Reviews

Jason Reitman's third outing -- after 'Thank You for Smoking' and 'Juno' -- has been generating great buzz, great reviews and, on Thursday, picked up the National Board of Review's best film of the year nod.

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a high-flying executive who makes his living traveling from city to city, company to company, firing employees for other executives who either can't do it themselves or need a more professional hand in terminating their help. He's a member of every elite travel loyalty program in existence and is closing in on his lifetime goal: 10 million frequent flier miles. But all that changes when faced with two new obstacles: a relationship with a simpatico fellow traveler (Vera Farmiga) and a scheme by his bosses to outsource firing through the Internet.

Read what the critics have to say.

Just in time for the holidays comes 'Everybody's Fine,' starring Robert De Niro as Frank Goode, a gruff, out-of-touch retired telephone wire factory worker and widower who decides to go off on a cross-country trek and make a surprise visit to his far-flung kids (played by Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell). Kirk Jones ('Waking Ned Devine') wrote and directed the film, which is a remake of the Italian 'Stanno Tutti Bene' by Giuseppe Tornatore.

The critics' reactions to this family drama vary between somewhat lukewarm to downright "bah humbug." But you don't have to take our word for it. Read the reviews below, and then let us know what you think.

Based on a script by murdered actress-turned-director Adrienne Shelly and helmed by first-time-director Cheryl Hines ('Curb Your Enthusiasm'), who co-starred in Shelly's bittersweet comedy 'Waitress,' 'Serious Moonlight' has a back story that automatically generated a lot of interest.

According to several reviews, however, this dark romantic comedy doesn't quite deliver the necessary tone or laughs. As for the performance of the film's star, Meg Ryan, opinion is decidedly mixed.

Ryan plays a go-getting lawyer who arrives home one day to find her husband of 13 years (Timothy Hutton) planning to run off with his younger girlfriend (Kristen Bell). The jilted wife knocks him unconscious, ties him to the toilet and tries to argue him into reconciliation. A domestic face-off ensues, complicated by a degenerate gardener (Justin Long) who invites his drunken cronies in to ransack the house. What's not to like? Here's what the critics said:

The reviews are in for director Jim Sheridan's 'Brothers,' and most critics agree it doesn't equal the 2005 Danish 'Brothers' on which it's based. The consensus is that while 'Brothers' boasts an impressive cast, the slicker, more Hollywood-ized version loses something in the translation.

But some critics feel that 'Brothers' also might help those at home understand what the men and women fighting abroad are going through. See what critics are saying below, then tell us what you think.

Attempting to move up and beyond 'High School Musical,' Zac Efron has received fairly good reviews from critics for his portrayal as a wide-eyed high school-aged stage hand in 'Me and Orson Welles.'

The movie, which was directed by Richard Linklater ('A Scanner Darkly,' 'Before Sunset') and opens Wednesday in limited release (four theaters, to be exact), focuses on the on-set action during the run-up to Welles' 1937 stage production of 'Julius Caesar.'

Check out what critics are saying.

It seems that Hollywood's ongoing fascination with extended male adolescence hasn't lessened any, and in the case of 'Old Dogs,' we're talking reeeeally extended adolescence.

In this family comedy directed by Walt Becker ('Wild Hogs'), the old dogs of the title refer to the characters played by Robin Williams and John Travolta, though there is one actual canine in the film who contributes obligatory reaction shots.

The two leads play longtime friends and confirmed bachelors who are forced to take on the responsibilities of parenting when one of them discovers he is the father of twins. In the ensuing high jinx (on a camping trip and in a zoo, among other places), they're joined by several famous faces in cameos or supporting roles, including Matt Dillon, Seth Green, Ann-Margret and the late Bernie Mac in his last screen appearance. Unfortunately, it was not exactly a high note to end one's career on, according to most critics.The general consensus seems to be that while 'Old Dogs' is generally inoffensive, it's also formulaic and haphazardly frantic.

Manifesting novelist Cormac McCarthy's bleak post-apocalyptic vision onto the big screen is the kind of challenging task that won't please everyone.

But for the most part, critics like -- with reservations -- what director John Hillcoat has done with 'The Road,' which stars Viggo Mortensen as a father trying to teach his son how to survive -- and be civilized -- in a gray world with only a few other desperate humans left on it.

Here's what the critics are saying about 'The Road.'

'Planet 51' – one of those animated movies filled with all-star names in the cast – is a bit of a misfire with critics.

Voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jessica Biel and Justin Long – there is a reason those names come first, it's to distract from the story and script – 'Planet 51' is set in a faraway world where an American astronaut Capt. Charles T. Baker (Johnson) lands. Twist is, he is the alien in a world inhabited by green people in a 'Leave it to Beaver' version of 1950's suburban America. They don't want Capt. Baker causing trouble on their planet. Thus, Chuck befriends Lem (Long) and a robot dog named Rover to escape being relegated to a museum.

Critics are complaining the originality is lazy, as are the jokes -- a dog peeing acid is a highlight: never great for kids. But a pretty look (even though the characters may appear rudimentary) and a homespun charm may appeal to some. Or you may want to catch it on cable with the kids.

Following the lead of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon' and 'Precious,' Hollywood has pulled another best-seller off the shelf for a feature film adaptation with the 'The Blind Side,' opening November 20. Written and directed by John Lee Hancock and based on Michael Lewis' 2006 best-selling sports drama 'The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,' the film comes to life with Sandra Bullock running the show as Leigh Anne Tuohy, an affluent socialite do-gooder whose family adopts an illiterate and neglected teenage schoolmate of her young son. Motivated by his supportive new family and a host of enviable opportunities, the teen becomes a sought-after college football prospect and eventually a first-round 2009 NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens.

'The Blind Side' sticks to Hollywood's feel-good formula of inspiring audiences with the incredible tale of an unstoppable underdog, an old standby that made classics out of similar sports dramas like 'Rocky' and 'Rudy.' The fact that Hancock's picture is based on a true story gives the feature some added weight, as do solid performances from Bullock and newcomer Quinton Aaron, who Variety says "more than holds his own opposite Bullock" as real-life gridiron hero Michael Oher. Country star Tim McGraw, who scored plenty of cred for his role in the 2004 book-to-flick football drama 'Friday Night Lights,' co-stars as Bullock's husband, and although he looks almost unrecognizable, his acting talents haven't gone unnoticed. Judging from early reviews, despite the film's cookie-cutter storyline, 'The Blind Side' has most critics cheering.