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EMPEROR (2013)Movie Reviews
Drama about the American occupation of Japan following Emperor Hirohito's WWII surrender, when General Douglas MacArthur became de facto ruler of a foreign nation. Cast:Matthew Fox, Tommy Lee Jones, Eriko Hatsune, Toshiyuki Nishida, Masayoshi HanedaDirector:Peter WebberRelease Date:March 8, 2013DVD Release: TBD From:Roadside AttractionsRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 38 min
Emperor (2013) opened in national release to moderate reviews. • Joel Arnold wrote for NPR, "...if you're going to fudge things, at least make it entertaining.... Despite the promising setup, the filmmakers' execution muddles what's inherently dramatic material." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Matthew Fox's stilted intensity gives the search urgency but lacks emotional warmth.... The Japanese cultural history we learn in the process is fascinating."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 03/07/13
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "August 1945... Set amid the rubble of Tokyo, the film captures the moral paradox of that moment.... the delicate postwar dance of revenge, justice, and realpolitik..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 151 words, 03/08/13
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the execution is clumsy and cliché-ridden. Only near the end, when MacArthur and Hirohito meet in person, do we get fireworks. An that's thanks to Tommy Lee Jones..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 222 words, 03/01/13
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an uneven historical drama with viable intrigue marred by sluggish stretches.... interruption by a pedestrian love story detracts from the story's momentum."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 03/08/13
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Peter Webber takes a simple, classical approach that makes this feel as if it could have been a movie from the period in which it takes place.... Age 14."(See all of Jeffrey M. Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 411 words, 03/05/13
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...methodical but dull... Webber fills the film with conciliatory emotion and jarring vistas of post-atomic landscapes.... it needs more good ol'-fashioned swagger."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 319 words, 03/08/13
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...for any number of reasons, the movie does play ever so small, failing to command that larger-than-life screen on which it sits so uncomfortably."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 03/08/13
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Tommy Lee Jones is predictably wonderful... But Jones can't save a film that unfortunately keeps him off-screen for far too much time..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 03/08/13
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "Screenwriters David Klass and Vera Blasi try to juice things up by inventing a 1930s romance between Bonner Fellers and a Japanese woman..."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 03/08/13
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...expertly photographed.... makes it clear this was a devastating war for both sides.... a solid and important look at a sometimes-forgotten chapter in the World War II saga."(See all of Richard Roeper's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 752 words, 03/08/13
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...the story is devoid of suspense regarding Hirohito's ultimate fate, and General Bonner Feller's inquiry is made more sluggish by dramatically inert conversations..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 03/06/13
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "...falls prey to the temptations endemic to historical docudrama: the desire to pack a miniseries' worth of events into one feature-length film, with romance tossed in..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 519 words, 03/29/13
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Too often, the use of voice-over and repeated interviews in offices make this feel like a television detective-series episode where the outcome is already known."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 03/29/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...the makers have chosen not to engage directly with the weighty narrative, or even think too much about MacArthur himself.... That's a shame..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 03/28/13
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...serious and well made but will appeal primarily to those with an interest in the devastated setting (1945 Tokyo) and the enigmatic title character (Emperor Hirohito)."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 451 words, 03/08/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...with a melodramatic romance piled atop the rubble, how accurate is 'Emperor's' depiction of events, and the portrait of a country and its culture?"(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 385 words, 03/08/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "...starts slowly and peters out from there. Rather than a grand historical drama of the old school, it's an unimaginative, shallow parade of artificial film moments."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 421 words, 03/08/13
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Fox is good in a relatively thankless role.... you long for a little fun. And that's what Jones supplies. He's clearly having a blast playing MacArthur..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 03/08/13
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...you never think it's Douglas MacArthur you're watching, even when Jones wears the aviator sunglasses and sticks a corncob pipe in his mouth."(See all of Mark Feeney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 497 words, 03/08/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: WEAK(cg) "...a dull procedural, with the bland Matthew Fox driving around in a jeep and asking questions and not having them answered."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 547 words, 03/08/13
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a study in creating the illusion of drama. Fellers must find evidence to exonerate Hirohito, and the clock is ticking."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 03/08/13
John Hartl, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...well-made but patchy.... Aside from Jones' gutsy performance, what lifts the film above mediocrity is its serious engagement with the generals' dilemma."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 270 words, 03/08/13
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...adds a romantic subplot to the prosecution of Japanese war criminals by American general Douglas MacArthur, but neither the love nor the war are completely baked."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 03/08/13
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: GOOD(cg) " 'Let's show them some good old-fashioned American swagger,' Jones declares as MacArthur prepares to step onto Japanese soil.... but Peter Webber isn't up for it."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 351 words, 03/07/13
Roger Moore, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the love story turns it all into a melodrama, robbing a forgotten piece of history of its potential to educate in addition to entertain."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 345 words, 03/08/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...the story is devoid of suspense regarding Hirohito's ultimate fate, and General Bonner Feller's inquiry is made more sluggish by dramatically inert conversations..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 200 words, 03/06/13
Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Even as an investigative procedural, this is pretty dry stuff... too often a beautifully lit, impressively mounted textbook chapter..."(See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 396 words, 03/14/13
Esther Yi, Slant: POOR(cg) "...blunt about its stylistic ambitions while at the same time failing to meet them.... The truth may be dull, but fiction smoothed into glossy perfection is duller still."(See all of Esther Yi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 03/02/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...the makers have chosen not to engage directly with the weighty narrative, or even think too much about MacArthur himself.... That's a shame..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 03/28/13
Joel Arnold, NPR: FAIR "...if you're going to fudge things, at least make it entertaining.... Despite the promising setup, the filmmakers' execution muddles what's inherently dramatic material."(See all of Joel Arnold's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 03/07/13
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...for any number of reasons, the movie does play ever so small, failing to command that larger-than-life screen on which it sits so uncomfortably."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 03/08/13
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "...didactic... the handsome production is honorably intentioned but stodgy, padded out with a wan romantic subplot that struggles to generate emotional heat."(See all of David Rooney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 942 words, 09/15/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...for any number of reasons, the movie does play ever so small, failing to command that larger-than-life screen on which it sits so uncomfortably."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 03/08/13
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...disappointingly weak... the filmmakers cannot find what's truly interesting about the episode... a film that is dramatically inert and not particularly well acted either."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 03/06/13
15.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Emperor (2013)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.9 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.
Emperor (2013) (36 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Emperor (2013)'s reviews cover 56.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 15,518 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 431 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 3 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Emperor (2013)'s reviews on average broke 3 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 Emperor (2013)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Emperor (2013) (36 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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