'ve\|already\|seen\|the\|prequel\|to\|The\|Silence\|of\|the\|Lambs\|and\|Hannibal\|--\|and\|it\|was\|better\|the\|first\|time\|.
Ostensibly\|celebrates\|middle-aged\|girl\|power\|,\|even\|as\|it\|presents\|friendship\|between\|women\|as\|pathetic\|,\|dysfunctional\|and\|destructive\|.
If\|this\|is\|an\|example\|of\|the\|type\|of\|project\|that\|Robert\|Redford\|'s\|lab\|is\|willing\|to\|lend\|its\|imprimatur\|to\|,\|then\|perhaps\|it\|'s\|time\|to\|rethink\|independent\|films\|.
Pumpkin\|sits\|in\|a\|patch\|somewhere\|between\|mirthless\|Todd\|Solondzian\|satire\|and\|callow\|student\|film\|.
Not\|so\|much\|funny\|as\|aggressively\|sitcom-cute\|,\|it\|'s\|full\|of\|throwaway\|one-liners\|,\|not-quite\|jokes\|,\|and\|a\|determined\|TV\|amiability\|that\|Allen\|personifies\|.
It\|'s\|not\|that\|Waiting\|For\|Happiness\|is\|a\|bad\|film\|,\|because\|it\|is\|n't\|.
It\|'s\|just\|incredibly\|dull\|.
The\|sad\|thing\|about\|Knockaround\|Guys\|is\|its\|lame\|aspiration\|for\|grasping\|the\|coolness\|vibes\|when\|in\|fact\|the\|film\|is\|n't\|as\|flippant\|or\|slick\|as\|it\|thinks\|it\|is\|.
A\|cumbersome\|and\|cliche-ridden\|movie\|greased\|with\|every\|emotional\|device\|known\|to\|man\|.
Director\|Ferzan\|Ozpetek\|creates\|an\|interesting\|dynamic\|with\|the\|members\|of\|this\|group\|,\|who\|live\|in\|the\|same\|apartment\|building\|.
But\|he\|loses\|his\|focus\|when\|he\|concentrates\|on\|any\|single\|person\|.
Egoyan\|'s\|movie\|is\|too\|complicated\|to\|sustain\|involvement\|,\|and\|,\|if\|you\|'ll\|excuse\|a\|little\|critical\|heresy\|,\|too\|intellectually\|ambitious\|.
It\|wants\|to\|be\|thought\|of\|as\|a\|subversive\|little\|indie\|film\|,\|but\|it\|has\|all\|the\|qualities\|of\|a\|modern\|situation\|comedy\|.
Despite\|apparent\|motives\|to\|the\|contrary\|,\|it\|ends\|up\|being\|,\|like\|(\|Seinfeld\|'s\|)\|revered\|TV\|show\|,\|about\|pretty\|much\|nothing\|.
Shadyac\|shoots\|his\|film\|like\|an\|M.\|Night\|Shyamalan\|movie\|,\|and\|he\|frequently\|maintains\|the\|same\|snail\|'s\|pace\|;\|he\|just\|forgot\|to\|add\|any\|genuine\|tension\|.
Plays\|less\|like\|a\|coming-of-age\|romance\|than\|an\|infomercial\|.
There\|are\|a\|few\|laughs\|and\|clever\|sight\|gags\|scattered\|about\|,\|but\|not\|enough\|to\|make\|this\|anything\|more\|than\|another\|big-budget\|bust\|.
The\|story\|'s\|so\|preposterous\|that\|I\|did\|n't\|believe\|it\|for\|a\|second\|,\|despite\|the\|best\|efforts\|of\|everyone\|involved\|.
I\|'ve\|heard\|that\|the\|fans\|of\|the\|first\|Men\|in\|Black\|have\|come\|away\|hating\|the\|second\|one\|.
I\|wonder\|why\|.
They\|felt\|like\|the\|same\|movie\|to\|me\|.
Despite\|her\|relentless\|vim\|and\|winsome\|facial\|symmetry\|,\|Witherspoon\|is\|just\|too\|dialed-up\|to\|be\|America\|'s\|Sweetheart\|.
An\|ultra-low-budget\|indie\|debut\|that\|smacks\|more\|of\|good\|intentions\|than\|talent\|.
Birot\|is\|a\|competent\|enough\|filmmaker\|,\|but\|her\|story\|has\|nothing\|fresh\|or\|very\|exciting\|about\|it\|.
De\|Niro\|and\|McDormand\|give\|solid\|performances\|,\|but\|their\|screen\|time\|is\|sabotaged\|by\|the\|story\|'s\|inability\|to\|create\|interest\|.
Even\|those\|of\|a\|single\|digit\|age\|will\|be\|able\|to\|recognize\|that\|this\|story\|is\|too\|goofy\|...\|even\|for\|Disney\|.
That\|is\|essentially\|what\|'s\|missing\|from\|Blackboards\|--\|the\|sense\|of\|something\|bigger\|,\|some\|ultimate\|point\|.
A\|compendium\|of\|Solondz\|'s\|own\|worst\|instincts\|in\|under\|90\|minutes\|.
If\|the\|title\|is\|a\|Jeopardy\|question\|,\|then\|the\|answer\|might\|be\|``\|How\|does\|Steven\|Seagal\|come\|across\|these\|days\|?\|''
or\|maybe\|``\|How\|will\|you\|feel\|after\|an\|88-minute\|rip-off\|of\|The\|Rock\|with\|action\|confined\|to\|slo-mo\|gun\|firing\|and\|random\|glass-shattering\|?\|''
It\|is\|a\|comedy\|that\|'s\|not\|very\|funny\|and\|an\|action\|movie\|that\|is\|not\|very\|thrilling\|(\|and\|an\|uneasy\|alliance\|,\|at\|that\|)\|.
The\|story\|is\|familiar\|from\|its\|many\|predecessors\|;\|like\|them\|,\|it\|eventually\|culminates\|in\|the\|not-exactly\|-\|stunning\|insight\|that\|crime\|does\|n't\|pay\|.
You\|'ll\|have\|more\|fun\|setting\|fire\|to\|yourself\|in\|the\|parking\|lot\|.
You\|'ll\|be\|more\|entertained\|getting\|hit\|by\|a\|bus\|.
Dissing\|a\|Bond\|movie\|is\|quite\|like\|calling\|a\|dog\|stupid\|,\|but\|when\|it\|has\|the\|temerity\|to\|run\|over\|two\|hours\|,\|you\|feel\|like\|winding\|up\|with\|a\|kick\|.
Ritchie\|'s\|treatment\|of\|the\|class\|reversal\|is\|majorly\|ham-fisted\|,\|from\|the\|repetitive\|manifestos\|that\|keep\|getting\|thrown\|in\|people\|'s\|faces\|to\|the\|fact\|Amber\|is\|such\|a\|joke\|.
Flat\|,\|but\|with\|a\|revelatory\|performance\|by\|Michelle\|Williams\|.
Little\|more\|than\|a\|frothy\|vanity\|project\|.
The\|film\|goes\|from\|being\|an\|unusual\|sci-fi\|character\|study\|to\|a\|chase\|flick\|that\|detracts\|from\|its\|ending\|.
Verbinski\|substitutes\|atmosphere\|for\|action\|,\|tedium\|for\|thrills\|.
For\|all\|its\|surface\|frenzy\|,\|High\|Crimes\|should\|be\|charged\|with\|loitering\|--\|so\|much\|on\|view\|,\|so\|little\|to\|offer\|.
The\|Sum\|of\|All\|Fears\|is\|almost\|impossible\|to\|follow\|--\|and\|there\|'s\|something\|cringe-inducing\|about\|seeing\|an\|American\|football\|stadium\|nuked\|as\|pop\|entertainment\|.
Alex\|Nohe\|'s\|documentary\|plays\|like\|a\|travelogue\|for\|what\|mostly\|resembles\|a\|real-life\|,\|big-budget\|NC-17\|version\|of\|Tank\|Girl\|.
The\|title\|Trapped\|turns\|out\|to\|be\|a\|pretty\|fair\|description\|of\|how\|you\|feel\|while\|you\|'re\|watching\|this\|ultra-manipulative\|thriller\|.
The\|appeal\|of\|the\|vulgar\|,\|sexist\|,\|racist\|humour\|went\|over\|my\|head\|or\|--\|considering\|just\|how\|low\|brow\|it\|is\|--\|perhaps\|it\|snuck\|under\|my\|feet\|.
The\|story\|really\|has\|no\|place\|to\|go\|since\|Simone\|is\|not\|real\|--\|she\|ca\|n't\|provide\|any\|conflict\|.
IHOPs\|do\|n't\|pile\|on\|this\|much\|syrup\|.
For\|the\|most\|part\|,\|I\|Spy\|was\|an\|amusing\|lark\|that\|will\|probably\|rank\|as\|one\|of\|Murphy\|'s\|better\|performances\|in\|one\|of\|his\|lesser-praised\|movies\|.
focuses\|on\|Joan\|'s\|raging\|hormones\|and\|sledgehammers\|the\|audience\|with\|Spanish\|inquisitions\|about\|her\|``\|madness\|''\|so\|much\|that\|I\|became\|mad\|that\|I\|wasted\|123\|minutes\|and\|$\|9.50\|on\|this\|21st\|century\|torture\|device\|.
This\|series\|should\|have\|died\|long\|ago\|,\|but\|they\|keep\|bringing\|it\|back\|another\|day\|as\|punishment\|for\|paying\|money\|to\|see\|the\|last\|James\|Bond\|movie\|.
A\|bit\|of\|an\|unwieldy\|mess\|.
With\|a\|story\|as\|bizarre\|and\|mysterious\|as\|this\|,\|you\|do\|n't\|want\|to\|be\|worrying\|about\|whether\|the\|ineffectual\|Broomfield\|is\|going\|to\|have\|the\|courage\|to\|knock\|on\|that\|door\|.
The\|filmmakers\|juggle\|and\|juxtapose\|three\|story\|lines\|but\|fail\|to\|come\|up\|with\|one\|cogent\|point\|,\|unless\|it\|'s\|that\|life\|stinks\|,\|especially\|for\|sensitive\|married\|women\|who\|really\|love\|other\|women\|.
The\|movie\|feels\|like\|it\|'s\|going\|to\|be\|great\|,\|and\|it\|carries\|on\|feeling\|that\|way\|for\|a\|long\|time\|,\|but\|takeoff\|just\|never\|happens\|.
A\|gimmick\|in\|search\|of\|a\|movie\|:\|how\|to\|get\|Carvey\|into\|as\|many\|silly\|costumes\|and\|deliver\|as\|many\|silly\|voices\|as\|possible\|,\|plot\|mechanics\|be\|damned\|.
...\|the\|last\|time\|I\|saw\|a\|theater\|full\|of\|people\|constantly\|checking\|their\|watches\|was\|during\|my\|SATs\|.
...\|fifty\|minutes\|of\|tedious\|adolescent\|melodramatics\|followed\|by\|thirty-five\|minutes\|of\|inflated\|nonsense\|.
...\|lacks\|the\|punch\|and\|verve\|needed\|to\|make\|this\|genre\|soar\|.
It\|'s\|often\|faintly\|amusing\|,\|but\|the\|problems\|of\|the\|characters\|never\|become\|important\|to\|us\|,\|and\|the\|story\|never\|takes\|hold\|.
It\|'s\|tough\|,\|astringent\|,\|darkly\|funny\|and\|...\|well\|,\|it\|'s\|also\|generic\|,\|untidy\|,\|condescending\|and\|mild\|of\|impact\|rather\|than\|stunning\|.
Largely\|a\|for-fans\|artifact\|.
There\|'s\|no\|denying\|the\|elaborateness\|of\|the\|artist\|'s\|conceptions\|,\|nor\|his\|ability\|to\|depict\|them\|with\|outrageous\|elan\|,\|but\|really\|the\|whole\|series\|is\|so\|much\|pretentious\|nonsense\|,\|lavishly\|praised\|by\|those\|who\|equate\|obscurity\|with\|profundity\|.
Characters\|wander\|into\|predictably\|treacherous\|situations\|even\|though\|they\|should\|know\|better\|.
There\|'s\|plenty\|of\|style\|in\|Guillermo\|Del\|Toro\|'s\|sequel\|to\|the\|1998\|hit\|but\|why\|do\|we\|need\|117\|minutes\|to\|tell\|a\|tale\|that\|simply\|ca\|n't\|sustain\|more\|than\|90\|minutes\|.
(\|I\|)\|f\|you\|'ve\|been\|to\|more\|than\|one\|indie\|flick\|in\|your\|life\|,\|chances\|are\|you\|'ve\|already\|seen\|this\|kind\|of\|thing\|.
First-time\|director\|João\|Pedro\|Rodrigues\|'\|unwillingness\|to\|define\|his\|hero\|'s\|background\|or\|motivations\|becomes\|more\|and\|more\|frustrating\|as\|the\|film\|goes\|on\|.
No\|reason\|for\|anyone\|to\|invest\|their\|hard-earned\|bucks\|into\|a\|movie\|which\|obviously\|did\|n't\|invest\|much\|into\|itself\|either\|.
A\|strong\|first\|quarter\|,\|slightly\|less\|so\|second\|quarter\|,\|and\|average\|second\|half\|.
A\|boring\|,\|wincingly\|cute\|and\|nauseatingly\|politically\|correct\|cartoon\|guaranteed\|to\|drive\|anyone\|much\|over\|age\|4\|screaming\|from\|the\|theater\|.
The\|vampire\|thriller\|Blade\|II\|starts\|off\|as\|a\|wild\|hoot\|and\|then\|sucks\|the\|blood\|out\|of\|its\|fun\|--\|toward\|the\|end\|,\|you\|can\|feel\|your\|veins\|cringing\|from\|the\|workout\|.
When\|the\|first\|few\|villians\|are\|introduced\|as\|``\|Spider\|''\|and\|``\|Snake\|''\|you\|know\|you\|'re\|in\|for\|a\|real\|winner\|,\|creativity\|at\|its\|peak\|.
An\|Afterschool\|Special\|without\|the\|courage\|of\|its\|convictions\|.
The\|final\|result\|makes\|for\|adequate\|entertainment\|,\|I\|suppose\|,\|but\|anyone\|who\|has\|seen\|Chicago\|on\|stage\|will\|leave\|the\|theater\|feeling\|they\|'ve\|watched\|nothing\|but\|a\|pale\|imitation\|of\|the\|real\|deal\|.
(\|Director\|)\|Byler\|may\|yet\|have\|a\|great\|movie\|in\|him\|,\|but\|Charlotte\|Sometimes\|is\|only\|half\|of\|one\|.
So\|few\|movies\|explore\|religion\|that\|it\|'s\|disappointing\|to\|see\|one\|reduce\|it\|to\|an\|idea\|that\|fits\|in\|a\|sampler\|.
It\|'s\|also\|clear\|from\|the\|start\|that\|The\|Transporter\|is\|running\|purely\|on\|adrenaline\|,\|and\|once\|the\|initial\|high\|wears\|off\|,\|the\|film\|'s\|shortcomings\|start\|to\|shine\|through\|.
Watching\|it\|is\|rather\|like\|viewing\|a\|long\|soap\|opera\|in\|which\|only\|the\|first\|episode\|was\|any\|good\|.
It\|'s\|fun\|,\|but\|a\|psychological\|mess\|,\|with\|Austin\|Powers\|bumping\|his\|head\|on\|the\|way\|out\|of\|the\|closet\|.
There\|are\|touching\|moments\|in\|Etoiles\|,\|but\|for\|the\|most\|part\|this\|is\|a\|dull\|,\|dour\|documentary\|on\|what\|ought\|to\|be\|a\|joyful\|or\|at\|least\|fascinating\|subject\|.
Could\|the\|whole\|plan\|here\|have\|been\|to\|produce\|something\|that\|makes\|Fatal\|Attraction\|look\|like\|a\|classic\|by\|comparison\|?
That\|'s\|the\|only\|sane\|rationale\|I\|can\|think\|of\|for\|Swimfan\|'s\|existence\|.
I\|did\|n't\|laugh\|at\|the\|ongoing\|efforts\|of\|Cube\|,\|and\|his\|skinny\|buddy\|Mike\|Epps\|,\|to\|make\|like\|Laurel\|and\|Hardy\|'n\|the\|hood\|.
The\|only\|way\|this\|supernatural\|snore-fest\|could\|give\|anyone\|a\|case\|of\|the\|frights\|is\|if\|they\|were\|put\|to\|sleep\|by\|the\|movie\|and\|had\|a\|nightmare\|.
I\|wonder\|what\|the\|reaction\|of\|Israelis\|will\|be\|to\|this\|supposedly\|evenhanded\|presentation\|.
The\|film\|would\|work\|much\|better\|as\|a\|video\|installation\|in\|a\|museum\|,\|where\|viewers\|would\|be\|free\|to\|leave\|.
Immediately\|.
Human\|Nature\|initially\|succeeds\|by\|allowing\|itself\|to\|go\|crazy\|,\|but\|ultimately\|fails\|by\|spinning\|out\|of\|control\|.
(\|It\|'s\|)\|a\|prison\|soccer\|movie\|starring\|charismatic\|tough\|guy\|Vinnie\|Jones\|,\|but\|it\|had\|too\|much\|spitting\|for\|me\|to\|enjoy\|.
Not\|even\|the\|Hanson\|Brothers\|can\|save\|it
The\|thriller\|side\|of\|this\|movie\|is\|falling\|flat\|,\|as\|the\|stalker\|does\|n't\|do\|much\|stalking\|,\|and\|no\|cop\|or\|lawyer\|grasps\|the\|concept\|of\|actually\|investigating\|the\|case\|.
...\|(\|a\|)\|strained\|comedy\|that\|jettisons\|all\|opportunities\|for\|Rock\|to\|make\|his\|mark\|by\|serving\|up\|the\|usual\|chaotic\|nonsense\|.
A\|sour\|,\|nasty\|offering\|.
Feels\|like\|one\|of\|those\|contrived\|,\|only-in\|-\|Hollywood\|productions\|where\|name\|actors\|deliver\|big\|performances\|created\|for\|the\|sole\|purpose\|of\|generating\|Oscar\|talk\|.
Obstacles\|are\|too\|easily\|overcome\|and\|there\|is\|n't\|much\|in\|the\|way\|of\|character\|development\|in\|the\|script\|.
It\|tells\|more\|than\|it\|shows\|.

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