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THE EAGLE (2011)Movie Reviews
Period drama set in 140AD about a Roman soldier who travels to Scotland to investigate the disappearance of the Ninth Legion there and to restore his father's reputation as the commander of the Ninth. Cast:Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar RahimDirector:Kevin MacdonaldRelease Date:February 11, 2011DVD Release:June 21, 2011From:Focus FeaturesRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 54 min
The Eagle (2011) played to fair reviews. • Steve Persall wrote in the St. Petersburg Times, "There's something to like about a movie composed of so much hogwash yet plowing ahead as if it were Spartacus.... entertaining in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 sort of way..." • And Andrew O'Hehir wrote for Salon, "...a strained combination of rah-rah, boy-bonding adventure and p.c. cross-cultural exploration." More Reviews Below...
The Eagle (2011) Positive Reviews (45 Reviews, reviews below)
David Germain, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Tatum and Bell deliver solid though unremarkable performances... a technically sumptuous epic, glorious to the eye though often dry and uninvolving to the ear."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 527 words, 02/10/11
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: POOR(cg) "Channing Tatum wears a skirt as a 2nd-century soldier in this dreary sandle-and-sword adventure.... (brooding throughout like an underwear model)."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 68 words, 02/10/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "Anyone ready for rugged action involving swords, sandals, designated savages, and bonding between political adversaries is bound to fall in happily..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 256 words, 02/11/11
Scott Bowles, USA Today: WEAK(cg) "A movie that hopes to blend 'Lethal Weapon' with 'Gladiator' winds up not being a fraction of either.... falls to some surprising contrivances..."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 391 words, 02/11/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the battle scenes are about heroism and strategy, not special effects.... attempts to create characters with some dimension and complexity."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 02/10/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...feels more like a chore than like an adventure.... There are some rousing scenes of flight and battle, and it is always fun to watch Mr. Tatum fighting..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 772 words, 02/11/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "It flirts with interesting story choices, but ultimately, all roads lead to boredom.... Funeral pyres, rallying cries, ridiculous dialogue..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 444 words, 02/11/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...often feels like a missed opportunity.... plays it straight down the middle, neither pushing its contemporary vantage point nor embracing the chance for B-movie glory."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 02/11/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "...a long slog through ancient muck, so-so sword fights and dumb luck.... It takes more than half an hour before the movie even tells us its point..."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 433 words, 02/11/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...becomes more interesting the further north it travels... Tatum comes off like 'second Roman warrior from the left' rather than 'Roman warrior the film is about.' "(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 02/11/11
John Anderson, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Overwrought, chest-thumping hokum... creatively photographed.... shot with the claustrophobic visual aesthetic of mid-career Woody Allen..."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 343 words, 02/11/11
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: FAIR "Here, conquest is a fact: Deal with it. More important, deal with it manfully.... furiously unsettled -- thematically, temporally, meteorologically."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 583 words, 02/14/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the battle scenes are about heroism and strategy, not special effects.... attempts to create characters with some dimension and complexity."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 02/10/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "Some well-crafted battle scenes and the stunningly harsh landscape of Scottish wilderness shot by Anthony Dod Mantle get buried by the often-boring story."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 515 words, 02/11/11
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...a soft-core homoerotic fantasy, complete with some laughably wooden acting.... takes a long time to generate any excitement..."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 255 words, 02/10/11
KEY CITIES (15 Reviews)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...much of what unfolds is nothing more than unbelievable action sequences interspersed with bad dialogue.... an action-packed bagatelle masquerading as history."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 02/11/11
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Much of the time Tatum and Bell resemble the captain of the college football team and the head cheerleader of the rival team locked in an uneasy alliance."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 02/11/11
Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the many battle sequences, though carefully detailed, are lacking in energy and originality. There is some ambition here, but the results fall short."(See all of Kerry Lengel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 462 words, 02/11/11
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "This is a movie that needs a great or gonzo performer to give it depth or heft. In Channing Tatum, it has an actor who gives it camp."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 764 words, 02/11/11
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a screaming, slashing, glories-of-death saga... the story kind of drizzles along before stumbling irretrievably into cliche."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 02/11/11
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "Tatum needs to learn to sit tight and stop the twitching so the camera can do its job - and his, too. The lens will act for him, if he lets it."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 344 words, 02/11/11
Ted Fry, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Tatum and Bell are good actors... their journey gets bogged down in forced dialogue, upended alliances and a chemistry that turns more inert..."(See all of Ted Fry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 02/11/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE(cg) "...based on a novel written in 1954 by Rosemary Sutclifff... a hodgepodge of bits cribbed from such films as 'Centurion,' 'Apocalypto,' '300' and 'Gladiator.' "(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 02/11/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a sturdily wrought adventure about the Roman occupation of Britain... predictable... the two enemies have to overcome their mutual mistrust to survive."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 340 words, 02/11/11
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD(cg) "There's something to like about a movie composed of so much hogwash yet plowing ahead as if it were 'Spartacus'.... entertaining in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 sort of way..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 02/10/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: FAIR(cg) "...from its scruffy period melodrama to its repetitious battles and endless cross-country shots... all grandiosity with no real heft."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 02/11/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...handsomely shot and has a couple of rousing sequences, but most of it remains muted and distant, saddled by a leading man whose 15 minutes are almost up."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 469 words, 02/11/11
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the film's hokey pleasures were enough for me... At the very least, it's probably the only Western set in northern Scotland, and that must count for something."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 02/11/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...the formalities of the period dialogue and a wavering, inexplicable accent test Tatum beyond his limits, and the film isn't thoughtful or original enough to survive it."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 358 words, 02/10/11
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...a soft-core homoerotic fantasy, complete with some laughably wooden acting.... takes a long time to generate any excitement..."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 255 words, 02/10/11
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "Neither the thin script nor Tatum's beefy performance can raise it as an intriguing character study, nor is it fun or violent enough to be a kick-ass guilty pleasure."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 532 words, 02/10/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...feels more like a chore than like an adventure.... There are some rousing scenes of flight and battle, and it is always fun to watch Mr. Tatum fighting..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 772 words, 02/11/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: FAIR "Director Kevin Macdonald, after a blazing start, lets his film die down.... action grows listless, and our heroes start to seem anxious, wet, and bored."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,117 words, 02/07/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...often feels like a missed opportunity.... plays it straight down the middle, neither pushing its contemporary vantage point nor embracing the chance for B-movie glory."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 02/11/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: WEAK "...a strained combination of rah-rah, boy-bonding adventure and p.c. cross-cultural exploration.... suffers from utterly incoherent action scenes..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 662 words, 02/09/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Brian Lowry, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...never fully takes flight as an adventure yarn, but given its worthwhile moments and limited ambitions, those involved survive the mission with their honor intact."(See all of Brian Lowry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 759 words, 02/07/11
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...engaging, if straightforward and one-dimensional... the climactic encounter with the savage Brigantes tribe brims with tension... simple and uncomplicated."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,212 words, 02/07/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...often feels like a missed opportunity.... plays it straight down the middle, neither pushing its contemporary vantage point nor embracing the chance for B-movie glory."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 02/11/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Old-fashioned, earnest, and a bit dull... a middle-range historical saga, anchored by two appealing actors, Jamie Bell, who can act, and Channing Tatum, who cannot."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 859 words, 02/07/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...feels more like a chore than like an adventure.... There are some rousing scenes of flight and battle, and it is always fun to watch Mr. Tatum fighting..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 772 words, 02/11/11
16.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Eagle (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.5 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 Eagle (2011) (45 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Eagle (2011)'s reviews cover 76.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 22,320 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 496 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 13.6 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Eagle (2011)'s reviews on average broke 13.6 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 Eagle (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Eagle (2011) (45 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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