Warren Adler, 2/3/12

Author

By the time one gets around to the start of the movie, a half hour or more beyond the published feature time, you are exhausted by the assault and your potential film enjoyment meter has been compromised.

Ben Daniel, 2/3/12

Presbyterian minister

Because I am a Christian, in order to support same-sex marriage I have had to make peace with the fact that the Bible condemns same-sex intimacy on the few times it addresses the issue.

Rick Mele, 2/2/12

Writer, film critic, sports fan

Billed as "Cloverfield meets X-Men," does Chronicle deliver the best of both worlds (a la Hannah Montana) or end up as less than the sum of its parts (like Cowboys & Aliens)? We do the math.

Annette Insdorf, 2/2/12

Director of undergraduate film studies, Columbia University

Because the director is Madonna -- it has been easy for some critics to take cheap shots at her directorial aspirations. But W.E. turns out to be a surprisingly classical -- and satisfying -- drama.

Jonathan Kim, 2/2/12

Film Critic for ReThink Reviews, the Uprising Show, What the Flick?!

In that sense, along with impressive special effects, Chronicle succeeds in keeping its story firmly planted in the real world despite its science-fiction premise. It's likely that not all outcasts would use newfound abilities to defend the weak, save the planet, and become a hero.

Chris Krapek, 2/2/12

Film blogger

I don't know if I can properly articulate why I love the comedy of Tim Heidecker and Eric Warheim. The duo are more polarizing than Newt Gingrich and dubstep music.

Heather Donahue, 2/1/12

Author, 'Growgirl'

The Pact's genre vocabulary is vast and fluid, held taut by Nicholas McCarthy's masterful sense of tone. But, really, who cares? The scares are awesome.

Lewis Richmond, 2/2/12

Buddhist writer and teacher

Ever since the movie Groundhog Day came out in the early '90s, many people, especially Buddhists, feel that the movie holds some kind of profound, existential message concerning spiritual practice and the spiritual path.

Annette Bourdeau, 2/2/12

Journalist

I wasn't expecting to like Big Miracle, but it's actually a pretty compelling flick inspired by Operation Breakthrough, the 1988 global effort to save three whales stuck under some ice in the Beaufort Sea.

Terry Keefe, 2/1/12

Filmmaker, Editor at The Hollywood Interview.com

With Sundance just wrapped, the center of the film festival universe has shifted to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which is in the midst of annual star-studded event this week.

Jason Apuzzo, 2/1/12

Filmmaker, Co-Editor of Libertas Film Magazine

The man simply doesn't know how to slow down. As Lee says in With Great Power about being the impresario of today's comic book cinema: "I'm having fun! Don't punish me by making me retire."

Anya Wassenberg, 2/1/12

Freelance writer

Once you get over the somewhat heavy-handed approach (a subtle film this is not) and the action starts in earnest shortly after, there are enough plot twists and genuinely suspenseful thrills to make this movie worth the price of admission.

Rider Strong, 1/31/12

Actor; Filmmaker

Hypnotized by the cost and convenience of the form, I'm afraid Hollywood -- and in response, audiences -- are forgetting that an emphasis on setting and character is precisely the point of the mockumentary. It is, in fact, the only point.

Rick Schwartz, 1/31/12

Movie producer; prophet intern

The big night arrives and the excitement is both heartfelt and palpable. Everyone has a special gleam in their eye, extra gel in their hair and a large flask in their pocket. We're all thinking the same thing: this is the Big Show, and we're here to win.