"School of Rock" could have been a cloying, overly kid-friendly disaster. The concept, dealing with a substitute teacher who turns his class into a rock band, has the potential to go in some many wrong directions. Put into the capable hands of Richard Linklater, "School of Rock," however, is a joy. The film is a funny, quick-moving, and uplifting rock comedy that wrings a delightful performance from an unhinged and authoritatively awesome Jack Black.

Celebrating kids and their talents without…

Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" is a rollicking, constantly moving, animated adventure. Featuring some great set-pieces, the film follows Tintin, a plucky, young reporter, whose adventure is less important than the action and style of the piece.

The 3-D, computer-generated animation is remarkable. Locations and textures appear photo-real, and the film's visual depth is impressive. The faces of "...Tintin" are slightly unnerving, however. With the near-realism of the bodies and film's props, it's jarring to see cartoony faces perched…

From the opening Warner Brothers logo, to its end credits, "Argo" is a fully-engrossing and remarkably accomplished piece of filmmaking. Director Ben Affleck assembles a film that pays attention to the smallest of details while delivering on a grand dramatic scale.

With both cinematography that adds a patina of grain to its naturalistic color palette and the film's immersive design details, the look of "Argo" is historically appropriate and eye-catching. The cast, led by a stoic Affleck and more-than-solid turns…