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BACK TO 1942 (YI WU SI ER)Movie Reviews
Drama about a deadly drought that took a toll on central China's Henan province during the war against Japan in 1942. Cast:Adrien Brody, Tim Robbins, Daoming Chen, Fan Xu, Alec Su, Hanyu Zhang, Alfred Hsing, Guoli Zhang, Yihong Duan, Xuejian Li, Mo Zhang, Zhenyu Qiao, Zhong Lü, Yuanzheng Feng, Ziwen WangDirector:Xiaogang FengRelease Date:November 30, 2012DVD Release:May 14, 2013From:China LionLength:2 hr. 24 min.
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er) played in limited release to fair reviews. • Susan G. Cole wrote in Toronto Now, "...along for the ride are Adrien Brody as Time reporter Theodore White and Tim Robbins, ludicrous as an Irish priest.... the movie has no emotional arc..." More Reviews Below...
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er) Positive Reviews (10 Reviews, reviews below)
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Feng Xiaogang captures the epic scale of the exodus as well as the often-harrowing details, yet emotional connection proves more elusive."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 263 words, 11/30/12
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...a stream of handsomely filmed cliches that fails to strike the emotional chords intended. Only rare dashes of droll humor veer off the blueprint..."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 247 words, 11/28/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...along for the ride are Adrien Brody as Time reporter Theodore White and Tim Robbins, ludicrous as an Irish priest.... the movie has no emotional arc..."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 11/29/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...shows the director's mastery of chaotic spectacle and massed human motion.... but Feng's historical horror show would be more moving if it were less openly emotional."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 460 words, 11/30/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...a stream of handsomely filmed cliches that fails to strike the emotional chords intended. Only rare dashes of droll humor veer off the blueprint..."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 247 words, 11/28/12
James Spillane, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...at once benefiting and suffering from its sweeping historical canvas.... excels at dramatic set pieces, but stumbles in the sections that link them together."(See all of James Spillane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 11/21/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...along for the ride are Adrien Brody as Time reporter Theodore White and Tim Robbins, ludicrous as an Irish priest.... the movie has no emotional arc..."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 218 words, 11/29/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Feng Xiaogang captures the epic scale of the exodus as well as the often-harrowing details, yet emotional connection proves more elusive."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 263 words, 11/30/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Jay Weissberg, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...rarely gets across true emotion. More believable are the frequent business deals being made, even among people who've reached the limit of endurance..."(See all of Jay Weissberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 542 words, 11/13/12
Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...there is surprisingly little emotional resonance with the well-drawn and acted characters, making it a tiring two and a half hour trek..."(See all of Deborah Young's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 780 words, 11/12/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Feng Xiaogang captures the epic scale of the exodus as well as the often-harrowing details, yet emotional connection proves more elusive."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 263 words, 11/30/12
11.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er)'s reviews are separated by an average 11.4 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.
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er) (10 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er)'s reviews cover 10.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,807 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 381 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er) Coverage, Volume & Length (10 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 54.1 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er)'s reviews on average broke 54.1 hours 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 Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Back to 1942 (Yi Wu Si Er) (10 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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