Burnt

It's all too familiar, too rudimentary, and while the kitchen they're working in is top-of-the-line the meal they ultimately prepare isn't that much better than a Denny's breakfast left under the heat lamps a few minutes too many.

Burnt is, to be clear, not a good movie. It is in fact a pretty terrible movie.

Mostly, I thought Burnt was ridiculous. And yet I cannot tell a lie. Its familiar beats, comely cast, and lively kitchen montages entertained me.

Burnt is plated beautifully but lacks the complexity of flavor it so desperately wants to achieve.

Anyone who makes an informed decision to watch Burnt might want to bring a bingo-card of dramatic cliches to tick off during the run-time.

Burnt should have been a spicy treat. Instead, it comes and goes like so much fast food, leaving you hungry for a late-night DVD snack ...

Due entirely to his talent and appeal, two hours of Bradley-being-Bradley works and the film will rightly entertain at an acceptable superficial level.

Despite all of the beautiful cuisine and energetic kitchen chaos, “Burnt” is simply a half-baked redemption tale.

Bradley Cooper plays a deplorable chef in a fatty, undercooked film.

Wells damns the film with an extra two minutes of demonstrably pat resolutions.