425 Reviews by Robert W. Butler


	Home 5361 movies. 132297 reviews.


	425 Reviews by Robert W. Butler 425 Reviews by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star Movie: The Brave One Release date: 9/14/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Eventually we wake up. This is really just another Ms. .45 revenge flick, only with artistic pret... 143 other reviews of this movie Movie: 3:10 to Yuma Release date: 9/7/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) 3:10 to Yuma started out as a pretty straightforward tale. But so much stuff has piled onto this ... 159 other reviews of this movie Movie: Once Release date: 5/16/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (4/3) A romantic fairy tale of astonishing delicacy and emotional nuance. This movie is so good I wasn’... 110 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ex, The Release date: 5/11/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) About the only person here who seems to be working hard for laughs is Braff. Even Bateman, who wa... 77 other reviews of this movie Movie: Pan's Labyrinth Release date: 12/29/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) In its supremely confident and effortless blend of the fantastic and the grittily realistic, Pan'... 160 other reviews of this movie Movie: Happy Feet Release date: 11/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (4/3) It piles lots of contemporary issues on what should be a simple children’s fable and becomes an o... 124 other reviews of this movie Movie: Cars Release date: 6/9/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Cars creates a world so palpably real that within minutes we accept that its only sentient creatu... 78 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mission: Impossible III Release date: 5/5/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Despite the welcome addition of a romantic relationship to Ethan’s life and the complications tha... 159 other reviews of this movie Movie: Me and You and Everyone We Know Release date: 6/17/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) So pure in its commitment to the world it has created, so fascinated by its bizarre characters an... 76 other reviews of this movie Movie: I, Robot Release date: 7/16/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Pretty good science fiction. 131 other reviews of this movie Movie: I'm Not Scared Release date: 4/9/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Hauntingly beautiful -- when it's not harrowingly disturbing. 63 other reviews of this movie Movie: L'Auberge Espagnole Release date: 5/16/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) We watch these young people as they experiment, grow and learn, and when the movie finally ends a... 67 other reviews of this movie Movie: Man on the Train Release date: 5/9/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) This one's a keeper. 78 other reviews of this movie Movie: X2: X-Men United Release date: 5/2/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Most of the good things about X-Men are once again in evidence in this continuation of the epic. 179 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ikiru Release date: 1/3/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (7/0) Simultaneously an intensely human story, a timeless snapshot of postwar Japan, and a scathing sat... 13 other reviews of this movie Movie: American Gangster Release date: 11/2/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Unlike the Godfather saga, what you see here is all you get. 167 other reviews of this movie Movie: Martian Child Release date: 11/2/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Heavy-handed sentimentality. 81 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dan in Real Life Release date: 10/26/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Mostly the laughs are based in behavior and character. Carell once again displays the range that ... 92 other reviews of this movie Movie: Wristcutters: A Love Story Release date: 10/19/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Goran Dukic’s film starts off seeming hip and funky and dark, but almost immediately runs out of ... 54 other reviews of this movie Movie: Things We Lost in the Fire Release date: 10/19/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference [Director] Bier steers clear of Hollywood formula. Her low-key, natural style comes by its drama ... 82 other reviews of this movie Movie: My Kid Could Paint That Release date: 10/5/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference My Kid Could Paint That may not deal with life-or-death matters like murder or child molestation,... 55 other reviews of this movie Movie: Game Plan, The Release date: 9/28/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference A comedy so formulaic and uninspired that you'd swear you've seen the movie before. 25 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kingdom, The Release date: 9/28/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Sinks into a jingoistic action film cliché. 107 other reviews of this movie Movie: Feast of Love Release date: 9/28/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference This one will sneak up on you. 85 other reviews of this movie Movie: Into the Wild Release date: 9/21/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Sean Penn’s achingly poetic Into the Wild seduces gently, creeping up in incremental steps. Yet i... 73 other reviews of this movie Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club Release date: 9/21/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference An intermittently amusing but mostly improbable comedy about romantically challenged women who de... 77 other reviews of this movie Movie: Eastern Promises Release date: 9/14/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Mortensen’s work is so good that you’ll want to go back and see Eastern Promises a second time ju... 88 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shoot 'Em Up Release date: 9/7/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Shoot â€™Em Up is like a manual of creative mayhem, a distillation of Sergio Leone Western and Jo... 98 other reviews of this movie Movie: In the Shadow of the Moon Release date: 9/7/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference The film is a history lesson, certainly, but history as seen through the eyes of the men who made... 78 other reviews of this movie Movie: Resurrecting the Champ Release date: 8/24/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Director Rod Lurie and screenwriters Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett have fashioned a sneaky ... 92 other reviews of this movie Movie: Superbad Release date: 8/17/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Superbad delivers some of the summer’s biggest laughs. 151 other reviews of this movie Movie: Stardust Release date: 8/10/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference The biggest drawback is that young stars Cox and Danes are insufferably colorless. Automatons cou... 123 other reviews of this movie Movie: Cantante, El Release date: 8/3/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference How are we supposed to view Lavoe? The film never makes up its mind. The man apparently started o... 83 other reviews of this movie Movie: Becoming Jane Release date: 8/3/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Taken as speculative fiction, it is thoroughly satisfying. 111 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bourne Ultimatum, The Release date: 8/3/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference The Bourne Ultimatum slips into high gear practically with its first shot, and after that you’re ... 177 other reviews of this movie Movie: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Release date: 7/11/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference [The fans] have a lot invested in Harry Potter, and far from running out of steam it seems the se... 179 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ratatouille Release date: 6/29/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Ratatouille is a delight -- with explosions of delicious humor and a gorgeous look that will have... 152 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sicko Release date: 6/29/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Even people who hate Michael Moore might warm up to Sicko, an indictment of America’s health care... 150 other reviews of this movie Movie: Death at a Funeral Release date: 6/29/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Describing the plot and characters doesn’t begin to convey the out-of-control energy the film rad... 74 other reviews of this movie Movie: Evening Release date: 6/29/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Evening wants desperately to be The Hours. Better luck next time. 110 other reviews of this movie Movie: Live Free or Die Hard Release date: 6/27/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference There’s still some 'Yippe-ki-yay' left in this franchise. 166 other reviews of this movie Movie: You Kill Me Release date: 6/22/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference A grown-up movie with droll, sophisticated humor and a deliciously subversive sense. We don’t see... 81 other reviews of this movie Movie: Lady Chatterley Release date: 6/22/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference Leave it to the French to deliver the best film version ever of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s... 41 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mighty Heart, A Release date: 6/22/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference A Mighty Heart has no discernable political agenda. It’s simply a straightforward look at a terri... 131 other reviews of this movie Movie: 1408 Release date: 6/22/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference For a deep-in-the-bones sense of dread that great horror generates, 1408 comes up short. 120 other reviews of this movie Movie: Evan Almighty Release date: 6/22/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Apparently all the money went into the animals. The jokes wouldn’t earn a round of applause at op... 142 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mr. Brooks Release date: 6/1/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (4/3) No reference There are flashes of near-greatness here, and the moments of dramatic power and aura of moral amb... 119 other reviews of this movie Movie: Gracie Release date: 6/1/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (4/3) No reference For anyone who’s ever had an adolescent girl in the house, Gracie will be both eerily familiar an... 76 other reviews of this movie Movie: Knocked Up Release date: 6/1/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (4/3) No reference As he did with Virgin, Apatow here pulls off the not inconsiderable feat of making the crude seem... 160 other reviews of this movie Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Release date: 5/25/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Unfortunately, once in front of the camera Depp isn’t given anything interesting or funny to do. ... 165 other reviews of this movie Movie: Paprika Release date: 5/25/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Paprika probably won’t win many converts to anime, but the faithful should be satisfied. 71 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shrek the Third Release date: 5/18/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference You don’t go to a Shrek movie for the plot. You go to have your funny bone stroked by the patente... 149 other reviews of this movie Movie: 28 Weeks Later Release date: 5/11/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The real reason most people go to zombie movies -- the mayhem -- is so poorly staged and edited t... 134 other reviews of this movie Movie: ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway Release date: 5/11/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (6/1) No reference Berinstein’s film captures all the hopes, thrills and heartache of an endeavor in which every nig... 43 other reviews of this movie Movie: Away From Her Release date: 5/4/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Sarah Polley gives us one of the year’s best films. 92 other reviews of this movie Movie: Spider-Man 3 Release date: 5/4/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I liked that last Spider-Man so much that I walked into 3 will a full head of residual good will.... 159 other reviews of this movie Movie: Paris je t'aime Release date: 5/4/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (5/2) No reference From comedy to drama, varied anthology is worth the trip. 83 other reviews of this movie Movie: Next Release date: 4/27/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference At least Next has a sense of humor, which helps soften (though not enough) the ridiculous premise... 111 other reviews of this movie Movie: Jindabyne Release date: 4/27/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It’s safe to describe Jindabyne as a haunted movie. 71 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hot Fuzz Release date: 4/20/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Pacing problems aside, Hot Fuzz is a lot of fun. If only filmmakers would remember that with come... 167 other reviews of this movie Movie: In the Land of Women Release date: 4/20/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference [Kasdan] has drawn such terrific performances from his players that the film’s shortcomings are e... 106 other reviews of this movie Movie: Year of the Dog Release date: 4/13/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Is Year of the Dog a comedy? A tragedy? A celebration? A cautionary tale? Actually, it’s all of t... 90 other reviews of this movie Movie: Perfect Stranger Release date: 4/13/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Perfect Stranger is so intent on fooling us with a last-minute 'gotcha' revelation that it ignore... 111 other reviews of this movie Movie: Grindhouse Release date: 4/6/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Grindhouse has plenty of fun moments, and with a running time of more than three hours you can't ... 160 other reviews of this movie Movie: Black Book Release date: 4/4/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Leading lady van Houten seems game for anything her director throws at her. She exudes a happy se... 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Meet the Robinsons Release date: 3/30/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The bottom line here is that 3-D turns a just-OK movie into a shouldn’t-miss experience. 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: Reign Over Me Release date: 3/23/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Reign Over Me has the good sense not to claim that everything’s going to be OK. It simply recogni... 113 other reviews of this movie Movie: Premonition Release date: 3/16/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A kinda supernatural, kinda psychological thriller that establishes a perplexing situation and ne... 119 other reviews of this movie Movie: Wind That Shakes the Barley, The Release date: 3/16/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Wind That Shakes the Barley may want to view the world in black and white, but it’s honest en... 93 other reviews of this movie Movie: 300 Release date: 3/9/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference 300 may be the Guy Movie to end all Guy Movies. 188 other reviews of this movie Movie: Namesake, The Release date: 3/9/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is a very good movie. 92 other reviews of this movie Movie: Zodiac Release date: 3/2/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It’s an existential thriller in the most literal sense. 169 other reviews of this movie Movie: Black Snake Moan Release date: 3/2/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Jackson and Ricci are terrific, deftly negotiating the film’s shifting currents of the lurid and ... 146 other reviews of this movie Movie: Black Snake Moan Release date: 3/2/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Jackson and Ricci are terrific, deftly negotiating the film’s shifting currents of the lurid and ... 146 other reviews of this movie Movie: Astronaut Farmer, The Release date: 2/23/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The closer the character gets to actually firing up his rocket, the less fun the film becomes. Th... 115 other reviews of this movie Movie: Breach Release date: 2/16/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Phillippe and Cooper remind us that real espionage isn’t about chases and gunplay but about the d... 117 other reviews of this movie Movie: Smokin' Aces Release date: 1/26/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference We end up caring nothing about anyone. They’re all instantly disposable. Not to mention one-dimen... 133 other reviews of this movie Movie: Italian, The Release date: 1/19/2007 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There are shocking and heartbreaking moments scattered throughout The Italian, but [director] Kra... 47 other reviews of this movie Movie: Flyboys, The Release date: 12/31/2006 11:01:31 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film spends most of its time on the ground, where a historically accurate but not terribly dr... 94 other reviews of this movie Movie: Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? Release date: 12/31/2006 11:01:28 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Warm, funny, informative, breathlessly paced and inspiring. 8 other reviews of this movie Movie: Miss Potter Release date: 12/29/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Miss Potter isn’t deep, but it is curiously endearing. Anyone who has ever been charmed by a Pott... 88 other reviews of this movie Movie: Curse of the Golden Flower Release date: 12/22/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Curse of the Golden Flower has no emotional center. There’s nobody to root for here (even the wil... 92 other reviews of this movie Movie: Good Shepherd, The Release date: 12/22/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If you’re looking for action, The Good Shepherd will be a letdown. But as a deep meditation on th... 104 other reviews of this movie Movie: Letters From Iwo Jima Release date: 12/20/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Working with no directorial flourishes or fancy camera pyrotechnics, Eastwood’s approach is natur... 152 other reviews of this movie Movie: Rocky Balboa Release date: 12/20/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Rocky Balboa is the best Rocky movie since the original and a fitting final (we hope) tribute to ... 145 other reviews of this movie Movie: Painted Veil, The Release date: 12/20/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Feels like a Masterpiece Theatre production -- solid enough, but at the same time oddly generic. 101 other reviews of this movie Movie: Arthur and the Invisibles Release date: 12/15/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Apparently Besson became so enamored of CG animation’s possibilities that he forgot basic rules …... 47 other reviews of this movie Movie: Charlotte's Web Release date: 12/15/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Charlotte’s Web ends on a grace note that should keep you feeling whimsical for many days after. 111 other reviews of this movie Movie: Fountain, The Release date: 11/22/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I can’t stop thinking about it, a good indication that this beautiful, frustrating film is tappin... 54 other reviews of this movie Movie: Deja Vu Release date: 11/22/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Loud, noisy and not nearly as smart as it thinks it is. 94 other reviews of this movie Movie: For Your Consideration Release date: 11/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I don't doubt that people who've worked in Hollywood will find plenty to chortle about. For the r... 128 other reviews of this movie Movie: Candy Release date: 11/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Drug addiction is bad. Given the universal consensus on this topic, anyone making a movie about i... 39 other reviews of this movie Movie: Fast Food Nation Release date: 11/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Richard Linklater’s latest is a humorless, glum multicharacter melodrama that plays like John Say... 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: Stranger Than Fiction Release date: 11/10/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Stranger Than Fiction is odd and eccentric, but in the end it finds its heart. After all, if ther... 131 other reviews of this movie Movie: Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus Release date: 11/10/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's cool and detached, and even its shocks feel calculated and contrived. 98 other reviews of this movie Movie: Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus Release date: 11/10/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's cool and detached, and even its shocks feel calculated and contrived. 98 other reviews of this movie Movie: Good Year, A Release date: 11/10/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference One suspects it was a lot more fun to make this movie than it is to watch it. 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan Release date: 11/3/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Borat will offend as many as it delights. It’s practically a litmus test for thick-skinnedness. I... 170 other reviews of this movie Movie: Catch a Fire Release date: 10/27/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Contra Costa Times: (3/4) No reference Under the direction of Phillip Noyce, Catch a Fire becomes a suspenseful tale of one man's radica... 65 other reviews of this movie Movie: Babel Release date: 10/27/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Because of its thematic flaws, Babel isn’t the masterpiece some are claiming. Yet it remains powe... 99 other reviews of this movie Movie: Flags of Our Fathers Release date: 10/20/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Flags is more of a director’s film than an actor’s film. Still, special mention must be made of P... 158 other reviews of this movie Movie: Running With Scissors Release date: 10/20/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This film promises black comedy, outrageous effrontery and sizzling satire. And for about 20 minu... 101 other reviews of this movie Movie: Prestige, The Release date: 10/20/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (4/3) No reference A lavishly mounted but maddeningly uninvolving piece about dueling stage magicians. 61 other reviews of this movie Movie: Infamous Release date: 10/13/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Whatever minor quibbles one may have with this film, there is no getting around the excellence of... 109 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sweet Land Release date: 10/13/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If the Christmas movie season sometimes seems like a holiday smorgasbord stuffed with empty calor... 58 other reviews of this movie Movie: Departed, The Release date: 10/6/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It’s not great Scorsese, certainly not in the league of Raging Bull or 2004’s The Aviator. But it... 189 other reviews of this movie Movie: Queen, The Release date: 9/30/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Mirren delivers a brilliant performance, one that jibes effortlessly with the public figure weâ€™... 152 other reviews of this movie Movie: Facing the Giants Release date: 9/29/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If it cannot avoid the clichés of both the sports film and the inspirational film, at least Facin... 19 other reviews of this movie Movie: Last King of Scotland, The Release date: 9/27/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Though the film is mostly fiction, Idi Amin was the real deal, and Whitaker revels in the role. 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: All the King's Men Release date: 9/22/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It’s well acted by Sean Penn and Jude Law. The only problem is I didn’t care. 56 other reviews of this movie Movie: Science of Sleep, The Release date: 9/22/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This may be the cinema's most sustained depiction of a dream state. But after the first five minu... 118 other reviews of this movie Movie: Black Dahlia, The Release date: 9/15/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Almost nothing works in this incoherent and uncompelling movie. 146 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hollywoodland Release date: 9/8/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If Hollywoodland falls well short of greatness, it still can boast a great sense of time and plac... 114 other reviews of this movie Movie: Invincible Release date: 8/25/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Not a great football movie, but it'll do until one comes along. 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: Illusionist, The Release date: 8/18/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Like a good magician, Burger knows how to divert our attention while he works his magic. 94 other reviews of this movie Movie: World Trade Center Release date: 8/9/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference World Trade Center isn’t about foreign policy or hatred or even patriotism. It’s about the braver... 215 other reviews of this movie Movie: Night Listener, The Release date: 8/4/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Night Listener has much to recommend it, but I find myself less than enthusiastic precisely b... 70 other reviews of this movie Movie: Night Listener, The Release date: 8/4/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Night Listener has much to recommend it, but I find myself less than enthusiastic precisely b... 70 other reviews of this movie Movie: Miami Vice Release date: 7/28/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Miami Vice is like watching a great chef boil a hotdog. 66 other reviews of this movie Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Release date: 7/7/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Despite its glossy look and masterful special effects, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest... 186 other reviews of this movie Movie: Devil Wears Prada, The Release date: 6/30/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Devil is pretty lightweight stuff. But the performances are so good they elevate everything else. 154 other reviews of this movie Movie: Who Killed the Electric Car? Release date: 6/28/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Insightful, informative and, as far as I can tell, scrupulously fair. 91 other reviews of this movie Movie: Superman Returns Release date: 6/28/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference When it was all over, something was missing. Oh, yeah. The fun. 258 other reviews of this movie Movie: Inconvenient Truth, An Release date: 5/24/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's probably best to ignore the film's political subtext and simply concentrate on the message: ... 65 other reviews of this movie Movie: Proposition, The Release date: 5/5/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Violent but compelling yarn. 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Water Release date: 4/28/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It slowly builds in emotional power. 78 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kinky Boots Release date: 4/14/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Jarrold's film reportedly is based on fact, but that doesn't stop it from seeming pretty preposte... 100 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hard Candy Release date: 4/14/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference ... once seen, Hard Candy doesn’t easily give up its grip. 62 other reviews of this movie Movie: Scary Movie 4 Release date: 4/14/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It’s not particularly good as a movie but as a collection of jokes it’s pretty sublime. 111 other reviews of this movie Movie: Friends With Money Release date: 4/7/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Don’t be surprised if you see glimpses of your own friends in this film … and of yourself. 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Devil and Daniel Johnston, The Release date: 3/31/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference What makes Devil fascinating is the harrowing arc of Johnston’s life. This is a story of youthful... 84 other reviews of this movie Movie: Basic Instinct 2 Release date: 3/31/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference BI2 should have been a gloriously excessive collision between the lurid and the ludicrous. 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Don't Come Knocking Release date: 3/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Emotionally arid and narratively lazy, the film is so tentative it seems to be evaporating before... 101 other reviews of this movie Movie: Thank You for Smoking Release date: 3/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A collection of good jokes looking for a plot, Thank You works best as a character study of a con... 74 other reviews of this movie Movie: Find Me Guilty Release date: 3/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference While it delivers a few good laughs, the film is short on drama and suspense. 75 other reviews of this movie Movie: V for Vendetta Release date: 3/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference In the end V for Vendetta is as cold and unsympathetic as the regime it criticizes. 204 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ask the Dust Release date: 3/10/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Utterly forgettable. 83 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tsotsi Release date: 2/24/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Hood lets his story tell itself. Tsotsi creeps up on us and is all the more devastating because w... 104 other reviews of this movie Movie: Eight Below Release date: 2/17/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A throwback to the good old days of Disney live-action entertainment. 121 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story Release date: 1/27/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Amusing and often outright hilarious. 93 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tristan & Isolde Release date: 1/13/2006 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This whole movie feels so wrong that you’re likely to develop a headache from all the eye rolling... 40 other reviews of this movie Movie: Travellers & Magicians Release date: 12/31/2005 11:01:45 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Pleasant and often beautiful. 51 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sophie Scholl: The Final Days Release date: 12/31/2005 11:01:44 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Those with the courage to stick with director Marc Rothemund’s fact-based drama will discover a w... 79 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ninth Day, The Release date: 12/31/2005 11:01:39 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film's star ... is Diehl, who perfectly captures the banality of evil inherent in Nazism. Vil... 10 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont Release date: 12/31/2005 11:01:38 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference One of the season’s most humane and heartening films. 47 other reviews of this movie Movie: Matador, The Release date: 12/30/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Kinnear and Brosnan pull it off perfectly. 57 other reviews of this movie Movie: Match Point Release date: 12/28/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film is very well acted, but top honors go to Johansson, who’s just about perfect as the pout... 159 other reviews of this movie Movie: New World, The Release date: 12/25/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is a willfully noncommercial film, a two-hour-plus tone poem on this country’s origins and o... 129 other reviews of this movie Movie: White Countess, The Release date: 12/21/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference ... all atmosphere with little dramatic juice. 49 other reviews of this movie Movie: Family Stone, The Release date: 12/16/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Warm up your belly muscles and grab a box of tissues. When it doesn’t have you aching with laught... 123 other reviews of this movie Movie: Producers, The Release date: 12/16/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If it's subtlety you're after, go see another movie. But if you just want to laugh, make a date w... 122 other reviews of this movie Movie: Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, The Release date: 12/14/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Sam Peckinpah is no longer with us to stir up south-of-the-border madness, but Tommy Lee Jones ha... 104 other reviews of this movie Movie: King Kong Release date: 12/14/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Despite all the overkill and side trips, the film still succeeds at telling the story of a woman ... 203 other reviews of this movie Movie: Memoirs of a Geisha Release date: 12/9/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Rob Marshall's movie version has a harder time hiding the ripeness. And it's a bit like a geisha'... 127 other reviews of this movie Movie: The World's Fastest Indian Release date: 12/7/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The World’s Fastest Indian is lightweight stuff, but despite the clichés it’s an enjoyable ride. 39 other reviews of this movie Movie: Walk the Line Release date: 11/18/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Phoenix’s performance is more of an interior journey that slowly grows on us. 177 other reviews of this movie Movie: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Release date: 11/18/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Visually exciting and dramatically flaccid, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire seems destined to... 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Breakfast on Pluto Release date: 11/16/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There’s a thin line between innocence and willful ignorance. Breakfast on Pluto stomps all over i... 114 other reviews of this movie Movie: Zathura Release date: 11/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The performances, lavish special effects, the setting and Favreau’s pacing combine in a winning a... 123 other reviews of this movie Movie: Pride & Prejudice Release date: 11/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Moment for moment I derived more pure pleasure from this Pride & Prejudice than any other movie I... 100 other reviews of this movie Movie: Elizabethtown Release date: 10/14/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Moments occur in the film’s first hour when Elizabethtown seems poised to take off. But it never ... 140 other reviews of this movie Movie: Good Night, And Good Luck Release date: 10/7/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A triumph, a lean, claustrophobic and unexpectedly funny history lesson so beautifully written an... 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D Release date: 9/23/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film is fascinating history and unabashedly inspirational. 29 other reviews of this movie Movie: History of Violence, A Release date: 9/23/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A History of Violence is not only director David Cronenberg’s best film, it’s also his most conve... 164 other reviews of this movie Movie: Thumbsucker Release date: 9/16/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Thumbsucker is a minor-key but satisfying dramedy about a high school misfit who takes solace in ... 82 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Release date: 9/16/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference In a nutshell: Burton’s latest macabre puppet show is thoroughly enjoyable, if a little thin on s... 74 other reviews of this movie Movie: Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Release date: 9/9/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Emily Rose never quite delivers the goods. It’ll get you thinking, no doubt. But emotionally it b... 139 other reviews of this movie Movie: Brothers Grimm, The Release date: 8/26/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Lovely to look at, but ultimately a chore to endure. 156 other reviews of this movie Movie: Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, The Release date: 8/17/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The story has been told often in film and literature, but in The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Til... 9 other reviews of this movie Movie: Four Brothers Release date: 8/12/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The characters are absurdly thin, and the film occupies a logic-free zone where anything screenwr... 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Great Raid, The Release date: 8/12/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference See the film for its depiction of astounding heroism and military ingenuity. Take the rest with a... 33 other reviews of this movie Movie: Broken Flowers Release date: 8/5/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Less is more in Broken Flowers, Jim Jarmusch’s minimalist masterpiece. 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Junebug Release date: 8/5/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A slight film enlivened by Adams’ winning performance. 79 other reviews of this movie Movie: Island, The Release date: 7/22/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Island starts out as a passably good sci-fi flick. Then it turns into a Michael Bay movie. 161 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bad News Bears, The Release date: 7/22/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Bears’ eventual success seems utterly contrived and arbitrary. 114 other reviews of this movie Movie: Murderball Release date: 7/8/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Both a superb sports movie and a first-rate documentary that explores the personalities of these ... 103 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dark Water Release date: 7/8/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Despite a really good cast, the film never turns into the spine-tingler we expect. 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Beat That My Heart Skipped, The Release date: 7/1/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It has been very well made, with the often jumpy photography and scuzzy locales that reflect the ... 15 other reviews of this movie Movie: War of the Worlds Release date: 6/29/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is one genuinely scary, disturbing movie. 207 other reviews of this movie Movie: George A. Romero's Land of the Dead Release date: 6/24/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Nope, there's not much here. But it's still good, cheesy fun. 139 other reviews of this movie Movie: March of the Penguins Release date: 6/24/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A film filled with scenes of humor, suspense and stunning beauty. 113 other reviews of this movie Movie: Perfect Man, The Release date: 6/17/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A tweener romantic comedy featuring dialogue so bad it could have been written by a 14-year-old g... 91 other reviews of this movie Movie: My Summer of Love Release date: 6/17/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Pawlikowski does such a great job of establishing a sense of youthful carelessness that we're suc... 43 other reviews of this movie Movie: Batman Begins Release date: 6/15/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This new Batman is thought-provoking, certainly, but rarely fun. 77 other reviews of this movie Movie: 5x2 Release date: 6/10/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference We watch Marion and Gilles with a sort of clinical detachment, and it's difficult to really care. 53 other reviews of this movie Movie: Cinderella Man Release date: 6/3/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If there were ever any doubt that Russell Crowe is the greatest screen actor of his generation, C... 171 other reviews of this movie Movie: Saving Face Release date: 5/27/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If that sounds supremely sitcomy, well, it is. But Wu and her cast elevate the proceedings. 73 other reviews of this movie Movie: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith Release date: 5/19/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Revenge of the Sith completes the big picture and will undoubtedly find favor with a majority of ... 250 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shake Hands With the Devil Release date: 5/18/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference An overpowering film that will leave viewers shaken and ashamed. 11 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mad Hot Ballroom Release date: 5/13/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A very funny and equally moving documentary about fifth-graders learning ballroom dancing. 50 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kingdom of Heaven Release date: 5/6/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Scott once again proves himself an inept director of action. 49 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mysterious Skin Release date: 5/6/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Araki has given us his most mature work yet, a fiercely focused yet oddly dreamlike meditation on... 38 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, The Release date: 4/29/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The movie gets right Adams' peculiar voice, that blend of genuine intellectual inquiry, deep cyni... 160 other reviews of this movie Movie: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Release date: 4/22/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Alex Gibney's documentary is a concise examination of the Enron affair that's poised between stra... 97 other reviews of this movie Movie: Interpreter, The Release date: 4/22/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A thriller with a lot on its mind (at least that's what the filmmakers want us to believe) but no... 79 other reviews of this movie Movie: Winter Solstice Release date: 4/8/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It may take viewers awhile to recognize just how good Winter Solstice is. 71 other reviews of this movie Movie: Happily Ever After Release date: 4/8/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference In a world filled with empty lust and marital discord, Yvan Attal’s wistful comedy is about a guy... 27 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dust to Glory Release date: 4/1/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Dust to Glory is a valentine from a committed fan, full of gee-whiz idolizing that -- for this vi... 59 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sin City Release date: 4/1/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Grotesquely violent but weirdly beautiful. 204 other reviews of this movie Movie: Old Boy Release date: 3/25/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If you can handle what Park Chan-wook dishes, you'll discover a tragedy that isn't easy to shake. 99 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ring Two, The Release date: 3/18/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Unscary sequel. 129 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mail Order Wife Release date: 3/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference More an exercise in sustaining a style than a satisfying emotional experience. The men are all se... 29 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hostage Release date: 3/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The movie is breathlessly paced, fiendishly constructed and generally involving. 82 other reviews of this movie Movie: Jacket, The Release date: 3/4/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The great mystery of The Jacket is how so many really terrific performers got sucked into such a ... 146 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dear Frankie Release date: 3/4/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Dear Frankie will win you over in spite of your reservations. 85 other reviews of this movie Movie: Be Cool Release date: 3/4/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Feels forced and graceless. It's like a clumsy dancer who can't keep up with the sprightly beat b... 70 other reviews of this movie Movie: Walk on Water Release date: 3/4/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If you want to test the current state of Israel's collective soul you could do a whole lot worse ... 68 other reviews of this movie Movie: Up and Down Release date: 2/25/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A dryly scathing examination of life after communism. 52 other reviews of this movie Movie: Diary of a Mad Black Woman Release date: 2/25/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference One is left with the sense that while Perry has captured certain truths about human experience, h... 91 other reviews of this movie Movie: Downfall Release date: 2/18/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A hypnotizing experience that so completely grips the viewer that when you stumble from the theat... 109 other reviews of this movie Movie: Constantine Release date: 2/18/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference All style. No soul. 180 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hitch Release date: 2/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference More like a skit that doesn't know when to pack it in. 73 other reviews of this movie Movie: Schultze Gets the Blues Release date: 2/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's a bit of a surprise when the film ends and you realize that you've been touched in unanticip... 44 other reviews of this movie Movie: Inside Deep Throat Release date: 2/11/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It makes a convincing case that the flick that made Linda Lovelace a household name was a major c... 60 other reviews of this movie Movie: Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, The Release date: 2/9/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Irving's camera captures enough intimate parrot moments to make us all believers. 77 other reviews of this movie Movie: Alone in the Dark Release date: 1/28/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference As an audience-participation midnight movie, Alone in the Dark has potential. 104 other reviews of this movie Movie: Assault on Precinct 13 Release date: 1/19/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference My advice is to ignore such questions and go with the flow. 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: White Noise Release date: 1/7/2005 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference You'd never guess from this glum performance that at one time [Michael Keaton] was among our most... 114 other reviews of this movie Movie: Twilight Samurai, The Release date: 12/31/2004 11:01:45 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Achingly beautiful and deeply moving, The Twilight Samurai turns a familiar genre inside out and ... 45 other reviews of this movie Movie: Broadway: The Golden Age Release date: 12/31/2004 11:01:27 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I can think of no higher compliment than to report that after seeing it, I wanted to rush out and... 37 other reviews of this movie Movie: In Good Company Release date: 12/29/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Casts a discerning eye on the American workplace in this era of downsizing, takeovers and mergers... 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hotel Rwanda Release date: 12/22/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Strong stuff. 154 other reviews of this movie Movie: Beyond the Sea Release date: 12/21/2004 11:01:27 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference In dramatic terms Beyond the Sea never rises above the level of a halfway decent made-for-TV film... 123 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sea Inside, The Release date: 12/17/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Sea Inside is a heartbreaking triumph. And Alejandro Amenabar is poised to become one of cine... 90 other reviews of this movie Movie: Spanglish Release date: 12/17/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It works only fitfully, as if writer/director Brooks is flailing about trying to figure out what ... 115 other reviews of this movie Movie: Million Dollar Baby Release date: 12/15/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film is funny, thrilling and heartbreaking. 178 other reviews of this movie Movie: Born Into Brothels Release date: 12/8/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A documentary that flows with all the narrative drive and emotional intensity of good fiction. 46 other reviews of this movie Movie: House of Flying Daggers Release date: 12/3/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Lacks the narrative inventiveness of Hero or emotional payoff of Crouching Tiger. But, boy, does ... 136 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bad Education Release date: 11/19/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Strap yourself in for a wild ride. 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: National Treasure Release date: 11/19/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Despite its superficiality, National Treasure is undeniably enjoyable. 146 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kinsey Release date: 11/12/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The movie is a lot like its central character: precise, clinical, probing and often terribly amus... 148 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Release date: 11/12/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Whether waddling in an awesomely inappropriate dress or putting herself through slapstick pratfal... 105 other reviews of this movie Movie: Saw Release date: 10/29/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference For most of its running time, Saw is a cleverly mounted brain teaser that relies less on gore tha... 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Undertow Release date: 10/22/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Despite the relatively straightforward plotting, Undertow never feels conventional. 87 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shall We Dance? Release date: 10/15/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Very nearly as good as the original, a funny and unexpectedly touching story of a middle-age man ... 118 other reviews of this movie Movie: Being Julia Release date: 10/15/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Ponderous and superficial, and no art deco fashions or tasteful drawing rooms can compensate for ... 78 other reviews of this movie Movie: Vera Drake Release date: 10/10/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A brilliant character study within a detailed snapshot of a moment in English history and society... 125 other reviews of this movie Movie: Stage Beauty Release date: 10/8/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Crammed with ideas but undermined by a dramatically fuzzy middle passage in which nothing much ha... 90 other reviews of this movie Movie: Friday Night Lights Release date: 10/8/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A movie that feels genuinely lived in. 135 other reviews of this movie Movie: I Heart Huckabees Release date: 10/1/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference At first, anyway, it's mildly amusing. But before too long, all this whimsical, metaphysical mean... 47 other reviews of this movie Movie: Woman Thou Art Loosed Release date: 10/1/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The talented players work hard to sell it, but all too often Woman is over-intellectualized and s... 42 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shark Tale Release date: 10/1/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Forced and frantic. 110 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dirty Shame, A Release date: 9/24/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's rude. It's crude. Every now and then it's bust-a-gut funny. Unfortunately, not often enough. 91 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shaun of the Dead Release date: 9/24/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Don't be surprised if this clever entry finds favor with a crossover crowd that couldn't care les... 135 other reviews of this movie Movie: Motorcycle Diaries, The Release date: 9/24/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A picaresque, frequently amusing and strangely affecting study of the revolutionary as a young ma... 59 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Release date: 9/17/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Looks great. Less filling. But in this case looks count for a lot. 165 other reviews of this movie Movie: Silver City Release date: 9/17/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Aside from those moments of broad satire, there's not much there there. 39 other reviews of this movie Movie: Criminal Release date: 9/10/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference An incredibly clever and superbly paced caper filled with scams within scams within scams. 91 other reviews of this movie Movie: Resident Evil: Apocalypse Release date: 9/10/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A movie geared exclusively to the atavistic fantasies of a 15-year-old male gamer. 53 other reviews of this movie Movie: Cellular Release date: 9/10/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A goofy thriller that unfolds on a planet that looks like Earth but that operates by a completely... 68 other reviews of this movie Movie: Paperclips Release date: 9/8/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is a modest film with a big heart that leaves you thinking that Anne Frank got it right: Bas... 48 other reviews of this movie Movie: Red Lights Release date: 9/3/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A devastating dissection of middle-age male disaffection. 64 other reviews of this movie Movie: Vanity Fair Release date: 9/1/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Thackeray's lumbering, episodic narrative rarely comes to life. Even Witherspoon's trademark perk... 117 other reviews of this movie Movie: Brown Bunny, The Release date: 8/27/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Is it good? Not really. But as was the case with his Buffalo 66, Gallo once again shows himself t... 63 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hero Release date: 8/27/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A brain-teasing, eye-delighting, pulse-pumping marvel. 151 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mean Creek Release date: 8/20/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference An excruciatingly tense teen film that's too good for teens. 50 other reviews of this movie Movie: We Don't Live Here Anymore Release date: 8/13/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference These are terrifically talented actors wasted on a film that's short on insight, long on self-pit... 45 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tom Dowd and the Language of Music Release date: 8/13/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film's high points are to be found in tremendous archival footage. 21 other reviews of this movie Movie: Collateral Release date: 8/6/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A superior thriller with attitude to spare. 188 other reviews of this movie Movie: Saints and Soldiers Release date: 8/6/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Director Ryan Little has mounted a remarkably effective production on what must have been a shoes... 24 other reviews of this movie Movie: Open Water Release date: 8/6/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It begins with a knot in the stomach that warns we're getting into uncharted waters and escalates... 154 other reviews of this movie Movie: Intimate Strangers Release date: 7/28/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A small masterpiece of tonal balance. 48 other reviews of this movie Movie: Door in the Floor, The Release date: 7/14/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Bridges is clearly having the time of his career. 79 other reviews of this movie Movie: Riding Giants Release date: 7/9/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If you can't swing a Hawaiian vacation, this may be the next best thing. 42 other reviews of this movie Movie: King Arthur Release date: 7/7/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Dreary going, occasionally impressive on a technical level but uninspired as narrative or histori... 66 other reviews of this movie Movie: Before Sunset Release date: 7/2/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference You don't need to have seen Before Sunrise to appreciate Before Sunset, but as a one-two cinemati... 46 other reviews of this movie Movie: De-Lovely Release date: 7/2/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Despite the occasional lapse, De-Lovely works because of Kline. He zeroes in on Porter's charm an... 120 other reviews of this movie Movie: Spider-Man 2 Release date: 6/30/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference What's disarming about this sequel is the psychological depth director Sam Raimi and his team hav... 131 other reviews of this movie Movie: Two Brothers Release date: 6/25/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If you've seen Annaud's 1989 film The Bear, you'll know what to expect. 93 other reviews of this movie Movie: Terminal, The Release date: 6/18/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A satisfying feel-good comedy. 154 other reviews of this movie Movie: Seducing Dr. Lewis Release date: 6/16/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Often laugh-out-loud funny. 45 other reviews of this movie Movie: Napoleon Dynamite Release date: 6/11/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Napoleon Dynamite has all the markings of a midnight show perennial. 129 other reviews of this movie Movie: Stepford Wives, The Release date: 6/11/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Rudnick utterly fails to find an emotional center for the film. 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Story of the Weeping Camel, The Release date: 6/4/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Its slow, delicate pacing is hypnotic. 86 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mother, The Release date: 5/28/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's a superb character study, with veteran actress Anne Reid delivering a heartbreaking and curi... 59 other reviews of this movie Movie: Love Me If You Dare Release date: 5/21/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Saved by the performances of Canet and Cotillard, who find the desperate romantic yearning beneat... 87 other reviews of this movie Movie: Love Me If You Dare Release date: 5/21/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Saved by the performances of Canet and Cotillard, who find the desperate romantic yearning beneat... 87 other reviews of this movie Movie: Springtime in a Small Town Release date: 5/14/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There aren't a lot of plot complications in Springtime, a remake of a celebrated 1948 Chinese fil... 29 other reviews of this movie Movie: Troy Release date: 5/14/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A war movie with a cast of thousands, a few moments of genuine drama, lots of familiar faces, gra... 117 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mean Girls Release date: 4/30/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Once you get past a few killer jokes, it's a rather uninspired affair that rarely engages the emo... 126 other reviews of this movie Movie: Saddest Music in the World, The Release date: 4/30/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Offers idiosyncrasy in spades. 47 other reviews of this movie Movie: Young Adam Release date: 4/16/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A humorless and dank display of ashcan angst that leaves you wishing theater restrooms had shower... 43 other reviews of this movie Movie: Alamo, The Release date: 4/9/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is the best Alamo movie ever -- the most accurate, the best-acted, the most sumptuously moun... 117 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hellboy Release date: 4/2/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Silly stuff, to be sure, but Perlman is so spectacular that he holds it together. 145 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dogville Release date: 3/26/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Lars von Trier is probably a genius. This doesn't stop him from being a jerk. 109 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bon Voyage Release date: 3/19/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Bon Voyage has been sumptuously mounted, with spectacular cinematography and a lush (perhaps over... 38 other reviews of this movie Movie: Best Two Years, The Release date: 2/20/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Anderson's effort should be easily accessible to non-Mormons because it's genuinely funny and san... 21 other reviews of this movie Movie: Monsieur Ibrahim Release date: 2/13/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A slight-but-charming French heart-warmer that gives Omar Sharif his best role since... well, sin... 65 other reviews of this movie Movie: Miracle Release date: 2/6/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A pretty solid drive, delivering the uplift we expect from this sort of enterprise. 55 other reviews of this movie Movie: Perfect Score, The Release date: 1/30/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Screenwriters Mark Schwahn, Marc Hyman and Jon Zack can't decide whether they want Perfect Score ... 73 other reviews of this movie Movie: Big Bounce, The Release date: 1/30/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Pure disaster. 39 other reviews of this movie Movie: Along Came Polly Release date: 1/16/2004 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Unpromising premise proves an ideal showcase for the comic talents of Ben Stiller and, to a lesse... 122 other reviews of this movie Movie: Young Black Stallion Release date: 12/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The Young Black Stallion will provide a brief diversion for animal-loving youngsters. But beneath... 32 other reviews of this movie Movie: Peter Pan Release date: 12/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Magical, bittersweet and substantial. 93 other reviews of this movie Movie: Cold Mountain Release date: 12/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Sometimes impressive, often exciting, but never delivers the home run we're expecting. 156 other reviews of this movie Movie: House of Sand and Fog Release date: 12/19/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference For his feature-film debut Russian director Vadim Perelman delivers a brilliantly acted downer. 45 other reviews of this movie Movie: Calendar Girls Release date: 12/19/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Dishes just enough laugh-out-loud jokes and female-empowerment moments to divert our attention fr... 96 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mona Lisa Smile Release date: 12/19/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is a film of frequently pleasant surfaces, but there's no heat deep down inside. 112 other reviews of this movie Movie: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Release date: 12/17/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It leaves us with precisely the same feelings of sadness and satisfaction as are evoked by J.R.R.... 82 other reviews of this movie Movie: Something's Gotta Give Release date: 12/12/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference True, it may be viewed as a fantasy for older, single women. Yet it's not cheap and superficial. ... 38 other reviews of this movie Movie: Girl With a Pearl Earring Release date: 12/12/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Come to it wide awake and fully caffeinated or risk drifting off into a beauty-induced coma. 133 other reviews of this movie Movie: Stuck on You Release date: 12/12/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Disarmingly sweet and often uproariously funny. 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Honey Release date: 12/5/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Honey isn't bad enough to be truly memorable. 90 other reviews of this movie Movie: Last Samurai, The Release date: 12/5/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A grand adventure, thrillingly told. 166 other reviews of this movie Movie: Triplets of Belleville, The Release date: 11/26/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Everything about the film, from the characters to the settings, is tres bizarre, yet it's all wei... 96 other reviews of this movie Movie: 21 Grams Release date: 11/21/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference One of those rare films you can have a good argument about. 132 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat Release date: 11/21/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The good and bad news about Mike Myers' Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is that it's basically How ... 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Release date: 11/14/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is the historic epic as it should be but rarely is. 157 other reviews of this movie Movie: Love Actually Release date: 11/7/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There's so much plot being thrown at us in Love Actually that there's little room for genuine emo... 149 other reviews of this movie Movie: Matrix Revolutions, The Release date: 11/5/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference An unmitigated disaster. 158 other reviews of this movie Movie: Shattered Glass Release date: 10/31/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A terrific white-knuckler, one that builds up a head of excruciating suspense even though most vi... 118 other reviews of this movie Movie: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Release date: 10/17/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference While the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was genuinely creepy, this one is simply explicit. 120 other reviews of this movie Movie: Runaway Jury Release date: 10/17/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I enjoyed every second of Runaway Jury without believing a minute of it. 87 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kill Bill Vol. 1 Release date: 10/10/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Content? Not important. Here delivery is everything, and Tarantino delivers like a man born with ... 163 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mystic River Release date: 10/8/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference While seemingly a straightforward murder mystery in a matter-of-fact setting, it is never quite w... 142 other reviews of this movie Movie: Wonderland Release date: 10/3/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Along with their tickets to Wonderland, moviegoers should also be given a moist towelette. That w... 44 other reviews of this movie Movie: Station Agent, The Release date: 10/3/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This year's You Can Count on Me. 113 other reviews of this movie Movie: Out of Time Release date: 10/3/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A tepid thriller. 97 other reviews of this movie Movie: School of Rock Release date: 10/3/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Fall-down, grab-your-sides, throw-up funny. 148 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bubba Ho-Tep Release date: 9/19/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Bubba has a couple of terrific performances and some major laughs, but it's so badly paced that a... 72 other reviews of this movie Movie: Lost In Translation Release date: 9/12/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Lost in Translation offers such a wealth of wonderful themes that one hardly knows where to begin... 156 other reviews of this movie Movie: Matchstick Men Release date: 9/12/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Director Scott handles this knotty plot with effortless grace. 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Once Upon a Time In the Midlands Release date: 8/29/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's never as funny as we'd like, and the characters seem too cartoony to hook us. 51 other reviews of this movie Movie: Jeepers Creepers 2 Release date: 8/29/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference [The characters] are so banal and bland that we never get a fix on who they are or care when they... 94 other reviews of this movie Movie: American Splendor Release date: 8/15/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference About more than just one surly individual. It's a celebration of cinema's possibilities, which he... 133 other reviews of this movie Movie: Freaky Friday Release date: 8/6/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Freaky Friday is blandness personified. 66 other reviews of this movie Movie: Secret Lives of Dentists, The Release date: 8/1/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Refuses to chuck us under our chins and tell us everything is OK. 74 other reviews of this movie Movie: Seabiscuit Release date: 7/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Writer/director Gary Ross has done a masterful job of re-creating the world of Depression-era rac... 121 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mondays in the Sun Release date: 7/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Thanks to Bardem's performance the film finds plenty of sublime moments. 53 other reviews of this movie Movie: Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over Release date: 7/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Spy Kids 3-D wraps up the series with a bang. 116 other reviews of this movie Movie: Johnny English Release date: 7/18/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There are perhaps 12 minutes of genuine gut-clutching hilarity spread throughout Johnny English's... 30 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dirty Pretty Things Release date: 7/18/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Lopez has so often been cast as an affable Teddy Bear that it's a real treat to see him inhabit t... 49 other reviews of this movie Movie: I Capture the Castle Release date: 7/11/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film is a charmer. It's romantic, funny and satisfying. 63 other reviews of this movie Movie: Northfork Release date: 7/11/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Northfork is visually stunning, thematically rich and, ultimately, about as exciting as watching ... 63 other reviews of this movie Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Release date: 7/9/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film is never quite funny enough to make us forget that dramatically it's pretty slim stuff. 152 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas Release date: 7/2/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It looks pretty good, features some nice voice work, has a couple of killer action sequences and ... 30 other reviews of this movie Movie: Swimming Pool Release date: 7/2/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Like a good summer book, Swimming Pool may not be weighty with profound issues. But it's a heck o... 49 other reviews of this movie Movie: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Release date: 7/2/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference In the end this third entry leaves you thinking. And a little disturbed. 89 other reviews of this movie Movie: Alex & Emma Release date: 6/20/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A romantic comedy that's painfully short on romance and comedy. 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hulk, The Release date: 6/20/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference You'll leave the theater impressed by its look and the issues it raises; you'll probably also wis... 73 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hollywood Homicide Release date: 6/13/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A cop/buddy movie so easygoing it's hardly there at all. 57 other reviews of this movie Movie: Italian Job, The Release date: 5/30/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Any film that wastes Edward Norton while boring us with Mark Wahlberg has its priorities all mess... 52 other reviews of this movie Movie: In-Laws, The Release date: 5/23/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Fans of 1979's The In-Laws with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin will probably find the remake with Mich... 44 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sweet Sixteen Release date: 5/16/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Heartbreaking but ruthlessly honest, a mirror held up to contemporary life. 15 other reviews of this movie Movie: Blue Car Release date: 4/25/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference At the film's center Bruckner more than holds her own, beautifully capturing the anger, uncertain... 20 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bulletproof Monk Release date: 4/16/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Hey, they can't all be Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hunted, The Release date: 3/14/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference When it's reduced to just two guys out in the woods battling to the death with knives and sticks,... 100 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tears of the Sun Release date: 3/7/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference As was the case with Training Day, which climaxed with a long slugfest that flirted with the prep... 131 other reviews of this movie Movie: Life of David Gale, The Release date: 2/21/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference David Gale makes the good ol' boy death penalty proponents look Neanderthal while inadvertently m... 113 other reviews of this movie Movie: Recruit, The Release date: 1/31/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Should find the film provides a couple hours of solid amusement. 159 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kangaroo Jack Release date: 1/17/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This major brain-number, about two bozo Americans chasing a kangaroo across the Australian Outbac... 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: City of God Release date: 1/17/2003 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There's no denying City of God's effectiveness in dropping us into an environment crawling with d... 131 other reviews of this movie Movie: Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, The Release date: 12/31/2002 11:01:29 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film is painfully authentic, and the performances of the young players are utterly convincing... 58 other reviews of this movie Movie: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Release date: 12/31/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film may be a pleasure to look at, but in the end it's so uninhabited it becomes a chore to w... 54 other reviews of this movie Movie: Chicago Release date: 12/27/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Zellweger and Zeta-Jones provide a perfect contrast -- the former a naive child-woman who wants o... 176 other reviews of this movie Movie: Hours, The Release date: 12/27/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Almost every scene in this film is a gem that could stand alone, a perfectly realized observation... 139 other reviews of this movie Movie: Catch Me If You Can Release date: 12/25/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A breathless, amusing caper flick anchored by strong performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom ... 169 other reviews of this movie Movie: Gangs of New York Release date: 12/20/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Its accomplishments are astounding, as are its flaws, but even its shortcomings are worn as proud... 149 other reviews of this movie Movie: Gangs of New York Release date: 12/20/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Its accomplishments are astounding, as are its flaws, but even its shortcomings are worn as proud... 149 other reviews of this movie Movie: Antwone Fisher Release date: 12/19/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The film starts out as competent but unremarkable ... and gradually grows into something of consi... 63 other reviews of this movie Movie: About Schmidt Release date: 12/13/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Takes us on a journey toward self-awareness that is both deadpan hilarious and profoundly moving. 55 other reviews of this movie Movie: Star Trek: Nemesis Release date: 12/13/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The bottom line with Nemesis is the same as it has been with all the films in the series: Fans wi... 118 other reviews of this movie Movie: Evelyn Release date: 12/13/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's the relationship between Desmond and his daughter Evelyn (Sophie Vavasseur) that gives the m... 80 other reviews of this movie Movie: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Release date: 12/12/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference For those of us who thought the first film was at its best when reveling in the little details of... 166 other reviews of this movie Movie: Adaptation Release date: 12/6/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A brain twister, less a movie-movie than a funny and weird meditation on Hollywood, success, arti... 141 other reviews of this movie Movie: Solaris Release date: 11/27/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Love it or hate it, you won't easily get this movie out of your head. 103 other reviews of this movie Movie: Treasure Planet Release date: 11/27/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This version does justice both to Stevenson and to the sci-fi genre. 97 other reviews of this movie Movie: Die Another Day Release date: 11/22/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Too loud, too long and too frantic by half, Die Another Day suggests that the Bond franchise has ... 65 other reviews of this movie Movie: Standing in the Shadows of Motown Release date: 11/15/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Documentaries just don't get much more fun than Standing in the Shadows of Motown 75 other reviews of this movie Movie: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Release date: 11/15/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There are enough pleasures here to guarantee a diverting time to all but the most curmudgeonly Mu... 195 other reviews of this movie Movie: Far From Heaven Release date: 11/8/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Thanks to Haynes' absolute control of the film's mood, and buoyed by three terrific performances,... 147 other reviews of this movie Movie: Femme Fatale Release date: 11/6/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Feels like nothing quite so much as a middle-aged moviemaker's attempt to surround himself with b... 112 other reviews of this movie Movie: I Spy Release date: 11/1/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Just about everyone involved here seems to be coasting. There are a few modest laughs, but certai... 53 other reviews of this movie Movie: Auto Focus Release date: 10/18/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Kinnear and Dafoe give what may be the performances of their careers. 41 other reviews of this movie Movie: Punch-Drunk Love Release date: 10/11/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Full of surprises. 42 other reviews of this movie Movie: Heaven Release date: 10/4/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The ambiguous note on which Heaven ends would be irritating in a conventional film, but here it s... 65 other reviews of this movie Movie: Bloody Sunday Release date: 10/4/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The chaos of that day comes through loud and clear. 78 other reviews of this movie Movie: Trials of Henry Kissinger, The Release date: 9/25/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Whether you buy Hitchens' arguments, one leaves The Trials of Henry Kissinger seeing him as a man... 46 other reviews of this movie Movie: Igby Goes Down Release date: 9/13/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's a movie so audacious as to take your breath away -- and one whose slashing style infuriates ... 82 other reviews of this movie Movie: City by the Sea Release date: 9/6/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Mostly City By the Sea feels drab and uninspired. Its makers apparently find despair a lot more e... 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Blue Crush Release date: 8/16/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference When it's all wet, Blue Crush is highly enjoyable. When it's on dry land, though, this surfer-gir... 63 other reviews of this movie Movie: Possession Release date: 8/16/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Taken as a quirky sort of detective story, Possession is generally satisfying. 37 other reviews of this movie Movie: Good Girl, The Release date: 8/7/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference By turns very dark and very funny. 114 other reviews of this movie Movie: Master of Disguise, The Release date: 8/2/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Master of Disguise runs for only 71 minutes and feels like three hours. 43 other reviews of this movie Movie: Full Frontal Release date: 8/2/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Those hankering for something different will find Full Frontal a tasty trifle. 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kid Stays in the Picture, The Release date: 7/26/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference One of the best inside-show-biz yarns ever. 25 other reviews of this movie Movie: Tadpole Release date: 7/19/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The players are clearly having a ball, never grasping for laughs but rather generating them throu... 38 other reviews of this movie Movie: K-19: The Widowmaker Release date: 7/19/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's a terrifically dramatic story, but in Bigelow's hands it never feels 'Hollywood.' 120 other reviews of this movie Movie: Road to Perdition Release date: 7/12/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Superbly photographed and staged by Mendes with a series of riveting set pieces the likes of whic... 54 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sex and Lucia Release date: 7/12/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I kept tripping over the plot's raging implausibilities and reliance on outrageous coincidence. 50 other reviews of this movie Movie: My Wife is an Actress Release date: 7/12/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference My Wife's plotting is nothing special; it's the delivery that matters here. 69 other reviews of this movie Movie: Men in Black II Release date: 7/3/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Most of the things that made the original Men in Black such a pleasure are still there. 153 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mr. Deeds Release date: 6/28/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Adam Sandler is to Gary Cooper what a gnat is to a racehorse. 108 other reviews of this movie Movie: Emperor's New Clothes, The Release date: 6/14/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Gives Holm one of his rare cracks at a true starring role, and the man is magnificent. 64 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sum of All Fears, The Release date: 5/31/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A nail-biting tension machine with such a compelling plot that it would work if you illustrated i... 134 other reviews of this movie Movie: Thirteen Conversations About One Thing Release date: 5/24/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference 13 Conversations may be a bit too enigmatic and overly ambitious to be fully successful, but Spre... 79 other reviews of this movie Movie: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Release date: 5/16/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference An entertainment so in love with its overinflated mythology that it no longer recognizes the need... 89 other reviews of this movie Movie: Spider-Man Release date: 5/3/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It's still a comic book, but Maguire makes it a comic book with soul. 157 other reviews of this movie Movie: Life or Something Like It Release date: 4/26/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A really good premise is frittered away in middle-of-the-road blandness. 52 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sweetest Thing, The Release date: 4/12/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The sort of movie that gives tastelessness a bad rap. 79 other reviews of this movie Movie: High Crimes Release date: 4/5/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference If High Crimes were any more generic it would have a universal product code instead of a title. 102 other reviews of this movie Movie: Panic Room Release date: 3/29/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A sly celebration of the sheer joy of moviemaking, filled with playful visual and aural tricks th... 126 other reviews of this movie Movie: Blade II Release date: 3/22/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Unrelentingly gruesome, the movie is a giant pigout of violence and stage blood. It has no meanin... 107 other reviews of this movie Movie: Time Machine, The Release date: 3/8/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference There's some enjoyment to be had if you can concentrate on individual moments and ideas. But when... 115 other reviews of this movie Movie: Monsoon Wedding Release date: 2/22/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference ... by the time it's done with us, Mira Nair's new movie has its audience giddy with the delight ... 43 other reviews of this movie Movie: Mean Machine Release date: 2/22/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The whole affair is as predictable as can be. 14 other reviews of this movie Movie: Collateral Damage Release date: 2/8/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference At a time when we've learned the hard way just how complex international terrorism is, Collateral... 97 other reviews of this movie Movie: Beijing Bicycle Release date: 1/25/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Nicely serves as an examination of a society in transition. 14 other reviews of this movie Movie: Count of Monte Cristo, The Release date: 1/25/2002 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference what really makes it special is that it pulls us into its world, gives us a hero whose suffering ... 40 other reviews of this movie Movie: Wedding for Bella, A Release date: 12/31/2001 11:01:48 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Executed with such gentle but insistent sincerity, with such good humor and appreciation of the d... 41 other reviews of this movie Movie: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Release date: 12/31/2001 11:01:36 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference I was at first entertained but eventually exhausted by all the movie references, which become mad... 55 other reviews of this movie Movie: Black Hawk Down Release date: 12/28/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A riveting, incredibly detailed, semi-documentary-style re-enactment of a notorious 1993 incident... 70 other reviews of this movie Movie: I Am Sam Release date: 12/28/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference A bully of a movie that grabs your arm, twists it up behind your back and won't let go until it m... 46 other reviews of this movie Movie: Gosford Park Release date: 12/26/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference The most enjoyable Altman effort in nearly a decade. 46 other reviews of this movie Movie: Lantana Release date: 12/14/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference This is the sort of fiercely intelligent, emotionally gripping movie about people that almost nev... 72 other reviews of this movie Movie: No Man's Land Release date: 12/7/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Ranks not far behind Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. 38 other reviews of this movie Movie: Devil's Backbone, The Release date: 11/21/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It has a couple of classic horror moments that will have audiences jumping for the ceiling, but e... 40 other reviews of this movie Movie: Crimson Rivers, The Release date: 6/29/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference It has good tough-cop banter, a couple of satisfying action scenes ... and a load of plot twists ... 45 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sexy Beast Release date: 1/19/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with Kingsley's performance. 33 other reviews of this movie Movie: Last Resort Release date: 1/19/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Effortlessly burrows beneath the surface of quietly desperate lives and finds the humanity within... 51 other reviews of this movie Movie: Donnie Darko Release date: 1/19/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference ... has 'cult classic' stamped all over it. 41 other reviews of this movie Movie: Sexy Beast Release date: 1/19/2001 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference What it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with Kingsley's performance. 33 other reviews of this movie Movie: Ellie Parker Release date: 12/31/2000 11:01:30 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference Ellie isn’t a particularly likable character, but thanks to Watts she’s an imminently watchable o... 36 other reviews of this movie Movie: Monty Python's Life Of Brian Release date: 12/31/1979 11:01:38 PM Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/4) No reference We should all give a prayer of thanks that once, a quarter-century ago, the conditions were just ... 22 other reviews of this movie Movie: King of the Corner Release date: 1/30/1900 Review by Robert W. Butler of Kansas City Star: (3/3) No reference The things we’ve always appreciated in Riegert as an actor -- a laid-back sardonicism and deadpan... 16 other reviews of this movie Served turbo style