Giving moviegoers the most accurate picture of movie reviews possible
Home
Out on DVD
Search Movies
Compare Movies
Critics
Publications
About Us
Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will discontinue
publishing this website at the end of May (more...)
Search a Movie:
AMIGO (2011) Movie Reviews
Historical drama about a village mayor caught between an American officer and his own rebel brother during the Philippine-American War. Cast: Joel Torres, Garret Dillahunt, Chris Cooper, D.J. Qualls Director: John Sayles Release Date: August 19, 2011 DVD Release: TBD From: Variance Films Rating: R Length: 2 hr. 8 min.

Amigo (2011), Good (Not Great) Reviews Key Cities

Updated: Wed, Jul 11 2012, 01:34am
Digg This StumbleUpon del.icio.us Twitter Share on Facebook
 | E-Mail to a Friend  | Print 
Amigo (2011)

Amigo (2011) played in key cities to good not great reviews. • Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...maybe it's not one of Sayles' best films, but it is a good one, highly enjoyable, if a little too obvious a metaphor for American involvement in practically every war..." • And A.O. Scott called the film in the New York Times, "...sturdy and old-fashioned."   More Reviews Below...

Amigo (2011)
Positive Reviews
(24 Reviews, reviews below)
 Compare This Movie... 
TotalBroad
National
Press
Local
News-
papers
Alter–
native/
Indie
High-
Brow
Press
Movie
Industry
NY/LA
Chicago
Toronto
Key
Cities
Total
B.O.
60.8% 55.8% 67.4% 58.9% 77.9% 70.0% 67.9% 61.2% $183K
Averages: 51.7% 54.3% 51.9% 47.1% 45.9% 49.0% 49.7% 54.4%
* 60.8% positive reviews out of 100%

Reviews & Quotes (24)


BROAD NATIONAL PRESS (4 Reviews)

Richard Corliss, Time: FAIR
"Sayles' fondness for narrative clichés works for him in the more intimates moments... [but] the pot of intrigue takes ages to boil, and the cook refuses to turn up the heat." (See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,280 words, 08/19/11

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...combustible filmmaking... In an entertainment universe of escapism and short attention spans, 'Amigo' is a rousing antidote and a cause for celebration." (See all of Peter Travers's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
308 words, 08/18/11

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...politically aware, occasionally melodramatic and maintains a certain intimacy despite sprawling across multiple characters and stories." (See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,511 words, 09/16/11

James Rocchi, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...feels more florid and earnest -- a little too eager to make friends -- than Sayles' other films, but it also feels more passionate and provocative than 99% of everything else..." (See all of James Rocchi's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
739 words, 08/16/11
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app...     or get our mobile web app...
movie     review     intelligence

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)

A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT
"...sturdy and old-fashioned.... a well-carpentered narrative, fast-moving and emphatic, stepping nimbly from gravity to good humor." (See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
909 words, 08/19/11

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT (cg)
"...an engrossing, perceptive, supremely humane drama about imperialism and loyalty." (See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
144 words, 08/19/11

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD
"Sayles sheds welcome light on a long-suppressed episode in American foreign policy.... Uneven but ultimately affecting..." (See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
241 words, 08/19/11

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE (cg)
"...has its heart in the right place, but its approach to complex issues is too simplistic to win over unconverted minds." (See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
183 words, 08/19/11

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...politically aware, occasionally melodramatic and maintains a certain intimacy despite sprawling across multiple characters and stories."
(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,511 words, 09/16/11

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: VERY GOOD
"...aspires more to educate than entertain, but it's no less engrossing for that.... intelligently rip-roaring, a thoughtful action film, a teachable moment." (See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
698 words, 08/17/11

Mike D'Angelo, LA Weekly: WEAK
"...means to use this forgotten chapter of history to make pointed statements about our current adventures in the Middle East." (See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
139 words, 11/04/10

KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: WEAK (cg)
"...so heavy-handed - and its execution so crude - that by the time the movie winds its way to a predictable but uninvolving conclusion, nobody will be listening anymore." (See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
577 words, 09/02/11

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...would make a good springboard for a classroom debate, but it's wooden filmmaking." (See all of Colin Covert's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
107 words, 09/16/11

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT (cg)
"...maybe it's not one of Sayles' best films, but it is a good one, highly enjoyable, if a little too obvious a metaphor for American involvement in practically every war..." (See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
596 words, 10/07/11

Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...if this movie makes you think of noncombatants in Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, and the collateral damage they can become... well, that's as Sayles would prefer it." (See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
558 words, 08/19/11

Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE (cg)
"...a heavy-handed attack on U.S. imperialism with little to compensate in the way of character interest and genuine drama." (See all of Walter Addiego's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
284 words, 08/19/11

John Hartl, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING (cg)
"...engrossing... You could argue that the chief villain of the ambiguously titled 'Amigo' is language, which is used quite deliberately to mock and mislead and betray." (See all of John Hartl's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
451 words, 09/02/11

Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE (cg)
"...there's no real sense of the atmosphere of a sticky, buggy, fetid jungle, and no intensity to a story that cries out for a sense of moral outrage." (See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
295 words, 09/02/11

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...a Sayles movie -- intelligent, thoughtful, deeply resonant and wearing its political heart on its sleeve -- we know that determining what is holy is a tricky business." (See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
513 words, 11/14/11

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: VERY GOOD
"...aspires more to educate than entertain, but it's no less engrossing for that.... intelligently rip-roaring, a thoughtful action film, a teachable moment." (See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
698 words, 08/17/11

Mike D'Angelo, LA Weekly: WEAK
"...means to use this forgotten chapter of history to make pointed statements about our current adventures in the Middle East." (See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
139 words, 11/04/10

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...a beautifully shot... whispers its messages rather than shouting them. Sometimes that makes them hard to hear, but better adult subtlety than childish obviousness." (See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
469 words, 08/18/11

Michelle Orange, Movieline: MODERATE (cg)
"...a study of what it means to be moral during wartime... the theme is too complex to be developed through the film's series of studied, expository two-shot conversations." (See all of Michelle Orange's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
794 words, 08/18/11

Fernando F. Croce, Slant: MODERATE (cg)
"...finds the auteur stumbling in the direction of Robert Redford's bloodless lectures ('Lions for Lambs,' 'The Conspirator')... anachronistic, on-the-nose..." (See all of Fernando F. Croce's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
553 words, 08/15/11

HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)

A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT
"...sturdy and old-fashioned.... a well-carpentered narrative, fast-moving and emphatic, stepping nimbly from gravity to good humor." (See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
909 words, 08/19/11

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD
"Sayles sheds welcome light on a long-suppressed episode in American foreign policy.... Uneven but ultimately affecting..." (See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
241 words, 08/19/11

MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)

Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"Admirably sincere but bluntly simplistic... combs through a nearly forgotten chapter of history for thought-provoking parallels to recent misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan." (See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
643 words, 09/18/10

Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD
"...a familiar tale, but the setting is different, and Sayles tells it with his usual cinematic vigor and attention to small detail." (See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
613 words, 10/15/10

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD
"Sayles sheds welcome light on a long-suppressed episode in American foreign policy.... Uneven but ultimately affecting..."
(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
241 words, 08/19/11

Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...an original work that wields Sayles' fascination with personalities and history to a rambling and chaotic exploration of caste, class and color." (See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
812 words, 09/16/10

A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT
"...sturdy and old-fashioned.... a well-carpentered narrative, fast-moving and emphatic, stepping nimbly from gravity to good humor."
(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
909 words, 08/19/11
(cg) = based on the critic's grade

Review Mixture
17.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews
(Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Amigo (2011)

Amigo (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 17.5 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.

Amigo (2011)
(24 reviews)
Roll over dots for each review
Broad National   Alternative/Indie   Highbrow Press   Key Cities
NY, LA, Chicago, & Toronto Movie Industry  
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Moderate
Weak
Poor
Reviews
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Moderate
Weak
Poor
Reviews
Big
Publications
>Bigger
Publications
>Biggest
Publications
Coverage, Volume & Length
Amigo (2011)

Coverage: Amigo (2011)'s reviews cover 39.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume: The film's reviews total 13,417 words in volume (average is 20,172 words). Length: The film's reviews average 559 words in length (the norm is 517 words).

Amigo (2011)
Coverage, Volume & Length
(24 Reviews, reviews below)
TotalBroad
National
Press
Local
News-
papers
Alter–
native/
Indie
High-
Brow
Press
Movie
Industry
NY/LA
Chicago
Toronto
Key
Cities
Total
B.O.
Coverage:
Volume:
Length:
39.3%
13,417
559
37.3%
3,838
960
61.7%
6,369
490
56.5%
2,653
531
29.0%
1,150
575
83.3%
3,218
644
63.5%
3,825
546
59.6%
3,381
423
$183K
Averages: 67.9%
20,173
517
65.9%
3,288
467
80.6%
10,359
518
81.9%
3,543
447
58.9%
2,454
626
85.2%
3,376
673
84.5%
5,863
497
73.2%
2,801
533
Opening Day Reviews
Reviews Broke 10 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Amigo (2011)

Amigo (2011)'s reviews on average broke 10 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Amigo (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.

Amigo (2011)
(24 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
M O R E    P O S I T I V E    R E V I E W S
E
A
R
L
I
E
R
L
A
T
E
R
M O R E    N E G A T I V E    R E V I E W S
Movie Review Intelligence Mobile Web App 1.2
Updated: Wed, Jul 11 2012, 01:34am
Digg This StumbleUpon del.icio.us Twitter Share on Facebook
 | E-Mail to a Friend  | Print 


Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser.

From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...


 

get one email
Update
every Friday when
the reviews are in
GO

Opening Soon
   (Early Figures)

Friday, May 10
Peeples 75.0% May 10
The Great Gatsby (2013) nr May 10
Aftershock (2013) nr May 10
Erased (2013) nr May 10
How Sweet It Is (2013) nr May 10
Java Heat nr May 10
No One Lives nr May 10
Sightseers 78.9% May 10
The Attack (L'attentat) 62.8% May 10
The Confession (2013) nr May 10
Venus and Serena 57.3% May 10
You Will Be My Son (Tu seras mon fils) 71.3% May 10
Friday, May 17
Star Trek Into Darkness 71.9% May 15
33 Postcards 33.0% May 17
Augustine 75.0% May 17
Black Rock nr May 17
Frances Ha 83.5% May 17
Pieta (2013) 70.3% May 17
Stories We Tell 82.1% May 17
The English Teacher 33.0% May 17
The Fruit Hunters 68.7% May 13
Friday, May 24
Fast & Furious 6 nr May 24
The Hangover Part III nr May 24
Epic (2013) nr May 24
Before Midnight (2013) 98.5% May 24
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks 72.0% May 24
Beyond
Don Jon 55.6% Oct 18
Ain't Them Bodies Saints 86.3% Aug 16
Battle of the Year: The Dream Team nr Sep 13
Crystal Fairy 65.0% Jul 12
Fruitvale 89.3% Jul 26
I'm So Excited! 54.7% Jun 28
Lovelace 73.5% Aug 9
Prince Avalanche 77.9% Aug 16
The East 89.1% May 31
The Hunt (Jagten) 71.3% Jul 12
The Spectacular Now 82.2% Aug 2
The Way, Way Back 87.6% Jul 5