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FAT KID RULES THE WORLDMovie Reviews
Comedy about an overweight teen who begins an uneasy friendship with a street musician who saves him from a suicide attempt. Cast:Jacob Wysocki, Matt O'Leary, Lili Simmons, Dylan Arnold, Billy CampbellDirector:Matthew LillardRelease Date:October 5, 2012DVD Release:January 22, 2013From:OutsiderRating:RLength:1 hr. 34 min.
JANUARY 22, 2013
Fat Kid Rules the World, Good (Not Great) Reviews Limited
Fat Kid Rules the World played in limited release to good not great reviews. • John Hartl wrote in the Seattle Times, "...a standard coming-of-age picture. Its chief distinction: a stronger-than-usual emphasis on male bonding." • And Norman Wilner wrote in Toronto Now, "...never loses its sense of playful humour." More Reviews Below...
Fat Kid Rules the World Positive Reviews (15 Reviews, reviews below)
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...smart and observant, and when its laughs come, they're of the dark humor variety.... direct and economical filmmaking that focuses directly on the characters."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 11/30/12
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "...an odd little directorial debut from Matthew Lillard... but it has its rewards.... limited as the film is, Lillard makes it feel real."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 108 words, 10/05/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...endearingly uneven.... Matthew Lillard infuses the film with a rowdy energy, but it often feels unmanned, like no one is quite in charge."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 181 words, 10/12/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...the jokes and story are thin.... this tame and by-the-numbers effort never succeeds in making the outcast situation cinematic or interesting."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 124 words, 10/05/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...smart and observant, and when its laughs come, they're of the dark humor variety.... direct and economical filmmaking that focuses directly on the characters."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 818 words, 11/30/12
Sherilyn Connelly, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Matt O'Leary does a fine job with the character, but Marcus's basic unpleasantness is distracting... But the film succeeds..."(See all of Sherilyn Connelly's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 208 words, 10/03/12
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Punctuated by cartoonish fantasy scenes and some adult moments that take it to darker territory... offers a few surprises and a satisfying, if predictable, finish."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 392 words, 07/13/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...never loses its sense of playful humour. Matthew Lillard understands that when things get this grim, you have to laugh. Or at least get behind a drum kit."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 266 words, 07/12/12
KEY CITIES (2 Reviews)
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...achingly slow, and by the time it's over, the story is about where it should have been after about 45 minutes. Then it ends just as it gets good, or as it's starting to."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 181 words, 10/19/12
Sherilyn Connelly, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Matt O'Leary does a fine job with the character, but Marcus's basic unpleasantness is distracting... But the film succeeds..."(See all of Sherilyn Connelly's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 208 words, 10/03/12
Jesse Hassenger, Pop Matters: VERY GOOD(cg) "Lillard draws out terrific performances from his cast.... the exhilaration it generates feels a bit like that flashback blown up to feature-length detail."(See all of Jesse Hassenger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 820 words, 10/12/12
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Lillard respects his actors, giving Wysocki, O'Leary, and Campbell plenty of room to breathe and lingering on their faces as they express the emotions words cannot."(See all of Glenn Heath Jr.'s reviews...)(Read the full review...) 548 words, 09/29/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...never loses its sense of playful humour. Matthew Lillard understands that when things get this grim, you have to laugh. Or at least get behind a drum kit."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 266 words, 07/12/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...endearingly uneven.... Matthew Lillard infuses the film with a rowdy energy, but it often feels unmanned, like no one is quite in charge."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 181 words, 10/12/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Daily Variety: GOOD "Affecting performances and effective storytelling are the hallmarks.... Matthew Lillard builds dramatic tension by keeping the aud guessing..."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 342 words, 04/02/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...less colorful than its grandeur-deluded title suggests.... one of its strengths is in depicting those high school role changes that occur in baby steps, not epiphanies."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 03/10/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...endearingly uneven.... Matthew Lillard infuses the film with a rowdy energy, but it often feels unmanned, like no one is quite in charge."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 181 words, 10/12/12
16.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Fat Kid Rules the World's reviews are separated by an average 16.6 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.
Fat Kid Rules the World (15 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Fat Kid Rules the World's reviews cover 16.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 5,146 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 343 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Fat Kid Rules the World Coverage, Volume & Length (15 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 6 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Fat Kid Rules the World's reviews on average broke 6 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 Fat Kid Rules the World's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Fat Kid Rules the World (15 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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