When Sacha Baron Cohen is good, he’s very, very good, and when he’s bad, he’s horrid.

Comedian-turned-director Bobcat Goldthwait talks about his latest film, "God Bless America," which opens May 18.

Have you ever read a film review, gone to a film based on that review, seen the movie and then walked out of the theater, shaking your head in dismay and muttering, “What the hell was that critic thinking? That film was a steaming pile of excrement.” Or words to that effect.

The most poignant moment in the ballet documentary “First Position” comes when the camera stops on the face of Aran Bell, an 11-year-old boy who has just danced his heart out.

Building a movie around a mixed martial arts fighter seems like a good way to earn a spot on the straight-to-video express. Unless, of course, you’re Steven Soderbergh. Then — because you’re smart and imaginative and can seemingly make any sort of movie (and make it look effortless) — you build your movie around a fighter with virtually no acting experience.

This Scandinavian crime thriller,  from the book by Jo Nesbø, the new Stieg Larsson, plays on your worst fears and most passionate desires.

If Johnny Depp and Tim Burton were sitting right next to each other, there would be absolutely no difficulty telling them apart.

This is a low-budget drama that peeks into the mysterious doings of a mysterious woman named Maggie (Brit Marling) who lures lamb-like followers into her way of life.

Tim Burton brings TV’s original vampire soap opera to the big screen with Johnny Depp filling the formidable shoes of the late Jonathan Frid (making his last appearance here in a cameo) as the infamous Barnabas Collins.

A roundup of this week's movies.

I applaud the Farrelly Brothers for doing a twist with the movie and not making it a biography, but instead making it a “Three Stooges” feature. But it was just plain bad. Not every movie is meant to be great, and this was just one of them.

The focus falls on a couple of oldies but goodies this week: a TV show from the early 1960s and a movie from way back in the early 1930s.

“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is a predictable, sugary-sweet confection that thrives on the liver-spotted backs of its sterling silver-haired actors.

Capsules of movies opening this week.

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), et al, join forces under the guidance of Samuel L. Jackson, aka Nick Fury, to stop Thor’s brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), from destroying all of mankind.

There is no such thing as a weak performance from Dame Judi Dench. Nor, it seems, is any character out of her range. Her role in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”  is a far cry from Bond’s M.

The summer movie season begins Friday with the star-studded superhero extravaganza “The Avengers.” Here’s a look at that surefire hit and the other major offerings coming your way.

The best horror movies are delicate balancing acts. They combine a health dose of dreadful anticipation with just the right amount of out-and-out terror.

There are times when “The Five-Year Engagement” feels like a relic, particularly the belief that any use of the F word is instantaneously funny.

“The Raven” is nothing to crow about, but it’s not a turkey either. Enough bird puns for you? OK, nevermore.