DreamWorks SKG

• Artificial Intelligence: A.I. directed by Steven Spielberg (2001)

  [7/10]

  "I appreciate all the interesting moral and philosophical questions Spielberg introduces in A.I., and the movie does manage to keep your interest -- espically visually -- for the almost three-hour running time."

• Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story directed by John Gatins (2005)

  [5/10]

  "Russell's performance doesn't provide any new insight into fatherhood or raising horses, although he does put up a nice argument for a diverse workplace when he defends his Hispanic staff."

• Dreamgirls directed by Bill Condon (2006)

  [7/10]

  "Dreamgirls provides a fun, musical and visual experience without a whole lot of character depth. Tap your toe, enjoy the fun, but don't look too deeply into the storyline."

• Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott (2000)

  [8/10]

  "Gladiator succeeds as a hero story, and Louis DiGiaimo should get some recognition for casting actors into perfect parts for their characters. I enjoyed the battles and the recreation of 2nd century Rome, but Gladiator doesn't carry the depth of feeling you get from other hero movies, such as Spartacus or Braveheart, and probably won't endure time as well as Alien, Blade Runner, or some other Ridley Scott films. "

• Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events directed by Brad Silberling (2004)

  [7/10]

  "In most cases where I have both read the book and seen the movie adaptation, I recommend the book as the better experience. In the case of A Series of Unfortunate Events, I have to recommend the movie over the books."

• Madagascar directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath (2006)

  [6/10]

  "Darnell and McGrath know that their plot only holds up for so many jokes, and mercifully Madagascar runs a trim eighty-six minutes -- just enough time to enjoy the story and the laughs without getting beat up by the same jokes over and over."

• Over the Hedge directed by Tim Johnson, Karey Kirkpatrick (2006)

  [5/10]

  "Over the Hedge gives a visually appealing presentation that easily ranks on the same level with other recent animated features, but the preachy moral messages in conflict with advocating robbery and vandalism lessen the enjoyment of the already thin plot."

• Road to Perdition directed by Sam Mendes (2002)

  [6/10]

  "Visually, Road to Perdition delivers almost a duotone effect with its high contrast and low color. In almost every scene, we feel the coldness of the gangster's soul -- often accompanied by rain. The visual appeal almost makes up for the cliched plot, but the heavy-handed salvation of the sweet angel child with a quickly attached anti-gun message takes away from the film's effectiveness."

• War of the Worlds directed by Steven Spielberg (2005)

  [7/10]

  "When a story remains popular for over a hundred years, clearly the elements strike a chord in the human psyche, and who better than Stephen Spielberg to know how to make a movie that resonates that chord in modern audiences."

  Average score: 6.44