Despite the fact that it's directed with sincerity and compassion by Guadalajara-born Patricia Riggen, Under the Same Moon is weighed down by plot contrivances and simplistic life lessons. ...
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Titles You’ve Reviewed
DVD: Under the Same Moon
I rate this titleonand give itEmotional immigration drama has mature themes.
DVD: The Signal
I rate this titlenokidsand give itBloody, hallucinatory horror movie isn't for kids.
Full of bloody bodies and brutal violence, The Signal might be mistaken for a run-of-the-mill humans-go-brutally-crazy horror movie. But it has something else on its mind: Namely, a somewhat ...
DVD: Funny Games
I rate this titlenokidsand give itMature, complicated look at movie violence.
A scene-for-scene remake of director Michael Haneke's own, same-named 1997 Austrian film, Funny Games has more on its mind than startling displays of blood and terror. In fact, the violent ...
DVD: Jumper
I rate this titleiffyand give itAction-heavy sci-fi tale has uninspiring hero.
Though it's based on a science-fiction novel by Steven Gould, Doug Liman's movie feels very comic booky, punctuated by action scenes, a car chase, explosions, and ...
DVD: The Eye
I rate this titleiffyand give itJessica Alba sees dead people in blah horror film.
Yet another remake of a popular Asian horror film (2002's Gin gwai), THE EYE is long on smart camerawork, short on intelligent dialogue, and finally undone by a finale that's more hectic than ...
DVD: National Treasure: Book of Secrets
I rate this titleonand give itAction-packed treasure hunt offers few surprises.
It's never a good sign when you can figure out a secret plot before a movie's characters do. Then again, that's not very hard to do when the plot is the same as the first time you saw it. ...
DVD: Untraceable
I rate this titleoffand give itViolent torture thriller puts blame on the media.
With Marsh at the center of the action, there's a lot of focus on Lane's performance. She's certainly up to it -- particularly as Marsh's personal relationships are put at risk, and she becomes ...
DVD: The Great Debaters
I rate this titleiffyand give itInspiring true story confronts racism head-on.
Based on a true story and produced by Oprah Winfrey, this earnest-till-it-hurts film has a lot of the characteristics of the typical "underdog" movie: personal hardship, social oppression, and ...
DVD: The Golden Compass
I rate this titleiffyand give itAmbitious fantasy is too intense for young kids.
The Golden Compass is heavy on plot. And with so much to cover, the editing between scenes can be choppy and the digital effects uneven. The most wonderful and cunning "effect" in the film is ...
DVD: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I rate this titleiffyand give itSubtitled drama takes paralyzed man's perspective.
Baudy's perspective is rendered through from point-of-view framing and a voice over indicating his feisty sarcasm and occasional self-pity. On meeting speech therapist Henriette (Marie-Josée Croze), ...
DVD: One Missed Call
I rate this titleiffyand give itViolent, sloppy Japanese horror remake.
ONE MISSED CALL suffers from predictable characters, over-used conventions of the horror genre, and a plot that never really makes sense. For example, Beth goes through the usual scary movie motions: ...
DVD: Cloverfield
I rate this titleiffyand give itTense monster movie is loud, hectic -- and scary.
Combining low-budget grit with spectacular effects, the film uses its tightly focused, handheld documentary premise (recalling The Blair Witch ...
