Christa Banister

As the big-screen debut from Anthony Hemingway, with George Lucas as executive producer, what Red Tails lacks most is gravitas.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close will either have you reaching for a tissue or sighing from sheer emotional exhaustion. Or both.

The story of a super smuggler who’s gone straight but is forced out of “retirement” to keep his family safe falls flat in a hurry.

It takes a real pro like Cameron Crowe to transform what could’ve been a big mess into something meaningful with We Bought a Zoo.

There’s plenty of life left in the Mission: Impossible franchise, thanks to an inspired script and direction from Brad Bird.

Were filmmakers able to capture lighting in a bottle yet again with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows? The answer is yes.

A considerable diversion from The Squeakquel, Chipwrecked is far less focused on Alvin and the Chipmunks’ career prospects.

Director Garry Marshall ups the ante from Valentine’s Day, recruiting half of Hollywood to star in this sentimental dreck.

The Muppets showcases how fascinating characters trump over-the-top stunts any day of the week—even when they’re puppets.

The same characters are basically in place from its Happy Feet predecessor, but Happy Feet Two simply lacks a lightness of step.

While there are definitely more laughs than expected, it still doesn’t take long for a juvenile Jack and Jill to go downhill.

An engaging depiction of a prickly, powerful man filled with all sorts of prejudice and contradiction.

For all the clichéd dialogue about making time count, the filmmakers don’t make the most of their own opportunities In Time.

Why anyone would adapt Alexandre Dumas’s famed novel yet again—with no new angle to boot—is a real head-scratcher.

The remake of Footloose is still a born crowd-pleaser nearly 30 years later, especially when everybody’s dancing.

Not to be confused with those Transformers robots in disguise, Real Steel has an actual human pulse.

A script celebrating family is to be applauded. But the delivery of this message in Courageous is a bit heavy-handed.

Still a memorable story 17 years later, The Lion King in 3D format does little, if anything, to improve upon the original.