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PLAYING FOR KEEPS (2012)Movie Reviews
Comedy about a charming, down-on-his luck former soccer star who tries to put his life back together by coaching his son's soccer team. Cast:Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Judy Greer, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid, James Tupper, Aisha Kabia, Grant Goodman, Iqbal Theba, Noah Lomax, Sean O'Bryan, Joshua Rush, Joe Chrest, Aidan PotterDirector:Gabriele MuccinoRelease Date:December 7, 2012DVD Release:March 5, 2013From:FilmDistrictRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 35 min.
Playing for Keeps (2012) played to poor reviews. • Carrie Rickey wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "If Gerard Butler exudes rakish charm and Jessica Biel a charming flintiness, then why is this so utterly charmless?" • And Rene Rodriguez wrote in the Miami Herald, "...there's no sense of fun... instantly forgettable..." More Reviews Below...
Playing for Keeps (2012) Positive Reviews (37 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: POOR(cg) "...flat, unfunny... veers awkwardly between wacky hijinks and facile sentimentality... the script doesn't feature a single character who resembles an actual human being."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 12/06/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: POOR(cg) "Gerard Butler adds another career-crushing notch to his career by playing a former soccer star trying to reconnect with his ex-wife... It's awful."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 79 words, 12/07/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: WEAK(cg) "...a throwaway... the sappy plot of this formulaic romantic comedy is just as silly as its inane attempts at farce... Butler's cute-scruffy appeal has worn thin."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 12/07/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "Dennis Quaid uses his sneaky, too-sincere smile, uses his wealth for leverage and is a genuine jerk. So that's good for something..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 12/07/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: POOR "Sometimes it swerves toward farce, sometimes into the zone of smiley family comedy and at other times into full-on weepiness. None of it is especially credible or engaging."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 12/07/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "There's not a moment of surprise... But both leads evoke a hard-won pragmatism that runs stubbornly counter to the frothy action and chipper score."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 12/07/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...there is a story here, but more than anything else the movie is out to score a feel-good moment in every single scene -- no exaggeration."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 12/07/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...a 'chick flick' in which Gerard Butler attempts to be a 'romantic leading man' when we all know he needs to be in a leather 'mankini' thrusting spears into rib cages..."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 12/07/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...a schizophrenic movie that veers from surprisingly compelling to unsurprisingly formulaic.... ends with the requisite smiles and tears."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 281 words, 12/07/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "Dennis Quaid uses his sneaky, too-sincere smile, uses his wealth for leverage and is a genuine jerk. So that's good for something..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 12/07/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...isn't especially kind to the ladies... Three-fourths of the female roles are manipulative, sad soccer moms of various socioeconomic and marital status..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 12/07/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: WEAK(cg) "Butler is not without charm.... But the movie insists on showing only the lighter side of George as it steadily slides into sitcom banality.... Only Biel's character convinces..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 12/07/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "A sports comeback story, a family reconciliation drama and a contrived sex comedy with a high wince-to-smirk ratio."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 12/07/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...isn't that bad; Gabriele Muccino simply doesn't know how to fix the script or manage his actors, and the whole thing just sort of sputters out."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 243 words, 12/06/12
KEY CITIES (9 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: POOR(cg) "...dreary, dismally unfunny... As featureless and bland as the suburban Louisiana locations standing in for Northern Virginia..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 305 words, 12/07/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...pleasant... completely lacking in novelty... Though Butler is onscreen in almost every scene, Biel fares better, delivering the truest performance of her career."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 595 words, 12/07/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: POOR(cg) "...the presence of genuinely good actresses playing such awful roles is mystifying.... Jessica Biel is, in fact, quite good. Maybe she thought she was in another movie."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 12/07/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: WEAK(cg) "...this is a fine idea for a movie.... But there's no wit or big idea or even lasting sexiness; George goes from scene to scene embarrassed by the attention..."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,008 words, 12/07/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: POOR(cg) "...your eyes won't melt while watching this movie. It's not dangerous. It's just disposable. But seriously, Uma -- what were you thinking?"(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 280 words, 12/07/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...isn't especially kind to the ladies... Three-fourths of the female roles are manipulative, sad soccer moms of various socioeconomic and marital status..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 12/07/12
Mack Rawden, Cinema Blend: POOR(cg) "...a melodramatic, manipulative, disorganized and dishonest mess.... not a single relationship is particularly original, meaningful or affecting."(See all of Mack Rawden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 734 words, 12/09/12
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: POOR(cg) "Pity poor Judy Greer, Uma Thurman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, who play the pity fuck, the boozy trophy wife, and the former sportscaster who can help George..."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 164 words, 12/13/12
Scott Tobias, AV Club: POOR(cg) "...a bedroom farce without the farce... a story of fatherly redemption that barely gets past the hair-mussing stage.... At every turn, it follows the path of least resistance."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 12/06/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: POOR(cg) "...remarkably tedious... a primary pain emerges in watching Biel and Butler, who can, in fact, do their jobs well, being burdened so unjustly and so interminably..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 981 words, 12/07/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...isn't that bad; Gabriele Muccino simply doesn't know how to fix the script or manage his actors, and the whole thing just sort of sputters out."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 243 words, 12/06/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: POOR "Sometimes it swerves toward farce, sometimes into the zone of smiley family comedy and at other times into full-on weepiness. None of it is especially credible or engaging."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 12/07/12
Mark Jenkins, NPR: FAIR "...relies heavily on the personal appeal of Butler and Biel, and barely at all on the paper-thin roles they play. Likability is key; characterization superfluous."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 561 words, 12/06/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...there is a story here, but more than anything else the movie is out to score a feel-good moment in every single scene -- no exaggeration."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 12/07/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: FAIR "A modestly affecting reconciliation drama wrapped in a so-so sports movie by way of a misogynistic romantic comedy... it never coheres..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 11/21/12
Stephen Farber, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "...a good premise for a comedy, but somewhere along the way, it got diluted and turned into a sappy, feel-good story of family togetherness... This one's no keeper."(See all of Stephen Farber's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 820 words, 11/21/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...there is a story here, but more than anything else the movie is out to score a feel-good moment in every single scene -- no exaggeration."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 12/07/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: WEAK(cg) "Gerard Butler stumbles through this movie like a zombie, rarely cracking a smile or looking remotely comfortable.... The only life in this party is Dennis Quaid..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 460 words, 12/05/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: POOR "Sometimes it swerves toward farce, sometimes into the zone of smiley family comedy and at other times into full-on weepiness. None of it is especially credible or engaging."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 12/07/12
15.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Playing for Keeps (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.6 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.
Playing for Keeps (2012) (37 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Playing for Keeps (2012)'s reviews cover 55.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,444 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 498 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Playing for Keeps (2012) Coverage, Volume & Length (37 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 12.7 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Playing for Keeps (2012)'s reviews on average broke 12.7 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 Playing for Keeps (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Playing for Keeps (2012) (37 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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