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FOOTLOOSE (2011)Movie Reviews
Musical romance about a big-city teen who moves to a town that has outlawed dancing, and shows his classmates that it's okay to blow off steam with some loud music and good friends. Cast:Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Andie MacDowell, Dennis QuaidDirector:Craig BrewerRelease Date:October 14, 2011DVD Release:March 6, 2012From:ParamountRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 53 min
Footloose (2011) played to good not great reviews. • Ann Hornaday wrote in the Washington Post, "...a largely unobjectionable note-for-note facsimile of Herbert Ross's ode... Brewer has made it look and sound a little bit more like the real world." • And Jake Coyle wrote for the Associated Press, "Director Craig Brewer has made a better, more colorful film, but his cast isn't nearly as memorable." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the dance scenes are fantastic, with everything from country line-dancing to krumping. It's what hasn't changed between versions that falls flat..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 155 words, 10/13/11
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "All right, maybe there is something timeless in anachronism. Maybe co-writer/director Craig Brewer has located the heart beneath the hoke."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 826 words, 10/14/11
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...bursts with high-energy fun.... OK, OK, the story has only grown mustier in 2011. But, come on, it's all about the music -- and this is where the drama soars."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 185 words, 10/13/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a winning remake.... director Craig Brewer displays his coolest moves in the way he smartly unties this 'Footloose' from its 1980s moorings."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 236 words, 10/07/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "Wormald is not the actor Bacon is. This crimps his chemistry with Hough, who has the indefinable spark that indicates star potential."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 10/13/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: WEAK(cg) "...a film without wit, humor or purpose. It sets up the town elders as old farts who hate rock 'n' roll.... A bad movie, if faithfully remade, will produce another bad movie."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 582 words, 10/14/11
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Director Craig Brewer puts just enough smarts, sweat and swagger into his version of the dance steps making up this film that you can't help but move your feet and hum along."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 770 words, 10/11/11
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "When the characters are dancing and the music is blaring, it comes alive. It has energy, personality. Would that the same could be said about the dramatic scenes..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 798 words, 10/11/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "It only works when it settles down and lets the characters hang out and have a little fun. Which is all kids really want to do. Why does everyone make it so difficult?"(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 10/14/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Brewer ('Hustle & Flow') has softened the tone for his remake. But nearly everything else remains intact, and -- surprisingly -- that's just enough to win us over."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 10/14/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: WEAK(cg) "...a film without wit, humor or purpose. It sets up the town elders as old farts who hate rock 'n' roll.... A bad movie, if faithfully remade, will produce another bad movie."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 582 words, 10/14/11
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...heartfelt retread of a notably thin popcorn property does come alive during an illicit dance-off at a drive-in or when a line dance devolves into sweaty gyrations..."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 824 words, 10/12/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "If it achieves anything, it would be in steering people back for another look at the '84 model, which still moves rather well."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 727 words, 10/14/11
Jennie Punter, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Brewer attempts too much here, giving us too many scenes that tell us the same thing... the film grows unwieldy and disturbingly uneven in tone."(See all of Jennie Punter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 650 words, 10/14/11
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a largely unobjectionable note-for-note facsimile of Herbert Ross's ode... Brewer has made it look and sound a little bit more like the real world."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 501 words, 10/14/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "As remakes go, 'Footloose' is fine, serving up slightly fresher batches of cheese and corn. But why? Why?"(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 416 words, 10/14/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a corny story, and just as dated as it was when it first came around 27 years ago.... But the dance scenes are more fun and Julianne Hough gives it a sexy, sassy edge..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 10/14/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...so easy to like it runs the risk of being underrated by snooty film lovers.... It's an eruption of joyous, jitterbugging energy and a polished piece of filmmaking."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 10/14/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sappy, squeaky clean and far-fetched.... a pleasant reminder of the past for fans of the first one, and an agreeable-enough experience for everyone else."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 10/14/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I don't know what Brewer wanted to capture. There are too many close-ups of stomping, swinging feet to suggest he cared about great choreography."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 10/14/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...will quite capably supply the same amount of carefree fun to a new generation. Which is exactly what a clever, if not particularly ambitious, remake sets out to do."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 567 words, 10/14/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...will appeal to audiences who haven't seen the 1984 original. And it has enough charm and life to it to compete with the memory of the earlier version."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 655 words, 10/14/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Despite its frequent goofy charm, there's no compelling reason for the new 'Footloose' to exist. Both homage and imitation, it's agreeable to watch but instantly forgotten."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 328 words, 10/14/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "...captures much of the verve and charm of the original while retaining quite a bit of its conventionality and stodginess."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 10/14/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "...the few black characters are mere tokens, and much of the choreography is country two-stepping... poses as a bold update, but it's shockingly out of step with the times."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 10/14/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...fancy-free, an iconic movie's tribute that could stand on its own two, tapping feet. Watch both versions back-to-back, and Brewer's respect and skillful reworkings are clear."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 10/13/11
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...heartfelt retread of a notably thin popcorn property does come alive during an illicit dance-off at a drive-in or when a line dance devolves into sweaty gyrations..."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 824 words, 10/12/11
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "Brewer can't decide whether to lampoon the original's premise, play it straight, or push it even further into the realm of melodrama, but he mostly ends up playing it straight..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 10/13/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Brewer is one of the few contemporary filmmakers I know of who can make movies about the South without sentimentalizing it, glorifying it or looking down on it."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,101 words, 10/13/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "You want a great movie with dancing and frustrated high-school kids? Rent 'Grease.' If movies were better in the 80s, they were better still in the 70s. Amirite?"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 853 words, 10/12/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "It only works when it settles down and lets the characters hang out and have a little fun. Which is all kids really want to do. Why does everyone make it so difficult?"(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 10/14/11
Andrew Lapin, NPR: VERY GOOD "Brewer retains about 90 percent of Dean Pitchford's original screenplay and yet somehow walks away with a film that's light years more nuanced and fun."(See all of Andrew Lapin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 800 words, 10/14/11
Rob Nelson, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...never quite cuts loose enough to distinguish itself... Brewer's musical staging is subtly less theatrical than Herbert Ross', but it hardly constitutes a reinvention."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 855 words, 10/01/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...showcases a dynamic and attractive new actor, Kenny Wormald, but otherwise, this is a by-the-numbers affair that generates rote sympathy for hormonally-charged high schoolers..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 947 words, 10/11/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "...tame and safe... an impersonal movie that lacks distinctive vision or aesthetic, and one that could take place at any geographic place and at any historic time..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 10/10/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "It only works when it settles down and lets the characters hang out and have a little fun. Which is all kids really want to do. Why does everyone make it so difficult?"(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 10/14/11
17.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Footloose (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 17.3 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.
Footloose (2011) (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Footloose (2011)'s reviews cover 89.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 25,764 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 560 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 25.6 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Footloose (2011)'s reviews on average broke 25.6 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 Footloose (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Footloose (2011) (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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