Just like the fire-breathing monsters referenced in its title, you can’t judge “How to Train Your Dragon” from first impressions. Based on a series of popular children’s books — and bearing...

Most of my selections are fairly conventional. One would be hard-pressed to find somebody willing to pick against Jeff Bridges for Best Actor, and it’s difficult to ignore the screen-grabbing supporting...

It’s a joy to watch a film directed by Kevin Smith when he’s at the top of his game. Like a geek-ified David Mamet, Smith can drop unique characters into scripts laced with pop-culture references and...

Make no mistake about it. There’s some serious ambition to be found lurking behind the genre thrills of director Martin Scorsese’s latest film, “Shutter Island.” This is how a thriller should...

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” isn’t very subtle regarding its intentions: it wants to be the next teen-lit sensation to make good on the big-screen. Based on a series of...

As a film, “The Lovely Bones” certainly wants to have it all. It makes an attempt at both tragedy and comedy. It presents sequences of both heightened suspense and tempered stoicism. It tries to balance...