Movie Review

‘Chernobyl Diaries’ is one red-hot mess

All that appears to be motivating anybody in “Chernobyl Diaries” to do anything is paltry screenwriting.

From left: Arnaud Henriet, Jeremie Elkaim, Naidra Ayadi, Nicolas Duvauchelle, and Joeystarr in a scene from “Polisse.’’

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Polisse’ a cop thriller with a special electricity

Maïwenn makes child protection the focus of her riveting drama.

Nadine Labaki (center) co-wrote, directed, and costars as a cafe owner in the black comedy “Where Do We Go Now?’’

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Where Do We Go Now’ is a Lebanese ‘Lysistrata’

The film is overly diffuse but full of heart, laughter, and sorrow.

Tadanobu Asano (left) and Taylor Kitsch in a scene from “Battleship,” inspired by the game of the same name.

MOVIE REVIEW

With ‘Battleship,’ ‘Transformers’ goes to sea

Hasbro’s corporate dreams of duplicating its success with that unabashedly toyetic franchise are precisely what led to “Battleship.”

MOVIE REVIEW

Diane Keaton unleashes late-life frustrations in ‘Darling Companion’

A movie for women who love their dogs too much.

Movie stars: capsule reviews

Short bites on what’s in theaters.

In ‘Men in Black 3,’ one role, two actors

Josh Brolin’s younger version of Tommy Lee Jones’s Agent K is the latest on a list of memorable movie double takes.

From left: Joe ODAGIRI, Koki MAEDA, Nene OTSUKA, Oshiro Maeda in “I Wish.”

MOVIE REVIEW

In Koreeda’s ‘I Wish,’ childhood feels realized

Two brothers in southern Japan, forced to live apart since their parents’ split, hatch a plot to meet up and make a wish.

Chazz Palminteri (left) and Richard Kohnke in “MIGHTY FINE.”

Movie Review

‘Mighty Fine’ review: Andie MacDowell with a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ accent? Run.

A Jewish couple moves to New Orleans from Brooklyn with their two teens in 1974.

Elizabeth Banks (left) and Brooklyn Decker in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.’’

MOVIE REVIEW

‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ delivers

The writing is sharp and the performances bright, and there are laughs to be had for those who’ve been there.

Will Arnett and Jason Bateman get a spa treatment together in “Mansome.”

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Mansome’ gives grooming tips from Morgan Spurlock

This seems like the outcome of a director seeing his first Details magazine and sensing apocalypse.

“All the tears I shed were hard-earned. So were all the laughing and clapping and eye-covering. In each case, it was involuntary.”

Wesley Morris,  reviewing “Polisse”

What's in theaters

“The Hunter” is at its best when it’s just Willem Dafoe, as a big-game hunter, being still in the wilderness tracking his prey.

MOVIE REVIEW

Willem Dafoe stalks rare game in ‘The Hunter’
Tyler Hill is one of the real lacrosse players in the film.

MOVIE REVIEW

In ‘Crooked Arrows,’ lacrosse comes big screen
Sacha Baron Cohen stars as a despot who winds up working at a Brooklyn food co-op.

Movie Review

‘Dictator’ tweaks broadly and carries a big shtick
From “Surviving Progress,’’ a view of Chongqing, China, one of the fast-growing urban areas in the world.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Surviving Progress’ expertly made, intellectually muddled
Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr take aim at “American Idol’’ fans in Bobcat Goldthwait’s “God Bless America.’’

MOVIE REVIEW

Bobcat Goldthwait strikes again in ‘God Bless America’
Superhero stars (from left) Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo join together.

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ is action-packed
Alex Ross Perry and Carlen Altman in “The Color Wheel.”

MOVIE REVIEW

Alex Ross Perry’s ‘The Color Wheel’

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins in

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Dark Shadows’ a bloody good time
Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black costar as an entertainingly odd couple in “Bernie.”

MOVIE REVIEW

In ‘Bernie,’ Jack Black dials it down
Lola Créton and Sebastian Urzendowsky in “Goodbye First Love,” written and directed by Mia Hansen-Love.

Movie Review

French teens on the brink of the rest of their lives
Jason Segel and Emily Blunt in “The Five-Year Engagement.’’

Movie Review

‘Five-Year Engagement’ is predictably sweet fodder
“Headhunters” stars Aksel Hennie as a rich corporate headhunter who moonlights as an art thief.

Movie Review

‘Headhunters’ review: a sleek Norwegian crime thriller

Family Filmgoer

Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow in the 2012 film

May 20 film picks

Movie picks for all age groups.

DVD reviews

“BEING JOHN MALKOVICH’’

How to get inside John Malkovich’s head on disc

Even before you dig into the assortment of new supplements on Criterion’s reissue of “Being John Malkovich” (1999), there’s plenty to revisit.

Ty Burr

Film critic

Burr reviews films for the Globe’s Living/Arts section. Learn more about him and read his recent reviews.

Wesley Morris

Film critic

Morris reviews films for the Globe’s Living/Arts section. Learn more about him and read his recent reviews.

Magazine

The cover for the May 20 2012 issue

Best beaches guide for New England
The cover for the May 13 2012 issue

Things to do in and around Boston this week
The cover for the May 6 2012 issue

Homes for sale for $250,000, $500,000, $750,000, and $1 million
The cover for the April 29 2012 issue

Dying wishes expected to be decided on November ballot