Beliefnet
Beliefnet is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this
publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following
Tomatometer-approved critic(s):
Nell Minow
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
B
Rock Dog (2017)
Bodi is a likeable hero and it is fun to see his cheery optimism paired with the burned-out, cynical Angus.
Posted Feb 23, 2017
2
B
Mr. Church (2016)
Eddie Murphy gives a thoughtful, nuanced, sensitive performance in a film that suffers from a too-predictable script and suffers even more from very bad timing.
Posted Sep 15, 2016
3
B
The Third Testament (2011)
Its mosaic, documentary-style story-telling gives it an immediacy that makes its more amateur elements feel like further proof of its authenticity.
Posted May 21, 2016
4
B+
The Armor Of Light (2015)
This is a powerful film, all the more so because it struggles with its subjects to find common cause.
Posted Oct 29, 2015
5
B+
Truth (2015)
Asserts its ambitions with its title and goes on to explore the very nature of truth and our willingness or ability to uncover and recognize it.
Posted Oct 22, 2015
6
D
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)
An endless barrage of bullets and bazookas
Posted Oct 9, 2015
7
D
Godzilla (1998)
Yhe movie sorely misses the quirky charm of "Independence Day's" Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum and the story never captures the heart.
Posted Dec 11, 2014
8
F
Because I Said So (2007)
This movie manages to be offensive and yet dull and predictable, as phony as a Kate Spade sidewalk knock-off bag and as unoriginal as the ready-for VH1 soundtrack.
Posted Dec 9, 2014
9
B+
War of the Worlds (2005)
The story is affecting, the action scenes are thrilling, the issues are resonant.
Posted Aug 15, 2013
10
B+
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
wonderfully imaginative and fun with a masterful use of 3D and breathtaking precision-timed action sequences that are both exciting and hilarious. And there are minions.
Posted Jul 3, 2013
11
B+
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
This story is in the most literal sense, close to home.
Posted May 16, 2013
12
C
Broken City (2013)
It's too bad to see top talent slumming in an underwritten, under-thought, under-whelming piece of multiplex fodder.
Posted Jan 17, 2013
13
C-
This Is 40 (2012)
Asks us to care about the concerns of people who obsess about the most superficial and selfish problems, with no sense at all of how shallow and unappealing they are.
Posted Dec 20, 2012
14
A-
Skyfall (2012)
James Bond goes home in every sense in this ravishingly entertaining entry in the series. Five decades later, it all of a sudden feels fresh, fun, and utterly engaging.
Posted Nov 8, 2012
15
A-
Brooklyn Castle (2012)
There is much of what you expect -- gifted kids, dedicated teacher, tense anticipation, thrilling victories. The characters are endearing and their stories are stirring.
Posted Oct 23, 2012
16
C-
Alex Cross (2012)
The 6'5″ Perry's most believable moment is when his character has to reach something from a high shelf. That feels real.
Posted Oct 18, 2012
17
A-
Argo (2012)
Affleck is no longer one of Hollywood's most promising new directors - he has arrived. This film works on every level.
Posted Oct 11, 2012
18
C
Here Comes the Boom (2012)
Kevin James is so gosh-darned likable that he can make up for a lot of sub-par material, but not even he can make this tiresome effort work.
Posted Oct 11, 2012
19
B+
Frankenweenie (2012)
A deliciously ghoulish story.
Posted Oct 4, 2012
20
B
Pitch Perfect (2012)
The musical mixes are terrific and Kendrick proves she is a real movie star but the mash-up with low comedy keeps tripping up the movie's momentum.
Posted Sep 28, 2012
21
B-
Won't Back Down (2012)
What should have been a rousing, feel-good, "inspired by a true story" film benefits from strong performances but suffers from a palpably skewed point of view.
Posted Sep 28, 2012
22
B+
Looper (2012)
As with his brilliant and ground-breaking "Brick," also starring Gordon-Levitt, writer/director Rian Johnson has an engaging and compelling way of mixing genres.
Posted Sep 28, 2012
23
B+
The Master (2012)
A metaphor about post-WWII America, overwhelmed by its own success, audacious, overconfident, careless, struggling between head and heart, past and future, body and soul.
Posted Sep 20, 2012
24
B
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
"Trouble with the Curve" pitches softballs to power hitters. It has major league players and a bush league script.
Posted Sep 20, 2012
25
B
Liberal Arts (2012)
Lovely moments like the classical music discussion, a genuinely moving passion for the written word, and nuanced performances may make you smile mistily about being 19.
Posted Sep 14, 2012
26
D
Last Ounce of Courage (2012)
This is bigotry masquerading as leadership, thuggery claiming the banner of freedom, braggadocio pretending to be strength.
Posted Sep 12, 2012
27
C
The Words (2012)
There are some random parallels between the stories and some sophomoric exchanges about truth and art, and then it does not end - it just stops.
Posted Sep 7, 2012
28
B
Lawless (2012)
Pearce, in gloves and slicked-down hair parted in the middle, is one of the best villains of the year.
Posted Aug 30, 2012
29
B-
The Expendables 2 (2012)
The over-the-hill gang engages in various shoot-outs punctuated by lame wisecracks that refer to their iconic roles. Guess whether someone says, "I'll be back."
Posted Aug 23, 2012
30
B+
Premium Rush (2012)
Director and co-writer David Koepp, like his hero, pares everything down to the essentials, and that means removing the brakes.
Posted Aug 23, 2012
31
C
Thunderstruck (2012)
This "Freaky Friday" with basketball keeps throwing airballs.
Posted Aug 23, 2012
32
C
Hit & Run (2012)
The script is slapdash and haphazard, seemingly thrown together based on whichever of their friends was available for a day of shooting.
Posted Aug 22, 2012
33
B
Sparkle (2012)
Some intriguing themes about the racial conflicts of the era are raised almost in passing while the soapy parts of the story drag on. But the musical numbers raise the roof.
Posted Aug 16, 2012
34
B+
ParaNorman (2012)
"ParaNorman" expertly balances scary and funny elements of the story, with a surprisingly heartwarming conclusion.
Posted Aug 16, 2012
35
B
This sweet, whimsical, bittersweet tale is one of the summer's nicest surprises.
Posted Aug 16, 2012
36
B+
Hope Springs (2012)
Streep and Jones are pure magic. The fear, the longing, the tenderness of these characters are beautifully illuminated in performances of exquisite understanding.
Posted Aug 9, 2012
37
C
The Campaign (2012)
This is one of those campaigns when you wish the ballot had an option for "none of the above."
Posted Aug 9, 2012
38
B
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Renner is a superb choice for an action hero, with easy charisma, intelligence, and mad fighting skills.
Posted Aug 9, 2012
39
B-
With each movie, the franchise becomes better at milking the formula that causes 4th graders to cringe with delight.
Posted Aug 2, 2012
40
B
Total Recall (2012)
It honors the earlier version, sometimes directly, sometimes with a cheeky twist and includes a bit of existential rumination about memory, identity, and redemption.
Posted Aug 2, 2012
41
C-
The Watch (2012)
They didn't bother to write it; you shouldn't bother to "Watch" it.
Posted Jul 28, 2012
42
B+
Step Up Revolution (2012)
The dancing just gets better with every entry. This one leads off with a cheeky flash mob that is so joyously kinetic even the cars leap up to get into the act.
Posted Jul 27, 2012
43
B+
Ruby Sparks (2012)
It plays with the very notion of the girl whose job in the movie is to be the life force.
Posted Jul 26, 2012
44
B+
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The "Dark Knight Rises" title applies equally to both hero and villain in this story. This is like a chess game where all the pieces are black.
Posted Jul 18, 2012
45
B+
Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and Sid's granny (Wanda Sykes) are welcome additions to the cast, adding vitality and flavor to a cast whose conflicts have subsided in the previous chapters.
Posted Jul 12, 2012
46
C
Savages (2012)
Stone's re-re-re-treading of the same issues that have pre-occupied him since he was fighting in Vietnam - drugs, corruption, military, power - is tired.
Posted Jul 5, 2012
47
A-
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Exquisitely lyrical, poetic in tone and epic in scope.
Posted Jul 5, 2012
48
B+
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Exhilaratingly vertiginous.
Posted Jul 2, 2012
49
B-
To Rome with Love (2012)
Allen's s real art form is the perpetual production schedule...It plays like a first draft, or even a handful of random notes grabbed at random from a drawer.
Posted Jun 28, 2012
50
B
Magic Mike (2012)