Comedy, Certified Fresh | featured news

This week at the movies, we've got hapless heroes (Kick-Ass, starring Aaron Johnson and Nicolas Cage), and madcap mourners (Death at a Funeral, starring Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan). What do the critics have to say? Given the recent glut of superheroes on the big screen, it was inevitable that we'd get a film that both relishes and satirizes the genre (sorry, Superhero Movie, you don't count). Critics say Matthew Vaughn's hotly-anticipated Kick-Ass largely lives up to its name, even if some find its ambitious approach a bit scattershot.

This week at the movies, we've got bachelor party mayhem (The Hangover, starring Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms), space-time continuum wackiness (Land of the Lost, starring Will Ferrell and Danny McBride), and travel travails (My Life in Ruins, starring Nia Vardalos and Richard Dreyfuss). What do the critics have to say?

There's nothing wrong with frat house comedy when it's done right. And critics say The Hangover is one of the best in recent years, a wild ride of debauchery and tastelessness that delivers laughs at a frightening clip.