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ARMADILLO (2011)Movie Reviews
Documentary about the daily realities for a group of Danish soldiers stationed at a base camp called Armadillo, who are on a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. Cast:Ronnie Fridthjof, Sara StockmannDirector:Janus Metz PedersenRelease Date:April 15, 2011DVD Release:October 18, 2011From:Lorber FilmsLength:1 hr 40 min
Armadillo (2011) played in limited release to very good reviews. • Shawn Levy wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...stunningly well-made... Janus Metz captures and weaves together striking images with great craft. The actual hell of an actual war has never been so beautifully rendered." • And Linda Barnard wrote in the Toronto Star, "...takes great risks to get the on-the-ground footage that makes 'Armadillo' so disturbing." More Reviews Below...
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Janis Metz knows how to build rapport with his subjects -- the hair-trigger energy here is reminiscent of the fictionalized kind in 'The Hurt Locker'..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 04/15/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...takes great risks to get the on-the-ground footage that makes 'Armadillo' so disturbing. Often, scenes are filmed on the run amid bullets and mortars."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 660 words, 07/01/11
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice: VERY GOOD "...the unprecedented access of director Janus Metz and cameraman Lars Skree reveals the alternating waves of frontline tedium and terror with fresh immediacy."(See all of Mark Holcomb's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/13/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...so alarmingly, disorientingly beautiful that its well-madeness seems to be the point more than any surprising or trenchant idea about the war or its participants."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 713 words, 06/24/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...stunningly well-made... Metz captures and weaves together striking images with great craft. The actual hell of an actual war has never been so beautifully rendered."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 04/29/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice: VERY GOOD "...the unprecedented access of director Janus Metz and cameraman Lars Skree reveals the alternating waves of frontline tedium and terror with fresh immediacy."(See all of Mark Holcomb's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/13/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "The aftermath of a Green Zone firefight introduces a note of ambiguity to the soldiers' presence there, but 'Armadillo' doesn't make the ill feelings stick."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 305 words, 04/14/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: MODERATE(cg) "While it's true that people under great stress often speak in clichés, you start wondering if these young soldiers are taking cues from other war documentaries..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 755 words, 04/14/11
Andrew Schenker, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...gives us glimpses of the soldier's life amid warfare, 21st-century style... will look familiar to American viewers of such similar domestic products as 'Severe Clear' and 'Restrepo.' "(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 04/09/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...brilliant... as intense and visceral as any drama, and an emotional and moral experience that feels horrifying and exhilarating at almost the same moment."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 911 words, 04/14/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Leslie Felperin, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...a gut-punching docu... Janus Metz and his crew get right down in the trenches while the bullets whistle by, coaxing candid interviews from the soldiers."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 05/17/10
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "...gripping... When the bombs go off and the bullets start flying, Janus Metz and his cameraman provide a real-life vision of what a hurt locker is really all about."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 10/15/10
16.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Armadillo (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.2 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.
Armadillo (2011) (15 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Armadillo (2011)'s reviews cover 14.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,719 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 448 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 19 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Armadillo (2011)'s reviews on average broke 19 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 Armadillo (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Armadillo (2011) (15 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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