Movie Ratings & Reviews
Last film added: July 4, 2010. There are currently 937 films in the database (since 1997).
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) 10 

A brilliant adaptation by Wes Anderson of the classic Roald Dahl book. Fantastic stop-motion animation.
Inglourious Basterds (2009) 10 
A funny, violent Tarantino film about guerrilla soldiers in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
Moon (2009) 10 

One man and a computer run a lunar base that supplies Earth with energy. Meditative.
Waltz with Bashir (2008) 10 


Stunning. Folman interviews Israeli veterans of the 1982 Lebanon invasion to reconstruct his own memories.
(500) Days of Summer (2009) 9 
Offbeat, witty romantic comedy (not a love story) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Great.
Avatar (2009) 9 

Cameron delivers a forbidden love story set in an extraordinary, photorealistic alien world. 3D wonderment.
Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The (2008) 9 
A man ages backwards, with bizarre consequences. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt.
Coraline (2009) 9 

A secret door reveals a young girl's alternate, button-eyed life. Fantastic experience in RealD 3D.
Dark Knight, The (2008) 9 


Nolan's nightmarish adaptation of Batman, Joker and Two-Face raises the bar for comic-book movies, again.
District 9 (2009) 9 
Biotechnology fable about an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth. Political.
Drunk History - Season 1 (2008) 9 

Drunk historians try to describe history while Jack Black, Michael Cera and others reenact. Hilarious.
Fall, The (2008) 9 
Tarsem Singh, director of The Cell, creates a delightful fantasy based in 1920s Los Angeles.
Food, Inc. (2009) 9 
A disturbing look inside America's corporate-controlled food industry. Necessary documentary about what we eat.
Frisky Dingo - Seasons 1 and 2 (2008) 9 



A supervillain named Killface plans to destroy humanity using the Annihilatrix. Clever and often hilarious.
Go-Getter, The (2008) 9 

A great road movie, starting from Eugene, Oregon. Features Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's music.
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008) 9 


A fast-moving, entertaining portrait of late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, narrated by Johnny Depp.
In Pursuit of Panama (2009) 9 


An allegorical, Kerouac-like documentary about two lifelong friends who embark on a seven-country road trip.
Let the Right One In (2008) 9 

A dark, dreamlike fairytale about a young Scandinavian vampire that explores a tender childhood friendship.
Synecdoche, New York (2008) 9 


Charlie Kaufman blends self-referential existence with a living play inside a New York City warehouse.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) 9
A love story intertwines the slums and gangs of Mumbai with a TV game show.
Star Trek (2009) 9 
An inspired reboot of the Star Trek franchise. J.J. Abrams expertly renders the lens-flare brilliance.
Timecrimes (2008) 9 


Like Primer, this is a film of time-travel paradoxes, but with more voyeurism and nudity.
Up in the Air (2009) 9
Downsizing expert Clooney spends his days isolated in planes and hotels. Complex, intelligent and moving.
WALL-E (2008) 9 


Humans have left Earth, but a charming, curious robot is still cleaning up our mess.
Watchmen (2009) 9 



Zack Snyder successfully films Alan Moore's graphic novel about an alternate, quantum America in 1985.
When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (2008) 9 


Discovery's compelling six-part series about the race into space, the moon landings, shuttles, and beyond.
Where the Wild Things Are (2009) 9 
Spike Jonze adapts Maurice Sendak's classic story for the screen. Reality is a child's imagination.
Antichrist (2009) 8 

Lars von Trier offers a bleak, self-indulgent vision of female sexuality and human cruelty. Shocking.
Ashes of Time Redux (2008) 8
Kar-Wai Wong's recut version of the 1994 wuxia epic. A broken-hearted swordsman in the desert.
Box, The (2009) 8 
Richard Kelly's third film is intriguing, frustrating, surreal and brimming with water imagery. Haunting absurdity.
Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football (2008) 8 



HBO chronicles the profound effect of the 1960s Civil Rights movement on college football programs.
Brothers Bloom, The (2009) 8 
A charming tale of con artists and the intricate scams they concoct and live out.
Che: Part One (2009) 8 
Soderbergh and Del Toro recount the Cuban Revolution: Castro, Che Guevara and the guerrilla army.
Cloverfield (2008) 8 

It's Godzilla epicness, Blair Witch Project shakiness, and Alien viciousness concealing a Manhattan love story.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) 8 



Joss Whedon's three-part online musical miniseries. Filmed during the writers' strike, starring Neil Patrick Harris.
Drag Me to Hell (2009) 8 
Loan officer Alison Lohman becomes cursed after evicting an elderly gypsy woman from her home.
Franklyn (2009) 8 

In a future metropolis (see Dark City, Blade Runner) and contemporary London, Eva Green stars.
Frost/Nixon (2008) 8 
A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) 8 


Stunning grotesqueness and visual poetry from Guillermo del Toro. Incredible set design and beautiful effects.
Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The (2009) 8 
Gilliam shows us the death of magic (while honoring Heath Ledger) in spectacular visual form.
Iron Man (2008) 8 

Robert Downey Jr. builds an armored suit and decides to use the technology against evil.
Milk (2008) 8 
Van Sant's biography of openly gay politician Harvey Milk. An empathic portrayal by Sean Penn.
More Tales from the Script (2010) 8 

Fascinating unheard stories from top Hollywood screenwriters. A 47-minute continuation of Tales from the Script.
Special (2008) 8 

Michael Rapaport participates in an experimental drug study and becomes sure his superpowers are strengthening.
Tales from the Script (2009) 8 

Veteran Hollywood screenwriters share their triumphs and failures, insider insights, anecdotes and artistic compromises.
Tetro (2009) 8 

Stylish indie film by Francis Ford Coppola. Could've been better with fewer staged productions though.
Tokyo! (2008) 8 


A cinematic triptych (transformation, anarchy, rebirth) set in Tokyo. Directed by Gondry, Carax and Bong.
Tropic Thunder (2008) 8 
Ben Stiller's big-budget satire of celebrity excess and Hollywood action movies. Downey Jr. is hilarious.
9 (2009) 7 


A visually stunning, steampunk world inhabited by robot rag dolls. Ending is weak, plot underdeveloped.
Appaloosa (2008) 7
Satisfying Western by Ed Harris about hired guns. Zellweger's face is a creepy kabuki mask.
Atom Smashers, The (2008) 7 


How does life exist? Documentary chronicles the search for the Higgs boson by Fermilab physicists.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) 7 

Surreal black comedy from master storyteller Werner Herzog. Nicolas Cage is a drug-addled, maniacal detective.
Bernard and Doris (2008) 7 



An HBO Films picture about tobacco heiress Doris Duke (Sarandon) and her gay butler (Fiennes).
Che: Part Two (2009) 7 
Soderbergh and Del Toro depict Che Guevara in the ill-fated revolutionary guerrilla war in Bolivia.
Doubt (2008) 7
A nun confronts a priest after suspecting him of abusing a student. But did he?
Funny Games (2008) 7 
An aggressively unpleasant film that tortures the audience for its bloodlust. Both sadistic and pretentious.
Happy Town - Episodes 1-8 (2010) 7 

Paranormal crime drama that aspires to be Twin Peaks. Dark mysteries in an idyllic town.
Home (2009) 7 

A film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand featuring aerial footage from around the globe. Beautiful but tedious.
Hunt for Gollum, The (2009) 7 

Chris Bouchard's impressive Lord of the Rings film. Gandalf sends Strider out to find Gollum.
Ink (2009) 7 


High-concept visual thriller that weaves the conscious with the subconscious. Falls down on unconvincing acting.
Objectified (2009) 7 

Documentary about how humans relate to manufactured objects, featuring designers like Dieter Rams and Apple.
Pineapple Express (2008) 7 
Stoner Seth Rogen freaks out after witnessing a murder. Pot-joke heavy and also fairly violent.
Prisoner, The (2009) 7 

AMC miniseries based on the classic 1960s TV show. Interesting but muddled. Caviezel lacks personality.
Reader, The (2008) 7 
Kate Winslet initiates a surprising, secretive romance in this solemn drama set in post-WWII Germany.
Taken (2009) 7
A fast-paced xenophobic thriller. Professional spy Liam Neeson exacts vigilante justice on everyone. Everyone!
4th Dimension, The (2008) 6 


Feels inspired by Eraserhead and Pi, but this Aphex Twin-scored meditation on reality ultimately disappoints.
Bolt (2008) 6 


A lovable cartoon dog movie. Plus, Miley Cyrus sounds like she drinks whiskey every night.
Capturing Reality: The Art of Documentary (2009) 6 

A metadocumentary. This film about making documentaries should have been richer, deeper and edited better.
Choke (2008) 6 

Screen adaptation of the Palahniuk novel about a sex-addicted scam artist and his hospitalized mother.
City of Ember (2008) 6 

An underground city is falling apart after 200 years. Fairly dark for a kids' movie.
Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic (2010) 6 



Animatrix-style companion to EA's video game. Dante enters the nine circles of hell, battles demons.
Get Smart (2008) 6 
Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway are super-secret spies or whatever. Can their gadgets defeat KAOS?
Give 'em Hell, Malone (2009) 6 

Mediocre, ultraviolent detective noir in need of a better director. Ridiculous villains in second-rate makeup.
Heroes - Seasons 1-3 (2009) 6 



Cleverly structured graphic novel in TV-show format about people with diverse superpowers. It became unwatchable.
Incredible Hulk, The (2008) 6 

Too bad the awkward computer-generated creatures killed the movie, despite Edward Norton. Noisy and boring.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) 6 

Indy battles the Soviets in 1957. Spielberg/Lucas feature Area 51 and interdimensional cosmic Mayan nonsense.
International, The (2009) 6
Worth watching for the Guggenheim Museum shootout, but this globetrotting thriller is fairly unremarkable.
Killshot (2009) 6 
Diane Lane is placed in the witness protection program. Is she safe from Mickey Rourke?
Ninja Assassin (2009) 6
A ninja turns his back on the orphanage that raised him. So much CGI blood.
Push (2009) 6 
Dakota Fanning was the only compelling part of this telekinetic incoherence set in Hong Kong.
Soloist, The (2009) 6 

Downey Jr., Foxx and Keener are great, but this biography feels slightly heavy-handed and exploitive.
Sunshine Cleaning (2009) 6 
Cash-strapped single mother Amy Adams works as a maid, but is looking for new opportunities.
Taking of Pelham 123, The (2009) 6
Another generic, disposable Tony Scott thriller. This one has subway trains and stars Denzel Washington.
Trick 'r Treat (2009) 6 


Four interwoven Halloween stories. It doesn't rely on lame CGI ghouls and jack-o'-lanterns! Pretty decent.
Wonders Are Many: The Making of Doctor Atomic (2008) 6 


Irritating modern opera rehearsals dominate the story of Oppenheimer and the 1945 Trinity atomic test.
2012 (2009) 5 
So soulless and insulting that we don't care about billions dying in the global cataclysm.
Born of Hope (2009) 5 

Kate Madison's Lord of the Rings prequel, based on Tolkien's appendix paragraphs. Decent low-budget effort.
Crank 2: High Voltage (2009) 5 

Chev Chelios is back in an even more random and intentionally absurd movie. Insane action.
Halo Legends (2010) 5 


Collection of seven Halo stories. Starts out heavy-handedly and badly animated, but eventually gets better.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) 5 

Brendan Fraser travels to Iceland looking for Verne's lost subterranean world. Turn off your brain.
Knowing (2009) 5 
A disappointment from Alex Proyas. I was ready for the apocalypse after two long hours.
Pandorum (2009) 5 

Derivative sci-fi thriller on a spaceship. Crewmembers wake up with no knowledge of their mission.
Race to Witch Mountain (2009) 5 

Good, family-friendly Disney fun that damages your will to live. Spectacularly bland and poorly written.
Ruins, The (2008) 5 

Bone-crunching gore as American tourists learn the horrors of sightseeing in the forbidding Mexican jungle.
Speed Racer (2008) 5 

A hyperfrenetic explosion of sound and color in the form of Car-Fu. It's marginally watchable.
Spirit, The (2008) 5 



Frank Miller's self-aware film noir is gorgeous, vapid, overacted and emotionless. Based on Eisner's comics.
Step Brothers (2008) 5 
Mildly amusing but so stupid. Juvenile bickering and pouting from 40-year-old adolescents Ferrell and Reilly.
Stuck (2008) 5 



The callous aftermath of a hit-and-run. I winced at the bad acting and grisly suffering.
Surrogates (2009) 5 

Soulless industrial entertainment. Most humans live in isolation and interact entirely via glamorous surrogate robots.
Surveillance (2009) 5
A crude, unsettling thriller by Jennifer Lynch. It's a disappointment, but Bill Pullman is great.
What Just Happened (2008) 5 

Two weeks in the life of big-time Hollywood producer Robert De Niro. Anxious, high-stakes triviality.
10,000 BC (2008) CRAP 
Anti-visionary Roland Emmerich directs this dumb prehistoric epic. It's dull, preposterous and sanitized for kids.
88 Minutes (2008) CRAP 

Features ludicrous, unthrilling plot twists, perky young women and the famous forensic psychiatrist Al Pacino.
Friday the 13th (2009) CRAP 

Boobs, beer and pot. The characters are so annoying that you wish they'd die faster.
Gamer (2009) CRAP 

Brainless, ultraviolent sci-fi mishmash of bad writing, bad acting, jerky editing, digital effects and boobs.
Meet the Spartans (2008) CRAP 
Friedberg and Seltzer reinforce their status as truly unparalleled hacks of the spoof genre. Terrible.
S. Darko (2009) CRAP 

Cash-grab follow-up to Donnie Darko. Huge plot holes and weak characters, but exceeded worst expectations.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) CRAP 

A tedious and loathsome sequence of explosions. Despite childhood nostalgia, I hoped everyone might die.
2008-2010 Releases
Search returned all films since 2008 out of 937 total rated films.MASTERPIECES
EXCELLENT
VERY GOOD
GOOD
FAIR
ADEQUATE
FROM BAD TO WORSE
(NO! MY EYES! MY EYES!)Statistical ratings distribution of these 108 films (11.5% of total rated films):
With enough films included, it usually approximates a bell curve with a mean near 6.5...
(especially when considering that CRAP is 0-4 combined).
Average rating for these 108 films: 7.
| 10: | 3.7% |
| 9: | 21.3% |
| 8: | 19.4% |
| 7: | 15.7% |
| 6: | 18.5% |
| 5: | 14.8% |
| CRAP: | 6.5% |
Do you have any movie recommendations? A movie poll or movie list to suggest? Perhaps you have a complaint to file about the film ratings or 15-word reviews? Ladies and gentleman, one and all, feel free to air your grievances! There's no need to wait until the annual Festivus celebration. Take this opportunity to share.
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