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LIFE OF PIMovie Reviews
Adventure drama about the son of a zookeeper who survives a shipwreck by stowing away on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger. Cast:Suraj Sharma, Irfan Khan, Gérard Depardieu, Adil Hussain, Rafe Spall, TabuDirector:Ang LeeRelease Date:November 21, 2012DVD Release:March 12, 2013From:20th Century FoxRating:PGLength:2 hr 25 minIn 3D
Life of Pi opened to excellent reviews. • Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times, "...a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery.... also a moving spiritual achievement.... one of the best films of the year." • And Rick Groen wrote in the Toronto Globe & Mail, "...will definitely restore your faith in the divine magic of the movies." More Reviews Below...
Life of Pi Positive Reviews (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Ang Lee's storytelling is masterful... So what's the problem? Without getting too spoilery, the film, like the book, has a controversial ending that I can't stand."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 232 words, 11/22/12
David Germain, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...soulfully, provocatively entertaining.... Lee combines a lifetime of storytelling finesse with arguably the most artful use of digital 3-D technology yet seen..."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 772 words, 11/20/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a visual marvel -- from the flood of flying fish to the cascade of splashing dolphins. More impressively, Pi's fight for survivial compels..."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 121 words, 11/22/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...beautiful... Lee's bigger theme isn't God or survival, but the awesome adventure of making the imaginary visible, the adventure of making movies."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 11/23/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...puts 3D in the hands of a worldclass film artist. Lee uses 3D with the delicacy and lyricism of a poet. You don't just watch this movie, you live it."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 11/23/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a fascinating parable about faith and determination.... a spectacular high-seas epic that employs technology brilliantly and underscores the power of a vividly told story."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 11/21/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery.... also a moving spiritual achievement.... one of the best films of the year."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 856 words, 11/21/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...certainly is a wondrous film, a work of often breathtaking visual beauty.... As for providing a genuine religious/spiritual experience, well..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 645 words, 11/19/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...embraces religion without quite taking it seriously, and is simultaneously about everything and very little indeed. Instead of awe, it gives us 'awww, how sweet.' "(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,082 words, 11/21/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Lee's greatest accomplishment is to blend his hero's inner adventure with his external one. He keeps the parable simple without fearing larger, poetic ideas."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 11/21/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Lee's most provocative work... so magical and mystical is this parable, it's as if the filmmaker has found the philosopher's stone."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,076 words, 11/21/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the best-looking film I've seen this year, and possibly so far this century.... I'm comfortable with recommending it as a spectacular visual experience..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 11/21/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "I admire the film a great deal, which isn't the same as falling for it hook, line and sinker.... the story's breathing room is scarce..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 11/21/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: OUTSTANDING "I'm not sure how I felt about God at the end of the film, but I fervently believed in the magic of movies.... The film is transcendent."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 810 words, 11/19/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a miraculous achievement of storytelling and a landmark of visual mastery.... also a moving spiritual achievement.... one of the best films of the year."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 856 words, 11/21/12
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...manages occasional spiritual wonder through its 3-D visuals but otherwise sinks like a stone.... the story's relentless articulation of its thematic aims proves a buzz kill..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 11/21/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...dazzling.... for those who pray at a lesser altar, this much is sure: 'Life of Pi' will definitely restore your faith in the divine magic of the movies."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 892 words, 11/21/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's Irrfan Khan who gives the movie its weight, delivering a closing monologue with such complex sorrow that it makes all the digital frippery feel kind of pointless."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 173 words, 11/22/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...both draws the audience in and encourages it to settle back, the better to enjoy its virtually nonstop display of daring, wonder and cinematic virtuosity."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 716 words, 11/21/12
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "Lee is one in a handful of filmmakers who uses 3-D to artistic effect, not to take the audience on a thrill ride but to make it see dimensions beneath the surfaces..."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 559 words, 11/21/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...thrillingly audacious... Lee is one of our greatest humanist filmmakers, and this is the film he was born to make."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 393 words, 11/21/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "What's striking about the film, in addition to the effects, is the calm with which Lee tells the story. He's patient, sure of himself at every turn..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 11/21/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "Older and more thoughtful kids will have their nerves tested and their sensibilities expanded... but you should seriously consider leaving the under-10s at home."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 905 words, 11/21/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "This is the most beautiful-looking 3-D film ever made, and that goes a long way toward making an otherwise flat, stretched-out parable watchable."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 44 words, 11/21/12
John Hartl, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a liquid dream... If the religious discussions occasionally seem contrived, they're also quite sincere. Best of all, they fit the characters -- and their ages."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 338 words, 11/21/12
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Suraj Sharma imbues Pi's setbacks and successes with breathtaking immediacy. His performance contributes to a poignancy often missing in 3-D extravaganzas."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 11/21/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Never has 3-D illusion been used to such pure storytelling effect, and seldom with such beauty, which is what 'Life of Pi' will be remembered best for doing..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 11/21/12
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING(cg) "With grace, imagination and stunning visual acuity, it explores Martel's twin themes of faith and the power of story telling.... thrilling..."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 11/21/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...manages occasional spiritual wonder through its 3-D visuals but otherwise sinks like a stone.... the story's relentless articulation of its thematic aims proves a buzz kill..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 11/21/12
Jake Mulligan, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...more about beauty than about searching for something under its surface. The film poses as a spiritual experience, but it's more like a postcard."(See all of Jake Mulligan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 11/22/12
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...it's more compelling to focus on Lee's visceral cinematic experience than on the larger, fuzzier messages Yann Martel's story conveys..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 11/21/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...simultaneously ambitious and flimsy, overwrought and sometimes banal.... Richard Parker is something else, a technological trick and an enduring figment..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 11/21/12
Alison Willmore, Movieline: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Lee's movie is a grand gesture of filmmaking pushed to its furthest technical edges, but hemmed in and confined by its fidelity to words on a page."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 986 words, 11/20/12
R. Kurt Osenlund, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "Gloriously rendered... The film's saving grace is its feast of magnificent imagery, which, in Lee's hands, rights wrongs by being something close to holy."(See all of R. Kurt Osenlund's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,096 words, 10/01/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's Irrfan Khan who gives the movie its weight, delivering a closing monologue with such complex sorrow that it makes all the digital frippery feel kind of pointless."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 173 words, 11/22/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "...original and visually enthralling.... provides a moving commentary on our need for stories to make sense out of the world."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 11/19/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Lee gleefully challenges us every step of the way to go, 'Hey, wait a second, that's ridiculous!'... As fanciful as Pi's story may be, it is so very grounded in human reality."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 466 words, 12/20/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "Lee has visualized, convincingly and completely, a magical world in which a dying man clings to his planet, and a tiger burns bright, night and day."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 794 words, 11/23/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...embraces religion without quite taking it seriously, and is simultaneously about everything and very little indeed. Instead of awe, it gives us 'awww, how sweet.' "(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,082 words, 11/21/12
David Denby, New Yorker: GOOD "...celebrates the idiosyncratic wonders and dangers of raw, ravaging nature, and Lee wrings more than enough meaning from the excitement of that spectacle..."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 11/19/12
Bob Mondello, NPR: VERY GOOD "...it takes awhile to get going, and it feels strangely flat at the very end. But in between is an adventure yarn that is gloriously old-fashioned -- and often just glorious."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 456 words, 11/20/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Lee's most provocative work... so magical and mystical is this parable, it's as if the filmmaker has found the philosopher's stone."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,076 words, 11/21/12
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...gently transporting... melds a harrowing high-seas adventure with a dreamy meditation on the very nature of storytelling.... exquisitely beautiful..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,077 words, 09/28/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Ang Lee achieves an admirable sense of wonder... an unusual example of anything-is-possible technology put at the service of a humanistic and intimate story..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 963 words, 09/28/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "Lee's most provocative work... so magical and mystical is this parable, it's as if the filmmaker has found the philosopher's stone."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,076 words, 11/21/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...supremely mounted... a touching tale, boasting strong realistic and lyrical touches, about a shipwrecked adolescent stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 09/28/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...embraces religion without quite taking it seriously, and is simultaneously about everything and very little indeed. Instead of awe, it gives us 'awww, how sweet.' "(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,082 words, 11/21/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "Lee has visualized, convincingly and completely, a magical world in which a dying man clings to his planet, and a tiger burns bright, night and day."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 794 words, 11/23/12
18.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Life of Pi'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.
Life of Pi (52 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Life of Pi's reviews cover 100.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 31,825 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 612 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Life of Pi Coverage, Volume & Length (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Life of Pi's reviews on average broke 7 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 Life of Pi's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Life of Pi (52 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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