Definitely, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe takes familiar things -- handsome man, beautiful woman, Manhattan locations, bad timing -- and freshens them up with a new romantwist.

Ryan Reynolds, in his most appealing performance to date, has pitch-perfect rapport with each of his female co-stars.

Definitely, Maybe is definitely a cut above your standard-issue genre fare, maybe way above. Which doesn't mean it's not cute and sweet.

Ryan Reynolds has never been more appealing.

For a romantic comedy -- with the emphasis on romantic -- Definitely, Maybe takes lots of chances. So you should take a chance on it.

Although a bit overlong at almost two hours, Definitely, Maybe is smartly written and efficiently directed by Adam Brooks.

Definitely, Maybe is a spinning merry-go-round with the emphasis on the quirky ups and downs of romance.

Definitely, Maybe is most definitely a step forward in the career of comic actor Ryan Reynolds.

I find it hard to believe that there will be a better romantic comedy in 2008 than Definitely, Maybe.

While the broad strokes are predictable, the fine details of Definitely, Maybe are a near-constant stream of small, albeit lightweight, delights.

Quietly masculine and so relaxed in his effects that he could be prescribed for anxiety, Reynolds exudes an elusive charisma that suggests Ryan O'Neal by way of George Gobel.

A romantic comedy with brains as well as heart, Definitely, Maybe is that rare studio release that feels like it was written by a human being, not by committee.

Definitely, Maybe is an entertaining Valentine to the effect that Cupid is not so stupid after all.

Movie romances live or die by chemistry, and Definitely, Maybe has some great screen chemistry.

For once in a romantic comedy you won't be able to tell after five minutes who will end up together.

Definitely, Maybe proves that there are still innovative ways to tell the oldest story of all, the one about two people falling in love.

Sure, Definitely, Maybe has a few flaws, but it ’s certainly worthy of a yes.

It's a lot fresher and bit more sophisticated than the ordinary run of maudlin chick flicks and crude gross-out sex farces that now pass for romantic comedies.

Romantic comedies have such a lousy batting average -- somewhere between movie spoofs and torture porn -- that even when a half-decent one like Definitely, Maybe comes along, it's distinguished more by what it doesn't do than what it does.

It adds some welcome spice to a genre that rarely ventures beyond the predictable anymore.

More comfortable with human romantic complication than the usual stuff released on Valentine's Day.

Definitely is definitely not the best rom-com ever, though maybe one of the better ones Hollywood churns out this year.

Intelligent and genuine, with good acting and solid writing and direction.

Why isn't Reynolds a movie star yet? He may play the lead role in movies, but he has yet to really breakthrough and become a household name despite dabbling in romantic comedies, horror, comic book movies, dramas, and action flicks.

Very improbable, kinda corny and sweet as hell, Definitely, Maybe is a jackpot of blessed casting.

Ryan Reynolds has terrific chemistry with everyone, and watching him romance three of Hollywood's more intelligent, beguiling comediennes is a pleasure.

Definitely, Maybe is the kind of Hollywood romantic comedy the studios usually louse up, except this time they didn't.

The film definitely satisfies the need for an unthreatening, competently made romcom with a traditional template. But maybe that's not enough if you want to be surprised, refreshed or anything other than lazily charmed.

Definitely, Maybe benefits greatly from a supporting cast that seems imported from a different, better movie.

If guys’ harshest punishment this Valentine’s Day is being dragged to see Definitely, Maybe, they’re getting off pretty easy, thanks in large part to Ryan Reynolds.

Maybe it's a measure of the numbing awfulness of romantic comedies in general lately, but Definitely, Maybe isn't nearly so bad as you might fear.

Definitely, Maybe has an appealing cast, some amusing scenes and at least tries to do something different.

Ryan Reynolds is fine, but the movie's setup can't help but feel a little ridiculous.

There's really nothing terribly wrong with Definitely, Maybe, but there's nothing strikingly right about it, either; it's as good as it needs to be, and no more.

Ryan Reynolds is an American version of Hugh Grant.

When it comes to likable stories about love and the various ups and downs involved in finding it, Definitely, Maybe edges over into a cautious yes.

It feels overworked at times, a gimmick saved largely by chemistry.

Attempting to call this a comedy would be deceiving since it's not that funny beyond Reynolds' normally likeable wit.

Is Definitely, Maybe a make-or-break movie for Ryan Reynolds, as he evolves from frat boy funny-man to leading man? Definitely. Well, maybe.

The romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe is as memorable as its title. A lot of talented people are awash in this mediocre mix of corn and giggles.

It proves yet again that major studios are incapable of producing clever, touching, funny or meaningful love stories.

When you’re maybe just about ready to fully endorse the film, it gives in to some generic romantic-comedy frippery that punctures a hole in its own believability.

A mildly entertaining rom-com with obvious flaws, with nowhere near the out-of-the-candy-box approach to romance it purports to have.

It must be frustrating to be Ryan Reynolds. Cursed with lousy taste (or management), he is inevitably the most interesting element of any movie he makes.

Elizabeth Banks is better than good, Isla Fisher is better than funny, and Rachel Weisz, who hasn't been treated well by Hollywood (yikes, Eragon and Fred Claus) since she won an Oscar for The Constant Gardener.

All the performances in Definitely, Maybe are fine, yet they're fine mainly because there's almost nothing in the script to severely botch, so safe, rote, and mildly soporific are the proceedings.

The movie is too glib and muddled to achieve its loftier goals and ends up seeming over-ambitious and overextended.