**** Another raunchy-yet-sweet romantic comedy with a star turn by a Judd Apatow sidekick regular, Jason Segel. He's definitely funny and vulnerable and carries the film adequately, but he's not who stands out most here. That would be some supporting players like Mila Kunis, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, and Russell Brand, who virtually steals the movie from Segel. Heartfelt and hilarious

**** Woody Allen's sexiest film in years has stunning scenery and fine performances. Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem are all terrific. Penelope Cruz walks off with the film in a volcanic, sexy, and mesmerizing turn. It may be little more than an old man's mullings on life and romance, but this scenic and sensual trip to Spain is entertaining while it lasts

*** This MMA fighting film is merely an exercise in David Mamet. And even if it doesn't rank with his best, it’s still above-average. His signature macho dialogue feels a bit forced here. Chiwetel Ejiofor is superb in the lead, a riveting presence at the center of this dense and sometimes confusing plot. The movie had me right up until the corny final minutes, but until then it's a gripping film

*** A corny, old-fashioned, but heroic true story about a few Jews who survived and fought back during WWII. Daniel Craig is well-cast, and Liev Schreiber is great. Director Edward Zwick paces this unevenly and lets a few cliches wear this down. But he knows how to stage a mean gun battle. It might be a tad trite, but Zwick, Craig, and Schreiber ennoble this vivid slice of history

*** This horror film isn't original, but writer/director Bryan Bertino's feature debut is a slick and harrowing cat-and-mouse trapped-in-a-house chiller. It builds suspense slowly, subtlely, never once feeling smug or overly graphic. Bertino smartly keeps most of the violence off-screen and, thankfully, the plot holes are few and far between. The music is creepy too. A pretty scary horror film

*** Visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov has crafted this summer's 'Bourne,' a breathless thrill ride where the camera work and editing create a visceral blur of an action film. The actors carry their roles well, even as the script becomes increasingly silly. Sure it's not great art, but it's not trying to be. Shut your brain off, take it in, and leave the theater exhausted

*** Well-acted and fairly fast paced, this is what the Hulk should have been when Ang Lee made his version. The stellar cast classes this up, and action veteran Louis Leterrier (of 'Transporter' fame) handles the action with aplomb. The first half is perfectly paced, but the second half stumbles as it sets up the "final showdown." Still, it's fun. Welcome back Hulk!

*** Clint Eastwood's latest isn't the "masterpiece" it's been hyped up to be. And if he has played variations of this cantakerous sort before, he builds some heart and dark laughs into that Dirty Harry persona. The script is too melodramatic and doesn't cover any new ground, and the first-time actors are pretty bad. But Eastwood is commanding behind the camera, and in front of it

*** It's 'Blair Witch' meets 'Godzilla' in J.J. Abrams' latest. Shot entirely on hand-held DV cameras, there's a certain realism here that makes the events that much more chilling. We sit in awe, fear, and paranoia, but, unfortunately, we never really care much for the characters. Still, it's entertaining enough to be perfectly watchable and scary enough to deliver some serious chills

*** Isn't as fresh or funny as the original, it's also much more overtly political. The two potheads still can score laughs though, and they have a decent supporting cast who can score too. They range from hilarious side characters to too-short-but-funny cameos. The plot is lazy, and the romances are dull and distracting. But there are still some chuckles to be had with these two funny stoners

*** Another mediocre remake of a 60s TV show. Steve Carell is perfectly cast as Smart. Anne Hathaway holds her own with him, but director Peter Segal makes us wait too long for laughs. The cast is game, but the lack of edge in the jokes make this benign. Still, Carell can wring laughs off his lovable-clueless persona, and Hathaway and him have good chemistry. All in all, it’s summer comfort food

** Director Fernando Meirelles (the brilliant 'City of God') has made a provocative but paltry sci-fi parable. He brings his signature gritty visual style, creating a vivid dystopian world. But there's no point or moral to the story. The film has overly obvious symbolism, the characters are uncompelling, and there are few intriguing twists. Ambitious but uneven and disappointing

** This could have been an edgy satire on superhero conventions and PC in America today. But after a fun first half things go downhill as a "surprise" twist throws a dramatic curveball. All the fun is gone from the film at that point. Director Peter Burg's nervy hand-held cameras don't match the material. Some effects are funny and so is Smith acting obnoxious, but this is a big disappointment

** A wasted opportunity. Director Seth Gordon got lazy and turned this into a cut-and-paste holiday product. He holds Vince Vaughn down when he should be cutting him loose. Reese Witherspoon should have been the heart of this, but gets nothing to do. The film loses all its energy by the third act. Gordon had decent material and a game cast, but he can't make this yuletide farce sing

** This predictable, dull, suspense-free crime drama has Pacino and De Niro sharing alot of screen time with each other. But 'Heat' this is not. Blame that on a weak script and poor direction from Jon Avnet. The two old boys try to elevate this generic mess, but get no help. The dialogue is laughable, and the supporting cast phones it in. All in all, highly disappointing

** Another predictable and generic thriller, but also another good turn for Pacino. There are some bursts of excitement and suspense, but director Jon Avnet can't keep it consistent, which greatly hinders the "ticking-clock" aspect of the plot. Pacino chews through co-stars and his dialogue like the towering screen icon he is. Mediocre

Check out Part 1 of my list: http://www.amazon.com/The-Films-I-ve-Seen-So-Far-In-2008/lm/RBN3DMI4ZVR4T/ref=cm_rna_own_lm