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FOUR LIONSMovie Reviews
Comedy drama about a group of bumbling jihadists in northern England. Cast:Rizwan Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak, Adeel AkhtarDirector:Christopher MorrisRelease Date:November 5, 2010DVD Release:March 8, 2011From:Drafthouse FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr 34 min
Four Lions played in key cities to very good reviews. • Dana Stevens wrote for Slate, "The very existence of 'Four Lions' is an act of audacity; the fact that it's also smart, humane, and frequently hilarious is nothing short of a miracle." • And Shawn Levy wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...dense, sharp, hilarious and unflinching... there's real verve and surprise in the writing..." More Reviews Below...
Four Lions Positive Reviews (35 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...brilliantly incendiary... the blackest, ballsiest political comedy since 'Dr. Strangelove.' And, for those of strong stomach, one of the funniest."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,512 words, 11/12/10
David Germain, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "If the Three Stooges tried to carry out their own Islamic jihad, the results could not be funnier than 'Four Lions'... wonderfully absurdist..."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 11/04/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "Chris Morris pushes the 'stupid' angle to outrageous heights in his burnt-black satire about clueless British jihadists with no clear ideology and even worse guerrilla skills."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 103 words, 11/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's an exceedingly dark comedy, a wicked satire, a thriller where the thrills center on the incompetence of the villains... fueled by both merriment and anger."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 11/11/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "It sustains its comedy past the point of sensitivity or good feeling... You laugh until the laughter turns to ashes in your mouth. And then you laugh some more."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 11/05/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...challenging and often hilarious... It's not your usual comedic fodder, but the director and co-writer's extensive research and profound intellect elevate it above mere farce."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 11/05/10
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: POOR(cg) "Morris has taken what might make a funny sketch and forced it to run more than an hour and a half. There's just not enough funny material to warrant the length."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 11/05/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's an exceedingly dark comedy, a wicked satire, a thriller where the thrills center on the incompetence of the villains... fueled by both merriment and anger."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 11/11/10
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...has a provocative, ticklish premise... [but] after a while, we feel like we're trapped in a broken jihad with the Five Stooges."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 02/25/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Morris never shortchanges the characters for easy laughs, and manages some pointed comments on the state of England's relationship to its Muslim population."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 02/24/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "When it works - and it doesn't half the time - it's as if Monty Python were back, putting its merrily imbecilic stamp on the dark world of terrorism."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 11/05/10
David Lewis, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...a daring, brilliantly conceptualized film, but like the bumbling bombers of the title, the execution tends to be hit-and-miss."(See all of David Lewis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 249 words, 11/12/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a very funny British send-up of the dimwitted children of parents smart enough to escape their repressive Islamic homelands."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 12/29/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a dark farce sitting somewhere between 'Dr. Strangelove' and 'Duck Soup.' It will blow you away.... frantic, outrageous and surprisingly touching..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 266 words, 01/07/11
Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...full of outrageous laughs.... betrays its low-budget origins in cinematography, editing, acting and locations. Really, none of that finally matters. Mainly, you'll laugh."(See all of Richard Nilsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 12/10/10
John Hartl, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an ambitious, uneven new farce that dares to mock the motives and personalities of four suicide bombers who plan to attack the London Marathon."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 345 words, 11/05/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...dense, sharp, hilarious and unflinching... there's real verve and surprise in the writing, and the climax becomes excitingly double-themed..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 611 words, 11/12/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a hilarious, biting British comedy that's far more about human folly than religion.... funny stuff tinged with just enough topicality to sting a bit."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 278 words, 01/14/11
Betsy Sherman, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...well acted, and the dialogue is howlingly funny. And just because it's a comedy doesn't mean the actions don't have consequences."(See all of Betsy Sherman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 168 words, 11/04/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a ballsy romp through one of the least lighthearted subjects imaginable... it's an edgy provocation that alchemizes tragedy into literally explosive comedy."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 11/04/10
Nick Schager, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...part ironic farce, part politicized treatise, and mostly a snooze, failing except in certain instances to generate prickly live-wire energy..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 10/31/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Morris never shortchanges the characters for easy laughs, and manages some pointed comments on the state of England's relationship to its Muslim population."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 191 words, 02/24/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "English broadcaster and funny man Chris Morris deploys satire and ridicule as his primary weapons in the War on Terror.... presents hilarious slapstick set pieces."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 12/03/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...an adolescent stab at a grown-up subject.... some of their gang's escapades are amusing rather than laughable. Yet 'Four Lions' lacks a moral base."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 170 words, 11/05/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "It sustains its comedy past the point of sensitivity or good feeling... You laugh until the laughter turns to ashes in your mouth. And then you laugh some more."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 11/05/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "The invective energy of 'Four Lions' is never in doubt.... It mocks the dumb relentlessly, and in so doing it allows us to believe, with a dab of smugness, that we know better."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 11/08/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...challenging and often hilarious... It's not your usual comedic fodder, but the director and co-writer's extensive research and profound intellect elevate it above mere farce."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 11/05/10
Dana Stevens, Slate: EXCELLENT "The very existence of 'Four Lions' is an act of audacity; the fact that it's also smart, humane, and frequently hilarious is nothing short of a miracle."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 832 words, 11/11/10
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: EXCELLENT "You'll laugh uproariously at what seems like a nihilistic but good-humored film, until you realize that director Chris Morris isn't actually kidding about any of it..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 182 words, 01/25/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...ballsy but wobbly.... the men's broadly overplayed idiocy simply doesn't gel with the pic's would-be-convincing portrait of the jihadist's everyday mindset."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 777 words, 01/27/10
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...challenging and often hilarious... It's not your usual comedic fodder, but the director and co-writer's extensive research and profound intellect elevate it above mere farce."(See all of Michael Ordoña's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 11/05/10
Michael T. Dennis, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "...audacious... does the seemingly-impossible by making a funny movie about suicide bombers.... manages to earn laughs at every step of the way."(See all of Michael T. Dennis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 11/08/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "It sustains its comedy past the point of sensitivity or good feeling... You laugh until the laughter turns to ashes in your mouth. And then you laugh some more."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 11/05/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...an adolescent stab at a grown-up subject.... some of their gang's escapades are amusing rather than laughable. Yet 'Four Lions' lacks a moral base."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 170 words, 11/05/10
18.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Four Lions's reviews are separated by an average 18.7 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.
Four Lions (35 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Four Lions's reviews cover 58.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 16,320 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 466 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Four Lions Coverage, Volume & Length (35 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 25.4 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Four Lions's reviews on average broke 25.4 hours after 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 Four Lions's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Four Lions (35 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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