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THE SWEENEYMovie Reviews
Action drama about an elite London police unit whose members use aggressive force to stop violent criminals; based on the 1970's British TV series. Cast:Damian Lewis, Hayley Atwell, Allen Leech, Ray Winstone, Mark Killeen, Ben Drew, Paul Anderson, Steven Mackintosh, Alan Ford, Steven Waddington, Kara Tointon, Ed Skrein, Allan Corduner, Caroline Chikezie, Susan FordhamDirector:Nick LoveRelease Date:March 1, 2013DVD Release:April 2, 2013From:Vertigo FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr 30 min
The Sweeney played in key cities to fair reviews. • Alynda Wheat wrote in People, "...feels like a TV cop drama because it was one.... Jack Regan's private dramas are a snooze, but the chases are silly fun." More Reviews Below...
The Sweeney Positive Reviews (20 Reviews, reviews below)
Melissa Maerz, Entertainment Weekly: FAIR(cg) "What's worse than watching another loose-cannon-cop drama? Watching one that's based on a 70s U.K. TV show that you've never heard of."(See all of Melissa Maerz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 132 words, 03/08/13
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...if you sit back and enjoy the way that Winstone's energetic performance generously draws out the other characters, the movie becomes a great deal of fun.... Age 16."(See all of Jeffrey M. Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 427 words, 02/26/13
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...looks a lot classier than its characters.... if the villains are little more than fireplugs in balaclavas, the violence they provoke is satisfyingly vicious."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 229 words, 03/01/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a briskly involving British crime entertainment of the old school.... benefits greatly from Ray Winstone's performance as Jack Regan... super violent..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 03/01/13
Kyle Smith, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Amid much crashing of cars, busting of heads and general rudeness, the movie blithely repeats most of the clichés of the American badass-cop flick..."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 171 words, 03/01/13
Roger Moore, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...down-and-dirty genre picture manages a couple of decent plot twists, passable car chases and two epic shootouts... takes repeated 'didn't see that coming' turns..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 494 words, 03/01/13
Omer M. Mozaffar, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...recycles corny lines, too-familiar plot twists, and preposterous action scenes.... merely an exercise in style over substance..."(See all of Omer M. Mozaffar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 633 words, 03/01/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "Winstone is, as always, perfectly believable... after a slow start -- due, somewhat, to American ears adjusting to those problematic accents -- the film hits a groove."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 03/01/13
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...has a certain integrity and creates an interesting atmosphere, largely thanks to the soundtrack, of all things, which gives most moments a dreamy undertone."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 381 words, 03/01/13
Soren Andersen, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a pretty conventional cop drama by the standards of the genre.... what sets the movie in a class apart is Ray Winstone."(See all of Soren Andersen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 03/08/13
Tom Long, Detroit News: FAIR(cg) "...begins efficiently enough, it ultimately spins off into silliness.... Maybe it worked in the '70s; it's too worn to work these days."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 301 words, 03/01/13
Jake Mulligan, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "...originally a 1970s TV show, but with the archetypal characters, the rote plot, and the nondescript gunfights, it feels more like an adaptation of a video game."(See all of Jake Mulligan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 02/28/13
Sam Adams, AV Club: FAIR(cg) "...plays like a forgotten '80s action movie.... A treat, perhaps, for those who prefer their cop thrillers pre-meta, but tiresomely plodding for everyone else."(See all of Sam Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 348 words, 02/28/13
Chris Cabin, Slant: POOR(cg) "Clichés abound... trades in thoughtless, thuggish posturing, notable only for an involving-enough 'Heat'-meets-'Point Break' heist centerpiece."(See all of Chris Cabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 375 words, 02/27/13
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...looks a lot classier than its characters.... if the villains are little more than fireplugs in balaclavas, the violence they provoke is satisfyingly vicious."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 229 words, 03/01/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a briskly involving British crime entertainment of the old school.... benefits greatly from Ray Winstone's performance as Jack Regan... super violent..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 03/01/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Charles Gant, Variety: MODERATE "...a defiantly anachronistic actioner... much of the action is routine... director Nick Love allows the audience to be too far ahead of the Flying Squad detectives..."(See all of Charles Gant's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 636 words, 08/02/12
Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...a testosterone-fuelled exercise in visual razzle-dazzle... as charmless as an angry drunk at a wedding, and as subtle as a shotgun blast to the face."(See all of Stephen Dalton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 835 words, 07/30/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a briskly involving British crime entertainment of the old school.... benefits greatly from Ray Winstone's performance as Jack Regan... super violent..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 03/01/13
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...looks a lot classier than its characters.... if the villains are little more than fireplugs in balaclavas, the violence they provoke is satisfyingly vicious."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 229 words, 03/01/13
16.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Sweeney's reviews are separated by an average 16.6 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 Sweeney (20 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Sweeney's reviews cover 35.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,507 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 375 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Sweeney Coverage, Volume & Length (20 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 5 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Sweeney's reviews on average broke 5 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 Sweeney's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Sweeney (20 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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