Mini-Review: While it's not great Hitchcock, it is still a far better and more entertaining thriller than most with an excellent hook and terrific performances.

Mini-Review: "Citizen Kane" is the standard for revolutionary filmmaking, even if it is a cliche to say so at this point. Orson Welles' uniquely visionary masterpiece stems from a tragic tale that reveals the secrets of a lonely rich figure who had the entire world under his feet, only to discover how hollow it is. Ingenious in terms of story, but also in terms of cinematography, editing, makeup---the film is a groundbreaking achievement that still enraptures today.

Mini-Review: 'Moneyball' probably won't please baseball fans. It's not a film about a winning baseball team. It's not a film about baseball, really. I found the story interesting, the performances to be adequate, but something is missing from protagonist Billy Beane that keeps 'Moneyball' from connecting on an emotional level. Otherwise, it is in fact a refreshing curve ball for the "uplifting sports drama" genre.

Mini-Review: There's little to recommend since 'Colombiana' is as generic as action movies get. While Zoe Saldana makes for a gorgeous assassin and the hook is there, absolutely nothing reels this movie in. It's not awful, nor remotely good, but most importantly, it's not the least bit memorable. The film also ends with one of the most poorly choreographed and edited hand-to-hand combat sequences of any major studio production in recent memory.

Mini-Review: 'War Horse' whips Steven Spielberg out of shape. The master-director has always been sentimental, but this schmaltzy? I'm all for old-fashioned, but his WWI drama about a boy and his horse drowns itself in sap to the point of eye-rolling unbelievability. The horse as a main character works, the cinematography and score are top-notch, the battle sequences first-rate, but the multiple character storylines shortchange the film, and the coincidences only pile up into a contrived mess.