Tangled

Mostly harmless. The most intriguing thing here comes from the fact that, in what is ostensibly a light, comedic animated romp, the most effective parts of this movie are the dramatic turns. I suspect that owes a lot to Mandy Moore, who can not only sing but proved early on in her career that she really had acting chops (even in voice over, that comes through). Other notable aspects: the film looks fabulous, not just in the technical way of all things animated these days, but in an artistic sense as well. This visual team has a really good set of eyes. On the down side, it's all very predictable. Yes, it's based on an old fairy tale, so how far afield can the story really go? Even so, there's much here that's well worn. Overall, it's worth a look, and maybe it's even good, if you're not too demanding. I just suspect that at this point in movie history, the audience for even a kiddie movie probably wants just a bit more.

Win Win

I don't know. We've seen a lot of this before. A small, indie film with a focus on the up and down trials (in one form or another) of a suburban family, with generous dashes of quirky humor thrown in. This template has almost been done to death by now. And no one would blame the choosy viewer if he skipped this one. But this is not a bad film; it's enjoyable to watch, with some very likable actors in the primary roles. I give it a tenuous PURR, though I won't insist on anyone going out of his way to watch.

Hellboy (2004)

You can't really go wrong with a big, red, demony Ron Perlman. (Seriously, can't that guy's face ever get a break?) A couple of leaps of illogic in the plot weigh it down, but most of the movie goes down as good fun.

Meet Joe Black

Unlike everyone else, apparently, I did not hate this movie. It's not wonderful, and it's a little too long, but it has appealing actors and a decent story. You could do worse (and many have).

Doctor Dolittle (1998)

Kind of an off day for Eddie Murphy. Not awful, but could have been better. Kids would probably like it.