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JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVERMovie Reviews
Music documentary about pop star Justin Bieber's rise to fame combined with footage from his 2010 concert tour. Cast:Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Jaden SmithDirector:Jon M. ChuRelease Date:February 11, 2011DVD Release:May 13, 2011From:ParamountRating:GLength:1 hr 45 minIn 3D
MAY 13, 2011
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Good (Not Great) Reviews (Doc)
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never played to good not great reviews. • Ian Drew wrote in Us Weekly, "Non-Beliebers take heed: It will be hard not to get Bieber fever after taking in this 3-D spectacle... plays like a big-screen Behind the Music..." • And Peter Travers wrote in Rolling Stone, "...a 3D concert film to delight the shy 13-year-old with braces that lives in all of us." More Reviews Below...
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Positive Reviews (36 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a big, glossy celebration of the musical phenom that knows exactly what it needs to do to send its target audience of 'tween girls into a tizzy of giddy screams."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 694 words, 02/10/11
Ian Drew, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Non-Beliebers take heed: It will be hard not to get Bieber fever after taking in this 3-D spectacle... plays like a big-screen Behind the Music..."(See all of Ian Drew's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 81 words, 02/10/11
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...captures a genuine youthquake.... Bieber gives every number a shot of high pizzazz. If this is what it sounds like when a new millennium goes pop, I'll take it."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 02/11/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "...isn't 16 (he'll hit 17 on March 1st) a little young for a cinematic monument?... a 3D concert film to delight the shy 13-year-old with braces that lives in all of us."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 02/11/11
Scott Bowles, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...works as a gum-snapper concert movie and does provide a glimpse into instant stardom in the Twitter generation.... doesn't work as a biopic..."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 349 words, 02/11/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: FAIR "At 105 minutes it's exhausting, even though it has been expertly cut together.... 'just a regular kid who had a dream'... everything about the movie screams the opposite."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 02/11/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a familiar, cute story of the pop star's rise to fame.... Bieber's world -- at least as edited for mass consumption -- is a refreshingly wholesome universe."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 296 words, 02/11/11
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...never quite coheres... the momentum of the concert sequences is broken up by lots of back story... the shrieking of Bieber's audience often overwhelms the music."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 02/11/11
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A heartfelt thank-you from 16-year-old singer Justin Bieber... manages the neat trick of making a mass-marketed pop act seem like the kid next door."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 339 words, 02/11/11
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...not good -- not that it needs to be.... draggily paced and lacks felicity of form; the 3-D is a rip-off and the songs are pap..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 220 words, 02/09/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...grainy home videos and family/friend/teacher testimonials, which 3-D does nothing to improve, serves to silence any non-Beliebers who doubt Justin's musical abilities."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 768 words, 02/11/11
James Adams, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Equal parts biopic, concert film and pep rally... Right now he's the sound and face of Now, but tomorrow? Tomorrow never knows."(See all of James Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 844 words, 02/11/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a vast improvement on similar docs... does lose steam, with doctored inspirational moments and some unnecessary drama over the singer's changing voice..."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 02/10/11
KEY CITIES (11 Reviews)
David Malitz, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a fluffy, mildly inspiring, celebration of the hero leading up to his big moment.... Bieber himself comes off like, well, a 16-year-old kid."(See all of David Malitz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 750 words, 02/11/11
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "What the 3-D film lacks in cinematic charm and ingenuity is compensated for by its subject's high-wattage charisma and low-key earnestness."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 522 words, 02/11/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: MODERATE(cg) "...snippets of home movies that chronicle Bieber's meteoric rise, a mocking moment of hair-flipping, a few shirt-changing scenes guaranteed to make girls squeal."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 02/11/11
Jon Bream, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a new kind of chick flick or a pretty spectacular 3-D infomercial.... Either way, a sweetly entertaining, canny celebration of the pop heartthrob du jour."(See all of Jon Bream's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 02/11/11
Timothy Finn, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "If you scream for joy at the sight of Justin Bieber (or are a parent of someone who does), you need no recommendation... you won't be disappointed."(See all of Timothy Finn's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 02/11/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Bieber has a Beatles' bowl cut that swirls at a canted funhouse angle. It's what on meteorological maps is designated as a grave high-pressure system -- a hairicaine."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 02/11/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...another shrink-wrapped pop-star product... directed by a veteran of two of the 'Step Up' dance movies -- occasionally has a sly sense of humor."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 02/11/11
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...when Bieber flips his feathered hair, his aura of wonderfulness is projected to the world in 6-D. So just be glad you don't have to pay triple the regular price."(See all of Peter Hartlaub's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 02/11/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: WEAK(cg) "...a shameless attempt to raid the wallets of Bieber's fans' parents... part concert movie, part promotional video and part hair montage."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 02/11/11
Sean Daly, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a high-energy, high-tech chance for shrieking teen girls to go nuts for a flash-flood phenom who may be a trivia question by the time he's old enough to drink."(See all of Sean Daly's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 02/11/11
Adam Graham, Detroit News: GOOD(cg) "...went from nowhere to OMG JUSTIN BIEBER! in a little more than a year.... Bieber is presented as a nice kid who likes to sing..."(See all of Adam Graham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 02/11/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...not good -- not that it needs to be.... draggily paced and lacks felicity of form; the 3-D is a rip-off and the songs are pap..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 220 words, 02/09/11
David Thorpe, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a decent pop spectacle: big songs, adorable backstage horseplay, and some genuinely surprising demonstrations of talent."(See all of David Thorpe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 174 words, 02/17/11
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a vast improvement on similar docs... does lose steam, with doctored inspirational moments and some unnecessary drama over the singer's changing voice..."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 02/10/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: FAIR "At 105 minutes it's exhausting, even though it has been expertly cut together.... 'just a regular kid who had a dream'... everything about the movie screams the opposite."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 02/11/11
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...never quite coheres... the momentum of the concert sequences is broken up by lots of back story... the shrieking of Bieber's audience often overwhelms the music."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 02/11/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Andrew Barker, Daily Variety: GOOD "...a persuasive case for its titular star as a far more talented-than-usual teen idol.... possesses surprising moments of candor on the toil of teenage superstardom..."(See all of Andrew Barker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 02/09/11
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "An energetic portrait of the global superstar... generally succeeds... director Jon Chu keeps all the obligatory backstage/onstage bits moving fluidly."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 614 words, 02/09/11
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...never quite coheres... the momentum of the concert sequences is broken up by lots of back story... the shrieking of Bieber's audience often overwhelms the music."(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 02/11/11
Mike Hale, New York Times: FAIR "At 105 minutes it's exhausting, even though it has been expertly cut together.... 'just a regular kid who had a dream'... everything about the movie screams the opposite."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 02/11/11
18.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never's reviews are separated by an average 18.0 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.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (36 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Justin Bieber: Never Say Never's reviews cover 67.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,790 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 522 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Coverage, Volume & Length (36 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 8.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never's reviews on average broke 8.4 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 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (36 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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