As the brilliant Scottish poet Robbie Burns once said (apologies for the English paraphrasing), “The best laid plans of mice and men/Go oft awry.” It’s a sentiment that rings true across all avenues – and the movie business is no exception.

For instance, say you had a film. You had three talented actors leading the cast, including an Oscar winner and a couple of legitimate movie stars. You had a rising young director and a screenwriter adapting his own Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for the screen. All of this folded into a period piece with a striking setting. You’d think that it was poised to be a great film, yes?

Alas, in the case of “Waiting for the Barbarians,” the sum total falls short. Despite the presence of the brilliant Mark Rylance and bold turns from the likes of Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson, despite the presence of director Ciro Guerra, despite J.M Coetzee’s adaptation of his own 2003 novel of the same name, the film can’t scale the heights to which it so clearly aspires.

It’s a story of isolation and empire, a cautionary tale about colonialism that can never fully get out of its own way. There’s no denying the quality of performances or the stunning backdrop against which they are set, but the film simply never generates any kind of momentum, limping along through most of its 114 minutes without ever presenting a sense of dramatic urgency. All the pieces are there for a great film, only they’re assembled into something that is just OK.

I’ll admit to having been a little skeptical when I first heard about the continuation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter-centric fictional universe. That story felt like it had been thoroughly told – did we really need to find new angles to explore?

And so I was surprised to find “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” such a charming, engaging film. Yes, it was a little overproduced and a little convoluted and less focused than it ought to have been, but it was still fun, which is all that really matters with movies like this.

But after seeing the second installment, I fear my initial instinct may ultimately be proven right after all.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”

'Alice Through the Looking Glass' a dull, dispirited mess

Sometimes, a sequel happens whether or not anyone really wants it to. A movie's success can be such that returning to the well simply cannot be avoided no matter how bad an idea that might prove to be.

Johnny Depp vehicle utterly, painfully unfunny

In recent years, Johnny Depp has developed an odd relationship with the moviegoing public. He has increasingly gone in for roles where he was able to cloak himself in some sort of affectation, be it the way he dresses or the way he talks or the way he wears his hair (facial and otherwise). Many times, he combines more than one of those put-upon qualities.

Big-budget adaptation a cynical mess

The summer season is a time of cinematic spectacle. Nine-figure budgets and global stars are brought together in an attempt to build and/or maintain billion-dollar franchises. Sometimes, these plans go as intended and you get a real blockbuster. Other times, a variety of factors go awry cost overruns, reshoots, misreading of audiences and you get films that fall flat. These are movies that, while not necessarily utter disasters, nevertheless fail to deliver on expectations.

LOS ANGELES - The fan votes - not just the odds - were in 'The Hunger Games' favor at the MTV Movie Awards.

The dystopian survival saga escaped from Sunday's 21st annual extravaganza with the most golden popcorn-shaped trophies, including best fight for the film's final three-way battle and best on-screen transformation for Elizabeth Banks' over-the-top futuristic makeover. 'Hunger Games' stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were also honored for best female and male performances.

'I've wanted to hold a golden popcorn since I was 4 years old,' beamed Hutcherson.

With four wins out of eight nominations, 'Hunger Games' didn't totally decimate the competition. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2' won prizes for best cast and best hero, while 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1' won for movie of the year, and 'Twilight' stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson locked the best kiss trophy for the fourth straight year.

Latest Burton/Depp team-up falls short

It's always sad when a long-standing cinematic collaboration begins to run out of steam. It happens to the best of them, whether it springs from creative differences, personal issues or just overstaying their welcomes.

I hate to say it, but I think the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp pairing may have reached its sell-by date. The duo's latest collaboration is 'Dark Shadows,' based on the gothic soap opera that originally aired in the late 1960s.

Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work.