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GULLIVER'S TRAVELS (2010)Movie Reviews
Adventure comedy based on the novel of the same name, about a man who travels to an undiscovered land where he towers over its diminutive citizens. Cast:Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Billy Connolly, Amanda PeetDirector:Rob LettermanRelease Date:December 25, 2010DVD Release:April 12, 2011From:20th Century FoxRating:PGLength:1 hr 25 minIn 3D
Gulliver's Travels (2010) played to weak reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Claudia Puig wrote in USA Today, "...a rehashed mishmash.... there are a few moments that recall Jack Black's engaging persona in 'School of Rock' and 'High Fidelity,' but not enough..." • And Nathan Rabin wrote for the AV Club, "...big, dumb, and slow-moving, a lumbering oaf of a movie..." More Reviews Below...
David Germain, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "...the movie sullies a piece of literature that has endured for nearly 300 years for the sake of a cheap kiddie flick that'll be forgotten in a month."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 682 words, 12/23/10
Keith Staskiewicz, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "...strips the source material down to its recognizable parts and then builds something completely new out of them. Unfortunately, the result is entirely Lilliputian in ambition..."(See all of Keith Staskiewicz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 285 words, 12/24/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: POOR(cg) "The 3D effects are beyond cheesy when they exist at all. At one point, Black puts out a fire by pissing on it. It's my job as a critic to piss on this dumb excuse for a movie."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 72 words, 01/06/11
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...a rehashed mishmash.... there are a few moments that recall Jack Black's engaging persona in 'School of Rock' and 'High Fidelity,' but not enough..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 512 words, 12/24/10
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sorta old-fashioned, not that that's a bad thing.... I wouldn't describe the special effects as seamless. Far from it."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 12/23/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "I did relish that part when Mr. Black, confronting a fire raging in the Palace of Lilliput, douses the blaze through heroic use of such means as Nature has provided him."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 995 words, 12/24/10
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: MODERATE(cg) "...while Black ably carries the movie on his super-size shoulders, Rob Letterman's slacker take on the Jonathan Swift classic is easier to like than respect."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 360 words, 12/24/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "Black's brio is off -- too much here, too little there... one of those movies that falls between complete disaster and loads of fun. Mild amusement is probably about right."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 741 words, 12/24/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has elments of 'Shrek' and 'Night at the Museum,' but it has a much more childlike bounce to it than the latter, zinging from one silly situation to the next without a care."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 12/24/10
John Anderson, New York Newsday: POOR(cg) "Charmless, endless... despite the richness of 'Gulliver's' source material, and its star, the film is desperately in need of a fleshing out."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 357 words, 12/24/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sorta old-fashioned, not that that's a bad thing.... I wouldn't describe the special effects as seamless. Far from it."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 12/23/10
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: POOR(cg) "Kids will enjoy the rock 'em, sock 'em, but parents should not be dismayed if the only lesson they take away from 'Gulliver's Travels' is how to give a wedgie."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 530 words, 12/24/10
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...even with all those sharp satiric teeth completely pulled, reducing it to gummy sentimentality, the tale still has the power to enchant."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 12/24/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: WEAK(cg) "A murderously unfunny rethink of the groundbreaking literary satire... takes the basic big-man-among-wee-people concept AND DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH IT."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 12/24/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a fairly satisfying and cheerful little movie when buoyed by a packed holiday crowd and the presence of glowing children and happy adults..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 668 words, 12/22/10
Scott Craven, Arizona Republic: WEAK(cg) "The film stumbles along a predictable path... Don't spring for that third dimension. The flat version is fine. It matches the writing."(See all of Scott Craven's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 12/24/10
Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a diversion, an excuse to take the kids and visiting relatives to a theater where everybody can forget about one another for 90 minutes and have a few laughs."(See all of Tom Maurstad's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 12/24/10
Stephen Whitty, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: POOR(cg) "...there's a great deal wasted in this movie, including three-fourths of Swift's book... through it all strides the grinning Black, a colossal, colossally unfunny clown."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 521 words, 12/24/10
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: WEAK(cg) "...a film that's too baffling for children and too boring for adults. Segel and Blunt have zero chemistry, and Peet is woefully underused.... Black simply treads water."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 12/24/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...has loads of personality, starting with Jack Black... This is what the holidays need: a good, Swift kick in the funny bone."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 530 words, 12/21/10
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: POOR(cg) "...seems to start off promising and then spins horrifying off the rails, caught up in a bizarre premise, nonsensical story, and a genuinely unappealing star presence..."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 578 words, 12/23/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: POOR(cg) "Rob Letterman's adaptation of the great man's satire might have Jonathan Swift spinning in his grave.... so pitiful, it isn't even worth being indignant."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 160 words, 12/23/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: POOR(cg) "...big, dumb, and slow-moving, a lumbering oaf of a movie that just barely makes it to feature-length via a groaningly unnecessary production number..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 12/24/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "What's that? You say it's Black's buttcrack you crave the sight of, rendered in three glorious dimensions? This, my friend, is your lucky day."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 730 words, 12/28/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "I did relish that part when Mr. Black, confronting a fire raging in the Palace of Lilliput, douses the blaze through heroic use of such means as Nature has provided him."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 995 words, 12/24/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "Black's brio is off -- too much here, too little there... one of those movies that falls between complete disaster and loads of fun. Mild amusement is probably about right."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 741 words, 12/24/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...more gimmicky than a crackling good yarn.... feels rushed and slight at every point.... the movie works as a moderately entertaining children's movie."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 858 words, 12/22/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "Black's brio is off -- too much here, too little there... one of those movies that falls between complete disaster and loads of fun. Mild amusement is probably about right."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 741 words, 12/24/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "I did relish that part when Mr. Black, confronting a fire raging in the Palace of Lilliput, douses the blaze through heroic use of such means as Nature has provided him."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 995 words, 12/24/10
22.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Gulliver's Travels (2010)'s reviews are separated by an average 22.8 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.
Gulliver's Travels (2010) (36 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Gulliver's Travels (2010)'s reviews cover 54.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,162 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 504 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 1.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Gulliver's Travels (2010)'s reviews on average broke 1.4 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 Gulliver's Travels (2010)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Gulliver's Travels (2010) (36 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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