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THE KING'S SPEECHMovie Reviews
Period drama about King George the VI of Britain who, on the eve of WWII, had to overcome a debilitating stutter in order to lead his people effectively. Cast:Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek JacobiDirector:Tom HooperRelease Date:November 26, 2010DVD Release:April 19, 2011From:The Weinstein CompanyRating:RLength:1 hr. 51 min.
The King's Speech played to sensational reviews. • Shawn Levy wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "Polished, smart, engrossing and human... a superb entertainment that rouses the heart and the head and turns a mossy tale of royal crisis into a vital drama." • And Joe Morgenstern wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "...one of the most pleasurable movies to come along in years... simply sublime." More Reviews Below...
The King's Speech Positive Reviews (49 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A clever script and nimble performances from Firth and Rush make the film archly funny, with Bonham Carter a standout as a wry Queen Mum..."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 178 words, 11/25/10
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...features a glittery cast and hits every note you expect it to hit.... so flawlessly appointed and impeccably acted, you can't help but succumb.... undeniably charming."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 11/25/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a stately, carefully crafted specimen of a satisfying formula movie... an intelligent crowd-pleaser... truth to tell, a little square."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 11/26/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a crowning achievement powered by a dream cast... The emotion this film produces is staggering.... Firth's nuanced brilliance is a thing of bruised beauty."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 601 words, 11/12/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...communicates the psychic agony of a painfully shy man thrust into a highly public position and paralyzed by the idea that an empire hangs on his every word."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 11/26/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Note: The R rating refers to Logue's use of vulgarity. It is utterly inexplicable. This is an excellent film for teenagers."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 938 words, 12/16/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...solid drama with a rousing climax - a fully satisfying and uplifting period piece that achieves its dramatic potential without sacrificing historical accuracy."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,114 words, 12/18/10
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...doesn't shout about its many strengths. Rather, it urges you to lean in close, where its intelligence and heart come through loud and clear."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 430 words, 11/26/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...as good as one-on-one acting gets.... a monumental test of wills between an imperturbable layman and a king who insists with royal certitude..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 957 words, 11/26/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a couple of marvelous performances can elevate solid, well-carpentered material... transcends the ordinary, even the ordinary within its own framework."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 12/17/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...terribly English and totally Hollywood, and Firth is, once more, uncanny... trivializes history for the sake of bogus scenarios of self-realization."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 11/22/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Note: The R rating refers to Logue's use of vulgarity. It is utterly inexplicable. This is an excellent film for teenagers."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 938 words, 12/16/10
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a well-wrought, enjoyably amusing inspirational drama that successfully humanizes, even as it pokes fun at, the House of Windsor."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 601 words, 11/24/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The natural joke of pomposity punctured by a pauper fuels the humour... but Firth and Rush make it much more than just a clown act."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 12/10/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...its essential appeal is as the story of the sympathetic teacher who makes all the difference to the man who fights his disability with the same resolve he brings to fighting Hitler."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 623 words, 12/17/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Firth pulls off a daunting technical feat... Rush exudes the spry theatricality and constant alertness of a fellow who's always up to something, even when he's not."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 596 words, 12/22/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a dazzling example of shopworn form. Put aside the finery, eloquent dialogue and sublime acting, and you have a marvelous odd couple farce..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 856 words, 12/24/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a terrific movie with two fantastic performances at its heart.... because it actually does what it sets out to do - namely, please the crowd - it's difficult to find fault..."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 622 words, 12/17/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...has a great deal of fun exploring and then rupturing this mystique.... doesn't need to overplay its hand - especially not with a king waiting in the hole."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 12/17/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...complacent middlebrow tosh engineered for maximum awards bling and catering to a nostalgia for the royalty we've never actually had to live with."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 868 words, 12/17/10
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Rich characters fully drawn. Sterling performances. Superb writing, production design, no wasted scenes. Director Tom Hooper has made a breathtaking masterpiece."(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 469 words, 12/24/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Polished, smart, engrossing and human... a superb entertainment that rouses the heart and the head and turns a mossy tale of royal crisis into a vital drama."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 894 words, 12/24/10
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the epitome of prestige cinema, an impeccably crafted and emotionally compelling drama that deserves the many laurels it surely will receive."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 349 words, 12/24/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "My mind stammers like the hero of 'The King's Speech,' trying to form words that convey what my heart needs to say about this breathtaking film."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 12/23/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the best film of 2010, simple as that.... Classic, rousing entertainment loaded with both humor and poignancy... hits all the right notes on the way to its triumphant finale."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 12/24/10
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a heartfelt study in the shadings of courage, a film about duty and friendship that's often warmly funny and sometimes painful to watch."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 733 words, 12/24/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a well-wrought, enjoyably amusing inspirational drama that successfully humanizes, even as it pokes fun at, the House of Windsor."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 601 words, 11/24/10
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...admirably free of easy answers and simple, happy endings; it's a skewed, awards-ready version of history, but one polished to a fine, satisfying shine."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 442 words, 11/26/10
Nick Schager, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...a triumph considering that, from its fundamental narrative building blocks on up to its particular one-liners, it remains a decorous bit of middlebrow mush..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 687 words, 11/19/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a rousingly entertaining account of one man's self-actualization once he talks about his feelings. They could've called it 'Good King Hunting.' "(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 12/22/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...one of the most pleasurable movies to come along in years... positively swarms with fine supporting performances... simply sublime."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 944 words, 11/26/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: VERY GOOD "...one of those comedies of threatless reassurance at which the British still excel.... Firth and Rush join forces to delve into a saga of genuine pain and camouflaged wrath..."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,317 words, 11/22/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...as good as one-on-one acting gets.... a monumental test of wills between an imperturbable layman and a king who insists with royal certitude..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 957 words, 11/26/10
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: VERY GOOD "...takes an intriguing sideways glance at a crucial period in 20th-century history. Its star performance, and probably the best reason to see it, comes from Colin Firth..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,003 words, 11/23/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: OUTSTANDING "A stirring, handsomely mounted tale... rather boldly dares to humanize a figure traditionally held at arm's length from the public and treated with divine respect..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,046 words, 09/04/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "A riveting, intimate account at how a British king triumphed over a speech impediment... measures out comedy and drama in nearly even doses."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 655 words, 09/04/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...as good as one-on-one acting gets.... a monumental test of wills between an imperturbable layman and a king who insists with royal certitude..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 957 words, 11/26/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...vastly entertaining... a serious drama and a crowd-pleasing fare.... offering emotionally stirring moments and accessible historical background in equal measure..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 09/19/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "...one of the most pleasurable movies to come along in years... positively swarms with fine supporting performances... simply sublime."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 944 words, 11/26/10
14.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The King's Speech's reviews are separated by an average 14.6 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.
The King's Speech (49 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The King's Speech's reviews cover 86.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 31,299 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 639 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 61.8 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The King's Speech's reviews on average broke 61.8 hours after 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 King's Speech's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The King's Speech (49 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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