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POM WONDERFUL PRESENTS: THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLDMovie Reviews
Documentary, entirely financed through product placement, about the pervasive nature of advertising and product placement in our society. Cast:Morgan SpurlockDirector:Morgan SpurlockRelease Date:April 22, 2011DVD Release:August 23, 2011From:Sony ClassicsRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 28 min
AUGUST 23, 2011
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Very Good Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold played in key cities to very good reviews. • Walter Addiego wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Spurlock is playing an amusing game by courting these firms, who play along though aware, I'm sure, that he's not exactly a corporate kind of guy." • And John Hartl wrote in the Seattle Times, "...confident and funny..." More Reviews Below...
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Positive Reviews (43 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "Spurlock's film is hugely entertaining... he also doesn't connect the dots sufficiently enough to prove that product placement actually influences consumer habits."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 04/21/11
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Are we going to hell in a branded handbasket? This movie provides food for thought... Morgan Spurlock makes you laugh till it hurts."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 208 words, 04/15/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...quick and cheerful, and Spurlock is engaging.... I'm not sure he himself ever defined a purpose greater than raising the money on camera, but then he never claimed to."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 04/22/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a documentary comedy in the Michael Moore mode but without a political or moral agenda.... Mr. Spurlock is really a gleeful participant in the corruption..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 909 words, 04/22/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Spurlock creates a good time along with some surprisingly salient observations as he tries to keep his balance on this very slippery slope."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 04/22/11
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...very light on actual information.... I'm inclined to agree with an interviewee, who says, 'All the people who sponsor this film are idiots.' "(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 490 words, 04/22/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Spurlock's film is mainly out to entertain, and it does. But leaving it I wasn't sure what Spurlock really thought about any of this beyond: Get this. Isn't this wild?"(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 04/22/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...a fun, wiseass idea for a documentary... It's surprising that it plays so entertainingly, given that Spurlock's quest is essentially beside the point."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 411 words, 04/18/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...quick and cheerful, and Spurlock is engaging.... I'm not sure he himself ever defined a purpose greater than raising the money on camera, but then he never claimed to."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 04/22/11
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "As agreeable as it is insidious... Spurlock's best, most formally inventive project... like watching a beloved pet devour itself tail-first, deliberately and with alarming grace."(See all of Mark Holcomb's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 04/20/11
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "No corporations were harmed in the making of Morgan Spurlock's latest documentary provocation, although a few may have been a trifle embarrassed."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 05/06/11
Guy Dixon, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Aside from the adrenalin rush of chasing down the story, there's very little to get hearts pounding or stirred... can be as shallow as the marketing Spurlock's ridiculing."(See all of Guy Dixon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 05/06/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...over and over again: Spurlock sets the terms of a sponsor's ad buy, delivers on those terms within the movie, and waits for the audience's knowing laughter."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 201 words, 05/05/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...if you haven't been paying close attention to what's being sold to you on your favorite movies, TV shows and music videos, you will after seeing this."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 05/06/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...about the evils of product placement financed entirely through product placement?... sounds like an ingenious ploy... Alas, the film never gets its lasso knotted."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 291 words, 04/29/11
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "There are lots of laughs - a commercial Spurlock makes for Mane 'n Tail shampoo is hilarious - and the band OK Go contributes a terrific theme song."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 04/22/11
Ethan Gilsdorf, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "The moment Spurlock decided to make 'The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,' he checked any artistic integrity at the door and began his tumble from any moral high ground."(See all of Ethan Gilsdorf's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 04/22/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "...too much of the movie is just scene after scene of Spurlock meeting with high-priced consultants to talk about 'brand identity' and other euphemisms..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 04/22/11
Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Spurlock is playing an amusing game by courting these firms, who play along though aware, I'm sure, that he's not exactly a corporate kind of guy."(See all of Walter Addiego's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 04/22/11
John Hartl, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...confident and funny... this could be the most self-referential movie ever: literally a 90-minute narrative about its own creation."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 377 words, 04/29/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't offer a way for viewers to fight back... perhaps the wisest choice is truly not to rile the audience but merely to clue it in. And that it does, charmingly."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 600 words, 04/29/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "Morgan Spurlock, the affable activist behind 'Super Size Me,' aims a not particularly harsh spotlight on product placement..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 311 words, 05/20/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't provoke many feelings beyond amusement.... It's no shock that advertisers sneak products into movies and television shows..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 383 words, 05/26/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Morgan Spurlock is no Michael Moore... the movie leaves you wishing there had been more journalistic exploration of the subject and less self-promotion."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 03/07/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Mark Holcomb, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "As agreeable as it is insidious... Spurlock's best, most formally inventive project... like watching a beloved pet devour itself tail-first, deliberately and with alarming grace."(See all of Mark Holcomb's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 04/20/11
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...gimmicky, disconnected... it still amounts to a lively essay on advertising that lands somewhere between investigative journalism and a lightweight lifestyle blog."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 04/21/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: MODERATE(cg) "There's nothing less controversial than a documentary filmmaker pretending to be controversial.... at least Spurlock's energetic about telling us stuff that's old."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 865 words, 04/21/11
Jesse Cataldo, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...ultimately stunted by the fact that Spurlock is less interested in pursuing it than congratulating himself for having come up with this idea."(See all of Jesse Cataldo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 04/17/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...over and over again: Spurlock sets the terms of a sponsor's ad buy, delivers on those terms within the movie, and waits for the audience's knowing laughter."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 201 words, 05/05/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Spurlock doesn't dig very deeply, but when the film ends with a big push, you feel a little queasy, rather than mock-triumphant."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 04/27/11
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a documentary comedy in the Michael Moore mode but without a political or moral agenda.... Mr. Spurlock is really a gleeful participant in the corruption..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 909 words, 04/22/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Spurlock creates a good time along with some surprisingly salient observations as he tries to keep his balance on this very slippery slope."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 04/22/11
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD "...a consistently amusing and not entirely vacuous stunt.... Wobbly, uneven and madly self-referential, pic loses some of its comic momentum as it progresses..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 01/23/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Spurlock creates a good time along with some surprisingly salient observations as he tries to keep his balance on this very slippery slope."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 815 words, 04/22/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "...witty and entertaining... unveils the marketing process of product placement in entertainment, offering invaluable insights into the different phases of it."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 454 words, 03/16/11
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...a documentary comedy in the Michael Moore mode but without a political or moral agenda.... Mr. Spurlock is really a gleeful participant in the corruption..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 909 words, 04/22/11
15.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold's reviews are separated by an average 15.7 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.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (43 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold's reviews cover 61.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 21,771 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 506 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Coverage, Volume & Length (43 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 56.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold's reviews on average broke 56.9 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 POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (43 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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