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THE BULLET VANISHES (XIAO SHI DE ZI DAN)Movie Reviews
Mandarin and Cantonese language action drama about two detectives who become targets when they investigate the mysterious death of a young woman at a bullet factory. Cast:Ching Wan Lau, Nicholas Tse, Mini Yang, Liu Kai-Chi, Kai Chi Liu, Yiyan JiangDirector:Law Chi-Leung, Chi-Leung LawRelease Date:August 31, 2012DVD Release: TBD From:China LionLength:1 hr 44 min
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan), Good (Not Great) Reviews Limited
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan) played in limited release to good not great reviews. • Mark Jenkins wrote in the Washington Post, "...lively, stylish and well-performed; it just doesn't know when to stop.... the overplotted script insists on one twist too many.... laughably implausible." More Reviews Below...
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan) Positive Reviews (11 Reviews, reviews below)
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (5 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Dig deeply and you may find a metaphor about corrupt, uncompassionate government. But mostly it is an agreeable period buddy movie, and that's plenty."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/31/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...any caseworking suspense is drowned out by an over-abundance of visual pizazz that draws the eye to lighting patterns, not people."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/31/12
Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has its own brand of panache thanks to some slick moves by director Lo Chi-leung and his two leading men, Sean Lau and Nicholas Tse."(See all of Jason Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 08/31/12
French Clements, Village Voice: WEAK "You don't attend movies like this expecting narrative clarity, which is good, because the writing whizzes past key plot points like a bullet past an earlobe."(See all of French Clements's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 08/29/12
Phil Brown, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...pretty good.... The action comes in controlled, choreographed bursts, and the mystery is carefully crafted, with genuine surprises."(See all of Phil Brown's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 188 words, 08/30/12
KEY CITIES (2 Reviews)
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...lively, stylish and well-performed; it just doesn't know when to stop.... the overplotted script insists on one twist too many.... laughably implausible."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 08/31/12
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...charges ahead at a perfect clip... the engine of the film is a rich tension between the two leads, charismatic in different ways."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 08/31/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
French Clements, Village Voice: WEAK "You don't attend movies like this expecting narrative clarity, which is good, because the writing whizzes past key plot points like a bullet past an earlobe."(See all of French Clements's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 223 words, 08/29/12
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...wouldn't exist if not for Robert Downey Jr.'s spin on Sherlock Holmes, but as far as cheap knock-offs go, Ching-Wan Lau is a fairly flattering imitation."(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 150 words, 08/30/12
Chuck Bowen, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...enjoyable.... the film wears its references lightly; it's been made with a giddy sense of pleasure in craftsmanship that's irresistible."(See all of Chuck Bowen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 507 words, 08/29/12
Phil Brown, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...pretty good.... The action comes in controlled, choreographed bursts, and the mystery is carefully crafted, with genuine surprises."(See all of Phil Brown's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 188 words, 08/30/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Andy Webster, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Dig deeply and you may find a metaphor about corrupt, uncompassionate government. But mostly it is an agreeable period buddy movie, and that's plenty."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/31/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...any caseworking suspense is drowned out by an over-abundance of visual pizazz that draws the eye to lighting patterns, not people."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/31/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Maggie Lee, Daily Variety: GOOD "Lo Chi-leung sheds the shock tactics of his best-known horror-thrillers, 'Inner Senses' and 'Koma,' to pursue an expositional approach and pulls it off..."(See all of Maggie Lee's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 580 words, 08/30/12
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...one of the more striking Chinese imports.... clever plotting and beautifully designed production more than merit its trip to the West."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 294 words, 08/30/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...any caseworking suspense is drowned out by an over-abundance of visual pizazz that draws the eye to lighting patterns, not people."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/31/12
Andy Webster, New York Times: VERY GOOD "Dig deeply and you may find a metaphor about corrupt, uncompassionate government. But mostly it is an agreeable period buddy movie, and that's plenty."(See all of Andy Webster's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/31/12
15.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.3 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 Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan) (11 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan)'s reviews cover 10.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,216 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 292 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan) Coverage, Volume & Length (11 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 10.3 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan)'s reviews on average broke 10.3 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 The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Bullet Vanishes (Xiao shi de zi dan) (11 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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