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February 7, 2013 Short on thrills but chock full of dazzling CGI wizardry, the mythical Sorcerer and the White Snake is a centuries-old Chinese story of demon-human love gone wrong.

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January 31, 2013 Adapted from a French graphic novel and outfitted with an ethnically diverse cast, this New Orleans-set crime thriller centers on a hit man (Sylvester Stallone) who finds himself in an uneasy alliance with a detective (Sung Kang).

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January 22, 2013 The third feature by director Moussa Toure, the danger-at-sea drama distinguishes itself with richly authentic detail and a deep understanding of West African culture.

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January 17, 2013 Director Bruno Dumont is an odd fit in the modern cinematic landscape, but that doesn't take away from the singular beauty of his new film.

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January 17, 2013 The neo-noir Broken City may be coolly stylish, but its too-neat resolution makes you wonder what's been lost in the edit bay.

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January 10, 2013 Barry Battles' The Baytown Outlaws aims at criminal comedy, and the film's joyous mashup of traditional crime and modern music makes for one splashy trip down along the Gulf Coast.

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December 27, 2012 West of Memphis treads well-worn ground: the story of three teenagers wrongly accused of murdering children in 1993. Critic Mark Jenkins says the detective story woven by this documentary is a welcome addition to the coverage. (Recommended)

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December 20, 2012 Sopranos creator David Chase takes a shot at the big screen with Not Fade Away, which follows a young musician who dreams of breaking into the '60s rock scene. Critic Mark Jenkins says the plot is overstuffed and unfocused, and the staid sensibility is wrong for the material.

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December 13, 2012 Writer-director Victoria Mahoney marries her experiences as a biracial woman to the drama of an unstable family in Yelling to the Sky. Critic Mark Jenkins says the film, which stars Zoe Kravtiz as a troubled teen, struggles to build convincing relationships among its disadvantaged characters.

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December 6, 2012 Academy Award-winning director Stefan Ruzowitzky's Deadfall follows criminal siblings as they flee to the Canadian border. Critic Mark Jenkins says it's a survival parable about a gaggle of eccentrics with serious daddy issues.

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December 6, 2012 In Playing for Keeps, Gerard Butler plays a soccer star who begins coaching his young son's team, only to reconnect with his ex-wife and other soccer moms. Critic Mark Jenkins says the supporting cast is relegated to the realm of caricature while the film's tone is dated at best.

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November 29, 2012 Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan is better known for romantic comedies than for action movies. Critic Mark Jenkins says his film Dragon reflects multiple influences — from classic kung fu to Guy Richie's Sherlock Holmes — that come together to create an eye-catching mood piece.

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November 22, 2012 Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon document the wrongful 1989 rape conviction of a group of teens in The Central Park Five. Critic Mark Jenkins says the directors' careful consideration of the topic sheds light on racism and the state of the criminal-justice system. (Recommended)

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November 20, 2012 Dan Bradley's remake of 1984's Red Dawn retells a story of high schoolers fighting off communist invaders. Critic Mark Jenkins says the new version suffers the same fate as many reboots, lacking weight and coming off as an inadvertently comic misfire.

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