As straightforward sci-fi, “Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars” hits the right notes for an action-packed animated adventure, even if it is predictable.

Its integrity as a smart story and inventiveness as a motion picture make its overachieving attitude all the more endearing.

This is one time that the mighty Mr. Wan forgot to take off his glove before applying his usual Midas touch.

Chopping a trio of plain plotlines into one overall narrative isn’t enough of a distraction tactic to hide how predictably rote all three are.

It’s one thing for a movie to be bad. It’s another thing to be boring. To be both is simply inexcusable, and that sums up “The Domicile.”

Without any charm to its “maybe/maybe not” comedy, “WTF” only ends up as unwoke as any 21st-century teen slasher can possibly be.

Literally by way of its production, and figuratively in terms of its title character, “Dave Made a Maze” shows how far an artist can take ambition using imagination.

It’s not a story.  It’s not even scary.  It’s a series of frightening faces lunging at the camera in monochromatic night vision.

Seeing creators and collectors recall the cards so enthusiastically fires up flux capacitors of fondness using weapons-grade nostalgia.

“The Ice Cream Truck” is something like “Desperate Housewives” meets… well, I’m not exactly sure what.  The movie isn’t entirely sure either.

“Cut Shoot Kill” puts a spin on the fictional-fear-becomes-reality premise that is intermittently enjoyable, albeit ultimately ordinary.

In cases like these, I can’t quite tell if my mumbled “meh” and shrugged shoulders have more to do with the movie or with me.

“Teen Wolf” towers over pedestrian plotting and by-the-book building blocks to be an amusing star vehicle with classic 1980s charm.

It comes down to whether or not farting vampire clowns getting high on weed tickles your funny bone.

“Fashionista” throws a lot at the wall while blindfolded, and hopeful intentions of artistry aren’t enough to make much of it stick.

"Slither” comes about as close as any contemporary genre film can to capturing the feel of a 1950s Saturday matinee monster movie.

Matching a free flow of fear with relatable family drama, “The House at the End of Time” makes for a movie that is emotionally engaging as well as subtly chilling.

The slowed speed sends a sense that identical ground could be covered in half the time as a single TV episode just the same.

Its bones are given life by a unique skin of subtle fantasy providing a patina of escapist entertainment this sort of story usually doesn’t have.

"Awaken the Shadowman” steps up to the plate with ambition, then squares up to bunt with two strikes, promptly fouling into an out.