Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
THE BANG BANG CLUB (2011)Movie Reviews
Drama about four male photojournalists working to capture the zeitgeist of the waning days of apartheid in South Africa. Cast:Malin Akerman, Taylor Kitsch, Ryan PhilippeDirector:Steven SilverRelease Date:April 22, 2011DVD Release:August 16, 2011From:Tribeca FilmsLength:1 hr 46 min
The Bang Bang Club (2011) played in limited release to fair reviews. • Jeannette Catsoulis wrote in the New York Times, "...a based-on-real-life saga that turns bloody reality into bloodless drama.... less bang-bang and more damp squib." • And Scott Tobias wrote for the AV Club, "...means to get across the adrenaline rush of lives lived in dangerous extremes, but winds up trivializing their accomplishments..." More Reviews Below...
The Bang Bang Club (2011) Positive Reviews (20 Reviews, reviews below)
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: MODERATE(cg) "...seems curiously oblivious to South Africa as a whole. If this were your only film about that nation, you would leave with meager information."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 825 words, 04/22/11
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...another cinematic valentine to photographers risking their lives in dangerous places around the globe. Which isn't a bad thing..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 201 words, 04/22/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...solid... Steven Silver (with an able assist from cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak) captures this brutal time in vivid, often bold, but never overpowering strokes."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 04/22/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "Seldom does the film show much interest in the big picture of South Africa.... the big worry seems to be not questionable behavior but bad publicity."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 240 words, 04/22/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...seems curiously oblivious to South Africa as a whole. If this were your only film about that nation, you would leave with meager information."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 825 words, 04/22/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Aside from the adrenalin rush of chasing down the story, there's very little to get hearts either pounding or stirred here."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 735 words, 05/06/11
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...manages to miss both on the wide shot and the close-up in a film that overlooks both the broader political context and the intimate psychology of his characters."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 588 words, 05/06/11
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Ryan Phillippe keeps doing great work, and check out the breakout performance by riveting Taylor Kitsch - but the politics unfold in confusing ways."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 116 words, 05/05/11
KEY CITIES (2 Reviews)
Jen Chaney, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "On the emotional spectrum, this one ultimately falls smack in the mild middle, somewhere between bang-bang and whimper-whimper."(See all of Jen Chaney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 750 words, 04/29/11
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...captures the serious sense of excitement and danger, but the movie falls short on providing much ethical context or perception of why these guys do what they do."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 04/29/11
Perri Nemiroff, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "There are a number of minor issues... but these are mere minimal bumps in the road of what's an incredibly exciting yet troubling film."(See all of Perri Nemiroff's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 947 words, 04/21/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "Director Steven Silver means to get across the adrenaline rush of lives lived in dangerous extremes, but winds up trivializing their accomplishments..."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 345 words, 04/21/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Are these guys just adrenaline junkies with consciences attached? And is that enough? Maybe it is. But the film stays too safely outside the moral skirmish."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 848 words, 04/22/11
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Ryan Phillippe keeps doing great work, and check out the breakout performance by riveting Taylor Kitsch - but the politics unfold in confusing ways."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 116 words, 05/05/11
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...solid... Steven Silver (with an able assist from cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak) captures this brutal time in vivid, often bold, but never overpowering strokes."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 04/22/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: EXCELLENT "...excitingly captures the chaotic era when the city's black townships became the sites of pitched battles, and the apartheid regime was clearly on the brink of collapse."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 747 words, 04/23/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...entertainment value suffers at the expense of trying to capture the events as they happened -- an ill-advised endeavor, considering everything."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 663 words, 10/06/10
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "When all is said and done, the Bang Bang club's Pulitzer-winning photographs prove more potent than this well-intended but frustratingly generic picture."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 10/15/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...solid... Steven Silver (with an able assist from cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak) captures this brutal time in vivid, often bold, but never overpowering strokes."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 353 words, 04/22/11
18.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Bang Bang Club (2011)'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.
The Bang Bang Club (2011) (20 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Bang Bang Club (2011)'s reviews cover 22.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 9,929 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 496 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Bang Bang Club (2011) Coverage, Volume & Length (20 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Bang Bang Club (2011)'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 The Bang Bang Club (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Bang Bang Club (2011) (20 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
